Everyone turned to look, their pupils dilating as they saw Hong Ji and Tian Xia Gui returning from the thicket, the latter delivering a serious warning to the group. Who were they accompanying? Was it another false Monkey King? Zhai Cai, Zhang Yuanqing, Zhao Chenghuang, and Sun Miao Miao all stepped back in unison, drawing distance and adopting a defensive stance. Only Guan Ya remained still, her tone unwavering. "Don't worry," she said. "These two are the real ones." She then turned her sharp gaze toward Tian Xia Gui and Hong Ji, who had just emerged from the thicket. "They're the false ones," she stated. "I've been closely observing them. Hong Ji and Tian Xia Gui have never left my sight. It's actually those two who emerged from behind the bushes." "Tai Xian Gui Huo remained standing, ever vigilant—should a false self or Hong Ji Ge appear, he would immediately issue a warning, rather than waiting until the imposters had made contact for several minutes, or until Hong Ji Ge finished expelling steam from his back before alerting anyone... Zhang Yuanqing realized the situation, adjusted his stance, and adopted a defensive posture toward the arriving Tai Xian Gui Huo and Hong Ji Ge. Zhai Cai moved even faster, exclaiming, 'They're just two lifeless wooden statues—fire master, burn them.' Hong Ji Ge clenched his palm, forming a glowing red orb of fire that gradually condensed and intensified in brilliance. He rushed forward several steps and launched the orb with force. Then, he grasped his palm again. The hot orb suddenly exploded, scattering into a torrent of fiery sparks that enveloped both imposters and the area within several meters around them, leaving no room for escape. 'Puff, puff, puff...' The sparks pierced through the two imposters, their bodies instantly reduced to blackened, smoking charcoal under the intense heat. 'That's it?' "Red Chicken Brother, proudly crossing his arms: 'I thought I was quite impressive—turns out, just two rather unyielding pieces of wood!' As soon as he finished speaking, the ground of the manor shook violently, the lawn and flower beds splitting open to reveal dark, moist soil. Thick, sturdy tree roots surged upward from the fissures, arching and waving skyward. At the same time, along the stone path leading directly to the main gate, young saplings in the flower beds broke through the soil with crisp sounds, swiftly growing into two graceful tree figures—refined and beautiful, like masterpieces carved by God. Their hair was lush green foliage. Hong Jiguo and Tianxia Guihuo took a step forward. One of them gathered two large fire spheres, each three meters in diameter, and hurled them at the two tree figures; the other focused on a blazing flame sword, slashing upward to create a massive blade of fire stretching five to six meters in length. After several months of cultivation, Tianxia Guihuo's Flame-Off-Sword had matured, its intense heat causing a noticeable warmth on Zhang Yuanqing and the others' skin, with their eyelashes, eyebrows, and hair curling and emitting a distinct scent of scorched strands. "Boom!" The flame sword struck the root stems rushing toward them, yet failed to shatter them, instead dispersing into streams of flame that cascaded down in clusters. At the same time, Guan Ya drew her ancient bronze sword and launched successive sword blasts. Since metal overcomes wood, the sword's energy was more effective against the root stems than the flame blade, yet the outcome was identical—the sword's ability to cleave through gold and jade only produced a dense shower of sparks, failing to penetrate. Distantly, a tremendous roar echoed as the fire spheres struck the two wooden figures, yet a pale green glow absorbed the impact. Seeing the holy beings' attacks fall short, Zhai Cai had already drawn his knight's sword and stood firm, his voice steady. "Come to me!" A bright bronze glow surged, forming a shimmering wall before the gathered crowd! "Thud... thud... thud..." The "spears" struck against the ethereal barrier, producing deep, resonant impacts. The protective wall trembled violently, yet Zhai Cai remained unwavering, his upright silhouette radiating a strong sense of security. While maintaining the barrier, he spoke calmly: "The rules of this battle: plants must not possess self-awareness!" The root tendrils, once wildly thrusting at the barrier, now faltered—like a man who had just stiffened, gradually softening. Though still active, their attacks no longer posed a serious threat. "A 7-tiered Wood Spirit!" Zhai Cai assessed the enemy's strength, then withdrew the protective wall and leapt over the soft, writhing root tendrils, moving swiftly toward the two tree-person figures. He focused his power into his legs, and with a thunderous crash, the ground cracked. The knight transformed into a streak of light so swift that it was barely visible to the eye, racing toward the wooden maiden on the left. After brushing past her, the streak bent sharply and struck the wooden maiden on the right. To the audience beneath the eaves, the golden light traced a fleeting "V" shape, with the two wooden maidens precisely at either end of the "V." New roots burst from the ground, coalescing into two wooden statues of women, identical to the ones just now, yet noticeably weaker in vitality. A cold, clear voice resonated throughout the flower garden: "Idiot, idiot—killing us both at the same time will trigger the curse. The curse left by the master is strong enough to defeat the sovereign. Sister, drag him down and use him as fertilizer." "You're the idiot," she replied. "I've told you many times—this is poison, not a curse." As the two statues spoke, one root pushed through the soil, straightened, and transformed into a lance, piercing the back of Zhai Cai. Seeing this, Zhang Yuanqing opened his inventory, summoning a purple-gold shield and hurling it forward like the free captain. "Clang!" The lance formed by the root struck the spinning circular shield and snapped instantly. The purple-gold shield reflected the impact and planted itself firmly in the ground. "Move inside!" Zhang Yuanqing roared, charging toward Zhai Cai and picking up the shield to form a defensive stance. More and more roots burst through the ground, writhing upward like arms and legs, then suddenly straightening, shooting forth with a swift, piercing rush. At this critical moment, Zhang Yuanqing paid no attention to the barrage of arrows and spears, turning to shield-dash and knock out Zhai Cai, then using the tip of his foot to propel him back beneath the eaves. Despite spear points piercing his body one after another, a delicate golden flow surged over him, coalescing into a full armor. "Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!" A steady, crisp series of impacts rang out behind him. Sun Miao Miao and the others lifted the unconscious Zhai Cai and hurried inside. Though his breath had weakened, he still retained master-level strength. Wood spirits are renowned for their endurance, but my Purple-Jade Set is a true three-second warrior—most vulnerable in prolonged combat. After a brief assessment, Zhang Yuanqing abandoned the idea of fighting, bent his knees, and launched himself like a streak of purple light into the house. Beyond his lack of endurance, he feared more than anything being cursed like Zhai Cai. Even renowned knights famed for their physical After stepping inside, Zhang Yuanqing swept his hands backward, and the two wooden doors slammed shut with a loud "thud." The vines and roots that had been chasing them instantly recoiled at the moment they neared the doors, climbing up the walls with reluctance, unwilling to enter. "Phew..." Zhang Yuanqing exhaled, scanning the hall. The interior was exceptionally luxurious, yet oddly incongruous—there were Western crystal chandeliers alongside Eastern lanterns, Chinese high-back chairs beside Western sofas. You could see both classical Chinese furniture and heavily European-style furnishings side by side. Paintings hung on the walls, blending ink scrolls with oil paintings; among them, the portrait of a woman centered in the room stood out most prominently. The woman wore a light blue qipao, her features graceful and her demeanor dignified—exactly like the two sculptures at the entrance. "His vital signs are extremely weak; he could die at any moment," Guan Ya observed, her expression grave. "That's why they say he has a blood-related disaster, while we have been spared!" "Red Chicken Brother was frantic, scratching and rubbing his ears: 'What kind of poison is this? Even the Sovereign can be killed!' 'Give him a vial of Life Source Fluid first,' Zhang Yuanqing said, staring intently at the door, afraid that the root stem would collide with it. Guan Ya gave a somewhat pessimistic 'hm,' then pulled out a golden, clear syringe and injected it into the neck vein. Si Cai's vital energy became visibly restored, yet the bluish discoloration on his face and the blackness of his lips remained unchanged. The Life Source Fluid could only nourish cells and replenish lost vitality—it had no detoxifying effect. Still, it had managed to keep him breathing. Zhang Yuanqing remained at the door, on guard, while Guan Ya and the others continuously retrieved treatment tools and detox pills, attempting to purify Si Cai, though the results were not very promising. The poison seemed to be of a very high grade—likely from the Sovereign stage. Seeing that the wooden spirit in the courtyard had not yet advanced, Zhang Yuanqing exhaled slightly, then stepped back to join his teammates, bending down to examine Si Cai lying on the soft sheepskin rug. His breath was faint, with a sharp, medicinal scent—the aroma of the poison evaporating. The toxicity had already penetrated his five viscera and six organs. Fortunately, the antidote pills, the Life Source Liquid, and the healing equipment worked in concert, securing him from immediate life-threatening danger. Only the Jade Belt of Qing Di could counteract this master-level poison—master-tier equipment alone could dissolve it. Zhang Yuanqing opened his inventory, retrieving a jade-green belt adorned with embedded jade stones. He fastened the Qing Di Belt around Zhai Cai’s waist, activating the "Qing Di Immortality Technique." A strong, gentle glow of green enveloped Zhai Cai. After a few seconds, the light subsided, and the bluish-black discoloration on his face faded, his once-dark lips now vibrant and rosy. Zhai Cai’s heart and pulse resumed normal rhythms, though he remained unconscious, still in deep sleep. A trace of poison still lingered within him, but it was no longer life-threatening—now, it would rely entirely on Zhai Cai’s own liver to gradually eliminate it. At this point, everyone had the chance to take in the furnishings of the hall. Red Chicken scanned the room and made his way directly to the portrait. "Hm, aren't these two wooden spirits right at the entrance? She must be the one the wooden spirit referred to as the owner—wasn't she the beloved of Elder Brent?" Guan Ya analyzed: "The fact that this painting is displayed here shows that Elder Brent deeply admired this woman and took pride in her. Her presence and demeanor must have been exceptional—no wonder she was able to cultivate neural toxins and nurture the tree people outside." Zhang Yuanqing pondered: "So this place truly is a safe haven, Elder Brent's storage room. We overlooked one thing: from the perspective of Pan God's maze, Room 503 is indeed a safe haven. Yet, given how much Elder Brent values what's here, why hasn't he arranged any security personnel?" The two tree spirits at the entrance serve as the guardians of this storage room. Guan Ya glanced at the entrance. "It's good that they're hesitant to enter. We'll deal with them once we secure the fragments of the Sacred Disk." "If this were a level from the Pantheon's maze, you'd have to clear the challenge to leave the room—but here, this is a safe house. The two tree people are security guards specifically assigned by Elder Brent. You don't have to defeat them necessarily. With the strength of Yuanshih and Sir Knight, they could easily make it out. At that moment, a light, brisk footstep sound comes from the stairwell. Everyone instantly sharpens their attention, adopting a defensive posture and turning toward the staircase leading up to the second floor. As the footsteps draw nearer, a sleek black-and-gray tabby cat steps out gracefully from the stairwell. Its pale green eyes softly gaze upon the group. The cat speaks in a clear, pleasant female voice: 'Impromptu intruders—did you just mention the fragments of the Sacred Disk?' It speaks Mandarin, though a bit awkwardly, with slightly off accents. 'Wow! A talking cat!' Red Chicken is genuinely startled. 'Don't be so surprised—talking dogs I've seen plenty of.'" Zhang Yuanqing gestured to Hong Ji Ge to stay quiet, not wanting to cause any trouble. He took a few steps forward and faced off against the tabby cat, probing, "Could I ask your name, sir?" He wasn't sure whether this cat was the physical form of the wood spirit or a spiritual creature nurtured by the wood spirit. With a proud lift of its lower jaw, the tabby cat replied, "You may call me JOJO. I am a spirit creature nurtured by the master. You may address me as Ms. JOJO." As it spoke, it glanced at the painting hanging on the wall, clearly implying something. A spirit creature... Zhang Yuanqing breathed a sigh of relief. Compared to the master wood spirit itself, spirit creatures were much easier to handle. Since the tabby cat demonstrated communicative qualities and showed no strong aggression, he didn't want to unnecessarily provoke it by making a move of his own. Thus, he said, "Ms. JOJO, we are friends of Elder Lunt, and we've come here to retrieve something. We hope you could..." Before he finished speaking, the tabby cat coldly interrupted, "Elder Lunt has never brought outsiders here. You all are just Zhang Yuanqing was momentarily at a loss for words, and his teammates subtly readied themselves. The tabby cat shifted smoothly and asked once again, "You mentioned the fragments of the Sacred Disk—how did you know there were fragments here? This is a secret even Elder Brent himself hasn't discovered." Huh? Zhang Yuanqing blinked in surprise. The tabby cat knew about the Sacred Disk fragments, while Elder Brent didn't... But didn't the tabby cat belong to Elder Brent? How could a pet know something the owner didn't? Wait—Zhai Cai had said that Elder Brent indeed didn't know that the relics of Huo Zhengkui contained fragments of the Sacred Disk. So this cat wasn't raised by Elder Brent. Zhang Yuanqing furrowed his brows, asking, "Your mistress—what is her relationship to Elder Brent?" The tabby cat replied calmly, "She has no connection to Elder Brent. She is Huo Zhengkui's wife."