Forge a path to success.

Chapter 353 The Divine Tree of Thorns
What is the core of the Thorn Robe City-State?

“The Divine Tree of Thorns,” Chu Hengkong said.

"Who is most qualified to decide the future of the city-state?"

“The divine tree itself,” Ji Huaisu added.

"Yes, the city-state is in fact the body of the gods, and the divine tree is the spirit of the city-state. Therefore, before discussing public opinion, power struggles, and measures, we must first consider the will of the divine tree itself. If Jing Sha is still sane, then there is nothing wrong with his actions in the future. If Jing Sha is incompetent and tyrannical, then the matter of the city-state will be settled, and there will be no room for maneuver."

Wilbert moved swiftly, showing none of the scholarly frailty of her, with the Trio of Dragon City and Trek and his daughter close behind.

They were all granted permission to meet the sacred tree, as the purpose of the meeting was to award medals to the heroes who made outstanding contributions in the Battle of the Thorn Flower Festival. Chu Hengkong and his group represented the outsiders, Trek represented the Divine Guard, and Li Ke represented the shopkeeper and other citizens who volunteered to fight.

Banningtik listened to their discussion without offering a single comment. Lico, somewhat anxious, asked, "Mr. Banningtik, the Divine Tree..."

"Due to the limitations of my duties, I cannot say more on this matter. Please make your own judgment on Lord Jing Sha's condition later," Banningtik said meticulously. "We'll be there soon, please follow me."

Using Trek's abilities, they teleported multiple times, arriving from the bookstore entrance to a secret room within the Supreme Attorney's Office in Fort Mansa. The room had no doors or windows; the only source of light was a teleportation array emitting a green glow in the center. Banningtik led the group to the center of the array, and perhaps because this was not a public place, his speech became much more concise.

"Request a meeting with the authority of the chief commander."

【license】

A flash of light appeared in the teleportation array, and everyone smelled a refreshing fragrance. They were deep within lush vegetation, the branches and leaves swaying in the gentle breeze, and the light filtering through, making it impossible to tell whether it was a starry night or dawn.

There were animals here too; a few rabbits hopped among the tall grass, and birds chirped in the treetops—all familiar sights from the city-state. A small flower turned its head, revealing cartoonish features, looking exactly like its ubiquitous counterparts.

Little Flower whispered, "Wait a minute, it's still sleeping."

"I'm awake," someone said. "Please bring them here!"

The birds and beasts parted at his call, and Banningtik led them across the tall grass to a clump of overgrown thorns. The thorns and brambles grew in a dense, dark green, altar-like formation. The man lay flat on the thorns, using the altar as a bed. He had been calling out earlier, but now he closed his eyes, as if asleep.

He wore a crown woven from thorns and a white robe embroidered with flowers and creatures. The robe was extremely large, as if made for a robust warrior, but now it looked like a luxurious shroud. The man in the white robe was so weak that his hair was sparse and he was emaciated, like an empty shell of skin and bones. Almost all the muscles in his body had disappeared, and his bones bulged out under his skin, the loose skin hanging on his skeleton.

Chu Hengkong recalled the tragic deaths of starving people he had seen in Africa, and now, in the heart of a prosperous and beautiful city-state, he saw similar people. A deity of mass 7, closer to death than old age.

Lico burst into tears in shock: "Lord Divine Tree!"

Even Trek's expression darkened: "It's gotten to this point...!"

“Before the Vitex Festival, the Divine Tree was able to maintain its condition,” Banningtik said in a low voice, “but after the vote results were tallied… well, as you have seen.”

Jing Sha was awakened by the disturbance. He turned his head and cast a dim glance at the crowd: "You've come! Please come closer so I can see you clearly!"

They took a few steps forward and, urged by Jing Sha, stood before the altar. Jing Sha slowly rose to his feet, refusing Banningtik's help. He did his best to put on a kind and approachable smile: "The city-state is very grateful to you! Your valiant fight protected the lives of our citizens, and the city-state will never forget this kindness. Captain, please bring me my medal!"

Banningtik handed over a box containing medals shaped like white flowers. Jing Sha personally picked them up and slowly placed them on everyone's shoulders.

“In the past, we wore the medals on our chests… but later some team members complained that it was disrespectful to women. So we changed it to shoulder straps.” Old Tree told them with a smile, “Fortunately, all the medal recipients so far have shoulders… at least they have heads!”

At this point, he saw Vande, corrected himself, and placed the flower on Vande's forehead. He then pinned it on Trek, saying, "How many times have we awarded you this medal, Trek?"

"I've forgotten... the last time was more than 20 years ago."

"Only 20 years! That's not a long time!" The old man said nonchalantly, even joking, "If one day a fluid creature becomes a city-state hero, we really won't know how to award medals. Perhaps we should develop a liquid medal... cough cough!"

He coughed twice, a trickle of blood seeping from beneath his white robe. Violet reminded him, "You're injured." "A stray dog ​​bite, nothing serious!" he said nonchalantly.

Strangely enough, even though he was so weak that his voice was barely audible, his manner of speaking still sounded strong and vigorous, as if he were still a young and energetic man.

His divine robes were too large to conceal the dense scars covering his body. There wasn't a single patch of unscathed flesh on his body; it was covered in scars. It was as if he had endured endless torture, with old wounds healing only to be replaced by new ones, like thorns binding his body.

Jing Sha noticed their gazes, and he simply bared his chest and arms, his face beaming with pride: "We've suffered far more serious injuries than this countless times. This mere chaos is nothing to worry about!"

“But the city-state is not what it used to be, and I think we are now at a difficult juncture,” Vilbert said.

Jing Sha laughed heartily: "Child, you are very clever and quick-witted, but you have not experienced enough life. Let us tell you what difficult times are."

He pointed to an old, raw scar on his neck: "This was shortly after sunrise, when we had only reached point 5 and had just blossomed our first 'Holy Flower.' The giants came seeking refuge because the greedy demons had their eyes on their invention. We leaped into their gaping maws and broke all the teeth of those greedy demons, ensuring they would never again dare to harass our friends!"

He patted his chest, revealing a gruesome teeth mark: "When the World Tree was stabbed, the Chaos Demon seized the opportunity, wanting to devour us like a piece of fat meat. Its smoke tore through our bark, and its sharp teeth bit into our flowers. But we pinned that wild dog under our roots, and since then he has been running rampant in the city-state, while he himself has been unable to go anywhere."

The old man raised his right arm again, displaying the old wound that looked like corrosion: "After the Spire fell, 'Our Lady of the Courtyard' Lavaiva came herself, wanting to uproot us old things and plant us in her garden. Her light poison infected everyone, and the city was almost turned into a dead city. But we did not give up. We supported each other to stand up, dispelled the poison, and used wooden spears to pierce her slaves and drive her back into that mad tower."

"Before the great battle, the Empire's Origin was sent to the front lines. Even though the true machines had already invaded Mansa Star Fortress, we remained united and drove them back to their homeland."

"Towards the end of the great war, the insects rebelled. Ronghua Xian and Cimu arrived, joining forces from within to devour Lao Jingsha. At that time, the city-state was completely collapsing, and even the captain thought there was no hope. But we said no, we could hold on to the end. Together with the World Tree, we blocked the offensive of the Desire Demons, and in the end, we didn't let them take over the secret realm!"

The old man laughed proudly: "We have experienced far too many difficult times, but we have overcome them every time. Hardship has made our city stronger."

We fear no heretics, as long as we are united!

His words were all true, and his scars were irrefutable proof. Yet, the more true it was, the more sorrowful everyone felt. For that frail body could no longer bear the weight of such a glorious past.

Vilbert bowed in respect. She then said, "The current predicament lies in the fact that the Thorn Robe is no longer united. If they leave the secret realm, what will become of the independent city-states?"

“The children haven’t figured it out yet.” The old man shook his head. “They’re overwhelmed by this ever-changing situation, bewildered by this unprecedented era. First, the Heavenly Prison appeared, then Twilight departed. The world is changing rapidly; a year’s changes are equivalent to a hundred years ago… They haven’t realized that there’s never been any ‘self-preservation,’ and the world is always interconnected.”

Deep down, they understand reason; they understand love, understanding, and the meaning of unity and sacrifice. I believe they will eventually open their eyes.

Vilbert tapped her cane and suddenly asked, "Why are you so certain?"

"Because they are our citizens."

"What if they don't change their decision until the very last moment?"

“That means the path of unity has come to an end.” The old man closed his eyes. “We will follow the will of all beings and walk the path they have chosen. Regardless of life or death, success or failure, we will always be together.”

Vilbert nodded slightly and said, "Thank you, I have no further questions. We will take action within the city-state."

The old man smiled: "Our city-state has no prohibitions; you are free to do whatever you want, as long as it does not violate your conscience and justice."

So they turned and left, and the old man lay back down on the bed, seemingly about to fall asleep. Before leaving, Chu Hengkong turned back to him and said, "Hey, we'll help you."

The old man didn't respond, seemingly already asleep. Chu Hengkong suddenly stopped; he vaguely saw another face behind Jing Sha. That face occupied about half of the back of the old man's head, bearing a cold smile completely different from the original's demeanor.

That face was covered by a steel mask; it was Speaker Parryman's face.

(End of this chapter)