Chapter 89: Ugly Truth

After dropping Mei Mei behind a bush where I hid before, I approached the Forsaken Tree once again. I could tell that the pill was wearing off but I constantly stabilized my Qi Cores so I won’t get caught off-guard if ever the Forsaken Tree increases the intensity of its attack.

Arriving at the entrance to the deeper parts of the Forsaken Tree, or rather, under the Forsaken Tree. I didn’t think twice about going inside. Once again, the brightness of the underground hole caught my eyes by surprise. It took a few squints to get used to it.

Looking forward, I realized that the bright bluish and yellowish hues were just illuminating the entrance and the deeper parts of the hole were in complete and total darkness.

I gulped as the nerves tried to get the best of me but I shook it off. I’ve encountered many life-threatening instances in my life and this is just another one on the list. There’s no way I, a Sect Master, would be afraid of a mere hole under a tree.

It sounds weird but such was really the case.

“I should hurry.” After regaining my composure through words of encouragement, I delved deeper into the tunnel.

“Secret Tunnel… Secret Tunnel.” I hummed as I marched deeper and deeper. The once warm tunnel was beginning to drop in temperature every time I took a step. Adding to that, the intense pressure being released from the Forsaken Tree was seeping into my mind, trying to agitate the Virus within.

And here I was, thinking that it couldn’t get any worse than that.

Wrapping myself in a blanket of Qi once again, I decided to cultivate my Virus Qi Core so it would remain in control with the Virus within my body. As soon as I did that, that’s when I noticed that there were more Virus Qi spots in my body. Without further ado, I decided to gather them in my Virus Qi Core because they could go rampant or proliferate at any time. It’s been so long since I cultivated my Virus Qi Core that I didn’t realize that the virus in my body was increasing at such a rapid pace. If I hadn’t seen it… I would’ve suffered terribly later on.

I guess that’s the only thing I could thank the Forsaken Tree for.

Some people say that nature always had impeccable timing and I couldn’t believe that saying. Although I know that nature was self-sustaining, I know that such a thing called fate or destiny were just mere words that people came up with. After all, everything is possible if you worked hard for it, and not because you were fated or destined to achieve something. If such was the rule of this world, then that greatly embarrasses the people who worked hard to achieve the glory they had.

And yet, right now… just when I was getting a better outlook towards the Forsaken Tree, something greeted me from the deepest parts of the tunnel.

Yeah, I digress. Nature has impeccable timing all right.

The tunnel seemed to run forever. On each side of the tunnel were great vines, or rather, roots that flowed through the tunnel-like a knot of snakes I mean, not the knot like an actual knot, but a knot as in a group of snakes.

These roots were bigger than my arms but something in their component was making me shudder. It’s as if my instinct was telling me to get away from the place as soon as possible. Every sense of my being was throwing off warning signs towards me but I continued delving deeper.

And that’s when I saw the first of the many that were entrapped by the roots.

The first one looked like a bag of dry bones but I could tell at first glance that the bag of dry bones was once a kid, probably no less than twelve years old. Its skin seemed to fuse together with the roots and every hole on his body was flowing with roots. It’s like those things that you see in horror movies but this one was real… it was right in front of me.

“How could… how could a human do this.” I could feel myself trembling as I knelt down on the ground. Before I knew it, I was pressing both my palms against each other as I bowed my head down. Although there was nothing I could do about it, the least I could do before these dead children were to pay them respects and express my sincerest condolences.

“H-help… Someone please,”

It was a faint voice but I know for a fact that I wasn’t hallucinating. In a split second, I was up and running through the tunnel, ignoring the constant pressure I was bombarded with by the Forsaken Tree. I don’t care anymore.

If I go berserk in a place like this, I don’t care anymore. How many people live within these walls? A hundred thousand? Or perhaps, eighty-thousand?

Then why didn’t anyone go save these kids? Why were they just all talk? And why are they letting their shelter leader get away with it? And worst of all… why are there people who were conniving with the shelter leader to do something this cruel?!

All of the people here should just go die.

“SYSTEEEEEEEEM!” I screamed as I ran like mad, trying to detect the faintest sounds that would lead me to the kids who were still alive.

“Yongrui, are you sure about this? We can’t… this is too dangerous.” Hui-ying reconfirmed. Since she could basically read what’s going on in my mind, I know that she already had a rough idea on what I’m about to do.

“Yes, but if possible. I would like to save the children here. I don’t care what happens to this place. I’m killing everyone. Didn’t you see the state of this place?! THERE WERE NO CHILDREN!!!”

“No, Yongrui, I meant, it would be dangerous if you’re Qi Cores go berserk now. The constant pressure of the Forsaken Tree might turn you into a mindless rabid human… and it might be irreversible. Still, are you willing to go through it?”

“Hui-ying, this Forsaken Tree is just a mere tree,” I said, gathering my resolve. “If I, Tang Yongrui, the most powerful cultivator and genius in the past, and the Sect Master of the Tang Sect can’t even stand up against a mere tree, then it’d be better if I turn into a mindless rabid human right here and now. I couldn’t care less if I could see this shelter burn right before my eyes.”

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