Reincarnated as a Ginkgo Tree: I Create an Eternal Divine Kingdom - Chapter 126

[Species: Human]

[Height: 5 feet]

[Lifespan: 1800 years]

[Cultivation: Early Golden Core]

[Abilities: Heart of Faith, Pure Yin Venomous Body, Heavenly Mother’s Poison Scripture, Heavenly Mother’s Poison Seal, Devouring Poison Hand, Heavenly Poison Force]

Ruan Huian possessed the Pure Yin Venomous Body, an extremely terrifying and equally tempting physique. The venom it carried was feared by many, yet it also made her the perfect dual cultivation partner. If a male cultivator could subdue Ruan Huian and make her his Dao companion, her Pure Yin Venomous Body would not only be harmless but would significantly boost his cultivation speed.

Her abilities were also formidable, and if not for her relatively low cultivation level, the members of Mount Longhu and the Great Xia might not have been able to handle her. However, what truly surprised Su Mu was not her physique but the fact that Ruan Huian had developed a heart of faith for him.

They had met less than half an hour ago, and Su Mu had not done anything particularly deserving of her faith. This was certainly strange. Normally, it required stringent conditions for others to develop a heart of faith for him.

However, Su Mu’s wisdom was unparalleled, and after a brief moment of reflection, he deduced the most likely reason: Ruan Huian’s Sect of the Other Shore seemed to worship something called the “Divine Tree of the Other Shore.” Could it be that Ruan Huian had mistaken him for this Divine Tree?

As he pondered this, Ruan Huian spoke up, confirming his suspicion: “For so long, the Sect of the Other Shore has been unaware that the Divine Tree Lord resided in the Ancient Wilderness Mountains. Not coming to pay our respects sooner is our grave sin. And to think I stood before you without realizing the other shore was right in front of me—I am truly unworthy of my position as the Holy Maiden.”

The others in the Misty Forbidden Zone were astonished. Did this mean that the Divine Tree Lord was the same as the Divine Tree of the Other Shore that the sect had worshipped for millennia? The Sect of the Other Shore was an ancient cult, reputed to have existed for over ten thousand years, and its influence in the Southern Desolation was vast.

Upon further thought, this revelation wasn’t as surprising as it initially seemed. The Divine Tree Lord was indeed ancient, and it was not uncommon for deities to have multiple names. Even different sects that opposed each other might unknowingly worship the same deity under different titles.

At that moment, the Southern Desolation geniuses who had been knocked out began to wake up. When they saw their surroundings, they were initially confused and then filled with panic. They were in the presence of numerous third-tier monsters, and even a few fourth-tier great demons! It was like a nightmare.

“They are yours to deal with,” Su Mu said to Ruan Huian.

His next plan involved using Ruan Huian as the central figure, so he had instructed Su Yao to bring her here. But before proceeding, Su Mu wanted to observe Ruan Huian’s character and methods, to determine whether she was worthy of such a critical role.

Ruan Huian turned to the Southern Desolation geniuses. They were talented and had strong backgrounds. If she could subdue them, they would provide her with immense support. In the past, she had considered this but never had the opportunity.

These geniuses were always protected by powerful guardians, and their own strength made them untouchable. Now, however, they had ventured into the depths of the Misty Forbidden Zone, far from any help, and they were gravely injured and unable to resist.

“Heavenly Mother’s Poison Seal.”

Without hesitation, Ruan Huian conjured tiny, multi-colored lotuses and sent them into the bodies of the Southern Desolation geniuses. Their faces turned pale, and they began to writhe in agony, crying out in pain. Only when they were on the verge of collapse did Ruan Huian step forward and touch them, halting their suffering.

“I have planted the Poison Seal of the Other Shore in your bodies,” she said coldly. “If you obey me, nothing will happen to you, but if you dare to defy me or even pretend to comply, the pain you just experienced will seem mild compared to what awaits.”

The geniuses were visibly shaken. “From now on, we will follow you, Holy Maiden,” they said, their voices trembling.

Satisfied, Ruan Huian turned to Su Mu, a playful glint in her eye. “Divine Tree Lord, was my performance satisfactory?”

Su Mu smiled. Ruan Huian truly was as clever as a fox.

“With your abilities, I can indeed entrust you with certain tasks,” Su Mu replied.

“What would you have me do?” Ruan Huian asked.

“The Great Xia and Mount Longhu seek to swallow the Southern Desolation. Not long ago, they killed your Sect of the Other Shore’s elder and many disciples,” Su Mu said. “Would you like to take revenge?”

Ruan Huian’s expression darkened as she recalled the deaths of Elder Song and her fellow disciples. But she quickly steeled herself. “Of course I want revenge. I must also thank this elder sister,” she added, glancing at Su Yao. “Not only did she save me, but she also killed the Mount Longhu envoy, Zhang Yusheng. This might disrupt the Nine Great Forces’ alliance.”

Su Yao shook her head. “Sister, if you think that, then you underestimate Mount Longhu and the Great Xia. Zhang Yusheng’s death will certainly anger Mount Longhu, but it won’t be enough to change their plans.”

Ruan Huian was taken aback.

“Discuss the details with her, Su Yao,” Su Mu instructed.

“Yes, Divine Tree Lord,” both women replied, bowing respectfully.

Back on the boat in Misty Lake, Su Yao explained, “The Misty Forbidden Zone will help you seize control of Southern Mountain City. This will greatly elevate your position within the Sect of the Other Shore, and with this, you can consolidate the sect’s power and further strengthen Southern Mountain City’s defenses. From there, you can expand outward.”

Ruan Huian was delighted. She had witnessed the strength of the Misty Forbidden Zone firsthand. With its support, capturing Southern Mountain City—and even the entire Nanzhao Kingdom—would be within reach.

Back in Southern Mountain City, Luo Jiannan and his group landed on the ground. When they saw Zhang Yusheng’s corpse, their eyes narrowed.

“Where is the Holy Maiden?” Luo Jiannan asked coldly.

“She escaped,” the first group of cultivators who had arrived replied, looking anxious.

This news darkened the expressions of the Nine Great Forces’ leaders. Not only had Zhang Yusheng been killed, but they also failed to capture Ruan Huian. This was a massive loss.

“Who did this?” Luo Jiannan demanded.

The first group of cultivators was at a loss. When they had arrived, everyone who could have told them was already dead, so they genuinely had no idea who had killed Zhang Yusheng and rescued Ruan Huian.

“It seems that the Sect of the Other Shore has hidden experts we were unaware of,” said the general of Nanzhao Kingdom.

“But how do we explain this to Mount Longhu now that Zhang Yusheng and his followers are dead?” someone asked, clearly troubled.

“Leave it to me to handle Mount Longhu,” Luo Jiannan said. “The military matters cannot be changed, and we must strike hard against the Sect of the Other Shore.”

The leaders of the Nine Great Forces nodded, their expressions grim. The actions of the Sect of the Other Shore had angered them. If the sect had assassinated Zhang Yusheng this time, who was to say they wouldn’t target others in the future? Moreover, the sect was already viewed with suspicion by the other nations of the Southern Desolation, as it was too powerful and had always cast a shadow over their lands.

That very day, the joint forces of the Nine Great Sects began a large-scale sweep of the city. Within a single day, the city’s disciples of the Sect of the Other Shore were either killed or captured. For these disciples, it was nothing short of doomsday.

“The Great Xia will not be stopped by anyone,” Luo Jiannan declared. “If the disciples of the Sect of the Other Shore refuse to surrender, kill them all.”

“Won’t this provoke the Sect of the Other Shore?” someone asked, worried.

“So what if it does?” Luo Jiannan sneered. “The Misty Forbidden Zone, the Sect of the Other Shore—any force that dares to hinder the empire’s progress will be eradicated…”

Before he could finish, a horrified cry rang out. “Look outside the city!”

Luo Jiannan and the others quickly turned to look out of Southern Mountain City, only to have their pupils contract in shock. A massive wave of darkness surged out from the depths of the Ancient Wilderness Mountains.

“It’s a beast tide!” exclaimed the general of Nanzhao Kingdom, his voice filled with fear.