The group immediately swallowed Qi Replenishing Pills to recover their Qi. They had been searching the island for nearly a day, after all.
Suddenly, Gin, clad in black, stood up. A frown formed on his face as he scanned the woods around them.
"What's wrong Gin? Did you sense something?" the Master asked, suddenly alert. After all, Gin was the most adept at observation and detection in his group.
"Huh?" The others also became wary, each sending out their spiritual sense.
"Something is wrong with the wood. I sensed suspicious movements, but I couldn't figure out exactly what," he replied.
"It looks like our whereabouts have been exposed. Tch, I thought they would let their guard down thinking nobody else could come to the island. Dammit! There's no way we can ambush like this! Retreat! Let's get out of this wood first!" the Master ordered.
He trusted Gin's ability. If Gin sensed something unusual, then ten out of ten he would be right.
"Too late. Everyone, get ready to fight. Master, protect yourself." Gin said, his tone urgent and serious.
Just after he said that, the entire woods erupted into chaos, rustling violently as branches cracked and snapped like bones under pressure.
In an instant, the surrounding trees surged upward, their trunks thickening and twisting grotesquely. Massive leaves unfurled like dark banners, weaving together overhead into a dense, impenetrable canopy that blotted out the sky and plunged the area into shadowy twilight. From the earth below, gnarled roots burst forth, coiling and intertwining with the overhanging branches to form a colossal cage of living wood. Its bars throbbed with malevolent life, sealing them inside a suffocating prison of foliage.
The air grew thick and humid, laced with the earthy scent of sap and decay. The only light came from the faint glow of their circulating Qi, casting eerie shadows across the writhing walls.
"Fuck! What the hell is this wood? Where did all of these Demonic Plants come from? Who said that they didn't exist here? Fuck!" one of them cursed.
"The ones trapping us are Stranger Figs. They're all in the Blooming Stage. Be careful, they specialize in trapping their prey and attacking until their prey is exhausted. We need to break out of this cage as soon as possible, but wait a bit. I'll assess it first," Gin explained and instructed.
The next moment, his eyes glowed and a unique pattern formed on his irises. His vision shifted, changing the way he perceived the world, and combined with his spiritual sense, he could detect every life force within range.
Each of them had already circulated their Qi, spirit equipment drawn, ready to engage in battle.
"What?? The entire forest is actually full of Demonic Plants? How is this possible?!"
Gin was absolutely shocked. Outside the cage of roots and branches formed by the Strangler Figs, nearly two hundred Demonic Plants of different species waited. Some of them even pretended to be ordinary trees.
They were completely trapped!
How did this happen? I didn't even sense it until it was too late. This isn't good. Even if we break through the cage, we'll still have to face the ones outside. Gin racked his brain.
Just as he was about to warn the others, someone rushed past him.
"Wait!" Gin tried to grab him, but was a step too late.
"Ptui! Stupid plants! As if a bunch of trees would scare me! Leave these twigs to me, Master!"
One of the six men, Brago, had grown impatient and immediately launched an attack.
"Tornado Axe!" he shouted.
He hurled himself forward, twin axes in hand, wind elemental Qi propelling his spinning body like a giant top. The whirling motion carried terrifying momentum as he tore through the air toward one of the Demonic Strangler Figs' demonic hearts—the core that housed its consciousness.
Brago's attack ripped through multiple layers of thick roots and branches with ease, shattering the demonic heart in a single blow. The impact tore open a gaping hole in the cage, creating a path for them to escape.
Seeing the fallen Strangler Fig, an arrogant expression appeared on Brago's face as he laughed. "Hahahaha! Just a weak twig! I only used 10% of my power! As expected, Demonic Plants are much weaker than Demonic Beasts. That's one down! Guys, follow my lead and escape..."
Bang!
Out of nowhere, a massive spiked object swung in from outside the cage like a wrecking ball, slamming Brago back inside. His body was riddled with gaping holes. Though some were blocked by his spirit armor, many spikes pierced through, sending blood splattering everywhere.
Brago died instantly.
One of the spikes had punctured his head, completely destroying his brain. Before cultivators reached the Nascent Soul Realm, once their brain, the vessel of their Sea of Consciousness, was destroyed, death was inevitable unless they had special means to protect it.
Meanwhile, the Strangler Fig that was supposed to be slain by Brago regenerated itself. Its roots, branches, and demonic heart rapidly reformed, sealing the cage once again.
"The demonic hearts these trees showed us are fakes," Gin warned grimly. "They've hidden the real ones elsewhere. Be careful! There are hundreds more outside the cage, pretending to be normal plants. These things are smart, not your average Demonic Plants. Don't underestimate them."
"Dammit, Brago! You idiot!" Cid scolded. Now that one of them had died, things would become even more troublesome, all because Brago couldn't be patient for a moment longer.
"That thing is a Metallic Durian! Holy, it's huge! Even a small one already weighs a ton. What about this? Who the hell uses this as a weapon? Don't tell me there's a Demonic Metallic Durian Tree waiting outside?" someone exclaimed in disbelief.
"Maybe we should've brought Bodo with us. He could've demolished this trap easily with his monstrous strength," another muttered.
"What did you say? Do you want to die, Samir?" The Master's tone turned cold and sharp, filled with rage. "Don't forget that I can kill you with a thought!"
By saying that, Samir had implied that the Master made the wrong decision, which was unforgivable.
That said, it wasn't that the Master couldn't escape this entrapment unscathed. He could, but doing so would mean losing his precious slaves. And since he was already out of Slavemaker Pills, it was impossible to make new ones.
Dammit! If I lose them, I won't be able to compete with the others later. There's no way I can recruit newcomers who've just arrived at the tree by myself. Am I supposed to join other people's groups and serve them? Fuck!
The Master's expression darkened as frustration and fury boiled within him.
"Huhuhuhu~"
A haunting, melodious feminine laughter rippled through the air, weaving among the rustling leaves like a silken thread. Its source was elusive and ethereal, sending chills down their spines. The whistling of the foliage intensified, carrying faint whispers of wind that seemed to mock their entrapment, turning the dim jungle into a realm of shadowy enigma where every shadow hid unseen eyes.
"Who… who's there? Show yourself, woman!" Samir shouted, his voice trembling with fear. Among them, he was the most cowardly.
"Huhuhuhu~ Welcome to my wonderful garden. I am the wife of a future Divinity," the melodious voice purred, echoing from nowhere and everywhere, as if the trees themselves spoke.
Bullshit! How is this a garden? The Master cursed inwardly.
"What… what do you mean by Divinity?" Samir asked, his words faltering.
"Huhuhuhu~ In simple terms, a god! I am the wife of a future god!" the voice replied, laced with an otherworldly amusement that made the air grow colder.
The five men were speechless. Was their enemy delusional?
Gin frowned. Even with his ability, he still could not determine where the voice came from. He did not sense any humans in the woods apart from them. What was going on? Were their enemies not human after all?
"My esteemed guests. Please don't make a scene and just wait here, and you might live," the melodious voice instructed, its tone deceptively gentle yet laced with undeniable menace.
Gin squinted.
"Master, I think we should go all out. She might be stalling for time for her reinforcements to arrive. By that time, it will be even more difficult." Gin suggested.
The Master gritted his teeth. Dammit. To think that I am forced to go all out this early. It is humiliating. I will come out of this predicament and torture every single one of them before I devour their essence.
"Hmph! Drink this first! We open the path this way!" The Master flicked his hand, and four elixirs appeared in his palm. He intended to brute force their way out and reach the lake.
Without hesitation, all four of his slaves obeyed and drank the elixirs. Immediately, immense Qi gushed from their bodies, making the air around them turbulent and suffocating with pressure.
Somewhere else, Lilian watched the scene and complained.
"I told them to wait, but they go all out instead. Hmm...what should I do? Anda said to catch that Master guy, but with them being like this, I don't think I can. What a dilemma..."