Han Thuong ?????'s increasing efforts led him to be assigned a more difficult C-Rank mission. This was a joint operation between two major sects: the Crimson Flame Nine Suns Sect, commanded by FarLight (the Three-Eyed Immortal) ???, and the Profound Ice Sect, commanded by Han Trung Bao. Han Thuong was very pleased to have Hoa Minh ?? in his group; both were assigned the task of entering the village for investigation.

  The mission this time was to hunt the Tree Demon ??. This was a willow tree near the riverbank not far from the village. It was over a hundred years old and had awakened into a Wood Spirit. It was beloved by the villagers and served as a meeting spot for young lovers. However, it suddenly transformed into a demon, its nature changed, and it began capturing and killing people, turning them into nutrients for the tree.

  Han Thuong felt pity for the Wood Spirit and asked Hoa Minh: "Why? Such a good tree? Why did it change?"

  Hoa Minh also sighed: "It's a shame, but it's easy to understand." Han Thuong looked at Hoa Minh with a puzzled expression and asked, "What do you mean?"

  Hoa Minh slowly replied: "A tree that has just awakened is like a newborn child. It was located at a dating spot, a place full of lies and exploitation. Over such a long time, it's normal for it to become malicious. The best solution would have been to bring this Wood Spirit to an immortal land as soon as it awakened, but now there's no other way; we must destroy it."

  Han Thuong said, "Isn't there any other way?"

  Hoa Minh sighed and said, "If it hadn't killed anyone, perhaps, but it has swallowed three people alive. It cannot be forgiven."

  Han Thuong and Hoa Minh reported back to their captains, confirming the goal was to kill the Tree Demon immediately. They made a plan and began coordinating the fight. FarLight, Hoa Minh, and another Crimson Flame Sect member set up the Three Star Shooting Formation ?? on a hill. FarLight held the Nine Suns Fire Spirit Bow, which increased the firing range from 1,000m to 7,000–8,000m. Hoa Minh was responsible for increasing the fire power of each arrow ??, and the other member provided the kinetic force for the arrows to fly as far as possible. Combined with FarLight's third eye, which had extremely long-distance vision, they formed a powerful and distant artillery team with high accuracy.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  However, the Three Star Formation is a formation with no defense; if unexpectedly attacked, all three would die.

  Therefore, the Profound Ice Sect team was divided into two groups. The small group of two, Han Thuong and Han Trung Bao, stood behind to protect, while the larger group, consisting of the remaining members of both sects, was responsible for luring and slowing down the Tree Demon, preventing it from leaving the range of the Three Star Shooting Formation.

  At first, the Tree Demon, seeing people entering the area under its control, aggressively rushed towards them. At the same time, it released the bound souls it had trapped to scare them. They were only slightly flustered because its running speed was slower than a normal person's jog. However, it didn't know it was bait being lured into a trap. A wide area of land suddenly turned icy cold ??, causing its roots to shrivel. This was followed by fireballs, which only scraped the small branches and leaves but were enough to drive it insane, chasing one person after another. Then, suddenly, fiery arrows pierced its trunk, one after another. When it realized the danger, it was too late. Fire erupted from inside its body, burning it from the inside out ??.

  The mission was completed, and everyone returned, but Han Thuong stayed behind. He went to the spot where the Wood Spirit used to grow, which was also a place full of memories where he grew up and played with his friends when he was young. Han Thuong leisurely walked around to reminisce, then went to his old house, then to the cemetery where his parents were buried, and finally returned to the Wood Spirit's root. Han Thuong discovered a sapling, a newly awakened Wood Spirit. He thought the recently killed Wood Spirit might be the mother of this young one.

  Remembering Hoa Minh's words, Han Thuong took the young Wood Spirit with him ??, then went to Ghost Valley Village, entrusting it to Noe ?? for care, hoping it would grow into a useful Willow Wood tree, and not harm people like its mother. Later, Han Thuong learned that the Mother Wood Spirit didn't spontaneously kill people. It was because a large construction project commissioned by the king was nearby. Many people died, and their bodies floated down the river and got tangled in the tree's roots. Gradually, the tree became addicted and transformed into a Tree Demon, specializing in hunting people.