I am the sacred tree, evergreen for eternity.

Inside the pitch-black cave.

The dense swarm of demonic rats tightened their encirclement, their blood-red eyes merging into one in the darkness, creating a chilling and terrifying sight.

The young totem walkers gripped their weapons without hesitation, a resolute will igniting in each of their eyes.

Suddenly.

Suddenly, a warm sensation came from Xuan's arms.

The next moment, emerald green light burst forth from his animal skin coat.

The light was soft and deep, yet it contained an indescribable, soul-stirring pressure.

That was the radiance of the tree god's branches!

A surge of spiritual light erupted like a tidal wave, and the oppressive aura of a high-ranking being descended instantly.

Wherever they went, the blood-red pupils of the demon rats suddenly contracted, and a deep-seated fear appeared on their ferocious faces.

"squeak--"

The rats let out shrill screams and retreated frantically, trampling each other in chaos.

The once impenetrable encirclement was now torn open by a flash of inspiration, revealing a glimmer of hope.

Xuan was the first to react, directing the team to rush towards the passage, while he himself lagged behind.

A dozen or so figures filed in, their steps as fast as arrows released from a bow.

The emerald light lingered in the cave for a good dozen breaths before finally beginning to fade.

Behind them, the screeching of the demon rats, who were gradually coming to their senses, came from the cave hall. The sounds were filled with anger and madness.

The roar of the head rat came from deep within the cave, as if urging its subordinates to give chase.

however--

When Xuan rushed to the middle of the passage, he suddenly stopped.

He heard a sound coming from behind him.

It was not the hissing of a demon rat, nor the clash of claws and teeth.

It's a human voice.

Are they the elderly?!

Those emaciated old people, with all their might, let out a shout:

"run!"

"Run!"

"Don't look back!"

Xuan suddenly turned his head and looked at the gradually dimming emerald light at the end of the passage.

He saw it.

Those elderly people, those frail old men with white hair, were blocking the entrance to the passage with their own bodies.

They had no weapons, no strength, and could barely stand.

But they used their bodies, their flesh and blood, to build a wall.

A wall that blocked the demon rat.

The old man at the head of the group, the one who had smiled at Xuan in the darkness, was now blocking the entrance to the passage with his arms outstretched.

His lips curled slightly upward, just like the smile he had when they first met:

"You are children too."

"You, too, are hope!"

A giant, monstrous rat pounced from the darkness, its sharp claws tearing through the old man's back, causing blood to gush out.

The old man's body trembled violently, but he did not move an inch.

His hands were still gripping the rock wall at the entrance of the passage tightly, his nails broken and bleeding, yet he remained motionless as if rooted to the spot.

"By the Tree God..."

The old man murmured the prayer he had just learned, a slight smile appearing on his lips.

Xuan clenched his teeth so tightly they almost shattered, and blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.

He finally turned around and rushed out of the passage with his head down.

The waterfall burst open before my eyes, and the cool water splashed on my face, mingling with my tears as they streamed down.

Moonlight spills down, and stars fill the sky.

Fresh air, carrying the fragrance of grass and trees, filled my lungs.

The moment Xuan burst out of the waterfall, his legs went weak and he almost collapsed to his knees.

Then, he saw—

The open space in front of the waterfall was packed with people.

Hong stood at the head, wielding two heavy iron swords, the blades gleaming coldly in the moonlight.

Dozens of totem walkers clad in animal skins stood silently, each with the same burning flame in their eyes.

Xuan's lips trembled, and tears streamed down her face.

"Chief...Father..."

Hong stepped forward and patted his young son on the shoulder.

He gazed at the cave hidden behind the waterfall, his aged voice calm and undisturbed:

"By the Tree God."

"Tonight, kill all the demon rats."

The battle lasted for three days.

Hong brought over fifty totem walkers as reinforcements, including ten body refiners, which was nearly half of the entire Xia clan's fighting force.

And that emerald green branch—the branch of the divine tree bestowed by Yu Su—became the most crucial force in this battle.

Its spiritual light instinctively suppresses the demon rat.

That wasn't a crushing defeat on the level of power, but a reduction in the dimension of life.

The filthy, cold power emanating from those demon rats melted away layer by layer before the spiritual light emanating from the tree trunk of the divine tree, like thin ice falling into a furnace.

Their speed decreased, their strength weakened, and even their reactions became sluggish.

The totem walkers, however, thrived, their spiritual energy flowing more smoothly within them, their power seemingly inexhaustible.

The battle raged from the depths of the cave to the cave hall, from the cave hall to the passageway, and from the passageway to beyond the waterfall.

The rat demons were trapped in their own lair, with nowhere to escape or hide.

The five-headed rats were personally killed by Hong.

The largest rat was cleaved in two by Hong's iron blade, which pierced its head from the top.

Blood splattered all over Hong's face.

He didn't wipe it; he simply turned around and looked at the rescued humans huddled in the corner.

They have fewer than thirty people left.

And those elderly people who blocked the passage with their bodies...

No one survived.

The night the battle ended.

The cold moonlight spilled across the devastated mountains and forests.

Hong, Xuan, Yan, and the surviving totem walkers sat around the emerald green branch.

Several rescued children were curled up on the animal skins, fast asleep.

The branch lay quietly in Xuan's palm, its surface texture glowing faintly in the moonlight.

The silence lasted for a long time.

Finally, Hong spoke.

His voice was hoarse and deep, as if squeezed from the depths of his throat:

"By the Tree God"

"The Xia family requests your will... regarding those demon rats?"

He paused, wiped the blood off his face, and gazed devoutly at the tree god's branches.

"I've spent my whole life fighting these beasts, but I've never seen anything like it..."

"They can set traps, know how to keep animals in captivity, and can even suppress their bloodlust."

"This doesn't look like a wild beast...it looks like..."

All eyes were drawn to that section of branch.

We earnestly request the guidance of the tree spirit.

After a moment of silence, the emerald green branch suddenly lit up.

Then, Yu Su's voice slowly rang out.

It remains as gentle as ever, carrying the composure that comes with the passage of time, like an old tree whispering in the wind.

"Those demon rats are not wild beasts; they are also a group with intelligence—the demon race."

Everyone's breath caught in their throat, and their backs straightened involuntarily.

"The power of demonic beasts is different from the spiritual energy of the earth's veins; it is filled with a violent and chaotic will."

"I call it 'turbid energy,' a power that can quickly endow living beings with powerful physiques and strange supernatural abilities."

"The price is the loss of intelligence and consciousness, turning into a ferocious beast—which is also the form of most demonic beasts."

"However, in the process of perfecting the body-forging method..."

"I discovered that the bloodline of humans can actually dispel the pollution of the turbid air."

There was a sigh-like quality to Yu Su's voice, though trees do not sigh.

Hong instantly understood the tree god's meaning, and his entire body trembled uncontrollably.

"So, the demon race eats people..."

"It's not a coincidence, it's a necessity!"

As Hong's voice faded, the mountains and forests fell into a deathly silence.

"In the wild and desolate mountains and seas, the strong prey on the weak."

"There is never any way to avoid it."

Yu Su's proverbs and prophecies echoed once again on the tree spirit's branches.

Xuan stood up from the ground.

He walked up to Hong, knelt down on one knee, and looked intently at his father.

"Chief, I want to stay here and establish another tribe!"

His voice was calm, but every word was resolute.

"By the Tree God."

"The conflict between humans and demons is no longer just a blood feud."

"This is an unsolvable battle for survival."

Hong looked into his son's eyes with a complicated expression.

Having been tempered by blood and fire, only a heavy determination remained in those eyes.

"The Valley of the Divine Tree is too small to protect everyone."

"We cannot forever hide under the blessings of the tree god."

"We need more territory, more people, and greater power..."

"We will journey towards the mountains and the sea!"