Chapter 722 - 729: The Current State of the Wood Sculpture Realm

Tian Li felt insulted.

His gaze fell upon the flower, sinister and cold. He asked through gritted teeth, "So, you didn’t refine those Elixir Pills either?"

He had previously made special inquiries into Song Wanning’s talent for Alchemy and knew she had taken first place in the Wuji Sect’s Alchemy Dao competition.

He even knew she had concocted the Violent Burst Pill.

That was why, for the past half-month, he had been trying to trick Song Wanning into giving him the Elixir Pills she’d concocted. He planned to use their source aura to draw her own aura into the Array.

This would have allowed him to gain control over her.

But now, it turned out it was all fake, which naturally meant there was a problem with the Elixir Pills too.

The more Tian Li thought about it, the uglier his expression became. He felt like a complete clown, and it was a terrible feeling.

But Song Wanning just had to add fuel to the fire. "Tsk, no wonder you said you were smart. You figured it out so quickly. You really are a clever one!"

"Not like dumb old me, being kept in the dark and played for a fool by you all this time."

"Song Wanning!!"

Seeing Song Wanning’s smug, punchable expression, Tian Li was about to explode with rage.

’This woman is just too much.’

’She’s even mocking me!!’

As he roared her name again and again, the smile on Song Wanning’s face vanished.

Her expression grew cold as she stared at Tian Li and said icily, "What, you can’t take it anymore?"

"What would you do if you knew I just killed another invader?"

Song Wanning’s voice was filled with contempt.

"You invaders are all trash, parasites of the world."

"You should all be purged!!"

’The invaders before might not have known their mission, so they were somewhat innocent.’

’But someone like Tian Li, who is fully aware of his mission, is the very source of evil.’

"What do you know?"

Tian Li scoffed. Song Wanning’s words had clearly gotten under his skin.

Ever since his awakening, he had been constantly plotting ways to deal with Song Wanning.

"Do you have any idea what’s become of our world?"

"Its resources are almost completely depleted, mindless monsters roam everywhere, order has collapsed, and less than a tenth of humanity remains..."

"We did nothing wrong, yet we live in a hellscape, in constant fear for our lives every single day."

"Most importantly, the resources have been almost entirely wrung dry. Humanity is facing a shortage of water and oil."

"The world is wracked by constant earthquakes, tsunamis, and typhoons... There is no night, only a scorching sun hanging high in the sky..."

As Tian Li spoke of this, his pupils couldn’t help but contract in fear.

Even though he had been here for many years, the memory of those hellish days still terrified him.

That was why, when he first arrived in this world, he had been overjoyed.

"What does any of that have to do with us?"

Song Wanning’s expression was grim. This was the first time she had heard about the true state of the Wood Sculpture Realm from an invader’s own mouth.

’No wonder the Wood Sculpture Realm is getting more and more desperate.’

’At this rate, the Wood Sculpture Realm will soon fall into ruin.’

"The Wood Sculpture Realm should bear the consequences of the seeds it sowed."

"Why must you come and destroy our lives?"

Tian Li fell silent for a moment before lifting his emotionless eyes. "Survival of the fittest. That has always been the rule of existence."

"The victor is crowned king, the loser is branded a villain. We are not wrong."

"Song Wanning, if you are willing to surrender now, I can give you a chance."

"In the future, when we have conquered this world, you will be celebrated for your great contribution."

"Ascending to the Divine Realm will be easy; it will no longer be just a dream..."

Tian Li began to paint a beautiful picture for Song Wanning, making grand promises.

Song Wanning’s power was not to be underestimated. If he could turn her to his side, the Wood Sculpture Realm’s chances of victory would increase significantly.

"I can even overlook the invaders you’ve killed in the past."

"I’ll give you only three seconds to consider."

"One..."

Tian Li narrowed his eyes, intending to pressure Song Wanning.

But he had barely counted to one when Song Wanning lunged at him.

’She had only listened to his nonsense because she wanted to learn more about the Wood Sculpture Realm.’

’Now, she no longer cared to know.’

A vicious glint flashed in Song Wanning’s eyes. She held nothing back from her very first move.

Tian Li snorted. His original plan had failed, and now his only option was to go all out.

Although he had some understanding of Song Wanning’s techniques, her time and spatial attributes were incredibly difficult to deal with, and he couldn’t guarantee he could handle them.

In the span of a single breath, Song Wanning’s sword strike was already upon him.

Tian Li let out a sharp cry and, without any flourish, brought his blade down in a vertical slash!

Where the blade passed, space itself seemed to tear as it chopped down toward Song Wanning!

Before the blade’s energy even arrived, its immense power was already causing the surrounding mountains to tremble.

The pile of dung before them also trembled, and the flower on top began to emit a faint light, causing the surrounding Array to gradually illuminate.

The Array enveloped the two of them, trapping them securely inside.

Tian Li had intentionally trapped her; he would not let Song Wanning leave this place. Today, this would be her grave.

Song Wanning’s gaze was as cold as ice. Faced with a slash powerful enough to cleave mountains, she simply lifted her fair wrist, her sword tip tracing a seemingly simple yet infinitely profound arc through the air.

Time Stop!

Where her sword pointed, the space in front of the furiously descending blade energy abruptly froze solid!

The blade energy, as if flash-frozen, saw its speed plummet to a near standstill!

It only lasted for the span of a breath, but for Song Wanning, that was more than enough!

Her figure silently vanished from her spot and, in the next instant, reappeared in the empty space thirty feet behind Tian Li.

The Longsword in her hand thrust out silently. The space at its tip fluctuated violently, forming a spatial fissure as thin as a hair yet capable of slicing through the void!

It aimed straight for the center of Tian Li’s back!

As if he had eyes in the back of his head, Tian Li snorted coldly, not even bothering to turn around.

He instantly opened the Bone-Eroding Umbrella in his left hand!

It was the same umbrella he had opened outside the island.

VMMMM—!

The surface of the umbrella suddenly lit up, and the dark red runes on it slithered about like living creatures.

A shield instantly formed over the umbrella’s surface and around Tian Li’s body.

Song Wanning’s space-tearing sword strike plunged into the shield, only to vanish like a stone dropped into the ocean!

The spatial fissure was madly devoured by a sinister, corrosive power, only managing to stir up violent ripples on the umbrella’s surface, accompanied by a piercing SIZZLE of corrosion.

"Hmph!"

Tian Li scoffed and gave the open Bone-Eroding Umbrella a sharp spin!

A blast of chilling wind mixed with countless tiny runes erupted outwards in a black, swirling vortex!

Wherever it passed, space itself seemed to wail, and even light was twisted and devoured!

Song Wanning’s figure blurred once more, blinking away just before the black storm reached her.

The moment she landed, the space beneath her feet suddenly twisted violently.

A hidden array trap had silently activated, attempting to imprison her!

A silver light flared in Song Wanning’s eyes. With a wave of her Longsword, she instantly slashed out dozens of intersecting spatial fissures that formed a net!

The dense web of spatial fissures, like a shattered mirror, instantly sliced the twisting spatial trap to pieces!

As she broke free, she formed her left hand into a claw and made a grasping motion toward the distant Tian Li!