“Bang bang bang.”
Several gunshots rang out beside them. The group snapped back to their senses and hurried to escape this dangerous place.
This mutated banyan tree, by conservative estimate, was no weaker than that evolved Licker. In addition, it possessed self healing abilities, which likely made it even more powerful.
No wonder the zombies had been wandering outside and did not dare to come in.
Yan Jin gave a bitter smile and waved her hand. “Ability users attack. Keep your distance!”
Running away was no longer possible. In the blink of an eye, the mutated banyan tree’s branches transformed into two massive tentacles and lunged at them.
Yue Feiyao’s face was pale, with a trace of blood still lingering at the corner of her mouth. She clutched her injured arm and panted in a disheveled state.
The others had also suffered minor injuries to varying degrees.
“Boom boom boom…”
Yan Jin crushed a Heavenly Thunder Talisman. Dozens of purple lightning bolts descended from the sky and struck the banyan tree directly.
The branches quickly withdrew.
In the chaos, Ah Bin pulled gauze from his backpack and stepped forward to help the injured companions stop their bleeding.
“If we don’t take down this tree today, none of us will escape. Let’s go all out!” Yan Jin glared angrily at the enormous banyan tree and gritted her teeth.
Everyone moved quickly.
“Attack!”
As he spoke, Yu Chen activated his ability. “Fireball!”
Qi Hua aimed at the banyan tree’s roots and released a massive earth spike. It pierced deeply into the tree, sinking halfway inside.
A solemn look flashed across everyone’s eyes. The banyan tree, writhing in pain, swung its enormous tentacles with a loud swishing sound. A powerful gust of wind was created, flinging the fireballs off its body and scattering them in every direction, igniting fierce flames.
“Ah…”
Suddenly, a scream rang out.
“Quick, save me!”
Everyone looked over and saw that Ah Bin’s legs had been wrapped by the banyan tree’s tentacles. It was dragging him toward a hollow in the trunk.
Cheng Yi, who had been preparing to run away, stood in the distance, seemingly lost in thought.
He waved his hand. Dozens of wind blades shot toward Ah Bin.
Boom!
The tentacles blocked the wind blades and exploded outward. However, when Cheng Yi saw Ah Bin being dragged into the hollow, he did nothing further.
“Xiao Yan…”
Yan Jin heard Ji Yanting shout her name, but by that time she had already been pulled into the interior of the banyan tree.
Inside, bones were scattered everywhere. The tentacle dragging Ah Bin had already wrapped him tightly.
Ah Bin’s screams echoed loudly inside the hollow.
Boom!
Yan Jin compressed the lightning into a single thunder sphere and threw it toward the huge cocoon of branches. A thin layer of sweat appeared on her forehead, and her face was filled with worry.
If she did not rescue him soon, he would be completely devoured by the mutated banyan tree.
The massive cocoon was torn apart by the lightning sphere, shattering into pieces. The person inside was already a bloody mess.
She leaned closer and touched his nose. Immediately, she let out a breath of relief.
He was still breathing.
She hoisted him up and quickly moved toward the exit of the hollow.
The intense pain sent the mutated banyan tree into a frenzy, making it even more violent.
Yan Jin was shaken so badly that she became dizzy and accidentally dropped Ah Bin onto the ground.
“Xiao Yan… are you alright?”
Through her dizziness, she heard a familiar voice. When she looked up, it was Ji Yanting.
“Why… did you come in too?” Yan Jin was shocked. “Watch out!”
She had not expected the banyan tree to still have the strength to launch a sneak attack.
Fortunately, both of them had remained vigilant. She quickly pulled Ji Yanting back and retreated several steps. Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced around.
The tentacles clearly hated her intensely. They kept lunging toward her as broken bones scattered everywhere.
Yan Jin staggered and spat out several mouthfuls of blood.
Damn it, the defensive talisman had expired.
[Host, above you!]
Yan Jin looked up and saw a glowing green object shining brightly. It must be the inner core of the mutated banyan tree. As long as she obtained it, everything should end.
“Brother Ji, take Ah Bin out first. I’ll follow shortly!”
Ji Yanting did not ask any questions. He lifted Ah Bin and ran toward the exit without looking back.
[It’s so high. How am I supposed to get up there?]
Before she could react, the tentacles attacked her again.
“Damn it, does it ever end?” Yan Jin cursed loudly.
[Host, you have a Heavenly Fire Talisman!]
Yan Jin rolled her eyes at the useless system. She was already injured, and it was only telling her this now.
The system had not expected its host to be so weak. Not only was her physical ability poor, even her fighting ability was terrible. She had already used so many Heavenly Thunder Talismans and still had not destroyed this useless banyan tree.
She could not even compare with the neighboring cannon fodder counterattack system. It was truly embarrassing to watch.
Yan Jin breathed heavily. Her fingers dug into the cracks of the tree wall as she slowly climbed upward. Her plan was to seize the inner core first. Without the core, the tree would be destroyed.
The banyan tree clearly understood what she intended to do. The tentacles swept violently through the air, stirring up blinding dust.
They struck Yan Jin’s protective barrier with crackling sounds. The attacks rebounded instantly, slicing the tentacles and leaving numerous wounds. Dark green liquid seeped from the cuts and spilled onto the ground.
The stench was incredibly foul.
This was her chance.
Yan Jin quickly crushed the Heavenly Fire Talisman she had exchanged for and released several brilliant fireballs at the tentacles.
This was Heavenly Fire, far stronger than ordinary flames. The tentacles whipped around frantically as they burned, but the Heavenly Fire clung to them like sticky resin.
Seeing this, Yan Jin quickly climbed to the top of the hollow and used her dagger to dig out the inner core of the mutated banyan tree.
When the tentacles realized that their most important treasure was about to be taken, they lashed out in fury, trying to stop her. Unfortunately, they no longer had the strength.
Boom…
When the glowing green bead fell into Yan Jin’s hand, the tentacles instantly collapsed onto the ground. The Heavenly Fire burned them into ashes, and the once lush green leaves turned yellow and fell everywhere.
[Ding. Mutated plant inner core obtained x1]
[Reward obtained: Lucky Triple Draw x1. Does the host wish to activate it?]
Yan Jin immediately selected [No].
At that moment, after burning the tentacles, the Heavenly Fire spread to other parts of the hollow. Instantly, the interior of the tree became extremely hot.
[Host, run! This place is about to collapse!]
After hearing this, Yan Jin quickly put the inner core into her pocket and ran out with all her strength.
When she rushed out of the hollow, the sky outside had begun to brighten slightly. She turned back and saw that the banyan tree had become a massive fireball.
Ji Yanting and the others had been anxiously waiting. When they saw Yan Jin emerge from the hollow, they finally let out a sigh of relief.
“Xiao Yan, are you alright?” Ji Yanting said with concern. He carefully supported her and checked her condition.
“I’m fine.”
Only after confirming that she was safe did everyone relax. Ah Bin lay on the ground covered in blood, with bandages wrapped around him. After Ji Yanting had brought him out earlier, someone had already given him basic treatment.
“Where is Cheng Yi?”
Yan Jin suddenly realized that Cheng Yi and Yue Feiyao were nowhere to be seen.
Qi Hua said angrily, “That coward. When he saw you and Ah Bin dragged into the banyan tree, he ignored all of us and ran away with Yue Feiyao.”
The ability users behind them had known Cheng Yi for a long time, yet in the end they were not even as important as a single woman to him.
“Boss Yan, thank you for saving me!” Ah Bin endured the intense pain and knelt before Yan Jin. He had never expected that in his final moment, it would not be Cheng Yi who saved him, but Yan Jin, a stranger to him.