"Boss, the Heart-breaking Poison has been neutralized."
Thousand Poison Hand raised an eyebrow at the report from his subordinate: "Oh? The Black Eye Battle Group is indeed not simple; this move can’t trap them. Go feed the ’Willow Demon’ and wake it up."
Hearing the name Willow Demon made the subordinate shiver internally, "Boss, the last batch of ’food’ is already gone."
"Used up so quickly?" Thousand Poison Hand frowned, "There are still ten unscathed captives in my dungeon, take them and feed them."
Cold sweat dripped from the subordinate’s forehead; the boss had given the order, so he had to comply.
"Clang!" The sound of chains echoed as several men in black entered a dark and damp dungeon.
Inside the dungeon, pairs of bright eyes widened in horror at the sound of approaching footsteps.
"Hmph! A bunch of prodigies from the Genius Battle Group, what a pity. I had hoped to enjoy myself, but now it’s a bit troublesome, so you’ll have to help us instead."
The subordinate snorted, instructed men to open the cage, and a few terrified girls emerged from it.
The girls were young and beautiful, though at the moment emitted a foul stench. Without thinking about it, they collapsed to their knees with a thud, hysterically pleading for mercy.
"Shut up, all of you!" The subordinate displayed impatience, pulling out an electric stun baton, touching it to the chains. A tremendous electric current jolted the girls, causing them to convulse and foam at the mouth.
"Take them away!" The men in black stepped forward, hoisted the girls over their shoulders, and left the dungeon.
"There’s still a Poisonous Forest ahead. Once through it, we’ll reach Thousand Poison Hand’s base camp," Dujian pointed ahead.
"Damn it, Thousand Poison Hand better not let me catch him, otherwise I’ll make him personally taste his own poison!" Daojian said bitterly.
The effects of the Heart-breaking Poison were temporarily alleviated, and after crossing a river filled with snakes and scorpions, the group arrived at a lush jungle.
Suddenly, God of Slaughter motioned for everyone to stop.
He closed his eyes, ears twitching slightly, attentively listening to distant sounds.
"Hide!" On his command, everyone dispersed, finding cover to conceal themselves.
A moment later, several men in black, carrying girls on their shoulders, walked by chatting and laughing.
"Why are these girls, young and beautiful and from the Genius Battle Group, being fed to the Willow Demon? It makes no sense to me," one of the men in black complained.
"Hmph!" Another man in black snorted, "The Willow Demon consumes so much; the previous batches of food have long been eaten. If we don’t feed it these girls, we’d likely be fed to it instead!"
All the men in black shuddered. They knew the ruthless methods of Thousand Poison Hand and that such things could definitely happen.
"Enough chatter, quickly throw these girls by the Willow Demon. It’s too notorious; if it goes crazy and eats us, we won’t be able to reason with it." urged one of the men in black.
They quickened their pace and headed off in another direction.
"Follow them." A whisper from God of Slaughter came through the Light Computer, and shadows moved silently, tracking the men in black.
Before long, the men arrived at an emerald-green willow grove.
At first glance, the willow grove appeared calm, not different from the surroundings, yet a closer look revealed roots and vines moving slowly like snakes.
The men in black stopped, threw the girls into the willow grove, then ran off without a backward glance.
However, they hadn’t gone far before several pieces of bright green wood pierced through their throats. Without a sound, the men in black were silenced forever.
The man who acted was a member of the Black Eye Battle Group, named "Transparent Wood," who specialized in using wooden projectiles known as "Fei Wood," which only grew in specific areas.
Transparent Wood excelled in hidden weapons; unlike others, all his weapons were made of wood.
After killing the men, the group emerged, looking toward the girls thrown into the willow grove.
"Leader, should we save them?" questioned the seductive woman.
The seductive woman was God of Slaughter’s left hand, known as "Enchantress."
"Wait." The gaze of God of Slaughter fixed on the unconscious girls within the willow grove, quietly waiting.
The group remained constantly vigilant, their eyes scanning the surroundings.
Suddenly, the roots of the willow trees moved!
A root as thick as an arm burst out of the ground, wrapping around one of the girls and hoisting her high into the air.
Everyone was startled, Qian Li’s eyes showed astonishment: "It’s the Willow Demon!"
This revelation not only changed the expressions of everyone, but even Wang Xu’s heart skipped a beat.
After the era of insect plagues began, the disasters caused by insects were only part of the threat, the other part came from these mutated plants!
The plants had absorbed energy, their genes changed, producing incredible monsters, and the Willow Demon was one of them!
The reason it’s called the Willow Demon is because this type of willow feeds on blood, particularly fond of human blood.
The most terrifying part about the Willow Demon is its endless, regenerative roots and vines, which even fire cannot kill. As long as a bit of willow remains, the Willow Demon can completely regenerate!
"That Thousand Poison Hand is truly ruthless, actually raising Willow Demons..."
At this moment, other girls were simultaneously ensnared by other roots and vines. The surrounding willow trees suddenly leaned back, revealing a massive, deep black hole, like the maw of an Insect Beast, ready to swallow the girls.
God of Slaughter remained unmoved, Wang Xu’s expression was calm. Although he wanted to save the girls, acting rashly would only put everyone in danger; Wang Xu wasn’t impulsive to that extent.
"Rescue them!" the God of Slaughter suddenly commanded, swinging his Bronze Sword. Several strands of Sword Qi flew into the air, cutting through the roots and vines ensnaring the girls.
The girls fell from the high air, and the members of the Black Eye Battle Group, who had been waiting for a long time, caught them and swiftly retreated.
"Kreeeee~~~" Suddenly, all the willow trees emitted a harsh, strange cry. Their food was snatched away, the Willow Demons were enraged, and roots and vines flew up, rushing towards the God of Slaughter and others!
Dense roots and vines descended, the Bronze Sword shook, and countless strands of Sword Qi rose to meet them, slicing them into splinters as if through a cutting blade.
However, this move couldn’t suppress the Willow Demon’s assault at all. More and more roots and vines surged from afar, numbering at least tens of thousands. All members of the Black Eye Battle Group immediately drew their weapons to confront them.
The God of Slaughter’s gaze was cold, filled with killing intent, as he stepped and flashed into the Willow Forest, and countless roots and vines flew towards him.
"Sword Net!" With an angry shout, the Bronze Sword hummed and vibrated. The God of Slaughter swung it, instantly unleashing tens of thousands of fierce Sword Qi, forming a giant Sword Net that swept towards the surrounding Willow Demons!
Even though the Willow Demons had a strong offense, their bodies couldn’t even match A-level armor. Under the coverage of thousands of Sword Qi, they instantly shattered into fragments, scattering like rain.
A few Willow Demons broke through the ground, and in just a blink, grew from a sapling into gigantic beings seven to eight meters high.
Wang Xu and others witnessed this, and their breaths involuntarily hitched.
The roots and vines of the Willow Demons were endless, and the Willow Demons in the forest were also endless. If this kept up, they would be the ones to perish in the end!
Wang Xu deftly dodged the attacks of the roots and vines, over a hundred of them lunged at him, yet he evaded each one, his body flickering like a phantom among the roots and vines.
But Wang Xu had no way to deal with the Willow Demons. He tried attacking the roots and vines, but the more he cut, the more there were, seemingly without end.
Everyone was trapped, roots and vines were flying everywhere, and numerous top-tier Tier Eight experts were ensnared, finding it difficult even to escape.
The God of Slaughter continuously swung the Bronze Sword in his hand, scattering willow splinters all over the ground. The Willow Demons had regenerated several times, yet there seemed to be no end.
"Hmm?" Suddenly, while performing the Heart Level body technique, Wang Xu sensed a fluctuation.
When he performed the Heart Level body technique, Wang Xu became acutely sensitive to his surroundings. This fluctuation became clearer with the Willow Demons’ regeneration, allowing Wang Xu to detect it.
"This fluctuation is coming from underground, could there be something below?" Wang Xu wondered.
He wanted to discuss it with other members, but the overwhelming roots and vines left him with no extra energy, so he took a deep breath and decided to investigate the underground.
(After researching, most people prefer two thousand words per day in three updates. Thinking it over, this benefits the progression of my plot, so I might adjust my update schedule accordingly... However, if I can’t manage this update mode, I’ll have to revert to three thousand words in two Chapters...)