Chapter 50

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The thousand-year-old monster was bigger than they thought. It turned out to be a twin banyan tree, the top of which covered almost the entire peak.\n

What’s even more amazing is that the banyan leaves seem to be dazzling with green fluorescence. But they know too well that the more beautiful things are, the more dangerous they are.\n

Everyone gulped and walked in cautiously, but the strange thing was that when they reached the trunk, the banyan tree didn’t attack them at all, just as gentle and harmless as the demure beauty in a traditional Chinese painting.\n

Ji Yao: “Xuanyuan, are you sure you got it right?”\n

His voice was unconsciously soft as if he’s afraid to disturb the creatures here.\n</ins>\n\nHou Ying, who has personal experience, also replied in a whisper, “They won’t take the initiative before they’re attacked. Wait until we do it and it’ll fight back.”\n

Li Xuanyuan carefully observed the banyan tree, then he turned around and said, “There are eight of us. We’ll form a two-member group and go in four directions.” \n

He has always been in charge of the actual combat, so they all obeyed his assignments. Hou Ying is the weakest in the team, so he’s together with the strongest Li Xuanyuan. Meng Hanghai and Qiao Daye have tacit cooperation so they’re in a team. Ji Yao can assist Dongfang Bai, so Gongsun Jing and Jiang Tao are the only ones left to form a team. They’re all divided into four directions: east, west, north, and south.\n

When they’re ready, Li Xuanyuan signaled to everyone that he would launch an attack and take the direction where the banyan tree’s core was!\n

Before the sword-like keel pierced the banyan tree, suddenly the quiet banyan tree trunk “opened its mouth” and swallowed the keel sword Li Xuanyuan shot! Li Xuanyuan’s eyes changed and broke the keel plant in an instant. After the rest of the keel was swallowed by the banyan tree, the opening on the trunk was perfectly closed. If it weren’t for seeing it, no one would believe that the tree could open its mouth and swallow it.\n

Everyone who had been mentally prepared was still stunned. Ji Yao said, “I don’t understand, what does this mean? Does it look down on us?”\n

Li Xuanyuan replied, “Don’t be distracted.¹ It can devour wood abilities. Let’s try attacking it together with our abilities.” The moment he raised his hand and waved it down, everyone hit the banyan tree trunk from three different directions with all their strength.\n

The change happened in an instant—\n

The tree trunk that swallowed Li Xuanyuan’s wood ability just now didn’t open its mouth, but the flames that hit the trunk disappeared without a trace, it was swallowed. And when the groups of Ji Yao and Meng Hanghai hit the other trunk of the twin banyan trees, the wind blade, metal, and cutting abilities were instantly bounced back as soon as they touched the trunk!\n

“Lao Er!!”\n</ins>\n\nLi Xuanyuan immediately pulled Ji Yao and Dongfang Bai away using his vines. It was a close call!\n

The rebound speed of the abilities is the same as their attack speed. It’s amazing when a level 3 high-level ability hits the opponent, but it’ll be even more terrifying if it hits yourself! At that moment, Ji Yao and Dongfang Bai almost thought that they were going to be smashed to death by the wind blades and metal. Before they had time to react, they were whipped away by Li Xuanyuan. Li Xuanyuan shouted to Qiao Daye. Before his voice fell, the strike was implemented!\n

After less than a breath, everyone felt their nerves tense for a moment, and then the barrage was over.\n

Li Xuanyuan glanced at Meng Hanghai, who had been thrown far away by Qiao Daye, then stood in front of Ji Yao and Dongfang Bai who had fallen on the ground and didn’t get up. They all held their breath and looked warily at the trunk of the twin banyan tree that had rebounded their attacks.\n

After a minute, it still didn’t move. The team breathed a sigh of relief. Li Xuanyuan grabbed Ji Yao and Dongfang Bai and gave everyone a look. All of them stepped lightly away from the banyan tree until they left for a full kilometer. Ji Yao and Dongfang Bai exhaled in pain. It hurts Lao Tzu².\n

Gongsun Jing hurriedly treated them. Li Xuanyuan pulled them away using his vines and in a hurry, couldn’t control his strength. As a result, there are scrapes and whip marks on them.\n

Although the wounds healed quickly under Gongsun Jing’s treatment, the shocking scars still left everyone with lingering fear.\n

Ji Yao’s pain nerves were still stuck at the moment when his flesh and skin burst open. When he recovered, he’s still trembling, “Too, too TM³ evil!”\n

Everybody felt the same way.\n

Evil.\n</ins>\n\nThe twin banyan trees, one has the ability to swallow, and the other has the ability to rebound. They’re completely opposite but grow from the same root.\n

Qiao Daye was still frightened and said, “Xuanyuan, Brother Hou, what now? How do we fight?”\n

His dynamic vision is too good. When Meng Hanghai’s ability was bounced back just now, he really saw the air being cut and split. No, no, it should be said that the space where the ability passed was distorted for a moment. After it hit the ground, it resulted in a one-meter-wide crack and extended for more than 50 meters. No matter the soil or rock, it all turned into powder, leaving only a fissure that split the mountain. If he took a step slower, he and Meng Hanghai would be cut into pieces!\n

And Ji Yao and Dongfang Bai’s ability attacks were also quite terrifying. If they’re just a little bit slow, the four of them would’ve already died.\n

And death due to your own ability. There’s no place to complain down there!\n

Meng Hanghai was terribly scared. He still had a grudge against his own ability, yet now he almost killed Qiao Daye. This made him depressed. Hou Ying pulled him to his side without distracting and comforting him, but he just hugged him close and patted him on the back to let him relax. He said, “That’s why we need to get them even more.”\n

Like a gambler, his tone was still slightly excited.\n

Imagine that if Li Xuanyuan had the devouring and rebounding ability at the same time, they would be invincible all over the world! Hou Ying was inexplicably thrilled because of this beautiful idea. If he were himself, he would rationally persuade everyone to withdraw now, but this is Li Xuanyuan’s opportunity. This isn’t just rising to a higher level, but directly climbing the ladder of heaven⁴!\n

He won’t just willingly give this up.\n

He said, “Don’t panic, everybody. Those abilities are not without limitations. At least there needs to be a substantive attack to make them bounce back and absorb, right? In this way, maybe we can try Lao Su’s ability. Or perhaps, its mutated abilities are only effective for ability users. We can try using bullets and knives. If not, we can cut the roots, Xiaohai can just chop its roots directly.” \n

At this moment, he thought of many breakthroughs.\n

It was directly instigated by the people who suffered a great loss. Hou Ying’s calm and even interested look reduced their fear for no reason and rekindled their confidence.\n

Jiang Tao said, “Brother Hou is right. Let’s try it with a pistol first. There’s always a way to deal with it!”\n

Hou Ying spoke in a deep voice, “We still have to put safety first. So, Xuanyuan, you and Brother Tao try with a pistol first, and the rest of us will cover you.”\n

Everyone cheered up again. Ji Yao lags behind Hou Ying and said in a whisper, “Houzi, let’s take it easy. In case it’s really impossible, we can just come back when we’re stronger. Anyway, if we can’t take it away, so will others.”\n</ins>\n\nHe knows Hou Ying’s strength too well. Compared with all the people present, he’s a real adventurer. The more challenging things are, the more excited and the more courageous he is—whether it’s with people or things.\n

“Don’t worry, I have a sense of measure.”\n

“…It’s best.”\n

Ji Yao rolled his eyes helplessly, then stared at Li Xuanyuan. He thought: For the sake of beauty, Houzi is also fighting.\n

Jiang Tao and Li Xuanyuan found a sniping spot and aimed at the absorbing trunk and rebounding the trunk respectively. After counting down to three in their hearts, they pulled the trigger at the same time—\n

With a bang, the bullet penetrated into the trunk. Hou Ying’s hypothesis came true! But the next moment, the “painful” tree trunk suddenly came alive, and its leaves covering the sky turned into pieces of flying knives to attack the bastard who hurt it!\n

Damn it.\n

Everyone knows that this isn’t good. They immediately fought hard and used their own abilities to resist with all their strength, while Hou Ying was buckled behind by Li Xuanyuan.\n

After the banyan leaves were separated, they were pleasantly surprised that it lost the absorbing and rebounding abilities, but it’s still very lethal and seemingly endless. Li Xuanyuan  realized that they weren’t its opponents and immediately said, “Retreat!”\n

But the banyan tree seems to have a human mind. Wherever the team retreats, it directs its leaves to block them. Everyone has to surround it, back-to-back, and a stream of different abilities is constantly pouring out of their bodies to fight against the leaves. This is not only a head-to-head⁵ fight but also a protracted battle. When the banyan leaves can be wiped out by them, they will win.\n</ins>\n\nBut the cost of such an attack is equally terrible.\n

Their abilities were being consumed too quickly. Hou Ying continued providing them with energies behind them, but the situation that he and Liu Zhan once worried about ‘taking care of one thing and losing the other’ really happened! Fortunately, everyone can pull nuclei off their belts and absorb them by themselves.\n

Li Xuanyuan immediately wrapped everyone with the hardest vines, but the vines that could withstand the attacks of level 4 zombies were the most vulnerable in front of the banyan leaves. No matter how hard Li Xuanyuan forced them when the banyan leaves attacked, they could only retreat and expose the object Li Xuanyuan wanted to protect. This is true for vines, and so is the creeper ivy.\n

He can only give up his intention of protection.\n

Everyone is fighting with all their strength, without reservation, but the banyan leaves are like a bottomless pit. No matter how many they destroyed, there will be twice or more banyan leaves attacking them in the next instant.\n

“Md!⁶ Fight! See if I can’t kill you!”\n

Ji Yao roared, a wind blade condensed in his palm. His hands kept waving, splitting the banyan leaves one after another, and attacking fiercely. Everyone was stimulated by him, their attack speed was getting faster and faster.\n

Soon, Qiao Daye’s dagger-wielding speed slowed down. There was only two level 3 orange crystals but he had already consumed them. The remaining eight level 2 orange crystals were completely useless, but they’ll run out in a while. Hou Ying immediately appeared behind him and put his hand on his vest. Qiao Daye’s speed increased again, and his shadowless hand waved among the leaves.\n

Hou Ying stared at everyone’s situation, and suddenly he yelled out in shock, “Everyone stop! We got caught!!”\n\n

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Translator’s Notes:\n

<ol> 都被分心 – What does this mean? Is it “Don’t be distracted” or “It’s just a distraction?” Lao Tzu or Lao Zi – it’s an arrogant or sometimes playful way of addressing one’s self. 都TMD – it’s a Chinese slang that can mean ‘fucking’ like how one would say ‘fucking awesome’ or something. 青云梯 [qīng yún tī] – Refers to the steep mountain road into the clouds; high position or the way to get high position. 硬碰硬 [yìng pèng yìng] – confront the tough with toughness; diamond cut diamond.  “TMD” is first letters of “他媽的”(pinyin: Ta Ma De), what literally means “f*ck ur mother”, and its the worst swearing word in Chinese.</ol>\nThis is a triple update so wait for the following chapters~~\n\n\n\n

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