Reincarnated as a Ginkgo Tree: I Create an Eternal Divine Kingdom - Chapter 124

“Mount Longhu, the Great Xia, and the Nine Great Forces’ Alliance?”

Su Mu couldn’t help but sneer.

These Nine Great Forces had conspired to form an alliance to attack the Misty Forbidden Zone. This situation could be traced back to the blame placed on the Southern King, who had spread rumors that the Misty Forbidden Zone contained a supreme medicinal herb.

He claimed that it was this herb that had allowed him to rise to power, a rumor that had stirred the greed of the Nine Great Forces. Although they knew Su Mu was not to be trifled with, they still harbored designs against him.

In Su Mu’s view, the fact that the Nine Great Forces had the time to deal with him indicated that they were far too comfortable in their positions. Since that was the case, Su Mu had no intention of letting them remain so comfortable.

Su Mu turned his attention to his status panel. After an hour of settling his mind, he found that a new ability had manifested.

[Height: 990 feet]

[Lifespan: 15,000 years]

[Tier: Fifth-tier, Lower Grade]

[Abilities: Innate Talent Duplication, Life Essence Condensation, Heaven and Human Induction, Eighth-tier Earth Fiend Transformation, Ninth-tier Power of Mist, Eighth-tier Earth Force, Seventh-tier Phantom Snow Eye, Seventh-tier Sword Mastery, Seventh-tier Water Breathing, Seventh-tier Heart of Faith, Seventh-tier Metal Splitting Power, Fourth-tier Heart Peering, Fourth-tier Bloodsucking Power, First-tier Life Anchor]

This new ability was called “Life Anchor.”

With this ability, Su Mu could choose a target as his anchor. The anchored target would be granted a special ability, and any lifespan they acquired from slaying other creatures would be absorbed by Su Mu.

“This is akin to a Holy Son in a sect or a Divine Envoy in a religious cult,” Su Mu thought with great excitement. This ability was immensely valuable to him, offering significant deterrence against external threats.

However, there were limitations. The first-tier Life Anchor could only anchor to one target, and advancing this ability would require a considerable expenditure of lifespan. A simple scan revealed that advancing from the first-tier to the second-tier would cost 50,000 years of lifespan, underscoring its value.

For Su Mu, the logical choice for the first anchor target was someone who possessed a Heart of Faith. He wouldn’t trust anyone else. Besides, he considered that this ability paired perfectly with the Heart of Faith.

The Heart of Faith could help him select the anchor, while the Life Anchor would provide the faithful with tangible benefits. Additionally, he could now descend temporarily into the body of someone with a Heart of Faith, further enhancing their survival and deterrence capabilities.

“The first anchor target—who should I choose?”

Su Mu pondered this. Among his followers, Bai Qianzhang was the strongest, but he wasn’t fond of conflict, making him an ill-suited choice. After some thought, Su Mu decided to give the first anchor position to Su Yao. She was the earliest of his followers and the first to develop a Heart of Faith for him. This honor rightfully belonged to her.

With his decision made, Su Mu reached out with his thoughts to Su Yao.

“Would you be willing to become my first envoy?”

“Envoy?” Su Yao was initially surprised, but then she was filled with joy. “Lord Divine Tree, of course, I am willing.”

Becoming Su Mu’s envoy was, in her eyes, a sign that she had gained his full approval. Throughout history, divine envoys were always those closest to their gods.

“Good.”

Su Mu didn’t waste any time. He activated the Life Anchor ability. A formless light shot out from the core of his Divine Star and, imbued with a power that seemed to transcend the Dao, it instantly crossed thousands of miles, arriving before Su Yao and merging into her sea of consciousness. Instantly, a profound and mysterious connection was established between Su Mu and Su Yao. Su Mu felt like a ship, with Su Yao now his anchor.

This connection was significant and would have far-reaching effects on both Su Mu and Su Yao. With that, Su Mu granted Su Yao the seventh-tier Sword Mastery ability.

[Race: Human]

[Height: 5 feet]

[Lifespan: 3,600 years]

[Cultivation: Peak Golden Core]

[Abilities: Heart of Faith, Heart Peering, Green Hills Art, Wood Element Art, Sword Mastery]

Su Yao immediately felt a surge of information about the Sword Mastery technique flooding her mind. “I’ve mastered the Sword Mastery technique?” She quickly realized that this must be a gift from the Divine Tree Lord.

Moreover, she could sense that this Sword Mastery was far superior to any she had seen before. Although she had never practiced it herself, many around her in Taikang City had. None of them possessed a Sword Mastery technique that could compare to the one she had received.

Unlike Su Mu, other beings lacked the ability to upgrade their techniques using lifespan. However, they did have varying levels of mastery, typically classified as Basic, Proficient, Subtle, Minor Achievement, and Major Achievement, with Major Achievement usually being the peak. But Su Yao felt that her mastery of the Sword Mastery technique had surpassed even Major Achievement, touching upon the realm of the Dao—a level of understanding she could not yet fully comprehend.

“With this Sword Mastery, I believe I could even threaten Nascent Soul experts,” Su Yao mused, feeling a newfound power.

On the other hand, Su Mu turned his attention to Southern Mountain City. Located at the southernmost edge of the Ancient Wilderness Mountains, Southern Mountain City was the border between the Great Xia and the Kingdom of Nanzhao, one of the nine forces allied against him. This region was also a major stronghold of Mount Longhu. The founding emperor of Nanzhao was once a disciple of Mount Longhu.

Previously, Su Mu had ordered his mist army to halt their expansion at the borders of Southern Mountain City, not wanting to provoke additional conflicts. But now, with both the Great Xia and Mount Longhu plotting against him, Su Mu was ready to stir things up.

Su Mu maintained his focus on Southern Mountain City, waiting for the right moment.

Three days later, the opportunity presented itself.

In a manor within Southern Mountain City, a group of mysterious individuals gathered. They were all dressed in red robes, surrounding an elderly man whose skin resembled pine bark.

Despite his frail appearance, the surrounding red-robed individuals looked at him with reverence. This elderly man was Song Minglou, an elder of the Sect of the Other Shore, the largest religious sect in the Southern Desolation, the region south of the Great Xia, known collectively as the Southern Desolation. Unlike the unified Great Xia, the Southern Desolation consisted of seventeen nations.

Aside from Song Minglou, there was another prominent figure—a young woman in red, with a vermillion mark on her forehead, giving her an air of purity and sanctity. This was Ruan Huian, the Holy Maiden of the Sect of the Other Shore.

“Elder, are we truly going to assassinate the emissary from Mount Longhu?” Ruan Huian asked.

“Indeed,” Song Minglou nodded. “The Great Xia Empire has always eyed the Southern Desolation, seeking to annex it. Many forces within the Southern Desolation are sympathetic to them and the entire East Desolation, and Mount Longhu is the key connection. Now that Mount Longhu and the Great Xia have called for an alliance to attack the Misty Forbidden Zone, five nations in the Southern Desolation, including Nanzhao, have responded enthusiastically. This is a very troubling sign. If this alliance is truly formed, more nations from the Southern Desolation might join, leading to the eventual downfall of the region from within. That is why we must assassinate the emissary from Mount Longhu and disrupt this alliance.”

But before he could finish speaking, Song Minglou’s expression suddenly changed as he sensed something amiss.

“Elder Song, welcome to Southern Mountain City.”

Several figures appeared in the sky without warning. Leading them was a middle-aged man in a gray Daoist robe.

“Zhang Yusheng, elder of Mount Longhu,” Song Minglou’s followers paled. They knew well the influence of Mount Longhu in the Southern Desolation. This Daoist was none other than Zhang Yusheng, a highly respected elder of Mount Longhu.

But Song Minglou’s attention was fixed not on Zhang Yusheng, but on the burly older man standing behind him.

“Luo Jiannan,” Song Minglou said grimly. “I didn’t expect the Great Xia to send you.”

In the Great Xia, the highest-ranking officials were the Six Ministers, but they were primarily responsible for civil administration, formations, rituals, and divination. The true martial power lay in the military, specifically in the Divine Machine Pavilion, the most elite military institution. Luo Jiannan was a top expert from the Divine Machine Pavilion, possessing peak Golden Core cultivation.

“There’s no need for further words between us,” Luo Jiannan said coldly, wasting no time as he unleashed a silver sword that shot forth like a beam of light.

Song Minglou, not daring to be careless, quickly summoned a small bell. The bell expanded in an instant, shielding him from the sword’s strike. The two forces clashed with a resonant clang, sending both the bell and Song Minglou reeling backward.

Song Minglou was being suppressed by Luo Jiannan.

The followers of the Sect of the Other Shore were filled with dread. They wanted to assist Song Minglou, but they had no chance to intervene, as the other experts with Luo Jiannan were formidable as well.

Song Minglou’s face darkened. He realized that they must have a traitor among them. Only a traitor could have exposed their location, as their movements had been incredibly discreet.

The Sect of the Other Shore was quickly overwhelmed. To make matters worse, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed outside—it was the combined forces of the Great Xia and Mount Longhu, encircling the manor with at least a thousand soldiers.

“Capture the Holy Maiden alive; kill the rest,” Luo Jiannan ordered coldly. Capturing the Holy Maiden would give the Great Xia leverage over the Sect of the Other Shore.

Despair filled the eyes of the Sect of the Other Shore’s followers.

“I’ll hold them off; you escort the Holy Maiden to safety,” Song Minglou commanded resolutely. As he spoke, his spiritual energy began to burn.

“Elder!” Ruan Huian cried out in anguish.

“Go!” Song Minglou barked.

Ruan Huian hesitated no longer. In an instant, nine experts from the Sect of the Other Shore surrounded her and began their desperate escape. Song Minglou fully ignited his spiritual energy, creating a barrier to buy them time.

Luo Jiannan and his companions were caught off guard by Song Minglou’s sacrifice. They hadn’t expected a peak Golden Core expert to act so decisively. But they knew better than to underestimate someone who was fighting with their life on the line, allowing Ruan Huian and her guards to break through.

Half a cup of tea later, Ruan Huian and the remaining three experts reached a point ten miles from the manor.

A thunderous explosion shook the air behind them.

“Elder Song!” Tears streamed down Ruan Huian’s face. The remaining experts of the Sect of the Other Shore also had reddened eyes, knowing that the explosion had come from Song Minglou.

Song Minglou was dead.

“We must escape. Only by surviving can we honor Elder Song’s sacrifice,” one of the experts urged, their voices filled with grief.

But the forces of the Great Xia, Mount Longhu, and Nanzhao were relentless. One by one, Ruan Huian’s protectors fell.

Finally, after a quarter of an hour, only Ruan Huian and three others remained.

Their hopes dwindled further when they saw Zhang Yusheng, the elder from Mount Longhu, appear behind them with over a dozen experts.

There was no escape.

“Capture her!” Zhang Yusheng ordered, his voice as decisive as his actions.

But then, his instincts screamed of danger. Almost simultaneously, the sound of a sword slicing through the air echoed. Zhang Yusheng quickly raised his saber to block, but the impact of the sword strike sent him flying dozens of feet backward.

Before him stood a veiled woman, holding a sword that Zhang Yusheng immediately recognized.

“The Qingzhou Sword? Who are you?” Zhang Yusheng gasped in shock.