Chapter 192 - 173: The Death of Bai Guishou

The young girl wasn’t surprised to see Su Ze and his companion, and she gave them a slight nod.

"Hello." Su Ze stepped forward to greet her. He wasn’t sure of her identity, age, or power, so he didn’t risk addressing her improperly.

"Excuse me, are you with the Oasis Commerce Association?" Su Ze asked tentatively.

"I am," the girl replied succinctly.

Su Ze felt a wave of reassurance. ’She’s from the Oasis Commerce Association. At least she’s human and not some sentient mutated beast or Spiritual Plant, like I was wildly guessing.’

’Besides, I was planning on reporting the intruder to the Oasis Commerce Association anyway.’

’Now that I’m sure an elder from the Filth Earth Organization is in the core area of the Miracle Oasis, and Mr. Ya and I can’t handle him, my only choice is to rat him out to the Association.’

’In any case, causing some trouble for the enemy is better than doing nothing.’

So, he said, "A Saint-level powerhouse has snuck into the core area. He reeks of a disgusting stench. I couldn’t bear to watch him defile this pure land, so I came specifically to warn you."

The young girl nodded slightly. "I already know. I was just about to go find him."

Su Ze froze. ’She already knew a Saint-level powerhouse had snuck in?’

’And from her calm, unhurried demeanor, she didn’t seem anxious at all. It was more like she had everything under control... Is she confident she can take on a Saint-level powerhouse by herself?’

But on second thought, Su Ze wasn’t all that surprised. He’d long suspected the girl’s power was extraordinary.

Although she looked young, Su Ze wasn’t naive enough to assume she was actually a teenager. It wasn’t uncommon for evolutionaries, especially high-level ones, to have ways of preserving their youth. With the right skills, it was even possible to reverse the aging process entirely.

"Do you two want to come along?" the girl asked with a faint smile, extending the invitation once more.

"Yes!" Su Ze didn’t refuse this time, his agreement firm and decisive.

"Then let’s go." The girl gave a light wave of her hand. The small, snow-white beast on her shoulder immediately took flight. Its fiery-red wings expanded in the wind, kicking up a gust that lifted the girl, Su Ze, and Mr. Ya into the air. They soared toward the dense forest, heading for the center of the Oasis.

Su Ze and Mr. Ya had already discovered that it was impossible to fly quickly within the inner ring of the Oasis. Yet, this little beast could not only fly, but it could carry all three of them.

Upon closer inspection, Su Ze realized the small beast’s pair of fiery-red wings weren’t wings at all—or rather, they were wings woven from countless fiery-red leaves.

’It was flying with wings made of leaves!’

A look of surprise crossed Su Ze’s face as he recalled the mutated beasts in the inner ring living in harmony with the Spiritual Plants.

The young girl glanced at Su Ze. "Those are leaves from a Phoenix Feather Tree," she explained. "Little Bai can’t fly on its own. It only gained the ability to fly and use fire after entering a symbiotic relationship with the Phoenix Feather Tree."

"Symbiosis?" Su Ze picked up on the word. "A mutated beast and a Spiritual Plant living in symbiosis... does that mean they merge into a single entity? Wouldn’t that cause problems? Like mental instability or something?"

The first person Su Ze thought of was Feng Bqing.

After Feng Bqing had become a "plant person," his power had soared, but he had also gone completely insane.

The young girl said, "Many mutated beasts and Spiritual Plants in the Oasis have symbiotic relationships. They complement each other, becoming friends or even family after they bond. This also makes them stronger. Under the Mother Tree’s protection, they are able to maintain their mental purity."

’So it’s the Mother Tree’s power...’ Su Ze was startled. ’If the Mother Tree has the ability to resolve the conflicts that arise from merging a mutated beast and a Spiritual Plant, could it also help Feng Bqing regain his sanity?’

’In that case, it makes sense why the Filth Earth Organization would risk entering the Miracle Oasis to steal the Miracle Spring Water.’

’They want to save Feng Bqing!’

Realizing this, Su Ze’s determination to sabotage the Filth Earth Organization’s mission intensified. ’I can’t let them save Feng Bqing!’

’If Feng Bqing regains his sanity, who’s the first person he’ll come after for revenge?’

’His beloved Qiangzi, of course!’

...

A few moments later, the three of them arrived in the core area of the Oasis’s inner ring.

Seeing the Oasis Mother Tree up close, Su Ze was even more awestruck.

He couldn’t help but think of the legend about the Oasis’s origin. ’If the legend is true, then who exactly was that old man who planted his staff in the desert all those years ago?’

’A god?’

Su Ze figured that only a legendary God-level being could accomplish such a feat—planting a single staff that could grow into a colossal, sky-blotting tree and create a vast oasis.

At the same time, he recalled what the vice-chairman of the Oasis Commerce Association had said: the Oasis Mother Tree wasn’t a Spiritual Plant, but something more like a wondrous artifact.

’What level of artifact would that even be?’

’If I had to guess, it could only be a God-level artifact.’

Upon arriving, Little Bai ceased flying and set the three of them down on the ground.

Little Bai flew back to the young girl’s shoulder, and the trio walked forward.

Su Ze and Mr. Ya, with a shared, unspoken understanding, fell a step behind the girl. They were preparing to retreat at a moment’s notice, lest they get caught in the crossfire of the impending Saint-level battle.

The stench Su Ze had been smelling grew stronger, proof that the elder from the Filth Earth Organization was not far off.

Beneath the Mother Tree, Su Ze finally spotted Bai Guishou in the distance, dressed in a white suit.

Bai Guishou was standing beneath the Mother Tree. A single green leaf, as large as a person, extended from the tree’s roots, and it cradled a pool of clear spring water.

The Miracle Spring Water!

Bai Guishou’s target was the water, but near the Mother Tree’s roots, two Spiritual Plants—a banana tree and a fruit tree—were holding him at bay, making it impossible for him to advance a single step.

The two trees looked perfectly ordinary, yet they radiated the green light of evolution. They were fourth-rank Spiritual Plants!

However, the two trees didn’t attack; they only defended. Their primary duty was to protect the Mother Tree.

The banana tree’s massive leaves swung like shields, blocking Bai Guishou’s relentless attacks. The other tree, covered in unfamiliar yellow fruit, would occasionally drop one, which would explode into a sphere and trap Bai Guishou within it.

A single fruit could trap Bai Guishou for over ten seconds.

The two Spiritual Plants seemed more than capable of fending off Bai Guishou, but they appeared to lack any offensive power, only able to defend.

Bai Guishou noticed the arrival of Su Ze’s group. His expression changed, and his cold, sharp gaze swept over them.

Frustrated that he couldn’t break through the defense, Bai Guishou raised a hand and shot several black insects toward the trio.

Mr. Ya and Su Ze immediately lined up behind the young girl.

The young girl glided forward to meet the attack. As the black insects approached, she flicked her finger. Two leaves shot from her fingertip, shredding the insects to pieces.

Then, she went on the offensive, leaping into the air as the green light of evolution flared around her, revealing her power as a Saint-level Overlord.

Bai Guishou looked slightly surprised, but he didn’t panic.

He considered himself to be in the upper echelons of Saint-level Overlords; not just any Overlord could intimidate him.

Bai Guishou’s body dissolved into a swarm of countless black insects. Wreathed in a black aura, they blotted out the sky as they surged forward to devour the girl.

The young girl waved her hand. In response, countless Spiritual Plants all around them began to glow, each one bursting with the brilliant light of evolution.

Countless Spiritual Plants were rooted in the soil under the Oasis Mother Tree’s canopy. Most were of a high rank, but without exception, they were all immobile.

This was why they couldn’t move to attack Bai Guishou.

But now, these Spiritual Plants were answering the girl’s call, lending her their strength.

The young girl lifted her hands. Below, the Spiritual Plants exploded in size. A tidal wave of innumerable branches and leaves surged forward, lashing at the swarm of black insects.

CRACK!

CRACK! CRACK!

Amid the sharp cracks, the black insects that were once Bai Guishou were lashed into puddles of black fluid.

The black fluid gathered and reformed into Bai Guishou. His face was now deathly pale, and his white suit was torn and filthy, all its former elegance gone.

Bai Guishou’s expression was grim. He spun around and tried to break away, his body transforming into a streak of black light and leaving a series of sonic booms in his wake.

He already knew he was no match for the young girl; all he wanted now was to escape.

But the girl wouldn’t let him leave. With a gesture, a giant banana leaf materialized in the sky. It flapped once, unleashing a gale that forcefully blew Bai Guishou right back.

Bai Guishou tried to flee again, but countless vines shot out from all directions, binding his arms, legs, and torso. A thorny vine shot forward and pierced straight through his body.

Immediately after, a morning glory began to play a melody that struck directly at the soul, leaving Bai Guishou in a stupor.

A green vine whip appeared in the young girl’s hand. She raised it and brought it down with a light flick, and Bai Guishou’s body snapped in two.

She lashed out again, and a blood-curdling scream echoed through the air.

The first lash had struck his physical body; the second struck his spiritual form—his soul.

With those two strikes, Bai Guishou was annihilated, body and soul.

’A Saint-level Overlord... dead just like that?’

Su Ze was completely stunned.

’So strong!’

’They were both Saint-level Overlords, but the girl completely steamrolled Bai Guishou. She wiped the floor with him!’

’Bai Guishou couldn’t fight her, couldn’t escape her. All he could do was wait for death.’

’But I can also see that the reason she’s so powerful is that she’s borrowing strength from all these Spiritual Plants.’

’She can seemingly draw upon and borrow the power of any Spiritual Plant in the Oasis at will!’

’Who in the world is this girl? How does she have such a privilege?’

Su Ze’s mind was filled with questions.

With Bai Guishou’s death, the battle ended. The Spiritual Plants, which had been glowing with the light of evolution, all returned to their placid state.

The young girl landed softly and walked toward Bai Guishou’s corpse.

She frowned, catching the acrid stench rising from Bai Guishou’s corpse.

Su Ze and Mr. Ya quickly hurried after her.

Su Ze was still thinking about the drop of Miracle Spring Water on Bai Guishou, but he knew he wasn’t the one who killed him, so the loot definitely wasn’t his to claim.

The girl glanced at the corpse, then waved her hand. Several vines grabbed the pieces of Bai Guishou’s body and tossed them into the traps of a few nearby pitcher plants.

"Wait! He still has a storage item on him!" Su Ze yelled, trying to stop her.

He complained internally, ’You people from the Oasis Commerce Association must be absurdly rich. You kill a Saint-level powerhouse and don’t even bother to loot the corpse?’

But the girl just shook her head. "There’s nothing on him."