Chapter 1 The Taste of Evil Souls

Su Zhou, unaware of the mental image being conjured about him, was feeling exceptionally calm.

"'The Evil Soul of Beast Mastery' tastes a bit like mint juice with a hint of chili. It's stimulating, but a refreshing energy flows through my entire body, comprehensively strengthening me. It gently fortifies my muscle power and endurance, while also increasing my muscle toughness… Even this body with the strength of a dragon and a snake can clearly feel significantly stronger."

He slowly stood up from the tent, which had been utterly ravaged by the spiritual energy. His entire body shimmered with cyan-purple triangular patterns.

These spiritual patterns flickered with an uncertain light, which, in Su Zhou's words, were 'like activated circuit boards'. These light patterns ultimately converged deep within his body, solidifying the further-enhanced spiritual energy structure within him.

While stabilizing his cultivation, Su Zhou lowered his head and looked at his hand: "And this spiritual ginseng, the spiritual power contained within is actually comparable to a demonic crystal. Consuming it using the Essence Refining Qi method, for a moment, spiritual power filled with wood-attribute essence flooded my entire body."

It could be seen that at this moment, on Su Zhou's body, the exposed skin of his arms was covered in spreading, cyan-colored wooden roots. Even the palms of his hands had leaf-like patterns… This was the assimilation disease spreading in this world. If the Undying Tree wasn't eradicated in another hundred years, the Hundred Families' Righteous Army wouldn't even need to rebel, because their descendants would be born as the Panrong Undying Tree's dependents.

However, this wood-essence erosion might be a problem for ordinary people, but for Su Zhou, he could easily shatter all of this wood-attribute spirituality and transform it into the purest spiritual energy to nourish himself by circulating his own divine demon fire.

*Boom!* The spiritual energy fire burned all over his body, dissolving the wood essence, allowing it to slowly disperse into his limbs and bones. And during this process, Su Zhou gained an even deeper understanding of his own physical essence.

"My Perfect Body was obtained by catalyzing my Yinglong bloodline with Yala's Undying Blood — so my talents include 'Wind Assistance' and 'Water Assistance'… If it were other bloodlines, or even ordinary people, they would probably awaken other talents."

"Now, it can even be said that the essence of my flesh and blood is equivalent to the Undying Root of the Divine Tree. If someone were to take it for transplantation, they would probably be eroded and transformed into a low-level dragon bloodline that obeys me, and gain certain alternative talents. Of course, this process requires my consent, otherwise, the spirituality in the flesh and blood lost due to battle will return to me and instinctively reassemble."

"So even if I wanted to transplant the Undying Root, it wouldn't be possible. Even if that thing carried my soul, as soon as it entered my body, it would be eroded and assimilated, and my soul would have to return to my body."

At this moment, even Yala, hanging on Su Zhou's ear, couldn't help but nod repeatedly: "Combat and eliminating evil are indeed the best catalysts for the Evil Devouring Demon Lord… In that case, the risk-reward ratio for you in this world has become acceptable again — I truly chose the right contractor!"

And Su Zhou also hummed, self-satisfiedly saying: "Of course! Your vision and my talent are undoubtedly a perfect match!"

At the same time.

Seventy-ninth Year of Yongning, the Heavenly Right Divine Province.

The former site of the Southern Jiang Heavenly Capital, during Minor Cold.

Even in winter, the temperature in Jiangnan wasn't as frigid as in the Northeast, often staying above freezing. What fell from the rolling dark clouds overhead wasn't snow, but cold rain.

Frost-hardened mist mixed with the cold rain, falling on both sides of the riverbank. The two sides, who had confronted each other for decades, were already accustomed to this kind of weather, accustomed to their respective positions being immersed in the milky-white, cold fog, as if they were situated among the clouds.

Of course, this was just fog… The high-level members of the side located on the southern bank of the confrontation were truly located above the clouds at this moment.

— If there was a Grandmaster who gazed into the distance, they would be able to see through the layers of fog that even the power of martial artists could only admire from afar: beyond the thirty-seven zhang Southern Jiang Heavenly Gate, there was the sky-covering 'Divine Tree', the Panrong Undying Tree, whose roots and canopy spanned several mountains; the ruins of the former 'Old Southern Heavenly Capital'; and above those ruins, the 'New Southern Heavenly Capital', rebuilt around the roots of the Divine Tree.

The New Heavenly Capital was a city permanently shaded by the trees. There were no fields or crops around the city, nor any tall plants, only giant mushrooms growing as edible crops.

All of this was because, within a thousand li radius, all the sunlight was blocked by the canopy of the Panrong Undying Tree, hundreds of zhang above.

Under the shade of the tree, there was no wind, no rain, no sun, no water. All the residents lived by receiving dew from the Divine Tree. And the only place around the Divine Tree where sunlight could be enjoyed was one location.

That was the 'Yongning Heavenly Palace', truly located on the top of the Divine Tree, above the clouds!

The massive wooden structure called the Yongning Heavenly Palace was located at the top of the 'Panrong Undying Tree' trunk, which was larger than an ordinary mountain peak. It had no entrances or exits that could be used by ordinary people. To enter, one had to be a martial artist powerful enough to walk along the trunk, leaping and flying through the massive branches and leaves of the Divine Tree.

Rumor had it that the Yongning Heavenly Palace wasn't built by human hands, but that the Undying Divine Emperor, who had achieved immortality, communicated with the Divine Tree, causing it to spontaneously create the palace in its current form.

Some also rumored that the foundation of the Heavenly Palace was built when the Divine Emperor summoned the Twenty-Eight Divine Generals and three thousand Divine Soldiers, who spent thirty-three days carving it according to the instructions of master craftsmen, to serve as an altar for communicating with the Divine Tree.

Of course, no matter which rumor was true, those who discussed these things were already dead, having become fertilizer for the Divine Tree.

Not many people were stationed at the Yongning Heavenly Palace. At most, there were only twenty-seven martial artist-level palace maids and servants… After becoming dependents of the Divine Tree, there was no need to eat or drink, nor to sleep or rest, naturally saving many matters. In addition, the Divine Emperor and the Grand Preceptor, who both resided here, were invincible Grandmaster-level experts, and didn't need anyone else to protect them. Even the Imperial Guards only patrolled the New Southern Heavenly Capital under the tree, so even that establishment was mostly removed, leaving only a few guards with special positions.

Located on the cloud-top, the Heavenly Palace seemed isolated from the world, sometimes looking down as the flowing clouds swept past beneath, and sometimes being entirely swallowed by towering rain clouds. What remained unchanged was the tranquility.

But today, the tranquility was broken.

Inside a spacious room within the palace, a large leaf suddenly lit up with a bright cyan light, with clearly visible patterns appearing on it. A fully armored guard, who had been waiting there, immediately stood up from his chair and stepped forward, plucked the leaf, and then turned and left without looking at it, striding quickly but silently towards the highest point of the palace.

Along the way, other maids and servants looked up, revealing surprised 'gazes'.

These were 'human figures' constructed from leaves and twisted branches. When they weren't busy, they would take root on the floor of the Heavenly Palace, absorbing the surrounding spiritual energy like plants, immersed in the wood essence overflowing from the Divine Tree — of course, they wouldn't dare to absorb even a trace of wood essence, because that was a precious resource that only the Divine Emperor and the Grand Preceptor could enjoy.

Whether they were guards or maids, they lived quietly like plants… It had been a long time since such an urgent situation needed to be reported.

Soon, after turning past layers of corridors and corners, the tall, fully armored guard arrived at the highest point of the palace — the treetop of the 'Panrong Undying Tree'.

And, the massive three-tiered 'Altar of Heaven' built around this treetop.

Above the Altar of Heaven, the sun blazed like fire. Unlike the city and defense line under the tree canopy, which were immersed in cloudy rain and mist, this place was mostly clear, and if there were no clouds, one could easily look down on the surrounding thousand li of mountains and rivers. Even with clouds, one could sense the vastness of the world.

It could be seen that there were two exceptionally tall and exceptionally 'slender' figures, 'rooted' in the center of the Altar of Heaven. Cyan spiritual light gathered from all directions, condensing on the two 'people' — even the guard's body had wisps of wood essence being drawn out and incorporated into the two figures.

Peaceful… These two tall figures, as still as giant wooden statues, were also as peaceful as plants. They quietly bathed in the sunlight, rooted motionless, as if they were one with this world.

Without speaking — perhaps they could no longer speak — the fully armored guard strode forward, ignoring his arm, which was gradually withering because of the wood essence being drawn away. He knelt before the figure wearing a deep cyan Wood Virtue Dragon Robe and presented the large leaf covered in patterns.

"Mm."

The figure didn't turn around, didn't even move, didn't speak, only let out a soft sound, signaling the other party to retreat, but the leaf floated up out of nowhere and drifted in front of him for him to read. The guard also hurriedly retreated without a word.

But before leaving the Altar of Heaven, the guard heard a slight snort filled with anger.

"Worthless."

In an instant, the sunny cloud-top altar was suddenly surrounded by dark clouds, and the cyan wood essence trembled in the air due to the emperor's will, triggering violent wind, cloud, and water energy — for a time, the entire Altar of Heaven was enveloped by overflowing dark clouds, and within the dark clouds, all life that the guard could sense was extinguished, whether they were microbes or moss, all transformed into silent corpses and withered branches.

— Innate Phenomenon!

Sensing this, he trembled and retreated even faster.

Above the Altar of Heaven, the pupils of the figure who could trigger a reaction in the surrounding Heaven and Earth elemental energies with a single thought turned. The figure wearing the cyan dragon robe finished reading the patterns on the leaf, and then casually waved it, sending it flying to another figure wearing a Daoist robe: "A few days ago, they said 'a hundred people can conquer it', today they say 'a thousand people can try'... then tomorrow, wouldn't they say 'ten thousand are indispensable'?"

"Why not say that I need to personally lead the expedition?"

These were words spoken in anger, but the figure in the dragon robe shook his head and retracted the dark cloud energy that had overflowed throughout the entire Altar of Heaven back into his body. He pondered: "Only a few days, and two great generals have already been lost… Red Earth and Beast Mastery are both seasoned veterans, they wouldn't make decisions easily. It seems that either there's a problem with an internal accomplice, or the rebel Hundred Families have really produced another Grandmaster, hiding in the Taibai Mountains, catching them off guard."

"Grand Preceptor, what do you think?"

The figure in the Daoist robe, called the Grand Preceptor, received the leaf. After reading it, he didn't answer immediately, but instead raised his head, performed a hand seal, and released spiritual light from his eyes that was so bright it was like the sun.

He looked towards the northeast, his body's spiritual power swirling, seemingly using some medium to gaze into the extremely distant place.

"Cough!"

But after a moment, his body trembled, and after a muffled groan, layers of cyan wood spiritual energy vibrated from his body's surface, which then transformed into streaks of Jia Wood lightning, sweeping across his entire body as electric arcs.

"Unable to perceive… is it a backlash from the Heaven and Earth energy?"

The Grand Preceptor took a deep breath, calming the electric arcs around his body, healing the internal injuries caused by the spiritual energy's agitation. He asked himself in confusion, and then turned his head to look at the figure in the dragon robe beside him: "Your Majesty, perhaps that divine weapon was born bearing the fortune of the Shenzhou human race, and even the fortune of all things in Heaven and Earth, existing as a 'Dragon Transformation Tribulation', or even a part of the 'Heavenly Tribulation' of the 'Undying Divine Tree', so it's difficult to deal with, and even impossible to perceive."

"If you want to eradicate it, I'm afraid it's not a matter of sending a few more demonic generals."

It could be seen that this Grand Preceptor had a rather peculiar figure. Whether it was his face or his body structure, he wasn't too different from humans, and could even be described as refined and otherworldly, except that he was fourteen chi tall, with a face like cyan jade, not like a living being, but rather like a finely carved immortal jade statue — but behind his shoulders and waist, there were vibrant cyan wooden roots entwined, forming structures like wings and a tail, and rooted in the Altar of Heaven.

From a distance, he looked like an old tree without a canopy.

The Grand Preceptor wore a Daoist robe, and also carried a crimson-gold silver-patterned magic sword at his waist, with patterns of the Four Symbols Sacred Beasts and the Qilin flashing on the scabbard, with bright lightning dancing… Strangely, this magic sword was only four chi and eight cun in size, which, although not short, would definitely be very awkward for the cyan jade giant to use, and even those overly large fingers would find it difficult to pinch the hilt. One didn't know why the Grand Preceptor, who possessed the power of a country, didn't make a magic sword that better suited his body type.

"The Hundred Families' rebellious divine weapon…"

The Grand Preceptor put down the leaf in his hand, and his jade-like eyeballs, which completely lacked pupils, turned slightly. He said faintly: "This Blade of Extinction can gather the power of the earth's spiritual fire to destroy our bodies, gather the nirvana intent of high monks' relics to silence our minds, and also uses Western Region Stardust Sand as material, gathering the power of heavenly stars and heavenly fire to kill the Undying Qi of the Divine Tree… This kind of divine weapon can indeed cut through the body, soul, and qi, and can destroy our immortality."

"Moreover, there's another new Grandmaster… Your Majesty, it seems that sending more generals won't be enough."

"Mm." The cyan-robed figure, addressed as Your Majesty by the Grand Preceptor, nodded. He didn't say much, only whispering: "My esteemed minister."

"I understand. Your Majesty, you should first monopolize the Divine Tree's Qi, and transform into a dragon as soon as possible, ascending to Innate."

Hearing this, the Grand Preceptor nodded slightly. He shook his body and pulled out the roots connected to the Altar of Heaven from his feet and tail, one by one, making crisp popping sounds.

After all the roots were pulled out, he stretched his muscles, and a surging tide of spiritual energy overflowed from that tall and stalwart body, transforming into a rolling, second-wood gale that swirled in the high sky — this wind echoed the clouds beneath the Altar of Heaven, and immediately the entire treetop resounded with a wind howling like a dragon's roar.

Dimly, lightning flashed in the clouds, and thunder rumbled in this wind.

In this sound of wind and thunder, a still-faint voice, as if without any emotion or human desire, sounded.

"And I will lead the Divine Tree Guard, and personally go on an expedition to the Taibai Mountain range on your Majesty's behalf."

Yongning 79th year, Minor Cold.

A True Qi Airship set off from the Southern Heavenly Capital, flying directly towards the distant mountains of the Northeast.

Following behind it, clouds and mist rose, and thunderstorms and heavy rain fell.

The storm was coming.

===Recommend a friend's book===

Recommend a book by an old friend, "I Am the God of Games", a player stream, transmigrating as the God of Games, managing a territory.

This book is written by an old friend, with guaranteed quality and updates. I've been following it all the time, it's very good and smooth. It might be a bit slice-of-life, but it doesn't reduce its brilliance. The plot is warm and inviting, full of anticipation!

Highly recommended~ Also asking for a recommendation vote.