Dead Trees vs. Dead Trees

The sound of rustling leaves filled the air.

At that moment, a voice emerged, also approaching steadily.

Step! Step! Step!

"You must be Wu He, the second elder of the Qimu Sect. Your senses are quite keen indeed!"

Su Tong walked out from behind the trees.

He had just arrived, yet he had already been noticed by this Wu He.

The man before him was somewhat frail-looking, appearing weak and fragile. Yet to Su Tong, he gave off an impression far stronger than Li Zitao's group of three.

"Our Qimu Sect cultivates skills related to the wood element. Within this forest, everything within a hundred mile radius, down to the slightest motion, is clear to me!"

Wu He gave a rather earnest reply to Su Tong's words.

Su Tong nodded. "Not a bad ability at all!"

"You must be Su Tong of the Chihong Sect, here to borrow the identity tokens of my Qimu Sect, I presume?"

At this point, Wu He was also looking at Su Tong.

His words made it evident that he already knew full well Su Tong's actions thus far.

"That's right!"

Su Tong nodded.

He also understood clearly that this opponent before him would not be easy to deal with.

Even so, Su Tong remained confident, confidence in his own abilities.

"Alright, defeat me and the identity tokens of my Qimu Sect will be yours. And the fifteen other sects' tokens as well, all yours!"

Looking at Su Tong, a fiery battle intent gradually ignited within Wu He's eyes.

"Fine, though don't you people like using your sect's spell formations to amplify your strength? Where are your Qimu Sect disciples?"

Su Tong nodded.

He naturally understood that there was no way his opponent would hand over all the tokens that easily.

As for a contest of skills, Su Tong had no fear whatsoever.

He was simply rather curious why the Qimu Sect disciples were not present.

"If I still need aid from Spirit Realm disciples and their spell formations to win a fight, we might as well not battle at all!"

Hearing Su Tong's words, Wu He responded indifferently.

Clearly, he had ample confidence in his own abilities.

"Very well, bring it on then!"

Su Tong nodded.

He found Wu He's character to be quite agreeable.

At the very least, compared to Bailan and Tong Huai, he felt much more comfortable with this one.

"Alright, I know you are no pushover. Block this strike of mine, and if you can withstand it, you win!"

At this point, Wu He spoke up confidently.

He had naturally sensed Su Tong's powerful strength, yet he had full faith in his own as well.

"Quite confident, aren't you!"

Su Tong did not refute him.

Wu He was brimming with assurance. Su Tong rather wanted to teach him a lesson.

"Don't assume that you're the only one at the first stage of the Returning Void Realm. Let me tell you...I am as well!"

Wu He spoke calmly.

As his words fell, an aura far exceeding that of Li Zitao's trio erupted forth.

It was the formidable aura of a first stage Returning Void Realm cultivator.

So the Qimu Sect's second elder had also stepped into the Returning Void Realm.

As expected of the foremost sect among the four sects.

No wonder they commanded so many more resources, with overall strength far beyond the other three sects.

Along with the Qimu Sect's sect leader and chief elder, they actually had three Returning Void Realm masters within the sect.

That was already enough to crush all the other sects of the North Region.

"Su Tong, show me your full power. Take my strike!"

After his aura erupted, Wu He spoke with even greater confidence.

With a loud roar, wood elemental qi began to surge.

"Withered Wood, Wasted Stump!"

In an instant, streams of qi blasted forth from all around, converging on Wu He's body.

Su Tong watched as the surrounding trees swiftly withered before his eyes!

"Absorbing the qi from the nearby trees. However, this is somewhat inappropriate!"

Seeing the trees rapidly withering as their qi was siphoned away, flowing into Wu He's body, Su Tong remained calm and unhurried.

As the qi of the surrounding trees entered him, Wu He's originally black hair gradually turned a verdant green.

"Go!"

Wu He roared as he pointed a finger at the empty air. A black stream of qi shot towards Su Tong.

Like the withered trees, the black qi sped directly at Su Tong.

"Who told you my strength was only at the first stage of Returning Void Realm?"

Watching the incoming qi, Su Tong was still tranquil.

An even more powerful aura erupted forth. "My strength is at the third stage of Returning Void Realm!"

"Third stage Returning Void Realm!"

Sensing the domineering nature of Su Tong's qi, the previously composed Wu He finally showed a trace of shock on his face.

He had not expected Su Tong's strength to have already reached the third stage of Returning Void Realm.

This was completely beyond his expectations.

With strength this powerful, he could rival even the Qimu Sect's chief elder.

"Withered Wood Sees Spring!"

Su Tong's voice rang out once more.

This time, he spoke words in the ancient Sacred Speech.

With just four simple words, Wu He felt qi swiftly begin to surge around him.

Moreover, it was wood elemental qi.

And with the flowing qi, the trees that had just been drained and turned to withered wood began to sprout, swiftly turning lush and vibrant.

The surging qi allowed the trees to grow rapidly. In just a few short breaths, they became even lusher than before.

"How can this be?"

Wu He was clearly in disbelief at the sight before his eyes.

He had used a Spirit Grade top-tier art of the Qimu Sect, swiftly draining the qi of the surrounding trees for his own use.

The concentrated qi was countless times richer than his personal qi.

Knowing Su Tong was no pushover, Wu He had chosen this art.

Yet he never expected Su Tong's art to be able to manipulate the ambient heaven and earth qi, forcibly injecting it into the withered trees.

Revitalizing them swiftly.

Before Wu He could recover from his shock, the lush new trees began condensing streams of green qi.

Ultimately converging together and surging towards the black qi Wu He had gathered.

"He can even make the trees attack autonomously?"

Seeing this, Wu He was completely flabbergasted!

The Qimu Sect constantly interacted with trees.

Naturally, Wu He knew these trees had no autonomous will, and though able to condense qi, could not utilize it.

The Qimu Sect made use of the trees' qi for themselves.

But astonishingly, Su Tong's art could grant the trees autonomous attacking will.

The green qi met the black qi head-on.

The expected loud collision did not occur.

The moment the black qi touched the green, it was directly assimilated!

The black qi, filled with an aura of decay, now emanated a vitality full of life.

It sped straight at Wu He!

"How can this be!"

Wu He was clearly unable to accept the sight before his eyes.

The Qimu Sect's proud art, so easily defeated by Su Tong?