Chapter 45: Ring the Bell, Oh Ring the Bell

"Grandma! Grandma!"

Behind Lanruo Temple, deep within the primeval mountain forest!

A streak of purple gauze came flying in like a whirlwind. Stirred by the gentle breeze, Xiaoqing collapsed before a gigantic ancient tree.

"So flustered! What kind of manner is this! Where is the man I told you to capture?"

A ferocious human face emerged from the millennium-old tree. A voice that sounded simultaneously male and female came from it, carrying a tone of deep dissatisfaction.

"Grandma! It's Yan Chixia! He has appeared again! I was almost about to succeed!"

Xiaoqing was still panic-stricken.

For Yan Chixia to kill minor ghosts like them was easier than slaughtering a chicken.

The mere thought of having just escaped from beneath Yan Chixia's sword left Xiaoqing with a debilitating sense of exhaustion.

"Yan Chixia! It's him again!"

Upon hearing this, the ancient tree instantly contorted!

From the split trunk, a deafening roar erupted!

A sudden gale whipped up around them!

Fallen leaves were swept into the air like blades, slashing deep fissures into the surrounding trees.

The branches of the ancient tree flailed in all directions, then suddenly converged and contracted violently inward, ultimately taking on the form of Tree Demon Grandma.

Transforming from a tree into human form, Tree Demon Grandma took a single stride, spanning a distance of over ten meters, and suddenly closed in on Xiaoqing, pressing face-to-face with an oppressive intensity as she stared at her: "It seems that Yan Chixia is dead set on opposing me!"

"Xiaoqing, go find that man again! Lure Yan Chixia out! Don't worry, I will be right behind you."

Hearing this, Xiaoqing's face instantly paled with terror!

Tree Demon Grandma intended to use her as bait to draw out Yan Chixia!

As for the promise of following behind her, Xiaoqing did not believe it for a second!

Given Grandma's usual style of conduct, she would undoubtedly wait until Xiaoqing was attacked by Yan Chixia before launching a sneak attack!

Her body trembling uncontrollably, Xiaoqing desperately wanted to refuse, yet she knew all too well how insignificant she was in the eyes of Tree Demon Grandma.

In the end, Xiaoqing could only obey submissively as she always did: "Yes, Grandma."

"Very well, go."

"No need to look for me, I have already arrived."

Just as Grandma's voice faded, a resonant voice exploded thunderously from the edge of the horizon!

Under the moonlight, the figure of Yan Chixia appeared atop the crown of a towering tree.

"Yan Chixia!"

The moment Tree Demon Grandma saw the newcomer, her eyes narrowed instantly!

Seeming to realize something, Tree Demon Grandma abruptly snapped her head toward the equally shocked Xiaoqing beside her: "Wretch! You betrayed me!"

Xiaoqing jumped in fright: "I didn't! Grandma! I truly didn't!"

"Hmph!"

Tree Demon Grandma refused to listen to Xiaoqing's explanation entirely. With a wave of her sleeve, a mass of thick roots burst forth from the earth, swiftly binding Xiaoqing's body!

With just a slight tightening and crushing motion, Xiaoqing let out a miserable scream!

At this moment, Yan Chixia also made his move.

It was true that he had gone to see Ning Caichen first.

However, having ultimately been persuaded by Ning Caichen to spare Nie Xiaoqian, he intended to come directly and slay the chief culprit, Tree Demon Grandma.

To be precise, the exact location of this Tree Demon Grandma had been revealed to Yan Chixia by Xiaoqian herself.

It genuinely had nothing to do with Xiaoqing.

"Ha! Boundless universe, borrow the power of heaven and earth!"

Yan Chixia drew a Taiji diagram in his palm with his own blood. While still suspended mid-air, he consecutively hurled bolts of palm lightning downward toward Tree Demon Grandma!

"Rumble, rumble, rumble!"

The palm lightning was intensely righteous and yang, possessing terrifying destructive power!

The ground below immediately erupted in a continuous series of explosions as if carpet-bombed with dynamite!

In the blink of an eye, a long line of massive craters was blasted open!

Tree Demon Grandma was struck head-on by the palm lightning, flying backward over a dozen meters before forcibly stabilizing her body.

Xiaoqing, hovering on the brink of death, had managed to salvage her life.

Yet at this moment on the battlefield, neither Yan Chixia nor Tree Demon Grandma paid any more attention to the little female ghost.

"Yan Chixia! You are too arrogant! Don't think for a second that I am truly afraid of you!"

Tree Demon Grandma raised both hands, and the surrounding earth surged violently!

Countless tree roots burst out of the ground like giant pythons, continuously lashing and whipping toward Yan Chixia!

Yan Chixia's feet had just touched the ground.

When a mound of earth rapidly bulged beneath him, and resilient tree roots burst out from within!

Frowning slightly, he had no choice but to lightly tap his toes in rapid succession upon the wildly surging roots around him.

Using exceptionally nimble footwork, he darted and maneuvered through the tree demon's magical assaults.

"Xuanyuan Sword!"

Yan Chixia slapped the sword case strapped to his back!

With a crisp, resonant "clang" of a sword clearing its scabbard!

The unadorned Xuanyuan Sword flew out from the case, caught neatly in Yan Chixia's raised hand.

"Boundless universe, borrow the power of heaven and earth!"

Yan Chixia bit his finger, using his middle finger's blood to trace a Taiji diagram along the blade, causing the Xuanyuan Sword to instantly blaze with golden light!

"Ha!"

Suspended mid-air, Yan Chixia swung his sword repeatedly.

Streaks of sword light cleaved outward, hacking every single root in his vicinity into fine shreds!

"Soul-Locking Needle!"

Yan Chixia flicked a thick, golden needle toward Tree Demon Grandma not far away!

The Soul-Locking Needle traveled at blinding speed.

Failing to dodge in time, Tree Demon Grandma was struck square in the chest, instantly letting out a piercing shriek!

With no other choice, she had to execute the cicada shedding its shell technique and reveal her true form!

Tree Demon Grandma withdrew her limbs and head from her robes just like a turtle pulling inside its shell.

Her entire body rapidly burrowed into the earth, though she extended even more branches and vines to continue attacking Yan Chixia!

The tree demon's earth-escaping art was practically instinctive.

She moved with absolute swiftness beneath the soil.

Through their brief exchange just moments ago, Tree Demon Grandma had seen the reality of the situation.

The rumors about Yan Chixia were true; he was indeed formidable.

In a head-on confrontation, she was no match for him.

Yet Tree Demon Grandma remained quite confident.

As long as she chose to flee, Yan Chixia could never trap her here!

Free of any lingering worries, Tree Demon Grandma remained in place, choosing to continue engaging Yan Chixia in magical combat.

After all, she still felt somewhat unconvinced by Yan Chixia.

Nor could she bear to part with the mountainous region of Lanruo Temple.

Tree Demon Grandma was, after all, an ancient tree that had attained sentience in these mountains.

She relied on the root system spreading throughout the entire mountain to move about freely.

If she were prevented from draining the vital essence of men here, it would be no different from killing her outright.

"Lawless and impudent!"

Tree Demon Grandma resumed her spellcasting!

A colossal tongue burst forth from the earth, violently lashing out again and again at Yan Chixia on the ground below!

This tongue was utterly grotesque, yet its destructive force was far from negligible.

The surrounding trees and boulders basically shattered upon the slightest contact!

If Tree Demon Grandma were transported to modern society, that tongue alone would be enough to demolish an entire residential complex!

Yan Chixia, however, was hardly frightened.

Wielding the Xuanyuan Sword, he hadn't even unleashed his various immensely powerful sword techniques yet.

Merely executing basic slashes sent Tree Demon Grandma into repeated, agonized shrieks.

Yet the tree demon's earth-escaping capability was truly troublesome, and this remained Yan Chixia's greatest headache.

If the opponent wished to run, capturing her was indeed a difficult task.

Sure enough.

After having her tongue stabbed with several sword strikes, the stubborn Tree Demon Grandma finally gave up her tenacity and chose to slip away.

"Yan Chixia! Consider yourself ruthless!"

Dropping a harsh parting threat, Tree Demon Grandma rapidly retracted her massive tongue back into the soil.

Seeing this, Yan Chixia felt a hint of regret, yet he had no choice but to let the Tree Demon Grandma escape.

Even so, after this battle, Tree Demon Grandma would need at least another century of recuperation before she could emerge to harm people again.

Yan Chixia felt he had done all that honor required.

In the moonlight, the forest battlefield temporarily fell silent.

Just as both sides assumed the night's combat had drawn to a close—

"Jingle bell...!"

From the direction of Lanruo Temple, a crisp sound of bells drifted slowly toward them.

"Thud!"

The moment the bell rang,

A snake-like wooden root twitched reflexively, bursting out from the soil and mechanical-like, swiftly slithering toward the direction of Lanruo Temple!

Catching sight of this, Yan Chixia reacted with lightning speed, grabbing hold of the tree root and pulling with all his might!

He directly yanked a bewildered Tree Demon Grandma right out of the dirt!

The two of them stared at each other with wide eyes.

Yan Chixia was the first to snap out of it! Without missing a beat, he drove his sword straight into Tree Demon Grandma's body!

"Ah!"

With a miserable shriek, Tree Demon Grandma hurriedly severed the tree root held in Yan Chixia's grip and plunged back beneath the earth.

"Jingle bell...!"

At that exact moment, however, the bell rang once more.

Another tree root burst from the ground!

This time, having gained experience, Yan Chixia lunged forward swiftly and yanked Tree Demon Grandma out of the earth once again!

"Slash!"

Another sword thrust straight into Tree Demon Grandma's chest!

"Agh—!"

Letting out yet another piercing scream, Tree Demon Grandma thrashed violently, desperately breaking free and diving back into the soil.

"Hahaha! Come again!"

Though Yan Chixia had no idea what was happening, he was thoroughly delighted.

The chiming of the bell cooperated with his wishes, ringing out continuously.

Yet what Yan Chixia did not know was—

While he was having the time of his life repeatedly stabbing the Tree Demon Grandma,

Xu Wang of Lanruo Temple was currently standing in the courtyard, completely dumbfounded.

He had been standing right there, holding the bell for quite a while.

Yet he hadn't even caught sight of a single leaf belonging to the Tree Demon Grandma.

"What the hell! Is this thing broken?! Can I return it for a full refund within seven days?!"

Xu Wang stared at the bell in his hand, utterly disgruntled!