Another stretch of time passed, and the scene descended into ever greater chaos. Every bearer was lunging toward the Innate Spirit Tree, yet not a single one could succeed. The moment anyone entered within a hundred feet of the tree, they were met with the combined assault of nearly every combatant present.
How could anyone withstand so many secret arts raining down, each carrying Fifth-rank, Sixth-rank, or even Seventh-rank power?
Yang Kai estimated that even with his Dragon Transformation, he wouldn't be able to endure such a barrage. And even if he did transform, he doubted he could last more than a handful of breaths.
Several bearers had already perished, their bodies obliterated utterly. Though they had each received generous cultivation from the Holy Spirits behind them, in a conflict of this scale, individual strength was simply too insignificant. Seizing the perfect moment was everything—acting rashly would only bring destruction upon oneself.
Amid the fighting, the spirit fruit on the Innate Spirit Tree had fully ripened. It was crystalline and translucent, impossibly alluring. Though no extraordinary fragrance drifted from it, it still made everyone desperate to pluck it and taste what it held within.
Suddenly, a burst of hearty laughter rang out, resounding through the heavens: "So this is the Innate Spirit Fruit? Then I, Fang, shall help myself without standing on ceremony!"
As the voice came, a figure hurtled toward the scene at tremendous speed.
The bearers locked in fierce battle flew into a rage upon hearing this. They all turned to look, wanting to see who dared spout such brazen words. They had been fighting over this for ages, and not a single person had managed to get within a hundred feet of the tree. Now someone waltzed in making such grandiose claims—naturally, it rubbed them all the wrong way.
But Yang Kai's eyes lit up. He said in a low voice, "Now's the chance—get ready!"
He had been waiting this entire time, searching for the perfect opening. At last, his patience had paid off.
Upon hearing his words, Qu Huashang and Gu Pan both sharpened their expressions, silently channeling their power.
On the other side, a figure crashed into the battlefield and made straight for the Innate Spirit Tree.
Sss, sss, sss—whistles of tearing air rang without cease as beams of light from secret arts and Artifacts bloomed in unison, all hammering toward that figure. Yet the newcomer showed not a shred of fear, the smile on his face undiminished. Only when the countless attacks were about to strike did he sway his body and let out a low shout: "Immovable as mountains since the dawn of eternity!"
A supremely dense earth-elemental energy radiated outward, warping and coalescing around his body into the spectral image of an enormous turtle. The phantom turtle shrouded the man in its protective embrace. Countless attacks slammed into the spectral image, yet they only managed to rock it gently—they did not harm the newcomer in the slightest.
"That's..." Some onlookers gaped, stunned speechless.
From the start of the free-for-all until now, this was the first time anyone had displayed such formidable defense. The moment the great turtle phantom appeared, it radiated an aura of impregnability, as though no force could break through.
"The Thick Earth Profound Turtle!" someone identified the origin of the phantom image.
If the phantom was the Thick Earth Profound Turtle, then the newcomer could only be its bearer. Only the bearer of that particular Holy Spirit could unleash a defensive secret art of this magnitude!
The newcomer was none other than Fang Yue! He had crossed paths with Yang Kai once before—Yang Kai had even robbed him of his Space Ring. Where he had been all this time was anyone's guess, but the emergence of the Innate Spirit Tree had finally drawn him out.
The Thick Earth Profound Turtle's earth-elemental power was at least Seventh-rank. To inflict damage on such defense, ordinary methods were completely useless. One either had to match it with Seventh-rank power of their own or counter it through the restraining cycle of the Five Elements.
So the moment they saw the turtle phantom, several combatants immediately unleashed wood-elemental power of considerable rank, transforming it into streaks of wooden shadows and hurling them at Fang Yue.
The turtle phantom shuddered continuously, its glow rapidly dimming. But by then Fang Yue had already closed to within a hundred feet of the tree. He reached out, grabbing for the spirit fruit atop it.
"You think a turtle shell makes you invincible? Watch me, Old Ding, chop you apart!" A furious roar came as Ding Yi raised the massive saber in his hands high overhead. His entire body erupted in raging flame, and fire coiled and danced along the blade. As he brought the saber down, a three-legged aberrant bird screeched and soared outward, diving straight at Fang Yue.
Ding Yi was the bearer of the Holy Spirit Bifang. Bifang was a fire-attribute Holy Spirit, and it had used its own inner core to condense fire-elemental power for Ding Yi. Back at the World Tree, when Ding Yi had fought the man surnamed Gou, he had employed this very technique.
The strike was devastating in its might—as if it could incinerate heaven and earth itself.
Fang Yue's expression turned grave. The Thick Earth Profound Turtle's phantom defense was admittedly exceptional, allowing him to ignore most attacks. But fire-elemental power of equal Seventh-rank was a genuine threat, and his defensive art had already been worn down considerably.
He hesitated for only an instant between retreating and advancing, but his momentum did not diminish. He continued reaching for the spirit fruit.
Boom! Fang Yue's body jolted. Countless fissures raced across the turtle phantom's surface, looking as though it could shatter at any moment—yet it still held, still guarding him.
Meanwhile, Ding Yi, after unleashing that strike, looked like a boiled shrimp. His entire body flushed crimson, steam rising from his skin, blood seeping from his seven orifices, and the hand gripping the saber trembled uncontrollably.
His aptitude was decent, but it was far from sufficient to condense Seventh-rank power on his own. Neither his Dao Seal nor his physical body could bear Seventh-rank fire. But Bifang didn't care about such concerns—it had forcibly condensed the power for him, all to bolster their chances in the contest for the Innate Spirit Fruit.
So while Ding Yi wielded Seventh-rank fire, he dared not use it freely. Each time he unleashed it, the strain on his body was enormous, and if he used it too many times, the fire-elemental power could even backfire and consume him from within.
Many of the other bearers were in similar situations. With their foundations insufficient, the Holy Spirits had forcibly condensed high-rank power within them. It might look impressive in the short term, but the hidden dangers were endless.
Qu Huashang, by contrast, had it different. The Holy Spirit behind her was Feiyi, which did not specialize in any particular elemental attribute and therefore could not condense a specific type of power for its bearer. Instead, Feiyi could only steadily enhance her from other aspects. The benefits gained this way were genuine and lasting, free from any lurking consequences.