Chapter 860: A Vote?

Based on Tang San's judgment, the Ancestral Tree was likely the latter case. Its cultivation had probably reached the peak of this plane, and when it attempted to ascend to a higher level, it didn't exactly fail, but it didn't completely succeed either. In the end, it merged with heaven and earth; its physical body remained behind like a husk devoid of spirit, while its divine consciousness became part of Falan Planet—or rather, part of the planar ruler. Only in this way could it have left behind such a high-level life essence.

What a pity! But then again, its chances of successfully evolving had been abysmally low to begin with. The Falan Planet as a plane was simply too powerful. Such a strong plane could not give rise to a divine seat just like that, meaning that any being strong enough to qualify for one could only end up assimilating into the world. This was undoubtedly a tragic fate for a powerful entity like the Ancestral Tree.

While Tang San was pondering, figures shot over rapidly from a distance, moving toward the colossal Blue Gold Tree.

When they arrived beneath the Blue Gold Tree and saw the gloomy-faced Grand Elder and Tang San with eight sharp spikes extending from his back, their expressions changed.

Who is this person? Eight spikes... A Great Nymph King?!

Currently, there were only three individuals at that level within the entire Blue Gold Tree clan: the top three elders. It was only natural for them to be shocked.

Tang San withdrew his divine consciousness and quietly observed these Blue Gold Tree elders.

The number of elders in the Blue Gold Tree clan far exceeded his expectations—there were over forty of them! Aside from the Grand Elder, two others also had eight spikes on their backs, their auras heavy and only slightly weaker than the Grand Elder's. These were clearly the highest-ranking elders.

In other words, the Blue Gold Tree clan had over forty tenth-order Nymph Kings. This number was more than double that of the Peacock Demon clan! No wonder they could still control a main city without an Emperor. This was directly related to their immense strength.

As so many tenth-order powerhouses of the Blue Gold Tree clan gathered beneath the Ancient Tree, the pure life energy in the air became so thick it felt almost tangible. In such a dense concentration of life energy, ordinary beings would not live for long; they would fail to process the sheer amount of life energy and end up bursting to death.

On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, Tang San could clearly feel his life force undergoing a transformation. He wanted to maintain this state forever! The feeling was truly wonderful.

He had reached the eleventh order, and although he was still at the early stage, his combat strength undoubtedly made him one of the strongest, if not the absolute strongest, eleventh-order being in this plane. However, the road to regaining the God King power from his previous life was still long, and in this plane, it was downright impossible. To do so, he would have to transcend this plane, and when that time came, he would face his most difficult trial yet. Returning to the God King level was no simple matter.

But at this moment, this incredibly pure life energy was, without a doubt, the best form of nourishment for Tang San. His divine consciousness was being constantly nourished by the faith energy of the Endless Blue Sea, but his other aspects were lagging behind. Meanwhile, the Blue Gold Tree clan couldn't compare to the Endless Blue Sea in terms of sheer amount of energy, but the extremely high level and purity of their life energy benefited Tang San in every respect.

Another elder, who also had eight spikes, walked over to the Grand Elder with a look of confusion on his face. "What's going on, Grand Elder? Who is this?"

𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

The Grand Elder replied in a deep voice, "He claims to be Jin Miaolin."

"Jin Miaolin?" Upon hearing this name, the elders became somewhat restless. They all knew who Jin Miaolin was, and Jin Miaosen standing by his side only went to confirm that. But then, their expressions quickly turned to reluctance. It was only natural, considering that personal interests were at stake.

Although the elders were fully aware of what the direct lineage of the Ancestral Tree signified, under the radiance of the Ancestral Tree, all of them benefited greatly, direct heirs or not. The lack of an Emperor didn't prevent the tree from bringing them immense benefits, allowing them to enhance their cultivation and live much longer. The Blue Gold Tree clan was already known for their longevity, and the longer they lived, the more they cherished their lives. This was one of the reasons Blue Gold Trees rarely left the inner city.

The Grand Elder cleared his throat, drawing the attention of all the Blue Gold Trees present. With a solemn expression, he said, "I have gathered everyone here today because of a very important matter. This clansman claims to be Jin Miaolin, a direct descendant of the Ancestral Tree who left many years ago to seek a future for our clan. However, because he has been gone for so long, I cannot fully confirm his identity. At the same time, he wishes to inherit the Ancestral Tree's legacy and enjoy its radiance alone. Therefore, I have called you elders here to hold a vote, to decide whether or not he should be allowed to do so."

Hearing this, Jin Miaosen became furious. "You are misleading the elders! First of all, my brother's identity is beyond doubt. The Ancestral Tree has acknowledged his bloodline. This cannot be faked. The legacy of the Ancestral Tree can only be passed on through our bloodline; there is no other way. When my brother wasn't here, you said I couldn't inherit because I'm a woman. That's complete nonsense, but I couldn't do anything against you. And now that my brother has returned, you're still trying to mislead everyone!"

The Grand Elder's emotions had, in contrast, calmed down. He looked at the furious Jin Miaosen and sighed. "Miaosen, you've misunderstood. Fine, let's assume he really is Jin Miaolin. Then, it's also true that he agreed to let the elder council vote, right? The inheritance of the Ancestral Tree is a matter of life and death for the Blue Gold Tree clan, so we naturally cannot be hasty. Since it's been decided to hold a vote, let's proceed. Let the will of the elders decide."

Seeing his smug demeanor, Jin Miaosen wanted nothing else but to slap his thick face. The Grand Elder was so calm because a vote by the elder council was bound to go the exact way he wanted! All the elders benefited from the Ancestral Tree's radiance; who would be willing to give up the profit? That was why Jin Miaosen was so anxious! She couldn't understand why her brother would agree to a vote. He had been away for so long that he had no idea what was going on with the Blue Gold Tree clan. The elders had long been bound by their collective interests.

At that moment, Tang San took two steps forward, coming to stand beside the Grand Elder. He looked at the Grand Elder with a calm gaze, then turned to the others and smiled. "Thank you for attending this emergency council meeting. I have been away for many years and am no longer familiar with the situation of the clan. I greatly appreciate the contributions you have all made over the years. As the Grand Elder said, the inheritance of the Ancestral Tree is of great importance and must naturally be decided by a vote among all the elders. The final decision will be based on the number of votes. But before that, I would like to say a few words, if I may. Grand Elder?"

Seeing the peaceful smile on Tang San's face, the Grand Elder felt a slight tightening in his chest. Although he was certain that nothing Jin Miaolin said could change the situation, for some reason, he felt a sense of unease he simply couldn't shake off.

Regardless, Jin Miaolin and Jin Miaosen were both direct descendants of the Ancestral Tree. Even though the elders present were tied to their personal interests, none dared to press the direct heirs of the Ancestral Tree too far. Otherwise, Jin Miaosen wouldn't have dared confront the Grand Elder in this way. No one would risk going too far against the direct lineage of the Ancestral Tree, especially here of all places.

"Please, speak," the Grand Elder said in a magnanimous tone.

Let's see what you're up to.