Cultivation begins with planting techniques

Pan Yuexing's main goal in this operation was to seize Li Ye's cultivation foundation as quickly as possible without causing any disturbance or attracting attention.

Therefore, even though he was a cultivator of the Innate Realm, he still chose to be evasive and polite with Li Ye.

Then, suddenly, they made another move.

The goal was to catch the kid off guard, seal his magic power, and take him down.

But as he swiftly reached out, Pan Yuexing's gaze met Li Ye's.

But he suddenly realized that the boy showed no panic in his eyes when he suddenly attacked him; instead, he was calm and even had a hint of a smile in his eyes.

It's as if he's been waiting for this for a long time!

Realizing this, Pan Yuexing's magic had already formed a restraint, and he was about to suppress Li Ye to the ground, preventing him from resisting.

Li Ye stood motionless, a sigh appearing on his face.

"You did make a move after all!"

Before he finished speaking, Li Ye's figure suddenly changed as the powerful magic descended.

His original flesh and blood body quickly turned into wood, and thick bark replaced his skin. His body also expanded rapidly, transforming into a large tree whose size was in no way inferior to the century-old tree behind him.

As the branches and leaves unfurled, the blue and silver spiritual patterns on its body shimmered, and the invisible power of its domain expanded.

This perfectly aligned with the hidden formation within the forest, smoothly becoming the core of the formation and instantly activating what appeared to be an ordinary formation, causing nodes to emerge and the grand formation to evolve.

It caused a qualitative change in the great formation almost immediately, even enabling it to divide the void and isolate the inside from the outside.

The commotion within the entire forest was instantly silenced.

Although the internal formation was evolving, the external environment remained calm and undisturbed.

As for Pan Yuexing's magic power to suppress Li Ye, it was broken free by a force no less powerful than his own the moment Li Ye changed.

Now that the great formation has mobilized spiritual energy to enhance it, the power of this treant has visibly increased once again.

"you……"

A flash of inspiration struck Pan Yuexing, and he quickly retreated.

He looked at the tree-man's appearance, felt the surging green energy around him, and even the overwhelming sense of being in a strange land. His face was filled with undisguised horror.

"Who exactly are you, you monster?! How dare you infiltrate my Heavenly Sword Sect!"

He roared, trying to project some authority.

A flying sword with faint cracks on its blade was already drawn from its sheath. As the sword light flashed, it immediately split into several beams and converged in front of him.

Li Ye, now transformed into a Void Realm Tree Spirit, looked at him and muttered a complaint.
"Where did this monster come from... Deacon Pan, don't you even know the art of transformation?"

In the time it took to say those few words, the power of the realm and the great formation completely merged.

Both the formation itself and Li Ye's power reached their peak.

"The art of transformation...you already possess innate combat power!"

Pan Yuexing's expression was grim. If he had known that Li Ye possessed such abilities, he would never have acted rashly.

"I really have to thank Fellow Daoist Pan for your great assistance, otherwise things wouldn't have gone so smoothly..."

Li Ye smiled, but the words he uttered as he transformed into the shape of a giant tree were almost like a low growl.

"What……"

Pan Yuexing was taken aback, but when he saw the faint outline of the surrounding woods, he suddenly realized what was going on.

This Li Ye must have some method for refining the energy of trees and cultivating transformative supernatural abilities.

The fact that he was allowed to plant trees freely before actually became a driving force for his cultivation!

A hint of regret flashed in the old man's eyes.

After offering one last explanation, Li Ye had no intention of saying anything more to Pan Yuexing. He strode forward, heading straight for the old man, his hands waving, summoning a large amount of vegetation that intertwined and bound together, incredibly thick, to block the man's movements.

Pan Yuexing's flying sword was like a swimming dragon, constantly splitting into sword lights and slashing out one after another to deal with the seemingly endless thick branches, cutting them off one by one so that they could not get close to him.

He dodged Li Ye's fists repeatedly and retreated outwards.

But this place was ultimately a forest that Li Ye had cultivated for many years.

Normally it doesn't show its amazing power, but once it merges with the changes of his Void Realm Tree, it gains nearly third-tier combat strength in a short period of time.

Even if the mysteries of the void are limited, it is not something that an old man with a damaged foundation can easily break through.

Rushing through the forest, all I could see was greenery and thick branches constantly emerging.

The tree spirit behind them relentlessly pursued them.

Having pushed his magical power to its limit, which was already aggravating his old injuries, Pan Yuexing felt a surge of despair. Maintaining his flight, he shouted without turning back:
"Li Ye! Do you really intend to kill me?!"

"Don't forget, I've always provided you with the resources and conveniences for your cultivation! Are you going to repay kindness with enmity?!"

Li Ye laughed heartily.

"Fellow Daoist Pan is joking. We both know perfectly well what your motives were for the convenience you provided earlier..."

"If I didn't have some ability to protect myself, I might have been captured by you just now and used as a sacrifice for some evil secret method... To talk about repaying kindness with enmity here is just deceiving myself!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he let out a low growl.

"Certainly!"

In that instant, the Void Tree's domain power was pushed to its limit, and the entire void of the great formation was mobilized, creating a momentary stagnation that instantly froze Old Man Pan, who was at the center.

The sword-wielding figure, struggling and filled with terror, froze in his eyes.

Even though it only lasted for a brief moment, it was enough for the overwhelming branches and vines to completely surround him, and Li Ye rushed to his side.

Snapped!
The void solidified and dissipated. Before the old man could break free in terror, he was engulfed by the innate tree vines, which far surpassed his own, and then smashed down by Li Ye's punch.

"Do not--"

boom!
The flying sword broke apart and scattered, severely injuring the old man, leaving him in critical condition.

He fell to the ground, blood spurting from his mouth and nose, staring at the broken flying sword in the distance.

Seemingly relieved, the last trace of struggle in his eyes dissipated.

He smiled bitterly:
"Junior Sister Shao, your senior brother is useless and cannot avenge you..."

As if all his strength had been exhausted from exhaling that last breath, Pan Yuexing breathed his last and died.

Only a trace of hatred and resentment remained in his rapidly dimming eyes.

Li Ye walked up to him, paused for a moment, took his belongings, and then fired several fireballs, burning them to ashes.

The Tree Walker's magical transformations do not affect the flow of magic; he can use spells at will.

Even if the elements match, there can be a bonus.

Only when all that remained on the spot was a handful of black ash did Li Ye withdraw from the transformation.

The surrounding formations and levels quickly receded, and the wondrous phenomena in the void immediately disappeared.

However, the damage caused by the old man in the battle was limited. With the help of the growth stimulant, Li Ye was able to restore the place to its original state very quickly.

A thoughtful look appeared in his eyes.

"Although the tree spirit's transformation is a supernatural ability that can borrow the spiritual roots of heaven and earth, it is indeed rather cumbersome... Without the assistance of a great formation, facing this sword cultivator who is extremely fast and slippery, it is quite possible that he might actually escape..."

"Once one's cultivation reaches the Innate Realm, these drawbacks can be addressed by improving one's cultivation techniques..." (End of Chapter)