I am the sacred tree, evergreen for eternity.

The battle was about to erupt, and could break out in an instant.

Three beams of spiritual light struck the flower bud of the Worry-Free Giant Grass, like a heavy hammer shattering ice, cracks spreading outwards, accompanied by a piercing cracking sound.

The Forget-Me-Not let out a mournful cry unlike that of a plant, and the gaping maw in the flower's core opened and closed wildly, gushing out purplish-black sap from the crack.

Qi did not stop.

The heavy blows continued relentlessly until the flower bud finally gave way, bursting open and scattering petals like shredded paper.

The stems withered from the top, the emerald green turning grayish-white, as if all the moisture had been drained away.

Wangyoulang's consciousness was rapidly fading.

It sensed it—the source energy that had devoured countless lives was rapidly dissipating.

Like sand slipping through your fingers, the tighter you hold on, the faster it slips away.

It wanted to struggle, to escape, to open its already broken mouth and say something, but the suppression of the spiritual field left it without even the strength to speak.

However, just as its consciousness was about to completely sink into darkness—

A chilling will descended.

From the deepest part of the Forgetful Wolf's broken body, from the bottom of the countless fragments of consciousness it devoured...

A sudden burst of energy!

A purplish-black beam of light shot into the sky from the remains of the Worry-Free Giant Grass, tearing a huge hole in the clouds above.

Within the pillar of light, the image of a giant Ashoka plant slowly coalesced.

Its stems are as thick as mountains, its leaves block out the sky, and the flower buds at the top resemble an evil eye peering out from the void, radiating a suffocating pressure.

That oppressive aura far surpassed that of the Mingling Realm.

Qi's spiritual field trembled violently under that oppressive force, like a candle flame in a storm.

He gritted his teeth, his inner light surging wildly within him, refusing to back down an inch.

Two giant figures of light stood in front of him, their arms crossed to protect the crowd behind them.

Just then, Yu Su moved.

A dazzling aura burst forth, surging from the treetops into the sky, resonating and sublimating with the ancient power flowing deep within the earth's veins.

A gigantic image of an elm tree appeared in the void.

It was no longer the blurry outline of before, but a clear, solid entity, imbued with the majestic power of heaven.

Every line on the tree trunk is clearly visible, and every leaf on the canopy shimmers with iridescent light.

His form was more substantial than that of the Ashoka plant—like a real mountain, emerging from ancient times, lying across the altar.

The two statues collided.

There was no sound, no light.

There was only one indescribable sense of awe.

Like two mountain ranges vying for supremacy in the void, like two great rivers converging in the shadows, victory or defeat lies not in the blade, but in the foundation.

The image of the Ashoka plant began to collapse.

The purplish-black pillar of light shattered inch by inch, the fragments swirling, burning, and vanishing into nothingness in the air.

In the final moment before the Dharma form collapsed, the fragments suddenly stopped.

They rearranged and recombined in the air, coalescing into a giant line of text—

"You are all insects!"

The text hovered above the altar for three breaths.

Then, like ashes scattered by the wind, it silently dissipated into the air.

The royal city remained silent for several breaths.

Everyone was staring in the direction where the words had disappeared, their eyes filled with an indescribable sense of dreamlike illusion.

Yu Su's Dharma form did not immediately dissipate.

The elm tree's illusory image stood in the void for a moment, its spiritual light spreading outwards like a tide.

It brushed over the altar, over the square, over every street and every house in the royal city...

That spiritual energy was gentle and warm, without any oppressive force, yet it possessed an indescribable sense of calm.

The restless hearts gradually calmed down under the soothing influence of this spiritual energy. The guardians put away their weapons and helped their wounded companions to the side.

Qi stood in the center of the altar, gazing up at the gradually dissipating image of the tree spirit, speechless for a long time.

Yu Su's consciousness did not immediately return to her body.

His consciousness ascended upwards along the direction in which the purplish-black pillar of light dissipated.

Beyond the sky, beyond the boundaries covered by the spiritual field, it extends into the chaotic, unknown depths of mountains and seas.

He finally caught the moment the fel energy was completely annihilated—

A sinister will flickered for a moment in some unknown location deep within the mountains and seas.

Forget-Me-Not, Carefree Grass, Eight Thousand Miles Away...

Behind these shadows stands a twisted, terrifying race that feeds on devouring.

"They" have already seen the Xia Kingdom.

The Xia Kingdom knew almost nothing about them.

Yu Su withdrew her spiritual sense and returned to her clone, silently overlooking the royal city that was gradually returning to order.

Some things are not in a hurry.

The grand ceremony for the Tree God finally came to an end after Yu Su's divine form dissipated.

The clansmen dispersed in twos and threes, their steps heavier than in previous years, but their faces showed an unprecedented sense of peace.

The tree spirit is here.

This is enough.

Three days later, in the council chamber.

The long stone table was filled with people sitting on both sides.

Qi sat in the main seat, with Meng and Feng on either side, and elders and seniors from various provinces gathered together.

Several files were spread out on the stone table, recording the names, backgrounds, and movements of those involved in the rebellion before and after the incident.

Clear, distinct.

The silence lasted for a long time.

Finally, an aged voice spoke: "According to the law, those who blaspheme the tree god shall die."

The speaker was an elder from the same era as Xuan, with hair as white as the first snow in the North and fingers as dry as old tree roots.

His sons and nephews were also on the rebel list and were currently being held in the royal city's dungeon.

No one responded, and no one objected.

"How many people are there in total?" Qi's voice was very soft.

The pilgrim in charge of the interrogation stood up and opened the case file:

"Aside from those who were coerced or deceived, those who genuinely planned and participated actively—"

"Seventeen people."

The air in the council chamber was so heavy it felt like it was about to collapse.

They recognized every single one of those names, but...

"Blasphemy against the tree spirit."

"Only death can atone for my sins!"

Qi's voice trembled, hoarse yet each word was clear.

Only death can atone for my sins!

The four words landed like four giant rocks crashing into a deep pool.

Some people closed their eyes, some lowered their heads, and some clenched their fists so tightly that their knuckles turned white.

No one objected.

Even if their sons, nephews, and younger relatives were on the execution list.

Even if those children grew up on their knees and called them uncles, grandfathers...

The law shows no mercy!

"Wait a minute—"

Suddenly, an old voice rang out at the door.

Xuan pushed open the door and walked in.

Qi gave up the main seat, and Xuan waved his hand, pulling up a chair to sit on the side of the stone table.

"Execute them, and then what?"

Xuan's gaze swept across each face. "Is this the end of the matter? Is Xia Kingdom truly clean now?"

She suddenly raised her head: "So what do you mean?"

Xuan took out a roll of animal hide from his pocket and spread it on the stone table.

It was a map—a much larger, desolate map of mountains and seas marked with large blank spaces and question marks.

"Expansion Plan".

"I'm bringing up the plans for the council chamber that were previously shelved now."

Xuan stretched out his finger and pointed to the gray-white areas at the edge of the map.

"These children who made mistakes ultimately did not cause any real injuries or deaths."

"Give them a chance, let them atone for their sins for the Xia Kingdom, for the Tree God!"

Whispers filled the council chamber.

"Make amends through meritorious service?" one of the elders frowned.

"What redemption, other than the death penalty, can be for blaspheming the tree spirit?!"

"Death can be as light as a feather or as heavy as mountains and seas."

Xuan's voice turned serious, "If they are to die, they should die in the wilderness, on the road to expanding the territory of the Xia Kingdom!"

The council chamber fell silent instantly, the complex situation overwhelming everyone's thoughts.

Xuan met everyone's gazes, his tone revealing an unprecedented solemnity:

"Now, expansion is no longer an option."

"This is a crisis concerning the very survival of the Xia Kingdom—"

"Gentlemen, we have been exposed!"