Chapter 900: Departure

Of course, he wouldn't simply forcefully move the Blue Gold Tree clan to the humans' Skytree Realm. That would unquestionably cause the Ancestral Tree's trust in him to disappear; as a result, its imprint within him would collapse, leading to major issues in his ascension to Emperorhood and making him a target of the plane again. What he had to do was carefully manipulate the situation in the right direction and then let everything progress naturally.

"Clan leader, are you bringing the same group to the Ancestral Court this time?" the Grand Elder asked, a hint of eagerness in his eyes as he looked at Tang San. This time, he truly wanted to go as well. After the Emperor-slaying feat last time, and with all the recent excitement in Skytree City, the Grand Elder was deeply aware that the clan leader's visit to the Ancestral Court would undoubtedly be welcome with unprecedented honors. As the Grand Elder, he naturally also wanted to experience such a glorious moment.

Seeing the hope in his eyes, Tang San smiled and said, "I'm going to the Ancestral Court to undergo evaluation because I hope to secure support from them. I'll need some of the elders to be witnesses. Miaosen will accompany me; as for the other elders, I'll leave it up to you to decide. After all, I've been far away for too long and I'm not even sure who is who anymore. Please choose some elders with enough prestige to accompany me. This way, when we return, the elders can better spread the Ancestral Court's will among our people."

Hearing this, the Grand Elder's eyes immediately lit up, and he hurriedly responded, "Rest assured, Clan Leader, I'll make the proper arrangements."

Although Tang San knew the Grand Elder wanted to go, he wasn't about to point it out and offend other elders who also wanted to attend. They could sort it out among themselves. If they ended up offending each other, that was their issue; he only cared about the outcome. Even if all the Blue Gold Tree clan elders wanted to go, Tang San had no objections.

The next day, as Tang San prepared to depart, a scene that left him truly speechless unfolded. In front of the Ancestral Tree, thirty-six elders stood fully prepared to depart. Leading them was, of course, a beaming Grand Elder.

Seeing this, even Tang San couldn't help but feel a bit speechless. He had thought that double the number from last time—twenty-four elders—was the most he would take with him. But the Grand Elder had brought out almost all of the elders! If it weren't for the need to protect Skytree City, would they have brought the entire elder council?

"We're going to report, not to demonstrate our power," Tang San said helplessly as he looked at the Grand Elder.

The Grand Elder's face flushed slightly. Though his prestige was indeed the highest within the Blue Gold Tree clan, this reporting trip was an unprecedented moment of glory for the clan, and none of the elders wanted to miss out! There had been intense debate the previous night, with some even threatening to stake their lives over the matter. In the end, there was no choice.

The Grand Elder awkwardly said, "Clan Leader, now that the Ancestral Tree is awake, and with its brilliance shining over Skytree City, there's no way any troublemakers would dare come here. Bearing witness to your evaluation is the clan's most important matter, so everyone hopes to attend. What do you think...?"

Seeing the hopeful gazes of the elders, Tang San could only sigh helplessly and nod. "Alright, let's go then. Set out!"

And so, he set off once again, this time with thirty-six jubilant Blue Gold Tree clan elders, flying straight toward the Ancestral Court.

Compared to the last departure, the atmosphere this time was completely different. The previous time, although they had a new clan leader, the Blue Gold Tree clan elders weren't expecting much change and were merely fulfilling a task. But this time was entirely different. The Ancestral Tree had slain the Adamant Nymph Emperor; in other words, the Blue Gold Trees had no Emperor of their own, yet were capable of killing one! This sent shockwaves throughout the entire continent. The elders were in an exceptionally good mood. They had never experienced such a moment of glory before, and it felt as if the whole world had brightened before their eyes.

Tang San wasn't in a hurry. Instead, he used his divine consciousness to seek out forests rich in life energy, passing over them and leaving traces of his own life force. He also used the Blue Gold Tree clan's bloodline imprint to connect with the plants, granting them the Ancestral Tree's blessing.

In doing so, the Ancestral Tree would receive a measure of faith from these plants. As the Ancestral Tree's representative, Tang San was naturally also the target of this faith. While this could not compare to the power of faith absorbed through the Sea God seat, it was still a form of pure faith from this plane, highly beneficial to enhancing Tang San's life essence and nourishing his body.

As soon as they set off, the Ancestral Court received the news, and this time, their response was entirely different. By the time they reached halfway there, an Ancestral Court envoy had already arrived with Pegasus carriages to greet them. There were enough carriages to carry all the Blue Gold Tree clan elders, speeding up their journey to the Ancestral Court.

Tang San had been to the Ancestral Court many times before, but this was his first time arriving in such a grand manner. Moreover, this time, he would face the Emperors directly. For him, the success of his report was nearly a certainty. No one would risk provoking the wrath of the Ancestral Tree by opposing him. After all, the Blue Gold Tree clan was not strong by any standard, but the Ancestral Tree was an entirely different matter. Every demon and nymph on the continent was well aware of that. The Ancestral Tree controlled the essence of life, a resource scarce for any race. How to maintain good relations with the Blue Gold Tree clan was what each clan now contemplated.

Tang San meditated alone in the flying horse carriage, continuously releasing the aura of Ancestral Tree. Only when he sensed familiar energy fluctuations did he withdraw his divine consciousness and open his eyes.

When he lifted the curtain of the carriage, the outside scenery came into view. The first thing he saw were the Ancestral Mountains surrounding the Ancestral Court, each towering peak adorned with a grand statue of an Emperor.

Tang San sensed the faint pulse of Crystalline's imprint. Even as the former top Emperor, she couldn't help feeling somewhat sour returning to the Ancestral Court's vicinity.

𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"Come out,"

Tang San prompted her.

With a flash of light, Crystalline appeared beside Tang San, wearing a pale blue gauze dress. Gone was the innocence of a new childhood; now, she looked as though she were in the prime of youth, an extraordinary beauty tinged with a sense of nostalgia. Her deep gaze, betraying maturity far beyond her apparent age, seemed to hold a myriad of secrets.

"The duplicate you left in your Crystal Palace has perished, hasn't it?"asked Tang San.

Crystalline sat beside him, gazed at the scenery outside for a moment, and shrugged. "Looks like it did. I thought that once we separated, it could survive by itself, but it seems that I was wrong. Anyway, according to my last will, the Crystal Palace should be handed over to the dragon race for management. I don't think they'd dare meddle with my belongings."

"Do you miss your past life?"

Crystalline shook her head. "What's there to miss? Most of my past life was rather dull. Once I became the strongest, the entire dragon race felt nothing but fear and respect toward me; that didn't bring me any joy. And in the latter part of my life, I spent most of my time thinking about how to extend it. Only in my final moments did I realize that the length of life isn't the most important thing—it's the breadth of life that brings the most beautiful memories."

Tang San smiled slightly and nodded. "Yes, with your cultivation level, you should venture out more. In this plane, breaking through the barrier of lifespan is almost impossible. Only in the outside world is there some chance."

Crystalline looked at Tang San. "The outside world as in... the greater universe?"

Tang San nodded again. "Indeed! The universe is filled with boundless mysteries and endless natural wonders. No matter how strong we individuals may be, we are still insignificant in the vastness of the universe. And within it, there is much we don't yet know."

"Did your previous life take you to many places in the universe?" Crystalline asked curiously.