The eye-patterned beams of light from the flesh membranes behind Earth Star Lord's head pressed down on the tree-man's woodification, constantly suppressing the wood within him and allowing his eyes to see.
Bit by bit, the tree-man's face separated from the tree, and the woodification on his tongue also began to recede.
Whoosh.
The eye-patterns on the flesh membranes behind Earth Star Lord's head closed up. She said, "Hansen Keane, you should be able to see your son now, right?"
She was very cautious, knowing the tree-man was extremely powerful—at his peak, no weaker than herself—so she hadn't fully lifted the taboo art binding him, only enough for him to see clearly.
Yet the tree-man kept his eyes shut, his mouth opening and closing, but no sound came out.
Quinn Shepherd tilted his ear to listen, nodding repeatedly, then after a moment said, "He means Earth Star Lord guessed one thing wrong."
Earth Star Lord turned her head, sneering, "What did I guess wrong?"
The tree-man opened his eyes, but still could not see. The skin on his face was rapidly woodifying, yet the roots of the divine tree were trembling!
Quinn's expression remained calm. "What you guessed wrong is that he doesn't want to see me and fulfill the Tu Bo contract. He'd rather never see me at all. His real goal was to have you suppress his woodification, restore some movement to his body."
Earth Star Lord sneered, the flesh membranes behind her head shuddering. "Is that what Hansen Keane wants to say, or is it what you want to say? Fenix Greenwood, you're far too arrogant and self-important, aren't you? Even if Hansen Keane regains a bit of mobility, so what? His divine sword is already shattered. With half a body, he's no match for me!"
Quinn shook his head. "It's what I want to say, and it's what he wants to say. Even gods and devils can't control everything—there are always lives unwilling to submit, trying to break free. He isn't without the power to fight back. Because..."
"Because I brought his sword!"
Behind Quinn, a brilliant sword-light shot skyward!
Worryless Sword shattered its wooden scabbard and suddenly dropped into a huge wooden hand sprouting from the divine tree. In an instant, sword-light flooded the entire hall—Quinn's vision was filled with blinding white, unable to see anything else!
This was a sword technique near the level of dao itself—beyond his understanding, beyond his sight.
A single sword unleashed earth-shaking power and light, divine radiance surging, sword-light pouring down like mercury and spreading across the sky. In that instant, what Quinn saw was not a sword, but the joys and sorrows of a person's life, their lifelong pursuit and unwavering will!
Sword and dao—merged as one!
Even Village Chief's Sword Diagram and Dao Gate's Dao Sword paled in comparison to this mythic sword technique.
From within the sword-light came Earth Star Lord's startled cry. Quinn felt a surge of divine power, followed by an overwhelming wave of fire, and then boundless pressure—as if the vast, weighty earth itself was pressing down!
He saw, within the sword-light, a colossal orange-yellow star radiating vast power, as if it could crush everything. Earth Star Lord stood before that immense star, her majesty overwhelming.
Suddenly, pain stabbed through his eyes; he quickly shut them. Instantly, that surge of divine power weakened and rushed away, followed by the sound of a door slamming.
"Hansen Keane, Fenix Greenwood, I will return for you father and son!" Earth Star Lord's strange, obscure voice grew distant. With a thunderous bang, the treasure ship shook violently—Earth Star Lord had fled the ark.
Clang.
A low hum echoed. Quinn quietly opened his eyes—the all-encompassing sword-light had vanished. Worryless Sword was embedded before him, its hilt still trembling.
Beneath the sword lay a pool of divine blood, radiating mist-like divine light—truly astonishing.
Quinn turned around. The tree-man's face emerged from the tree, the woodification gradually fading. Yet he still kept his eyes tightly shut, refusing to open them.
If he opened his eyes and saw him, the Tu Bo contract would be triggered—Tu Bo would claim his soul, and then Carefree Haven would be exposed, dooming all his loved ones.
Quinn froze. Would he never be able to open his eyes and see himself?
"Is my name Fenix Greenwood?"