Chapter 437: Taking the Scales

Zhou Yuan headed straight for the Dragon Scale Locust Tree. As he glided past, not a single withered leaf on the ground stirred, his movement as silent as a wisp of smoke.

In just a few breaths, he was within a hundred zhang of the Dragon Scale Locust Tree.

Everything remained quiet and still.

However, Zhou Yuan's body grew increasingly tense, his face filled with vigilance. His gaze was fixed on the Dragon Scale Locust Tree, guarding against any reaction it might have.

The powerful pressure emanating from the Dragon Scale Locust Tree made Zhou Yuan realize what a formidable existence it was. Facing such a powerful being, he dared not show the slightest negligence.

Fortunately, as Zhou Yuan approached, the Dragon Scale Locust Tree remained unresponsive.

This brought a hint of joy to Zhou Yuan's eyes. It seemed that to an existence like the Dragon Scale Locust Tree, he was currently as insignificant as an ant, so it didn't even instinctively warn him off.

"Closer, closer... as long as I can cut off a few tree scales, it'll be a success!" Zhou Yuan's heart pounded violently, his eyes burning with anticipation as he stared at the peculiar, faintly glowing tree scales on the trunk of the Dragon Scale Locust Tree.

However, at that very moment, Zhou Yuan's spiritual perception in his glabella suddenly quivered. His spirit sensed a dangerous aura. Immediately, his rapidly moving figure paused, and he stepped out diagonally in an uncanny manner.

The instant his body curved, a black light, carrying an extremely sharp aura, shot forward. It silently tore through the air, then brushed past Zhou Yuan's body and floated away.

The black light plunged into the ground, seemingly bottomless. Zhou Yuan's gaze swept over it, and his eyes narrowed, for the black light was, in fact, a segment of a black vine. However, the vine was covered in fine scales, faintly shimmering with a cold glint.

It was a vine from the Dragon Scale Locust Tree!

Zhou Yuan's expression turned grave as he looked up. In mid-air, countless black vines slowly writhed like pythons, their incomparably sharp tips locked onto Zhou Yuan.

All those vines emanated an extremely dangerous aura.

"Still, I've been discovered..." Zhou Yuan sighed helplessly. He had originally thought he could fool the heavens with his "Illusory Transformation Art," secretly approaching the Dragon Scale Locust Tree to cut off a few scales.

As Zhou Yuan sighed, the countless vines suddenly whistled down. They left trails in the air, their sharp auras directly aimed at Zhou Yuan.

"Mystic Python Golden Bell!"

Zhou Yuan stomped his foot, and golden Genesis Qi erupted, rapidly forming a large golden bell that enveloped him.

Although these vines were merely the Dragon Scale Locust Tree's instinctive attacks at this point, they were extremely dangerous for Zhou Yuan. Thus, he activated his strongest defense without hesitation.

Clang! Clang!

Countless vines fiercely struck the golden bell, immediately causing a loud chime. The golden light rippled violently, and faint cracks began to appear on the bell's surface.

Seeing this, a look of horror flashed across Zhou Yuan's eyes. His Mystic Python Golden Bell possessed such astonishing defensive power, yet it was showing signs of breaking so quickly. The vine attacks from this Dragon Scale Locust Tree were truly terrifying!

More and more cracks appeared on the golden bell until it finally exploded. In that instant, Zhou Yuan's figure shot out again, darting straight towards the trunk of the Dragon Scale Locust Tree.

In mid-air, vines wrapped around him like lightning, forming a net that sought to trap Zhou Yuan.

"Heavenly Sun Fire!"

He puffed out his cheeks, and green Heavenly Sun Fire roared forth.

When the vines came into contact with the Heavenly Sun Fire, they retreated significantly for a moment. However, very quickly, the scales on some vines began to glow, and vigorous Genesis Qi flowed out, covering the vines.

*Sizzle!*

Thus, the vines covered in green Genesis Qi no longer feared the Heavenly Sun Fire. With a collective roar, they pierced and tore through the Heavenly Sun Fire, then fiercely shot towards Zhou Yuan.

The vine attacks were overwhelming and ferociously powerful. Zhou Yuan, who had intended to charge forward, was forced to retreat.

The Dragon Scale Locust Tree, though seemingly close, felt as distant as a chasm, impossible to approach.

Zhou Yuan was trapped under the assault of countless vines, unable to move an inch and looking quite disheveled.

On the periphery, Elder Xuan, puffing out smoke, calmly observed the disheveled Zhou Yuan. He said, "As time passes, more and more of these vines will awaken, and simultaneously, the Dragon Scale Locust Tree will gradually emerge from its dormant state."

"So, the longer you delay, the less chance you'll have."

Elder Xuan's voice reached Zhou Yuan's ears, causing his expression to involuntarily change. This Dragon Scale Locust Tree was an extremely terrifying existence. If it were to fully awaken, even powerful experts in the Heavenly Sun Stage would be helpless against it, let alone him, a practitioner at the fourth layer of the Alpha Origin Stage.

At that point, obtaining even a single tree scale would likely be an impossible fantasy.

However, he wasn't holding back now either; it was simply that the Dragon Scale Locust Tree's vines were too terrifying, completely preventing him from advancing even half a step.

Clearly, obtaining the tree scales was not as easy as he had imagined.

Zhou Yuan gritted his teeth, and the Heavenly Yuan Brush appeared in his hand. Its tip transformed into afterimages, blocking the violently attacking vines. However, with every direct collision, his steps were forced back.

His entire palm tingled with pain, his web of thumb and forefinger was cracked from the impact, and blood began to flow.

The stinging pain in his palm suddenly ignited Zhou Yuan's anger, and his eyes grew fierce. The next instant, he took a deep breath, and in the depths of his pupils, ancient sacred runes flickered into existence, slowly rotating.

Barrier-Breaking Sacred Rune!

The moment the sacred runes appeared, the overwhelming volley of vines seemed to freeze for an instant. In Zhou Yuan's eyes, he could see Genesis Qi roaring and flowing within each vine, and the source of this Genesis Qi was the Dragon Scale Locust Tree itself.

This was also the main reason for the vines' ferocious attacks.

"If I can just slightly obstruct the flow of Genesis Qi, these vines will briefly stagnate." Zhou Yuan's eyes gleamed. With the power of the Barrier-Breaking Sacred Rune, he could observe the trajectory of the Dragon Scale Locust Tree's Genesis Qi circulation.

*Sizzle!*

In Zhou Yuan's eyes, the sky-full of vines only hesitated for a moment before continuing their overwhelming, terrifying assault.

However, this time, Zhou Yuan's gaze sharpened. Instead of defending, he took the initiative. He stomped his foot, and his figure shot upwards, charging directly towards the vines.

*Swish! Swish!*

The Heavenly Yuan Brush vibrated, transforming into countless whistling brush phantoms. Each phantom, with extremely precise trajectories, struck a specific point on the vines.

This point was precisely where the Dragon Scale Locust Tree's Genesis Qi circulated. The intrusion of force caused the Genesis Qi's movement to stagnate.

Zhou Yuan's figure landed.

Countless vines whistled towards him, rapidly enlarging in his eyes. Yet, he stood motionless, as if they were nothing to him.

Just as the vines were about to strike Zhou Yuan's body, they suddenly stiffened. Finally, as if losing all power, they clattered down from the sky, falling onto the surrounding ground.

The surroundings grew quiet once more.

On the periphery, Elder Xuan had been watching Zhou Yuan. When he saw this scene, his old, bark-like face trembled slightly. Then he looked up, took a puff of his pungent smoke, and a profound look appeared in his cloudy eyes.

Zhou Yuan, looking at the fallen vines, secretly let out a sigh of relief. The sacred runes in his eyes receded, and then he quickly stepped forward, appearing beside the trunk of the Dragon Scale Locust Tree.

He gripped the black machete and unceremoniously chopped down.

As the machete descended, palm-sized tree scales fell off. They glowed like jade, looking quite magnificent.

Zhou Yuan's eyes burned with eagerness, and he chopped away joyfully. In just a short while, he had cut off over ten tree scales. Then he felt the Dragon Scale Locust Tree before him begin to emanate light.

A terrifying fluctuation slowly emerged, as if something was awakening.

"Greedy boy, if you don't run now, prepare to stay here as fertilizer," Elder Xuan's annoyed voice rang out.

A chill ran through Zhou Yuan's heart, and only then did he realize that the Dragon Scale Locust Tree was about to fully awaken!

Immediately, his scalp tingled. Without hesitation, he picked up the dozen or so tree scales and turned to flee.

The instant he turned to escape, a terrifying surge of Genesis Qi erupted behind him, directly flinging him away. Then, the ground-covered vines roared to life again, shooting towards Zhou Yuan with lightning speed.

Elder Xuan watched this scene, shook his head helplessly, and exhaled a puff of smoke.

The smoke surged out, directly coiling around the black machete in Zhou Yuan's hand. The machete seemed to flash with light, and with a series of *swish-swish-swish*, the whistling vines were severed.

Zhou Yuan's body landed heavily at Elder Xuan's feet. He grimaced as he scrambled to his feet, then looked back. He saw the sky-filling vines coiled in the air, seemingly hissing like giant pythons, but deterred by the black machete in front of them, they dared not advance.

"That's enough, isn't it? I just took a few of your tree scales, why are you still so petty?" Elder Xuan said leisurely, looking at the gigantic Dragon Scale Locust Tree.

The Dragon Scale Locust Tree swayed, and the Genesis Qi in heaven and earth seemed to tremble. That terrifying pressure, even though it wasn't fully unleashed, still made Zhou Yuan tremble with fear.

However, in the end, the Dragon Scale Locust Tree slowly retracted its terrifying Genesis Qi, gradually returning to stillness.

Elder Xuan smiled, glanced at Zhou Yuan, then turned and departed.

Seeing this, Zhou Yuan quickly followed.

The two returned the way they came, eventually exiting the mountain.

"You can go back now. Once you have completely perfected the Grand Yi Rune, come find me again. I will teach you how to cultivate the 'Minor Mystic Saint Body'," Elder Xuan said slowly, looking at Zhou Yuan after standing at the foot of the mountain for a while.

Zhou Yuan was overjoyed upon hearing this. However, seeing that Elder Xuan's mood seemed a little off, he didn't say much. He simply nodded, then stepped on Genesis Qi and ascended into the air.

Elder Xuan stood at the edge of the forest, his cloudy eyes watching Zhou Yuan's retreating figure. After a long while, he seemed to let out a sigh of relief, as if a burden had been lifted. A low murmur echoed through the mist-shrouded mountains.

"So it is true after all..."