Going back in time to over ten days ago.

After the imperial court's bandit suppression forces set out, the situation still showed no signs of improvement.

The Luojiu people were like wolves and tigers. Not long after swallowing Luanchuan, they began to penetrate into the Central Plains. Local troops resisted to the death, but could not withstand the terrifying momentum of the "Divine Descent Sage". That person could take on a thousand alone, with transcendent magical attainments, capable of single-handedly dealing with an entire troop. With the emperor gravely ill and military generals lacking, Dayun was like a young beast bitten on the back of the neck by a venomous insect, almost at a loss for what to do.

The Divine Descent Sage was very cunning. Unlike the barbarians before, he did not engage in massacring cities and villages. He would only pick out the most unyielding and capable, and cruelly execute them in public. The people of Dayun had not experienced war and disaster for three hundred years, and now without the protection of the imperial court, everyone was as quiet as cicadas in cold weather, behaving very obediently.

In this atmosphere, the Luojiu, using Luanchuan as a base, rapidly radiated their influence towards the Central Plains.

Xu Jingxing's illness remained unchanged, neither improving nor worsening. Since Shen Zhu had solved the immortal-seeking puzzle, and the Yueshui Bureau was supported by the imperial court, the emperor naturally received news of the Suspended Tree.

Faced with this demonic object, Xu Jingxing seemed disheartened, unwilling to even listen to battle reports anymore.

These days, only palace maids and eunuchs came to see him, with sounds of smashing and throwing frequently coming from the room. A perfectly good empire, in less than a year, now showed ominous signs of crumbling mountains and rivers.

On this day, just as the medicine was brought in, another round of angry shouting and smashing sounds came from within. The servants outside, fearing to incur the dragon's wrath, immediately distanced themselves as far as possible.

"This humble citizen greets Your Majesty."

The palace maid who brought the medicine closed the door and immediately knelt on the ground. A few steps away, shattered jade and porcelain were scattered about, looking like rain-beaten flower petals. The room was in complete disarray, with even the bright colors unable to suppress the thick air of despondency.

Xu Jingxing's face was haggard as he leaned weakly against the bed head. "Rise," he said.

The palace maid smiled sweetly, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

The eunuch beside the palace maid was hunched over, only now slightly raising his head. He glanced at the porcelain shards, his eyes slightly reddened. "Royal Brother, I've brought the person."

Looking at the "eunuch's" features, it was clearly Xu Jingming in disguise.

Xu Jingming's overbearing air had dissipated. He used to be all surface with no substance, but now that golden shell was shaking, about to fall off, revealing a vulnerability that made him seem more human.

Xu Jingxing smiled weakly at him, then turned to the palace maid: "So you're Shen Zhu? I... *cough* I've heard that you've become the head of the Heaven Department at Yueshui Bureau. Interesting, you're listed at Yueshui Bureau, yet the Immortal Gathering actually let you off..."

"Thanks to Sect Leader Shi's 'falling out' with me during the Red Hook rebellion, I was quite relieved," Shen Zhu said with a smile.

"Now that you've become the head of the Heaven Department, that old fool Jiang Youyue can't touch you either. That's good."

Xu Jingxing looked at the dim canopy, sighing softly.

"Shi Jingzhi specifically sent you here, is it to tell me something?"

"Regarding the demon tree matter, Your Majesty already knows. What I want to tell you now is about the hundred-year plan of the National Teacher's lineage, and the 'Heaven's Wrath' omen on Dayun's land..."

...

"How preposterous!"

After hearing Shen Zhu's narrative, Xu Jingxing smashed the bedside vase to pieces as well. This time he wasn't putting on an act for others to see, he was truly furious.

"What kind of bullshit is this, the demon tree harming people is one thing. This flesh deity seems to want to gather the energy of all people, forcibly creating a bloodthirsty tyrant! Wait, the Luojiu's 'Divine Descent Sage', could it also be--"

Shen Zhu calmly said: "Most likely. When He Cheng'an traveled to Luojiu, he had already figured out how the flesh deity could borrow energy. Before the actual 'planting', he had plenty of time to prepare. Luojiu is not a large place, the population is concentrated, so it's easier to create desire children."

True Immortals with successors are indeed like fruits that have left the branch.

He Cheng'an, this old fruit, fell to the ground, using up his last bit of value, leaving favorable conditions for the new Suspended Tree. Luojiu's Suspended Tree was lucky, it had grown quietly for three hundred years, and was the first to have an excellent "puppet".

"These desire children are merely used for training and selection in childhood, fed Shi Rou when grown, dedicating themselves to the Suspended Tree until death."

Seeing Xu Jingxing's questioning look, Shen Zhu explained indifferently.

He Cheng'an's predictions weren't wrong, if used properly, desire children could be considered natural-born rulers. Their desires are endless, even if Dayun cedes territory and pays reparations, it won't stop the iron hooves of the Divine Descent Sage. Ordinary people would only be beaten in front of this "top-grade demonic talent".

Xu Jingxing grew increasingly disheartened. He gripped the corner of his blanket, self-mockingly: "So mortals still can't compete with immortals?"

"Not necessarily," Shen Zhu said, covering her mouth and laughing.

"Luojiu has vast territory but sparse population, their desire energy is limited. In terms of ability, our desire children are naturally stronger."

"I see." Xu Jingxing smiled bitterly, "Tell me, does Shi Jingzhi want military power or the throne?"

Shen Zhu's fine eyebrows raised slightly, somewhat surprised. Xu Jingming sucked in a cold breath, but ultimately restrained the urge to speak.

"I suppose when He Cheng'an chose the founding emperor during chaotic times, he also wanted him to conquer some territory, to expand the place for the Suspended Tree behind him."

Xu Jingxing coughed violently again, his face full of gloom. He gritted his teeth, each word dripping with blood.

"A bunch of madmen, wanting the desire child to ascend the throne and wage war across the land? This time the Luojiu are causing trouble everywhere, when the time comes for the National Teacher to push that demon puppet to take the throne, it will be just right to continue the flames of war. Rather than fulfilling their wishes, we might as well..."

"Our sect leader doesn't want to." Shen Zhu interrupted with a grin. "He guessed you would say these things, and specifically instructed me."

"...What?"

"He said he's had enough of staying in this palace, he only wants to be with his beloved for a long time, traveling all over the land. This time he's brought a plan, with only one condition. When all the dust settles, he must have a royal title, and an imperial silver token - however much silver he wants to play with then, you'll have to give him that much."

Xu Jingxing and Xu Jingming: "..."

This request was so unserious that Xu Jingxing didn't react for a moment.

"Just these?" the emperor asked incredulously.

Shen Zhu pulled out a long list from her bosom: "Not just these, but they're all things that can be bought with silver. He can't empty the national treasury by himself, please rest assured, Your Majesty."

Xu Jingxing couldn't bear it any longer: "The country is about to fall, that mix... nevermind, I agree, I agree to it all."

Shen Zhu took a deep breath: "Then please, Your Majesty, avoid the ears and eyes of the National Teacher, and surrender to that Divine Descent Sage."

"This is a damned thing that will be cursed for thousands of years!" Xu Jingming's head buzzed, and he immediately jumped three feet high. "We can't burn down our own house just to kill a few rats! No matter how crazy the National Teacher and his people are, they're still our own!"

Xu Jingxing was stunned. Unlike Xu Jingming, his eyes gained a glimmer, gradually brightening.

"With no troops under command, turn enemies into troops. Unable to resist a strong enemy, divert the disaster... Not bad, tell me in detail."

Ten or so days later, at this moment.

Faced with this news, Jiang Youyue's attack suddenly stopped, his calm expression wavering. The muscles in his cheeks twitched, his face as white as paper. Whether from shock or anger, the National Teacher's whole body swayed on the spot, his breathing also disturbed for a moment.

Xu Jingxing had surrendered? Jiang Youyue's brain felt somewhat numb.

Not long after the news from the Word Cloth arrived, the aura of the Suspended Tree began to waver. Just now he was still killing in all directions with the power of the Suspended Tree, but now he felt as if he had been stripped naked in an icy world, empty to the point of coldness.

The Suspended Tree had no real intelligence, it only knew how to express unease and discomfort. The dark clouds in the sky were broken and scattered by invisible bare branches, forming strange shapes that made one's heart tremble. That uneasiness transmitted through the roots, and Jiang Youyue almost lost control of them. Only to see fine roots whipping about indiscriminately, friend or foe, dust and leaves flying everywhere. The semi-transparent root pile twisted incessantly, undulating like waves.

A thicker root system swept past, nearly whipping Jiang Youyue's nose open.

The Suspended Tree was injured, the news of surrender was most likely true.

With the imperial order issued, Dayun's soldiers all ceased their attacks and entanglements. The Divine Descent Sage, freed up in energy and time, naturally had important things to do - that person stabilized his footing, and immediately began to summon the deity.

The "roots" of the Luojiu Suspended Tree were summoned one by one, immediately entangling and fighting with the Dayun Suspended Tree. One mountain cannot contain two tigers, and there was only so much energy. The Luojiu Suspended Tree was still "young", and at this time was extremely hungry, growing particularly fiercely.

Luanchuan was still considered a border region, for the Dayun Suspended Tree, this entanglement was no different from being bitten by a dog. The problem was that Xu Jingxing had already surrendered, and after this, such things would only become more frequent. If this continued, their own Suspended Tree would be squeezed to death first, what would they use for favorable weather and unification of the world?

In the end, Xu Jingxing shouldn't have been such a cowardly character - the Luojiu hadn't even reached the Central Plains yet, how could he surrender so eagerly?!

"This is your doing."

Jiang Youyue looked towards Yin Ci and Shi Jingzhi before him, his gaze icy cold, the bruise on his whipped cheek showing blue and purple.

The two had known from the start that they were no match for the power of the Suspended Tree, which is why they specifically led the wolf into the house. Letting Suspended Tree fight Suspended Tree, it was just borrowing a knife to kill someone.

"Good, very good! Yin Zizhu, I never thought that the founding general of yesteryear would now disregard the fate of the country. The Suspended Tree isn't that fragile, how many days can you drag on with such small tricks?"

Jiang Youyue no longer pretended to be calm, his voice carrying a hint of anger. He raised both hands, barely controlling the panicked roots. Those roots once again coalesced into spears, poised to strike.

"Founding general? I was a general for less than ten years, then I was the leader of an evil cult for decades."

Yin Ci held his black sword, the fresh blood adding quite a bit of deep red to the blade. Faced with the root spears before him, he didn't even blink. Blood droplets were flung through the air, reflecting specks of golden fire, looking just like a crimson pearl necklace scattered in mid-air.

"Lord Jiang, this is indeed just an appetizer, please enjoy slowly." Shi Jingzhi wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, smiling slyly.

Just then, the distant troops finally rushed to the front lines - those people were all bristling with murderous aura, full of killing intent, and were actually remnants of the Ling Sect. They ignored the Taiheng Sect, unhesitatingly charging towards the imperial troops. The imperial troops had just elegantly fought with the righteous sects for several hours, and suddenly encountering a pack of mad dogs, their formation immediately fell into disarray, losing their momentum.

For a time, blood sprayed and screams rang out continuously. Every few steps on the wasteland, one could see people twisted together. Secret weapons and poisons faced off against magic, both sides fighting to a draw, the world losing its light.

Monk Juehui and Hua Jingchun seized the opportunity, carried away by the Taiheng crowd to escape the wasteland. The imperial troops from the Immortal Gathering were reinvigorated, pursuing relentlessly regardless of consequences. However, after just a few steps, the group ran headlong into Su Si, riding a black horse -

Su Si wore dark red clothes, his hair tied back neatly. He wore a venomous smile on his face, followed by a group of assassins from the Red Scorpion Feet, clearly not intending to let a single person pass.

"What's the rush in chasing? Those orthodox sects are getting on in years, it's no fun fighting them."

Su Si fondled the short knife in his hand. The blade of the flesh-scraping knife grazed his thumb, and several drops of blood immediately seeped out. He brought that thumb to his lips and sucked it, his smile growing colder.

"Why don't you all play with this lord, I guarantee you'll have fun."

The flesh-scraping knife flashed, and the Red Scorpion Feet leapt out silently. They were not as upright as the Taiheng, with every knife strike aimed at vital spots. Countless blood lines spurted from people's throats, scattered by the wind.

A spray of fresh blood hit Su Si's face, nearly covering the black mole at the corner of his eye. Su Si wiped the blood from his face, twirled the short knife in his hand, and pointed it towards Qu Duanyun from afar.

This was clearly a provocation.

Blue veins bulged at Qu Duanyun's temples, and he was about to rush forward to assist, but was immediately intercepted by the Compassion Stone Sword.

Without the imperial troops to hold them back, Shi Zhongyu immediately gathered the Taiheng disciples. She and Yan Qing joined forces, firmly trapping Qu Duanyun in place, preventing him from returning to the imperial troops.

Jiang Youyue showed a displeased expression.

Before his eyes, Qu Duanyun was suppressed by the united orthodox sects, while the imperial troops were constantly entangled by the evil cult. Yin Zizhu showed no sign of the panic of exhausting his tricks, and Shi Jingzhi, who knows what bewitching drug he had taken, was still willing to follow that person and cause trouble. The claim of "Immortal Gathering disrupting the martial world" was about to spread - this was much more realistic than the vague Suspended Tree story, who knows how much trouble it would cause.

In the distance, the emperor lowered his head. In a few days, the Luojiu army would be able to advance unimpeded. By then, they would summon the deity a few more times, and the Suspended Tree would only be further damaged. They must quickly make Shi Jingzhi the new True Immortal, and drive out that Divine Descent Sage as soon as possible.

They had no time to waste in this chaos.

Although the True Immortal was busy controlling natural disasters and it was inconvenient to move, the current situation was special. It was better to ask the old man to take action early and cut through the mess quickly.

Jiang Youyue made a prompt decision. He gathered the root system around him, raised his head, and called out loudly towards the sky.

His language was obscure and difficult to understand, like some kind of chant. As the invocation continued, a layer of radiance gradually emerged from the root system around the National Teacher. That light was lush and verdant, full of vibrant vitality.

It was sickening.

Yin Ci gritted his teeth and charged towards Jiang Youyue with golden fire. He recklessly slashed at the root system, trying to interrupt this eerie call for help. Unfortunately, it was too late - drops of flesh paste had already begun to fall from the sky. The sky was instantly covered with dark clouds, flashing with lightning and rumbling with thunder. Torrential rain carrying a strong fishy smell fell along with the flesh paste.

The semi-transparent roots immediately dispersed, leaving a clean empty space. The glowing root system crawled away from the National Teacher's body, coiling on the ground into a dizzying magical array. Amidst the piercing green light, the flesh paste hovered above the array, twisting and churning like it was boiling.

Just like the True Immortal's last appearance, that flesh paste gradually took shape, transforming into the likeness of Sun Wang.

With the Suspended Tree damaged, the True Immortal no longer bothered to feign humanity. His face expressionless, he merely made a hand gesture. The hem of his white robe instantly extended, scattering into countless strands of the Three Thousand Anxiety Silk, completely enveloping the surrounding imperial soldiers and Ling Sect disciples.

In Yin Ci's eyes, those snow-white fine threads rolled up people one by one, sucking incessantly. They bored into armor and clothing, softening flesh and bone. The living people from moments ago now seemed to have had their bones extracted, collapsing to the ground like sacks.

Yin Ci stared intently at "Sun Wang" not far away, his breathing growing somewhat more rapid. The Three Thousand Anxiety Silk were like a tidal wave - just being trapped within them made it difficult for him to even swing his sword. Shi Jingzhi was even more overwhelmed, barely managing to clear a small space for himself with his golden fire.

Yet mixed among these endless Three Thousand Anxiety Silk were many sharp, thick roots. If not for Yin Ci blocking in time, Shi Jingzhi would have nearly been hooked through, dragged bloodily to the True Immortal's side.

Yin Ci immediately abandoned his attack, firmly guarding Shi Jingzhi. The True Immortal walked towards the two step by step, without a word.

Torrential rain poured down, accumulating and flowing on the Three Thousand Anxiety Silk invisible to everyone. Under the flashing lightning, the pooled water seemed to float in the air. Raindrops struck the skin like stones, forcing people to struggle for breath. The Ku Mountain in the distance were obscured by the rain curtain, their silhouettes swallowed by the gloomy mist. Between heaven and earth, there seemed to be only this vast, blood-stained wasteland remaining.

Finally, the True Immortal stopped in front of the master and disciple, raising one hand high. The earth emitted a rumbling, strange sound, with waves of collapsing and bursting noises nearby.

The rainstorm rolled earth and stones - this time it was a mud dragon descending the mountain!

As disaster approached, the movements of the Three Thousand Anxiety Silk and tree roots did not cease for a moment. Everyone looked around, seeing only gray and bleak scenes as far as the eye could reach. Even if mortals could dodge the Three Thousand Anxiety Silk, they couldn't escape the occasionally stabbing roots. Even if they barely managed to preserve their lives, they were destined to be buried by the mud dragon.

The chaotic battle froze at this point.

For the True Immortal to deal with mortals was truly simpler than crushing ants. In less than half an incense stick's time, the chaotic and bloody battlefield had become a hell of despair floating above the ground.

Most of the imperial soldiers and Ling Sect disciples were dead, with only a few people left struggling on the spot. Qu Duanyun was recognized by the True Immortal and given a chance to catch his breath. He easily brushed aside the Three Thousand Anxiety Silk, his sword wind heading towards Yan Qing. Jiang Youyue held his breath and focused, his magic unceasing, trapping the Ku Mountain Sect master and disciple in place. The True Immortal reached out a hand, grabbing towards Shi Jingzhi, who was still striving to disperse golden fire-

A light laugh rang out in the downpour, followed by the sound of a long sword colliding with the Three Thousand Anxiety Silk.

Clang!

Yin Ci released the Hanging Shadow Sword, letting it fall to the ground. His right hand flipped over, firmly grasping the True Immortal's wrist.

"Elder Brother Sun."

He curved his lips, his eyes black as ancient ink. The torrential rain had soaked Yin Ci's long hair, the wet strands clinging tightly to his cheeks. His face was pale, with only his lips retaining some color. However, his voice was clear, showing no sign of nervousness or weakness.

"Don't touch my family."

Author's note:

Demon Lord Yin: Elder Brother Sun, you once said I should marry the most beautiful person in the world. Look who I've brought.

Shi the Fox: ?