Bang!
Zhou Yan stood against the wind, holding his long spear, which ignited with scorching flames as it collided with the Netherworld Demon Dragon.
Instantly, a vast and surging energy ripple swept through the surroundings. The towering ancient trees within a hundred zhang radius were all shattered, leaving a scene of devastation.
Under the impact of the Netherworld Demon Dragon, Zhou Yan's figure was pushed back repeatedly. He stumbled a few times, nearly falling.
Fortunately, Zhou Yan's physical body was extremely strong, and he withstood the Netherworld Demon Dragon's offensive without sustaining any injuries.
"So strong!"
Zhou Yan took a deep breath.
That single strike from the Netherworld Demon Dragon was comparable to the attack of a ninth-level Divine Marquis realm martial artist!
This was the Netherworld Demon Tree; even as merely a husk, it still possessed such terrifying power.
"It seems defeating this Netherworld Demon Tree will not be easy."
Zhou Yan shook his head. This Netherworld Demon Tree had already developed its own sentience, and its strength was formidable. Even a ninth-level Divine Marquis realm martial artist might not be its match.
Zhou Yan's mind stirred.
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
Immediately, a golden hue appeared between his eyebrows.
"Huh? Why is it... golden? Could it be that I possess the memory inheritance of my ancestors?"
Zhou Yan's pupils suddenly constricted.
Although Zhou Yan had his ancestors' memories, he was, after all, a descendant. The things recorded in his bloodline inheritance were different from personal experiences.
However, as Zhou Yan activated this seal, a dense stream of information appeared in his sea of consciousness.
These information streams were all about the memories of his ancestor, Zhou Yan.
"Is this a golden seal?"
Zhou Yan murmured, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes.
According to the description in his memories, this golden seal should be a sacred artifact of the royal family, specifically a secret weapon used to suppress the Netherworld Demon Tribe, known as the "Heaven's Punishment Seal."
It was said that on the Xuan Heavenly Continent, a peerless overlord had once used this Heaven's Punishment Seal to suppress the entire Netherworld Demon Tribe, thereby establishing the empire's millennium-long foundation.
For some reason, Zhou Yan suddenly felt that the Heaven's Punishment Seal in his hand bore some resemblance to the one in legend.
"Perhaps I should find time to return to the Heavenly Cold Sect and investigate!"
Zhou Yan pondered in his mind.
Whoosh~
At this moment, a black arrow pierced through the sky and shot towards Zhou Yan.
"Is this... a Netherworld Demon Arrow?" Zhou Yan's gaze sharpened.
This Netherworld Demon Arrow was incredibly powerful. It was a demonic weapon nurtured by the Netherworld Demon Tree, capable of piercing the protective aura of a ninth-level Divine Marquis realm martial artist from a distance. Ordinary people facing an attack from such a demonic arrow were often unable to evade it.
"Hmph!"
Zhou Yan flipped his wrist, wielding the Netherworld Demon Blade, and instantly shattered the Netherworld Demon Arrow.
"Hmm? The energy within this Netherworld Demon Arrow doesn't seem to be depleted. Instead, it's continuously emerging from the Netherworld Demon Tree, forming into demonic arrows."
Zhou Yan's eyes flickered, and a look of excitement appeared in them: "It seems my guess is correct. As long as I devour this Netherworld Demon Tree, my 'Netherworld Body Tempering Art' should be able to break through to the second level."
Swish, swish, swish~
As he spoke, his figure flickered, and he rapidly approached the Netherworld Demon Tree.
"Roar!"
The Netherworld Demon Tree roared in anger, wildly lashing its giant vines.
However, those giant vines were as if forged from steel, incredibly tough, and he couldn't break free at all.
"Netherworld Ghost Fire!"
"Burn!"
Dense green flames emerged from the surface of the Netherworld Demon Tree. These green flames seemed to possess corrosive properties, causing the giant vines to ignite upon contact and be burned to ashes in an instant.
Zhou Yan's expression turned grim.
These giant vines were astonishingly tough. Even with all his strength, it would likely be difficult to destroy them in a short period.
This meant the Netherworld Demon Tree's recovery ability was terrifying. Even if it were completely killed, by the time its trunk and leaves recovered to their peak state, it would likely sprout new buds again.
Unless the Netherworld Demon Tree could be utterly destroyed, one should never hope to kill it.
"The trunk and leaves of the Netherworld Demon Tree are excellent materials for refining pills. If I were to bring them back to the King Zhou's mansion, it would surely cause a huge stir!"
Zhou Yan's eyes flickered as he fixed his gaze on the trunk and leaves of the Netherworld Demon Tree.
"Shua!"
The next moment, Zhou Yan darted forward, holding the Netherworld Demon Blade and unleashing the Netherworld Demon Blade technique, hacking towards the trunk of the Netherworld Demon Tree.
"Awooooo!"
The Netherworld Demon Tree roared in fury, its crown shaking. Vines, like venomous snakes, lunged towards Zhou Yan, attempting to entangle and trap him.
"Mere netherworld toxins cannot harm me!" Zhou Yan smiled lightly. The Netherworld True Essence within his body circulated, instantly repelling all the lunging vines. He then leaped up, landing on the top of the Netherworld Demon Tree.
Immediately, the Netherworld Demon Blade was fiercely inserted into the branches of the Netherworld Demon Tree, piercing the entire plant.
"Ah..."
A piercing shriek resounded.
The trunk and leaves of the Netherworld Demon Tree suffered a fatal blow, moaning in agony.
"Kill!"
At the same time, the three sixth-level Divine Marquis realm Netherworld demonic beasts surrounding Zhou Yan pounced together, their claws sharp and unparalleled, tearing through the void, intending to tear Zhou Yan into pieces.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
However, at this moment, the Netherworld Demon Blade in Zhou Yan's hand suddenly vibrated.
In an instant, countless Netherworld Demonic Flames spewed forth, transforming into a myriad of Netherworld Demonic Swords that attacked the charging three Netherworld demonic beasts.
Chish! Chish! Chish...
The sky full of Netherworld Demonic Swords instantly pierced the chests of the three Netherworld demonic beasts, causing them to fall straight down, completely incinerated by the Netherworld Demonic Flames.
"Hiss..."
"What terrifying demonic flames!"
"What is the cultivation of this human martial artist? How can the demonic artifact in his hand be so bizarre!"
The remaining Netherworld demons widened their eyes in horror, gasping in cold breaths.
"Let's go. While they are injured, let's escape quickly."
Zhou Yan's figure flickered, and he grabbed a piece of dragon bone from the remains of the Netherworld Demon Dragon, preparing to withdraw.
Rumble! Rumble! Rumble...
Abruptly, a thunderous explosion echoed through the entire canyon.
The surrounding ground shook violently, mountainsides collapsed, and dust filled the air.
Zhou Yan swept his gaze around and immediately spotted a group of scale-covered demon wolves charging out from beneath the ground.
These demon wolves were seven to eight zhang tall, with dark skin, exuding a bloodthirsty and ferocious aura.
"These... should be demon beasts from underground, summoned by the Netherworld Demon Tree!"
Zhou Yan's expression changed slightly.
The Netherworld Demon Tree was not only a plant-type demonic beast but also a member of the demonic beasts.
"Roar!"