Reborn as a Demonic Tree

Chapter 494: General

Two weeks had passed since Stella and Diana entered the Eternal Realm, and Ashlock had not been idle. He was currently out to the north, scanning the land for any stray monsters.

He had been forced to take a more active role in fending off the beast tide due to Stella and Diana's absence. But over the last two weeks, with the assistance of Zephyrine and the other Primal Overlords, the beast tide had finally parted and was now traveling in two large groups around his lands toward the Celestial Empire.

"I can't believe it's finally over," Ashlock muttered after not finding a single monster. By now, most of the sect had returned to Red Vine Peak with only a few left on patrol duty alongside the thousands of Ents he now commanded. "The threat that had loomed over me since the day I was reborn as a tree is gone."

He let out a long sigh of relief. Millions had depended on him, and for once, he felt like he had stood up to the occasion and surpassed everyone's expectations—perhaps even his own.

"If not for Zephyrine being Stella's older sister, I wonder if the talks with her would have gone as smoothly," he pondered. Thinking back, it would have definitely been an uphill battle, as he had been the reason the spiritual spring was drained of Qi, and the beast tide had to start early.

Luckily, it had all worked out.

The threat of the beast tide was over.

Of course, he still had a long way to go. He was only on the Ninth Layer of Creation—possibly an origin, making him an enemy of Heaven—and even down here, there were threats still beyond his means. While he was starting to close that gap, the Celestial Empire still represented a significant danger, with many of its members residing in the Monarch Realm. In contrast, the Ashfallen Sect only had a handful of people touching that level of power. With Zeph and the Primal Overlords now effectively on his side, however, the combat strength of the Ashfallen Sect had jumped considerably. And with the existence of the Eternal Realm, many of his sect's core members would soon attain the Monarch Realm as well.

Astralis had also made a full recovery and returned to the Spiritual Spring.

Ashlock had offered Zephyrine and Astralis the opportunity to stay on Red Vine Peak, but they had declined. He was sure that once Stella returned from the Eternal Realm, she would pay regular visits to her sister in the wilderness.

Honestly, Ashlock was relieved they were gone. The idea of having Astralis and Zephyrine hanging around all the time, especially given how strong they were, worried him. They were great allies in battle, but what if Zephyrine took an interest in the Eternal Realm? Or one of his fruits, or any of the many other things he possessed? He could easily pull the wool over the eyes of the Redclaw and the people in his cities, but there was no way he could trick such ancient monsters. They would see through his façade as a fake god or that he was far too human-like for a spirit tree. Keeping them at arm's length for now was for the best.

Nymeria had decided to hang around. After learning the truth about the beast tide—and knowing that all those monsters diverted around Red Vine Peak would eventually run into the Celestial Empire and be slaughtered—her confidence in continuing her journey had evaporated. So, she was the only one to accept his offer and was quietly cultivating somewhere on Red Vine Peak.

Ashlock didn't mind her presence, as she seemed a bit more naïve than Zephyrine or Astralis and got along well with Stella and Diana.

[Notice: Diana has exited the Eternal Realm]

Ashlock was broken from his wandering thoughts by a system message floating in his mind.

"Diana has finally returned?" he mused, excitement rising.

Honestly, it had taken longer than he expected. Although only two weeks had passed for him, that equated to over two hundred days for Diana in the Eternal Realm.

Eager to see the results of her time in the Eternal Realm, he quickly returned to his Inner World. Sure enough, the demoness was striding out of the eternal fog. Her raven-black wings were spread and seemed larger than before. Two finger-length black horns curved up from her forehead, and there was an unmistakable aura around her—that of someone in the Nascent Soul Realm. A constant mist radiated off her, cascading like a waterfall into the surroundings and masking her footsteps in a perpetual swirling fog.

If Ashlock had to describe Diana's appearance, it was that of a Demon Queen.

She stretched her back and let out a sigh as she glanced around. Ashlock realized that for her, it had been so long, so maybe she'd been expecting a welcome party? From the shadows, he had Anubis rise, catching her off guard.

"I see you have reached the Nascent Soul Realm," Ashlock said through Anubis. "Let me be the first to offer my congratulations."

Diana grinned, showing off her fangs. "I appreciate that, and thank you for letting me be the first to use the Eternal Realm alongside Stella. I stayed in longer than I intended, though—I wanted to reach the third stage of the Nascent Soul Realm. The pocket realm I ended up in was really good."

"Oh?" Ashlock said, intrigued by what she meant. "Was there anything different this time around compared to the previous Mystic Realm visits?"

Diana contemplated for a moment. "The actual pocket realm wasn't much different. However, it's the way we chose which pocket realm we entered that was far better. Last time, all pocket realms were clumped together in one mess, and it was luck of the draw if you got sent to a low Qi one or a dense one. This time, I could float up, and it seemed the pocket realms were ordered somewhat by layer of creation. I managed to rise to the Sixth Layer and picked a pocket realm from there. I believe it belonged to a cultivator from beyond that layer."

"How can you be sure?" Ashlock asked.

"I found an inheritance that referenced a family from the Fifth Layer. Of course, it's possible the pocket realm was established during a previous era of ascension, where movement between the layers of creation was more fluid, so it's hard to say."

"That is indeed a possibility," Ashlock agreed. "I guess we'll have to ask Stella about her experience."

Diana glanced around. "Stella hasn't returned yet?"

"No—surprisingly not. I thought she would have returned before you, but she's still in there."

"Huh," Diana said, looking back at the eternal fog behind her. "Well, fancy that. Maybe she found something good."

"I hope so. I'd like Stella to stay in there for as long as she is comfortable, as I will need her to be strong for what's coming. I can hardly ask her to sit out from the fight with the Celestial Empire now, can I?"

Diana shook her head in agreement. "Yeah, there's no way she would accept that. Though, since I'm now out, are you going to send in more people?"

"I could," Ashlock replied, "but since I have no idea how long Stella plans to stay, maybe I'll let her enjoy the full thirty-times time dilation before sending anyone else in."

"Yeah, that's probably for the best," Diana agreed, her eyes lingering on the Eternal Realm.

"You could go back in if you please," Ashlock suggested.

She shook her head. "Over half a year was enough for me."

"I see. Though I must ask, how did you find your ascension to the Nascent Soul Realm?" Ashlock asked, curious.

"Not too bad considering the stories I've heard. Once I had enough Qi stored up, all I had to do was eat all of your fruits, set myself up in a safe place, and then let the heavens go to town on my soul. Honestly, now that I think back, it was one of the most painful and traumatic experiences of my life. But at the same time, an enlightening one." She looked down at herself. "My second soul, which is this super-condensed demonic mist, seems very easy to feed with demonic Qi, so I can't complain," she glanced up, "Is the Beast tide still ongoing?"

"It's over for the most part," Ashlock admitted. "You can always go hunt down the monsters veering their way around Red Vine Peak and toward the Celestial Empire. Though Zephyrine did ask if I could leave them alone, as they'll be a useful force for sieging the Celestial Empire and freeing the World Tree."

"I won't bother then," Diana said. "Half a year in the Eternal Realm is enough nonstop cultivating for me. I think I'll go get some rest." Rolling her shoulders and letting out a yawn, she took to the skies with a giant flap of her wings. "Since Stella's not here, I'll take my rest in her house while she's gone. I was stuck in a mist-filled forest for half a year, so I've been craving the comfort of a bed."

Ashlock watched her go, and his attention drifted back to the glittering celestial fog of the Eternal Realm. "What are you doing in there, Stella?" he muttered, hoping she wasn't up to too much mischief.

Like a nervous tick, he checked on his system.

[Tessellate Citadel:

Description: ???

If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

Qi Level: ???

Environment: ???

Monsters: ???

Current Occupants: 1]

For whatever reason, the system seemed unable to decipher much more than the name of the pocket realm Stella had ended up in. As Ashlock was reading over the system's message again and again despite it never changing, a sudden foreboding feeling overtook him—yet it had nothing to do with what he was reading. It was something else, almost as if the Heavens were whispering dark secrets in his ear. He focused intensely on the whispers, and before he knew it, the sun had set in his Inner World and the nine moons were high in the sky.

[Comprehension of demonic dao has increased]

Ashlock felt a sudden rush of Qi flood into his soul. His entire Inner World shuddered with power as his cultivation realm went up by a stage.

[Demonic Demi-Divine Tree (Age: 10)]

[Nascent Soul Realm: 7th Stage]

[Soul Type: Nine Moons (Desolation)]

It was then that Ashlock understood what had been going on. Those strange whispers and the sudden surge of Qi had come from Diana's time in the Eternal Realm. He knew he was already on the verge of rising to the seventh stage, and the little bit of Qi he had siphoned from Diana's visit had pushed him over the edge. While the Qi was appreciated, the demonic dao comprehension was truly valuable—it made his desolation far more effective against monsters, as they typically possessed demonic Qi.

Ashlock hoped he hadn't woken Diana from her rest as his Inner World finally settled down. He thought about going to sleep as well, but his mind was too abuzz from the demonic dao comprehension. So, he decided to distract himself by bringing up his sign-in system.

Idletree Daily Sign-In System

Day: 3708

Daily Credit: 15

Sacrifice Credit: 11387

[Sign in?]

Since he had stopped devouring monsters from the beast tide, he was now at a standstill in farming Credits.

"Though eleven thousand credits are nothing to scoff at. I can do a lot with these. System, show me my skill list."

[Skills…]

{Skyborne Bastion [SSS]}

{Necroflora Sovereign [SS]}

{Divine Cycle of Creation and Ruin [SS]}

{Eternal Realm [SS]}

{Progeny Dominion [S]}

{Dimensional Overlap [S]}

{Nocturnal Genesis [S]}

{Ethereal Roots [S]}

{Voidstorm Aegis [S]}

{Dao Fruit Production [S]}

{Abyssal Maw [S]}

{Soul Forest [S]}

{Eye of the Tree God [A]}

{Abyssal Whispers [A]}

{Magic Mushroom Production [A]}

{Language of the Eldertree [A]}

{Blooming Root Flower Production [B]}

{Fire Qi Protection [B]}

{Superior Poison Resistance [C]}

He had many good options to choose from. While 11,000 credits weren't quite enough to upgrade his SSS-grade Skyborne Bastion skill, it was certainly enough to upgrade any of his S- or SS-grade skills. He might even have some leftover to do a sign-in.

"With the leap in my cultivation, my stock market should be able to grow well past 10,000 now, meaning I could hold off and wait until I have enough to upgrade my Skyborne Bastion skill."

It was a worthwhile idea, as his next target was going to be a war against the Celestial Empire. While his Ents had proved invaluable against the beast tide, the Celestial Empire involved far more high-cultivation-level threats than a massive, endless horde of low-level monsters.

It wasn't the general populace of the Celestial Empire that he wanted to eliminate—it was the high-ranking officials from the Council that he had a problem with. Comparing his Skyborne Bastion and Necroflora Sovereign skills, an upgrade to Skyborne Bastion would be more beneficial.

However, with his rising cultivation, the 2,000–3,000 more Credits he needed wouldn't be easy to come by. His best way would be through the slow growth of the stock market. Perhaps by performing a few more godly feats for the general populace, he could make it happen, but the question was, what could he do? He had already defeated the beast tide, created an afterlife, and done so many things that people now held him in such high regard—there were only so many Heaven-defying feats he could pull off before he ran out of ideas.

"What should I do?" Ashlock muttered. This was a big decision, and he had a lot to contemplate.

Option one: Upgrade Skyborne Bastion. Problem? He needed a lot of credits. Possible solution? He could go against Zephyrine's wishes and devour a few of the Primal Overlords because, with his rising cultivation, only they would provide a sufficient number of credits he needed.

Unfortunately, that would have to remain merely an idea, as Zephyrine had proved when redirecting the beast tide that her speed was simply unmatched. And with her strength being a few stages into the Monarch Realm, she could easily obliterate him—and likely the entirety of Red Vine Peak.

So, with that option aside, back to the question... did he wait a few weeks, or possibly months, to grind for those last few thousand credits to upgrade the Skyborne Bastion skill? Or should he upgrade Necroflora Sovereign right now? There were also other skills he could consider, but with his eye on conquering the Celestial Empire, these two would give him the most significant fighting power in a grand-scale war.

"There is one major advantage that the Necroflora Sovereign skill gives me when facing the Celestial Empire," he considered. "While the general populace isn't my target, the Celestial Council will no doubt have to step in and put a stop to the beast tide and my Ent armies' advance. As they are in the Monarch Realm, their ability to destroy my Ents—and probably even my upgraded Skyborne Bastions—is without question."

The image of a Monarch Realm cultivator simply obliterating his flagship with a slap of their fingers filled his mind. Having seen Zephyrine, he could believe it.

"But that's not the point. Those old bastards will be incredibly reluctant to waste their Qi, as it's time-consuming for Monarch realms to cultivate when they don't have access to the Eternal Realm like I do. And with political strife within the Celestial Empire, they will actually be fighting among themselves to do as little as possible. If I present them with one or two strong targets that they can focus their power on—such as a Bastion—that would be far easier to deal with than an endless, almost immortal army. Actually, now that I think about it, if I can push them out of the Celestial Empire, that would also be good enough. My target is to save the World Tree. I can get my revenge on them later."

After some more contemplation, Ashlock eventually decided that he would go ahead with upgrading his Necro Flora Sovereign skill.

[Are you sure you would like to upgrade the skill {Necroflora Sovereign [SS]}? It will cost 9028 credits]

"Yes, it's been a long time coming, and it deserves an upgrade."

[Sign in successful, 9028 credits consumed…]

[Upgraded {Necroflora Sovereign [SS]} -> {Necroflora Overlord [SSS]}]

[{Necroflora Overlord [SSS]}: You now lord over an immortal army that will be feared throughout the realm.

All armies need a General, so for 1,000 credits each, you can now select up to three Ents at a time to be Generals. Upon selection, the chosen Ent's cultivation will rise to match yours, and they will continue to advance with you. These Ents will have heightened intelligence and be able to lead the army on your behalf. General-class Ents are also able to raise Ents on your behalf.

Furthermore, when fighting within your domain, all Ents benefit from your aura. They become empowered, allowing them to fight multiple stages above their cultivation level. They can also absorb Qi from the surroundings to keep themselves going and even heal, meaning they are entirely self-sufficient.

Upon death, Ents will now rapidly absorb surrounding Qi to regenerate, but will be weaker than before. This can happen indefinitely until they run out of Qi or become too weak to continue. At this point, they will plant themselves into the ground and revert into a demonic tree seed]

Ashlock ran over the system message a few times, making sure he understood everything. As expected of an SSS upgrade, this was a total game-changer.

Every line of this system message significantly enhanced the skill's strength with no new drawbacks, except that many of the new advantages only worked within his domain—meaning within his root network or near a Bastion if he was directly controlling it.

"Darn, I wish I had upgraded this skill before. It would have made fending off the beast tide a breeze. Alas, the past cannot be changed, but this skill will undoubtedly prove helpful in the future."

Unfortunately, he had been presented with a new choice... which Ents should he pick to be his generals? He still had over 2000 credits left, so he could pick two for now.

The first option that came to mind was Khaos, his void Ent.

Since promoting an Ent to General Class apparently raised their cultivation level to match his, which was now at the seventh stage of the Nascent Soul Realm, it seemed like an obvious choice, as anything with void affinity was typically unable to surpass the Star Core Realm. It was also one of the strongest affinities, and since the Ents were now self-sufficient, he wouldn't have to provide the immense Qi necessary for Khaos to perform her duties.

Calling upon Khaos, the four-armed Ent emerged from the void.

"System, I want to promote Khaos to become a General class Ent."

[Upgrading the Ent {Khaos} to General class will cost 1000 SC. Are you sure?]

"Yes."

[Upgrading now...]

Reality seemed to shatter, as if the void were trying to break through. Divine energy from throughout Ashlock's Inner World poured towards the cracks as if it were a black hole. Despite his best efforts to pull it back, the divine energy was relentless as it swirled around, knitting together the cracks in reality.

Meanwhile, Khaos ballooned in both size and strength.

Void poured into her like an endless ocean. Her claws lengthened, and two more arms grew from her body—for a total of six. If Ashlock's previous display of going up a single stage in cultivation hadn't awoken Diana, this certainly did. His entire Inner World shuddered as it tried and failed to prevent Khaos's ascension. Sure enough, he soon noticed Diana zooming back through the night sky, her eyes wide with fear.

"Ashlock, what is happening?" she shouted in terror. "Should I get help?! Maybe Zephyrine can save us?"

"No, there's no need to call over Zephyrine. Everything is going according to plan," Ashlock said calmly through Anubis. "I'm simply upgrading one of my Ents to become more powerful."

Diana kept a safe distance, her wings gently flapping as she surveyed the scene.

"You can do that?" she said, baffled. "And a void one, no less? I thought they couldn't surpass the Star Core Realm."

"I thought the same," Ashlock chuckled. "But I guess anything is possible..."

"...with the system," he silently thought, but didn't add that last part. Stella was vaguely aware of the system and how it functioned, but Diana was still in the dark—though he bet she had ideas. He wasn't exactly discreet about how every time he got his roots on a lot of corpses, his power soared in unfathomable ways.

Reality shattered one last time before collapsing in on itself. Khaos vanished, and Ashlock wondered if reality had swallowed his new General. But to his relief, an impossibly thin line appeared, and then it widened as a single claw emerged, followed by Khaos's now smaller body.

She was still tall, standing at about three meters, but compared to a moment ago, when she was the size of a large building, this was far more preferable.

Diana hesitantly landed before her, eyeing Khaos cautiously.

"Just how strong is Khaos now?"

"The seventh stage of the Nascent Soul Realm. Same as me," Ashlock replied.

Surprising both of them, Khaos turned towards Anubis and kneeled, her bowed low like a servant greeting their king.

"My Lord," Khaos said—and it was as if the void itself was speaking. "What are your orders?"

Ashlock was going to dismiss Khaos and tell her to stand by, but then he had an idea.

"Would it be possible for you to go and check up on Stella for me in the Eternal Realm?"

It was a long shot, but the system had claimed his General-class Ents would have a level of intelligence. This was a way to test that claim.

Khaos bowed once more before standing up, towering over Diana by a full meter despite being headless.

"As you command, I shall go and verify the princess's safety and will return shortly with news."

With that, she vanished into the void.

[Notice: General Khaos has entered the Eternal Realm]