"Ancestral Tree?" Luo Chuan raised a brow, puzzled by the high priest's words. "You mean the World Tree?"
The high priest paused, caught off guard by the term.
After a moment's thought, he nodded. "Yes. That is another name for it."
At that moment, Luo Chuan finally pieced together the intentions of the Monster Beast Royal Clan—
Their goal was the World Tree.
But clearly, their plan was on the verge of collapse.
The current state of the World Tree was… abnormal. Its aura twisted, darkened.
From the grim look on the high priest's face, it was clear even he sensed it."In ancient times," the high priest began solemnly, "the monster clans worshiped the Ancestral Tree. With its protection, we stood at the pinnacle of power—among the strongest races across the Azure Continent.""Then came the catastrophe. A calamity that swept across the continent like wildfire. No faction could stand against it. In the end, countless races joined forces just to survive.""To protect us, the Ancestral Tree chose to exile itself—taking our homeland into isolation, severing us from the rest of the world."
The crowd of monsters and royal beasts fell silent, listening intently.
Tales of such ancient events were rarely told—these were truths buried in time.
Luo Chuan's thoughts stirred.
So, the World Tree had exiled itself and this world in an attempt to drive away the Abyssal forces.
But now, an "Ancestral Tree" reappeared—used as a symbol to rally the Monster Beast Royal Clan back toward their ancient legacy.
And so, everything that had happened… happened.
Looking at it now, the World Tree's decision had been correct.
This isolated world had indeed been spared from complete annihilation.
But the current state of the World Tree told another story—
It had clearly overestimated itself.
The "Abyss Infestation" displayed on the system status was irrefutable proof of that.
Luo Chuan sighed inwardly.
If he hadn't been here this time, the Monster Beast Royal Clan would've been dancing toward a glorious grave.
Suddenly, a burst of chaotic energy stirred the air.
The crowd turned sharply.
Luo Chuan's eyes narrowed as he spotted a cultivator sprinting toward the World Tree, his face brimming with excitement."Hahaha! This is my opportunity! It's mine!"
"The destined one seizes the moment!"
"First come, first served!"
One after another, dozens of cultivators charged forward, all eyes locked on the towering World Tree.
The Monster Beast Royal Clan stood frozen. Even the most seasoned among them didn't know how to react.
Luo Chuan's expression darkened."…They're really doing this?"
His eyelid twitched.
This was a death sentence, and they didn't even know it.
The World Tree exuded an oppressive, nightmarish aura. Its bark was inscribed with shifting black patterns, alive with a sinister presence.
Anyone with half a brain could sense it wasn't some miraculous treasure—it was a ticking time bomb.
And yet, those fools rushed toward it like moths to a flame.
Luo Chuan genuinely wondered how they'd survived this long.
Were they in a hurry to reincarnate?
And then—
The moment they stepped within a certain radius of the World Tree—
Everything changed.
The colossal tree, which had stood like an unmoving mountain until now, began to tremble.
The entire ancient ruin responded in kind, quaking as if the sky itself were cracking open.
It was as if the World Tree's very existence was interwoven with the land.
Every breath it took sent ripples across reality.
Then came the sounds—low, eerie whispers echoing across the ruins.
Strange, insect-like creatures stirred from their hidden lairs, hissing softly in fear.
They sensed what was coming.
And from the distant edges of the ruins—
They came.
Monster-like lifeforms, twisted and otherworldly, revealed themselves one by one.
Their grotesque shapes moved in unison, forming a vast tide of darkness—
A black ocean of destruction.
And in that ocean—there was nothing but madness and death.
They didn't march with purpose.
They existed for one reason:To kill everything.
The dark patterns on the World Tree began to writhe—as if alive.
From afar, they resembled slithering creatures trapped beneath the bark.
It was horrifying. Dreamlike. Like falling into the deepest depths of a nightmare.
And the cultivators who had rushed forward?
They never even had a chance to scream.