Chapter 50: Saint-level Classification

When night fell, Su Ze and the others made do and slept in the car for the night.

Su Ze had thought they could lie low here for a couple of days, but by the next day, the local villagers had already reported them for suspicious activity.

A pot-bellied, middle-aged man in a security officer’s uniform, leading a few young men who looked like street punks, surrounded Su Ze’s car.

Su Ze said helplessly, "We’ll have to force our way through."

They couldn’t afford to be investigated, so their only option was to run.

Mrs. Yun said, "I’ll clear a path. You just drive straight ahead."

Mrs. Yun didn’t even have to lift a finger. She simply channeled her evolutionary power, a yellow light swirling in her palm. She waved her hand at the crowd, and they all instinctively fell back, clearing a path for Su Ze.

Among them, only the security officer was at the Pupa Stage. The rest were just ordinary people. How could they possibly have the courage to stand in the way of a Butterfly Stage expert?

Su Ze drove for over ten kilometers without stopping. He knew that after they left, the security officer would definitely report the incident, which would soon attract Zhang Fantie’s men.

"Looks like we need to prepare to head into the mountains."

He knew that Zhang Fantie would definitely gather his forces and focus the search on the rural villages south of the city. They wouldn’t be able to hide for long.

Liou Wenxin said, "Today, four Saint-level experts from Luofan Country and Mu Country have already entered the Black Rock Mountain Range. They want to kill the Spirit Root Tree. The Filth Earth Organization will very likely take this opportunity to cause trouble, and the crazed Feng Bqing might also appear. The situation will soon become chaotic, and we’ll definitely have a chance to break through in the confusion."

Mrs. Yun said, "I’ll patrol the area. The moment something happens, we’ll head into the mountains immediately."

Her injuries were now mostly healed, and her strength had recovered to about sixty to seventy percent. As long as she didn’t fight an opponent of the same level, she would be in no real danger.

After Mrs. Yun left, Su Ze and Liou Wenxin took out their phones and started watching a live stream. Today was the day the four Saint-level experts were entering the mountains to battle the Spirit Root Tree. An event this big was sure to attract Mr. Ya, and true enough, the streamer had already entered the Black Rock Mountain Range and started his broadcast.

"Alright, everyone, the fight hasn’t started yet. Let’s take this chance to break down the current situation for you all."

"First, let me introduce the two Saint-level experts from Luofan Country. One is General Ye Muni, and the other is the dean of Luofan Academy, Mr. Amida. Mr. Amida is not only a powerful, veteran Saint-level expert but also a senior expert in the field of evolution."

Liou Wenxin looked surprised. "So it’s him."

Su Ze asked curiously, "You know him?"

"Mhm, we met once at an academic conference. He’s an incredibly knowledgeable scholar."

Mr. Ya continued his introduction, "The two Saint-level experts from Mu Country are the retired Mr. Li Shangmao and the Grand Adjudicator of Mu Country’s Highest Court, Mr. Qu Jianbai."

Su Ze also looked surprised. "So it’s him."

Liou Wenxin turned her head. "You know him?"

"I do. Zhao Yuanyi belongs to Qu Jianbai’s faction. His biggest backer is this very Grand Adjudicator."

It was clear that the two Saint-level experts sent later were significantly stronger; both were veteran Saints who had been famous for a long time. They obviously took the Spirit Root Tree very seriously and were determined to succeed.

In the live stream chat, many people were asking: Why haven’t they made a move yet?

Mr. Ya lowered his voice. "It’s not that they don’t want to make a move. In fact, the four Saint-level experts were planning to act as soon as they entered the mountains today, but they discovered traces of the Tainted. Now they suspect that other Tainted ones, besides Feng Bqing, have infiltrated the Black Rock Mountain Range."

"The four Saint-level experts intend to first clear out all unstable elements before moving on the Spirit Root Tree. They’re currently tracking the Tainted."

Su Ze and Liou Wenxin exchanged a glance. They knew it had to be people from the Filth Earth Organization. And for them to make four Saint-level experts this wary, the newcomers were most likely Saint-level as well.

Just then, Mr. Ya moved the camera. A large mountain appeared on the live stream, with a massive fissure splitting it down the middle.

"I found a special angle to give you all a good look at this Spirit Root Tree."

As Mr. Ya controlled the camera, the view zoomed in, but the image quality gradually decreased. Finally, the scene within the mountain’s fissure came into view.

A straight trunk pierced through the entire mountain from top to bottom. Unlike a normal tree, its trunk was covered in root tendrils. The great tree, buried deep within the mountain, had no branches—only countless roots. A few sparse leaves grew directly on these roots.

Those roots were incredibly thick, twisting and intertwining as they took root throughout the entire mountain.

Liou Wenxin’s expression grew solemn. "This is no ordinary Spirit Root Tree. For its roots to have grown to this extent, it’s already approaching a fifth-rank Spiritual Plant!"

"It seems that in just a few more years, this Spirit Root Tree would have completed its fifth evolution and become a fifth-rank Spiritual Plant, the Coiling Dragon Root. But now that it has revealed its existence, it won’t get that chance."

Su Ze asked, "So after its fifth evolution, the Spirit Root Tree is called a Coiling Dragon Root? Is that a metamorphic evolution?"

"Mhm." Liou Wenxin nodded. "During its fifth evolution, the Spirit Root Tree sheds its trunk and evolves into a mobile mass of roots. It gains the ability to move rapidly underground, even more nimbly and quickly than a typical Earth Escape Skill."

"A fifth-rank Spiritual Plant... doesn’t that mean it would have no rival in the Six Countries? It seems like the Six Countries don’t have any Saint-level experts who have evolved five times, right?"

Liou Wenxin said, "The Six Countries themselves don’t, but the Sovereign Country does..."

Su Ze asked, "We call human evolvers who have gone through four or more evolutions Saint-level, but aren’t there more specific divisions? The Extraordinary Stage is divided into the Pupa, Chrysalis, and Butterfly levels."

Liou Wenxin explained, "It’s the progression from Extraordinary to Saint. Evolvers who have completed the first three evolutions are at the Extraordinary tier. Those who have evolved four to six times are at the Saint tier, which we shorten to ’Saint-level.’ So, Saint-level refers to evolvers who have evolved four to six times. As for seven or more evolutions, that’s an even higher tier."

"Experts at the Saint tier are rare and hold esteemed positions. As a result, they’re classified based on the societal impact of their power."

"An expert who has evolved four times is often a regional powerhouse, so they’re called ’Overlords.’ An expert who has evolved five times is respected across an entire continent, so they’re called ’Supremes.’ As for those who have evolved six times, every single one has left an indelible mark on the history of human evolution, so they are revered as ’Legends.’"

"I see." ’Even a slacker like me can learn a thing or two,’ Su Ze thought.

He might have been ignorant, but he was eager to learn. Being around Liou Wenxin, he felt there was an endless amount of knowledge to absorb.

Just then, a sudden knocking sound came from the car window. Mrs. Yun was standing outside the door, though they hadn’t noticed her approach.

Su Ze unlocked the car. Mrs. Yun immediately pulled open the door, sat down, and said, "A lot of people are surrounding us. We leave now. To the mountains!"

Without another word, Su Ze started the car and drove toward the Black Rock Mountain Range.