Ten minutes later, the squad had assembled.

To call it an "assembly" is a bit much—there were only five people in total.

Du Yu, Yang Qingqing, Shu Qinghe, Director Liu Neng, and their reinforcements: Cheng Feng.

Don't go thinking the reinforcements are too few—being one of the former Seven Saints of Great Xia, Cheng Feng alone is an army unto himself!

It's worth mentioning that the Human Race was targeted by the heavens, and so Cheng Feng was demoted to Demon Taming Emperor.

But the Demon Pets inside him weren't affected in the slightest…

As for whether the Demon Pets resent their master, whether they'll tear up their contracts, or whether Cheng Feng can coax all those Great Powers into action, well, that's a whole other story.

In short, the Demon Pets were how they always had been—no different from before.

According to Mr. Cheng, since their opponent was a Demon Saint, bringing more people would be pointless.

So, Cheng Feng only brought one deputy—Director Liu Neng.

As for Yang Qingqing and Shu Qinghe, they were still Du Yu's bodyguards, responsible for keeping him safe.

"Let's go." Cheng Feng gazed at the abyss beneath their feet, and from his empty left sleeve, a fiery arm suddenly sprouted—shredding the sleeve in the process!

After a burst of blazing flames, a flaming arm was fully formed.

From the sharp-edged claws at the tips of the flaming fingers, Du Yu could tell—this must be the Demon Pet: Flame Soul Imprisonment?

Good stuff~

Didn't know you could play it like this.

The Imprisoned Race of every element really are a blessing for people with disabilities!

But hold up—Water and Wood-type Demon Beasts have such powerful healing abilities. Can't they regrow severed arms?

Du Yu was still pondering this when he was grabbed by Yang Qingqing and hauled down through the Gourd Mouth.

As their falling speed slowed, Du Yu landed steadily atop a huge, horizontal Giant Tree branch.

Cheng Feng dropped to one knee, carefully inspecting the ash-gray Demon Wood.

"Tss…" The sharp flaming claws scraped across the gray bark, etching deep scars into the surface.

The Giant Tree seemed to sense something, and actually trembled faintly!

But only three seconds later, it fell silent again.

Because a Water Charm Du Yu revealed itself through the leafy wall in the distance.

Seeing Du Yu return, Water Charm Du Yu's eyes lit up with a trace of delight.

Sure enough, this young human hadn't lied to me!

But when Water Charm Du Yu swept a glance across the group, its gaze locked onto Cheng Feng.

"It's Heaven Returning Wood, all right—and by the looks of it, the cold qi has soaked right into its bones." Cheng Feng's tone was casual.

Now that he'd confirmed it was a Cold Beast, they could move on to the next step.

This world isn't a nice place. For a seasoned veteran like Cheng Feng, he needed multiple layers of insurance.

He needed to witness it in person, to investigate it himself.

Actually, the info Cheng Feng was asking about had already been checked by Shu Qinghe and Yang Qingqing.

This is indeed a Cold Beast.

If this Heaven Returning Wood weren't a Cold Beast, and still kept its wits, there'd be way more complicated problems involved…

As Du Yu watched Water Charm Du Yu approach, he signaled to the others: "As I said, our ally—our backup."

Water Charm Du Yu nodded gently.

Du Yu continued, "Can you refine the cold qi at the mountain's base?

We humans can't see through cold qi. If we had a clear battlefield, we could help you better."

Water Charm Du Yu nodded again, without hesitation.

Cheng Feng stood up, looking off at Water Charm Du Yu: "Welcome to Great Xia, 600 years into the future. May you find peace within after this battle."

Upon hearing this, Water Charm Du Yu quietly lowered its eyes.

After a long moment, it leapt forward, plunging its hands deep into the trunk and sliding downward.

The group immediately followed—in free fall, Du Yu felt a serious wave of weightlessness.

Below their feet stretched an endless abyss, depth unknown, and the squad clearly had no plans to stop along the way.

The last time Du Yu dove off a cliff like this was inside the Shadow Gu Tower, together with Little Shiwei.

But back then, Du Yu didn't have any backup—he had no choice but to be Lin Shiwei's backup instead.

Now, things were different.

Du Yu struggled internally for a long moment, then shut his eyes, steeled himself, and wrapped an arm around Master Qing's waist.

Yang Qingqing, of course, noticed her disciple's move.

She gave Du Yu a sidelong glance but didn't scold him—just kept dropping steadily downward.

The cold qi around them grew thicker and thicker, and the branches below got denser too.

"Hoo!"

Shu Qinghe charged to the front, snapping open her folding fan—and with a flick, sent a whirling wind pillar blasting straight down!

"Crack! Crack!"

The thick, cold branches were torn apart in an instant, and streaks of shadow flashed through the newly made gap, hurtling downward.

The body of the Demon Saint·Heaven Returning Wood wasn't supposed to be this fragile.

But clearly, under the refining of the Jade Gourd, Heaven Returning Wood was falling apart. At least in the hands of Demon Taming Emperor Shu Qinghe, it shattered at a single blow!

"Stop!" Through the hazy cold mist, Cheng Feng's voice suddenly sounded.

The team's vigilance soared; they instantly braked their fall, and Water Charm Du Yu also paused, curiously looking back up.

Liu Neng: "Commander?"

Cheng Feng: "Du Yu squad, you can stop here."

In the cold fog, visibility was barely five meters.

Yang Qingqing parted the cold branches and floated up carefully: "Mr. Cheng?"

When she reached Cheng Feng with Du Yu in tow, she saw he'd made an enormous hollow in the trunk.

Du Yu landed atop the wood, finally feeling solid ground under his feet—a huge relief.

Really gotta hurry up and get promoted to Great Demon Tamer…

That way, I could actually use Demon Skills in tandem with my Demon Pets.

Little You Ying's got a Flame Rune; at least then I could step on air.

Cool factor aside, having somewhere to stand would make me a whole lot braver~

"This should be a branch of the main trunk." Cheng Feng reached out his flaming palm, gazing at the dark gray tree body.

The shriveled bark was full of wrinkles, twisted and winding like scarred ravines.

Suddenly, a stream of water burst out of the leaf wall nearby and condensed into Water Charm Du Yu.

Cheng Feng looked at Water Charm Du Yu: "This is the Heaven Returning Wood's main body."

Water Charm Du Yu hesitated, then nodded silently.

Cheng Feng turned to the group: "The three of you absorb the Demon Soul here—no need to go any deeper into the battlefield."

Cheng Feng was totally in command mode, and continued, "I'll take Director Liu and keep descending, heading straight for the root of the Heaven Returning Wood."

If you want to do real physical damage to Heaven Returning Wood, you've gotta attack the roots.

But the Du Yu squad's attack method wasn't conventional, anyway.

As long as they found the tree's main body and could absorb the Demon Soul, that was enough.

If they insisted on going deeper into the battle, Cheng Feng would actually be hampered—worried about friendly fire.

Yang Qingqing shot a glance at the poker-faced Shu Qinghe, asked for her opinion by way of a look, and nodded lightly: "Understood."

"Good." Cheng Feng was all about efficiency, and signaled Water Charm Du Yu, "Let's go."

Seeing the three continue downward, Du Yu hastily called out, "Gourd, don't forget to refine that cold qi in the earth!"

"Sss…" Water Charm Du Yu hissed, the sound growing fainter and fainter.

After the others left, Shu Qinghe summoned a string of Red Mud Fire Stoves again, setting the surrounding branches and leaves alight to clear the battlefield.

Standing on the tree fork, Du Yu stared at the gray-black Giant Tree ahead, his nerves slowly tightening up.

Absorbing a Demon Saint's Demon Soul!

Damn…just thinking about it feels like courting death, huh?

Suddenly, Little Fen Yang's playful voice rang out in his mind: "Du Yu! Du Yu! Don't be scared—get excited!"

Du Yu: "…"

Little Fen Yang: "We're about to tear this big tree apart! Aren't you happy?"

Du Yu shot back, annoyed: "How come you're not even scared? This is a Demon Saint!"

Little Fen Yang grumbled, "Tsk~ Who isn't a Demon Saint at this point?"

Du Yu, all innocent: "I'm not."

"Well, I'm not really either~" Little Fen Yang giggled, then changed tune, "Look at this sad tree—beat up and half-dead already.

Just hurry up and suck up its Demon Soul—I'll help you! Let's set it on fire together, buuurn…"

Du Yu: "…"

Listening to Little Fen Yang babble on all giddy, Du Yu felt like maybe this Demon Saint·Heaven Returning Wood deserved a new name.

Maybe…The Happy Fen Yang Tree?

While the two Immortals were busy cleaning up the battlefield, Du Yu used his Spirit Contract to contact Shadow Gu Tower: "Shadow Gu Tower, it's really all right?"

Shadow Gu Tower: "I've repaired a lot, and already let the Night Fire Cage Demon Soul go free.

As long as Heaven Returning Wood's Demon Soul is weakened enough, I can imprison it—no problem at all. This is what I was made for.

Only, to completely refine this Demon Soul will take quite a long time."

"Mm, good! Once we pull out the Demon Soul, Master Qing and the others will help us strike it, and Little Fen Yang will help too. Don't worry—we've got a plan."

Nervously rubbing his fingers, Du Yu muttered, "Hope it all goes smoothly. If we really pull this off, it'll be a huge boost for you."

Shadow Gu Tower: "My Master's Demon Soul will also be nourished early on, and the Demon Breath refined from that Soul should feed us for a long time."

Du Yu clenched his fists. Damn, no wonder everyone wants to be a big villain!

Stealing stuff the fast way—how is that not satisfying?

Just as Du Yu was about to chat further with the two Immortals, a curtain of Flower Vines above his head startled him.

He turned and saw a massive, yet elegant, Rose General Spirit unfurling a sky full of vines, turning this spot into its own home turf!

On Master Qing's back was an enormous Dream Dance Flame Butterfly, slowly fanning its gorgeous wings.

This was Du Yu's first time seeing another War General under Master Qing's command.

Clearly, this lineup had been chosen deliberately.

She hadn't summoned Wind Trace Steed, nor Dust Spirit Deer.

Du Yu had been healed by Master Qing before; he knew there was a Heaven Returning Wood inside her!

Given that, it made sense not to summon those now.

On the other side, Shu Qinghe was even more of an eye-opener for Du Yu.

Besides the Red Mud Fire Stove, the icy beauty Shu Qinghe actually had a Ghost Skull Necklace around her neck—big as Buddhist beads…

He could still remember what Senior Brother Fu had said in the past.

To contract a Ghost Skull, you had to be truly domineering.

There, behind Shu Qinghe, stood the stately and solemn Mud Po Goddess Sculpture. For a second, Du Yu couldn't tell—which was master and which was pet here…

"Ready!" Cheng Feng's voice suddenly came through the invisible headphones.

Shu Qinghe pressed the earpiece, "Standing by."

"Whoo~" In a blink, all of Gourd Mountain shook violently!

Even though Du Yu and the others were nowhere near the ground-level battlefield, they could feel the terrifying power from here!

"Pa! Pa! Pa!"

Flexible branches lashed at the Flower Vine shield built by Rose General Spirit, drumming on it in a dense, endless downpour.

The Heaven Returning Wood…has gone berserk!

Beaten and abused for so long by Cold Beasts marauding through the mountain, its body wrecked—Heaven Returning Wood could only let it happen, totally helpless.

But now, as soon as a bunch of human nobodies set out to break its trunk and attack its roots, Heaven Returning Wood absolutely lost it!

"Pa! Pa! Pa!"

The Heaven Returning Wood wasn't even really attacking Du Yu's group, but the Flower Vine shield still shuddered, humming as if about to shatter at any moment!

"Charge, Du Yu! Du Yu! Kill!"

With Little Fen Yang yelling in his mind, Du Yu almost rushed forward with a dagger…

But he still had his senses—left hand holding up the Shadow Gu Tower, channeling Demon Breath into it with all his might to activate the Divine Artifact.

"Wnnnggg!!!"

The Shadow Gu Tower buzzed and vibrated, and weirdly, the Heaven Returning Wood seemed to freeze for a moment!

As if the whole world had stopped moving!

And then—a dark stream of Demon Soul oozed out from the withered old bark.

"Rumble…"

Far below, at the camp beneath Gourd Mountain…

Fu Jianzhou stared dumbly up at the night sky, his body swaying with the trembling earth.

Is Gourd Mountain about to collapse or something?

What on earth are Master Qing and Little Junior up to…

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