Reincarnated as a Ginkgo Tree: I Create an Eternal Divine Kingdom - Chapter 97

A sudden downpour hit the Misty Forbidden Zone.

Under the giant ginkgo tree, the Snow Mink was practicing its breathing technique.

“Is it raining?”

At first, it didn’t pay much attention. Rain in the mountains was normal, and the sound of rain hitting the leaves even helped it focus and meditate.

But soon, it sensed something was off. When the rainwater touched its body, it transformed into streams of spiritual energy that flowed into it.

The Snow Mink’s gem-like eyes suddenly opened wide.

“This rainwater… is it spiritual rain?”

It was utterly shocked.

In the trees, the Purple-Gold Mosquito was resting on a leaf. As soon as the rain hit, it showed an expression of disbelief, then joyfully flew into the rain.

The White Spirit Python’s massive body rolled in the rain, while the Shadow Beetle, the Earthquake Bear, and the Sea Monk all showed expressions of delight. The Spirit Crows spread their wings and soared through the sky, embracing the rain that fell from above.

This was undoubtedly a great fortune. And this opportunity wasn’t limited to the surface; even the underground world benefited.

With Su Mu’s roots extending underground, the spiritual rain he produced also reached below. In the underground world, the Ironback Ape thumped its chest and led the ape tribe in jubilant dances. The Variant Spirit Wolves howled together, leading their pack in a chorus.

Lin Che and Huang Shuling were first shocked, then equally elated.

The one most affected was the Water Buffalo. It had just arrived in the Misty Forbidden Zone.

The other creatures in the zone had previously experienced the various miracles of this place, but it was the Water Buffalo’s first encounter with such wonders, and these wonders far surpassed anything it had heard of before.

“Spiritual rain?”

The Water Buffalo looked up. “And this rain comes from the elder?”

It was shaken to the core. Summoning wind and rain was already astonishing, but to summon spiritual rain was even more unbelievable. For a moment, all the doubts it had about Huang Shuling’s earlier words were completely dispelled.

It seemed the elder truly was the Primal Dao Enlightenment Tree. Previously, it thought that while the elder was indeed powerful, it was likely far from the might of the ancient great beings. But now, it felt it should no longer harbor such doubts.

Perhaps the elder wasn’t quite on par with the ancient great beings, but this was likely due to the long era of spiritual decline, which had weakened the elder’s strength. Now, the elder was rapidly recovering its power from the ancient era.

Su Qianqian and the hundred or so wolf cavalry from the Su Family Village were also in the Misty Forbidden Zone, partaking in this feast. As for the other villagers of Su Family Village, while they didn’t benefit as much, since Su City was close to the Misty Forbidden Zone, some spiritual rain still drifted over, granting them a certain fortune. This caused a great commotion among the cultivators in Su City.

In Su City, as the light drizzle began to fall, the cultivators initially didn’t think much of it. But soon, they noticed the unusual nature of the rain and were all astounded.

“Spiritual rain? Is this spiritual rain?”

“Look at the Misty Forbidden Zone!”

“Oh my god, this rain is coming from the Misty Forbidden Zone?”

Cries of shock echoed as everyone turned their gaze toward the Misty Forbidden Zone in disbelief.

The Misty Forbidden Zone, covering an area of eighty miles, loomed like a chaotic giant beast over the Ancient Wilderness Mountains in the eyes of the world’s cultivators. People both yearned for and feared it. They desired the opportunities within but were terrified of the dangers.

Every day, tens of thousands of people entered the outskirts of the Misty Forbidden Zone, with many obtaining various fortunes, yet the zone was also teeming with beasts and perils, claiming dozens or even hundreds of lives daily. As for the inner zone, it was an absolute death trap in the eyes of the world’s cultivators.

Unlike the outskirts, where one could survive with enough strength and some luck, the inner zone was a place where no matter how powerful or lucky one was, once they stepped in, they never came out. Yet, the Misty Forbidden Zone had remained unchanged since Su City was established, leading people to believe it would always stay that way.

But now, the entire Misty Forbidden Zone was shrouded in rain. Strangely, even though it was raining, there were no clouds above the zone, only endless azure light, as if the blue sky had descended upon the world. The roars of beasts echoed continuously from within, striking fear into the hearts of the cultivators in Su City.

Soon, the news spread rapidly from Su City, quickly reaching every corner of the land.

In the capital of the Great Xia Empire, Taikang City, several key imperial officials gathered. The Xia Emperor was in seclusion and did not attend this time, but all who could attend were present.

The Great Xia Empire had six principal ministers: the Grand Chancellor, the Imperial Prince, the Grand Historian, the High Priest, the Prime Minister, and the Grand Seer. The High Priest oversaw the empire’s rituals and ceremonies. The Grand Seer was responsible for the empire’s formations.

The Prime Minister managed official appointments and communications with the sects across the land. The Grand Historian oversaw astronomical calculations and the recording of historical events. The Grand Chancellor managed the affairs of state, while the Imperial Prince supervised the royal family’s lineage and affairs, typically held by a member of the royal family.

Not long ago, the Grand Seer, Dongfang Xuan, disappeared in the Misty Forbidden Zone and remained missing to this day. But now, the other five ministers had all gathered—a rare occurrence.

“Have you all received the news from the Misty Forbidden Zone?” the Grand Chancellor asked, scanning the room.

“Of course,” replied the Grand Historian, frowning. “The Misty Forbidden Zone was already a significant issue, but now it has drawn the attention of the entire world.”

“This Misty Forbidden Zone is bound to become—or rather, it has already become—a critical threat to our Great Xia,” remarked the Prime Minister. “I believe we can no longer let it be.”

“Let it be?” The Imperial Prince shook his head. “It’s not a matter of whether we want to; we simply don’t have the ability to manage it. The second spiritual revival is causing increasing turmoil across the land, with all major forbidden zones showing signs of instability. If we dare to send troops to suppress the Misty Forbidden Zone, other forbidden zones will surely seize the opportunity to cause chaos. At that point, the very foundations of the empire may be shaken.”

The other officials looked grim, knowing that the Imperial Prince spoke the truth.

“But we can’t just do nothing,” the Grand Chancellor said. “The plan we proposed earlier—it’s time to implement it.”

“Are we really going to carry it out?” others asked in shock. “With the spiritual revival, many sects and rogue cultivators have already developed ambitions they shouldn’t have. If we allow them into the ancient tombs, letting them grow stronger, won’t that just fuel their arrogance?”

The imperial court had completely taken control of the ancient tombs. Rogue cultivators were no longer allowed in, and sects could only enter with the court’s permission.

“The court already holds an absolute advantage over the ancient tombs. Even if we open them now, the other factions won’t be able to shake our rule,” the Grand Chancellor said. “Most importantly, we have no choice. We must continually strengthen the sects to better resist the forbidden zones and monsters.”

He had another thought he didn’t voice: compared to the survival of the human race as a whole, the survival of the Great Xia Empire wasn’t as important. The Great Xia could fall, but humanity could not be extinguished. Of course, such thoughts couldn’t be spoken aloud.

Then the Grand Chancellor turned to the Prime Minister. “Minister Liang, what do the sects say? Are they willing to come out?”