Evolution Begins With A Big Tree

Chapter 1152, Divine Beast: Nine Tails

Translator:  Ashish

Translation Checker: Silvain

*Haaaa…* A faint sigh escaped her lips, laden with a deep sense of melancholy.

This was the fickleness of the Mortal world, nothing encapsulated it better.

Yesterday, she was the Divine Tree, propping up Heaven and listening to the Will of the Cosmos. Tomorrow, she might become a Demonic Tree, sealing Heaven and damning the Earth.

And this was what the myriad races were. They took and used whatever suited them.

Such was the cruelty of so-called ‘nature of the living’.

As all these thoughts flashed in her mind, a cold smile tugged at the corner of her lips, frost edging her expression. [If the myriad races desire my downfall so much, then the war they will get, a war that they would forever remember.]

…

Of course, Yu Zi Yu knew nothing of the Divine Tree’s silent vow.

Compared to that, what concerned him more at the moment was reorganizing his spoils of war.

On the day he stepped into the Seventh Order, he had single-handedly suppressed three Tier-6 Overlords.

And to this day, he hadn’t had time to properly digest his gains.

The King of Lightning was impaled by his Spear of Time.

The Nether God was obliterated by Heaven-Covering Lightning Palm.

And the Shadow Lord, he was devoured whole by his Purple Dragon, now lying dormant within him.

Three Overlords, and each of them suffered an end more wretched than the last.

The King of Lightning and Nether God were dead without a doubt.

From the former, he obtained a Tier-6 Lightning Crystal, similar to the Fire Giant Elemental’s legacy. To any Lightning-Element cultivator, it was an unparalleled treasure.

As for the latter, though his body had been reduced to dust, the Nether God’s Undead Physique remained immensely valuable.

Used properly, even that could prove useful.

As for the last one, the Shadow Lord, Yu Zi Yu had not truly slain him.

The Purple Dragon’s devouring was more of a seal than an execution. It was a kind of prison.

[Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, just the King of Lightning’s legacy alone is priceless for Little Tenth. If he can fully absorb and refine it, breaking into Tier-6 shouldn’t be a problem for him.] Thinking this, Yu Zi Yu turned toward the Elf Queen nearby and called out, “Summon Little Tenth.”

“Yes, Master.” Without a second of delay, she departed to fetch the Lightning Dragon.

…

At that same moment, Yu Zi Yu’s gaze drifted toward another presence not far away, Nine Tails.

Wreathed in dancing flames, six fiery tails swayed gently behind her like a painter’s brush stroke across the sky, each movement sending ripples of searing brilliance into the air.

She was a Half-Step Overlord, the Eldest among the Ten Divine Beasts, and also the one Yu Zi Yu relied on most among all his subordinates.

“Nine Tails.”

“Your subordinate is here,” responding in a voice as gentle as the morning breeze, Nine Tails rose gracefully from her crouched posture and walked toward him.

She was in-charge of overseeing the workings of the entire Demon Court. As such, she rarely ventured to the battlefield.

That role was left to the likes of Sarcosuchus and White Tiger, brutes who thrived on conquest.

“This… is for you.”

With a soft smile playing on his lips, Yu Zi Yu extended a branch and summoned forth a strange, flickering flame. It was a fire that pulsed with an otherworldly rhythm.

Before Nine Tails could even react, the flame darted into her body like a shooting star.

And in that instant, a sensation she could not describe swept through her entire being. She felt herself become one with fire.

She turned into a fire that started burning across vast grasslands, then in another moment, she got extinguished by torrents of rain.

However, this was merely just one cycle.

Like rain falling from the sky, returning to the earth was one life.

And this fire, blazing and then extinguishing, was also a kind of cycle.

However, this was no ordinary fire.

She had transformed into Spirit Fire, or even something higher like Divine Fire, for when she did, flames swept through the starry skies, painting it fiery red.

And that… that was—

“The life of Ander, the Patriarch of the Flame Elementals… and also his enlightenment.” With sudden realization, Nine Tails felt her understanding of fire ascend to a higher realm.

Her control sharpened drastically.

Even her appearance began to change. One after another, subtle flames-like markings, manifested underneath her eyes.

They were the Marks of the Intermediate-Grade Principle of Fire, a sign that Nine Tails’ comprehension of fire had risen to an entirely new realm, a realm so profound that it had caused the Marks of Principle to manifest.

“…This” Stunned, and ever so slightly breathless, Nine Tails slowly opened her eyes.

What greeted her was the flickering blood-red gaze of Yu Zi Yu. His calm unreadable lips curled in a faint, knowing smile.

“How do you feel?” His voice was gentle, but to her ears, it echoed like the heartbeat of the world.

Nine Tails hesitated. Then, lowering her eyes slightly, she responded. “…Very good. Truly. It’s just… this gift is far too precious.”

Rarely had she been this unsettled, but now, a rare apprehension crept into her voice.

Because she understood, what had just fused into her Soul was not merely a flame, it was a complete inheritance from a Tier-6 Flame Elemental. It contained not only his insights, but also most of his Spiritual Energy.

Even without further cultivation, simply digesting the legacy to its end would ensure her rise to Tier-6.

Such a gift was no less than a divine favor. No wonder her heart felt heavy.

It was… priceless, far too priceless.

And she believed that such a treasure was best suited for someone else, someone like the Daughter of Flame, Aisha.

She was an Apostle, someone who had devoured the Elemental Fruit of Fire and reborn into a pure Fire Elemental.

If anyone was the ideal heir for this inheritance… It was her.

However, before Nine Tails could voice her doubts aloud, Yu Zi Yu chuckled softly, and said, “You’re right. Aisha is the best fit.”

But then, his tone shifted, and he stated frankly, with a hint of weight, “But… who has been with me the longest?”

“And besides,” he added, “this legacy suits you as well. Don’t underestimate yourself.”

Before she could utter a word in response, Yu Zi Yu waved a branch-like limb lightly, and stated, “Enough. Don’t waste time with words of thanks. Go. Enter seclusion. If you truly want to repay me, then break through.”

Nine Tails completely froze.

“…Understood.” Taking a deep breath, she steadied her racing heart, then whispered solemnly, “Master, I shall not fail you.”

With that, she transformed into a streak of crimson light, shooting straight toward the Realm of Fire.

Overflowing with Fire Elements, the Realm of Fire was the perfect place for her to enter seclusion.

As a matter of fact, Nine Tails cultivated two Principles.

One, a Superior Principle, Sealing. And the other, an Intermediate Principle, Fire.

She had achieved mastery in both, and it was through this dual path that she earned the title of Divine Beast.

This was a title not given lightly.

Within the Demon Court, the title of Divine Beast was more than just a title, it signified supremacy.

It meant overwhelming power—so great that, among peers, such beings stood nearly invincible.

And now, under Yu Zi Yu’s command, the Ten Divine Beasts were no longer mere names whispered in shadow.

They had become what he had always envisioned: Legends whose names echoed across the stars.