Chapter 871: Leading the Team, Setting Off

Tang San's ethereal figure floated in front of her and raised his hand to rub her head. Although he was just a phantom, Mei Gongzi was surprised to find that she could actually feel his touch.

"Don't be silly, how could I ever leave you alone? Don't worry, I'll definitely be there for the matchmaking tournament. No one will take my wife from me. But we have to keep the other Emperors from suspecting anything, so I can't tell you which identity I'll use. You'll find out then. Just trust that I'll always be there to protect you."

"That's more like it." Mei Gongzi huffed but took a step forward and nestled into his embrace.

"I'm at a loss," Tang San said with a wry smile.

"Why are you at a loss?" Mei Gongzi asked curiously.

"You can feel the touch, but I can't. It's only my divine consciousness," Tang San said helplessly.

"What do you mean, only? It's literally heart-to-heart, how much closer can we get? You should be satisfied. It's your own fault for not bringing your body back—serves you right."

The two stayed close like that for a while. For Mei Gongzi, this was a rare moment of relaxation during a long period of intense cultivation. A gentle smile appeared on her face, and she was filled with contentment.

Tang San asked about the situation of the Skytree Realm, and after confirming that both Kali City and the Skytree Realm were in good order, he felt relieved.

In this period, Tang San was confident that the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor wouldn't have time to cause trouble in Kali City. With the revival of the Ancestral Tree, the Daemon Continent had been infused with immense life force and fortune, making this the best time for the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor to cultivate. As for the other Demon Emperors, they didn't concern Tang San. Out of the eight Demon Emperors, four were now on Mei Gongzi's side. What was there to fear?

Next, it would depend on how much of a stir he could cause among the nymphs. Once they weathered this storm, it would be time for him and Mei Gongzi to face their greatest challenge yet. As long as they could become Emperors, not a single being of this plane would be able to stand in their way.

After spending some tender moments with Mei Gongzi, Tang San used the Spacetime Lighthouse to return to Skytree City.

Everything remained as it was. Even though his divine consciousness had departed, his physical body continued to cultivate, absorbing the abundant life energy.

Tang San was no longer focused on raising his cultivation level—that was easy. Nurturing his life essence, however, was a different thing altogether. And with the Ancestral Tree's radiance shining upon him, there was no better time or place. He was practically using the life source of all Falan Planet to nourish himself, preparing for a powerful breakthrough.

For the next month, Tang San remained in the inner city, guiding the elders in understanding the changes brought by the Ancestral Tree's imprint. The high-ranking members of the Blue Gold Tree clan all felt as though they had been completely transformed.

The revival of the Ancestral Tree had a significant impact on the entire Daemon Continent. The Ancestral Court officially announced the Ancestral Tree's awakening and declared that Jin Miaolin was eligible to become the acting lord of Skytree City. After undergoing the Ancestral Court's evaluation, he would formally become city lord.

At the same time, the Ancestral Court issued a decree to all races and clans of the continent. The decree stated that any imprisonment or exploitation of the Blue Gold Tree clan members must be immediately halted, and anything related to the clan must be returned to them. Otherwise, the Blue Gold Tree clan had the right to handle the matter themselves as they saw fit.

The wording of the decree was somewhat vague, not overly harsh, but for Tang San, it was more than enough. What he needed was not for the decree to have immediate effect, but rather for it to confer legitimacy to his own actions later.

Indeed, by the time he and the elders finished their month-long seclusion, no members or remains of the Blue Gold Tree clan had been returned. It was as if the various races were entirely unaware of the Ancestral Court's decree, or they had nothing to do with this matter.

All of this was within Tang San's expectations.

You won't send them back? Fine. I'll go and take them back myself.

Tang San ordered the Grand Elder to stay behind and act in his stead as the city lord and clan leader. He then prepared to leave with twelve of the clan's elders, including two Great Demon Kings, setting off eastbound.

Among these twelve elders was his "younger sister," Jin Miaosen.

Tang San had thought carefully about this. First, Jin Miaosen had insisted on accompanying him, and second... what if the real Jin Miaolin wasn't dead and actually ended up returning?

This was a problem Tang San had to consider. It was the only flaw in his current persona.

Leading a group of elders to visit other cities served multiple purposes. First, it was to gather momentum, so when he underwent the evaluation, he would have some clear results to show. Second, it was to retrieve the Blue Gold Tree clan's people. Third, it was to search for the real Jin Miaolin. If he could find him and resolve the issue of the true Ancestral Tree's heir, his identity would be secure, with no more loose ends.

By bringing Jin Miaosen along, it would be easier to confirm the identity of Jin Miaolin. Furthermore, if the real Jin Miaolin returned to the Blue Gold Tree clan while Jin Miaosen wasn't present, no one would believe his claim. The Grand Elder had already been won over by Tang San, and if anyone tried to say they were Jin Miaolin, they wouldn't even get the chance to seek the Ancestral Tree's approval—they would be detained by the Grand Elder.

He wasn't worried about encountering the real Jin Miaolin along the way. Given the power of his Blue Gold Tree bloodline, if the real Jin Miaolin showed up, Tang San's divine consciousness and life force would detect him long before Jin Miaosen could spot Tang San. He would have plenty of time to handle the situation accordingly.

The Grand Elder, along with all the other elders of the Blue Gold Tree clan, escorted Tang San and his group all the way to the gates of Skytree City.

Originally, the Grand Elder wanted Tang San to take even more elders with him, and he himself had planned to go as well. After all, Skytree City was now under the protection of the awakened Ancestral Tree, so there were no security concerns.

But Tang San explained that his journey wasn't to attack other clans; it was to take back their clansmen. Mobilizing too many powerful members of the Blue Gold Tree clan could raise issues of legitimacy. It would be more effective to travel with a smaller group.

𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

The Grand Elder no longer insisted; all elders of the Blue Gold Tree clan now obeyed Tang San without question.

"Alright, elders, please return. Once I am done with my evaluation at the Ancestral Court, I will return," Tang San said, nodding slightly in respect to the elders who had come to see them off.

"Farewell, Clan Leader. We wish you success in retrieving our clansmen." The elders of the Blue Gold Tree clan bowed in unison, showing their utmost respect to Tang San.

No worries, I will retreeve them.

Tang San couldn't help but snicker inwardly at his own terrible pun[1], but he didn't let it show on his face and simply nodded back at them. His figure flickered as he rose into the sky, leading the others toward the east.

Their first stop was naturally the nearest main city in the Solstice Empire, Adamant City. Not long ago, the Adamant Nymph Emperor had paid them a "visit," and as the saying goes, it would be rude not to return the favor. This was Tang San's first target on the journey.

Jin Miaosen flew alongside Tang San, glancing around excitedly as they traveled, her face filled with curiosity.

Obviously, she hadn't left Skytree City in a long time. Even ordinary members of the Blue Gold Tree clan were considered rare treasures, so what more of a Nymph King, and one with the bloodline of the Ancestral Tree at that? If a Nymph King or Demon King devoured the life force of such a Blue Gold Tree, they would almost certainly reach the eleventh order, and their power would increase tremendously.

1. The original is a play on the idiom 马到成功 (literally "succeed as soon as the horse arrives," i.e. the battle is over as soon as you get there) where the 马 (horse) part is replaced by 树(tree). No, they don’t sound anything alike. ☜