F-class thief? Sorry, I can steal anything.

Chapter 79 The Source of Corruption: The Ten Thousand Hearts Demon Mother Tree

The two walked one in front of the other.

The atmosphere was eerily oppressive as we passed through the tunnel that had been emptied by the energy of the Obsidian Sentinel's self-destruction.

Mu Wanqing followed behind Chen Yifan.

Looking at that not-so-broad back, my feelings were extremely complicated.

She reviewed the events in her mind more than once.

If we could do it again...

Is it possible for me to control this man?

The conclusion is...

No.

This man named Chen Yifan is like a monster in the guise of an F-class monster.

You never know what he'll do next, or what card he'll play.

and……

What's most terrifying isn't his strength.

Rather, it was his madness that disregarded all rules.

And a calmness and patience that are completely out of character for his age.

Making an opponent of this kind of person would drive you crazy.

But what if... it's a teammate?

The moment the thought crossed her mind, she nipped it in the bud.

What a joke! He's the one who...

She subconsciously touched her cheeks, which had regained their smoothness.

The burning sensation seemed to linger on my nerve endings.

The two walked in silence for about ten more minutes, and then the view ahead suddenly opened up.

A giant underground cavern, comparable in size to a football field, appeared before our eyes.

Unlike the dark and damp caves we had seen before, this place was as bright as day!

Countless crystal clusters the size of human heads hang from the dome of the cave, emitting a soft white light that illuminates the entire space.

In the very center of the cave, a giant tree, hundreds of meters tall, takes root.

It was a "tree" that could not be defined by any known plant.

Its trunk is not made of wood, but is composed of countless twisted and tangled flesh and fascia, with a surface covered with dark green vascular patterns, much like an enlarged version of the giant heart we just saw.

The massive canopy blocked out the sun, and hanging between the branches were not leaves, but whole, beating hearts of different sizes!

Thousands upon thousands of hearts, like wind chimes, hang from the branches, beating in sync with the giant tree's "breathing".

"Thump...thump..."

"Thump...thump..."

That deep, rhythmic throbbing sound seemed to be the pulse of this world, carrying an indescribable magic that struck straight to the soul.

At the foot of this giant tree, there are mountains of white bones.

There were humans and various strange beasts.

Countless green fungal carpets spread out from the pile of bones, like a huge carpet covering the entire cave floor.

In the very core of the giant tree's trunk, within a huge hole, a fist-sized black crystal, seemingly formed from the purest darkness, emitted an eerie light as the tree throbbed.

The Corrupted Heart!

"Found it..."

As Mu Wanqing looked at the black crystal, her breathing became rapid, and a flame called "greed" reignited in her eyes.

Although the scene before them was extremely bizarre.

But this is the Heart of Corruption.

As long as I can get it...

Losing an Obsidian Sentinel isn't unacceptable!

Moreover...

This thing has more than one function.

However, just as she was about to urge Chen Yifan to take action.

But then she noticed the man in front of her.

He simply stood there quietly, without moving.

"Hey, what are you standing there for?"

Mu Wanqing frowned.

Chen Yifan didn't turn around, but simply pointed to the throbbing giant tree in front of him, his tone calm.

"Your [Compass of Truth] tells you that this is the [Heart of Corruption]?"

"That's right!" Mu Wanqing answered confidently, "The energy source core that the compass is pointing to is it!"

"Oh."

Chen Yifan let out a soft, ambiguous laugh.

He turned his head, his gaze beneath the hood carrying a hint of pity as if he were looking at an idiot.

"An energy source that can even cause B-grade items to react, you call it 'a' [Heart of Corruption]?"

"Look closely, what's hanging on that tree?"

Mu Wanqing was taken aback and subconsciously focused her gaze.

Previously, all her attention had been drawn to the black crystal, but now, after Chen Yifan's reminder, she began to carefully observe the "fruits" hanging on the branches.

Upon seeing this, her blood ran cold.

On those beating hearts, there were even faces contorted in pain!

Men, women, old people, children... and even some of the heads of strange beasts she had seen in her encyclopedia!

Every heart is a soul that has been devoured alive!

And on this tree, there are thousands upon thousands of them hanging!

This is hardly a corrupting heart!

This is clearly a King-level tree spirit undergoing some kind of terrifying transformation, nourished by life itself!

The Corrupted Heart is merely bait used to lure its prey!

A chill ran from the soles of her feet straight to the top of her head. Mu Wanqing was so frightened that she retreated repeatedly, her face as white as paper.

"What...what the hell is this thing...?"

Her voice was trembling.

The monster before her was completely beyond her comprehension.

However, Chen Yifan's reaction made her feel unfamiliar once again.

There was no fear, no retreat.

His gaze was fixed on the giant tree, his expression as indifferent as if he were looking at something completely unrelated to him.

The next second, Chen Yifan activated his talent skill without hesitation.

[Secret Investigation]!

hum-

A massive flood of information instantly washed over his mind!

[Target: The Source of Corruption - The Myriad Hearts Demon Mother Tree (King-level BOSS - Sleeping/Evolving)]

[Rank: Lv.35]

[Status: The main body is dormant, attracting prey by relying on the energy fluctuations of the 'Heart of Corruption' and passively absorbing life energy to complete its final transformation. Current evolution progress: 42.1%]

[List of items that can be stolen:]

[1. Concept: The 'dormant' state of the Ten Thousand Hearts Demon Mother Tree]

2. Energy: Energy dissipated from 'Heart of Corruption' (0.001%)

【3. Rule Fragment: Life Drain (Extremely low probability of stealing a tiny fragment of its core ability)】

"..."

Looking at the list of things that could be stolen brought by [Theft Investigation], Chen Yifan stood there stunned.

That's it?

Not only were his talents and skills completely undetectable, but even his mental attributes were not displayed.

It seems that the opponent's mental attributes completely overwhelmed mine, resulting in extremely limited information that [the investigation] could obtain.

No.

You can't go up.

Facing an opponent of this caliber, any slight underestimation is tantamount to playing with one's life.

The cooldown for [Steal Everything] is 14 hours remaining.

This is his biggest trump card, and the only chance he can turn the tide and create a miracle.

But now, he can't even figure out the opponent's core abilities, and the BOSS's mental attributes completely suppress him. Even if the skill is off cooldown, the probability of successfully stealing it is extremely low.

This turning point that could have created a miracle is temporarily off.

He turned his gaze to Mu Wanqing beside him.

In the other person's eyes, he saw fear, but also an unquenchable, determined greed.

That being the case...

"Let's go, let's back off."

Without hesitation, Chen Yifan turned around and retreated back to the passageway he had come from.

"Back...back?"

Mu Wanqing was completely stunned.

"Aren't you going to get the [Heart of Corruption]?"

Chen Yifan looked at her as if she were an idiot.

"Do you want to be drained dry by that tree and become another heart on it?"

Mu Wanqing was speechless.

That makes sense, but...

"So what do we do now? Just sit here and wait?"

"Otherwise what?"

Chen Yifan found a relatively clean corner, sat down leisurely, and took out a pack of compressed biscuits from his backpack.

He broke it in half and handed it to Mu Wanqing.

"Eat something to replenish your energy. We'll have to wait a while."

Mu Wanqing looked at the half-eaten cookie in his hand.

Looking at his calm and collected demeanor, as if he were preparing to set up camp, I felt my worldview shattered once again.

Outside lurks a terrifying tree spirit that could awaken at any moment, and the final boss is right before your eyes.

This man has actually started... having a picnic?

What is he thinking?!

There's still a wait?

Who are we waiting for?

When the BOSS wakes up, will he devour them both?