In the area where Ruyue and Feng Qing'er had just left, a massacre was taking place.
Thousands of massive vines thicker than an average human body twisted and lashed through the air, smashing anyone they touched into blood mist.
A murky fog rapidly spread through the atmosphere, spreading poisonous spores that infected the geniuses' bodies. Those that were infected became mindless slaves that attacked the others around them.
Even the grass at the geniuses' feet was moving to hinder them, binding their legs at the split second before they dodged to make sure the attacks of the other plants hit true.
It was an uphill battle to say the least.
The poisonous mist could be dealt with using mana as a barrier, but the vines were a real problem.
They weren't too hard to cut through normally. The problem was that tree roots and branches would spread and reinforce the vines as they moved, creating an interwoven defense.
And combined with the speed at which ten vines moved, the defense became even more effective.
All the while, carnivorous plants moved in silence and devoured the dead, using their energy to empower the other plants around them.
They were like cogs in a machine. Every single one of them reinforced the others, creating a system that a group of 3rd classes could never escape from. Hell, even a 4th class might have trouble doing so.
The shrieks of those geniuses sounded of free cave walls and echoed throughout as they faced their inevitable deaths, painting the entire area in an eerie vibe.
Feng Qing'er fought her curiosity to look back. She wanted to see what was causing such gruesome screams, but at the same time, she didn't.
It was due to Ruyue's warning that she held herself back and kept rushing forward.
Inwardly, she scoffed at herself. 'Of course things weren't so simple. Since when has anything in this secret realm been as it seems? It was stupid to let my guard down because of the peaceful appearance of this place.'
Just the fact that there were no beasts inhabiting such a vast jungle was enough to cause her to be wary.
What beast would logically pass up a treasure trove like this? It was basically a quick stop to getting powerful for them, who devour to grow stronger.
Even her own bestial instincts were craving the treasure herbs in the surroundings, so how would those unintelligent beasts resist?
Unless, of course, they could sense the danger of this place.
'This place must be stained with the blood of countless beasts. Because of the precedent that had been set already, other beasts don't dare come close. How could I not realize it?'
Perhaps she was too caught up in her greed, or perhaps it was something else. But she didn't make any excuses to cover her inadequacy.
Instead, she focused her attention on Ruyue and carefully followed her steps. She had no desire to end up like the others.
'Come to think of it, whether it was the spatial fluctuations from before or the dangers here, she noticed first. It's as she said, nobody close to that bastard is simple.'
Considering how much Ruyue consciously and subconsciously spoke about Damien, Feng Qing'er knew that the relationship between the two wasn't simple.
But she actually didn't care much. What she was more worried about was Qing Tan.
'The atmosphere between her and Damien was awkward before we left the Trial World. Did something happen? But I was with them the entire time, how could something have happened that I wasn't aware of?'
She didn't see nor sense anything wrong until that final moment. Of course, she had no way of knowing whether it was just hidden until then or not.
'Haa…forget it. If something happens, it happens. Since I don't know the context of the situation, I can't intervene at all.'
She simply continued following Ruyue, since it was all she could do. Remaining focused on the prize in front of her eyes was the best decision she could make.
With the pace Ruyue and Feng Qing'er were moving at, they cleared the jungle extremely fast. Within the hour, they reached a point where the sheer amount of vitality in the atmosphere caused the air itself to contain a greenish hue.
Just breathing it in made them feel like closing their eyes and relaxing. Their drowsiness wasn't a bad feeling at all. Even if they had rested enough, it was good to be in peak condition before charging the Primordial Undying Tree.
The two of them immediately circulated their mana and shocked themselves awake.
"That was dangerous," Ruyue muttered.
Feng Qing'er nodded in response.
That was all they said. They ceased conversation and focused on circulating their mana as they moved to stay unaffected by the atmosphere.
And soon, they arrived at a clearing. Within this vast expansive jungle where there was no empty space at all, this was the only clearing where no plants dared to grow.
Except one.
The tree wasn't massive in size or domineering in appearance at all. If one simply looked at it with the eyes of a mortal, they'd think it was the same as any other tree on the side of the road. At least, until they looked up.
Its trunk was around 6 feet tall. It wasn't short, necessarily, but compared to the trees around it, it might as well have been a dwarf.
But its crown was a real treat for the eyes.
Extending from the trunk were tens of thousands of branches that intertwined into a massive crown that vastly outstripped the size of the tree's trunk.
The branches were thick and sturdy, more than enough for battle to take place on them without them taking damage.
The leaves of the tree weren't green all the way through. They interchanged between three different colors.
In the lower levels were shades of red, which then formed a gradient into a green layer. And finally, at the very peak of the tree's crown was a small, almost imperceptible, layer of purple.
Ruyue and Feng Qing'er held their breaths as they looked at it.
16 fruits. 10 red, 5 green, and a single purple. They were shaped like apples and looked incredibly succulent. An irresistible urge to claim them and immediately devour them almost enslaved the two girls.
Those fruits that they had only heard about before today were hanging from the branches of the tree in front of them.
There was no doubt about it.
This tree was the Primordial Undying Tree. The legendary tree that had reached Godhood and formed this entire secret realm.
"We're finally here," Ruyue muttered under her breath.
"Indeed we are."
The voice that replied wasn't Feng Qing'er's. It was hoarse and manly, giving off a gloomy feeling.
When the two girls looked over, they saw a cloaked figure standing not far from them. His attention was fully focused on the tree as well.
But soon, he turned his eyes to them. Two piercing red eyes that shone through the darkness of his hood.
"It is unexpected that I wasn't the first to arrive. Then again, even if I was the first, it seems it wouldn't have mattered much."
As his words fell, the jungle around them rustled. Multiple figures emerged from within.
Liu Bai, the tenth-ranked genius on the 3000 Beast Record, the Shameless Duo that was ranked 7th and 8th, and even Qing Tan. The peak geniuses who has entered the secret realm, besides Damien and Lunaria, had all gathered.
Including the cloaked man who had spoken to Ruyue earlier.
First-ranked genius Hun Fang.
And after them, many more came as well. While the group that had entered with Ruyue and Feng Qing'er had succumbed to greed and been annihilated at the start, not everyone was the same.
Still, from the total thousand geniuses who had entered the realm, only around 100 had made it this far and congregated.
The final struggle was on the cusp of beginning.
