"Since that's the case…"
Watching the massive Golden Eagle hovering a hundred meters above, refusing to descend, the last thread of Yu Zi Yu's patience finally snapped.
Even though he now had the body of a Willow Tree, he could not endure such prolonged mental pressure. In the end, he decided—he would make the first move.
However, to make the first move…He needed the Golden Eagle to come down.
As this thought surfaced, countless ideas flashed rapidly through Yu Zi Yu's mind.
Why isn't it coming down?If it doesn't dare descend, then why has it been lingering for so long?What exactly is keeping it here?
One question after another formed in his thoughts.
Before long, Yu Zi Yu suddenly let out a cold sneer, as if he had finally realized something.
"It must be fear. Even if it has evolved, its intelligence is still limited. If it's spying from afar but refusing to attack, then it can only be fear holding it back."
"It's afraid… and the only thing it could possibly fear isn't the Peregrine Falcons, and certainly not the Red Fox. That leaves only one target…"
"Me."
"But why me? I haven't shown anything unusual in front of it…"
Just as he muttered this, his heart suddenly trembled.
Another possibility struck him.
Aura.The aura of the strong.My aura must be so powerful that it's scaring it away.
…
With that realization, a plan began forming.
Haaaa…Letting out a slow, deep breath, Yu Zi Yu loosened his pores, releasing tension throughout his entire body.
Trees breathed, too. And Yu Zi Yu had discovered—by sheer luck—that he could control that breathing. In other words…He could hold his breath, just like a Human.
And holding his breath meant one thing:
He could suppress his aura.
Similar to the Turtle Breath Technique from his previous life, he could make his presence vanish.
Suuup…Taking one more deep breath, Yu Zi Yu decisively held it.
Boom—The entire Willow Tree shuddered faintly.
Thousands of willow branches drooped all at once.
Instantly, the towering Willow Tree appeared lifeless—like a dead, withered giant.
…
Meanwhile, high up in the sky—
Screech!A sharp cry split the air as the Golden Eagle spread its massive wings.
A flicker of human-like doubt flashed in its eyes as it slowly descended toward the Willow Tree.
Its senses told it something unimaginable:
The aura of the Willow Tree had weakened.
Weakened significantly.
Though the aura still extended three to four meters outward, compared to its own seven-meter range, the difference was negligible.
In its perspective, the Willow Tree's territory was now simply a place to hunt.
What puzzled it was why the Willow Tree's aura had suddenly dropped.
The doubt lingered for only a moment.
The Golden Eagle didn't think too deeply. Its intelligence was limited. Compared to a Human's complex mind, it was simple—driven by instinct, ruled by hunger.
And now that the Willow Tree no longer felt like a threat, this place had become its hunting ground.
Zoom—!With a powerful beat of its wings, the Golden Eagle dove like an arrow shot from a bow.
But it failed to notice—
Rumble…The soil beneath Yu Zi Yu cracked faintly as thick black roots—each over ten meters long—rose from the earth.
Under Yu Zi Yu's control, the twisting roots acted like living arms, each one obeying his will.
"Twist…"Responding to his whisper, the roots slowly curled, the tips tightening until they formed long, spear-like points.
From above, they resembled massive black lances—ten meters long, tightly coiled, creaking under pressure.
And there wasn't just one.
To guarantee a kill, Yu Zi Yu mobilized all nine of his sub-roots.
Nine spears waited beneath the ground like coiled serpents.
Right then—
Boom—!A violent gust of wind slammed against Yu Zi Yu, making his entire body sway.
The tallest tree in the forest is always the first to feel the wind.It was painfully true.
As the Golden Eagle plummeted downward, the wind pressure alone was nearly unbearable.
But because of its overwhelming momentum, the Golden Eagle completely overlooked the black lances hidden below.
Screech!Letting out an excited cry, it extended its alloy-hard claws.
Its massive shadow enveloped Yu Zi Yu.
At that instant—
Yu Zi Yu struck.
A speed surpassing human imagination.
Boom! Boom! Boom!Nine black lances erupted from the earth, splitting the air with sonic booms.
Screech—!Sensing fatal danger, the Golden Eagle tried to halt its descent.
But it was too late.
The momentum it had built made stopping impossible.
Bang!It flapped desperately, but before it could evade—
A root-spear pierced straight through its wing.
Sqqquish—!Sparks burst out.
Yu Zi Yu's steel-hard root stabbed through the alloy-like feathers, sending small flames flickering across its surface.
Damn, it's that hard!?
Yu Zi Yu cursed inwardly.
It truly deserved its system evaluation—the wings were as tough as metal.
But that didn't matter.
Because in that single moment…
The Golden Eagle's fate was already sealed.