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Chen Xuanfeng nodded in agreement and immediately led the way into the lower level, but the sight that met their eyes was shocking.

If before they had only speculated about the monster's identity based on Li Jia's description, they were now certain the creature before them was the Black Gold Treant.

The monster not only survived the explosion unscathed but also shed its outer layer, revealing a new form.

After shedding its skin, the treant's size had shrunk by two or three sizes, now only about sixteen or seventeen meters tall. However, its overall form was more balanced and sleek. The once pitch-black trunk now gleamed like black jade, with a warm, translucent glow. Though its basic structure stayed the same, its vines had transformed dramatically. Countless branches and leaves sprouted from within the treant, each leaf still black but edged and veined in gold. Additionally, faintly glowing golden streaks appeared along the grooves of the treant's body and the textures of its vines, giving it an aura of mysterious, harmonious beauty from afar.

The name "Black Gold Treant" now truly suited it.

"Transformed?" Everyone was stunned and began speculating at once. "What about its strength? Has it weakened or grown stronger?"

The newly transformed Black Gold Treant quickly answered their questions—with a storm of leaves.

Each leaf was as sharp as a sword, with golden edges gleaming coldly, and their speed was as fast as the magical arrows Li Jia had shot earlier. Moreover, each leaf carried the power equivalent to an intermediate-level spell, throwing the four of them into instant chaos. Jin Luosha was even pushed back to the upper level by Chen Xuanfeng.

The battle that followed was even more exasperating. The evolved treant had clearly ascended to the level of a super magical beast. Not only was it now immune to fire, but it also retaliated with a burst of burning leaves whenever it was hit by flames. The leaves and vines grew back as quickly as they were destroyed, seemingly endless. Meanwhile, both Morova and Chen Xuanfeng were holding back, concealing their true strength, preventing either from fully unleashing their power against this monstrous plant.

Finally, Chen Xuanfeng was forced to summon his "Ghost Wolf," relying on its strength and speed, which matched that of a super magical beast, to keep the treant at bay.

Just as everyone was at their wits' end, Li Jia, who had been missing for a while, suddenly emerged from the massive door. She leaped a few times and arrived beside Chen Xuanfeng, placing a black gemstone ring inlaid with gold into his hand. "Master, I've found a magical artifact that can subdue the Black Gold Treant. Please use this to tame it."

Chapter 22: Who Drives, Who Rests

Adventurers across the Mainland share a common understanding: when facing a super magical beast, delay means defeat.

Compared to any intelligent species, super magical beasts hold an overwhelming advantage in terms of magical power, physical strength, and recovery from injuries. Unless there is a constant stream of reinforcements and an excellent terrain, once the battle enters a prolonged phase, the super magical beast can fight or retreat at will.

Thus, during the previous battle, although Chen Xuanfeng, Xi Luo, and Morova had fought valiantly against the Black Gold Treant, they all knew deep down that continuing like this would lead to certain defeat. Morova, unaware that Chen Xuanfeng had already seen through his true strength, secretly planned to retreat first and then sneak back later when the others weren't paying attention, using his full power to deal with the creature.

However, the situation suddenly changed. Li Jia, dressed as a maid, appeared and presented a black gemstone ring, claiming it could subdue the treant. Naturally, Chen Xuanfeng decided to give it a try.

"This is..." As soon as the ring was placed on his hand, it began to change, forcing Chen Xuanfeng to pause his inquiry about its function. The black gemstone on the ring suddenly revealed countless tiny runes, then emitted a black ring of light that instantly wrapped around the distant Black Gold Treant.

The moment the black ring touched the treant, Chen Xuanfeng felt his mind directly connect with the chaotic spiritual essence of the treant. The two clashed, sparking countless confrontations, while the ring continued to emit more rings of light, layering them onto the treant, intensifying the mental struggle.

The Black Gold Treant, being a super magical beast, should have had a spiritual strength far surpassing that of ordinary intelligent beings. Unfortunately, it was a creature born by chance, lacking the growth and learning experiences of typical super magical beasts, nor did it possess the accumulated knowledge of a thousand years like a normal Golden Treant. Thus, while its spiritual power was formidable, it was also utterly chaotic.

Chen Xuanfeng, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. His experiences with mastering magic had given him a spiritual strength far beyond that of ordinary people. Moreover, he possessed extensive experience in spiritual battles and techniques like the "Soul Shifting Art," which used his inner energy to enhance his willpower. In this confrontation, it was like a thousand elite heavy cavalry facing tens of thousands of disorganized refugees. Despite the numerical disadvantage, the scales of victory tipped in his favor.

At this point, although Chen Xuanfeng still didn't know what the ring was, he understood its purpose and why Li Jia had given it to him. The ring allowed the wearer to directly connect with the treant's soul, granting the wearer a significant advantage. As long as the wearer could overpower the treant's will, they could subdue it. Among those present, Chen Xuanfeng was the most suitable for this task.

Step by step, layer by layer, Chen Xuanfeng spent an hour completely suppressing the treant's spirit. Then, the ring emitted a golden glow, and a complex golden rune was imprinted on the treant's forehead. Immediately after, the massive treant transformed into a black light and was absorbed into the ring.

The super magical beast—Black Gold Treant Guardian—had finally become Chen Xuanfeng's possession.

The final function of the ring was called the "Interdimensional Summoning Coordinate," a magical technique that sealed the summoned creature into a predetermined spatial layer, allowing it to be summoned at any time. This was the same method Chen Xuanfeng had used to seal the four Spider Knight puppets he found in the River Styx Tower. However, this method was originally only capable of sealing inanimate objects. If not for the fact that the Black Gold Treant didn't need to breathe or drink and could absorb elemental energy, it wouldn't have been possible to seal it in this way.