After about fifteen minutes of joyful reunion and catching up, A'Rou's spiritual body began to flicker slightly, the ethereal light dimming.
"My dears," A'Rou said, her voice softening slightly, "I'm afraid my current form is temporary. Song Qing has expended a great deal of his soul power to manifest me."
She looked at her daughter and her sworn brothers. "Could you please help Song Qing recover? Take him to a good spot near the Lake of Life where he can meditate and replenish his soul power quickly. Then, I should be able to maintain this form for a little longer."
Naturally, Er Ming and Da Ming, despite their initial suspicion towards Song Qing, were fiercely loyal to their Aunt A'Rou. And Xiao Wu, overjoyed to have her mother back even in this form, would do anything for her. They readily agreed.
Er Ming gently nudged Song Qing with his massive foot, careful not to hurt him. "Human, you look tired. Come, we'll find you a good place to rest."
Da Ming, with a more measured approach, cleared a patch of soft moss near the lake with a flick of his tail. "Rest here, human. We will ensure your safety."
Xiao Wu sat beside Song Qing, her rabbit ears twitching with concern. "Big Brother Su Qing… I mean, Big Brother Song Qing, please rest well."
Song Qing nodded gratefully, a genuine smile touching his lips. He sat down on the soft moss and closed his eyes, focusing on replenishing his depleted soul power. The rich spiritual energy of the Lake of Life and the surrounding area aided his recovery significantly.
After a few hours of meditation, Song Qing felt his soul power return to a comfortable level. He opened his eyes and, with a thought, once again unleashed A'Rou's spiritual body. She materialized beside him, her ethereal form shining brightly once more.
Just as before, A'Rou turned her attention to Xiao Wu, and they resumed their heartfelt conversation. Meanwhile, the suspicious gazes of Er Ming and Da Ming towards Song Qing had lessened considerably. They had listened intently as their Aunt A'Rou explained the situation.
"It was Song Qing who released my soul from that accursed soul ring held by that woman, Bibi Dong," A'Rou had explained, her voice filled with a mixture of sorrow and gratitude. "He used a special ability to pull my soul back. And he has even promised to help me reforge my physical body. But for that," she added, her gaze softening as she looked at Song Qing, "a very precious Immortal Herb is required. We need to wait for him to become stronger to fulfill that promise."
Both the massive beasts and even Xiao Wu stared at Song Qing with complicated gazes. Knowing that he was from the Spirit Hall, the very organization responsible for their aunt's death, and also the beloved disciple of the woman who had killed A'Rou to take her soul ring, did make them deeply suspicious and even angry. But A'Rou's words, that it was Song Qing who had saved her soul and brought her back to them, even in this form, caused them to somewhat trust him. Moreover, he had brought her here to meet them.
Soon, while Xiao Wu continued to chatter excitedly with her mother, A'Rou turned her attention to the two large beasts, her expression becoming more serious. "Da Ming, Er Ming," she said, her voice carrying a note of urgency, "tell me about the forest of the Corrupted Emerald Arbor. Is it still there? Or has someone finally managed to put an end to that evil tree spirit beast?"
The two hundred thousand year old beasts exchanged a look before Da Ming shook his massive head. "It's still there, Aunt A'Rou. As vile and as powerful as ever. Many beasts have tried to challenge it over the years, but none have succeeded. Its domain is treacherous, and its attacks are relentless."
Er Ming grunted in agreement. "Yeah! That creepy tree eats anything that gets too close! Makes the whole area around it feel… wrong."
A'Rou nodded, a thoughtful expression on her ethereal face. "Good," she said, a hint of steel entering her voice. "Then I have an order for you two. I want you to use your combined powers to hunt down that Corrupted Emerald Arbor. And when you have it cornered, you are to let Song Qing deliver the final blow so that he can add it to his soul rings."
Da Ming's reptilian eyes flickered towards Song Qing, a look of confusion crossing his face. "Aunt A'Rou," he rumbled, his voice filled with doubt, "with all due respect, I can only sense the strength of a Spirit Emperor at best from this human. Would he truly be able to endure taking the soul ring of a nearly Hundred and Forty Thousand Year Old beast like that Corrupted Emerald Arbor? The spiritual pressure alone…"
A'Rou waved a dismissive hand, her ethereal form radiating confidence. "Don't worry yourselves about that. Song Qing's spirit is quite special. No ordinary spirit. In fact," she added, a knowing smile gracing her lips, "no plant-based spirit in this entire world can truly resist against his Primordial Life Tree Spirit!"
Those words caused Da Ming's eyes to widen in shock. He stared at Song Qing with a newfound curiosity and a hint of awe. If what their Aunt A'Rou said was true… then this human was far more extraordinary than he had initially perceived. He slowly nodded his massive head, a grudging respect beginning to form in his gaze. "If you say so, Aunt A'Rou… then we will do as you command."
Er Ming simply grunted in agreement, his trust in his aunt absolute. The hunt for the Corrupted Emerald Arbor was about to begin.
The journey to the Corrupted Emerald Arbor's domain was unsettling. Even the normally vibrant flora of the Great Star Dou Forest seemed to shy away from this particular region.
The air grew heavy, and a palpable sense of dread permeated the atmosphere as Da Ming and Er Ming led the way, their massive forms moving with surprising agility through the dense undergrowth.
Song Qing followed closely behind, while Xiao Wu remained near the Lake of Life, her heart filled with a mixture of worry for her brothers and anticipation for her mother's continued presence.
'This place feels… wrong,' Song Qing thought, his senses on high alert. The trees here were twisted and gnarled, their leaves a sickly shade of green. Even the sunlight seemed to struggle to penetrate the dense canopy above, casting long, eerie shadows on the forest floor.
Da Ming, his massive serpentine body slithering silently through the trees, paused. "This is it," he rumbled, his voice low and cautious. "The domain of the Corrupted Emerald Arbor."
Er Ming, his immense form radiating raw power, stomped his foot, causing the ground to tremble slightly. "Creepy place," he grunted, his eyes scanning the surrounding darkness. "Let's just smash that ugly tree already."
Song Qing nodded, his gaze fixed on the oppressive darkness ahead. "Be careful, both of you. A'Rou described it as incredibly powerful."
Da Ming turned his massive head towards Song Qing. "Stay here, human. This is not a battle for someone of your strength. We will handle this." Er Ming simply nodded in agreement, eager to protect his little sister's savior.
Song Qing understood their concern. His current soul power might not be enough to directly confront a beast of that caliber. "Alright," he said. "I will wait here. But if you need my help, don't hesitate to call." He also mentally communicated with A'Rou. 'A'Rou, I'm trusting them to weaken it enough for me.'
'They will, Qing,' A'Rou mentally replied, her voice filled with confidence. 'Just be ready to deliver the final blow. My instincts tell me your spirit will thrive on absorbing its essence.'
With a final nod to Song Qing, the two colossal beasts plunged into the darkness of the Corrupted Emerald Arbor's domain.
The forest immediately seemed to react to their presence, the twisted trees groaning and the thorny vines twitching ominously.
Er Ming, never one for subtlety, charged forward with a deafening roar. "ROAR!" His immense body crashed through the undergrowth, his target the colossal, blackish-green tree that dominated the center of the forest.
"Ugly tree! Prepare to be smashed!"
He unleashed his first ability, Titan's Might!
His already formidable muscles bulged even further, his strength amplifying to terrifying levels as he launched a massive punch towards the Arbor's trunk.
The Corrupted Emerald Arbor reacted instantly. Glowing emerald lines on its bark pulsed with dark energy as countless chains made of hardened emerald wood erupted from the ground around Er Ming.
Emerald Binding Chains!
The chains shot forward with incredible speed, snaking around Er Ming's limbs, torso, and even his neck, constricting with immense force. A corrosive energy began to seep into his fur, causing it to sizzle and smoke.
Er Ming roared in fury, his muscles straining against the binding chains. He unleashed his second ability, Earth Shattering Slam!
He slammed his fists into the ground with all his might, sending shockwaves rippling through the forest floor in an attempt to break the chains' connection to the earth.
The ground cracked and heaved, but the Emerald Binding Chains held firm, their grip tightening even further.
Meanwhile, Da Ming approached with a more cautious strategy. His massive serpentine body moved silently through the shadows, his senses taking in the Arbor's defenses.
He unleashed his first ability, Sky Azure Barrier!
A layer of shimmering blue energy enveloped his scales, providing him with formidable protection against physical and energy-based attacks.
The Corrupted Emerald Arbor turned its attention towards the massive python, its skeletal branches reaching out like grasping claws.
The parasitic plants within its canopy writhed and pulsed as it activated its second ability, Life Siphoning Canopy!
A wave of oppressive energy spread outwards, and Da Ming could feel his life force being slowly drained, a subtle weakening creeping into his powerful body. The surrounding vegetation withered and died almost instantly.
Da Ming hissed, his eyes narrowing. He unleashed his second ability, Azure Dragon's Coil!
His massive body shot forward with incredible speed, coiling around the trunk of the Corrupted Emerald Arbor with immense force, attempting to crush it. The Arbor groaned under the pressure, its branches flailing wildly.
But the Arbor retaliated fiercely. From its skeletal branches, volleys of razor-sharp spears made of solidified, dark emerald crystal rained down on Da Ming.
Crystalline Wood Spears! The spears flew with terrifying speed and precision, impacting against Da Ming's Sky Azure Barrier.
The barrier shimmered and cracked under the assault, but held, deflecting most of the spears. However, some managed to pierce through, leaving behind deep, festering wounds that burned with a strange, corrupted energy.
Er Ming, still struggling against the Emerald Binding Chains, roared in frustration. He unleashed his third ability, Titan's Domain!
A powerful, oppressive aura erupted from his body, a domain of pure brute force that sought to crush anything within its range. The Emerald Binding Chains around him creaked and groaned under the immense pressure, but they still held.
The Corrupted Emerald Arbor intensified its Life Siphoning Canopy, the drain on Er Ming and Da Ming becoming more significant.
They could feel their strength slowly ebbing away, while the Arbor seemed to grow stronger, its bark glowing with an even more malevolent light. The Resonance of Wither also intensified, causing a deep fatigue to set in, hindering their movements and slowing their regeneration.
Da Ming, despite the pain from the crystalline spears, tightened his coil around the Arbor, his powerful muscles constricting with bone-crushing force. He unleashed his third ability, Azure Dragon's Fury!
A torrent of pure azure energy erupted from his body, slamming into the Arbor's trunk at point-blank range. The Arbor shrieked, its branches snapping and splintering under the devastating attack.
The Corrupted Emerald Arbor, severely wounded, unleashed a final, desperate attack. Its skeletal branches lashed out, each tipped with sharp, crystalline leaves, attempting to impale Da Ming and Er Ming. The Emerald Binding Chains around Er Ming tightened to an agonizing degree.
But the two brothers fought with the ferocity of cornered beasts. Er Ming, fueled by his rage and the weakening of the chains due to his Titan's Domain, finally managed to rip free, tearing through the hardened emerald wood with a final, mighty roar.
He then unleashed his fourth ability, Mountain Crushing Fist! He brought both his massive fists down on one of the Arbor's largest branches, shattering it into countless pieces.
Da Ming, enduring the pain from the crystalline leaves that grazed his scales, unleashed his fourth ability, Azure Storm Breath!
A powerful vortex of azure energy erupted from his mouth, tearing through the Arbor's canopy, shredding the parasitic plants and further weakening the ancient tree.
Song Qing, waiting anxiously at the edge of the forest, could feel the intense fluctuations in spirit power. The battle was reaching its climax. He sensed that Da Ming and Er Ming were nearing victory, the Arbor's oppressive aura weakening significantly. It was time.
He unfolded his Ancient Void Dragonbone Wings and soared into the air, flying towards the heart of the Corrupted Emerald Arbor's domain.
The sight that greeted him was one of devastation. The once dense forest was now a scene of destruction, with shattered trees and withered vegetation scattered everywhere.
In the center stood the colossal Corrupted Emerald Arbor, its trunk cracked and splintered, its branches broken and charred.
Da Ming and Er Ming stood panting nearby, their bodies bearing numerous wounds, but their eyes filled with triumph.
The Corrupted Emerald Arbor, though severely weakened, still pulsed with a malevolent energy. Its glowing emerald lines flickered erratically. It was still alive, but barely.
Song Qing descended slowly, landing a short distance from the wounded Arbor.
He extended his right hand, and the vines of his Primordial Life Tree Spirit snaked out from his palm, their emerald leaves shimmering in the dim light. He focused his soul power, activating his Second Soul Ring ability.
"Venomous Entanglement!"
The vines of the Primordial Life Tree Spirit pulsed with a dark green energy, congealing and thickening, becoming thorny and wickedly sharp.
They shot forward with incredible speed, wrapping around the Corrupted Emerald Arbor's trunk and remaining branches, piercing through its corrupted bark.
The potent poison, distilled from countless immortal herbs, began to seep into the Arbor's core, draining its remaining life force and, more importantly, its soul energy.
The Corrupted Emerald Arbor let out a final, agonizing groan as its malevolent energy flickered and died. Its blackish-green bark turned a dull grey, and the glowing emerald lines faded into nothingness.
The ancient tree spirit beast, after a hundred and forty thousand years of existence, finally succumbed.
A vibrant, blood-red soul ring materialized above the fallen Arbor, pulsing with an immense spiritual pressure.
Song Qing's eyes gleamed with anticipation as he reached out with his spirit power and began the absorption process, the blood-red soul ring slowly descending towards his head, becoming the sixth ring of his extraordinary Primordial Life Tree Spirit.
The power surging through him was immense, a testament to the strength of the Corrupted Emerald Arbor.