Grandpa, times have changed.

"This tree..."

Xu Xing stood on a branch of a tree in the forest, gazing into the distance at the giant tree that stood between heaven and earth, and the crystal giant that lived on the tree.

A faint golden light shone in his eyes.

With the blessing of the Golden Eye of Truth, the entire tree appeared to him as if it were a torch burning fiercely, and crystalline giants, like fireflies, danced around the torch.

The last time I came here was more than 160 years ago.

At that time, they discovered some humans who had been 'released' in the vicinity.

They are mentally deficient and cannot even speak.

Xu Xing couldn't bear to see them suffer, so he used spiritual objects to cleanse their bones and replenish their souls. He also taught them to read and speak, and imparted cultivation methods to them.

They also found them a place where spiritual energy was relatively scarce so they could live and thrive.

That was the first time they had helped the human race outside the Eastern Wilderness since they left, so Xu Xing came here first when he came out this time.

only……

"Did they migrate here because they found the spiritual energy here was scarce?" Xu Xing frowned.

Just as powerful clans seek out places rich in spiritual energy to establish their ancestral lands, weaker clans also seek out places lacking spiritual energy in order to avoid powerful beings they cannot defeat.

He was certain that over 160 years ago, there was no such peculiar ethnic group here.

Recalling his journey here, he realized he hadn't seen any human settlements in the same place, and his heart sank.

Those people they rescued and taught cultivation methods back then...

Were they forced to move away because of the arrival of this race, or...?

Have they been wiped out by this race?
With a thought flashing through his mind, Xu Xing vanished from the branch in a flash.

A streak of sword light swiftly swept towards the ancestral tree of the Willow Ghost Clan.

If it's the former, that's fine, but if it's the latter...

In short, we need to find out first.

……

……

Not long after.

Xu Xing suppressed his own aura and concealed his figure as he approached the giant willow tree, which was thirty feet wide and nine hundred feet tall.

The dense willow branches droop down like a green waterfall cascading from the sky, each leaf as if carved from jade, its veins gleaming like gold.

“It’s just that the spiritual energy is scarce here…” Xu Xing’s eyes gleamed with golden light.

If this tree were in a place brimming with spiritual energy, it would have died eight hundred times over if it dared to be so arrogant.

He observed for a long time through the gaps in the willow branches.

However, they discovered that the crystalline giants dwelling on the giant tree did not communicate through words, but rather through a direct spiritual network constructed by the giant willow.

He silently extended his divine sense, carefully observing and listening to the mental fluctuations of the crystal giants.

The chaotic and vast mental fluctuations entered his senses, which he quickly analyzed and extracted the key information from.

About three minutes later, he roughly figured out the origin of the tree and these crystal giants.

This tree is called the 'Willow Ghost Tree'.

Originally a spiritual plant growing in the mountains, it unexpectedly received a drop of spiritual liquid, or rather, spiritual wine, from the sky.

Therefore, it awakened its spiritual intelligence, underwent a transformation, and grew to its current state.

But as His intelligence matured, He also sensed the danger of the Tai Xuan Realm, so He fled the place where He first grew up and found this place where spiritual energy was scarce.

Those crystal giants are the Willow Ghost Clan.

Essentially, it is a peculiar life form formed from His resin, possessing immense strength, with the strongest among them having reached the perfect state of Unity.

They can be considered His retinue.

"Just a drop of alcohol..." Xu Xing murmured softly.

A race, a race with complete intelligence, was created from a single drop of wine from who-knows-where.

Such an unusual occurrence could only mean...

"The Cang Clan?"

Realizing this, Xu Xing felt even heavier in his heart.

My master was kidnapped by the son of the Howling Moon Demon Wolf King, but the root cause lies with the Cang Clan, as well as Senior San Shi and Senior Yi...

It would be a lie for him to say he didn't want revenge.

But the strength of the Cang Clan far exceeded his expectations.

Not to mention the four ancestors of the Cang clan who were detached from worldly affairs and looked down upon the mortal world.

Even the Heavenly Generals of the Cang Clan, and even the high-ranking beings below them, possess the power to shake the starry sky and almost change the world!

revenge……

It's easier said than done.

With a soft sigh, he suppressed his distracting thoughts and continued to observe the Willow Ghost Clan.

But soon, he caught the words 'ancestral tree of living beings' and 'human sacrifice' from the mental fluctuations of the Willow Ghost Clan, and his expression changed.

……

……

It was because it received a drop of celestial spirit wine that its spiritual essence underwent a transformation and grew to its current state.

Therefore, although the Willow Ghost Tree possesses several special supernatural abilities that are stronger than those of a typical peak-level cultivator in the Nourishing Realm, its control over itself is very weak.

Every five years, He uncontrollably produces eighty-one drops of Willow Ghost Wine.

It is extremely depleting of one's vital energy.

If it were a place with abundant spiritual energy, it would be easier to recover, and it wouldn't be too difficult.

However, the spiritual energy here is rather scarce, making recovery very difficult.

Unfortunately, once the Willow Ghost Wine is produced, He Himself is unable to absorb its spiritual essence.
Thus, the "Ancestral Tree for Living Beings" came into being.

He, stronger than most at the peak of the Yangwu Realm, is undoubtedly the overlord of this region.

Each time the production of Willow Ghost Wine depletes His vital energy, He issues a decree ordering His Willow Ghost Clan to collect offerings from surrounding smaller clans, replenishing their essence by absorbing their life force. To ensure a continuous supply of this 'nourishment,' He also strictly regulates the total amount of offerings each clan must provide.

The humans living in this area are one of them!

And today happens to be the day for 'ancestral tree worship'.

Willow ghost tree.

Three hundred feet away.

The area is shrouded in mist, and the branches extending out are so thick that several people can stand side by side.

At the junction of the branches and the main trunk, there is a three-meter-high semi-circular portal from which three Willow Ghost Clan members are emerging.

The flickering flames in its eye sockets gazed into the portal.

The interior space was extremely spacious, with a circular wooden platform in the center. Naturally formed runes on the platform flickered constantly.

Nine thin, small figures were placed on the platform, huddled together in twos and threes, their eyes filled with fear.

A few even began to sob quietly.

Only a small, slender girl dressed in red sat quietly in the corner, her eyes exceptionally bright and pure as glass.

There was no fear, no apprehension, only pure curiosity.

Before long, the previously open door was gradually covered and obscured by a surge of dark green gelatinous substance.

The light coming from the outside world is getting weaker and weaker, while the runes that are naturally generated on the platform are gradually becoming more stable.

As a surge of heat rose, even the air became much more humid.

'Am I going to die?'

The little girl thought this to herself, but no fear showed in her pure eyes.

After all, what is there to be afraid of if we knew it from the beginning?
Adults often say that in order to survive in this world, you have to sacrifice some people and pay some price.

She didn't quite understand it before.

But now I understand it a little.

She, or rather they, are the price they have to pay so that more people can live!

only……

Why her of all people?

I don't even have a name, and I really want to live!

The little girl felt a little depressed.

……

……

Outside the Willow Ghost Tree.

The spiritual energy within a radius of several miles was frantically converging towards a single point, forming an extremely terrifying vortex.

The clouds in the sky were shredded, and even the wisps of cloud were drawn into the vortex.

A flash of sword light!
The sword light, interwoven with gold and red, condensed into a single line, concealed beneath the massive vortex of spiritual energy, and slashed horizontally towards the nine-hundred-foot-tall willow spirit tree!

Wherever it passed, drooping willow branches snapped and flew everywhere, and the roaring Willow Ghost Clan members that rushed forward were turned into dust.

Not bad!

That vortex of spiritual energy was just a smokescreen created by Xu Xing.

The real killing move is this sword strike imbued with the power of annihilation!
This is the Great Thousand Annihilation Realm Destroying Dust Sword Technique!

It's an incredibly cheesy name, but it's actually the original version of the future supreme divine power, 'Sword of Annihilation'.

This is also Xu Xing's most lethal sword move right now!
boom!
The sword light slammed into the thick trunk of the Willow Ghost Tree, sending wood chips flying and making the entire giant tree sway precariously, as if it could be cut down at any moment.

But in just a moment, a surging, violent will suddenly arose, disrupting the flow of spiritual energy in the surrounding area.

The vortex that shattered the clouds and absorbed the spiritual energy within a radius of several miles collapsed instantly.

One of the figures, dressed in black and wielding a long sword, appeared.

"That's really tough!"

Xu Xing frowned.

The Moon Dragon Emperor that Yuan killed was also at the peak of the Nourishing Realm, but the hardness of its dragon scales was not even worthy of carrying the shoes of this Willow Ghost Tree!
Furthermore, this exaggerated level of spiritual strength is beyond what a normal Nourishing Realm cultivator should possess.

They're almost on par with some of the Void Transformations he's seen!

That drop of wine...

Thoughts raced through my mind.

hum~
The sound of swords echoed like dragons soaring through the sky, and in an instant, it resounded for miles around, seemingly without end.

But then Xu Xing transformed into a line of golden and red sword light.

Wherever it passed, ripples spread across the void like the surface of a lake, and the sword intent soared into the sky, as if the surrounding space was divided into two parts, upper and lower.

The spiritual energy was dispelled, which inadvertently created a spiritually isolated zone several meters wide!

"cut!"

Following the indifferent voice.

A voice, ethereal and distant yet filled with boundless anger, followed.

Although He didn't understand what had happened, that didn't stop Him from being angry.

"court death!"

Every leaf was glowing, and the drooping willow branches danced wildly, like divine pillars crashing down on the sword light approaching the main trunk.

But no matter how thick the branch is, it will shatter the moment it gets close to the sword light!
From a distance, it looks like a disheveled giant roaring to the sky, surrounded by dense, fine golden-red lines.

Some spies from neighboring ethnic groups, who had been sent to gather intelligence, changed their expressions upon seeing this scene.

Where did this vicious person from Yangwu Realm come from?

Even the ancestral tree of the Willow Ghost Clan couldn't do anything to him.

The humans here...

Is it going to replace the Willow Ghost Clan? (End of Chapter)