As soon as Gao Tian finished explaining, a spark of insight flashed in his eyes.
"I think I know how to expose it," he said, turning toward Cai Xian and Shu Yu. "But I'll need your help."
Cai Xian narrowed her fiery eyes. "What kind of help?"
"My cultivation is too weak right now," Gao Tian admitted. "I can't cast a powerful spell alone, but if you two lend me your spiritual energy, I might be able to create something strong enough to reveal it."
Shu Yu remained silent, as calm and unreadable as ever. Cai Xian considered it for a moment, then nodded. "Very well."
Without another word, Shu Yu and Cai Xian stepped behind Gao Tian. Each of them placed a palm gently against his back. A warm and dense flow of spiritual energy surged into him, causing the air around them to shimmer faintly with power.
Gao Tian closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. He could feel their energy flooding his meridians, empowering him beyond his current limitations. With his fingers raised before him, he began weaving runes and ancient symbols into the air. The golden lines of writing floated like glowing inscriptions, forming a spell array in front of him.
He called out softly, "Force Revealing Spell."
It was a low-tier detection technique, considered insignificant in the higher realms, but with the combined energy of Cai Xian and Shu Yu, it was strengthened to its limit. The spell took form, a faintly glowing seal of light, and then shot toward the Heavenly Flame Tree.
As it drifted forward, it stopped abruptly in midair—struck by an invisible barrier.
A sharp burst echoed through the cavern. The spell shattered the hidden layer, and at once, tendrils—like blackened vines and grotesque demonic whips—burst from beneath the lava, the earth, and the surrounding walls.
Shu Yu and Cai Xian jumped backward, preparing to defend.
Without warning, all the tendrils locked onto a single target: Gao Tian.
He narrowed his eyes. "So they're only after me now?"
One tendril lashed at him from the left, another from the right. Gao Tian spun between them, narrowly avoiding their strike. He gathered energy into his right hand.
"Dynamic Palm!"
Blue energy surged outward as he struck the closest vine. It tore apart in a flash of spiritual force. But more came.
Cai Xian raised both hands, her palms glowing red. "Inferno Fire Art!"
Flames exploded outward, scorching several vines. The scent of burning rot filled the chamber. But still, the remaining whips focused solely on Gao Tian, ignoring the others entirely.
He ducked under one and vaulted over another, his body twisting through midair. With gritted teeth, he spun and struck two more with his palm.
More vines erupted from the floor, aiming for his legs.
His robe was torn. Blood trickled down his arm.
But Gao Tian didn't stop.
"Come on then," he growled. "If this is your lair, show yourself!"
Cai Xian rushed forward, her flaming steps igniting sparks across the rocky path. Gao Tian was dodging relentlessly, his body moving with desperate precision between the lashes of demonic vines.
"Shu Yu!" he shouted, his voice strained. "Lend me your dagger—now!"
Landing on one knee, Gao Tian twisted his body to evade another whip aimed for his side. Shu Yu, standing at a distance with her ever-expressionless face, watched his struggle with a slight gleam in her eyes. Without hesitation, she reached to her waist and drew a sleek, obsidian dagger—its surface lined with faint crimson runes that pulsed like veins.
With a flick of her wrist, she sent the blade flying.
The dagger whistled through the air like a streak of black lightning. Gao Tian caught it midair with practiced reflexes, his grip firm. As soon as his fingers closed around the hilt, he felt a fierce, refined killing intent sealed within the blade.
Cai Xian halted beside him, her aura blazing, only to sense an ambush forming to her left. Several thick vines burst from the lava to entangle her.
But before they reached her, Gao Tian surged forward and slashed through them with the black dagger. The blade cleaved cleanly, leaving no trace of spiritual resistance.
Cai Xian glanced at him, fire dancing in her eyes—not from rage, but admiration. She raised her burning palms and launched a wave of flame that consumed the remaining vines near her.
For a heartbeat, silence fell.
Then all the vines recoiled at once, slithering back into the earth and lava as if summoned.
From behind the Heavenly Flame Tree, something massive began to stir. Lava bubbled and cracked violently. The ground trembled.
A twisted black trunk emerged, its surface glossy with demonic sheen. Red leaves rustled in the air, exuding a thick, malicious aura. The roots spread wide, dipping into the lava, drawing power like a leech from the earth itself.
Then came a deep, echoing voice, not from any mouth but directly into their minds.
"You've discovered me. Hah… If you had left while you could, I might have spared you. But now—you will all die here."
It was a sound transmission, dark and oppressive.
The tree's branches twisted like arms. Demonic energy radiated from its core, forming a visible black-red pressure wave. The spiritual force crashed down upon them like a mountain.
Shu Yu and Cai Xian stood firm under the crushing pressure, their bodies shimmering with resistance. But Gao Tian, still only in the Qi Refining Realm, staggered. One knee dropped to the ground.
He gritted his teeth, trying to keep upright, but the weight was overwhelming.
Seeing his struggle, Cai Xian immediately stepped forward and spread both hands. A translucent spiritual barrier formed around the three of them. The pressure outside raged like a storm, but within the barrier, it lessened enough for Gao Tian to breathe properly.
Another laugh echoed inside their minds.
"So this is the boy who dared to expose me," the Demonic Tree sneered. "How amusing."
Its red leaves shimmered, and the tree's massive, rooted body surged with raw power, the battlefield now set. The air around them grew darker, and the flames of the Heavenly Flame Tree dimmed slightly, as if afraid of its vile twin.
Gao Tian placed his palm on his chest, his breath unsteady.
"Shu Yu, Sister Cai Xian… can you two hold him off for a little while?"
Cai Xian wiped the blood from her lips, her voice strained and shaky.
"D-Do you have a plan?"
Shu Yu stood still, her tone cold as always, yet steady.
"If you have an idea, speak. We'll try it."
Gao Tian nodded, eyes firm. "Yes, I do. Just don't let him reach me."
Cai Xian shook her head slightly, her body swaying with fatigue.
"I've used most of my spiritual energy already... I don't know how long I can hold him."
That last spell nearly drained me completely.
Without hesitation, Shu Yu moved behind Cai Xian. She placed her palm between her shoulder blades and began transferring her spiritual energy into her.
"I'll help you," Shu Yu said quietly.
As their energy merged, the demonic tree outside the barrier let out a guttural hum. Then it attacked.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Its thick vines slammed mercilessly against the spiritual barrier.
Cai Xian coughed blood, but she stood her ground.
Gao Tian looked at them both, his jaw clenched. Then, without another word, he sat cross-legged and entered meditation.
He pulled out one of the Heavenly Flame Fruits from his ring. Its crimson surface glowed faintly, emitting an aura of scorching heat.
Gao Tian stared at it for a moment.
This is the only way. I have to break through now—no matter what.
He placed his second palm above the fruit. Slowly, it began to float, rotating in place as its energy channeled into him.
Outside the barrier, the demonic tree's attacks intensified.
Boom. Boom. BOOM.
With every strike, cracks formed in the protective dome.
Cai Xian and Shu Yu clenched their jaws, blood now trickling down from the corners of their mouths. The pressure grew unbearable.
A final roar echoed from the demonic tree.
CRACK.
The barrier shattered like fragile glass.
The spiritual backlash hit them instantly. Both Cai Xian and Shu Yu were thrown back, coughing blood, their bodies crashing against the stone floor.
Dust cover them.
And in the center—Gao Tian continued to absorb the Heavenly Flame Fruit, oblivious to the danger, his aura beginning to surge as flickers of flame and light gathered around him.
The battlefield grew still for a heartbeat… before the chaos resumed.