The Wizard: From Zero-Ring Wizard to Almighty Lord.

Chapter 266 A Blood-Red World, The Tree of Slaughter

Chapter 266

Here, there seem to be stable rules, yet there seem to be no rules at all.

Four directions, up and down, left and right—these are spatial concepts.

From ancient times to the present, the passage of time—that is the concept of time.

When space and time intertwine, spacetime is formed, evolving into everything we have today, which is what we call the world.

However, the area where the World Tree stands is outside the norm.

Space is no longer absolute, and time is difficult to capture.

It seems both real and illusory.

This seems contradictory, yet it's perfectly normal.

Because the world today already has a complete and mature "main world".

The World Tree, on the other hand, is a "second world" that grows on top of this mature world.

A world that is still being conceived, expanded, and developed.

Once the World Tree has fully developed, the two worlds will eventually overlap and collide.

That moment will mark the "end of the old world" and the "descent of the new world."

This is precisely the grand vision that the Creation Society believes in and pursues:

Shatter the decaying old era and reshape a perfect new one!
………………

Beneath that ethereal and enormous World Tree, a figure stood amidst a chaotic torrent of colors.

He wore a long, black robe, his face hidden in the mist, as if he himself were a symbolic presence.

He is the ruler of the Creation Society, the Creator.

At this moment, his brows were furrowed and his expression was gloomy, clearly indicating that he had been troubled by something for a long time.

It is important to understand that the Genesis Church is able to maintain its control over its believers, never worry about betrayers, and is not afraid of external infiltration.

It is because the soul of every believer is linked to the World Tree.

The World Tree will immediately detect if a believer harbors thoughts of betrayal.

And it inflicts punishment from the depths of the soul, a pain so intense that the betrayer will wish for neither life nor death.

however!
Now, however, the World Tree cannot find the soul of that traitor!
The Creator knew very well that the biggest problem with the Duchy of Turquoise's crushing defeat was not tactics, but the key figure, Quentin.

It was Quentin's "voluntary surrender" that led Genesis to mistakenly believe they had seized a golden opportunity to turn the tide, which is why they launched the entire operation.

But who could have imagined that it was a trap set by the Feathered Serpent Society!
The Creation Society not only suffered heavy losses and a ruined reputation, but also dealt a severe blow to its omnipotent image across the entire continent.

It all started with Quentin's betrayal.

The Creator originally intended to personally judge Quentin's soul with the power of the World Tree, causing him to regret, wail, and collapse in eternal torment.

But the result was...!
There was no trace of Quentin's soul on the World Tree!
Blank, silent, vanished without a trace.

This is extremely abnormal!

The Lord's eyes narrowed slightly, and for the first time, an indescribable unease appeared between his brows.

He never forgot that Quentin's soul information had clearly established a connection with the World Tree.

Otherwise, the Creation Society would not have been able to deploy its attack plan against the Duchy of Cuilan so quickly and decisively.

But now, when he turns back to try and capture Quentin's soul, he can't find even the faintest trace.

"Even if one is dead... as long as one has ever been connected to the World Tree, a remnant of one's soul will inevitably remain."

When the Second Age begins, my followers will be revived along with the new world.

"But why doesn't this Quentin... have even a single penny?"

No, not entirely...

The Creator's eyes flickered slightly, and he pondered:
"...but rather, it will take a very long time to re-track his whereabouts."

His eyes, like a deep abyss of stars, began to rapidly deduce and calculate certain special time windows and the frequency of soul appearances.

at this time.

A faint, almost imperceptible fluctuation of information emerged from the depths of the World Tree, drawing in like a wisp of smoke.

Appeared!
The Creator's eyes narrowed, and he finally sensed that repulsive soul, which was filled with an aura of betrayal.

Quentin!

Although that soul aura was extremely weak, he would never mistake it.

Those were believers whom he and the World Tree had recruited into their cult, but in the end, they bit him hard.

At this moment, he even wanted the World Tree to devour that wisp of soul completely in an instant!
But reason remains.

"The distance is too far... but the direction is as expected..."

His brows furrowed, and his icy gaze locked onto that direction: the Alchemist Alliance headquarters.

That place is where the three most powerful totems gather, and it is the place in the world that he fears the most, without exception.

Even he, if he rashly attacks Quentin's soul, could very likely alert those three terrifying beings.

Once they follow the clues and deduce the true location of the World Tree and the Creator... it will be a disaster.

"...We can only try it cautiously."

He began to mobilize the power of the World Tree, setting up layers of concealment, hiding, rewinding, and displacement techniques, attempting to exert a kind of soul connection with Quentin from afar.

Even just a light touch would be nice!
However, at this moment.

Quentin's soul has vanished once again!

Moreover, the time it took for the soul aura to appear was even shorter than the last time!

"Ok?"

The Creator's pupils contracted slightly, and a genuine sense of gravity flashed across his cold expression.

Although he didn't have much information yet, he was already able to make a preliminary judgment about the traitor named Quentin:
Quentin is undoubtedly a spy deliberately sent by the Alchemists' Alliance!

The other party somehow mastered the method to block the soul pull of the World Tree.

Then, have Quentin actively approach the Genesis Society and guide this Principality of Turquoise's actions.

Now it seems that the entire operation was a trap set by the Alchemist Alliance!

The moment the mission ended, Quentin's soul was completely erased from the World Tree.

When they reappeared, they were already in the distant Alchemist Alliance headquarters area!

This was clearly not a coincidence, nor was it a personal tactic of Quentin.

This is something the Alchemists' Alliance is intentionally hiding!

What's even more terrifying is that the second manifestation of the soul's aura lasted even less than the first.

This means that the Alchemist Alliance has made further breakthroughs in its soul-locking and tracking mechanism for the World Tree.

If this continues, it won't be long before the World Tree completely loses its ability to sense the souls of traitors!
And when we got to that point...

The Alchemist Alliance can continuously plant spies and infiltrate the organization, while the Genesis Society remains completely unaware and powerless to counter it!
This was a fatal blow to the entire Creation Society, shaking its very foundation. The Creator's expression finally turned completely grim.

He knew very well:

At this moment, both he and the World Tree are still in a "seclusion" phase, accumulating power.

It is not yet mature enough to take the initiative, let alone confront the three most powerful totems head-on.

If they join forces, even he will have to temporarily avoid their sharp edge.

"It can't be delayed any longer."

The Creator took a deep breath, a murderous glint flashing in his eyes.

The Alchemists' League's methods are constantly improving.

If we continue to wait and see and react passively, and wait for the World Tree's control over the soul to completely fail, then everything will lose its meaning!
We must take the initiative!

He slowly raised his head, gazing at the canopy of the colossal tree that seemed to tower above all worlds, and for the first time, a true sense of dread appeared in his eyes.

"A change of heaven and earth will inevitably lead to rivers of blood... In that case, rather than waiting for the World Tree to grow slowly, let's use blood as a catalyst to make it bloom ahead of time... When it takes root in the world, that will be the moment to cleanse all the sins of the old world in one fell swoop!"

The Creator took a deep breath, stepped forward, and stretched out his pure white hand to gently stroke the World Tree trunk, which existed between reality and illusion.

In that instant, it seemed as if the entire universe trembled.

"Kill," he murmured, his voice low and cold, "Kill until rivers of blood flow!"

In the past, he had kept the Genesis Society's plans at a relatively "moderate" pace.

Through long-term dormancy and turmoil, the World Tree was nurtured, allowing it to absorb nutrients from the collapse of order and mature naturally.

But now, he clearly realizes that the Alchemist Alliance has changed.

Those alchemists who should have been oblivious to the power of totems are now attempting to intervene in the realm of "soul sovereignty."

This is tantamount to attacking the sacred origin of the World Tree!

If things continue to be "mild," what awaits us is not the arrival of a new era, but the devastating outcome of the World Tree being prematurely restrained or even destroyed.

So he made his final decision without further hesitation:
Awaken the World Tree prematurely, allowing it to grow by force, nourished by slaughter!
Even if the price is the integrity of the plan, even if the tree is no longer pure, but is blood red and made of bones, so what?
"Changing the world is the responsibility of the gods... So what if humanity goes extinct? What essential difference is there between them and birds, beasts, plants, mountains, and rivers?"

His gaze was cold and piercing, like that of a god judging all living beings, as he murmured:
"The core of the old era was the power of totems, which belonged to humankind... but the new era does not necessarily have to be an era of humankind."

"These alchemists were originally the watchdogs of the old world. Since they dared to defy the heavens and attempt to permanently control the old world, then let them become the best nourishment for the World Tree!"

At this moment, the Creator has completely abandoned the illusion of "purifying the old order".

He chose the most extreme method, sacrificing the Alchemist Alliance to prematurely ripen the World Tree.

And the root of all this is simply because of a man named Quentin.

Who could have imagined that his betrayal would be like the first domino to fall, unleashing a monstrous wave that could overturn the entire world order!
The Alchemist Alliance never expected this, the Duchy of Cuilan never expected this, and Evelyn certainly never expected this...

Even Lynn, who orchestrated all of this, didn't expect that when he brought Quentin back to the wizarding world...

When the World Tree's connection was severed to some extent, it caused the Creator to make an incorrect judgment.

After all, it's understandable that the Creator is cautious; he doesn't accept failure and wouldn't gamble that the Alchemist Alliance has no way to counter the World Tree...

However, if Lynn knew the Creator's movements, he would not regret it; on the contrary, he would only be relieved:
"We should have done this a long time ago!"

Lynn was never worried about the growth of the World Tree; in fact, one could say he hoped it would mature as soon as possible.

His only worry was that he wouldn't be able to find the World Tree or the true form of the Creator!
Once the coordinates are clear, once he has located the World Tree...

Even if the World Tree truly gives birth to a new era, so what?

For Lynn, it was nothing more than a complete Level 4 opportunity, a spoil that the Creator had not yet had time to use and would never be qualified to use again.

Because, before that day actually arrives...

He will lead the most loyal, most fanatical, and most perfect army of wizards to descend upon this world with overwhelming force!

Meanwhile, in that boundless, dreamlike realm where reality and illusion intertwine.

The voice of the Creator traveled through the World Tree to every corner of the continent:
"My believers...!"

"For the sublime World Tree! For the beautiful new era! I need your lives, I need everything you have!"

"Do not fear death! Death is but a fleeting dream. As long as the World Tree stands atop the heavens and earth, you will be reborn in a new world!"

His voice was like the tolling of a bell in the soul, piercing through consciousness, seeping into the marrow, and striking the deepest part of faith.

On the mainland, the believers opened their eyes, their minds echoing those words.

Some are noble heirs hidden within the palace;
Some are professors who speak eloquently on university lecture platforms;
Some were even revered as elders, great sage alchemists…

But at this moment, they have only one identity: believers in the Creation Church!
They nodded silently and responded in hushed tones.
"I am willing to give my flesh and blood as nourishment for the tree."

"I am willing to give my blood to bring about a new life."

....................................

Crystal Rock Empire, Alchemist Alliance, Hidden Land.

Lynn gently supported Evelyn as they began today's "bloodline nourishment."

On the surface, Evelyn's face was rosy and her complexion was good, but a truly perceptive person could sense that her vitality was not what it used to be.

Her protective light, which once shone with a golden glow, was now so dim that it was almost invisible, with only a faint afterglow barely holding on.

That divine radiance, symbolizing the half-step Feathered Serpent God, has now almost disappeared, only slightly stronger than the silver totem "Shadow Serpent".

Her feathered serpent bloodline was slowly draining away, and the path to the golden throne, which was so close at hand, was also slowly collapsing.

Today, he was once again accompanied by the frigid Phoenix Throne.

Once the nourishing process was complete, Evelyn withdrew her fair, jade-like arm, and the protective light automatically sealed the wound, just as usual.

"Alright, that's all for now. The next one will be in three days."

The Frost Phoenix nodded, its tone as calm as frost and snow, and turned to leave.

However, Evelyn suddenly spoke up and stopped him.

“Uncle Phoenix,” she said calmly, but the seriousness in her eyes was undeniable, “the situation outside… isn’t it not good?”

The Frost Phoenix paused, and even his usually stern face showed a hint of bitterness.

He shook his head and sighed, then said in a low voice:

"The Creation Society has gone mad and started launching a completely irrational offensive against us... a fight to the death."

"In just a few days, most of the border has fallen."

He paused and added:
"Don't worry, although the Duchy of Cuilan has fallen, I have already ordered people to bring the members of the Feathered Serpent Society and your confidants to the safe zone of the Crystal Rock Empire."

He then gave a brief account of the current situation.

In short,

Outside, complete chaos reigns.

The Genesis Society's reckless fighting style was a nightmare for all alchemists, causing the Alchemist Alliance a great deal of trouble and leaving them exhausted in dealing with it.

Therefore, Evelyn's importance here is even greater, because all three supreme thrones believe that...

If we can find the Creator beforehand, we can end all of this by beheading him...

(End of this chapter)