Zhou Leng looked at the back of the fleeing Candleholder.

"I'll go catch him, you stop the other demons! Leave a few prisoners, and find out the situation."

"Okay!" The Cyan Flame cast a spell, temporarily trapping the nearby demons. Zhou Leng bypassed the other demons, stomped the ground, and chased after the Candleholder.

The Candleholder had spells attached to his body, with a gust of wind propelling him forward.

Zhou Leng fully engaged the Flying Crane Technique, infusing Qi Blood, his legs growing thicker and his speed increasing.

150 meters per second, 160 meters per second, 170 meters per second...

That Candleholder was also Innate and could cast spells, continuously disrupting Zhou Leng as he ran.

The distance between them would sometimes shorten and sometimes widen.

Zhou Leng took a slow deep breath, gradually enhancing the circulation of Qi Blood.

The Star Gazing Technique's True Qi slowly surpassed the tenfold critical point, reaching elevenfold.

When Qi Manipulation is too strong, the cost is increased consumption, possibly injuring all parts of the body, including the Dantian, meridians, blood vessels, and even muscles.

Especially the legs, which could be severely damaged.

175 meters per second, 180 meters per second.

192 meters per second.

Zhou Leng surpassed his limits, shattering the ground, catching up with the Candleholder amidst a roar.

The Innate Candleholder looked back and was so terrified that all the blood and flesh candles on his body ignited. He first cast a spell to send a message, and a magical blue bird screeched once, flew up into the sky, and disappeared.

He opened his mouth, releasing a dense ring of Spiritual Shocks.

Zhou Leng focused his mind, and the Martial Arts Will lit up brilliantly.

The powerful Spiritual Shock landed on him, melting away like ice and snow.

Zhou Leng took a step forward and grabbed the Candleholder's neck with his right hand, smashing him into a large tree ahead.

The tree exploded, with sharp, jagged splinters at the break.

A lot of splinters pierced the Candleholder's neck, and blood flowed out.

The Candleholder's head was smashed flat, with both eyes squeezed together.

"Why do you know me?"

Holding the Candleholder's neck, Zhou Leng lifted him off the ground, sternly questioning.

The Candleholder's legs dangled lightly, he opened his mouth, tilted his head, and stopped breathing.

"Wake up!"

Zhou Leng gave a gentle shake.

With a crack, the Candleholder's neck broke, his head fell to the ground, and rolled a few meters.

"Weak grass." Disappointed, Zhou Leng picked up the Magic Spirit Bag, and carrying the Candleholder's body and head, quickly returned.

In the rear, the battle was raging. Zhou Leng dropped the Candleholder's body and charged toward the other demons.

Xiaoyong hid stealthily in the distance, with most of his body burrowed into a freshly dug pit, poking his head out to secretly watch the outside.

"Leave a few alive!"

Without mercy, Zhou Leng tore off arms, stomped legs, and turned the remaining demons into magic rods.

The battle ended, and the nearly dead demons were taken to different places, interrogated one by one.

After all the interrogations, Zhou Leng killed all the demons and walked back.

"How's it going?" Vigorous Root asked.

Zhou Leng replied, "Aiden and the Radiance of the Bright Candle teamed up, conspired with the Celestial Calamity Envoy, seeking Ancient Tree Fossils or even the Ancient Heart of Life."

"The City Lord of Broken Candle City, Radiance of the Bright Candle, has a Demon Artifact, which can reproduce the events of the past through the organs of the deceased. I killed his son, and he wants revenge."

"We have already exposed our traces, and that Candleholder has already sent a magical message."

"No accident, they will catch up soon."

"Furthermore, the force that lured away the giant ant nests happens to be Aiden and the Radiance of the Bright Candle."

"They have a large number, even if some died, but they have been replenished."

Vigorous Root frowned and said, "The nearest tribe from here is also a day's and night's journey away. There's a chance in the forest, but once out of the forest, we will undoubtedly be discovered."

"Let's escape in another direction, hoping to evade their pursuit."

The Wild Elf said, "You can come to Silver Lake, they dare not go there."

Vigorous Root said, "I actually forgot about Silver Lake. Let's go there, avoid the demons, and then return to the tribe."

Zhou Leng asked, "Where is Silver Lake?"

"One of the gathering places in the Flute Forest, named for its silver-bright waters. It gathers many forest clans, and unless the demons are crazy, they would never go there. Xiaoyong has also been there, right?"

Xiaoyong nodded repeatedly.

"This Wild Elf should be a member of the Silver Lake clan. There's also an ancient Wild Elf site and an ancient Tree-man site there."

"I am a White Elf." The Wild Elf glared at Vigorous Root angrily.

Back when the Elf Empire was strong, they oppressed the Tree-men. The relationship between Tree-men and Wild Elves remains cold to this day.

Vigorous Root continued to Zhou Leng, "Silver Lake is a multi-tribal gathering, the Wild Elves being just one among them. The strongest there is still our Poison Tree-man tribe. They follow the ancient oracle and have long guarded Silver Lake."

"White Elf." The Wild Elf corrected.

Vigorous Root, not holding back, continued, "The Wild Elves have no manners, yet are arrogant, and they love to make noise. Just treat them like clever Beastmen."

The Wild Elf's face reddened in anger.

The Cyan Flame asked, "Elf, what's your name?"

"Silver Lake Moon," she replied irritably.

The Cyan Flame said to everyone, "Indeed, no manners at all."

The tree-people laughed heartily, and Xiaoyong laughed along.

Silver Lake Moon was so furious that she stopped speaking.

Vigorous Root glanced at Silver Lake Moon and said, "I hope next time someone saves you, you'll remember to say thank you."

Silver Lake Moon remained silent.

Zhou Leng looked at her, her entire body covered in green leaves, seemingly transformed by a spell. Her skin was fair but dirty all over, in many ways more resembling a beastman.

The group burned the corpses, eliminated traces, changed direction, and continued their journey toward Silver Lake.

Before long, the Cyan Flame said, "The alarm I left there has been triggered; they've really come after us."

Vigorous Root said, "The trees there sent a message; they're indeed pursuing us in the direction we were heading."

"We'll just cultivate at Silver Lake for a few days, with a chance to buy treasures at low prices since few people go there. Besides, the Poison Tree-men have the worst temper, even worse than wild elves, so let's try not to provoke them," said Vigorous Root.

Xiaoyong nodded frequently.

"Right, let's distribute the spoils along the way."

Everyone took out all the spoils and distributed them.

Among the demons, there were quite a few human pills, with eight embracing essence pills, just two short of a hundred pills.

Along with the magic spirit bags and miscellaneous items, each person received items worth over eighty million.

None was given to Silver Lake Moon.

She was the one being rescued and said nothing.

Xiaoyong didn't get any either.

Vigorous Root explained, "Xiaoyong never fights; he just likes digging."

The Cyan Flame said, "Still, the wealth from innate demons is abundant. Before, at the Qi Blood Realm, thousands of demons couldn't gather this much."

Vigorous Root looked at Silver Lake Moon and said, "You wild elves boast about your virtues. We saved you; shouldn't you display your virtues?"

Zhou Leng chuckled to himself. The outside world always said tree-people were stubborn and old-fashioned, much like a donkey's temper. He hadn't encountered it before, but he was witnessing it now.

Silver Lake Moon was so angry her face flushed red. She gritted her teeth and took out several small wooden blocks with wooden grain from an old magic spirit bag, tossing them to Vigorous Root.

"Generous," Vigorous Root accepted the blocks and spread them out on his branches and leaves.

There were four in total, varying in size. The largest was a bit smaller than a fist, and the smallest was only as big as a thumb.

The exterior was slightly black, with a light golden wood grain inside, somewhat resembling black golden-thread nanmu.

Also akin to petrified wood.

"Flute Forest indeed produces ancient tree fossils. Zhou Leng, since you need it more, the largest is yours, and we'll split the rest," Vigorous Root tossed the largest ancient tree fossil to Zhou Leng and evenly divided the other three.

Silver Lake Moon curiously glanced at Zhou Leng; it was rare to see tree-people willing to share such large ancient tree fossils with humans.

Poison Tree-men fought over ancient tree fossils daily.

Vigorous Root took out a roll of peculiar golden metal wire and wrapped it around the ancient tree fossil, slowly tightening it, slicing through the stone-like tofu neatly.

"What is that metal?"

"Stone-slicing gold thread, probably something you don't have, I'll give you one. Currently, besides the stone-slicing gold thread, only experts at the Martial Saint level can perfectly cut ancient tree fossils without damaging the inside." Vigorous Root tossed a piece of stone-slicing gold thread to Zhou Leng.

Zhou Leng accepted the stone-slicing gold thread, hefting the ancient tree fossil, which was smaller than a fist.

It was very heavy, more than three times the weight of the same size steel.

Examining it closely in his hand, he said, "I remember seeing it online, but only as a collectible, made into amulets to wear."

The Cyan Flame said, "You're exactly right. Ancient tree fossils are the top-grade amulet material in the Demon Spirit World; they can be used for attack, defense, blessing, or cultivation."

"Spirit Land Jade can absorb spiritual qi, while ancient tree fossils have health benefits. How many times does your Spirit Land Jade absorb?"

Zhou Leng said, "Five to six times."

"When you find high-grade Spirit Land Jade, combined with ancient tree fossils, come to our Demon Spirit World, or go to your Xiongjing, find someone to make wood-jade amulets for both health and spiritual qi absorption, the effect is excellent."

"How much is this piece worth?" Zhou Leng asked.

The Cyan Flame looked at the ancient tree fossil in Zhou Leng's hand and said, "It's best not to appraise it. This thing should either be absorbed or carved into an amulet; there's very little trade volume. Because, money can't buy life force."

Vigorous Root said, "In the Tree-man World, ancient tree fossils are not for external sale, showing how precious they are. When you advance to Martial Saint, no longer in shortage, you can sell them at will."

"Of course."

Zhou Leng glanced at Silver Lake Moon.

Now, the special aura on Silver Lake Moon was gone.

The special aura he sensed before was actually from the ancient tree fossil.

Vigorous Root said, "Once we reach Silver Lake, then you can consume the ancient tree fossil. It's said non-tree-men who consume it will experience illusions, feeling ethereal, hence regarded as a high-level 'supplement.' During the Innate phase, don't consume too much at once; the body might not absorb it well."

The group ran as they conversed, slowly chatting about the Tree-man World and Flute Forest.

Occasionally, Silver Lake Moon would chime in, introducing Silver Lake and the great Elf Empire.

Zhou Leng wasn't very interested in the Elf Empire but was fascinated by ancient tree fossils, which could help accelerate the cultivation of the Star Phoenix Rejuvenation Technique.

His Star Phoenix Feather was already close to a thousand feathers.

After a thousand feathers, his body's recovery ability would increase a small level.

After ten thousand feathers, reaching the first layer, he could actively release Star Phoenix Feathers to heal his body, significantly improving his healing ability beyond any known healing technique.

After a hundred thousand feathers, the new blood produced by the bone marrow would carry potent self-healing abilities.

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