Unintended Immortality-Chapter 516: The Ancient Willow Tree

“Roar!”

A humanoid tiger demon suddenly sprang into action, leaping into the air and lunging toward the Daoist.

At first, it had appeared as an unassuming middle-aged man in a Daoist robe, its physique similar to that of a human. When it transformed, its head took the shape of a tiger with intricate markings covering its body. But the moment it jumped, its body expanded mid-air, rapidly growing into a massive tiger.

This ferocious beast was far larger than the greatest tiger demon within Lady Calico’s flag, and its cultivation was even deeper.

Its powerful form sliced through the air, bringing with it a violent gust of wind.

Yet, the Daoist did not move.

It seemed as though an invisible boundary existed around him. The moment the tiger demon’s massive body crossed that unseen line, golden flames erupted instantly.

Its head burned as soon as it passed through, followed by its body as it continued forward.

“Boom!”

At the same time, the calico cat’s eyes widened in shock. She hastily took a deep breath and exhaled sharply.

Flames burst forth from her mouth, nearly forming a wall of fire that momentarily obscured her vision.

The two flames intertwined.

The enormous tiger, having fully committed to its pounce, found itself unable to halt its momentum—especially mid-air.

Before it could even reach the Daoist, the fire engulfed it from head to tail. It didn’t even have the chance to let out a single cry of agony; only the briefest flicker of fear and pain appeared in its golden-yellow eyes before its body was reduced to ash mid-flight.

It never even touched the ground.

“...”

The fire vanished soundlessly. The scent of charred flesh filled the hall as ashes drifted through the air.

The calico cat, standing beside the Daoist, widened her eyes even further. She frantically turned her head left and right, scanning the room in a desperate attempt to locate the enormous, terrifying tiger demon.

Such a massive and fearsome beast... How could it suddenly disappear?

She was utterly bewildered until she noticed the airborne ashes swirling around and the horrified expressions of the surrounding demons and ghosts. Then, she spotted the tiger demon’s spirit fleeing from the scene.

Only then did she realize that that fearsome tiger had been incinerated in an instant.

“...?”

Since when was she this powerful?

The cat quickly turned her head to look at her Daoist priest.

The Daoist also glanced down at her, his expression calm as ever. Then, he reached into his pouch and pulled out a small flag.

“Willow Ancestor, save me!” The tiger demon’s soul cried out desperately in the air.

“This Daoist is incredibly powerful...”

“Stay back!”

The other demons and ghosts in the hall quickly retreated, filled with both shock and anger. They kept their wary gazes locked onto the Daoist while also glancing toward Willow Daoist, clearly hoping he would take action.

But Willow Daoist remained motionless, his expression still dark and unreadable as he looked down at Song You, then at the tiger demon’s lingering soul.

“What are you wailing for? He didn’t burn you into complete oblivion. He left you a soul, which means he spared your life! How foolish!” Willow Daoist said coldly before shifting his gaze to Song You, trying to gauge his intentions. “What do you want?”

“...”

Song You merely shook his head. Without a word, he switched the small flag from his right hand to his left. Then, he raised his right hand, forming a sword-finger gesture, pointing first at the tiger demon’s soul in midair, then at the flag.

“Whoosh!”

The tiger demon's soul was instantly drawn toward the flag.

“How dare you!”

Willow Daoist's eyes widened in fury, and with a swift motion of his sleeve, he sent out a blast of spiritual wind.

But he was too late.

By the time the wind arrived, the tiger demon's soul had already been sealed within the flag. The gust merely knocked over a few tables.

“Senior, you misunderstand,” Song You said calmly. “I didn’t preserve his soul because I wish to negotiate with you. Rather, I simply find that whether they are your disciples, your demonic soldiers, or your ghostly generals, they are all tainted with thick bloodlust and evil qi.”

“It’s clear that over the years, under your rule, they’ve consumed many human souls and devoured much flesh. If I were to merely kill them, it would be too lenient.” His tone remained sincere. “Instead, I think it would be better to seal them in this flag and gradually reform them.”

At these words, the gathered demons and ghosts erupted in fury.

“This is outrageous!”

“Everyone, attack together!”

“I'll tear him apart and eat him alive!”

Yet, despite their fierce shouting, none of them dared to truly step forward.

Song You, however, remained composed.

“There's no need to rush...”

He slowly raised his bamboo staff and began pointing at them one by one.

Whether it was demons or great ghosts, mountain spirits or wild fiends... The moment his staff pointed at them, the stronger ones could barely manage to stumble back a few steps, wailing in agony. The weaker ones, however, were instantly incinerated into ashes.

“Ahhh!”

“Willow Ancestor, save me!”

“Your Excellency, save us!”

One by one, the surviving demons and ghosts turned their desperate gazes toward Willow Daoist.

Willow Daoist remained standing where he was, his eyes cold and indifferent as he watched the demons and ghosts perish one by one. His gaze flickered, as if analyzing the young Daoist’s abilities through their deaths.

To him, their lives meant nothing at all.

In just a brief moment, the dozens of demons and ghosts in the grand hall had all disappeared. The air was filled with swirling black ashes, and the floor was covered in a thick layer of them. Strands of glowing spirits in various colors drifted about, remnants of those who had been slain. The once crowded and noisy hall instantly became eerily silent.

Only two Daoists remained—one old, one young. And beside them, a calico cat and a swallow, both staring with wide, round eyes.

The old Daoist continued to watch coldly.

The young Daoist, however, moved at an unhurried pace, carefully selecting the suitable demon souls and sealing them into the flag.

Willow Ancestor said, “I heard that in Fengzhou, you single-handedly fought against five great demons of the marsh dragon clan and the white rhinoceros clan, and even slew the Great Star God. From that, I know you had grown far stronger than you were a few years ago when you roamed the northern lands. But I never expected that in just a few short years, your cultivation would advance this much.”

As Willow Ancestor spoke, his expression was calm, though a trace of envy seeped into his tone. “Humans truly are the darlings of the Heavenly Dao.”

“When I was traveling in the north and eliminating demons... Were you watching from the sidelines?”

“Not exactly from the sidelines, but I was keeping an eye on you.”

“I heard that back then, the State Preceptor struggled with the fact that the Longevity Pill could only extend yang lifespan but not yin lifespan. It was in an ancient ruin that he found a method to complete it. He always suspected that this wasn’t a coincidence.” Song You spoke while keeping a sharp watch on his surroundings. “Was that your doing, Senior?”

“Does it matter anymore?”

“It would satisfy my curiosity.”

It was only after the State Preceptor completed the balance of yin and yang in the elixir and deemed it viable that he accepted his role as State Preceptor. He then pushed forward the formation of the underworld, personally overseeing the construction of Fengzhou’s Ghost City.

The rapid formation of the underworld showed the old emperor the possibility of ruling even after death—as a Ghost Emperor. Thus, he leveraged the chaos of the northern wars, even actively fueling them.

This not only drained the resources of the Great Yan dynasty but also plunged the northern regions into ruin, turning them into a paradise for demons, ghosts, and wicked beings. It was a direct catalyst for the empire’s decline.

All of these events were connected.

But Willow Daoist merely lowered his eyelids, showing no intention of providing an answer. Instead, he simply asked, “How do you plan to eliminate me?”

The young Daoist answered calmly, “Reduce you to ashes.”

“How interesting...” Willow Daoist chuckled.

Willow Daoist’s expression darkened, and in an instant, his body dissolved.

It was as if he had turned into a pool of soft, flowing mud—or perhaps countless fine, wiry roots—that collapsed onto the ground and, in the blink of an eye, burrowed deep into the earth.

At that same moment, the ground outside began to tremble violently.

“Rumble!”

A colossal willow tree surged up from the depths of the earth. Its massive roots twisted and coiled around the rocky mountain, tightening with such force that boulders were instantly crushed into dust. With another flex, deep cracks split through the mountain’s surface.

The sheer power it wielded was unfathomable.

These roots extended deep underground, their reach unknown. The willow tree itself was enormous, towering skyward as if seeking to pierce the heavens. Even when compared to the distant parasol tree shrouded in mist and miasma, it was not the slightest bit shorter.

And while the parasol tree stood with a singular trunk, this willow tree's vast canopy of sprawling branches and dense leaves made it appear even more imposing.

For a moment, it was as if an ancient deity had awakened—or as if the very fabric of the world had shifted.

Before such a being, even mountains seemed insignificant.

Beneath the hill, countless demons and ghosts surged forward like a tide, poised to swarm up at any moment.

Yet the Daoist remained unhurried.

He stepped out of the ruined temple, his pace steady, his expression calm. He paid no heed to the towering willow tree that was still growing even larger. Instead, he simply lifted his bamboo staff and swung it downward.

“Whoosh!”

A streak of divine light split the sky.

Every demon and ghost in its path was instantly reduced to ash.

Only then did the Daoist turn his head, glancing first at the swallow on his shoulder, then at the calico cat on the ground.

His voice was gentle as he said, “I'm going to battle this willow demon. You two take the horse and leave this place first. The more powerful demons and ghosts have already perished within the temple, turned to dust. The weaker ones below are no threat to you, though they are numerous. I ask that you protect the horse and move far away from here.”

The swallow responded without hesitation, “Sir, please be careful!”

The calico cat had intended to say something, but upon hearing the swallow's words, she swallowed her thoughts and simply echoed, “Daoist priest, please be careful...”

“Go on.” Song You waved a hand, his expression as calm as ever.

At the same time, he formed a hand seal, scattering countless glowing fireflies into the air. They transformed into divine flames, raining down upon the ground and purging the lingering lesser demons.

“Boom!”

At last, the willow tree stopped growing.

At this moment, it no longer had a human form.

It had no facial features, only countless willow branches hanging down—each one powerful enough to effortlessly shatter an entire palace hall. Even if one craned their neck to look up, it was difficult to see the full extent of its massive form.

Yet, it paid no heed to the departing jujube-red horse, the calico cat, or the swallow. Nor did it care about the demons and ghosts engulfed in the raging sea of flames below.

It simply swayed its branches in the wind, and from above the clouds and mist, its voice echoed, “The young are often arrogant. You are indeed skilled, and before I reach the Ancient Great Realm, I may not be able to fight you on equal footing.

“However, this place is my domain. After years of cultivation, I have long merged with the Qingtong Forest stretching across hundreds of li. My roots extend everywhere, intertwining with the parasol trees. With just your strength alone, you cannot reach my core.”

It paused briefly, then its voice rumbled again—deeper and steadier, resonating like Heavenly Thunder. “But I am indeed eager to battle you and witness just how powerful Hidden Dragon Temple truly is!”

“...”

Song You remained silent.

This willow demon was indeed worthy of a thousand years of cultivation—an entity even older than the old Swallow Immortal. In this era, it had actually managed to enter the Ancient Great Realm.

With such extensive preparation, it was no wonder it spoke with such confidence.

***

At the base of the rocky mountain...

The jujube-red horse galloped swiftly, carrying the calico cat away. Meanwhile, the swallow flew overhead, guiding them around clusters of lurking demons and ghosts.

At one point, the cat and bird unconsciously glanced back, and what they saw made their hearts tremble.

A colossal willow tree loomed behind them, stretching high into the sky. It was rooted in the mist-filled, ancient world. In comparison, the once-imposing stone mountain and ancient temple beneath it had become nothing more than tiny, insignificant specks. Its sheer size was beyond words.

Suddenly, the tree’s branches trembled.

“Boom!”

Several massive willow branches lashed down from the clouds, descending like divine punishment.

Each one carried enough force to shatter mountains and rivers.

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