Reincarnated as a Ginkgo Tree: I Create an Eternal Divine Kingdom - Chapter 57

“You may choose any mountain peak within the Misty Forbidden Zone as your territory,” Su Mu declared.

The Misty Forbidden Zone now spanned an area of forty-five miles. While this wasn’t vast, it was substantial enough. Su Mu planned to divide the zone into several territories, each to be governed by one of his spiritual beasts.

“Understood,” the Earthquake Bear replied, overjoyed.

After the bear left, Su Mu’s attention was suddenly drawn elsewhere.

“What’s that?” he murmured as his focus shifted to Su Family Village.

The village had been thriving since the end of the demonic calamity, marking a significant turning point in its development. Su Family Village had not only become the dominant power within a hundred miles but had effectively turned the entire region into its territory.

The effects of the Life Essence Liquid were evident. The core members of the village had exceptional cultivation potential, which had been further unlocked by the trials they endured during the demonic calamity. Su Qianqian, Su Yan, Su Qing, and Su Zheng—key figures in the village—had all advanced to the late stage of Qi Refinement.

The most surprising development, however, was Yang Rou. Two months ago, she had been recruited into the village. At that time, Su Mu had granted her a drop of Life Essence Liquid, which allowed her to reach the early stage of Qi Refinement. Now, in just two months, her cultivation had progressed to the middle stage, nearing the late stage of Qi Refinement. Wu Tie, who joined the village at the same time, was still in the early stage.

“Yang Rou must have a natural talent for cultivation,” Su Mu mused. Her abilities were not solely due to the Life Essence Liquid but seemed to be an inherent gift.

In a secluded courtyard, Yang Rou was meditating and refining her Qi. Suddenly, she sensed footsteps approaching and quickly stood up to see Su Qing entering the courtyard.

“Young Master Qing,” she greeted respectfully.

“There’s no need to call me young master,” Su Qing replied warmly. “You’re a disciple of Su Family Village now. You can just call me Brother Qing from now on.”

Yang Rou blushed slightly and lowered her head. “Brother Qing.”

“Yang Rou, your cultivation talent is truly a gift from the heavens,” Su Qing said, his expression a mix of admiration and complexity.

Yang Rou gazed at him with admiration. “My talent is nothing compared to yours, Brother Qing.”

Su Qing fell silent. He knew all too well that without the Life Essence Liquid, he wouldn’t have even qualified to cultivate. Yang Rou’s words made him feel a pang of guilt.

“Here,” Su Qing said, taking out a small booklet and handing it to her. “These are some of my cultivation insights. You might find them helpful.”

Yang Rou’s face lit up with joy as she accepted the booklet as if it were a treasure.

“Young Master Qing, quickly! To the southern outskirts!” A villager suddenly rushed over, calling out urgently.

“What happened?” Su Qing asked, alarmed.

“A tiger—a huge one!” the guard replied. “A massive tiger has appeared on the southern outskirts, and it’s already killed several people!”

Su Qing’s face turned grim. “Yang Rou, continue with your cultivation. I must head to the south.”

After instructing her, Su Qing hurried away with the guard.

At the southern outskirts of the village, Su Family Village had assembled a team of a hundred people. About a thousand feet away, a white-eyed tiger with hanging eyebrows crouched low. The tiger was over fifty feet long, a size that would make an ordinary tiger seem giant at just ten feet.

The white-eyed tiger’s massive size was terrifying.

Behind the hundred-person team, Su Yan stood with a serious expression. This tiger was clearly a second-tier beast, but Su Yan remained calm. In the past, such a beast would have spelled doom for the village. However, Su Family Village had grown far stronger than it had been, surpassing even the combined strength of the three villages of old.

“Qianqian, Qing, Zheng, your roles in defeating this beast are crucial,” Su Yan said. “This tiger is no small threat, but if you strike at the right moment and use our numerical advantage, we can bring it down.”

“Yes, sir,” Su Qianqian, Su Qing, and Su Zheng responded in unison.

The standoff between Su Family Village and the tiger lasted for half an hour. Then, suddenly, the tiger seemed ready to strike.

Roar!

It charged at the villagers with terrifying speed. The front line of the village’s defenses was made up of shield bearers, with archers positioned behind them. Arrows rained down on the tiger, but it was swift and its fur provided formidable defense. Most arrows missed, and those that hit failed to penetrate its hide.

In just a few breaths, the tiger was upon the shield bearers, causing chaos in the front lines. At this rate, the village would suffer heavy losses.

Swish! Swish!

At that moment, three small swords, seemingly made of water vapor, shot toward the tiger. The tiger, having barely been affected by the previous arrow storm, paid little attention to the swords, not believing they could do any harm.

But in the next moment, blood sprayed as the swords pierced the tiger’s body.

The swords had been launched by Su Qing, Su Zheng, and Su Qianqian, using techniques taught by Su Yao that she had learned at Green Hills Mansion.

Roar!

The tiger howled in pain, becoming even more ferocious as it attacked the villagers with increased ferocity.

“Hold the line, don’t give in!” Su Yan shouted.

The shield bearers’ eyes turned red as they gritted their teeth and held their ground, even as they suffered injuries. Su Qianqian, Su Qing, and Su Zheng seized the opportunity to strike again, this time blinding one of the tiger’s eyes.

The tiger, though a second-tier beast, was no match for the village’s numbers. After half a cup of tea’s time, its body was riddled with wounds, while the three young cultivators were pale and drained of energy.

“Don’t worry, I’m here now,” Su Yan said as he finally joined the battle. His cultivation wasn’t as strong as Su Yao’s or Su Qin’s, but his experience and judgment made his attacks more lethal.

In an instant, Su Yan’s strike blinded the tiger’s remaining eye and pierced its left forelimb. The tiger stumbled, unable to keep its balance, and the village warriors seized the moment, launching a barrage of deadly attacks.

In the blink of an eye, the tiger was struck by hundreds of swords and axes.

Roar…

Finally, the tiger let out a weak, sorrowful cry before collapsing. A normal tiger would have died from such injuries, but this was a demon tiger with formidable life force. The villagers quickly bound it with iron chains.

As they looked at the immobilized tiger, a deep silence fell over the crowd, followed by an explosion of triumphant cheers. This was the most successful battle in the history of Su Family Village and the entire surrounding region.

“Patriarch, two are dead, thirty-one wounded,” someone reported.

In many cities, battles against demon beasts didn’t yield such favorable outcomes. This victory solidified Su Family Village’s rule over the region. Everyone now believed that having Su Family Village in charge was the best possible decision.

“Honor the fallen and take care of their families. Their descendants will train with Su Family Village,” Su Yan declared solemnly. “The injured will also be honored and treated. All participants in this battle will be rewarded according to their contributions.”

With these words, the hundred participants became even more loyal to Su Family Village. Su Yan’s announcement reassured everyone that serving the village meant they could fight without worrying about their families’ futures. This assurance would only drive them to fight even harder in future battles.