I am the sacred tree, evergreen for eternity.

Deep within the boundless mountains, an Eastern tribe has taken root.

Yu Su's consciousness descended quietly along that invisible bond, landing in the trunk of her clone.

He deliberately concealed his aura, only slightly invoking the spiritual consciousness of his branch to sense the changes that had taken place in the human race over the years.

Not far away, a large crowd had gathered in the square in the center of the tribe, which caught Yu Su's attention.

Two young totem walkers, clad in armor and wielding weapons, were locked in a fierce battle, their figures intertwined.

"This is a selection competition."

A sense of understanding dawned on Yu Su's mind.

He still remembered the scene when Hong set up a competition in the Valley of the Divine Tree to select pioneers.

Surprisingly, decades later, this tradition has not only not disappeared, but has become even more formal.

Yu Su's attention fell on the two people who were fighting, and she was slightly taken aback.

They were two men who looked to be in their thirties or forties. One was burly and wielded an iron rod; the other was lean and agile and used a pair of short knives.

The two moved extremely fast, going back and forth in the open space, the clanging of metal as dense as raindrops.

What truly caught Yu Su's attention was the spiritual energy flowing within them.

The spiritual energy within the two had solidified into a tangible form, surging and flowing through their meridians, each attack carrying a visible radiance.

Although the light was not as rich and powerful as the spiritual light of Yu Su's true form, it was exceptionally condensed, clearly indicating that it had crossed the threshold from nothingness to form.

The Realm of Enlightenment, bathed in the light of heaven.

Furthermore, both of them were highly skilled in using their spiritual energy, clearly having honed their skills at this level for quite some time.

"At this age, the Mingling Realm..." Yu Su silently calculated the time.

He slept for sixty years, and considering the years of Xia's migration and reconstruction, this group of people should be a new generation born after he fell asleep.

According to the cultivation method he taught, one can gain a lifespan of over a hundred years in the Body Forging Realm, and being in one's thirties or forties is still considered "young".

Before long, the battle situation became clear.

The victor put away his weapon, walked to the high platform on one side of the square, and pounded his chest in salute.

Several stone chairs were placed on the high platform, and a tall man sat in the center.

Yu Su scanned the tree trunk with her spiritual sense, and the spiritual light within it rippled slightly.

That's Xuan.

Compared to decades ago, he has matured a lot. Although his hair is slightly gray, his face does not look old, and the lines of his cheekbones and jaw are still sharp.

He's eighty years old, but he looks more energetic than many young people.

Yu Su noticed that Xuan's aura was calm and heavy, and the spiritual light within his body was faintly spreading outward, flowing and pulsating in the space several feet around him.

Seeking the Dharma!

Yu Su nodded slightly.

The Mingling Realm is divided into three stages: Heavenly Light, Seeking the Dharma, and Spiritual Field.

Xuan's current state clearly indicates that he has already passed the Heavenly Light stage and entered the Seeking the Dharma stage.

Guided by spiritual light and governed by elements, an invisible rhythm flows, a trace of the power of heaven and earth being drawn together.

Xuan stood up, his gaze sweeping over the crowd in the square, and spoke in a loud voice:

"By the Tree God!"

"You are all excellent."

"Brave and fearless, truly worthy of being the elite of my Xia clan!"

Xuan was delighted that outstanding talents were emerging one after another among the younger generation, and the tribe would become increasingly prosperous.

The second-generation leader of the Xia clan, the leader of the Totem Walkers, pointed his battle axe at the newly crowned victor of the contest.

"As the victor, from this day forward you will be the captain of the Tenth Totem Walker Squad, guarding the eastern outpost."

"yes!"

The victor raises his right arm and clenches his fist to show his determination.

Cheers erupted from the crowd once again.

The young man who lost the final returned to the team without any disappointment on his face. He even took the initiative to ask his opponent, who had just defeated him, for advice and to practice together.

As Xuan's most beloved son, his status did not bring him any special privileges.

The outcome is decided, that's all.

The leaves of the Yu Su tree swayed gently in the breeze.

He showed no sign of his arrival, but simply watched everything quietly, like a tree watching the daily events unfolding in its shade.

Xuan seemed to sense something, frowned slightly, and glanced in the direction of the branch.

But he quickly looked away, thinking he was just imagining things.

The tree god's will has been dormant for decades. Although the branches still radiate light, that voice has never been heard again.

He was already used to it.

Yu Su continued to spread her perception throughout the entire Eastern tribe.

The area of ​​the Eastern Tribe is even larger than the Sacred Tree Valley of yesteryear, with houses lined up one after another, stretching from the foot of the mountain all the way to the mountainside.

The outer perimeter was surrounded by a stockade wall constructed of massive stones and ironwood, with an arrow tower placed at regular intervals.

The advances and retreats were well-planned, the layout was reasonable, and everything was in good order.

In just a few decades.

It is truly remarkable that the Xia family has grown from its roots to its current flourishing state.

Xuan stood in the center of the square, watching the dispersing crowd, the smile on his face gradually fading.

He turned around and looked in the direction of the branching altar, without saying a word.

"Father, did you see that?"

Xuan silently recited it in his heart.

"The Eastern Tribe has 12,000 people, more than 4,000 totem walkers, over 1,000 who have broken through the limit stage, and 76 who are at the Mingling Realm."

"In the southern borderlands, the western frontier, and the northern regions, all the tribes are no weaker than this one."

"The Xia clan has a total population of nearly 50,000, with more than 20,000 capable of fighting."

"The seeds you and the tree spirit planted back then have now grown into a forest."

He paused, then turned his gaze to the distant mountains.

"By the Tree God."

"The Xia family has not let you down."

Yu Su's tree trunk remained motionless, while the spiritual light flowed quietly.

He saw it.

He kept watching.

He has witnessed every step the Xia family has taken, from the Divine Tree Valley to the Four Branches, and from the Four Branches to the Four Directions Tribe.

Those days of groping in the dark, those years of struggling in blood and fire, those people who never abandoned or gave up on their tribe...

Humanity has grown strong!

Yu Su did not respond to Xuan's thoughts.

The time is not yet right.

Just as he was about to withdraw his consciousness from the branch, a wave came from the branch of the western tribe.

Yu Su recognized that it was the resonance between the other three branches.

Although the Xia clan was divided into four major groups, the connections between the branches were never broken.

Every so often, the leaders of the four sides would communicate through the branches, report on their respective situations, and discuss joint decisions.

Yu Su did not interfere, but simply listened quietly.

The thought originated from a branch of the Western Frontier Tribe, and the messenger was Liang—Yan's son, the leader of the Western Tribe.

His voice was clear, clearly indicating that he was very skilled in this method.

"The ten-year period has come to an end, and it is time for the leaders of the four directions to gather and discuss matters. This year, it is the Western Frontier's turn to preside."

A moment later, two more thoughts came from the branches of the Southern Frontier and the Northern Region; they were Feng and Meng.

"receive."

"understood."

Then came Xuan's thoughts, steady and concise:

"when?"

"On the day of the Autumn Equinox, in the western tribes." Liang's thoughts came again.

"At that time, the four travelers will each lead their elite forces to the meeting, and there will be two topics:"

"Firstly, we will share information on the recent development of each department;"

Secondly—

Liang paused, a hint of murderous intent creeping into his mind:

"Which demon race will be wiped out this time?"