Before Hua Zhi and the others could act, the Tree People had already made the first move.

Accompanied by silent murmurs of the five Nascent Soul cultivators, the thirty-six Core Formation Stage Tree People rooted themselves where they stood, their foreheads lighting up with the image of ethereal runes, and the outlines of veins glowing all over their bodies.

In an instant, the entire garden seemed to come to life. The surrounding trees began to bend inward, and dense vines crisscrossed through the air, quickly weaving into a huge cage-like Array.

Old Man Hei Zhu flicked the fishing rod Magic Treasure in his hand, black fishing line shot out, as if a large knife slashed at the surrounding vines.

The black fishing line, seemingly flimsy, was extremely sharp, and it split open a large gash in the vines.

However, within the Array, the overwhelming Wood Attribute Spiritual Power flowed endlessly, rapidly healing the cuts in the vines, and in the blink of an eye, they were as good as new, twining towards the black fishing line.

Old Man Hei Zhu's expression darkened, and he hastily retracted the fishing line.

"Tsk, it's these damned things again," Shi Yanshi couldn't help cursing.

At this moment, the five Nascent Soul cultivators simultaneously performed hand-signs, beginning to activate the newly formed Array.

The entire cage-like Array lit up intensely, with green points of light, akin to stars, rising from the Array. They seemed like countless green fireflies, gently floating upwards into the sky, exceptionally beautiful against the backdrop of the Round Moon.

It was a pity that the ones trapped in the center of the Array had no time to appreciate this view. They felt the air around them suddenly thicken, as an invisible binding force constricted around them like a lasso.

Following this, Hua Zhi noticed that the vegetation beneath them started to wither at an alarming rate, the previously moist ground quickly drying up to reveal cracked and parched lines, and the robust nature's Spiritual Energy also rapidly thinned out.

"Cough cough..." Aunt Wan Hua started coughing dryly.

Long Chong and the others also felt their throats itch and their skin tightening.

"Not good! These Tree People are using the Great Array to draw out the moisture and the nature's Spiritual Energy. What kind of Formation is this?" Wulu exclaimed.

"We can't delay any longer, hasten to Break the Array, or else we'll all be trapped here to die!" Old Man Hei Zhu's hoarse voice shouted.

No sooner had he spoken than he rushed towards the wall built from interwoven vines, throwing a red talisman with a flick of his hand toward what was in front of him.

The talisman paper flew swiftly, gradually igniting mid-air, and from it emerged a massive fireball of brilliant reddish-gold color, "bang", it smashed into the vine wall.

Fierce Flames burst forth, a fiery wall surged upward quickly, engulfing a large swath of vines.

However, instead of the fire spreading and intensifying, the Flames abruptly shrank and eventually extinguished completely.

Seeing this, Long Chong thrust his spear forward, the spear tip vibrating and unleashing a dazzling blue light that swept outwards. Amid the foggy mist, it was as if a tsunami was surging towards the wall of vines.

There was a thunderous "boom".

The vine wall trembled violently, vast amounts of steam visibly absorbed by it, and many of the previously damaged spots on the wall quickly repaired themselves.

"Fire can't attack, water can't flood, how shall we Break the Array?" Old Man Hei Zhu's complexion turned utterly somber.

...

Elsewhere, within the Gold-plated Hall.

White Scale Master, Queen Ming Kong, and the man of the Water Ape Clan stood back-to-back, supporting each other while fending off the assault from a circle of thirty-six Core Formation Stage Tree People.

Just like Hua Zhi and his group, they were also trapped by a Wood Attribute Array. However, due to the environment here being less lush, the power of the Array was considerably weaker.

Even so, they were still driven to a desperate state, barely able to hold on.

Just then, five figures suddenly emerged from beneath the ground, revealing five tall silhouettes, all with green skin and expressionless faces, devoid of anything but clear intent to attack in their eyes.

Feeling the aura from these five, comparable to Nascent Soul Stage cultivators, the three almost plunged into despair.

"White Scale Master, you've doomed us. If only we knew we wouldn't have separated from Old Man Hei Zhu and the others. Now look what's happened, we're all finished," the Water Ape Clan's strong man said bitterly, unable to help but complain.

White Scale Master's face was grim; he said nothing.

"At this point, what's the use of these complaints? We should think of a way to escape," Queen Ming Kong said.

"With the Array already beyond our ability to break, and now five Nascent Soul Stage opponents added to the mix, what can we do besides die?" The strong man of the Water Ape Clan said, nearly on the verge of breaking down.

Queen Ming Kong glanced disdainfully at the grimacing strong man of the Water Ape Clan and said, "Fellow Daoist Hou, instead of howling in vain, why not pray to the Nether Moon God and see if you can receive his protection."

"Do you think I haven't done that? Lord Nether Moon God hasn't responded at all," the strong man of the Water Ape Clan said, his face full of despair.

Queen Ming Kong sighed inwardly. Her prayers had also gone unanswered, unsure if the Great Array had blocked them or if the Nether Moon God had given up on them.

"Fellow Daoist Bai Lin, as things stand, if you have any methods at your disposal, then use them now. If we delay any longer and our Mana is exhausted, we'll truly have no strength left to fight back," Queen Ming Kong said to White Scale Master.

It was precisely because of White Scale Master's strong advocacy that the three of them broke away from the main group. White Scale Master was a man of meticulous thought and surely had not made baseless decisions.

"Do not panic, my fellow Daoists. I have a method that could break the current deadlock and even resolve this crisis," White Scale Master finally spoke up.

"What method?" the strong man of the Water Ape Clan asked eagerly.

"At this moment, we cannot speak freely, as we may be under surveillance. Both of you, follow my lead. Shortly, I'll need Fellow Daoist Ming Kong to abandon the Ten Thousand Waters Mirror and to detonate it, releasing a vast amount of Water Power. Afterwards, using the Ice Soul Zither, try to freeze these Tree People. Fellow Daoist Hou can take the opportunity to deploy the Sea Covering Stick Technique, and make an all-out break in one direction. Leave the rest to me," White Scale Master transmitted via voice transmission.

Queen Ming Kong's eyebrows knit together. The importance of the Ten Thousand Waters Mirror to her was self-evident, but compared to that, her life was of course more important.

"Agreed," she nodded her assent.

The Water Ape Clan's man naturally had no objections.

Queen Ming Kong immediately took action, taking a deep breath and waving one hand in front of her. The Ten Thousand Waters Mirror emerged forthwith.

She held up both hands, and the Treasure Mirror ascended into the sky, hanging above the trio's heads.

Queen Ming Kong raised her hands high, her Mana starting to continuously pour into the Ten Thousand Waters Mirror.

The suspended Treasure Mirror lit up with a dazzling glow, within its surface a cerulean surge appeared, waves billowing tumultuously. The Water Power, like a flood about to burst a dam, kept slamming against the restrictive barrier of the mirror.

"Ready," Queen Ming Kong shouted, preparing to self-detonate the Ten Thousand Waters Mirror.

Yet as soon as her voice rose, it abruptly stopped.

She was blindsided by a heavy blow to the back, her body thrust forward, as she suddenly spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. The Ten Thousand Waters Mirror, hanging in midair, simultaneously plummeted, rolling on the ground before coming to a stop.

Along with her, the Water Ape Clan's man was also launched into the air.

He too was attacked from behind, sustaining even graver injuries—a fist had utterly crushed his back to his lower abdomen, sending his body flying like a torn sack, with the wound quickly darkening to a bruise-black color, evidently poisoned severely.

Below them, the ground cracked as dozens of vines burst forth, entwining around their bodies.

A confining force seeped in, instantly binding their Mana and making their bodies difficult to move.

Behind them, White Scale Master bent down to pick up the Ten Thousand Waters Mirror from the ground, then swiftly knelt, raising the mirror above his head and shouting loudly, "White Scale, a Cultivator from Thousand Snake Island, offers his life to the service of the Undying Immortal Tree, to serve eternally."

This sudden betrayal caught not only Queen Ming Kong and her companion off guard but also perplexed the five Nascent Soul cultivators, whose wooden expressions turned to puzzlement.

"White Scale, have you lost your mind?" the man from the Water Ape Clan roared as he spat out blood.

"I haven't lost it; you're just too foolish. Did you really think that we could stand against the Undying Immortal Tree with just us? Instead of dying a worthless death here, I would rather submit to the Undying Immortal Tree. Those servants of the Immortal Trees not only wield great power but also have eternal life. That is the greatest opportunity on Three Immortals Island, and yet you overlook it, sheer foolishness!" White Scale Master shouted fervently.

Queen Ming Kong watched this scene, her lips trembling slightly, yet ultimately she said nothing.

...

Within the dark tower.

The five green-skinned Nascent Soul Stage cultivators, along with thirty-six Core Formation Stage Tree People, also formed a Great Array.

Yuan Wuji and the other members of the Tide-rider Alliance were trapped in the center. Their situation was slightly better than that of Queen Ming Kong, each bearing some injuries, but not too serious.

"Big brother, it looks like we're in trouble," Bing Li said, her expression becoming increasingly unsightly as she looked at the five Nascent Soul cultivators.

Yuan Wuji remained calm, seemingly not too worried, as he looked toward one of the Core Formation Stage Tree People.

Though this person had become a Tree Man, his original appearance could still be seen—it was Wu Yuezhi from the Dawn Alliance.

Wu Yuezhi, noticing Yuan Wuji's gaze, turned his head to look back, a flicker of lucidity passing through his wooden eyes.

Just then, all five of the green-skinned cultivators lit up with a glow.

...

Inside Evergreen Garden.

Hua Zhi and the others had repeatedly failed in their attacks, and before they could find a way to break through the blockade, the counterattack from the five Nascent Soul cultivators had already arrived first.

The five Nascent Soul cultivators altered the spell in their hands, and at the same time, a light illuminated from them.

In the next instant, the previously restraining Array sprang to life, with emerald light twisting around the vine walls—aiming and thrusting crazily towards them.

Within the Formation, green dust began to waft everywhere, quietly drifting toward the crowd.

Aside from Hua Zhi, nearly all reflexively sealed their breaths to avoid inhaling the green dust.

The force of the vinous walls, drawing water from the atmosphere, intensified. The cracks on the dry, fissured ground widened, and the skin of all present visibly dehydrated and shriveled at a rapid rate.

A "bang" resounded with a dull thud.

Old Man Hei Zhu's bamboo pole was struck by an emerald tendril, sending him and the pole flying.

Immediately after, the sound of impacts continued; Aunt Wan Hua and several others were hit in succession. As they landed, they were rapidly bound and dragged towards the wall by converging vines.

Long Chong was the most pitiful; caught off guard, he was impaled by a vine through the shoulder and hoisted above, as the approaching vines quickly wrapped him into a zongzi-like bundle.

In a mere few breaths, within the entire Formation, only Hua Zhi remained with any room to move.

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