Chapter 125: Half of a Dragon Body (1/2)

Legend spoke of a giant sal tree beneath the eighteenth level of hell that kindled hellfire with its own body. The pillar of the underworld, the tree shouldered the full weight of hell itself.

Or rather, the Tome of Life and Death had imparted this story to Lu Yun just moments prior, and it was now persistently reverberating in his mind. The tree in front of him was the very same Sal Tree of Life and Death!

He also finally realized what the netherworld that lay beyond the Gates of the Abyss was: Hell.

Earth’s legends spoke of a world of immortals, an underworld, and the eighteen layers of hell. Having arrived in one of the legends, Lu Yun had seen no evidence of hell all this time. He’d also come up empty-handed from digging through the memories of his four envoys. Nothing was recorded in the chronicles they’d perused of times before the great war, either. Hell… seemed to have been entirely erased from history.

……

A pair of giant eyes slowly opened on a humanoid face adorning the front of the sal tree. Confusion veiled the titanic eyes, so large that they dwarfed Dusk Province.

“Wait, wait, there’s something wrong with it!” Lu Yun suddenly realized something. “This isn’t just the Sal Tree of Life and Death. Since hellfire burns on its own body, the tree would never develop self-awareness. So what’s the deal with this face?!” He gaped at the half-asleep face.

“Who… dares interrupt… this king’s… rest!” an all-encompassing voice traveled from the giant mouth as its wooden eyes gradually pried themselves open.

Clasping the Tome of Life and Death and blazing with hellfire, Lu Yun didn’t even amount to a spark compared to this star-sized colossus. However, the enormous eyes were firmly locked on to his figure. Or, more exactly, the book in his hand.

“That book… this tree wishes for it… Hand it over!” the giant face roared frantically, shaking the tree from top to bottom.

Tongues of hellfire converged into a turbulent sea of flames, roiling toward Lu Yun. The terrible compulsion appeared again, trying to dominate his will. But this time, the power radiating from the materialized Tome of Life and Death fully negated the attempt at mind control.

Terrifying hellfire crashed upon the governor in giant, successive waves. He steadfastly endured it all, unmoving, in an imitation of an eternal reef by a seashore. Twin flames danced in his eyes as the Tome of Life and Death absorbed the surging hellfire like a whale guzzling water.

“Wait wait wait, the sal tree is sending me this hellfire of its own volition!” Astonishment struck Lu Yun. “A daunting existence must’ve latched on to the tree as a parasite and is slowly fusing with it.”

Though the Sal Tree of Life and Death wasn’t self-aware, it still possessed base instincts. Since the entity leeching off the tree was using hellfire to attack Lu Yun, the tree itself poured all of its strength into directing the hellfire to the Tome of Life and Death!

Though the sal tree could house hellfire, the fire wasn’t part of the tree itself. Instead, the flames originated from the Tome of Life and Death.

Lu Yun was immune to hellfire to begin with, but conversely, the sal tree would weaken once it was deprived of the black flames. That would also mean the parasite would no longer be able to feed on the tree’s life force.

Crack crack crack!

The tree suddenly moved, countless black branches converging into a pair of giant arms that slammed at Lu Yun even as the torrent of flames beat a hasty retreat back to the sal tree.

The mighty existence attached to the tree understood by now that hellfire was worthless against the human. Although it didn’t know what the Tome of Life and Death was, it could sense the tree’s secret yearning for the book, like one might long for one’s home.

Hence, the book was certainly a supreme treasure.

“I understand now. Your own body suffered critical damage, so you had no choice but to meld with the tree.” Lu Yun remained stoic in the face of the oncoming giant fists. “But you’ll never be able to use this tree to injure me!”

Boom!

Hellfire erupted from all around him and set the very air of this miniature world aflame. It instantly shattered the arms woven from the sal tree’s branches.

“Let’s see what kind of abomination you are, you damn parasite!” he roared. Tremendous energy surged from the Tome of Life and Death once more, as Lu Yun transformed into a ball of fire and brutally slammed against the star-sized tree.

……

On the ground, Qing Han stared unblinkingly at his friend, his heart leaping into his throat. Violet-gold light slowly glimmered between his brows as he readied himself to assist at a moment’s notice.