Chapter 2151: Chapter 1201: Confrontation

After rushing into the grand hall, the first thing that caught Leo Ray’s eye was the increasingly thick dark red branches, almost to the point of obscuring the sky and the sun.

These branches, so robust that even several people together could hardly embrace them, crisscrossed the hall like webs, spread across every corner.

What had just burst through the wall was indeed only an insignificant fraction of it.

The most startling thing was that each branch continued to expand and grow, sprouting leaves at an alarming pace.

The sight that greeted the eyes was one of a frenzied growth, with constant writhing and expanding, making it impossible to see even the slightest bit deeper inside.

“Your Excellency, I can feel that we are already within reach of our target.”

Elder Bing’s solemn voice resonated as he addressed Leo Ray, “The ‘source’ and our adversary are deep within the hall!”

“Indeed, I can sense it too.”

Yonir nodded gravely, rubbing his hands together, “The time has finally come to confront this mysterious existence.”

“It’s time for that guy to pay for everything.”

Grey Elder’s aged face mirrored the gravity, his twin blades gleaming with intent.

Seeing everyone roused and battle-ready, Leo Ray refocused on what lay directly ahead.

These dark red branches had grown incredibly dense, intertwining and pressing against each other, forming what was clearly an impenetrable natural barrier.

“But how do we get through?”

Louise’s pale face was full of urgency, and she couldn’t help but voice the question.

Upon hearing her, Grey Elder, Yonir, and the others exchanged puzzled glances.

They had just tried, and these branches were far stronger than ordinary roots, so much so that even they couldn’t cut through them; in other words, this barrier was undeniably insurmountable.

Jasper Richardson had also knitted her brows tightly, clearly sensing.

Due to the continuous gathering of bizarre energy waves, the space in the forward region had begun to warp.

This undoubtedly meant that even Teleportation Magic could not pass through the dark red branches to reach the depth of the hall.

“Leave it to me. After all, this Forbidden Tree possesses certain plant-like properties, mixed with detestable Forbidden Power.”

Elder Bing squinted thoughtfully and said, “So, with the purifying effect of the Power of Divine Grace and the dispelling effect of ice, it might just work wonders.”

With Leo Ray’s approval, Elder Bing immediately began to harness his power.

After a brief chanting of spells, a beam of cold Ice Ray burst forth from the Magic Array before Elder Bing, shooting straight toward the densely packed dark red branches ahead.

As expected, just as Elder Bing had said, wherever the Ice Ray touched, those densely packed dark red branches shuddered, clearly greatly stimulated.

After a few moments of rigidity, these thick dark red branches bent away like soft vines, quickly forming a path wide enough for a person to walk through.

At that moment, the depths of the path, flickering with eerie scarlet light, emitted a pungent stench like the gaping maw of a demon, full of mystery and the unknown, deterring any who might approach.

“Let’s go!”

Staring at the long, winding passage, Leo Ray hesitated not, leading the way into it swiftly.

With the path cleared by Elder Bing, the group raced through the winding passage, whereupon the dark red branches quickly resumed their original state, cutting off any retreat.

Noticing this, none of them showed the slightest concern, adhering to Leo Ray’s sentiment that retreat was no longer an option.

As they advanced, Leo Ray felt his breathing grow more ragged.

The initially intense stench thickened around them, burning their eyes despite the Energy Shield’s protection.

Besides, though these dark red branches and roots exuded waves of odd, rhythmic energy, severely impairing their sensory abilities,

Leo Ray could still feel a massive presence at the end of the passage, something never before encountered, surely the mysterious entity.

“Your Excellency, we’ve reached the end of the passage!”

As Elder Bing’s solemn voice concluded, Leo Ray’s group burst from the passage into an unexpectedly open space.

Here, the view was unobstructed; only near the walls did the crisscrossing dark red branches continue to extend, and piles of burnt-out white candles littered the ground.

At the far end of the space was a towering platform with steps, atop which sat an immense throne shrouded in shadow.

This was not the most striking feature.

The platform’s entire rear half, including half the throne, had completely merged with a massive, blood-red, cylindrical object pulsating with gloom.

At first glance, it seemed embedded within that massive cylindrical object.

Judging by the thick dark red branches extending from it, it was undoubtedly the trunk of the Forbidden Tree.

Due to the limited space, though they could only see part of the trunk, what was visible was evidently enormous, according to Leo Ray’s estimation, likely reaching upwards of 30 stories high.