Sovereign of the Ashes

West of the main continent in Verdant Leaf World...

At the heart of a vast primeval forest, a colossal green tree stretched skyward, its trunk over five hundred meters in diameter and reaching a height of three hundred meters.

It stood alone, surrounded by only low bushes, reigning like a king over the forest and bearing witness to tens of thousands of years of growth and the cycle of life.

Among the native demigods, the Green Cypress Pine was considered a "relatively small" plant creature.

Verdant Leaf World boasted several ordinary Rank Three trees that towered over the Green Cypress Pine in stature.

However, what set the Green Cypress Pine apart was its extensive root system, which granted it formidable resilience and the ability to endure prolonged battles.

Among the five demigod-level beings of Verdant Leaf World, the Ancient Verdant Banyan was ranked the strongest, followed closely by the Green Cypress Pine.

An old face with a thick beard emerges on the rugged, brown bark of the Green Cypress Pine.

Its dark eyes shift eastward, having just sensed the life force of a fellow plant creature permanently extinguished.

The Rank Three Moonlit Willow Tree had fallen. This was not only sensed by the Green Cypress Pine but also by the other two demigod-level plant creatures of Verdant Leaf World.

The main continent of this world was not overwhelmingly large.

Native demigod-level creatures that had begun to tap into the power of laws could sense the demise of this Rank Three plant.

The Moonlit Willow Tree was not the first Rank Three creature to perish in Verdant Leaf World, but it served as the final barrier for the Green Cypress Pine

Over thousands of years, a deep friendship had blossomed between them, now cruelly cut short by the invaders from another world.

Various emotions welled up in the Green Cypress Pine's heart, along with helplessness and rising anger.

"Can our world really survive this crisis? What exactly is life, and what does the Verdant Truth signify

[1]

? What are we supposed to do?"

Amidst these thoughts, a silent cry escaped the Green Cypress Pine—a lament that perhaps only resonated with the native plant creatures.

To the southeast, the Ancient Verdant Banyan, a guardian of this plane, sensed its sorrow and offered words of encouragement.

It shared news that the Bamboo Leaf Dragonfly Clan, recovering from their initial defeat in the previous interplanar war, had now amassed an army of over a million to counter the invaders.

The assurance from the guardian eventually calmed the Green Cypress Pine down.

Yet, the death of the Rank Three Moonlit Willow Tree still weighed heavily on its heart.

Suddenly, the rustle of leaves stirred by the wind echoed around Green Cypress Pine. Its heartfelt cry was something only the plant creatures of Verdant Leaf World could comprehend.

"Let me deliver the first and most powerful blow against these invaders! This is the true meaning of the Verdant Truth: Forest Fury!"

A surge of special green energy rippled from Green Cypress Pine, radiating outward in all directions.

Every plant touched by this energy seemed to stir slightly at that moment.

Most of Verdant Leaf World's plants were ordinary life forms lacking sentience.

But now, under the influence of Green Cypress Pine's energy radiation, plants across the western forests began to "awaken".

Simultaneously, a far more vivid and darker green energy surge erupted from Green Cypress Pine, aimed directly at the spot where Moonlit Willow Tree once stood.

Though uncertain of its ability to avenge its fallen friend, the Green Cypress Pine was determined to use all its might to inflict significant damage on the invaders.

This disturbance in the west of Verdant Leaf World's main continent quickly drew the attention of a Rank Four mage from beyond this plane.

This conquest was important to Lorianne, hence she had been vigilantly observing the situation ever since the war commenced.

The verdant fluctuations emanating from the west of Verdant Leaf World were unmistakable signs of laws in action. While they paled in comparison to the power of laws wielded by Lorianne, their scale was noteworthy.

Nevertheless, the Verdant Truth within these energy fluctuations impressed Lorianne, causing the pure Rank Four dendro mage to nod in approval.

"Although the power of law employed is still somewhat coarse, the Green Cypress Pine is definitely on the right path. In the Magus World, we also have a dendro elemental forbidden spell that harnesses the power of the forest, transforming century-old trees into an army of tree soldiers for battle," Lorianne noted, stroking her chin thoughtfully.

"This native demigod's approach, while crude, shows promising potential. It's a pity it's difficult to subdue. It would have been great if I could transplant it to the world laboratory," she continued murmuring to herself.

From her elevated position, Lorianne observed the efforts of the demigod-level Green Cypress Pine, doubting that its assault would significantly impact the Divine Tower of the Verdant Spring Army.

Along the main attack path of the Green Cypress Pine, Lorianne observed a scant presence of lower-ranked troops from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring Army.

The casualties sustained were consistent with what could be considered normal losses during the ongoing conflict.

It was then she spotted Sein, who had yet to withdraw from the area.

"What is he doing there?" she wondered aloud, her confusion apparent.

At this point, it was too late for even someone of Lorianne's caliber to intervene.

Sein was unfortunately positioned directly in the path of Green Cypress Pine's vengeful assault, making him the first member of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring Army to face such a devastating strike.

Before receiving a report from Sein, the Rank Three knights stationed far behind the eastern battlefield had already sensed the impending disaster.

Through the divine tower badge, Sia's urgent voice came through, imploring Sein to evacuate quickly.

Their mission surrounding Moonlit Willow Tree had concluded, and there was no reason for Sein to remain in such peril.

In fact, more than a day earlier, Sein's assistance was no longer necessary against the weakened Moonlit Willow Tree.

Upon hearing that the Moonlit Willow Tree had fallen, Sein grasped the gravity of the situation almost instantly.

Sia's frantic voice continued uninterrupted through the badge. Beyond expressing concern for Sein's safety, she also revealed that Natalya had ignored her warnings and was now rushing toward his location.

Gazing at the rapidly approaching surge of dark green, demigod-level energy that spanned a vast range, Sein realized his chances of escape were slim.

Even Natalya, who foolishly advanced toward Sein—depleted of focus and mana—in an attempt to rescue him, was unlikely to evade the onslaught as well!

"You and your daughter are really screwing me over!" Sein exclaimed in a mix of despair and exasperation.

In a desperate act, Sein shoved a milky white seed into the soil.

1. Author's Note: The Verdant Truth refers to the power of laws in this world. ☜