Chapter 1505: Evil Submissive Pulls Out the God-Worshipping Willow, Staff and Sword Strike Dao Xuanji

“Willow?”

Everyone noticed the anomaly and turned their heads simultaneously. From within the demonic energy of the Four Swords, a slender and delicate willow branch emerged, gently drooping with tender green leaves.

The willow branch swayed in the wind, unsettling everyone’s minds. “Whoosh!” In an instant, it drained all the surrounding demonic energy, revealing its true form. It had actually taken root in Dao Xuanji’s chest, absorbing nutrients for an unknown duration, and using the newly swallowed demonic energy, it had grown into a thick branch, about ten feet long.

“Groan…” Dao Xuanji let out a muffled groan, her eyes snapping open. The crimson in her eyes receded, and her face became fierce, indicating she had regained her sanity.

At the same time, from high above, an ethereal, merciless pronouncement descended: “The Lei family secretly plotted against Void Island and shall be eradicated. All members of the Sacred Hall must immediately apprehend the Lei family remnants, Lei Shuangxing and Lei Xi’er, without fail. Xu Xiaoshou has wreaked havoc in Yujing; his crimes are unforgivable. Apprehend him as well!”

Yujing City erupted in an uproar. The Xuanji Hall Master had regained consciousness? Looking up, her current state was exceedingly bizarre. If Xu Xiaoshou’s symbiosis with the Gluttonous God still retained some semblance of beauty, Dao Xuanji now had a thick, tail-like willow branch protruding from her chest, and her entire body was slightly bloated. Her limbs were gnarled and twisted, sharp thorns were visible at her fingertips, and even deep within the flesh of her face, there were faint signs of roots infiltrating. It was as if she had become a human petri dish, cultivating a green willow sapling!

Fang Wenxin, Zhong Yuanzi, and others exchanged glances. Below, the long-gathered white-robed and red-robed members of the Sacred Hall in the city also hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back. Let alone the shock everyone felt from “the Lei family matter.” At this point, whether or not to apprehend the Sacred Slaves was no longer the issue. Whether Xu Xiaoshou alone could be captured was already debatable!

“A willow spirit?” Xu Xiaoshou stood in a daze, completely ignoring Dao Xuanji’s delirious mumblings. Instead, he looked at Elder Yu and the other Sacred Hall members as if he had discovered some earth-shattering secret, his expression incredulous. Before they could explain, Mister Si Ren’s grave voice was heard: “God-Worshiping Willow!” “Ah, wrong guess…” “The God-Worshiping Willow, the chief of the Nine Ancestral Trees?” Xu Xiaoshou looked in the direction of the voice. “Wasn’t it cut down by old man Yu Tu?” “It was cut down, but it seems to have revived. Dao Xuanji is using it… or rather, they are using each other and growing together!” Mei Si Ren explained.

Xu Xiaoshou asked no further questions. He already held the Shadow Staff of the Time Ancestor in his hand. The next step should have been a childish act of time reversal, making everyone forget the recent awkwardness… Staring at the willow branch, Xu Xiaoshou pondered for a moment, then stopped his movement.

“Bang!” In less than a breath’s time, the main root of the God-Worshiping Willow branch, which was rooted in Dao Xuanji’s body and revived by her power, burst forth with even more willow branches, scattering them like a celestial maiden. These willow branches seemed to possess no consciousness. And Dao Xuanji, who was controlling them, tilted her head back, and the light in her eyes faded.

And so… Some of the out-of-control willow branches lashed out at Ye Xiaotian, Mei Si Ren, and even the demigods of the Sacred Hall, such as Fang Wenxin and Zhong Yuanzi. Another portion targeted Lei Shuangxing, Lei Xi’er, and Xu Xiaoshou! The last of them shot straight towards the ground, attempting to penetrate Yujing City, clearly aiming for the countless spirit refiners below.

“Too slow!” This burst was too weak, and its attack speed couldn’t match everyone’s reaction time. After cutting down the willow branches in front of him, Ye Xiaotian, judging their strength, concluded that no one present could be struck. He then stepped out of the spatial profound formation and moved downwards, protecting Yujing City.

“Break!” The saints normally dodged. Lei Shuangxing drew his Soul-Extracting Staff and pierced a God-Worshiping Willow branch with a single strike. Lei Xi’er merely tilted her head, and the willow branch swept past her ear, unable to harm her in the slightest.

“This is an Ancestral Tree…?” With Dao Xuanji so weak, and the God-Worshiping Willow so weak, who could it possibly hit? Lei Xi’er frowned, a hint of doubt surfacing, but with a quick glance, she was horrified to see a God-Worshiping Willow branch pierce through Xu Xiaoshou’s palm!

“Thwip.” Flesh was pierced. A piercing pain, as if a spike had been driven through his heart. “Xu Xiaoshou?!”

Lei Xi’er’s Divine-Demonic Pupils spun, and her Supreme Life Demon Body instantly activated. As she lunged forward, she slapped the God-Worshiping Willow branch with her palm, “You couldn’t dodge?” “Suspected, Passive Points, +1.”

It wasn’t just her; everyone present turned their heads simultaneously, their faces showing disbelief. Could it be that the attacks aimed at them were weak? Had Dao Xuanji concentrated all her power on attacking Xu Xiaoshou? Otherwise, how could Xu Xiaoshou, in his Ghost Beast Transformation state, who could even send Elder Yu flying, fail to evade this sneak attack?

“Stop!” Before Lei Xi’er could grab the God-Worshiping Willow branch, Xu Xiaoshou’s single word stopped her. She looked at him with startled eyes, finding no trace of panic in his expression, only a hint of curiosity… He, he allowed himself to be pierced on purpose? “Cursed, Passive Points, +1.”

Xu Xiaoshou had indeed done it on purpose. He possessed a body full of passive abilities and was hosting the Gluttonous Ghost Beast. He was practically fearless; why would he be afraid of a mere newly awakened God-Worshiping Willow? What’s more… Didn’t they see the main body of one of the Ancestral Trees—the Dragon Apricot’s main body!—also watching from high above in the distance? How could Xu Xiaoshou possibly lose? Nothing ventured, nothing gained. He merely wanted to test the capabilities of the God-Worshiping Willow, the chief of the Ancestral Trees.

“Gurgle, gurgle…” The willow branch, which had pierced through his palm, wriggled rhythmically. Xu Xiaoshou felt a large amount of his vital essence being devoured. Following the willow branch, the ultimate destination of this energy was Dao Xuanji, or rather, the main root of the God-Worshiping Willow branch inside her. Not only that… Black traces spread from the pierced wound on his palm. Xu Xiaoshou felt a piercing pain in his soul. After a dark miniature sword lit up in his eyes, he examined his own spirit with Ghost Sword Art. As expected, the God-Worshiping Willow was also absorbing his soul power!

“After piercing a human body, it enhances itself by devouring flesh and blood and souls. Is this the ability of the God-Worshiping Willow?” Xu Xiaoshou asked in surprise. Lei Xi’er was stunned. Everyone behind them was also stunned. They were not surprised by the conclusion itself, but by the fact that Xu Xiaoshou had risked himself to become a guinea pig just to reach it! “Suspected, Passive Points, +6.”

The Ancestral Tree Dragon Apricot, however, knew how terrifying Xu Xiaoshou’s physical body was at this moment, its Apricot Realm master. It was completely unconcerned and transmitted a voice from afar: “The Ancestral Tree God-Worshiping Willow is born from sacrificing the flesh, blood, and souls of all things. It can acquire supreme sacrificial power and enslave thousands of sacrificed beings. But this requires a process; it is too weak right now… In its mature state, it can control and enslave an entire domain’s inhabitants in a single breath. Not only Saint Emperors, but even Ancestral God realms can be devoured in one gulp. This is the origin of the name ‘God-Worshiping Willow’.”

Xu Xiaoshou’s heart sank upon hearing this. If it kept draining his blood, would he eventually become a servant to this willow tree? But why… Did he feel nothing at all? Upon looking inward, Xu Xiaoshou was instantly amused. The rate at which the God-Worshiping Willow branch devoured his energy was not even as fast as the recovery rate of his various passive abilities. It was like trying to drain a bottomless well!

“Gurgle, gurgle…” The willow branch wriggled, swallowing large mouthfuls of power. Dao Xuanji’s body became thicker, and her long robe strained against her bloated form. “Let go of it!” Lei Xi’er cried urgently. “Let go?” Xu Xiaoshou’s lips curved into a smirk. “Why should I let go? Those words don’t seem to be for me…”

What did he mean? Everyone around them heard his words but hadn’t fully reacted when they saw Xu Xiaoshou’s nine tails behind his waist stiffen. “Hiss!” He took a sharp inhale. His Breathing Technique, Hearty Feast, and Devouring Power all activated simultaneously. The energy that the God-Worshiping Willow branch had slowly absorbed, as if drinking water, suddenly surged back like a wild, runaway horse, accelerating with four-wheel drive. “Chhh!” Dao Xuanji, who had been so bloated her robe was almost tearing, suddenly deflated like a punctured balloon, nearly being drained dry!

“God-Worshiping Willow?” Xu Xiaoshou, still gripping the willow branch that had pierced his palm, suddenly let out a savage, mad laugh: “It should be *gods worshiping me*! You’re trying these spooky tricks on me? How could you possibly win against me!”

Everyone watched in horror. After the demon Xu Xiaoshou finished speaking, he pulled with immense force. The God-Worshiping Willow branch was surprisingly resilient and didn’t break under the monster’s immense strength, but the shriveled Dao Xuanji couldn’t hold on! Her entire body flew uncontrollably towards him, and her eyes, during the rapid movement, quickly regained consciousness.

“Devour? I’ll let *you* devour!” Xu Xiaoshou’s devouring power surged to its peak. “Ugh, ugh, ugh…” Dao Xuanji couldn’t utter a word, her body trembling violently. Finally, following the twisted branch, her entire head was caught in Xu Xiaoshou’s hand.

“Get out!” Xu Xiaoshou’s face contorted with rage, his eyes bulging. He pressed one hand on her head, kicked Dao Xuanji’s chest with a foot, and coiled his right arm around the God-Worshiping Willow branch, exerting force forcefully. With this pull and kick, everyone understood… Xu Xiaoshou was trying to pull the main root of the God-Worshiping Willow branch out of Dao Xuanji’s body! Pulling out the God-Worshiping Willow!

“Chhh…” Blood splattered. This attempt failed to pull the long-rooted God-Worshiping Willow from Dao Xuanji’s body; her physical form seemed to have merged with the willow’s roots. But the horror lay precisely in this! Under the immense pulling force, Dao Xuanji’s entire body suddenly shrunk inward, forming a fleshy ball, then “thumped” back into its original shape. Instantly, the sound of bones cracking, “clack-clack,” was incessant.

The surrounding saints, even Lei Xi’er and Lei Shuangxing, all shivered. “Hiss! This fellow…” Fang Wenxin’s palms sweated, and a chill ran down his spine. This single pull almost made his cerebellum atrophy just by watching. It was hard to imagine that Dao Xuanji, who had borrowed the power of the God-Worshiping Willow, not only failed to draw nourishment but also had to endure such agony… How much pain must she be in! The physical pain was one thing. But it seemed her mental trauma was no less than her physical agony.

Dao Xuanji’s face was completely contorted. Her expression collapsed in an instant. After the first wave of pain slightly subsided, she heard a soft exclamation from in front of her: “Huh? So tough? You’re even tougher than that dried beef jerky!”

Dao Xuanji felt completely unsettled. At that moment, her heart and lungs convulsed wildly, and she experienced the emotion of “terror” for the first time. Power couldn’t force Dao Xuanji to bow. Death couldn’t stop her desire for revenge. But a madman with such a twisted mind, who could compare pulling out the God-Worshiping Willow to “dried beef jerky” in the next breath… Who would want to get close to him? He simply didn’t play by the rules!

“Get lost!” Dao Xuanji suddenly swung her hand like a blade. Her withered, pale hand, drained and shriveled, instantly transformed into a blade as thin as a cicada’s wing. “Chhh.” The blade’s shadow flickered, severing the God-Worshiping Willow branch and simultaneously cutting off her connection with Xu Xiaoshou.

Everyone around them stood frozen in disbelief. So… The truth was that when the God-Worshiping Willow appeared, Xu Xiaoshou was not alarmed but pleased, rising to the challenge. Dao Xuanji, on the other hand, didn’t even dare to strike him once, hastily severing her close proximity to him? Not just severing! After cutting off the God-Worshiping Willow, Dao Xuanji immediately turned around, preparing to flee far away from Xu Xiaoshou.

“Where do you think you’re going?” But her foot was caught by Xu Xiaoshou, and from behind her, the devil’s whisper came! “Bang!” Dao Xuanji’s right foot exploded, turning into countless splinters of woody roots. Using the recoil, she hurtled into Yujing City.

“Buzz.” Space remained still, yet he ascended in a single step. Xu Xiaoshou pulled out the severed root of the God-Worshiping Willow from his palm, rolled it into a ball, and tossed it into his Apricot Realm. Meanwhile, he appeared with a smile before Dao Xuanji, placing his recently healed hand on the old woman’s shoulder.

“Get away!” Countless willow branches burst from Dao Xuanji’s shoulders. However, this didn’t blast Xu Xiaoshou away; instead, it shocked her, sending her crashing into a building within the city. The spectators below, as if cracking melon seeds only to hit a cannonball, scrambled away in a hurried panic.

“Run!” “He’s coming! Run, run!” “Damn it, so this is what it feels like to see Master Shou up close! His smile… my God, it’s terrifying!” “If I were Hall Master Xuanji, I’d have nightmares tonight!” “Nonsense! Hall Master Xuanji can’t defeat him at all; it’s a dead end for her!”

As everyone watched in terror, Xu Xiaoshou pressed close to Dao Xuanji. Just as he was about to make another move, he instinctively felt something was wrong. Even if Dao Xuanji feared him, why would she overtly display such terror? Sure enough, when he lowered his gaze to Dao Xuanji, who had crashed into the house in front of him, he saw no panic, only a mocking expression: “Xu Xiaoshou, you’re finished.”

The Scroll of the Firmament unfurled. Yujing City’s Xuanji Grand Formation lit up with dazzling light, echoing the mountain protection formation on Mount Gui Zhe in the distance. “Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…” Above the sky, a phantom image of the Dead Sea suddenly appeared, followed by hundreds of prisoners in uniform. Without exception, these individuals all had fierce appearances, extremely high cultivation, and an imposing aura. All possessed the Realm-Severing or Grand Void realm. Among them were various spirit beasts and fierce beasts, completely devoid of reason, possessing only formidable cultivation, capable of nothing but beastly roars.

“We respectfully invite the Ancestral Tree God-Worshiping Willow!” Dao Xuanji’s figure vanished, then reappeared high in the sky. Under her great shout, hundreds of willow branches shot straight up from beneath Yujing City, piercing through the air and weaving into a net. Without exception, the willow branches impaled the prisoners from the Dead Sea, instantly devouring their flesh, blood, and souls.

Xu Xiaoshou’s pupils trembled. He finally understood what the Dragon Apricot had said. Just a moment ago, they were living people and fierce beasts, but in an instant, their bodies turned completely black. They hung from the willow branches by their waists, swaying loosely, their upper bodies drooping, as if bowing to Dao Xuanji. *This* was the “God-Worshiping Willow”? Xu Xiaoshou seemed to grasp something and looked back around. She couldn’t touch the people in Yujing City, nor could she reach the many spirit refiners and saints above the city, so she used those from the Dead Sea… Indeed! Looking at it this way, weren’t the prisoners kept in the Dead Sea the best nourishment for the God-Worshiping Willow?

“Ahhh!” High in the sky, Dao Xuanji let out an uncontrollable moan of extreme satisfaction. The vital essence of flesh and blood, and the soul power provided by nearly a thousand Throne-level spirit refiners and fierce beasts, almost completely refilled what she had just lost. Moreover, through the refined conversion of the God-Worshiping Willow, there was even further progress! With this, Dao Xuanji almost recovered to her peak state. Aside from the fact that she had to choose symbiosis with the God-Worshiping Willow instead of a master-servant relationship, she could be said to be… Starting anew!

“So, this is your trump card?” Below Yujing City, Xu Xiaoshou gazed into the distance, a mocking smirk playing on his lips. In his perception, Dao Xuanji was not the fully-charged Xuanji Hall Master she had been before. He didn’t even need the Life Dao Plate to assist him… He could clearly see that the life patterns within Dao Xuanji were currently flowing with power that did not belong to her. This influx of external forces briefly created an illusion of “fullness.” But just like elixirs, and like Saint Blood… External power was, after all, external, completely different from power cultivated by oneself.

“Xu Xiaoshou, you have found your path to death!” Dao Xuanji couldn’t be bothered with further words, knowing full well that if there was a chance for a comeback, she absolutely could not engage in a war of words with this person again. She formed a hand seal, the Scroll of the Firmament unfurled beneath her feet, and the surrounding Xuanji Grand Formation materialized mottled but powerful Heavenly Secret Dao patterns…

The people on the city walls felt a sudden chill in their hearts. Lei Xi’er looked towards Xu Xiaoshou from afar, only to find that he was still full of confidence, as if completely unafraid of Dao Xuanji’s subsequent plans. “Wait.” She stretched out a hand, stopping Lei Shuangxing and Mei Si Ren from advancing. Seeing this, Ye Xiaotian raised an eyebrow, stopped himself, and then looked with envy, jealousy, and hatred at the profound formation illuminated beneath Xu Xiaoshou’s feet, its brilliance almost as dazzling as his own!

“Liiife…” As his Heaven-Man Unity state activated, Xu Xiaoshou felt the world become utterly transparent. At this moment, he forgot that Dao Xuanji was casting a spell, forgot about everyone around him, and even forgot the existence of Yujing City. In his eyes, there was only the vitality within Dao Xuanji that did not belong to her…

“Thud!” His knees sank, adopting a horse stance. On the streets of Yujing City, faint snow and dust lightly stirred. Xu Xiaoshou’s pupils constricted, and he shouted abruptly: “Human Path!”

“Whoosh!” The sky tore apart the air currents. Dao Xuanji’s hand seals had not yet fully formed when she realized that all the vitality she had just barely borrowed had completely vanished! Completely!!! “Pfft…” Her technique failed, and she suffered a backlash, spitting out blood with a horrified and bewildered expression: “Impossible! This is impossible!”

How was it impossible? At the moment he fully comprehended the Life Profound, Xu Xiaoshou understood why the Human Path of the Six Paths of Ancient Martial Arts was so powerful. Because it harnessed the power of the rules of life. Ancient martial artists were not literally reckless brutes; on the contrary, the paths they cultivated were of a higher, more subtle level. Therefore, ordinary people couldn’t discern it. The Human Path could borrow the vitality of all things in heaven and earth. It could briefly draw power equally from an area of several miles, accumulating it like sand into a tower to turn even a divine illusion into reality. So… Under the mastery of the Life Profound, and with a complete understanding of the rules of life, what if it was slightly modified? Instead of borrowing life from all other living beings, what if it only drew vitality from one specific person? Naturally, that should be impossible! The Human Path was not a devouring constitution. But what if the vitality within the person it was drawing from was also something they had just borrowed and had not yet digested? It was perfectly natural!

From the level of comprehending the essence of the Grand Dao, Dao Xuanji had already lost to Xu Xiaoshou. So, even though she had borrowed the power of the God-Worshiping Willow, she inexplicably lost all her strength. At this moment, Xu Xiaoshou, a Throne-level Dao realm practitioner who had suddenly gained the life force of thousands of Dead Sea prisoners, was almost overflowing with power. A portion of the power was devoured by the Dragon Pearl, another portion was converted, and some was secretly consumed by the Gluttonous God… The remainder was still abundant!

“One who babbles nonsense is a foolish god making a foolish move, like an ant trying to shake a great tree. Dao Xuanji, how dare you, with a demigod’s body, compare yourself to your Master Shou?!” Two bursts of wind and snow erupted beneath Xu Xiaoshou’s feet. His figure transformed into black lightning, soaring upwards. His sleeveless, burnt-red hands instantly covered themselves with crimson-gold dragon scales. A palm strike through the heart! “Bang!” Dao Xuanji’s body shattered, her blood-stained figure sent flying into the distance.

Xu Xiaoshou, however, seized the opportunity to grasp a trace of vitality within her that was incongruous with her life patterns, restraining and seizing it. “Rip…” Like an octopus, the heart of Dao Xuanji—which was also the heart of the God-Worshiping Willow—dancing wildly with countless willow branches, was finally pulled out by Xu Xiaoshou in mid-air.

Standing in the air in black robes, Xu Xiaoshou’s eyes showed such disdain as he tossed the Heart of the God-Worshiping Willow high. “It’s for you, Apricot Treasure.” Beyond the Nine Heavens, the Dragon Apricot, transformed into a golden light pattern, joyfully lowered its branches and easily coiled the heart into its Apricot Realm. As for Dao Xuanji, who had been flung far away, stripped of the God-Worshiping Willow’s possession, and with all her escape routes cut off… Xu Xiaoshou glanced at her from a distance, then retracted his gaze and looked at Lei Xi’er and Lei Shuangxing: “The rest is up to you two.”

Lei Shuangxing gripped his Soul-Extracting Staff tightly. His spiritual energy did not lock onto Dao Xuanji at all; instead, it firmly anchored onto Xu Xiaoshou, deeply moved by his previous attack. The Human Path pierced through her chest and heart. The Burnt-Red Hand seized the God-Worshiping Willow. He still remembered that during their last meeting, this person was worried about the aberrant flows of the Six Departments’ chiefs, and about figures like Rao Yaoyao. Now, meeting again, the dignified Xuanji Hall Master was treated by him as if she were an ant, to be taken or discarded at will!

Lei Shuangxing slowly turned his head towards Lei Xi’er. “Will you do it, or shall I?” Lei Xi’er looked upwards, her Divine-Demonic Pupils calm, and murmured to herself: “Just one body… So far, I haven’t seen the lost Lei family pupils from back then, nor the others she recovered from various demigod families…”

Lei Shuangxing nodded slightly. Dao Xuanji naturally had something hidden. Given her identity, how could she reveal her Lei family pupils in public? As for the possibility of “none”… A joke! If she wasn’t after the Lei family pupils, what was Dao Xuanji’s purpose in destroying the Lei family back then? If it wasn’t to achieve ultimate supremacy, how could she endure so patiently under Xu Xiaoshou’s relentless attacks?

“Just one body, then let’s consider this an advance payment of interest.” Lei Shuangxing decisively drew his Soul-Extracting Staff, pointed it from afar in mid-air, and his sword intent transformed into a condensed silver thread. As it pierced through Dao Xuanji’s body… “Boom!” The sky erupted with silver thought-flowers.