No matter who it was, witnessing an entire massive academy vanish before their eyes—completely and without a trace—would leave them just as stunned. The scene was eerie beyond belief, the disappearance so silent and seamless that not even a single sign or omen was left behind.
It was like seeing a ghost.
Someone quickly left to report what had happened.
Before long, the Serpent Empress, clad in her flowing violet imperial robes, returned to the exterior of the now-vanished academy. Staring at the vast empty space where it once stood, she even walked directly to the site where it had been. The residual sagely aura that once lingered there had also completely vanished—nothing remained. The scene was deeply unsettling.
This wasn't invisibility or some other concealment technique.
"It actually disappeared. So that little thief's goal all along was to take the entire academy with him? This is an outright insult to me."
The Serpent Empress's face was icy cold as she gazed at the vacant land before her.
The academy was gone.
Tens of thousands of human scholars and students—all vanished. The magnitude of the act was indescribable. More importantly, the valley had been firmly under the control of the serpentfolk. While they couldn't approach the academy, it had still been like a precious object in their own backyard—meat on a chopping block. The valley was their domain.
Now that Yi Tianxing had taken away the academy and the students, it was no different than stealing a treasure from the heart of serpentfolk territory—a bold act of theft and defiance.
It was a blatant provocation—a resounding slap across the face.
The Serpent Empress's fury was beyond words.
An intruder had trespassed into her home.
"You dare go this far!!"
Her black hair began to rise and dance wildly without wind, transforming into venomous snakes that hissed and flicked their tongues menacingly. The sight sent chills down everyone's spine.
"Find them. I want the location of those scholars. I refuse to believe they've gotten far. No matter how fast they flee, they'll leave traces. The moment you find them, report to me at once!"
With a cold command, she turned and vanished into the mist. The rage seething from her very soul was almost palpable.
"Lord, according to Master Cai, there's a ninety percent chance that the altar is still in the hands of the Troll Tribe. From what we know, trolls are extremely vengeful. Anyone who crosses them will be pursued relentlessly, as if haunted by a bone-devouring parasite. In jungles and wilderness, their combat prowess exceeds expectations. If the serpentfolk had taken the altar, even the Serpent Empress's deterrent power wouldn't necessarily prevent the trolls from retaliating."
"They would only retreat if they gained a significant benefit—and even then, only if they already harbored some fear of the serpentfolk. That might make them abandon the valley for a safer location."
At that moment, Yi Tianxing stood atop a mountain alongside Jia Xu, Zhang Fei, and others.
After stowing Cai Yong and the rest within the pagoda, Yi Tianxing had forcefully teleported out of the valley using the Spatial Gate, returning to the outside world and reuniting with his advisors.
He shared what he could with them—including his strong desire to obtain the mysterious altar.
However, the altar's current whereabouts remained unknown. Cai Yong hadn't witnessed what happened to it in the end.
After some thought, Jia Xu offered his analysis.
"Hmph, the Troll Tribe is the more likely holder. But locating them is no simple task—they're powerful and hard to approach. That altar won't be easy to seize."
Yi Tianxing took a deep breath and said slowly:
"Deploy the Golden Scale Guards to scout from the air. They move swiftly. Given the trolls' nature, they won't have gone far. Begin the search from the valley center outward. We'll find them sooner rather than later."
Jia Xu nodded.
"With aerial reconnaissance, we'll soon turn their location into our advantage."
"I leave command to the strategist. I want the trolls found—and more importantly, the altar," Yi Tianxing declared.
Howl!!
Before long, under Nine Lives' command, countless Golden Scale Birds soared into the skies, dispersing in all directions to survey the area.
A myriad of ferocious beasts, strange creatures, and even foreign tribes and human settlements came into view beneath them.
None drew special attention—until the trolls were spotted.
"They're to the southeast—centered around an enormous, ancient tree."
Thanks to Nine Lives' scouting, Yi Tianxing finally had the intel he sought.
The Troll Tribe had indeed settled around a massive ancient tree, constructing their village there. But the tree was no ordinary one—its true nature was unrecognizable at first glance.
"Let's go see for ourselves."
Without wasting time on speculation, Yi Tianxing mounted the Golden Roc and led his Golden Scale Guards into the sky.
Soon, they reached the designated location.
"What a massive tree... but why does it feel so evil? Looks like a banyan," Zhang Fei exclaimed in alarm.
"A banyan tree... a giant banyan tree," murmured Huang Chengyan in awe.
"No, it's not a banyan. It only looks similar," Yi Tianxing said, frowning.
From the sky, they saw a towering tree unlike anything else in the jungle. While large trees were common here, this one dwarfed the rest. Its overwhelming presence had pushed all other growth away, suggesting its tyrannical nature.
The trunk alone was over a hundred meters tall, with a canopy spanning seventy to eighty meters. Twisted branches spread outward, devoid of leaves but draped in countless vines.
Upon closer inspection, those vines looked like hair—each as thick as a human thigh, bristling with barbs.
Dangling down, they resembled a curtain of dread. At the tree's roots lay piles of beastly bones, a chilling sight hinting at countless victims.
Beneath the tree stood an enormous, mutant flower.
This exotic bloom had a ten-meter-wide blossom. Like a sunflower facing the light, its disk was covered in tiny mouths that shed tears. These tears evaporated instantly, dispersing into the air as a strange fragrance that drifted across the land.
"Howl!!"
Suddenly, the Golden Scale Birds screeched midair, gripped by an irresistible urge to descend—as if starving beasts had just glimpsed a feast.
Only through the efforts of the Golden Scale Guards were they prevented from diving down.
"Ascend! Gain more altitude!" Yi Tianxing commanded.
"The scent that flower releases... it must exert a powerful allure on beasts and flying creatures. It's a lure. The bones below the tree are likely the remains of those drawn in," Jia Xu said coldly.
"This is a monstrous plant known as the Serpent-Haired Tree. The hanging vines resemble long hair, and the tree feeds on living creatures—similar to a man-eating flower. It's ruthless and predatory. Anything that approaches is entangled and killed," Yi Tianxing explained, recalling knowledge from the Heavenless Tome.
This was a variant banyan, transformed by the world's spiritual energy into a malevolent lifeform. Growing stronger with each kill, it had likely devoured countless beings to reach such a size. If it continued growing, it would become a terrifying monstrosity.
Howl!!
At that moment, a giant raptor soared through the skies nearby—a Windgod Pterodragon.
Sensing the kingly aura from the Pterodragon King among Yi Tianxing's ranks, it veered toward them in instinctive deference, shrieking in excitement.
This beast, a second-tier predator, had dragon blood in its veins. Though faint, it gave it immense growth potential.
It had merely been passing through—until it caught the scent from below.
Drawn by the flower's fragrance, its instincts took over.
It descended.
Its gaze locked onto the enormous flower.
At that moment, the Serpent-Haired Tree sprang to life.
Countless vine-like tendrils lashed out like serpents in a storm, rising into the air in a horrifying, chaotic display.
In mere seconds, the Windgod Pterodragon was ensnared.