Chapter 130: Chapter 130: Black Apple Tree

That tree was strange.

It gave off an ominous feeling.

It stood quietly behind the dancing bonfire, like a terrifying monster lying dormant in the shadows... Its entire body was a deep, profound black, without a single trace of any other color.

This wasn’t because of the night.

That was its true color.

It was like a three-dimensional shadow, swaying in the night wind. Twisted branches were laden with jet-black apples, like a collection of black tumors glinting faintly in the moonlight.

’The Black Apple Tree mentioned in the Retirement Preview?’ Wang Xi wondered, staring at the tree.

He quietly used Kaos to investigate.

Black Apple Tree: An apple tree polluted by an unknown power. It constantly emits an ominous aura. An invisible force affects its surroundings, continuously polluting and corrupting them.

Wang Xi was startled after reading the information.

’This Black Apple Tree is a source of corruption, just like the Black Lake in the Magic Forest?!’

At the same time, he noticed a ring of crystalline clusters growing beneath and around the Black Apple Tree.

They weren’t numerous, just a sparse scattering.

Immature Ethereal Crystal: A crystalline ore formed under the influence of a mysterious power. Currently immature.

Wang Xi’s eyes widened in surprise.

Ethereal Crystal...

’Could they be Energy Crystals, born from the influence of this corrupting pollution?’

The speculation was reasonable.

After all, in the Main World, Ethereal Crystals all came from Mazes, and those Mazes were filled with the same corrupting pollution.

Suddenly, Wang Xi connected the dots, and a few things clicked into place—

’Could that shipment of Ethereal Crystals from the Spinning Wheel Commerce have been found in this very region?’

’And in the description for "photosynthesis," the Weak Goblin mutated because it ate a Black Apple...’

’Did it come from *this* Black Apple Tree?’

As he pondered this, Wang Xi’s gaze swept back and forth across the crowd, searching for any sign of Sierra.

However, he couldn’t find her.

Just then, he faintly heard a woman’s furious, terrified scream.

He looked closer. From a small cave on the other side of the bonfire, a young woman was being hauled out by two old crones clad in furs and wearing headdresses.

It was Sierra.

Her appearance was a stark contrast to Wang Xi’s memory of her—the golden hair she usually wore in a bun was now in a thick braid, a heavy, snow-white animal hide was wrapped around her body, and a wreath woven from withered branches sat atop her head.

Across her terror-stricken face, several streaks of garish paint snaked like vipers, standing out starkly in the firelight.

"By my count, this is the seventh day of their ritual..."

Wendy, who had been quiet and docile the entire way, suddenly leaned in close to Wang Xi. With her head lowered, she spoke in a hushed, heavy tone.

"Today is the day of the blood sacrifice."

Her gaze drifted toward the bonfire, landing on the familiar figure being prepared as the blood sacrifice. An indescribably complex emotion flickered in her eyes.

Wendy had known about all of this. She had wanted to rescue Sierra, but ultimately, she was powerless to do so.

After being hauled from the cave, Sierra was forcibly tied to the Black Apple Tree. No matter how much she screamed, the surrounding Female Shamans and Northern People remained unmoved.

The chanting and dancing of the Northern Warriors continued, their voices growing louder and more frenzied, building into a resonance that echoed across the lake.

With the Northern People completely focused on their ritual, Wang Xi realized this was the perfect opportunity for a surprise attack.

"Miss Bev, Miss Sofia, I’ll be counting on you in a moment."

Wang Xi said, turning to the two Witches.

Sofia crossed her arms and gave a cold hum in acknowledgment. Bev smiled, nodded, and said,

"Please don’t worry, Mr. Gai. We’ll do our best to help."

"Thank you," Wang Xi said, then turned to the others. "Pinocchio, you initiate the attack. Goddalir and the Witch Corps will follow up with ranged Magic."

He stroked the calico cat on his shoulder, telling Liuli to join the fight as well.

"Okay, Master," Liuli replied with an obedient nod.

After laying out the simple offensive strategy, Wang Xi led his team a little closer.

Seeing the moment was right, he said in a low voice,

"Attack!"

The instant he gave the order,

Pinocchio had already raised his right palm, his left hand gripping his wrist. He aimed at the wildly dancing crowd and fired—

BOOM!!

A blinding flash of fire erupted.

The deafening blast brought the ritual to an abrupt halt.

The ground shook and dust filled the air.

Severed limbs and a mist of blood burst through the crowd. The Northern People’s screams of pain, surprise, and rage mingled together as their formation instantly collapsed into chaos.

Wang Xi had no idea how many people Pinocchio’s Dawn Roar had killed. It was immediately followed by a sky-blotting barrage of crescent Wind Blades, raining down on the scattering crowd amidst the dust and smoke with a piercing shriek.

Mixed in were streaks of crimson laser fire, their BEEP-BEEP-BEEPING incessant.

This relentless barrage of attacks left the Northern People utterly stunned.

In an instant, the casualties were devastating.

By the light of the fire and the moon, a group of Northern Warriors could be seen in the chaos, protecting their leader. The team of just five or six Shamans stepped out from the crowd and began to cast a spell in unison.

Muttering an incantation, Magic Power surging from their bodies, they instantly conjured a thick Ice Wall in front of them, three meters high and over ten meters long.

The Wind Blades unleashed by Goddalir and the Natural Witches were all intercepted by the Ice Wall, striking it with a series of sharp CRACKS and sending shards of ice flying everywhere.

Even the shots from Liuli’s Laser Pistol couldn’t penetrate the Ice Wall to kill the Northern Warriors behind it.

Just as the enemy recovered and began to organize a counterattack, a piercing wolf howl tore through the night sky.

AWOOOO—

A red blur flashed past.

BAM!!!

The thick Ice Wall suddenly shattered, exploding from the middle—like a giant ice serpent blown in half at the waist.

The Wolf Witch, Sofia, had made her move.

Her crimson Cloak danced in the night wind. She bared her bone-white teeth in a grin, her emerald eyes radiating a savage light.

With a single punch, she had shattered the defensive barrier created by the combined efforts of the Northern Shamans!

Such was the power of the Magic Forest Wolf King!

’A Silver Frame Five Stars, just as I expected.’

Wang Xi raised an eyebrow, inwardly amazed.

This was the first time he had ever seen Sofia fight.

AWOO!

AWOOO!!

Howls echoed one after another.

A dozen or so towering gray figures charged from behind Sofia, surging past her and straight toward the Northern People.

Her Moon Castle Demon Wolves had revealed their true forms. The men and women, usually so elegant in their robes, had all transformed into Werewolves over two meters tall.

Their muzzles were long and narrow, their eyes sharp. Gray-black fur whipped wildly in the wind, and every bulging muscle pulsed with primal power. Each swing of their sharp claws followed a primitive yet precise rhythm of slaughter.

Even the Northern Elite couldn’t withstand the Werewolves’ Charge. The first clash left more than a dozen mangled corpses in their wake.

But the Northern People were not entirely defenseless.

Soon, their finest warriors charged out, roaring, wielding Long-Handled Axes or Sword Shields. These were the very same Northern Warriors Wang Xi had scouted earlier, with power levels at Three-Star Elite and Whiteboard Four Stars.

Their current state was strange.

Their skin was flushed red, veins bulged on their skin, and their entire bodies seemed to be inflating like balloons, their muscles swelling grotesquely.

To Wang Xi, it looked like some kind of Frenzy.

He watched as these twenty or thirty Northern Berserkers charged, fearless of death, brandishing their weapons as they crashed into the pack of Werewolves and began a ferocious struggle.

Their blood boiled, and white steam billowed from their bodies. At the same time, the Shaman squad at the rear cast another spell, conjuring blood-red totems above the head of each Berserker—there were wolf heads, bears, tigers, leopards, and other ferocious beasts.

Following this, the Berserkers’ auras surged once more. Some became stronger, others more agile. In short, their power rating temporarily increased by a whole tier.

The Three-Star Elites became Three-Star Heroes.

The Whiteboard Four Stars became Four-Star Elites.

With this full suite of combat buffs, it was the Werewolves who could no longer hold their ground!

Within just a few breaths, a Demon Wolf was struck down by a heavy axe, blood spraying as it roared in agony.

SWISH—

The Sugar Witch Bev raised her hand and blew from her palm.

With a crisp tinkling like wind chimes, the powdered sugar she blew from her palm materialized in mid-air as a swarm of colorful, flying candies.

They beat their Sugar Coating wings at a high frequency, gliding toward the battlefield like a swarm of dragonflies flying low before a storm.

SPLAT!

SPLAT! SPLAT! SPLAT!

The flying candies zipped past. Before the Northern People could react, they slammed into their heads—exploding into a thick syrup that completely enveloped their skulls.

"Mmph!"

"MMPH! MMPH!!"

One by one, the Northern Warriors were unable to breathe and began to struggle in agony.

The Demon Wolves seized the opportunity to tear out their throats and rip open their chests. Others simply suffocated and collapsed, their legs kicking spasmodically.

Bev’s Sugar Magic, both an area-of-effect attack and a precision killer, inflicted massive casualties on the Northern People.

Wang Xi felt that even if he didn’t intervene, the outcome of this battle was already decided.

But he had to make his move.

’If I don’t get in there, they’ll steal all the kills!’

BAM!

He kicked off the ground and shot forward.

As he moved, he was already clad in a black Cloak, dragging a gleaming silver Thorn Broadsword.

Wang Xi became a crimson blur, plunging into the crowd and cutting down Northern Warriors with his Broadsword.

—Blood Orchid Elegy—

In a single clash, he used his exquisite Swordsmanship to knock aside a Short Sword and an axe blade, then with a spin and a slash, he severed two arms.

Amidst screams and sprays of blood, his blade flashed again, taking two more heads.

Target killed!

Two kill notifications popped up. Wang Xi confirmed them as he continued his charge. Green orbs of light chased after him, merging into the space between his brows.

He cut down several more men without breaking stride.

With just his sword, he carved a path straight through the battlefield.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that the Wolf Witch Sofia hadn’t even transformed. In her guise as a young girl with twin ponytails, she stood atop a pile of corpses, arms crossed, looking down with disdain.

’She’s so fast!’

Wang Xi grew anxious.

He decided to copy his teacher Isabella’s technique. He conjured a series of horizontal Ice Mirrors in mid-air, using them as steps. In a few quick bounds, he was high above the battlefield.

—Snow King—

Wang Xi held his sword in one hand, aiming down with the other, his fingers spread wide.

Magic Power surged.

SHING! SHING! SHING!!

A massive volley of snowflake-shaped Ice Blades, mixed with lightning-fast Ice Arrows, rained down on the Northern Elite below.

His Magic Power was now abundant, so he held nothing back, unleashing his full might.

Instantly, endless screams filled the air.

A constant stream of green orbs of light rose up, converging on him.

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