Mortals: Take Mo Juren at the start

As the incantation was cast, the light spots on the chessboard began to move rapidly according to a certain pattern. After a short while, all the light spots suddenly stopped, but they vaguely formed a strange pattern.

Seeing this, the surrounding Wood Clan members all turned serious, as if waiting for an answer.

At this moment, the woman had already dispelled the magic incantation and focused all her attention on the pattern. Her bright eyes flickered slightly, as if she was analyzing something.

In just a few breaths, the woman's expression changed drastically, and a hint of fear was revealed.

"Captain..." The surrounding Wood Clan members were clearly also frightened. Their captain had such a background and strength that he had never lost his composure like this in all these years.

The woman did not answer immediately, but instead, with a look of reluctance, she made a series of hand gestures again, casting spells onto the chessboard. However, after a moment, the strange patterns formed by the light spots were exactly the same as before.

"Impossible, how could this be..." the woman muttered to herself, her expression showing a mixture of disbelief and confusion, until a low shout entered her mind, which startled her awake.

"Please tell us, Captain, what exactly does the Luobao Book foretell?" At this moment, a man in Confucian robes asked directly from another location, and the other members of the Wood Clan also listened attentively.

"No results." The woman's lips moved slightly, but her words left everyone puzzled.

"What does it mean that there are no results?" someone couldn't help but ask.

"Everyone is well aware of the power of the Luobao Book. Although what I possess is only a replica, it can still accurately predict some recent fortunes and misfortunes."

I have already performed the calculations twice, but both times they showed no results. This means there are two possibilities: either I am really overthinking it and there is really no problem; or the enemy is too powerful, far beyond the range of Li Luobao's ability to calculate.

If it's the former, that's fine, but if it's the latter, then you and I are probably really in grave danger.

"The odds are against them?" The burly man from the Wood Clan frowned.
"With our strength, unless we encounter a being at the Fusion level, we should never have fallen into such a desperate situation, right?"

"I don't believe it either, but that's how the prophecy came about, so everyone should be prepared," the woman sighed softly.

"So, things might actually be more serious than we imagined." The man in Confucian robes nodded slightly, then continued,
"Given such a perilous situation, does that precious book mention a solution?"

"No." The woman shook her head solemnly, putting away the precious book as she did so.
"This is a variable, far beyond our plans. If my guess is correct, if there is a problem, it is very likely related to that aura outside. We need to be mentally prepared."

"What kind of atmosphere is coming from outside?"

"Could it be a Nascent Soul Realm expert? That's impossible. If that were the case, why would they need to be so secretive?"

"The Heavenly Wood Formation is based on sacred wood, and its defensive power is inexhaustible. Even a Nascent Soul Realm expert can withstand it to some extent. How could the opponent break it?"

"Muli must have already spread the news. As long as we hold out for ten days or half a month, the crisis will naturally be resolved once Elder Muteng arrives..."

"..."

The Wood Clan members began to discuss the matter again, but since the precious book had not provided a definitive answer, they were not too worried at this time.

However, at that very moment, an anomaly truly occurred.

The Heavenly Wood Formation is centered around three sacred trees, and is guarded and protected by three experts at the Void Refinement Realm. However, at this moment, one of the sacred trees suddenly became abnormal.

The giant tree formed from the sacred tree was originally lush and green, with abundant branches and leaves. However, for some unknown reason, some leaves on the edge began to turn from green to yellow, and eventually withered.

Moreover, the signs of withering were spreading to the surrounding area, showing a strong tendency to spread.

This was clearly a sign of life being cut off, and such a bizarre scene immediately caused the expressions of the Wood Clan members to change drastically.

What kind of existence is the Sacred Tree? Even if the three trees in front of us are just branches formed from the main body, they are still not comparable to ordinary spirit trees.

Theoretically speaking, as long as spiritual energy is continuous, it will be inexhaustible and immortal. How could there be a situation where life force is lost?

This sacred tree was guarded by a burly man from the Wood Clan, who was also somewhat anxious at the moment. He immediately released his divine sense to investigate carefully, and sure enough, he instantly discovered the reason. "I sensed it. Deep underground, there is a problem with the roots of the sacred tree. I don't know why, but it is unable to absorb the spiritual energy in the earth's veins."

"Is this true?! Have you found the reason?" the man in Confucian robes asked hurriedly.

"I can't find it. I've sensed it several times, but I still can't detect anything unusual, nor is there any trace left by any magical artifacts, secret techniques, or other methods."

"This...this is impossible!" Upon hearing this answer, not only the man in Confucian robes, but also the surrounding members of the Wood Clan were all stunned.

"what on earth is it?"

"The roots of the sacred tree are incredibly tough, difficult to damage with magical artifacts, and are extremely developed and inexhaustible, making it virtually impossible to completely sever them!"

"Could it really be that mysterious aura from earlier that made the move?"

"But who is the other party? What methods did they use? We have absolutely no idea!"

"..."

The Wood Clan members were clearly panicked at this moment, as the environment they were in was too dangerous. Once the protection of the great formation was gone, they would be in trouble!
The dense death aura, the ghost fire, and the countless flying snakes and strange beasts outside were all extremely effective against the Wood Clan. Once trapped in them, it was truly a matter of life and death.

Moreover, something strange was hidden within that endless deathly aura. It was impossible to tell exactly what it was, but it seemed to be able to bewitch the mind and was impossible to guard against.

This thing had never appeared before, so they were naturally unprepared. Unexpectedly, just now, one of the team members accidentally fell into its trap and was sent flying out of the formation.

The outcome was predictable: they were instantly surrounded by endless flying snakes, and there was no time for rescue. In the end, they had no choice but to self-destruct.

The three sacred trees are the core of the great formation. If there is a problem, the formation will definitely break. At that time, the three leaders in the Void Refinement Realm might have a sliver of hope, but the other dozen or so Nascent Soul Realm cultivators will almost certainly die.

"What should we do?" The Wood Clan members all looked at their captain, but the beautiful woman frowned deeply in the face of such a strange situation.

The woman glanced at the burly man from the Wood Clan and the man in Confucian robes. A subtle, almost imperceptible, strange light flashed in the eyes of the three men, disappearing in an instant.

"Captain..." Seeing that the woman remained silent, all the Nascent Soul stage team members were extremely anxious.

"Don't panic. The situation may not be that serious, but since things have come to this, we should all prepare for the worst. If the formation breaks down, we'll have to break through with all our might." Seeing everyone becoming increasingly panicked, the man in Confucian robes quickly spoke up to comfort them. At the same time, he waved his hand, and with a burst of azure light, a several-zhang-long azure flying boat appeared.

"Everyone should be familiar with the power of the 'Azure Cloud Divine Ship.' Not only is its escape technique amazing, but it also has extremely strong defensive capabilities. You will enter it shortly. Once you decide to break out, I will do my best to get you all out of here safely, even if it means the ship is completely destroyed."

"Azure Cloud Divine Ship!" Upon seeing the azure flying ship, the Wood Clan members breathed a slight sigh of relief. They were well aware of the ship's power; it was indeed a rare and precious vessel.

However, this treasure is ultimately for traveling, and its defensive capabilities are not that strong. Especially when facing the dense swarms of flying snakes outside, which launch almost reckless self-destruct attacks, it is hard to say how long it can withstand them.

There is an even more important point: the strange incident that happened before still makes everyone feel uneasy. No one knows what is hidden in that dense death aura. What if we are also confused along the way?
If the Heavenly Wood Formation couldn't even defend against it from within, how could it possibly defend against the even weaker Azure Cloud Divine Ship?
But now that things have come to this, it seems there is no better way than to fight to the death.

The group exchanged glances, then looked at the withered leaves that were still spreading on the giant sacred tree. Without further hesitation, they all took out their trump cards and prepared.

The three cultivators at the Void Refinement Realm were no exception.

Meanwhile, as the withered leaves spread rapidly, the spiritual energy inside the sacred tree gradually depleted, and the formation finally began to malfunction.

Outside the formation, the endless flying serpents, fearless of death, continuously self-destructed, causing the originally immovable light shield to gradually begin to tremble slightly.

Seeing this, the faces of the Wood Clan members grew even uglier, revealing an unconcealable despair.

However, the Wood Clan members were unaware that in a secluded spot, Mo Juren, who had just secretly made his move, also looked rather grim... (End of Chapter)