Chapter 106 Summoning God?!
Cha Naxue stared expressionlessly at the man and woman in the distance, who were pushing and pulling at each other as if putting on a display of affection.
"Very good. Now that the mental damages are settled, it's time for psychological trauma compensation."
Xia Feng wore a kind smile, his dark pupils fixed unblinkingly on Gongsun Ze.
"That's everything! I have nothing else!" Gongsun Ze's face darkened. The Summoning Spirit Wood was only three minutes away from being fully nurtured—he couldn't afford any more delays. He had to find a way to drive Xia Feng out.
"I don't believe you."
"..."
No rush, no rush! As long as he could get rid of this guy quickly, it wouldn't matter! Gongsun Ze shoved all of Yulina's belongings, along with his own, into a bag and tossed it over. "Take it all! Let's see if you even live long enough to enjoy it!"
Xia Feng eagerly rummaged through the spoils.
One worn-out knife.
Three life fruits.
Eighteen wisdom fruits.
Fifty grams of infinite stone.
One spiritual storage fruit.
The most valuable items were the infinite stone and the spiritual storage fruit—decent, but not what he truly wanted.
His frown deepened as he looked up. "You're not being honest. You're hiding something!"
What?! Gongsun Ze stiffened slightly. Did he find the Ring of Anubis?
The Ring of Anubis, originally worn by Wen Zaiye, appeared to be an ordinary silver ring. He had taken it off and hidden it inside the treehouse.
"I really don't have anything else. If you don't believe me, come search me yourself." He spread his arms mockingly. "But I doubt you'd dare to step out."
"Stop pretending. I know you still have the Soul Summoning Wood. Hand it over." Xia Feng's expression was smug, as if he already knew everything.
?! Gongsun Ze's heart nearly leaped out of his chest. How does he know about that?!
But he forced himself to stay calm. "What Soul Summoning Wood? I don't have anything like that."
"You do."
"I don't."
"You do."
"I fucking don't—!"
For over two minutes, Xia Feng kept insisting, refusing to let him go unless he produced the Soul Summoning Wood. Gongsun Ze was so furious he could barely speak.
"Xia! I used the Soul Summoning Wood a long time ago!"
"Used it?" Xia Feng raised an eyebrow, shaking his head slowly. "I don't believe you. Unless you strip naked and prove it."
Without hesitation, Gongsun Ze began tearing off his clothes. He was done with Xia Feng—once the evil god arrived, this bastard would pay dearly.
The women present frowned and averted their eyes.
Xia Feng glanced down and muttered, "So small… like a toothpick?"
!!!! Gongsun Ze nearly vomited blood in rage.
He finally realized—Xia Feng had been toying with him the entire time.
"Fine! Fine! You bastard, just you wait!" Gongsun Ze yanked his clothes back on, his face twisted in fury.
At that moment, a sudden gust of wind swept through the area. Everyone turned their heads in confusion.
Deep within the dark forest, an enormous tree was rising at an unnatural speed, its lush branches and leaves gradually illuminating with a sacred silver glow.
"That's… the Soul-Calling Tree?!" Taoist Chen's expression darkened.
"Ah?" Xia Feng froze. What? Gongsun Ze had just claimed he'd used up the Soul-Calling Wood—did he mean this?
Mu Qingtong tilted his head, studying the distant silver-lit tree with a frown. "According to the latest research from the Academy of Spiritual Science," he said gravely, "a fully nurtured Soul-Calling Tree emits a signal detectable by anyone bearing a god's spatial mark within a three-kilometer radius. It transcends time and space… to summon gods."
"Summon… gods?" Xia Feng blinked once, then again, his pupils slowly dilating. "Summon gods?!"
"Correct." Master Chen's voice was grim. "It appears Gongsun Ze is conducting a divine summoning ritual. And given the circumstances, I suspect he's calling not a Star God—but an Evil God."
"Oh, hell." Xia Feng's stomach dropped as a terrible realization struck him.
"Save the shock for later! He must already bear a god's mark. We need to stop him—now!" Chen Xingdao's eyes turned icy. "Sunflower!"
"On it!" Cai Kuihua shot into the air, following Master Chen beyond the barrier.
Master and disciple unsheathed their peachwood swords in unison. As their robes billowed, blazing yellow runes erupted from the blades.
"All evil—RETREAT!" they chanted together.
The runes surged like a tidal wave, weaving into chains that coiled around Gongsun Ze—a sealing technique meant to crush his spiritual pressure and disable his abilities.
This was Chen Xingdao's B-rank spiritual artifact, the Sunflower Sword's Seal: a suppression skill effective only against spiritual masters. Against nightmare beasts, it would backfire catastrophically.
Gongsun Ze didn't even glance at the encroaching runes. His gaze remained fixed on the distant glowing tree as he muttered, "I never wanted to resort to this… a move that wounds the enemy a thousandfold—and myself eight hundred."
Then he snapped his head up, locking eyes with Xia Feng. Hatred and mockery twisted his face. "But you forced my hand, you bastard!"
With a grotesque grin, he drew a knife from nowhere—and plunged it into his own heart.
Blood gushed from his lips. Simultaneously, black light erupted from the wound, spreading like ink in water.
Master Chen paled. He recognized this instantly: a [Disaster]-class entity sealed within Gongsun Ze's body!
The Sunflower Sword's Seal was about to backfire—
"STOP!" Chen Xingdao screamed, but it was too late.
He and Cai Kuihua convulsed simultaneously. Blood seeped from their bulging eyes before they collapsed, unconscious.
The entire sequence lasted less than two seconds. Xia Feng barely processed their charge past the barrier before they hit the ground.
Meanwhile, the black light from Gongsun Ze's chest engulfed him and Mu Qingtong—a high-tier Disaster Beast's domain, impossible to resist.
Gasping, Gongsun Ze clutched his chest. His face aged visibly, wrinkles etching into his skin. When he finally straightened, a 30-meter cube of solid gray loomed before him—imprisoning Xia Feng, Mu Qingtong, Cha Naxue, and Yin.
This was his trump card: a Disaster Beast bodyguard bestowed by Anubis upon becoming his proxy. The cost? Thirty years of lifespan and all spiritual energy—to temporarily trap his enemies.
Peering at the shadowy figures inside the cube, Gongsun Ze smirked.
"Xia Feng, keep acting arrogant. You're still too naive to fight me!" Gongsun Ze's mocking laughter echoed through the void, reverberating in all directions.
Xia Feng ignored him, focusing instead on their pitch-black surroundings. He couldn't see a thing.
Hellooo, everyone~ A playful female voice chirped. I'm the Disaster Beast of this domain, and my name here is… Hug Me If You Love Me~
Xia Feng blinked. What kind of ridiculous name is that?
A faint green glow illuminated the darkness. A luminous caterpillar lay sprawled across the ceiling barrier, its milky-white belly exposed, a vertical slit splitting its surface. The voice giggled:
The rules are simple!
*1. Once the game starts, you must hug another participant in a face-to-face embrace.
*2. Change partners every 30 seconds—you have 3 seconds to switch. Fail, and the rules kill you instantly.
3. Survive 3 minutes, and you're free to leave!
Oh, and one teeny-tiny extra rule~ The voice dropped to a whisper. If you kill your hugging partner, you'll earn 1 Life Fruit, 1 Wisdom Fruit, and 1 Spirit Infusion Fruit. Kill two or more, and you skip straight to freedom!
Ready? Game start!
Xia Feng's nerves snapped taut. Three seconds to find someone in complete darkness. His spiritual pressure was suppressed, making detection nearly impossible.
Luckily, the Vermilion Bird Armor required minimal energy. Pale flames flickered across his body—
Whoosh! Three figures lunged at him.
Cha Naxue reached him first, arms wide—
Xia Feng sidestepped.
Thud! Mu Qingtong barreled into him instead, knocking them both against the wall.
"Oof—" Xia Feng groaned, his neck craned awkwardly. "Easy there."
"Less talking, more hugging," Mu Qingtong muttered, patting his back.
He let the armor's flames die, hands settling on her slender waist.
"This is just a cage," she whispered. "No real danger—but we're stuck here for three minutes."
A beat. "Gongsun Ze's ritual will be complete by then. The moment we escape… might be our last."
"No," Yin corrected solemnly. "Yin and Xia Feng will die. Master Gongsun is… peculiar. He favors you and Lady Mu. You'll likely be spared."
"Yin, your logic is flawless. Next time, keep it to yourself," Cha Naxue sighed. "Mu Qingtong. Xia Feng. What's the plan?"
Plan? Xia Feng's mind raced. The Summoning Tree's sudden appearance had thrown everything into chaos.
Gongsun Ze… you bastard. He exhaled sharply. "If there's a way out… I might have one."
"Time's up!" the Disaster Beast sang.
They scrambled to switch partners. Xia Feng found himself hugging Yin's armored form—clank, clank.
Sniff. "You smell nice," Yin observed.
Xia Feng: "..."
Meanwhile, Cha Naxue and Mu Qingtong faced each other in the dark. Violet eyes met gold. Neither flinched. A curt nod, then both looked away.
She's taller. Prettier. And older. Cha Naxue's eyes narrowed. That's it. No other advantages.
Sure, Mu Qingtong was weaker, her spiritual weapon dormant, and her singing voice atrocious. But damn, she was way older!
…Did she eat some shady spirit herbs or something?
"Xia Feng," Mu Qingtong pressed, "you said you have a way?"
"What could he possib—" Cha Naxue began, then cut herself off.
History proved her wrong every time she doubted Xia Feng. No matter how impossible, he always defied expectations.
But this time? Even she couldn't see a way out—
Unless…
Her gaze flicked to the others.
Unless we kill two.
(End of Chapter)