Ji Mo, his vision blocked by the gourd brothers, did not witness this terrifying scene and asked curiously what was happening.
"Reporting to Ancestral Master, it's the Nether Undying Vine going berserk. It's likely a result of you severing a section of its root," Sima Hongfeng stated his conjecture. He had initially thought Ji Mo had killed the Nether Undying Vine with a single sword strike, but it now seemed only a small portion of its root system had perished.
The true body of the Nether Undying Vine was immensely vast. Furthermore, as time passed and it continuously devoured various creatures, it would grow ever more terrifying. By then, would anyone truly be able to deal with it?
"Ancestral Master, you should have seen it. That vine was so frightening, so large, thick, and long, it seemed like it was about to pierce the heavens," Er Lengzi exclaimed, his eyes wide, his voice trembling slightly. It was his first time encountering such a terrifying creature, and he was so scared his scalp tingled. He was so frightened he forgot to sniff back the snot dripping into his mouth.
Large, thick, and long? Ji Mo subconsciously glanced down at himself. He couldn't stand such words and said sternly, "Could it be this so-called Undying Vine that destroyed the Heavenly Constellation God Slaying Formation and swallowed my divine beast remains? No, I must make it spit them out."
He had the flying boat land, returned to the boat with Xia Wan'er, and ordered Sima Hongfeng to lead him in pursuing the Nether Undying Vine. The divine beast within the Heavenly Constellation God Slaying Formation was an inheritance left to him by his good brother Kongxu, and he would never let anyone else have it. Ji Hanhan, with red eyes, shouted that he would chop the Nether Undying Vine into pieces and reclaim the divine beast remains.
"As expected of Ancestral Master. Others would be scared out of their wits upon hearing of the Nether Undying Vine, yet only Ancestral Master fears nothing and actively pursues and attacks that terrifying demonic creature!" Sima Hongfeng's eyes were filled with admiration. He felt he must learn Ji Mo's character, his overwhelming presence, and his fearlessness.
The Nether Undying Vine had already disappeared, retracting underground. Sima Hongfeng still remembered the general direction and piloted the flying boat towards it.
"What is the Void Sword Sect doing? Are they actively seeking death?"
"It's said that where evil creatures appear, there must be great treasures. Could they be after wealth and not their lives?"
"Too foolish. That demonic creature is the Nether Undying Vine. Whoever goes there will die. We should quickly find an exit and get out of this cursed place, or we'll all end up as food for the Nether Undying Vine."
At this moment, the beings who had entered the Void Secret Realm no longer cared about any fortuitous encounters; they felt that escaping was paramount. They began searching everywhere for an exit, wanting to flee as quickly as possible.
Ji Mo and his group rushed forward at high speed but were too late. The Nether Undying Vine had vanished without a trace. This area had been reduced to scorched earth, completely devoid of life, with only scattered white bones lying everywhere.
Xia Wan'er's expression changed drastically, and she sighed softly, "Too terrifying. In such a short time, it has devoured the flesh and blood of so many creatures!" She then discovered the giant pit that had appeared on the ground, and her scalp tingled with fear. Just how enormous was the body of this demonic creature!
Ji Mo, the little money-grubber, didn't notice these things. His gaze was attracted by several spatial rings and storage bags scattered on the ground. Clearly, some unlucky Heavenly Immortals had been devoured, leaving these items behind.
"So many medicinal herbs and minerals, and their quality is very good!" Ji Mo's eyes lit up as he examined the spatial rings. After asking Sima Hongfeng and learning that these items were of high value, he became incredibly excited.
Sima Hongfeng was once again shocked. These spatial items had personal imprints, and even powerful figures in the Immortal God Realm would need some time to refine them. Yet, Ji Mo could open them freely, seemingly without any obstruction. This was somewhat terrifying.
"Ancestral Master is becoming more unfathomable." With continuous interaction, Sima Hongfeng found that his Ancestral Master seemed even more formidable than rumored, with abilities far exceeding his expectations.
"A loss. It seems I charged too little for the tickets. These scoundrels got so many good things in our secret realm, I'll make them pay dearly. I'll fleece them again when they leave." Ji Mo immediately thought of a way to get rich. Sima Hongfeng chuckled. As expected of Ancestral Master, a master of making money. It seemed they could rake in another fortune.
Then, the flying boat ascended again, in search of the Nether Undying Vine. After the flying boat disappeared, the Rift Woman's figure emerged from underground. "Strange, why would the Nether Undying Vine avoid the Void Sword Sect? Could it be wary of that Sword Intent Azure Stone? But there's no need to worry. It's a minor issue. The slaughter has begun, and the Nether Undying Vine will grow stronger. All life within the secret realm will become its food." She pondered for a moment, then resumed her appearance as Bi Yao, intending to blend back into the crowd and watch as they struggled in despair.
The terrifying slaughter had begun without warning. A group of cultivators walked towards the entrance with panicked expressions. Suddenly, roots silently broke through the soil from underground. These roots were dense, some as thick as arms, others as fine as hair, and they ferociously attacked the group.
"Ah!"
Piercing screams rang out. A young female Earth Immortal had her forehead pierced by a root as thick as a finger, instantly perishing.
"Senior Sister..." Her companions cried out in shock, and some angrily brandished their weapons, trying to sever the root. However, before they could act, their calves were ensnared by something, and half their bodies were abruptly dragged into the soil. Subsequently, their bodies dissolved at a visible rate, their flesh and blood instantly drained, leaving only skeletons.
"Scatter and flee!" A senior from the sect roared, then unleashed his strongest attack, severing one root after another. However, it was useless. The severed roots quickly regenerated, even splitting into more, coiling around the sect elder and shredding him into mincemeat.
Out of over a hundred people, only a handful managed to escape. Looking back at the tragic fate of their fellow disciples, their faces were filled with despair. They had narrowly escaped this time, but what about next time? Such events were happening everywhere in the secret realm, and no one could resist the slaughter of the Nether Undying Vine. Even the Heavenly Origin Sect had lost hundreds of elite disciples.
Wu Gongce, the Vice Sect Master of the Heavenly Origin Sect, had a livid expression. Their own allies were being massacred. What sin had they committed? It seemed the powerful figures were merely using them as dogs to disgust the Void Sword Sect and didn't care about their lives at all. And the Nether Undying Vine, having drunk countless immortal blood, was growing ever stronger!
The surviving various beings gathered together, intending to huddle for warmth. The mysterious divine beast, to save its life, also disguised itself as an ordinary immortal beast and mingled among them. The Rift Woman in the crowd revealed a cruel smile. It was best for these fools to gather together; it would be easier to take them all at once, saving her the trouble of hunting them individually. She then loudly declared, "Fellow Daoists, there's no need to panic. I know of a place that is very safe and can avoid the Nether Undying Vine's hunt." The Rift Woman intended to lure these people into a trap.