Chapter 148: Battling Elder Zhou Shentong!
I had to admire Zhou Shentong's composure. Here I was, having just destroyed his garden, killed his guards, and walked into his sanctum like I owned the place, and he sat there looking mildly amused. Either he was supremely confident in his abilities, or he was putting on one hell of a poker face.
"Negotiations?" I replied, keeping my tone light as I studied the room more carefully. "And here I thought we were just having a pleasant evening chat."
The reception hall was larger than it had first appeared, with high ceilings supported by wooden pillars carved to look like intertwining vines. More of Zhou Shentong's ostentatious displays of wealth, but they might prove useful. Through my connection to plant life, I could feel that the carvings weren't just decorative – they were made from the same type of wood as the roots holding Han Zhongwei.
"Oh, we can chat," Zhou Shentong smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes. "In fact, I'm quite curious about several things. For instance..." He made a subtle gesture, and the roots tightened around Han Zhongwei's chest, drawing a pained gasp. "How did a supposedly talentless young master suddenly develop such... interesting abilities?"
I felt Han Renyi's consciousness stir at the insult, but I kept us focused on more important matters – like the wooden roots currently suspending his father from the ceiling. I could feel their vitality, or rather, their desperate hunger. Like everything else in this world, they were starving for energy.
"The gardens are quite impressive," I commented, deliberately changing the subject as I expanded my awareness through the room's various plant decorations. "Though they seem... undernourished. Having trouble maintaining them?"
Zhou Shentong's eyes narrowed further, probably wondering why I was making small talk about his gardening habits while my father hung suspended above us. But that was fine – let him think I was trying to stall or playing some game. The truth was, I needed time to fully understand the network of roots he'd created.
"A common problem these days," Zhou Shentong replied smoothly, playing along. "The declining rouqi makes maintaining such luxuries... challenging. But then, that's why consolidation of resources is so important, isn't it?" His smile turned predatory. "Which brings us back to our negotiations."
The roots tightened their grip on Han Renyi's father, drawing a pained gasp. I could feel the man's confusion – here was his son, supposedly come to rescue him, chatting about gardens while he suffered. But I needed just a little more time...
There. I could feel it now, the complex web of rouqi Zhou Shentong had woven through the roots. It was an impressive piece of work, especially given the limited energy he had to work with. But there was something... odd about it."You know," I said, taking a casual step forward, "there's an interesting thing about plants in a low-energy environment." Another step. "They become very... selective about their food sources."
Zhou Shentong's expression didn't change, but I saw his hand tighten on the armrest. He was starting to suspect something was wrong, though he couldn't quite put his finger on what.
I took another step, and this time I let a tiny trace of qi – not rouqi, but pure spiritual essence – leak into the nearest root.
The root literally shivered with pleasure.
Zhou Shentong noticed it too. His eyes widened slightly as he tried to reassert control, pushing more rouqi into his technique. But it was already too late. The roots had tasted something better than the thin gruel of rouqi they'd been surviving on, and they wanted more.
"What..." Zhou Shentong started to rise from his throne, his composure cracking as he felt his control slipping. "What are you doing?"
I smiled and released more qi into the root network. "Just providing a better meal option."
The effect rippled through the entire room. Roots that had been firmly under Zhou Shentong's control began to twist and turn, seeking out the source of this new, richer energy. I could feel their hunger, their desperation after so long subsisting on the meager rouqi available to them.
"Stop this!" Zhou Shentong snarled, standing fully now. He pushed more rouqi into the roots, trying to maintain his control, but it was like trying to bribe someone with copper coins after they'd tasted gold.
I didn't bother responding. Instead, I simply opened myself fully to the room's plant life, letting them feel the difference between Zhou Shentong's rouqi and my qi. The choice was obvious – they practically threw themselves at me, abandoning Zhou Shentong's control entirely.
The roots holding Han Renyi's father suddenly loosened, gently lowering him to the ground instead of dropping him. Other roots began to wave happily in my direction, like puppies hoping for attention. The entire room's plant life seemed to perk up, responding to the presence of real qi for the first time in... well, probably ever. ℞ÅNốBΕS
“Wha-what is this power?”
Zhou Shentong's face was full of confusion and rage. He kept trying to reassert control, pushing more and more rouqi into techniques that had always worked before, only to watch as the plants literally ignored him in favor of cuddling up to me.
I couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of a supposedly fearsome sect elder being ghosted by his own plants.
"This is impossible," Zhou Shentong muttered, staring at his hands as if they'd betrayed him. "The Verdant Binding Art is unmatched in—"
"Your plants have just discovered there's better food available."
To demonstrate my point, I had some of the smaller roots weave themselves into a comfortable chair, which I then sat in with perhaps a bit more dramatic flair than strictly necessary. The roots practically purred at the contact.
Zhou Shentong's face went through several interesting expressions before settling on fury. "Enough of these tricks!" He formed a series of hand seals, and new roots burst from the ground around him. "Let's see how you handle fresh growth!"
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
The roots shot toward me like spears, and I had to admit the speed was impressive. But the moment they got within range of my qi, they... well, the best way to describe it would be to say they got distracted. Instead of impaling me, they started rubbing against my legs.
"I don't..." Zhou Shentong stared at his misbehaving plants with something approaching horror. "This isn't... they should..."
"They're not defective," I assured him, patting one particularly enthusiastic root. "It's basic plant behavior – they'll always grow towards the better light."
That seemed to be the last straw for Zhou Shentong's composure. With a roar of rage, he abandoned his plant techniques entirely and launched himself at me, his palm wreathed in rouqi for a devastating strike.
I probably should have been more concerned about a mid-Tier 2 cultivator charging at me with murderous intent. But I had to bite back a laugh as I watched his own plants trip him mid-lunge. The roots he'd been controlling for years had apparently decided that protecting their new friend was more important than obeying their old master.
Still, I didn't waste the opening. As Zhou Shentong stumbled, I activated Blink Step and closed the distance, channeling energy into the Phantom Strike. My fist connected with his chest in a blow that should have ended the fight.
Should have.
Instead, Zhou Shentong managed to get a partial defense up, his rouqi hardening his body enough to turn what would have been a fatal strike into merely a devastating one. He went flying backward, crashing through his own throne before slamming into the far wall hard enough to crack the expensive stonework.
"Stronger than Zhang Wei," I noted, shaking out my hand. "Much stronger."
Zhou Shentong pulled himself from the wreckage of his throne, blood trickling from his mouth but his eyes blazing with fury. "You dare..." he spat, his voice thick with rage and what I suspected was a punctured lung. "You dare come into my home... corrupt my plants... mock my techniques..."
"To be fair," I pointed out, "I didn't corrupt anything. Your plants just have good taste."
That probably wasn't the most diplomatic response, but I couldn't resist. Besides, I was already moving as Zhou Shentong launched himself at me again, his entire body now wreathed in rouqi. His speed had increased dramatically – apparently, he'd been holding back quite a bit before.@@novelbin@@
This time when my Phantom Strike connected, he was ready for it. His defense was more solid, and though the impact still sent him sliding backward, he remained on his feet. More importantly, he managed to land a counter-strike of his own, his palm catching my shoulder with enough force to crack bone.
I grimaced as I felt the damage. Even with Titan's Crest active, that had hurt. Zhou Shentong might be limited by this world's energy constraints, but he hadn't become a sect elder through luck alone. His combat experience was showing – he'd already adapted to my fighting style and found ways to counter it.
"Impressed?" Zhou Shentong asked, noticing my reaction. "Did you think all my power came from techniques and formations? I was breaking bones before your grandfather was born, boy."
"You know what I'm actually impressed by?" I asked, subtly gathering qi. "How you've managed to maintain this compound with so little available energy. The formations, the plants, the guards... it must cost a fortune in resources."
Zhou Shentong's eyes narrowed, trying to figure out my angle. "Your point?"
"My point is..." I smiled. "You really should have spent more on structural integrity."
Before he could process that, I activated Explosive Seed. But instead of targeting him directly, I scattered the seeds throughout the room – in the walls, the floor, the ceiling. Dozens of them, each one carefully placed at key structural points I'd been mapping out during our entire conversation.
Zhou Shentong's eyes widened as he realized what I was about to do. "You wouldn't dare. You'll bring the whole building down!"
"Actually," I corrected him, "I'm counting on it."
I detonated all the seeds simultaneously.
The effect was catastrophic. The carefully maintained chamber, probably worth more than most families earned in a year, began to collapse in on itself. Chunks of ceiling rained down as support beams cracked and shattered. The expensive floor tiles buckled and split as the foundation itself was compromised.
Zhou Shentong moved to dodge the falling debris, his movements still impressive despite his injuries. But that's when my plant friends decided to help again. Roots that had been passively watching the fight suddenly sprang into action, wrapping around his legs and arms, holding him in place as the ceiling came down.
"This is madness!" he shouted over the sound of destruction. "You'll kill us all!"
Now we both knew that wasn’t true, Azure had already informed me before I entered the chamber that apart from Zhou Shentong and his hostage, there were only a few guards left in the building.
I watched as he struggled against the roots, throwing every bit of his considerable power into breaking free. But the plants had tasted real qi now – they weren't about to go back to the thin gruel of rouqi, no matter how much of it he tried to use.
What he didn’t know was that I planned for the explosions to hide any evidence of qi use, in a world like this, if the news were to spread, I would be hunted and taken to be some lab rat. With no certainty of there being a time loop, I couldn’t leave Han Renyi to such a fate.
"Han Renyi," I called internally. "Would you like to do the honors?"
I felt his consciousness stir with surprise. "What? But... how?"
"Don't worry about the technical details," I assured him. "I'll handle the actual control. You just need to make the decision. To will it to happen." I paused, then added softly, "To take responsibility for it."
I felt his hesitation, the momentary moral uncertainty of someone who'd never deliberately taken a life before. But then I felt him remember – remember the threats to his family, the fear for his sister, the sight of his father hanging helpless from the ceiling.
His resolve hardened.
The roots responded instantly, tightening their grip on Zhou Shentong. I could feel Han Renyi's intent flowing through them, guided by my knowledge but powered by his will. It was like teaching someone to write by guiding their hand – showing the proper form while letting them apply the pressure.
The sect elder's eyes widened as he realized what was happening, as he felt the killing intent behind the constricting plants.
"Wait," Zhou Shentong gasped, his arrogance finally cracking in the face of death. "We can... negotiate..."
The roots squeezed tighter.
"Please... I can... offer..."
Tighter.
“Ple—"
The sound of cracking bones was lost in the ongoing collapse of the building, but I could feel it through my connection to the plants. Could feel the moment Zhou Shentong's ribcage gave way, the instant his spine snapped, the final desperate surge of rouqi as his body tried to defend itself.
Then... nothing.
The roots swallowed Zhou Shentong's broken body into the ground as the last of the ceiling began to give way. I quickly Blink Stepped over to Han Renyi's father, who had been watching the entire scene with a mixture of horror and disbelief.
"Time to go," I said, grabbing his arm. Another Blink Step took us clear of the collapsing building.
We emerged outside just as Zhou Shentong's private chamber completed its transformation into a very expensive pile of rubble. The sound of the collapse would probably bring whatever guards remained running, but I wasn't particularly worried about that. Without Zhou Shentong or Zhang Ruiyang, they'd be more concerned with securing their own futures than avenging their dead master.
"Renyi?" Han Zhongwei's voice was barely a whisper as he stared at me. "Is... is that really you?"
I felt Han Renyi's consciousness stir, uncertain how to respond. After all, it both was and wasn't him answering.
"It's... complicated, Father," I said finally. "But I promise I'll explain everything once we're somewhere safer."
He continued to stare at me, and I could see him processing everything he'd witnessed – the impossible control over plants, the strange energy he'd sensed, the change in appearance, the casual destruction of a sect elder's private chamber.
This morning, he had left his son a promising but limited Tier 1 cultivator, and now he was... something else entirely.
What do you think?
Total Responses: 0