I am the sacred tree, evergreen for eternity.

"The conditions for the demon race are very simple—"

"We will no longer enter the territory of the Xia clan, nor will we harm the people of the Xia clan."

"Your hunting parties are free to move about within the existing territory... those mindless monsters are no problem."

The fox spirit wagged its tail, its words full of allure.

Xuan stared at the fox demon without saying a word.

The night wind swept through the dense forest, ruffling his hair and clothes, and the cold gleam of the iron axe flickered uncertainly in the darkness.

The fox spirit paused, its amber eyes narrowing slightly, before continuing.

"There are still many lost humans scattered throughout the mountains and seas... They are scattered in various places, and some have been taken in by the demon race."

"The demon race does not necessarily have to fight the Xia clan to the death."

"You hold onto your land, and we'll keep what we have."

"It's better for everyone if we both take a step back."

Xuan finally spoke, his voice very soft.

"You mean, you can avoid touching anyone from the Xia family...?"

"But you shall continue to eat the other humans you have already captured."

The fox spirit neither confirmed nor denied, but simply said calmly:

"Some people have to die... even if there are no demons."

"Those humans you keep in captivity are also human beings."

"But they are not from the Xia family."

"The Xia family can't manage that much." The fox demon's tone was flat.

"This land is too vast. You haven't even established a firm foothold in your own little corner yet, so what right do you have to interfere with others?"

Xuan's hand gripping the iron axe bulged with veins, but his voice remained steady:

"All the humans in the mountains and seas are members of the Xia clan."

"If not today, then tomorrow will be too."

The fox spirit tilted its head, as if pondering the meaning of those words.

"So, you refuse?"

Xuan answered with his actions. He held the iron axe horizontally in front of him, and the cold light on the axe blade suddenly surged, tearing a rift in the surrounding darkness.

"Go back and tell your people."

"The Xia clan will not make peace; there is nothing to talk about between the human race and the demon race."

"Those humans you've kept in captivity, the Xia Clan will rescue them one by one... and the Xia Clan will settle accounts for every single one of those you've eaten."

The dense forest was deathly silent.

Then, the sound of breathing could be heard in the darkness.

Heavy, oppressive breathing, tinged with stale air, came from the depths of the dense forest.

In Xuan's spiritual perception, the auras of five, six, seven... at least eight great demons emerged in the darkness, surrounding him completely.

They did not appear, but the thick, foul air had already turned this dense forest into a steamer.

Xuan did not move.

The cold gleam on the iron axe remained steady, without even the slightest tremor.

The fox spirit remained silent for a moment, then jumped off the rock, its four legs landing silently on the ground.

It took two steps toward Xuan and stopped less than ten feet away from him, its amber eyes staring straight at him.

You'll change your mind.

"We will meet again."

Its voice was very soft, as if it were stating a predetermined ending.

The fox spirit turned around, its silvery-white figure disappearing into the darkness like a drop of water falling into an inkwell.

The auras of the other great demons also dissipated, and the forest returned to the tranquility of the night.

Xuan stood there, gripping the iron axe, and it took him a long time to suppress the spiritual light.

When he returned to the camp, the campfire was still burning, and the young people were still drinking and eating meat. It seemed that no one had noticed that he had left.

Qi handed over a skewer of grilled meat, which Xuan took and took a bite.

The meat was cold, but he chewed it slowly and carefully.

Over the next few days, the group continued westward without encountering any further obstacles.

The day before the autumnal equinox, the outline of the western border tribes came into view.

The western tribes were built on a plain, with their houses constructed of bluestone and arranged in an orderly fashion.

The tribe was surrounded by a stone wall two zhang high, with arrow towers and crossbow platforms on top. Every few dozen steps, there was a patrol of totem walkers.

Compared to the ruggedness of the eastern tribes, the western tribes possess a more profound and weighty quality.

Liang stood at the entrance of the tribe. He was half a head shorter than his father Yan, but his shoulders were broader, like a square stone that had taken root.

Having spent years dealing with the poisonous miasma of the swamp, his skin had taken on an unhealthy bluish-gray hue, and there was a scar from his left cheekbone to his jaw, corroded by the venom of a demon spider.

But his eyes were bright, a light brown that was almost amber—the most common eye color among the western tribes—and the black eyes of humans would gradually fade due to the constant exposure to miasma.

Liang stepped forward and pounded his chest.

"Uncle Xuan, you've arrived."

Xuan returned the greeting without saying a word, but patted Liang's shoulder forcefully before leading the group into the western tribe.

The young people looked around curiously.

Qi's gaze swept around, secretly comparing the differences between this place and the eastern tribes.

The houses in the western border are more densely packed, the streets are narrower, there are more pedestrians, and the air is filled with a mixture of herbs and rust.

This area is adjacent to a swamp, with heavy miasma and many poisonous insects, resulting in a huge demand for medicinal herbs. Almost every household grows various medicinal herbs in front of and behind their houses.

"The western border is a bit different," Qi whispered to his companion.

"It's a bit different," his companion nodded. "It feels...tighter than where we are."

Tense, it means tense, deeply tense.

The western tribes have been dealing with poisonous creatures in the swamps for years. Life is hard and death is mysterious. Every member of the tribe is on edge.

That evening, the teams from the northern and southern regions also arrived.

He walked at the very front, broad-shouldered and burly, shirtless, revealing his strong muscles and numerous scars.

The Northern Travelers following behind him were all burly men, wrapped in thick animal hides, with iron axes and hunting knives hanging at their waists, and exuding a strong stench of blood.

The Northern Region is the harshest place among the four major tribes, with blizzards and fierce winds. Those who can survive there are all tough guys who have crawled out of the most dangerous places.

"Xuan!" Meng strode over and hugged Xuan tightly, so tightly it felt like he was going to strangle him.

Xuan neither dodged nor fought back; he simply patted Meng on the back.

"Be gentle, my old bones can't take your rough treatment."

He suddenly let go, grinned, and revealed a set of white teeth.

Then he turned around and looked at Liang, his gaze lingering for a moment on Liang's scarred face.

"You're becoming more and more like your father... a tough guy too." The voice suddenly lowered.

Liang's lips twitched slightly, pulling at the scar and making it look even more grotesque.

But his eyes were calm; there were no tears in his pale amber pupils, only a melancholy that had settled after being repeatedly soaked in miasma and the passage of time.

"Uncle Meng... if Father heard you say that, he would definitely put on a stern face and say, 'Don't give me that.'"

The wind was the last to arrive.

She was a few years older than Xuan, almost ninety, but she was still slender and agile, walking silently like a gust of wind.

She governed the tribes of southern Xinjiang in an orderly manner, and the water demons in the Milky Way have been suppressed for years and have been unable to raise their heads.

With the waterway fully opened, southern Xinjiang became the most developed region for trade among the four major tribes.

The leaders of the four tribes gathered again under that verdant branch.

The elm tree remains, but the people and things have changed.

"Tree God, above."

Several people recited a prayer together.

The leaves of the tree's branches rustled.

Unbeknownst to them, Yu Su's consciousness had quietly descended...