Chapter 864: A New Spring for the Ancestral Tree

Previously, Tang San had considered showing up as the representative of the sea beasts, prove his strength, marry Mei Gongzi officially, and ascend alongside her. After all, the Crystal Demon Emperor had been so powerful that the addition of two new Emperors, instead of just one, seemed theoretically possible. Once he became an Emperor, all problems would be resolved.

The plan made sense, but the risks were still high. The White Tiger Demon Emperor

might

support him in this case, but the other Emperors were another matter. Moreover, the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor was still in the lead, and gaining his approval in this situation was unlikely at best. But what if he approached the issue from another direction—specifically, from the west? What if he shifted his focus to nymphs in the Solstice Empire?

Even the elders of the Blue Gold Tree clan couldn’t tell he was not one of them, so how could others? And if he attempted to become an Emperor as a member of the Blue Gold Tree clan instead, in other words a Nymph Emperor in their eyes, wouldn’t that be a lot easier? After all, the Ancestral Tree could be described as a benefactor to all life on the Daemon Continent. At the very least, it greatly influenced plant-type nymphs. The Sunborne Nymph Emperor, the Earthshade Nymph Emperor, and the Soul Capturer Nymph Emperor—weren’t they all plant-type nymphs?

Thinking of this, a faint smile appeared at the corner of Tang San’s mouth.

As the Blue Gold Tree clan elders continued to kneel in worship before the husk of the Ancestral Tree, all the other members of the clan began to sense the changes as well. Normally, they would not have the right to come into contact with the Ancestral Tree, but at this moment, the tree was actually taking the initiative to come into contact with them. How could they not be excited?

The elders were feeling the benefits already, as their vitality was improving; meanwhile, for the lower-level Blue Gold Trees, the benefits were even greater. Within just minutes, the entire Blue Gold Tree clan was impacted by the life energy radiating from the Ancestral Tree, and they experienced what basically amounted to a collective upgrade.

A similar thing could be witnessed in the outer city; the aura of the Ancestral Tree enveloped the entire Skytree City. Every nymph within the city, regardless of race or attribute, could feel the nourishing effects of this powerful life energy.

All of Skytree City fell into a frenzy. Nymphs poured into the streets, making their way toward the inner city, kneeling around the moat, and bowing in gratitude to the Ancestral Tree’s radiance. Even if they couldn’t see the tree directly from here, they could witness the immense light of life from the inner city, a green glow rising straight into the sky. At the same time, all the plants within Skytree City began to grow wildly, not just in size but also in level of life. The inner city was a fountain of life!

If the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor were here, he would undoubtedly sense that the fortune of Skytree City was changing, rapidly ascending.

On the first day, all of Skytree City was alarmed by the changes. By the second day, the surrounding villages and towns were also disturbed. Many nymphs began to rush toward Skytree City, coming to worship the Ancestral Tree and, of course, conveniently bask in its light.

By the third day, a figure radiating golden light arrived from the distance, hovering in the sky several kilometers away from Skytree City and gazing down at the city.

It was a tall man clad in shimmering golden armor. The armor had intricate lines, and it was not

forged

but rather

condensed

from adamant; it was a part of his body. He radiated an immensely powerful aura that immediately betrayed his status—this was unquestionably an Emperor, one of the elites at the pinnacle of the Daemon Continent. At this moment, his face displayed an expression of doubt and uncertainty.

He was very familiar with Skytree City, having been here more than once. But now, he could no longer see the city he knew; it had vanished. Not in the sense of being destroyed, but completely covered in vegetation. Massive trees and vines had enveloped the entire city, and from above, all the eye could see was an endless sea of green. And in the “eyes” of his divine consciousness, there was only life energy and nothing else, so thick and rich that it was overwhelming.

The Emperor witnessing this spectacle was none other than the Indestructible Adamant Nymph Emperor, one of the seven Emperors of the Solstice Empire.

Renowned for his formidable defense, the Adamant Nymph Emperor ruled over Adamant City, the closest main city to Skytree. For a long time, he had coveted Skytree City, often exploiting the timid nature of the Blue Gold Tree clan to obtain valuable resources from them.

Though the Adamant Nymph Emperor was not a plant-attribute nymph and had instead cultivated from a piece of adamant, even beings like him, literally made of stone, still craved life energy. In fact, in a sense, it did

more

good to them than to any other beings.

Skytree City was rich in life energy, and so were its inhabitants. By secretly capturing a member of the Blue Gold Tree clan and slowly draining them, one could obtain a tremendous amount of life energy. Many nymph clans had tried to exploit the Blue Gold Tree clan in this way.

The Blue Gold Tree clan had never been able to resist, and all they could do was hide within the inner city, minimizing opportunities for the other clans. With the husk of the Ancestral Tree guarding the inner city, no one dared to invade.

This was also why, when Jin Miaolin left, the clan believed it was impossible for him to return alive—the Blue Gold Tree clan’s allure was simply too strong to resist.

By official order of the Ancestral Court, Blue Gold Trees could never be auctioned in the Solstice Empire. However, in the black market of underground dealings, they were treated as the most valuable resource for trade.

The Adamant Nymph Emperor had once suggested that, since it had been many years since the Blue Gold Tree clan had produced an Emperor, selfishly hoarding such a vast amount of life energy was detrimental to the development of the Solstice Empire. He proposed stripping the Blue Gold Tree clan of ownership over Skytree City and opening the Ancestral Tree’s body for observation by other clans.

The implications of this suggestion were vast. If the Ancestral Court had approved it, the Blue Gold Tree clan could very well have faced the danger of extinction.

Fortunately, among the Nymph Emperors, plant-type ones still respected the Ancestral Tree’s contributions to all nymphs, so they did not approve the proposal. But it was undeniable that all clans coveted the Blue Gold Tree clan's resources, even the tree nymphs that could trace their roots all the way to the Ancestral Tree. It only went to prove the old adage: Having a treasure you can't protect is a crime in itself.

Thus, when the Adamant Nymph Emperor heard that changes were occurring in Skytree City and that the Ancestral Tree seemed to be radiating immense life energy, his first reaction wasn’t fear of the Ancestral Tree’s awakening, but

excitement

.

As an Emperor, he was well aware of the Ancestral Tree’s situation—its consciousness had long since spread across the entire planet, becoming one with heaven and earth. How could the Ancestral Tree possibly return? It was more likely that the Blue Gold Tree clan had lost control of its husk, causing life energy to leak out. Naturally, the Adamant Nymph Emperor rushed over, hoping to take advantage of the situation.

But now that he truly gazed down at Skytree City from the sky and sensed the life energy within the city, he hesitated.

The life energy radiating from Skytree City was far too vast, and its level was far too high. Even from this distance, he could feel it. Moreover, the energy wasn’t leaking out chaotically as he had expected; instead, it was circulating in an extremely orderly manner, centered around the heart of the city.

With his twelfth-order divine consciousness, he could faintly sense that this vast life energy was rooted deep within the earth. The reason there was so much of it was that it was being drawn from everywhere else and converging toward Skytree City. In other words, this didn’t seem like the Ancestral Tree’s power leaking out. It felt more like the Ancestral Tree actually awakening, absorbing the life energy of the outside world, and letting out some of it for the city.