LIGHT NOVEL Chapter 228 - Mufei Star
Because the forest was too dangerous, Imperial Capital University didn’t dare to deploy students directly from the air. Instead, they had them line up and enter from the edge of the forest. This time, they even allowed each person to carry one cold weapon.
The students of Imperial Capital University, who had some understanding of the forest’s dangers, obediently followed their team leaders, walking slowly into the forest.
The teams led by Mai Dongzi and Mai Zixuan, both level seven cultivators, were undoubtedly the most followed.
Especially the Phantom Team, led by Mai Dongzi. Not only did they have a team from the Command Department, but also one from the Arts Department, forming a grand procession.
The members of the Phantom Team followed their captain, without any complaints, as they cleared the way ahead.
After entering the forest on Mufei Star, Mai Dongzi restrained her aura, only letting the presence of a level six martial artist show.
The trees in this forest were generally not very tall, and the distance between them was quite wide. As a result, the light from the stars shone down from the sky, and with the comfortable temperature, the atmosphere felt very pleasant.
If it weren’t for the brutal videos they had watched earlier about mutated trees, everyone would have thought they were just on a casual outing.
The group walked in an orderly fashion for more than thirty minutes into the forest without encountering any unexpected events.
However, no one let their guard down; they remained vigilant.
Suddenly, Mai Dongzi stopped abruptly and made a hand signal that caught everyone’s attention. The team leader in front of her also made the same signal, and one by one, everyone stopped.
The teams behind didn’t know what had happened, but the people in front, following Mai Dongzi’s gaze, looked at a small tree not far away, which was clearly struggling for nutrients against the surrounding trees.
“Captain, this tree looks like a level three mutated tree. What’s wrong with it?” Zhuang Huaiya immediately asked.
“No, this mutated tree looks like only level three, but I think…”
Before Mai Dongzi could finish her sentence, the seemingly undernourished tree suddenly exploded, expanding its size four to five times. The previously drooping branches turned into claws and shot toward them.
Everyone immediately backed away. Those who couldn’t retreat in time used their weapons to fend off or sever the flying branches attacking them.
But in their focus on fending off the branches, everyone failed to notice the roots quietly emerging from the ground.
The brown-black roots, like snakes, first stealthily coiled around everyone’s feet, then yanked them forcefully downward.
Where the roots came from, there were soil tunnels about half a meter in diameter, large enough to drag an adult into.
Naturally, everyone didn’t just surrender. They each drew their weapons and tried to sever the roots. Those students who had managed to retreat from the attack range also took out their weapons to help.
However, the roots were extraordinarily tough, and their knives and swords couldn’t cut through them right away. After several strikes, when they finally severed one root, another one would immediately coil around them.
As the battle raged on, Mai Dongzi stood out, almost as if something were blocking her from the outside. The roots and branches couldn’t bind her body, nor could they stop her from swiftly walking toward the mutated tree. In the blink of an eye, Mai Dongzi had already reached within three meters of the mutated tree.
The mutated tree seemed to recognize that Mai Dongzi was a dangerous opponent. It immediately withdrew all of its branches, which had been attacking the others, and launched them toward Mai Dongzi in a net-like fashion, while the roots continued to entangle the other students.
However, these branches could not break through Mai Dongzi’s mental barrier, nor could they stop her from advancing. Any branch that obstructed her path was severed by the blade in her hand.
When Mai Dongzi reached the mutated tree, she placed her palm on the tree trunk.
Her teammates, who were still caught in the battle with the roots, had initially noticed her movements, but after their view was blocked by the mutated branches, no one could see what she was doing.
Although they knew their captain was strong, under these circumstances, the members of the Phantom Squad couldn’t help but worry about her.
The Phantom Squad members were powerful, and once the mutated branches no longer interfered, they quickly severed the roots that had entangled their feet.
However, some of the weaker teams had trouble resisting, and when some of them were being pulled halfway into the ground, the Phantom Squad had to turn back to help.
Just as Zhuang Huaiya was about to pull a teammate out who was nearly dragged into the hole, the pulling force suddenly stopped, and he easily pulled the teammate out.
This wasn’t just something Zhuang Huaiya encountered; others had the same experience. The roots that had tightly ensnared them suddenly seemed to lose life, turning into dry, withered roots.
Once freed, they realized that Mai Dongzi had reached the mutated tree and had both hands placed on its trunk.
The mutated tree seemed to be rapidly drained of its energy, and the tree became even smaller than before. The leaves on the tree continued to wither and fall off, and it seemed like the entire tree was on the verge of dying.
At this moment, Mai Dongzi’s aura changed. When they looked over, they saw that her wood-type abilities had reached the early stage of level four.
Those who witnessed this scene watched as her wood abilities continued to rise, eventually stopping at the late stage of level four.
“Cousin, what’s going on?” Zhuang Huaiya, worried that something was wrong, couldn’t help but ask.
At that moment, feeling as though she had almost reached her limit, Mai Dongzi immediately grabbed him and placed his hand on the mutated tree’s root.
“Quick, absorb the wood-type energy.”
The moment his hands touched the tree trunk, Zhuang Huaiya immediately felt a pure surge of wood-type energy pouring into his body from his palm, and he instinctively began absorbing it.
Then the others saw Zhuang Huaiya’s wood-type abilities rise in the same way as Mai Dongzi’s, gradually increasing in small increments until it reached the late stage of level two.
Now, there was no need for Mai Dongzi to explain anything; her teammates all knew that the mutated tree must contain energy that allowed wood-type ability users to level up, as there was no other way to explain the rapid rise in their wood-type abilities.
Mai Dongzi thought about the fact that there were many wood-type ability users at the Imperial Capital University. If they could all level up at such a speed… She immediately sent a message to Instructor Shan.
“In the forests of Mufei Star, there is a mutated tree, and after its roots reach level six, they form a very pure wood-type energy cluster that wood-type ability users can directly absorb. However, this type of mutated tree is extremely rare, mostly growing in the center of the forest. You’re lucky to have encountered it on the outskirts of the forest.”
Instructor Shan explained calmly. His surprise had already been expressed when Mai Dongzi began absorbing the mutated tree’s energy.