Chapter 2044: Tower Defense Begins

At this moment, the large tree on the screen suddenly rustled, and leaves fell like rain. Passing residents were startled, as there was no wind at all, so why was the tree shaking?

He Lingchuan immediately felt the familiar tremor again.

Could it be... this tree was summoning him?

This was originally a seed of the Treasure Tree King, a Guro tree with the ability to enter and exit the ethereal realm. After being swallowed by the Great Square Pot, it was planted in Panlong City. Now, its height exceeds twenty zhang, and its vast canopy can shade half of South Gate Plaza. On scorching summer days, many residents would come here to cool off.

Considering the Treasure Tree King's stature, it was clear this tree still had much room to grow.

Speaking of which, it hadn't been long since he had last been in Panlong City, yet a small portion of this tree's leaves had already turned golden-red, looking quite beautiful.

These scattered thoughts flashed through his mind like a carousel, and then he saw something mixed among the showering Guro tree leaves, falling out of the Haoyuan Gold Mirror!

To put it plainly, it had fallen out of the Panlong World and into this cauldron world, which was steaming with poisonous fire!

He Lingchuan grabbed it without hesitation and looked closely—

It was a fruit, bulging in the middle and pointed at both ends, shaped like a lemon.

The Soul-Capturing Mirror, standing nearby, exclaimed, "Uh, isn't that a Guro tree seed?"

Indeed, the seed He Lingchuan had previously seized from Wind Demon Mountain looked exactly like this. However, that one was golden, while this one was reddish-gold, not only displaying fiery red patterns but also emitting a vibrant red glow that pulsed across its surface under the faint light of the Haoyuan Gold Mirror.

This alone indicated it was no longer a mere Guro tree seed.

He wondered what kind of mutation it had undergone within the Great Square Pot's interior. He Lingchuan recalled the hazy, unknown misty valley and the trees filling every crevice and pit. The Great Square Pot could transform even divine and immortal souls into saplings; heaven knew what it could turn a Guro tree into.

But the Great Square Pot never acted without purpose. The Guro tree suddenly throwing a seed to him must be a timely aid.

What to do with the seed? Of course, plant it in the ground.

He Lingchuan swung his treasured halberd like a hoe, striking the ground seven or eight times to dig a small pit, then pressed this unique-looking seed into it.

In fact, he didn't need to press it; the seed sank into the ground upon contact.

Those outside the cauldron could see his every move and were startled, exclaiming, "What is he doing?"

"A wood seed! It's a mutated Guro tree seed!" Qingyang recognized the Guro tree seed at a glance, but this one's color was wrong, and the attached divine power fluctuations were also off!

Recalling the characteristics of the Guro tree and the Treasure Tree King, Qingyang immediately sensed trouble.

Although she knew the Guro tree didn't possess fire-repelling properties, He Xiao didn't seem to be acting out of desperation, and this seed did look somewhat unusual. So she urgently told True Monarch Wood Constellation, "Quickly expel that thing! He's going to burst your treasured cauldron!"

The Wood King Cauldron could expel anything from within according to its master's will. Just moments ago, Qingyang and the others had passed through the cauldron wall this way.

Whatever He Xiao had buried, the correct course of action was to quickly get it out, preventing it from taking effect inside!

In her haste, her tone became somewhat commanding. True Monarch Wood Constellation's expression was grave, and he had no time to dispute.

A few breaths passed, but the thing was not expelled by the Wood King Cauldron.

True Monarch Wood Constellation's wooden face remained expressionless, but his tone grew agitated: "No, it's stuck at the bottom of the cauldron!"

"What's going on?"

"This seed has merged with the Wood King Cauldron, like ink dropped into clear water; it's difficult to separate it out again. It..."

True Monarch Wood Constellation didn't need to finish his sentence; everyone could see what was happening.

Right before He Lingchuan's eyes, two verdant green leaves sprouted from the small pit at the bottom of the cauldron. This vibrant greenery was strikingly out of place in the scene of a blazing furnace, like a doomsday landscape.

The pervasive fire poison had no effect on it whatsoever.

In just fifteen or sixteen breaths, it grew from a tiny sprout into a sapling half the height of a person.

Simultaneously, the azure flames at the bottom of the cauldron grew less intense, and the internal temperature stopped rising!

Not only was it unafraid of the fire poison, but it could even absorb the azure flames within the cauldron.

Unbelievable!

Just then, the Soul-Capturing Mirror's shriek echoed in He Lingchuan's mind:

"Behind you!"

The treasured mirror was in telepathic communication with him, able to communicate even without being held close.

The mirror warned him of danger behind him!

But the sapling was growing vigorously and needed He Lingchuan's protection. He couldn't leap and dodge attacks in this space as he had before.

Immediately afterward, a long, massive, rounded shadow emerged from the cauldron wall!

He Lingchuan initially thought it was an exceptionally thick tree vine, but when the thing swayed its head, he realized he was mistaken:

It was a giant snake.

Its body's diameter was comparable to the Crescent Gate, covered in tough, dark scales, with only two azure lines behind its ears that extended to the prominent arch at the back of its neck.

Its dark red forked tongue alone was over a zhang long!

It didn't blink, but the cold glint in its eyes made any living creature before it tremble with fear!

This was definitely not an original inhabitant of the Wood King Cauldron.

After appearing, it didn't even acknowledge them but charged straight for the young sapling.

Given its sheer size, even if it did nothing but roll over the sapling, it could crush it.

He Lingchuan swung his long halberd, sending several swift slashes of halberd wind. This was an inherent property of the treasured halberd, called "Cleaving Wind and Parting Waves." The gale force winds He Lingchuan unleashed became wind blades over a zhang tall by the time they reached the giant snake!

If the Nesting Sea Yaksha King had deployed this move, even Azure Dragons would shun its edge. He Lingchuan hadn't reached that level yet, but his gale blades subtly carried the sound of wind and thunder and were formless and traceless.

The giant snake's flickering tongue, however, was exceptionally sensitive to changes in the air. Somehow, its massive body deftly dodged every wind blade. As it lunged forward, it opened its mouth wide—a gaping maw that extended 130 degrees, revealing tusks a zhang and a half long that gleamed with chilling white light.

Just as He Lingchuan was about to exert force, a black flash appeared beside him, and something, arriving later but acting faster, slammed into the giant snake's cheek.

The giant snake was instantly knocked sideways, tumbling several times on the ground.

It was Xutuo who had arrived.

"Watch your sapling!" Xutuo's words echoed in He Lingchuan's ear. "Panqing Immortal Lord is mine!"

So, this giant snake's immortal title was Panqing Immortal Lord.

In the blink of an eye, the old ox and the black snake were locked in combat. The former primarily relied on ramming, while also carefully avoiding being entangled by its opponent.

Panqing Immortal Lord's fangs carried potent venom, and Xutuo wasn't sure if he could withstand it.

He Lingchuan took off his cloak and draped it over the sapling:

"Protect the sapling!"

Based on his understanding of Qingyang, their opponents wouldn't have just one trick up their sleeve. Their troubles were only just beginning.

This sapling was given to him by the Great Square Pot, most likely their only means of escaping the Wood King Cauldron, so it had to be carefully protected and not allowed to perish prematurely.

The cloak fluttered down, transforming into a swirling red mist that tightly enveloped the entire sapling.