Chapter 1327

Qinglong had already extended his hand, but he still hadn't activated any *Xinnian*.

Could the opponent's target actually be the "tree"?

This tree was indeed rare, as it didn't originate from *Taoyuan*. It came from an apple brought in from outside. After eating the apple, someone casually tossed the core into the soil. From both a botanical perspective and the context of *Taoyuan*, it theoretically shouldn't have sprouted. Yet, it had grown into a seedling and even produced deformed fruit.

Though it was a shame to destroy such a rare tree, who would waste their remaining *Xinnian* to protect a lifeless object at this life-or-death moment?

Under the watchful eyes of the group, Qinglong remained motionless, simply watching as Qiao Jiajin moved to the base of the large tree and then swung his hand in a horizontal chop.

*Tianxingjian*, combined with Qiao Jiajin's masterful combat skills, turned the hand strike into an axe-like blow, cleanly severing the tree at its trunk. Qiao Jiajin followed up with a palm strike to the stump, causing the tree to sway and crash down in one direction.

The tree wasn't particularly large or small, and the impact of its fall was even less forceful than the collisions from a few *Tianxingjian* punches.

Qiao Jiajin took a deep breath and glanced around at the changes. He had boldly imagined what might happen once the tree was felled. For instance, perhaps it was Qinglong's most cherished possession, and its destruction would make him completely break down. Or maybe it was some kind of vital weakness for Qinglong, so cutting it down would harm him. Another possibility: Qinglong's true form could be hidden inside the tree, and its death would mean his end.

But none of these guesses came true, and nothing else happened either. Qinglong's expression remained impassive, and the entire room was eerily quiet. The only difference from before was that the tree had fallen.

So, what exactly was this "killer move"?

Qinglong coldly eyed Qiao Jiajin, paused for a few seconds, then broke into a deranged laugh and said:

"Can't kill me... so you take it out on a tree?"

Hearing this, Qiao Jiajin felt like he might have been tricked. This "killer move," which he had kept hidden and only used as a last resort for survival, was probably a joke from the start.

If only he had misunderstood... He really hoped that was the case. Even if it had just a tiny effect... Even if Qinglong felt a moment of sadness over the tree, Qiao Jiajin could convince himself that the "killer move" had worked a little. That way, at least he could say he hadn't been deceived.

But why was it like this...? He had been fooled after all—Qinglong didn't care about the tree at all. It was just an ordinary tree, no different from one in the real world. Ordinary leaves, ordinary bark, ordinary roots. Even the cross-section of the trunk didn't show the black color like Xuanwu's body; it was just a plain, yellowish-white stump.

From any angle, it was nothing more than an everyday tree.

Zhangshan and Chutianqiu exchanged glances, unsure what Qiao Jiajin's "killer move" was about. Had it not started yet... or was it already over?

"Tattooed guy..." Zhangshan called out hesitantly, "What's happening now..."

"Looks like we'll have to handle this ourselves." Qiao Jiajin forced a bitter smile. "Big guy, I once said I'd take you to see the vast mountains and rivers of the world, but I'm afraid today will be your last glimpse."

"Is that so?" Zhangshan chuckled in response. "Doesn't matter. The 'mountain' is right here, and the 'sky' is too. We can make do with that."

The three of them knew there was no way out now. The outcome was heading toward its inevitable end.

"Pathetic..." Qinglong lowered his head, as if shouldering the weight of an entire thundercloud on his back. "Your desperate struggles are especially laughable to me..."

Chutianqiu took advantage of Qinglong's moment of speech to glance toward Tianlong's direction. Tianlong was starting to furrow his brow—he was on the verge of waking up.

Was there still one last chance to reach him?

But as soon as that thought crossed his mind, a hint of disappointment flashed in Chutianqiu's eyes. Even if he touched Tianlong, it would just be a new beginning, and Tianlong's dream realm was surely more terrifying than the "End of All Things." What would they do then? Would Qixia really be waiting there?

The current situation seemed to point to the opposite.

What exactly was Qixia up to...?

While keeping an eye on Qinglong, Chutianqiu started moving toward Tianlong. He didn't know what Qixia was planning, but he knew he had to try at least once.

There were no escape routes left in this room—it was either death at Qinglong's hands or Tianlong's. Since the end was set, what was there to lose by trying?

Seizing the moment while Qinglong was distracted, Chutianqiu gathered his strength in his legs and leaped toward Tianlong.

Qinglong sensed something was wrong and tried to use *Duoxinpo* to stop Chutianqiu, but the *Xianfa* faltered for an instant. Enraged, he shot forward, flying toward Chutianqiu.

Zhangshan and Qiao Jiajin followed suit, leaping toward Qinglong from behind.

The three parties collided fiercely in midair, each landing hits on the others before scattering and crashing to the ground in different spots.

Qinglong's condition was clearly better than the others'. He landed near the fallen tree and looked down at the three of them scrambling on the ground.

"Why bother struggling..." Qinglong muttered, twisting his neck. "Wouldn't it be better to wait quietly for the *Jinglei* to fall..."

Chutianqiu clutched his chest and spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, but he immediately forced himself to his feet. With *Tianxingjian* protecting him, this level of injury wasn't fatal. No matter what, he had to keep pushing.

If he didn't reach Tianlong... how could he face himself with no regrets?

This path hadn't become difficult just now—it had been tough from the very beginning.

"Chutianqiu, you've truly disappointed me." Qinglong burst into laughter. "I thought you might be the perfect candidate to become a 'god'... but here you are, like a dog kicked to the ground. Why put mortal safety first?"

As Qinglong spoke, the thunderclouds above turned a terrifying purple-red, with countless radiant lightning serpents flickering through them. On the brink of total madness, he unleashed the most powerful *Jinglei* in history.

"Now... do you finally see the gap between mortals and me..." Qinglong advanced slowly amid the flashes of lightning and thunder, like a true deity. "Mortals can't judge me... and you actually thought of venting on an ordinary fruit tree... How absurd is that?"

Qinglong glanced contemptuously at the fallen tree, then turned his gaze back to Qiao Jiajin, laughing wildly as he said:

"Your so-called 'killer move' in the end turned out to be..."

Wait.

Hold on.

Qinglong's words halted abruptly in midair.

His expression gradually turned strange.

In that brief moment, he had glimpsed something odd—something that seemed plausible at first but was utterly impossible upon closer thought.

What was it?

He slowly shifted his gaze back to the tree, trying to recall what had flashed before his eyes... something that had made his entire back go cold.

Wasn't this just... the most ordinary tree imaginable...?

Ordinary leaves, ordinary bark, ordinary roots.

Where was the problem...?

In disbelief, he examined the severed tree over and over.

A few seconds later, he froze in utter shock.

The issue was with the tree's cross-section...

A tree that had been planted for at most seventy years or so.

Yet, it was crammed with hundreds of dense growth rings.