Chapter 130: The Ghost-Faced Tree

"But the Earth Marrow Bead is there," Qinghu said, stubbornly trying to break free from her fourth brother's grip.

The Earth Marrow Bead—it was exactly what she needed. She was currently being driven to the brink of madness by a sliver of divine energy that had been stripped from the Divine Fluid. It was so volatile that it had already damaged her internal organs several times over. And that was only the result of her being extremely cautious; had she been any less careful, she would have suffered even more.

"The Earth Marrow Bead can't be eaten," Qingzhen insisted, clutching his sister's arm with all his might. They could not go; they absolutely could not. "We are just two weak siblings; if we go, we’ll die."

"We definitely won't die. We have them to lead the charge," Qinghu said, gesturing toward Balie and Heizhan.

The two men immediately puffed out their chests and held their heads high.

"It won't work, little sister. They aren't on our side," Qingzhen said earnestly. "We are of the human race, and they are of the alien races. Do you really think they’ll risk their lives for us?" He thought it was a pipe dream to expect such loyalty.

"It doesn't matter. As long as they obey," Qinghu replied. She had never expected them to be on her side to begin with.

Balie and Heizhan nodded again. Absolutely obedient! Their attitudes were impeccable. If they were fortunate enough to become followers of such a lady in the future, they would surely be even more obedient.

The little lion and the little dog stared with their round, adorable eyes. What was going on here? Were these new underlings for Big Sister Hu? And what about them?

"They don't look like good news," Qingzhen added. "What if they have malicious intent toward us?"

"Then they’ll be ready for the pot," Qinghu said.

Balie and Heizhan both stiffened, their expressions tightening.

"The pot?" Qingzhen was stunned. "You want to put them in a pot?"

"Why not? Don't let their human-like appearances fool you; it's all an illusion. They’re really just a chubby little lion and a plump little dog. If they don't finish the tasks I've given them, what use are they? I might as well throw them in a pot and make a stew to satisfy my cravings," Qinghu stated.

Qingzhen’s eyes widened. "What are you thinking about all day? Why are you willing to eat anything?"

"As if you don't love eating meat! If I cook something delicious later, don't you dare touch it," Qinghu retorted indignantly.

"Don't be like that. Can we talk about serious matters now?" Qingzhen looked at his sister with a headache. "Why can you be so unreasonable?"

"How am I being unreasonable?" Qinghu asked, puzzled.

Wei Dongting watched the siblings bickering, not knowing what to say. The mysterious Shen Qinghu and the simple-minded Shen Qingzhen—how could these two possibly be siblings? Why were the little buns from the same nest so different?

The well-traveled Balie and Heizhan stood by quietly. It wasn't every generation that a Divine Descendant awakened, so it was no surprise they had kin. But while their kin could play around with the Divine Descendants without a care in the world, they didn't have that privilege. They had better stand still and wait to fight the beetle monsters later.

"Sister, wake up. We really can't do this. Those beetle monsters are simply not something we can handle. Why don't you ask Wei Dongting or Helan Che? They are so powerful, they are already Foundation Establishment cultivators, and even they can't handle them."

Wei Dongting and Helan Che, who had been mentioned, felt very complicated.

"They don't have helpers, but we do," Qinghu said.

"Those dogs and lions? Facing thousands of beetle monsters is just offering ourselves up as a snack," Qingzhen immediately retorted.

"It's fine, we have other helpers," Qinghu said.

"Look around you. Besides those dogs and lions, who else is thinking of risking their lives underground with you?" Qingzhen complained. "Look at those people. As soon as you mentioned going to the underground palace, look at how they scrambled away to stay as far from you as possible." He pointed at the birds. "And that senior? You were the one who pulled him up. Look at how sensible he is."

The bird in question, having been pulled up earlier, was so angry his beak nearly crooked. *What do you mean 'sensible'? You don't have to insult me just to make a point.*

"Look at the people behind Balie. They've all retreated; that means they don't want to follow that little lion," Qingzhen continued.

The group of alien youths behind Balie felt a surge of anger. *We just subconsciously took a few steps back! Who doesn't want to stand a bit further away?* They glared at Qingzhen, their eyes burning with fire. Even if they had no intention of following Balie into the underground palace, being pointed out like that was sure to offend him. If Balie survived, would he still let them hang out with him in the future?

Balie also glanced back at his followers. His clansmen hadn't moved. Their mission was to follow his orders and protect his life. In truth, they didn't want to go back underground either. But it seemed Balie was particularly obsessed with Shen Qinghu. Regardless, they would follow Balie's arrangements.

As for the others, Balie didn't force them. His lady had her own kin; he wasn't afraid they couldn't handle the beetles below. "If you don't want to go, stay up here," Balie told those standing far away. As for those who lacked the foresight to board the lady's ship, that was their own ignorance.

"We... we just think our cultivation is low and our combat power is weak. We'd only be a burden if we went down," a boy in ornate robes said to Balie, feeling quite embarrassed.

Balie nodded. "It's fine. Stay up here and be careful."

The group nodded gratefully. In reality, Balie had already sentenced them to death in his heart. Once they entered the underground palace, the lady would certainly reclaim the Stone Spirits. Without the protection of the Stone Spirits, there would soon be no living things left on the surface. What fools!

"Sister, listen to what they're saying. Even powerful aliens are admitting their cultivation is low and they are afraid to go down. Why are you so stubborn about going to your death?" Qingzhen pleaded again.

The alien youths glared at Shen Qingzhen: *Who said we were afraid to go down? Didn't we say we didn't want to be a burden?! You speak so viciously!*

But Shen Qingzhen didn't care if they were glaring at him or threatening him. He continued to persuade his sister. "Sister, look at the people Wei Dongting brought. They don't dare make a peep. They're hiding like quails because they have self-awareness. You're just too stubborn. Can we please not go down?"

Ruan Qingwu covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. She saw several people she knew turning blue with rage. Being so bold and so annoying—it was classic Shen Qingzhen.

"Was he always like this?" Helan Che stood beside Ruan Qingwu and asked in a low voice. He looked at Qingzhen with an indescribable expression. Who raised this big brother? Why was he so boorish?

"Shen Qingzhen has always been like this. Their eldest brother, Shen Qingjin, is someone you can tell is extraordinary just by looking at him. But Shen Qingzhen's personality is the polar opposite of his brother's. Simple, reckless, and a bit of a fool. Their younger sister is Shen Qinghu, who is a bit playful, loves to eat, and is quite willful."

"Little girl, if you listen to me, stop commenting on Shen Qinghu from now on. And don't comment on her brothers either," Helan Che said, glancing at her with a serious expression.

"Why?" Ruan Qingwu asked, surprised.

"She is a Divine Descendant. What do you think?" Helan Che retorted.

Ruan Qingwu gasped. "How is that possible? When have there ever been Divine Descendants among our human race? If this had come out earlier, the Dao Court would have been in an uproar!"

"Who knows? The total number of humans is vast, and bloodlines are hard to control, so Divine Descendants are even harder to predict. You never know when one or two might pop up," Helan Che said.

"But the aliens say our human bloodline is inferior and we can't have Divine Descendants," Ruan Qingwu said.

"Humans just have weak physiques, not inferior character or bearing. It's not strange for a Divine Descendant to appear," Helan Che said.

"But her... how is that possible?" Ruan Qingwu was still skeptical.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Helan Che rolled his eyes. "That little girl bullies everyone. If she weren't a Divine Descendant, where would she get the confidence? Have you ever seen a human with such spirit, daring to make the proudest aliens bow to her? Even Wei Dongting, who the Dao Sect has been favoring in recent years, doesn't have that ability."

Helan Che glanced at Wei Dongting. Wei Dongting looked back; it seemed he had heard his name mentioned.

"That's old news. The ones currently favored by the Dao Sect aren't Wei Dongting, but Qi Dongxuan and Zhou Xiaochen," Ruan Qingwu said.

"What? It changed again? The Dao Sect's taste changes too quickly. It's only been a few years. Doesn't that mean Wei Dongting didn't even get five years of favor?" Helan Che joked.

"What favor? Brother Helan, are you talking about me?" Wei Dongting had suspected they were discussing him, so he walked over just in time to hear about his 'five years of favor.' It was outrageous! He wasn't some concubine in a royal harem!

"Hahaha," Helan Che laughed awkwardly. Ruan Qingwu covered her mouth and giggled.

Across the way, Qingzhen was still nagging his sister. Why was she so insistent on going to the dangerous underground palace?

"Fourth Brother, we've been here for so long, have you seen Big Brother?" Qinghu suddenly changed the subject.

"Yeah, why is Big Brother missing? That's strange," Qingzhen started to suspect.

"Where could he have gone?" Qinghu asked.

"Big Brother... he probably..." Qingzhen wasn't truly stupid. After thinking for a moment, his face turned serious. "Are you saying he's also trapped in the underground palace?"

"Isn't that obvious? You're trapped, and Big Brother entered the Xuantian Tower right after you," Qinghu said.

"Oh! My brain! I was thrown into that underground palace, so Big Brother might have been thrown in too! He might be trapped in some shaft right now!" Qingzhen immediately bristled. He felt he was incredibly unlucky; the moment he entered the Xuantian Tower, he had hit the one-in-ten-thousand chance of being thrown into a spirit cave—and then into the underground palace. Was it bad luck or good luck?

"No food, no water, can't make a sound, waiting for rescue. How pathetic," Qinghu said, using reverse psychology on her fourth brother.

Qingzhen’s expression shifted. "Let's go. We're going down to the underground palace." He couldn't ignore his brother. He would risk it.

Qinghu was satisfied. She nodded. "Okay."

She Shiyi and She Qi looked at each other. She Shiyi spoke first: "I plan to go down and take a look. If it's really bad, we'll retreat."

"I'm just afraid we won't be able to retreat," She Qi said.

"That's still better than never having gone down. I have to go inside to see it. How about you take the clansmen and wait above, and I'll go down first?" She Shiyi suggested.

"Forget it, let's go together," She Qi decided. "Even if we can't kill that thing, we'll try our best." Besides, it was only safe to be near a Divine Descendant. Staying up here alone was too dangerous. They had seen how the beetles were no joke. If it weren't for the appearance of those Stone Spirits, they would have been surrounded and hunted down last night.

"Alright then. Qinghu, we're going down. All the snake clan members we brought will go down too," She Shiyi said.

"Then on our side, the dog, the little lions, and my brother will go down," Qinghu nodded.

"I'm going too," Helan Che said.

"I'll go take a look," Ruan Qingwu decided.

"Then I'll go down. The others can stay and look after the seriously injured," Wei Dongting said to the human youths.

Unexpectedly, one human boy immediately replied, "I want to go down too."

Wei Dongting looked at him, puzzled. "Why?"

"No matter what, we humans may lack combat power because of our innate physical weakness, but that doesn't mean we have to lack courage. So I want to go down and see," the boy said.

Even Qinghu and Qingzhen looked at him with interest. The boy looked clean and inexperienced, but he had guts. However, the siblings didn't say much; they didn't have a high opinion of the Dao Court. Once the boy spoke up, a few other daring youths joined in. The women and the wounded chose to stay behind.

Besides the humans, many aliens chose to stay behind as well. The birds hid without a sound; they wouldn't have the advantage of flight in the underground palace, so they wouldn't go.

The problem was, less than half an hour after Qinghu and the others left, the overwhelming swarms of beetles returned. This time, they used ambush tactics. The swarm included many insects with superior jumping abilities, attacking from all directions with great speed and ferocity.

One wave of attacks killed twenty people. The survivors frantically boarded their flying vehicles and fled. But the bugs were fast. The flying swords and vehicles required magic power and spirit stones, and once those were exhausted, death was certain. Everyone shivered at the thought.

Even the birds were terrified. Having wings didn't mean you could stay in the air forever. And every time they landed, the beetles would strike. Each attack claimed more lives, and the weakest humans were the first to be hunted.

The screams of the dying filled them with dread. There were only five or six humans left. They regretted not following Wei Dongting into the underground palace. Wei must be a lucky charm; they had been fine while with him, but once they left, they suffered such heavy losses.

But it was too late now.

...

Qinghu and the others followed Balie through a crisp valley.

"How much further?" Qinghu asked, impatient.

"Seven or eight more valleys and we'll be there. It's easier to walk through the valleys than the mountain ridges."

"Fine, let's keep walking," Qinghu rolled her eyes.

They could have flown, but She Shiyi and the others were dead set against it. They had been discovered and chased by the beetles because they were flying. Why invite trouble before reaching the entrance? Could walking really kill them? Qinghu had been persuaded by several people and agreed. Walk it was!

After passing four or five linked valleys, they entered a valley filled with flowering trees. Pink flowers hung in clusters like peach blossoms. There were at least three hundred of these large trees in the valley.

"We're almost at the destination. Everyone, keep pushing!" Balie shouted.

"What, really?" Qinghu asked.

"We're almost at the entrance to the underground palace," Balie said.

"Then let everyone rest. I think at this hour, we should eat, get a good night's sleep, and go down tomorrow morning," Qinghu said.

"My lady, it's only noon," Balie said, laughing and crying at once.

"Qinghu, didn't you say you wanted to find Big Brother?" Qingzhen asked, irritated.

"Big Brother won't die in half a day. He’s not like you; he always has food and meat stored. He bought a lot of it and shared some with me."

Qingzhen was embarrassed. "Fine, fine. Eat, eat. After we eat, we'll set up camp and sleep. We'll go down tomorrow," he conceded.

Since the siblings agreed, everyone found a place to camp. During the digestion period after lunch, Qingzhen looked at the flowering trees. "I wonder if these trees grow fruit."

"They do," Balie answered directly.

"Do they start bearing fruit after the flowers wither?" Qingzhen asked curiously.

"No, the fruit grows at the roots, like lumps. They aren't pretty, and they make you sick if you eat them. Even the beetles don't eat them," Balie said. "These are called Ghost Face Trees. They are one of the few special species in this spirit cave that the beetles haven't eaten."

"Ghost Face Trees, that's interesting. I'll go dig one up and see what the fruit looks like," Qingzhen said, excited. He ran to a tree and started digging. He dug nearly half a meter deep and unearthed two fist-sized lumps.

The lumps looked like twisted, wailing human heads. It was a bit creepy. Ruan Qingwu took one look and walked away.

"Qinghu, Qinghu, come here and see if this lump looks like a human head!"

Qinghu hurried over and poked it with her hand. "This thing might be delicious." She took out her knife, peeled the skin, and revealed white, pear-like flesh inside. A fragrance burst forth immediately, making everyone drool.

Qinghu carved out a small piece and was about to eat it when Balie interrupted, "My lady, the fruit of the Ghost Face Tree causes bizarre deformities—noses grow long, necks get knotted, some grow four eyes, and some people turn soft like noodles and can only crawl on the ground."

Qinghu didn't change her mind and popped it into her mouth.

"Little Hu-er, didn't he say you can't eat it?" Qingzhen shouted. He had wanted to stop her, but his sister was too fast.

After eating the flesh, Qinghu nodded. "Delicious, though it's a bit of a hassle."

The fruit did contain substances that induced physical mutation, but it was very weak. Qinghu thought of the Cangji and Jinbei she had brought, which she raised in her shell. The Cangji had already mutated in the light-based divine energy, and the Jinbei, though its mutation was weaker, was plentiful.

Qinghu took out some Cangji and Jinbei and boiled a large pot of soup, serving a full bowl to her fourth brother. "Drink it, then you can eat all the fruit you want."

Qingzhen drank it down in one gulp and then opened another lump to eat. Once it hit his stomach, it was incredibly delicious. The siblings ate two large fruits and still wanted more, going off to dig for more.

"My lady, can I have a bowl of soup?" Balie looked at the pot with longing. The soup was filled with the scent of life-giving divine energy. Even smelling it seemed to cleanse his body. Heizhan also stared at the pot, his expression full of desire, though he didn't dare ask.