Reincarnated as a Ginkgo Tree: I Create an Eternal Divine Kingdom - Chapter 89

“Lord Grand Seer Cheng, you must tell us where Grand Seer Xuan has gone. It’s been ten days since he disappeared. Where exactly did he go?”

Green Hill Mansion’s leader, Li Tianming, demanded sternly, his sharp eyes fixed on the man across from him. The man he addressed was a middle-aged man with a mustache, the vice commander to Grand Seer, Fang Zhaodong.

Fang Zhaodong sighed, knowing he could no longer keep the truth hidden. “Grand Seer Xuan… he went to the Misty Forbidden Zone.”

The faces of everyone in the room darkened.

Grand Seer, or Dongfang Xuan, had ventured into the Misty Forbidden Zone on his own, indicating a lack of trust in Green Hills Mansion. But there was little point in dwelling on this now.

“It’s been ten days since Grand Seer Xuan disappeared, why didn’t you report this sooner?”

Xia Yuerong, who stood beside Li Tianming, scolded angrily.

Fang Zhaodong’s expression was helpless. “Grand Seer Xuan is a late-stage Golden Core cultivator. I assumed he would be safe even in the Misty Forbidden Zone. I never imagined he would be gone for ten days.”

“There’s no point in blaming anyone now,” Li Tianming intervened. “What’s crucial is finding Grand Seer Xuan as soon as possible.”

“I suggest immediately mobilizing Green Hill Mansion’s army to search the Misty Forbidden Zone,” Fang Zhaodong proposed.

“That’s easier said than done,” Xia Yuerong retorted. “The Misty Forbidden Zone is now classified as a calamity-level forbidden area. Sending an army in there is essentially sending our cultivators to their deaths.”

“Hmph, we won’t need your cultivators to sacrifice themselves,” Fang Zhaodong replied, having anticipated the resistance. “I’ve already contacted the Heaven and Earth Pavilion. They’ll dispatch an elite team of demonic cultivators. Green Hill Mansion’s role is to clear a path for them in the outer perimeter of the Misty Forbidden Zone, ensuring they maintain optimal condition upon entry.”

The room fell silent as the mention of demonic cultivators from the Heaven and Earth Pavilion sent a chill through the assembled officials.

Green Hills Mansion also had its own demonic cultivators, but those from the Heaven and Earth Pavilion were renowned throughout the empire. Demonic cultivators, who fused their bodies with the bloodlines of beasts, might not possess the long-term potential of traditional cultivators, but in the short term, their combat power far exceeded that of ordinary cultivators.

The Heaven and Earth Pavilion’s research into demonic cultivators was leagues ahead of Green Hills Mansion, and their elite teams were among the best in the entire Great Xia Empire.

However, many in the room looked uneasy.

Demonic cultivators were powerful, but their research was still relatively new, and there were significant risks involved—chief among them, the danger of these cultivators losing control. A month ago, in the province of Bingzhou, an incident had occurred involving a demonic cultivator.

Three months prior, an ancient-bloodline ice ferret was captured in the far northern ice plains. Its bloodline was successfully merged with a human cultivator at the Qi Refining stage, catapulting him to the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage. Within two months, he became a Golden Core demonic cultivator. But then he defected, joining the forbidden zone in the northern ice plains and causing massive casualties among the human forces there.

Since then, the inherent risks of demonic cultivation had become glaringly apparent, especially in the case of more powerful cultivators. Dispatching an entire squad of demonic cultivators posed a serious threat if they lost control.

“This is not up for debate,” Fang Zhaodong said firmly. “Should the situation worsen, the Qingzhou Sword will be used. I’ve already sought approval from His Majesty, and he has granted his consent.”

The room collectively gasped.

The Qingzhou Sword was one of the eighteen great treasures of the Great Xia Empire. Of these eighteen treasures, thirteen were stationed in the provinces, acting as the ultimate defense. The other five were kept in the imperial capital, Taikang City. Each of these treasures had been passed down since ancient times, imbued with power beyond the current age.

Fang Zhaodong’s words underscored the empire’s determination. It was clear the empire was taking both the disappearance of Grand Seer and the Misty Forbidden Zone extremely seriously.

This news quickly reached Su Yao, despite her being far away in the Heaven and Earth Pavilion. Her influence within Green Hills Mansion had grown significantly, especially with Xia Yuerong present at the meeting.

“They’re planning to send an elite demonic cultivator team and might even use the Qingzhou Sword?” Su Yao’s expression grew cold.

Although she was confident that Lord Divine Tree could withstand the power of the Qingzhou Sword, the Misty Forbidden Zone wasn’t just home to Lord Divine Tree. Over the past year, she had forged deep bonds with many of the zone’s inhabitants, both human and beast. She would not allow her companions to perish because of the Qingzhou Sword.

With this resolve, Su Yao left the room. Human ingenuity had always been more than just about raw strength—it was also about strategy.

In the Misty Forbidden Zone, when Su Yao relayed the news to Su Mu, the latter paused.

“The Qingzhou Sword, huh?”

He couldn’t afford to take the Qingzhou Sword lightly. Even from thousands of miles away, he could sense a subtle but real threat from its direction. But after a moment, Su Mu dismissed the thought. The Qingzhou Sword might pose a threat, but that’s all it was—a threat. Besides, he didn’t believe the humans would have a chance to use it against the Misty Forbidden Zone.

The humans were underestimating the impact of the second spiritual energy cycle.

Having been among the first to interact with this cycle, Su Mu was acutely aware of its vast energy. The initial surge had already triggered a transformation within the Misty Forbidden Zone, allowing him to reach the fourth tier. And now, the second cycle continued to build, steadily accumulating energy.

Quantity would eventually lead to quality. Su Mu believed that most of the spiritual beasts in the world were now in a state of dormancy, gathering strength. It wouldn’t be long before the humans had plenty of other problems to worry about.

“So now, it’s time to finally complete a task I’ve been putting off for far too long,” Su Mu thought.

His mind reached out to the depths of the Ancient Wilderness Mountains.

The Ancient Wilderness Mountains stretched two thousand miles north to south and five hundred miles east to west. Currently, his Misty Power covered a maximum radius of eighty miles. A while back, his subordinates had swept through the mountains, but their deepest reach had been only two hundred miles—still far from the mountain range’s core.

To reach the heart of the Ancient Wilderness Mountains, one would need to venture at least two hundred and fifty miles deep, perhaps even further.

“Earthquake Bear, Huang Shuling, you will lead this expedition and explore the core of the Ancient Wilderness Mountains,” Su Mu commanded. “But be cautious. If you encounter danger, alert the others for support.”

“Yes, Lord Divine Tree!”

The Earthquake Bear and Huang Shuling respectfully accepted the mission.

Meanwhile, in a dark abyss…

At the bottom of this abyss, where light barely reached, there were buildings and human figures—though on closer inspection, these humans were far from ordinary. Each bore the traits of beasts, from sharp fangs and pig-like noses to wings sprouting from their backs. These were the demonic cultivators, humans who had fused with beast bloodlines.