Su Zhou didn't reply; he simply listened calmly.

Zhou Buyi narrowed his eyes, lowered his head, and stared at his hands.

"Initially, I gave up the right to be the chairman of the Tianzheng Alliance and didn't accept any offerings. I had no interest in power, wealth, or enjoyment. I only wanted to slay demons and monsters in the Demon Subduing Bureau. But later, I realized, how long could I keep doing this? As long as martial artists of the same rank as me appeared in the future, could the alliance really continue? Everyone wants to be immortal. If someone regained power from the Divine Tree, could I, without the Blade of Extinction, defeat a Demon Emperor even stronger than before? Even the Blade of Extinction might not be enough. I needed an even stronger divine weapon… after all, you haven't appeared even once in a hundred years. I can't consider your intervention."

"So, I wanted to study it, even if I didn't use it myself, to think about how to counter it… but the more I researched, the more alarmed I became. Although the Divine Tree was sealed, the world had already been changed by it. In the future, only those who cultivated the power of the Divine Tree could become the strongest. If I didn't strive in this direction, it would only be a matter of time before I was surpassed by those who cultivated wood-type internal energy—it's not that I can't bear to be surpassed by someone, but how can I guarantee that that person is benevolent and wants to maintain peace like I do?"

"Moreover, until the very end, I realized that only the system brought about by the power of the Divine Tree could truly exist forever and reach the realm of 'eternal life.'"

As he spoke, Zhou Buyi's aura gradually rose, and a light cyan spiritual energy began to materialize around him.

Even as the spiritual light shone, the wooden door in front and the desk and chairs in the office all began to come alive with this power, even gradually activating, sprouting emerald green branches, leaves, and flowers.

The overflowing vitality of life surged like a tide, seeming to transform this small office in the aerial fortress into a primeval forest!

This scene was just like, even more so than, the Demon Emperor who once resided in the Divine Tree Heavenly Palace!

"This guy is quite powerful."

At this time, Yala, who had transformed into a hat, spoke to Su Zhou in the Divine Tree world for the first time, opening its mouth with interest: "This guy has forcibly found a completely new path of the Divine Tree, different from the Pan Rong Undying Tree, by studying the deteriorated power of the Divine Tree—if he continues down this path, he can completely cultivate into another real Divine Tree in human form!"

"I also saw that his power is completely different from the Pan Rong Undying Tree, so I found it strange at first and didn't directly ask."

Su Zhou wasn't surprised at all. "After all, he's Zhou Buyi. I could tell back then that he was indeed talented, but at that time, he didn't have time to settle down, and he hadn't fully grown—now, after more than a hundred years, the immature guy has become complete. He's completely different from the slightly green young man he was back then."

"I understand you."

Communicating with Yala in his mind, Su Zhou said in reality, raising his hand and sighing helplessly, "You might not believe it, but I really didn't come here because you were cultivating the power of the Divine Tree—although I also had other purposes, such as getting stronger, overall, I mainly came to vacation and see how this world has developed."

"To be honest, you've done a really good job. The museum is well-built, patriotic education isn't forced, and the quality of martial artists is also very good. You've done much better than I imagined. You know, I was prepared for the power of the Divine Tree to revive again, and I would have to raise my knife to sweep the world again. But this world is unbelievably stable. If you can continue to do this well, I won't care about these things."

"But…"

"But it's not perfect yet, is it?"

Zhou Buyi, who had already revealed his aura and begun openly probing Su Zhou's power, interjected, laughing, "So, are you planning to take action now?"

"You're almost two hundred years old, and you still like to interrupt. You're worse than me in that regard!" Su Zhou frowned, looking at Zhou Buyi with some dissatisfaction. "Of course, it's not perfect. Although I'm just nitpicking, because of your choices, innocent people have died as a result—yes, I know, their deaths can definitely allow more people to live. You're suppressing the development of the world for a better order in the future."

"But that is evil, and I can't turn a blind eye to it."

The expression on Zhou Buyi's face gradually disappeared. He was silent for a while, then slowly nodded, admitting, "That is indeed evil. I was wrong. At first, I wanted to be a leader who could save everyone, reassure everyone, and allow them to enjoy a peaceful life, but later, I realized that it was too difficult. In the end, I still took shortcuts."

Step by step, eradicating the source of all evil, making all suffering impossible—this is the grand and righteous path, but in reality, whether it's nurturing bandits to gain importance or driving tigers to devour wolves, there are faster and more convenient ways to reduce even greater evils from occurring. It's too difficult to avoid these shortcuts.

Examining his heart, Zhou Buyi, whose aura grew even stronger, said calmly, "When my master gave me the name 'Buyi,' he hoped that my original intention would not change. I can still say that my original intention hasn't changed, but as a human being, my principles, thoughts, and spirit are simply unable to withstand the erosion of time—I admit that this is a mistake and am willing to accept your criticism, even if, as you said, your criticism is just nitpicking."

"Stop pretending."

Clicking his tongue, Su Zhou shook his head at Zhou Buyi's almost explicit 'challenge,' saying, "Alright, from beginning to end, I haven't seen a trace of fear in you. You even seem to be looking forward to it—you wanted to compete with me all along, so you came so quickly, right?"

"Who knows?"

Zhou Buyi said softly, slowly grasping the hilt of the sword at his waist, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, revealing a happy smile.

Zhou Buyi smiled, and Su Zhou also smiled.

"Your confidence burns like a flame. Zhou Buyi, when you started cultivating the power of the Divine Tree and walked your own path, you must have felt that you had become the strongest."

As he said this, the young man's aura also began to rise step by step, and even the tips of his hair sparkled with a spiritual light so dense that it seemed to distort the air: "I also think so."

"This aura, are you going all out to kill me?"

Zhou Buyi said, his eyes full of anticipation, but Su Zhou shook his head, "Of course not. Your evil hasn't reached that point yet. Moreover, wouldn't killing you bury this peaceful and prosperous age? But even so, don't think that I'll hold back. Whether you can live depends on whether you're strong enough."

"After all, no one has ever said that you can't kill without harboring a murderous intent."

As he said this, Su Zhou did something that shocked Zhou Buyi and Shao Qiming, who was preparing to activate the airbags and risk getting close to watch the battle between two Commander-level experts.

He turned around and strode out of the aerial fortress—and before leaving, he grabbed Shao Qiming's hand and dragged him away.

"No, A'Zhou, aren't you guys about to fight? Why are you suddenly turning around?"

The refined young man's puzzled voice came from the corridor, and Su Zhou's annoyed reply rang out, "Is that even necessary to say? His main body isn't here—I talked nonsense with him for so long, and I finally found the place with the densest wood energy in the entire world."

"This guy's main body is still in Southern Tianjing, around the Pan Rong Undying Tree!"

Bang—whoosh! It could be heard that the armor of the aerial fortress was directly pierced by violence. Su Zhou, who basically never used doors, left the fortress in Liaozhou directly, then transformed into a stream of light in mid-air, flying south.

The shocked Zhou Buyi quickly chased after him, looking at the huge hole and the sky behind it. The man raised his hand, signaling the Demon Subduing Bureau members who were urgently gathering and planning to chase after him in airships not to pursue, then shook his head with a smile and returned to his office.

"Ah, as expected of Su Zhou, I didn't expect him to see through this so quickly."

He took out a bottle of wine from his office drawer. The bottle was very antique, and the brewing date on it was the first year of the New Calendar.

[Hundred Herbs Sect - Demon Dynasty Annihilation Commemorative Edition - Brewed in the First Year of the New Calendar]

Opening the spirit-sealed wine cap, Zhou Buyi poured himself a cup and took a sip. It was a nostalgic taste.

"If he had discovered it a little later, there might have been a chance to have a drink… but Su Zhou probably doesn't drink, right? I remember he didn't drink, but more than a hundred years have passed, who knows."

Sitting back in his office chair, Zhou Buyi, or rather, Zhou Buyi's wooden clone, slowly closed his eyes.

In the darkness, he felt the familiar taste from one hundred and forty-seven years ago. At this moment, it seemed that all the familiar things and people had returned to his side, and at that joyful celebration banquet, everyone cheered for the establishment of peace, and laughter echoed in his ears.

But the reality was that the man was sitting alone at the table, alone, with a cup, drinking alone.

"Everyone… I waited until Su Zhou returned, I saw him… even he recognized my achievements, although there were some places he didn't like very much, but when I made the decision, I had already thought about this, and I think you would definitely rebuke me—but this is my choice, I hope you don't mind too much."

Muttering to himself in a low voice, Zhou Buyi smiled freely, opening his eyes, his gaze bright: "Forget it. I don't care about you, and I don't care about him either, after all, you're already dead, and he's an alien who's detached from this world."

"—If I don't maintain the peace of this world, who will?"

At the end of his words, this seemingly fresh and bloody body began to gradually transform, starting with the tips of his limbs. Light cyan jade-colored wooden patterns began to spread, and soon, Zhou Buyi's entire body turned into a cyan wooden statue.

And the same wooden statue existed in every one of the one hundred and forty-four prefectures of the Tianzheng Alliance.

In New Southern Tianjing, at the original site of the Demon Dynasty's Cloud Top Heavenly Palace, now the 'Victory Memorial Hall,' the huge wooden statue in the very center of the sculpture garden slowly raised its head, looking towards the distant north, revealing a smile.

At this moment, all the residents of the Tianzheng Alliance, from Liaozhou to the southern regions along the way, saw it.

There was a cyan-purple stream of light, like a meteor, streaking across the clouds, flying rapidly towards the south.

And in the place where his target was located, a light cyan wood energy spiritual light also began to radiate a new brilliance on the already withered Divine Tree.