Chapter 993: Inescapable Crisis P3: Corrupted Woodland Heart

Several enormous vines swung directly toward the palace.

Others spread outward, their trajectories carrying them over distant settlements where mortals were still struggling to escape the destruction caused by the tree’s damaged roots.

The Demon Tree no longer seemed to care about the inhabitants of Emerald Cove Island.

Perhaps it had never cared about them in the first place.

Whatever instinct governed its actions, it now regarded Kanis and the others as threats that had to be eliminated. The survival of the island’s mortal population was no longer a consideration.

If crushing the intruders required bringing the entire mountain down, then so be it.

Unfortunately for the inhabitants below, the debris from such an attack would be more than enough to destroy entire towns.

Rumaal’s expression changed as he noticed several enormous roots sweeping toward the lower settlements.

“That tree—!”

He barely managed to utter those words before Kanis moved.

The young Swordfall cultivator didn’t look particularly frustrated by the sudden attack. Neither did he show any intention of retreating.

Instead, he raised his sword.

A faint chill spread through the surrounding air.

The moment Kanis’s sword moved, countless pale-blue sword lights burst into existence around him. Each slash carried a razor-sharp Sword Intent that cut through the air with frightening precision.

SHING! SHING! SHING! SHING!

The flying slashes shot toward the descending roots and vines.

The results were immediate.

Gigantic roots that could have crushed entire buildings were severed as effortlessly as ordinary branches. Thick vines split apart in midair, their enormous sections tumbling toward the ground. Some were sliced into multiple pieces before they could even reach Kanis, while others were cut cleanly through their thickest portions.

The Demon Tree’s final assault was being dismantled before it could reach its target.

Kanis continued swinging his sword without changing his expression. His movements were effortless and economical, each strike releasing several flying slashes that intercepted the incoming appendages.

His Sword Intent was sharp enough to cut through the enormous roots without resistance.

The size of the target made little difference.

To Kanis, they were merely obstacles that needed to be removed.

However, he paid little attention to where the severed pieces would land.

One enormous vine, sliced into several sections, crashed into a forest beyond the mountain. Another fell toward a settlement, its shadow swallowing several buildings before the enormous mass struck the ground.

BOOM!

The impact shook the surrounding region.

Buildings collapsed beneath the falling debris, and a cloud of dust rose into the air. Mortals who had been gathering near the settlement scattered in every direction, screaming as the enormous fragments smashed into the ground.

Kanis didn’t even glance at them.

Another sword slash flashed through the air, cutting apart a gigantic root that was sweeping toward him.

The severed section fell away, carrying chunks of stone and soil with it.

The tree’s enormous roots and vines continued to descend, but Kanis’s sword lights kept cutting them apart. Every swing removed another portion of the Demon Tree’s remaining defenses, sending massive fragments crashing toward the island.

The palace, the settlements, the forests, and the people living among them were all caught in the growing disaster.

Kanis continued swinging his sword, sending one flying slash after another toward the enormous Demon Tree.

The battle had already turned into a one-sided slaughter.

The tree’s remaining roots and vines were being severed faster than they could attack. Gigantic chunks of wood fell from the sky, crashing into the mountains and forests below. Some of the falling debris was reduced to splinters by Kanis’s Sword Intent before it could reach him, while other pieces smashed into the ground with enough force to leave enormous craters.

The Demon Tree’s resistance gradually weakened.

Its remaining branches stopped moving with the same ferocity, and the faint green light that had once flowed through its bark began to dim. The enormous trunk, already split almost vertically by Kanis’s earlier strike, could no longer support its own weight. Cracks spread through the remaining wood, extending from the top of the tree to its base.

Kanis noticed the change immediately.

‘It’s almost finished.’

He tightened his grip on his sword before swinging it one final time.

A brilliant blue-white slash cut through the air.

SHING!

The sword light struck the Demon Tree’s battered trunk and tore through the remaining layers of wood. The enormous tree shuddered violently before its trunk finally split apart.

CRAAACK! BOOM!

The sound echoed across Emerald Cove Island.

The Demon Tree collapsed.

Its gigantic trunk crashed against the mountainside, sending a wave of dust and broken vegetation into the air. The remaining roots and vines fell lifelessly to the ground, their movements finally ceasing. The faint green glow that had lingered within the tree’s bark disappeared, leaving behind nothing more than a colossal heap of shattered wood.

For a moment, Kanis remained suspended in the air, observing the aftermath of his attack.

He had finally killed it.

Behind him, Rumaal and his two wives also slowed down. Even though they had expected Kanis to defeat the dying Spirit tree eventually, witnessing the destruction of such an enormous existence still left them somewhat speechless.

The Demon Tree had been on its last breath before Kanis began attacking it. Yet its final resistance had been powerful enough to threaten the surrounding settlements.

Had the tree been in its prime, its strength might have been considerably more troublesome to deal with.

Kanis sheathed his sword partially, allowing his depleted soul essence to recover while he examined the remains.

That was when he noticed something unusual.

Deep within the shattered trunk lay an enormous heart.

Kanis’s eyebrows rose.

The object was roughly the size of a small whale’s heart, and its appearance was remarkably similar to that of a Spirit whale’s vital organ. Thick, woody fibers surrounded its surface, intertwining like countless roots woven together. Faint green veins pulsed beneath its outer layer, although their light was gradually fading.

It had remained hidden deep inside the Demon Tree’s trunk.

“A Woodland Heart?” Kanis muttered.

His voice contained a hint of surprise.

He had encountered various Spirit plants and unusual natural treasures during his cultivation journey, but a Woodland Heart of this size was not something one came across every day. More importantly, the moment he noticed it, he sensed a remarkably pure concentration of Nature Essence emanating from the heart.

The sensation was unlike that of ordinary Spirit treasure.

It felt clean, vibrant, and full of life, as though the accumulated vitality of an entire forest had been condensed into a single object.

Kanis’s eyes brightened.

Even Rumaal and his wives noticed the change in his expression. They followed his gaze toward the enormous heart, and their eyes widened slightly as they sensed the nature-based energy radiating from it.

Such a treasure could hardly be considered ordinary.

Although none of them knew its exact properties, the Woodland Heart had clearly absorbed an extraordinary amount of Nature Essence over the years. Considering the size of the Demon Tree and its connection to the entire island, it was reasonable to assume that the heart had played an important role in sustaining the tree’s existence.

Perhaps it could even be used in certain medicinal preparations, specialized cultivation techniques, or the nurturing of other Spirit plants.

Whatever its precise uses, it was undoubtedly valuable.

Kanis’s interest deepened.

He glanced at Rumaal before flying toward the Woodland Heart. The older cultivator and his two wives followed without hesitation, unwilling to miss the opportunity to examine such a rare treasure.

As they approached, the sensation of pure Nature Essence grew stronger.

Kanis could feel it brushing against his senses, refreshing his spirit despite the exhaustion caused by his earlier attack. The energy seemed remarkably concentrated, and he couldn’t help wondering how much more potent it might be if he could extract the essence contained within the heart.

The Demon Tree alone had been worth investigating. Now that its Woodland Heart had been exposed, Kanis felt that their trip to Emerald Cove might yield considerably more than he had initially expected.

He continued forward until he was only a few metres away from the enormous organ.

Then he stopped.

Something felt wrong.

The sensation was faint at first, almost imperceptible beneath the pure Nature Essence radiating from the heart. But as Kanis focused his senses, he detected a subtle irregularity in the surrounding energy.

The heart’s remaining vitality was not dispersing naturally.

Instead, some of it seemed to be flowing toward the shattered remains of the Demon Tree.

Kanis’s expression changed.

‘Wait a moment—’

He immediately tried to retreat.

“Something’s wrong! Back away!” he shouted.

Rumaal reacted almost at the same time. His wives followed his movements, and the three cultivators began pulling away from the Woodland Heart.

Unfortunately for them, they were already too close.

Before they could cover even a few metres, the shattered remains of the Demon Tree suddenly trembled.

RUMBLE!

The enormous pieces of wood scattered across the mountainside began moving.