Chapter 387 - 382: Merge into One, Solar Radiance
"Fog Forest."
"How truly pathetic..."
"After all these long years, have you really been reduced to such a hideous monster?"
Nether Mirror flickered with a dark light as he strode forward.
Gazing at the Rotting Tree Dragon, his eyes revealed a trace of mocking pity.
And clearly, this gaze sent the Withered Wood Elder into a towering rage!
The chest of the Rotting Tree Dragon rippled and contorted.
A face like a festering sore grew out from it—the face of the Withered Wood Elder!
"Still acting so high and mighty!"
"Hideous? After I kill you... I will be reborn!"
Before the words had even faded, the Rotting Tree Dragon let out a roar, its massive, misshapen body charging forward like a war chariot!
Below the Rotting Tree Dragon’s torso, countless small, malformed limbs could be seen writhing like a centipede, providing it with immense momentum!
RUMBLE!
The Rotting Tree Dragon charged!
THWACK!
Its long, rotten, vine-like tail swept out!
The dust it kicked up covered an area hundreds of feet wide!
Facing the Rotting Tree Dragon, Nether Mirror did not meet it head-on. With a flash, his figure dodged aside.
Firstly, he had expended too much energy after killing Su Ye and couldn’t sustain a direct confrontation!
Secondly, with his keen perception, Nether Mirror had already seen that the current Rotting Tree Dragon was, like him, a spent force!
Or rather, it was in an even worse state than he was!
’Logically, this shouldn’t be the case...’
’The golden fruit should have provided him with some power.’
’Unless... this golden fruit never received any divine nourishment?’
’Hmm?’
’Then Shadow Binding, Blood Dragon... where are they now?’ Nether Mirror was surprised.
Of course, even though he didn’t know why the Withered Wood Elder, after all his scheming, still hadn’t managed to gather enough divinity—’Fog Forest, are you an idiot?’—this didn’t stop Nether Mirror from choosing the optimal strategy!
’A delaying, defensive strategy is all I need.’
’The Orbit is still active, continuously destroying the divine kingdom and neutralizing the baleful energy!’
’And both of those are Fog Forest’s sources of power. As time passes, he’ll grow weaker and weaker. When that happens, I can win without a fight!’
’The only drawback is that the golden fruit, lacking divine nourishment, might not be as effective as I predicted?’
’But there’s nothing to be done. Such is life. Besides... harvesting even an unripe golden fruit is still a good outcome.’
So Nether Mirror thought.
There was no other way. After the end of the Second Epoch, it was simply impossible to cultivate this kind of World Tree fruit through conventional means.
Only an ancient god like the God of Mist Forest, steeped in the domain of [Nature] for countless years and possessing a profound foundation, could possibly cultivate one—and only then by sacrificing nearly everything!
Given the situation, he couldn’t afford to be picky!
Nether Mirror played it safe, focusing on evasion. At the same time, dozens of black dots shot from his hands, expanding into black holes that fired Dark Light Cannons!
PSSSH!
Holes were blasted into the Rotting Tree Dragon’s body!
Nether Mirror’s tactics were sound. Relying on hit-and-run skirmishing, he gradually seized control of the battle’s rhythm!
But at that moment, the Rotting Tree Dragon did something astonishing!
WHUMP!
With a swing of its woody, vine-like tail, its body slid rapidly to the other side!
It was approaching... the vicinity of the Spider Hand?!
This misshapen creature had been forgotten for a long time. Even Su Ye, when he had lost control to the Divine Blood, had ignored this immobile, low-intelligence monster.
But it was, after all, a Tier 5 malformed creature!
Its very existence, and the dense baleful energy within its flesh, made it a potent, ready-to-use battery for the Rotting Tree Dragon!
SHRRK.
The Rotting Tree Dragon was like a Facehugger.
With an agility that defied its size, it clambered onto the Spider Hand’s back!
SQUELCH.
Dozens of woody vines and appendages plunged deep into its flesh!
The two monsters began to fuse!
"You intend to...?!" Nether Mirror’s expression changed!
From the black dots behind him, dozens of Dark Light Cannons screamed through the air in an attempt to stop it!
But unfortunately, compared to the Rotting Tree Dragon’s colossal body, this volley of Dark Light Cannons was something it could simply endure!
VWOOM!
Dust billowed up.
Nether Mirror’s attempt to interrupt had failed!
The two terrifying monsters merged into one!
GURGLE.
Black-red baleful energy, surging like blood, flowed from the Spider Hand’s body, through the woody vines and appendages, and into the Rotting Tree Dragon!
This caused the Rotting Tree Dragon’s aura to skyrocket as if it had consumed a powerful tonic!
At the same time,
under the Withered Wood Elder’s control,
the Spider Hand severed all of its limbs that were trapped in the nether-realm and suppressed their regeneration!
RRRIP!
The monster was finally free!
ROAR!
The Rotting Tree Dragon threw its head back and bellowed!
A filthy and terrifying wave of baleful energy howled out like a hurricane!
However, this power did not come without a price.
On the Rotting Tree Dragon’s body, a black-red light, like small, serpentine tendrils, could be seen snaking its way toward the glimmer of gold within its head!
Although the Rotting Tree Dragon’s body was huge, making the corruption’s advance seem relatively slow, it was by no means sluggish!
The golden fruit was at risk of being tainted!
"Fog Forest!"
"Aren’t you afraid the baleful energy will backlash and all your efforts will be for nothing?"
Nether Mirror’s face changed drastically as he shouted harshly.
But the Withered Wood Elder was calm.
"If I can’t kill you, it’ll be for nothing anyway!"
Before his words faded, he spurred the fused monster to charge again!
An unnaturally thick arm, covered in gnarled and knotted roots, slammed down toward Nether Mirror!
VMMMM!
In the void, spiritual energy stagnated!
In an instant, Nether Mirror felt the air around him thicken as if it had turned to syrup, viscous and heavy!
’Locking down the void!’
Nether Mirror’s mind focused!
’This is a Tier 5 ability!’
After devouring the Spider Hand,
with the Withered Wood Elder in control, the Rotting Tree Dragon could now use some Tier 5 abilities!
’I can’t block it!’
Nether Mirror made his judgment!
’Unless...’
’But...’
On Nether Mirror’s face,
a flicker of hesitation appeared and vanished.
It was immediately replaced by determination!
’Fog Forest dares to risk it all, so why shouldn’t I?!’
’Ridiculous!’
HUMMM!
A wisp of gold bloomed in his pupils!
"I am the Radiance!"
Nether Mirror’s voice boomed like thunder!
VWOOM!
An incomparably brilliant golden light suddenly erupted!
A pure, golden-white sacred flame, capable of incinerating all, met the Rotting Tree Dragon’s woody arm, spreading rapidly and igniting large swathes of its root-vines!
"AHHH!"
The Rotting Tree Dragon shrieked and retreated, unable to maintain its attack!
One could only imagine how terrifying the damage from this golden-white sacred flame was!
WHOOSH.
Nether Mirror stood clad in a golden-white robe, utterly immaculate.
His pupils were filled with golden light, his gaze cold and profound, brimming with vast, divine might!
A vast, pure, and sacred aura swept out like the wind!
Sensing this power, the Withered Wood Elder’s expression turned ugly, revealing a hint of disbelief!
"This is..."
"Impossible!"
"This is the light of the sun! How could you...?!"