"ROAAAR!!"
The Windgod Pterodragon let out a terrified screech. It had never expected that the seemingly harmless tree below would suddenly turn into such a terrifying predator. It struggled frantically.
That sharp, ear-piercing scream echoed far into the night sky, frightening many nearby feral beasts, which bolted away in panic.
But the Windgod Pterodragon was not one to await death.
Violent gales rose up around it, filled with dense blades of wind, slashing madly at the vines that had entangled it, trying to sever them into pieces. However, bizarrely, when the wind blades landed, the vines shimmered with a strange black glow, and although they were sliced open, they were not completely severed in a single strike.
The vines' tenacity was terrifying.
Visible on those vines were gruesome barbs that had pierced into the Pterodragon's body. Those barbs seemed to contain a terrifying venom, and the beast's struggling quickly weakened, its movements becoming stiff and sluggish.
This scene, witnessed by Yi Tianxing and the others in the void, caused them to inhale sharply.
To watch a Windgod Pterodragon being entangled and killed by the Serpent-Haired Tree in just a few breaths—then thrown to the base of the tree and impaled by its roots to extract its blood and essence—was a horrifying sight. It became a rich fertilizer in the tree's growth.
Truly shocking.
"How terrifying… that Serpent-Haired Tree. From the moment it attacked to the moment it killed its prey, it only took a few breaths. Fast, lethal, precise. It's born purely for slaughter. Absolutely wicked," Zhang Fei muttered, swallowing hard. His eyes were wide as bronze bells.
This world had completely overturned all prior understanding. It had undergone cataclysmic change.
Demons, monsters, spirits—nothing was impossible. Even now, seeing such a terrifying demonic tree with his own eyes left him deeply shaken.
"Beneath that Serpent-Haired Tree grows the Witchflower. Every day, cracks appear on it that naturally secrete a liquid like tears. But the moment that liquid emerges, it evaporates, producing a strange fragrance that lures most feral beasts and birds toward it. Then, the Serpent-Haired Tree strikes and kills them. The Witchflower is a symbiotic plant of the Serpent-Haired Tree," Yi Tianxing explained calmly.
The two rely on each other. The Witchflower cannot grow without the Serpent-Haired Tree's protection, while the Serpent-Haired Tree depends on the fragrance it releases to lure prey. If either were missing, both would struggle to thrive.
Such is the principle of mutualism.
"That Serpent-Haired Tree doesn't attack those giant trolls… There's something mysterious going on here," Huang Chengyan observed. Huge trolls were patrolling the area with war spears, yet the tree completely ignored them—as if blind to their presence.
"This Troll Tribe clearly built their settlement around the Serpent-Haired Tree. It's evidently of great importance to them," Jia Xu said, pointing toward the massive tree.
Chanting! Chanting! Chanting!
Just then, the clear sound of chants rang out from the troll settlement.
Near the Serpent-Haired Tree was a clearing—on it stood an altar, seemingly unremarkable. The entire structure was dark yellow, like the color of loamy soil.
But the altar was engraved with mysterious patterns and countless ancient runes. If one looked closely, these seemed to depict living beings praying to the heavens, offering sacrifices, and begging for blessings.
One by one, trolls danced around the altar in a crude and primitive ritual. Their mouths echoed with strange cries, their faces filled with excitement.
Among them, the most striking figure was a troll over four meters tall, with a burly frame. This troll chieftain stood at the altar, holding a massive war spear.
"They're preparing for a sacrifice," Yi Tianxing said in a low voice.
Sure enough, after the ritual dancing, trolls dragged up massive savage wolves and ferocious tigers to the altar.
"Offer the sacrifices!!" the troll chieftain roared.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The trolls carried the beasts onto the altar and raised their spears high, instantly killing the wolves. Blood spilled across the altar, and as soon as it touched, the runes etched into the stone flickered with a strange light.
Then, a miraculous change occurred. The souls of the slain beasts were ripped from their bodies and drawn into the altar, while their blood merged into it.
As the souls were absorbed, the altar's runes began to glow with divine brilliance, swirling and shifting until they formed a spinning vortex.
Sizzle sizzle!
It sounded like boiling water. The corpses, the blood, the souls—all vanished into the vortex and runes, as if thrown into a divine furnace. They condensed into a stream of azure spiritual energy, squirming and churning on the altar, before finally erupting into flame.
Then, without warning, an invisible will descended upon the altar, as if unseen eyes were watching from above.
Within the blue flame, under that mysterious will, a pill was forged out of thin air. It was entirely jade green, and on its surface, one could see vivid images of wolves and tigers. One could even faintly hear their roars.
"Tigerwolf Pill!" Yi Tianxing's eyes gleamed. The name surfaced in his mind instantly. This was a Tigerwolf Pill, forged from the blood and flesh of ferocious beasts and shaped through a mysterious divine process. It had no impurities and could significantly enhance physical strength. For body refinement, it was a miraculous treasure.
Trolls continued offering wolves and tigers—not just one or two, but in large numbers. One after another, they were torn to shreds on the altar, forming Tigerwolf Pills in succession.
By the time the ritual ended, hundreds of these azure-jade pills had been created.
"A miraculous altar—it can directly refine pills through sacrifice. I've never heard of such a thing," Huang Chengyan gasped, eyes filled with awe.
It meant that, given sufficient raw materials, they could produce these pills in endless supply.
"They're consuming the pills!" Zhang Fei suddenly exclaimed.
Sure enough, the troll chieftain distributed the pills, and every troll who received one beamed with excitement.
ROAR!!
A troll swallowed the Tigerwolf Pill whole. At once, tiger and wolf howls burst from his body. Muscles bulged visibly, like dragons writhing beneath the skin. His vital energy surged, his frame even grew taller. It was a stunning transformation.
The increase in strength was tangible. His power clearly surged far beyond his former state.
"This pill directly enhances physical power. Incredible! One pill and such drastic change—it's basically a divine elixir," Zhang Fei said, eyes bulging.
As a body refiner himself, he knew well how agonizing physical cultivation was. Gaining strength was painfully slow. A pill that could instantly boost the body—that was nothing short of godly.
This Tigerwolf Pill was an unmatched treasure for body refiners.
"This altar is no trivial thing. If the trolls continue using it to forge these pills, their strength could rise dramatically in a short time. They could become a terrifying force," Huang Chengyan said gravely.
"We cannot let such an altar remain in the hands of our enemies. The trolls stole it from us—if they had hidden it in a secret place, there might've been nothing we could do. But now that they've put it in plain sight—today, I'll take it by force. If they're robbers, then I'll be even more direct," Yi Tianxing said coldly, eyes flashing.
"You intend to take the risk personally, my lord?" Huang Chengyan frowned, showing clear concern.
"I must have that altar. Rest assured—if I dare to go, I have the means to escape. Even if something unexpected happens, they may not be able to keep me," Yi Tianxing replied confidently.
He had realized something critical: the altar wasn't channeling power from some demonic god, but from the will of Heaven and Earth itself. Which meant—it was ownerless. Seizing it carried no karmic burden.
Swoosh!!
With a thought, light flashed before him, opening a spatial gate.
With a single step, he vanished.
In the next instant, Yi Tianxing appeared on the altar amidst the troll settlement.
"Collect!!"
He uttered a single cold word—and before anyone could react, the entire altar vanished from sight.