Merin’s eyes widen in shock as he turns to see a giant of a man with a bald head glaring at him fiercely, as if Merin had stolen something precious from him.

Mu Jingyi calmly introduces, “He is Wang Ju from the Thunder Ape Sect.”

Wang Ju repeats, “I want to challenge you.”

Gu Lingsha and Touba Xi watch with clear interest.

Ling Susu hides a sly smile on her face, unseen by the others.

Jin Ye narrows his eyes and glares coldly at Wang Ju.

Merin shifts his gaze toward Mu Jingyi.

She says evenly, “Your choice. They all know each other and are familiar with one another’s strengths. With this competition, they will also become familiar with yours.”

Merin thinks for a moment, then looks at Wang Ju and says, “I accept your duel.”

Wang Ju nods sharply, then leaps high into the air and lands on the far side of the training field without making a sound.

Merin notes silently, *good control of strength.*

He steps forward and positions himself opposite Wang Ju.

Mu Jingyi declares, “Fight with your spiritual body directly, and stop the battle when I say stop.”

Both Merin and Wang Ju nod in agreement.

Runes suddenly appear around them—one taking the form of an eagle, the other an ape.

From their bodies, lightning erupts, enveloping them as they float upward and curl into fetal positions.

The lightning threads together, forming into the Lightning Eagle and the Thunder Ape.

The Lightning Eagle screeches, flapping its wings as it ascends higher into the air.

The Thunder Ape stomps its feet and releases a deafening roar.

A green-golden eagle faces a massive purple ape.

With thunderous cries, they vanish and reappear in bursts of lightning, clashing violently against each other.

Thus begins their duel, a clash of raw spiritual power that sends ripples across the training ground.

Mu Jingyi’s eyes narrow as she studies Merin’s spiritual body form, muttering under her breath, “He is more talented than I thought, but he will help me become the patriarch of the Mu Family.”

Merin and Wang Ju collide repeatedly, each strike a test of the other’s spiritual body strength and control.

The Purple Ape lets out a thunderous roar and shouts, “Thunder Descend!”

Dark clouds gather rapidly above, and lightning begins raining down, aimed directly at Merin.

Merin shouts, “Lightning Network!” and vanishes just in time, narrowly avoiding Wang Ju’s deadly strike.

As he dodges, his wing, sharp like a blade, slices through the air and slams into Wang Ju’s stomach.

The force sends Wang Ju rolling violently to the side, crashing hard against the ground.

The battle rages on, lightning and lightning energy colliding with explosive force, shaking the ground beneath them.

Merin’s Lightning Eagle swoops down, claws flashing like blades, and strikes at the Thunder Ape, forcing it to stagger back.

Wang Ju counters with a crushing blow, the Thunder Ape’s fists smashing into the air, sending arcs of lightning in all directions.

Merin twists midair, letting the Lightning Eagle dive and spin, its wings slicing through the storm of energy Wang Ju conjures.

The Thunder Ape roars and stomps, sending thunderclaps across the training field, but Merin anticipates each strike, dodging and countering with precision.

Sparks fly, energies clash, and the ground cracks under the sheer force of their spiritual bodies.

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Merin extends his focus, and from his body, a green glow begins to shimmer, faint at first.

He screams, “Tree World Descendant!”

A brilliant green light falls to the ground, and a colossal tree erupts from the earth.

More trees follow, branches and roots weaving rapidly, engulfing the battlefield in a verdant forest.

The roots coil around the Purple Ape, tightening like iron, while Wang Ju struggles violently but fails to break free.

The Thunder Ape’s form disperses, returning to Wang Ju, who falls to the ground and declares defeat.

Merin screeches triumphantly and floats down as the forest reverses, trees shrinking and disappearing, the green glow returning to his body as his feet touch the ground.

Except for Mu Jingyi, everyone else stares at him in shock, realising that if Merin can defeat Wang Ju, he could easily defeat them, despite their famous sects, techniques, and vast resources, while he comes from no force at all.

The next day dawns as they look down at the ground from the flying boat.

The journey that would take two days on horseback is about to end within minutes.

A few moments later, the sprawling swamp comes into view, its dark waters dotted with twisted reeds and mist curling above its surface—known as the Shadowfen Swamp.

The team gathers on the deck, eyes fixed on the marshy expanse ahead.

Mu Jingyi raises her hand and says, “Everyone, take the oath.”

After the last two oaths are sworn, binding them to the mission, the boat descends gracefully.

Its hull touches the ground near the edge of Shadowfen Swamp, the water rippling against the landing, signalling the start of their dangerous task.

Mu Jingyi says, “Elder Yue will lead the way. Everyone follows her.”

Elder Yue nods and dashes forward, the rest of the team following closely behind.

They release their aura, sending waves of intimidation that keep lesser demons at bay as they advance, eventually coming to a halt at the bank of a lake dotted with white water lilies and a single black water lily at its centre.

Sensing their auras, the water begins to churn violently, waves forming as hundreds of massive snake heads rise, three of them far larger than the rest.

All hiss in unison and lunge toward the intruders.

Merin and the celestial masters take on their spiritual forms, while crimson auras envelop the martial artists like Elder Jiazi and Elder Yue, forming armour of blazing energy over their bodies.

The two sides collide in a violent clash of power.

Merin, in his Lightning Eagle form, Mu Jingyi in her Dark Crow form, Ling Susu in her Rose Crow form, and Gu Lingsha in her Water Phoenix form soar into the sky, aiming for the Dead Lily.

Three intermediate swamp boas block their path.

Merin, Gu Lingsha, and Ling Susu engage the three boas directly, holding them back, while Mu Jingyi pushes forward toward the Dead Lily.

She shifts into human form, stepping lightly on the water’s surface, bending down to grasp the flower.

Suddenly, green energy chains erupt from beneath the lake, wrapping swiftly around her hands and feet.

On the opposite side of the lake, a monstrous figure emerges: a tiger’s head crowned with goat horns, a humanoid goat body draped in a tattered robe, and chains binding its arms and legs—an Evil Celestial Master.

The monster laughs, dancing on the spot, and hisses, “So much food.”

A green fog rises, forming a dome over the lake, trapping everyone inside.

With a powerful leap, the creature opens its massive jaws, aiming to swallow Mu Jingyi whole.

She struggles desperately, but the chains siphon her energy, restraining her.

Merin could kill the Evil Celestial Master in an instant, but such a display would reveal his strength to everyone.

Instead, he channels the Lightning Network’s power and vanishes from in front of the boas, reappearing instantly to cut the two chains binding Mu Jingyi.

He flies at incredible speed, colliding with the Evil Celestial Master.

The monster, enraged, swings a massive fist, but Merin opens his beak and unleashes a torrent of lightning, striking the Celestial Master and forcing it into the lake.

Merin soars high, turning to see Mu Jingyi holding the Dead Lily safely.

He spins into a lightning drill, piercing the Evil Celestial Master’s chest and slamming it into the lakebed.

Moments later, Merin flies above as giant trees erupt from the lake, forming a small forest that surrounds the area.

Following the path cleared through the barrier, the team escapes.

Merin shifts back to human form, lunging out of the barrier just as it closes behind them.

At night, Merin returns to his room in Mu Jingyi’s mansion.

He begins meditating to recover his energy when a soft knock on the door draws his attention.

Opening it, he finds Mu Jingyi standing there, dressed in a loose robe, her long hair cascading down past her legs.

Merin steps back, silently allowing her to enter, and closes the door behind her.

He turns to see her seated gracefully on the bed.

Tilting his head, his mind already connecting the clues for why he was asked to join the task—the reward of the Wood God Technique.

“What do you want?” he asks calmly.

Mu Jingyi produces a small box from her robe pocket, opening it to reveal the Dead Lily inside.

Merin’s eyes narrow slightly. “You want me to help you absorb the power of the Dead Lily.”

He steps closer, loosening his robe sash as he approaches.

Mu Jingyi swallows the Dead Lily, her head falling lightly onto the bed.

Merin leans over her, hands bracing either side of her body, and their lips meet.

A green glow from Merin flows into Mu Jingyi, while a black glow from her enters him.

While their bodies connect, Merin separates a part of his mind, focusing intently on comprehending the principles of the Dead Lily’s energy.

As Merin and Mu Jingyi engage in double cultivation, far away on the lake by Shadowfen Swamp, a young man in a black velvet robe materialises.

He notices the missing Dead Lily and the small forest that had risen from the lake.

With a wave of his hand, a black energy sweeps over the forest, disintegrating the trees in an instant.

The tiger-headed, goat-bodied monster emerges from the water, whispering “food… food…” as it looks around, seeking its prey.

The young man sneers, “Useless fool.”

He releases a surge of black energy from his hand, sweeping over the creature’s body.

Within moments, the monster turns to bone, its soul rising from the skeleton and landing in the man’s palm, where he swallows it in one gulp.

Closing his eyes for a heartbeat, he opens them and murmurs, “Mu Family.”

A black bird forms in his hand and takes off toward Liulan City, carrying his intent.

Meanwhile, Merin sleeps peacefully, holding Mu Jingyi in his arms, completely unaware of the young man’s arrival and the deadly display on the lake.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep