Chapter 363: The golden fruit 74.

At first Bai Li could only see the change because she was watching so carefully. A faint distortion in the air trembled around the tree. Then another appeared beside it. The invisible wall, previously dense enough that even the monsters had been unable to cross, began shrinking inward.

A low humming sound filled the rooftop.

The sound did not come from the air.

It came from the tree.

The trunk glowed brighter.

The roots beneath the ruined concrete shifted.

Bai Li narrowed her eyes.

"Something is wrong."

Yan Cijin looked at her. "The barrier?"

"No. The tree."

Before Yan Cijin could answer, the entire canopy flashed gold.

Every leaf on every branch turned upward.

Five brilliant points of light appeared among the foliage.

Yan Cijin’s breath caught.

The branches slowly moved apart.

And there they were.

Five golden pomelos.

Not one.

Five.

The fruits had been hidden deep inside the canopy, shielded by overlapping branches and golden leaves. Their skins were not the dull yellow of ordinary citrus. Each fruit looked like it had been polished from inside. Light traveled beneath the skin in slow waves. Fine golden patterns moved across the surface like veins in precious stone.

One fruit hung slightly lower than the others.

Two were close to the center of the canopy.

The other two were hidden on opposite sides, partially covered by broad golden leaves.

Yan Cijin stared.

"Five."

Bai Li’s lips curved slightly.

"Looks like the tree had a sense of humor."

Yan Cijin almost laughed.

Then the barrier disappeared.

Not gradually.

It vanished.

One second there was an invisible boundary between them and the tree.

The next second there was nothing.

The air changed.

The scent exploded across the rooftop.

Bai Li felt desire surge through her body with enough force to make her fingertips tighten. Her heartbeat increased. Her soul power responded instinctively. Even Whisperfang, resting within her soul space, vibrated slightly as though the weapon itself could sense the fruit.

Yan Cijin took a step forward.

Bai Li caught her wrist.

"Wait."

Yan Cijin stopped.

"What?"

Bai Li stared at the tree.

Her expression changed.

The smile disappeared.

A cold feeling touched the back of her neck.

It was not the usual sensation of being watched by a zombie. The stronger monsters below had emitted killing intent, hunger, and animal hostility. This was different.

This was focused.

Intelligent.

Directed entirely at them.

"Get back."

Yan Cijin had barely processed the words when Bai Li moved.

She grabbed Yan Cijin around the waist and pulled her backward.

At the same instant, the ground exploded.

A golden root burst from beneath the concrete exactly where Yan Cijin had been standing.

It tore through the floor with enough force to send chunks of concrete flying. Bai Li twisted in midair, carrying Yan Cijin against her chest, and landed several meters away in a low stance.

Yan Cijin’s eyes widened.

The root slammed into the rooftop.

It cracked the concrete in a spiderweb of golden lines.

For a moment neither woman spoke.

Then Yan Cijin looked at the tree.

"It moved."

"I noticed."

"Trees aren’t supposed to move like that."

Bai Li looked at the branches.

They were moving now.

Slowly at first.

Then faster.

Hundreds of golden leaves rotated toward them.

The branches twisted and folded like arms preparing for a fight.

The trunk itself leaned.

The roots were pulling against the concrete.

The golden pomelo tree was alive.

And it was angry.

The five fruits swung gently above them, untouched by the chaos.

Bai Li released Yan Cijin.

"Stay close."

Yan Cijin raised her crossbow. "I was planning on doing that anyway."

Bai Li glanced at her.

"Good."

Then Whisperfang appeared in her hand.

The soul weapon was black and silver, slender and elegant, but the blade’s edge carried a strange darkness that seemed to absorb the golden light rather than reflect it. The moment it appeared, the tree reacted.

The canopy shook violently.

A mass of roots erupted from all sides.

"Here it comes," Yan Cijin said.

Bai Li smiled.

"Finally."

The first root came from the left.

She cut it.

Whisperfang passed through the root with almost no resistance, slicing the thick golden wood cleanly in half. Golden sap sprayed into the air.

The cut surface immediately began closing.

Bai Li’s eyebrows rose.

"Regeneration."

Three more roots attacked.

She stepped forward instead of backward.

One swept toward her head.

She ducked.

Another struck from below.

Bai Li jumped and planted one foot on the root itself, using its movement to propel herself upward. She spun through the air and cut down on a branch coming from above.

Slash.

The branch fell.

Another branch replaced it.

Bai Li landed.

"Annoying."

Yan Cijin fired.

The crossbow bolt struck the joint where two roots connected.

A flash of energy burst from the impact.

The root recoiled.

Bai Li looked over.

"Nice shot."

Yan Cijin calmly loaded another bolt. "I know."

Bai Li laughed under her breath.

Then the entire tree attacked.

The rooftop became chaos.

Golden roots punched through concrete from every direction. Branches whipped through the air. Leaves detached from the canopy and flew like razor blades. Each leaf carried enough energy to cut through flesh, and they came by the hundreds.

Bai Li moved through them.

She did not fight like someone surrounded.

She fought like someone walking through a room where everything had simply become inconvenient.

Whisperfang flickered.

One leaf fell.

Two.

Five.

A dozen.

She stepped between roots, sliced branches, jumped over cracks, and redirected attacks with the flat of the blade. Every movement was precise.

Yan Cijin stayed several meters behind her.

She was not nearly as strong as Bai Li in direct combat, but she understood the fight.

Every time Bai Li needed an opening, Yan Cijin created one.

A bolt hit a branch joint.

Bai Li cut it.

A second bolt struck a root preparing to attack from behind.

Bai Li turned before it could reach her.

.

.

.

TO BE CONTINUED.