The Digital Sprites along the route grew steadily stronger as Han Wu pressed on. The outermost ring had been full of juvenile Digital Sprites, then came adolescent and mature in the middle ring.
Closer to the center, perfect Digital Sprites appeared with increasing frequency, and ultimate Digital Sprites soon also showed up from time to time to block his advance.
Fortunately, Han Wu’s combat experience allowed him to direct his ultimate Digital Sprites with precision, keeping casualties to a minimum. After fighting through waves of enemies, he finally reached the base of the World Tree.
It towered into the clouds, trunk completely bare without a single leaf or branch. Han Wu guessed that only the canopy at the very top would bear fruit.
As he was about to order his units to charge upward, a voice came from the other side of the World Tree. “The Dark Tyrannosprite sent you, didn’t it? Turn back. I won’t let you pick the World Tree’s fruit.”
Han Wu turned to see a Digital Sprite that appeared nearly identical to the Pride Dark Tyrannosprite King, differing only in the color of its body. He quickly checked its information.
[War Tyrannosprite King, Guardian Form (Subcosm rank). Skills: Gaia Force, Dragon Bane, Battle Tornado, Courage Shield, King of Tyrannosprite Kings. Description: An absolute ruler among dragon-type Digital Sprites, with immense intimidation over all dragon-type Digital Sprites.]
The stats were practically a mirror of the Pride Dark Tyrannosprite King’s.
No wonder the Pride Dark Tyrannosprite King doesn’t dare to come here itself. It’s afraid of this War Tyrannosprite King, Han Wu thought to himself.
His guess had been right after all. A natural enemy of the Pride Dark Tyrannosprite King guarded the World Tree.
“You’re powerful, but I have a job to do. I’m picking the World Tree’s fruit no matter what,” Han Wu said firmly.
The War Tyrannosprite King shook its head and stepped out from behind the World Tree. A myriad of faint scars were visible beneath its heavy armor, proof that it had survived countless battles and lived to tell the tale, a testament to its strength.
“The World Tree is the foundation of the Sprite Civilization’s stability. Its fruit contains the condensed life essence of billions of Digital Sprites. If you take it, the civilization’s life balance will collapse, and countless Digital Sprites will die,” the War Tyrannosprite King explained, urging Han Wu to give up.
Han Wu let out a cold laugh. “I don’t care if the life forms of the Sprite Civilization live or die.”
The War Tyrannosprite King understood the problem. Han Wu wasn’t from the Sprite Civilization. He had no reason to care about their survival.
With nothing left to discuss, the War Tyrannosprite King revealed its power, and the crushing pressure of a Subcosm-rank life form descended.
The force pressed down on Han Wu hard enough that his bones started cracking. All of his abilities were sealed inside this place, and his protective barrier alone couldn’t withstand this intense pressure.
Luckily, Han Wu had his Digital Sprites. The twelve War Saint Locustmen formed a ring around him, with Stinger at the center, and released their own ultimate-tier pressure in unison. As the twelve shared the same origin, their auras merged as one, easing the burden on Han Wu considerably. His other Digital Sprites sprang into action as well.
The Pseudo-Machinedrasprite triggered Sin Evolution and transformed into the Sloth Machinedrasprite Fortress. Its Multi Infinity Cannons locked onto the War Tyrannosprite King and opened fire without a second’s delay. Dragon Ray beams followed close behind.
Yinglong and the Lust Umbral Demoness activated Fusion Evolution, becoming the Dark Dragoness. Though only at the Microcosm rank, her true combat power wasn’t far from the Subcosm rank. She engaged the War Dragon Form, activated True Dragon Might, and charged straight at the War Tyrannosprite King with a wave of darkness trailing behind her.
The Greed Neo Vampsprite, the Gluttony Heavenly Dog, and the Golden Scarab in its armored evolution all joined the assault as well.
Even the War Tyrannosprite King struggled to hold off this many powerful Digital Sprites at once. It mentally worked through its options while blocking attacks with Courage Shield.
These Digital Sprites belonged to Han Wu. Based on the War Tyrannosprite King’s knowledge of those from the Divine Civilization, these Digital Sprites would lose their reason to keep attacking once Han Wu was out of the picture.
Mind made up, it twisted its body and launched itself at Han Wu as a spinning tornado. Battle Tornado was blisteringly fast and carried immense force. Even from a distance, Han Wu could feel its lethality. The viewers watching the live stream held their breath, terrified that the strike would tear Han Wu apart.
At that critical moment, Stinger activated Sin Evolution and became the Envy Stinger Locustman King. As Locustman royalty, Stinger could briefly absorb the power of its kin to boost its own strength. Using the borrowed power of the other eleven War Saint Locustmen, Stinger caught the War Tyrannosprite King’s killing blow on the tip of its long spike.
The Dark Dragoness then seized the opening to fire off a Black Coffin, sealing the War Tyrannosprite King inside.
Although there was a gap between their strength, Dragon Bane allowed the Dark Dragoness to deal double damage against dragon types. The result was that the War Tyrannosprite King couldn’t break the Black Coffin open from inside.
Han Wu knew that experience well. It was nearly impossible to break out from within the Black Coffin once it was sealed shut. The only way out was for an ally to crack it open from outside.
However, the War Tyrannosprite King had no allies, and even if it did, none could breach Han Wu’s wall of Digital Sprites in three seconds.
“Three, two, one, zero!” The Dark Dragoness counted down.
No movement came from inside the Black Coffin, but it didn’t disperse either.
The Dark Dragoness turned to Han Wu with a grim expression. “It’s not dead. Something’s protecting it.”
Han Wu tensed. “Can it break free?”
The Dark Dragoness started to nod, then aborted the motion to shake her head. “At my energy level, I can keep it suppressed for about ten minutes, but not any longer than that.”
Han Wu took a deep breath. Ten minutes was enough to try.
Without another word, he flew straight toward the World Tree’s canopy under the escort of Stinger and the other War Saint Locustmen.
It took them roughly nine minutes to catch sight of the canopy.
Han Wu’s eyes swept over the branches, but saw only leaves. There was no fruit to be seen.
“What’s going on? Does this World Tree not bear fruit?”