"Do you understand, Grandmaster Su?" The Daoist Saint slowly lowered the sleeve of his Daoist Robe and adjusted his Daoist Crown. He spoke softly, "We are all over a hundred years old... Even for Grandmasters, after years of constant warfare, we should have long returned to the earth. The only reason we’re still clinging to life is because of this."

"The longer one stays in a place steeped in Wood Qi, the more easily one is corrupted by it, causing these Divine Wood Roots to sprout... The others are fine. They aren’t stationed here permanently, but rotate in and out. But it’s different for me and my two old comrades."

"Seventy years ago, we led the forces of the Hundred Schools to the Nanjiang Celestial Gate. Since then, we have been locked in a stalemate with the National Preceptor and the Demon Emperor. Our days are spent either slaying Demon Soldiers or patrolling the perimeter. All these years, facing the Divine Wood from across the river and killing so many Demon Soldiers, the Wood Qi has seeped into our very bones... This wretched flesh of ours is no different from those Demon Soldiers and Generals anymore."

At this, the three Grandmasters laughed, a bleak and desolate sound. "If we weren’t near the Divine Wood, it would be fine. We would still be fit to fight the Demon Emperor and the National Preceptor. But if we were to set foot on that Divine Wood... it wouldn’t be surprising if our own bodies betrayed us on the spot."

"We thought our only option was to gamble everything on the Blade of Annihilation. We never expected a man like you to appear out of nowhere, Grandmaster Su. You are like the light of dawn!"

Hearing this, Su Zhou finally understood everything. ’The dragon slayer bathes in dragon’s blood and grows scales himself. Though it’s just a dark fairy tale, in the Divine Wood World, it’s reality!’

’The Immortal Banyan Tree has completely saturated this land with its aura. Just like Mo Ganxiu, who also had wood roots growing in his body, the three Grandmasters have fought the Demon Dynasty for years, only to become monsters nearly identical to them!’

After seeing the arms the three Grandmasters had shown him, Su Zhou finally understood why the Hundred Schools’ Righteous Army was so conflicted—and why they had risked everything to forge the Divine Soldier even before they knew the National Preceptor and the Demon Emperor were about to advance to the Innate realm.

’What a tragedy. The warriors have already begun to transform before the Evil Dragon has been slain... But the three Grandmasters must continue to hold on, because after them, the Hundred Schools have no new Grandmasters. Perhaps someone from the younger generation, like Zhou Buyi, could become a Grandmaster, or even an Innate Martial Saint, but by then, the Demon Dynasty would surely have its own Innate Experts. How long would this struggle continue?’

’But his own appearance... Su Zhou was truly a hero sent from the heavens, giving the Hundred Schools’ Righteous Army brand-new hope. Heavens above, his True Qi Attribute was even the Fire Element, and he knew a little of the Thunder Technique! Although they had tacitly assumed this was a natural Talent from his Dragon Blood, his presence here and now made Su Zhou, without a doubt, the perfect candidate.’

’He even claimed to be the Inheritor of another Divine Tree, come specifically to put an end to the Immortal Banyan Tree. For men who were nearing their twilight years and had long seen no way out, how could this not feel like fate?’

"Grandmaster Su."

At this, the three Grandmasters of the Hundred Schools’ Righteous Army all bowed to Su Zhou in unison. Their tones were complex, as if they were unsure whether they could trust him, but in the end, their voices became firm.

Their words were sincere. "Though your origins are mysterious, your every word and deed undoubtedly carry an unyielding Righteous Qi... You are worthy of trust. At the very least, with you wielding the Divine Soldier, we will still have a fighting chance even if the Demon Emperor advances to the Innate realm. Besides, rather than discussing a trivial matter like who should wield the Divine Soldier, we should be discussing the crucial issue of when to launch our final assault."

"Good point." Su Zhou was no longer conflicted. The three Grandmasters clearly had their own unspeakable burdens, so why shouldn’t he be happy to help? He was even feeling pretty pleased with himself at the thought of getting to play with the blade some more. "So, how do we attack? How do we kill the Emperor?"

The Three Saints smiled. "That is a matter to be discussed at a meeting with all the Grandmasters. If you have any brilliant ideas, Grandmaster Su, please feel free to share them later."

Su Zhou wanted to say that he was just a young man, delusional and naive—how could he possibly have any brilliant ideas? When it came to things like war strategy, they really should find someone more qualified.

But then, an idea flashed through his mind. Su Zhou couldn’t help but narrow his eyes and ask, "Sirs, I meant to ask, are the Nanjiang Celestial Gate and the area around the Divine Tree always this shrouded in mist?"

"Indeed. Where the Divine Tree stands, it’s rare to see even three sunny days in a row. It’s mostly overcast, though it doesn’t rain all the time."

The Confucian Saint seemed quite knowledgeable about this and was the one who answered. Su Zhou nodded thoughtfully. Images of the mist, the Nanjiang River, and the Celestial Palace high above the clouds flashed through his mind. He then smiled and said, "In that case, I actually do have an idea."

「Meanwhile, at the Yongning Celestial Palace.」

At the highest point, on the Celestial Altar, a figure clad in a Wood Virtue Dragon Robe stood on the treetop of the Immortal Banyan Tree—the very center of the Altar—and looked down upon the camp of the Hundred Schools.

"The Divine Soldier has arrived... has it."

The Demon Emperor’s gaze seemed to pierce through the darkening clouds that threatened rain, seeing the shifts in Spiritual Qi within the Hundred Schools’ camp. His voice held a trace of regret. "The National Preceptor has been defeated..."

His tone carried a hint of genuine sadness.

Although the two of them had fought both openly and covertly for decades, vying for control of the Divine Wood Power, and despite their mutual suspicion and infighting, they were, at the end of the day, master and disciple. If the National Preceptor hadn’t delved into the mysteries of the Divine Wood, he would have struggled to achieve his current Divine Dragon Body.

The conflict of interest was one thing; the decades-long bond they shared as both master and friend was another. This was a point it had always been very clear on—just as the affection for its Father Emperor, a rare good father in the Royal Family, was one thing, and him being the greatest obstacle to it obtaining the Power of Undying was another.

As for the tens of millions of mortals who died by its hand... why would the Demon Emperor care about them? To even call them a statistic would be giving them too much importance. An emperor selfish to the core had probably never even considered those lowlifes to be human.

"Originally, I was prepared to share the Undying Power."

At this moment, the Demon Emperor couldn’t be bothered with royal titles. It sighed, its tone tinged with regret. "Forget it. This is for the best. This way, I no longer have to struggle with whether or not to share the Divine Wood Qi with you."

"As for the Divine Soldier... it’s too late."

Chuckling softly, the Demon Emperor’s form began to warp. The tall, human figure twisted, dispersed, and finally broke apart into countless roots shrouded in mist... but its voice still echoed out of thin air.

"This body is not mortal! I am a Dragon! HAHAHAHA!"

—It gathers to form a body, scatters to form a tapestry, and rides the misty qi to soar between Yin and Yang—

This is a Dragon!

Within the sacred Yongning Celestial Palace, a grim, demonic shadow of wood roots began to spread.

As a gray, deathly mist expanded, one plant-like maid and guard after another was silently devoured, finally becoming part of the mist itself.

In a spacious room within the palace, a Full Armor Guard waiting for a green leaf message cowered in a corner, trembling. It seemed to sense that something terrible was coming, but it had no way to stop it, no way to escape, and no way to even choose death.

It could only remain there, waiting to die.

Gradually, from the cracks, from the door and windows, the deathly silent gray cloud filled the room... The guard closed its eyes in despair. It felt woody roots crawling over its body, burrowing deep inside... and then...

And then everything turned to nothing.

In the New Southern Celestial Capital beneath the Divine Wood, a strange Dragon’s Roar could be faintly heard, echoing from every corner of the Celestial Palace.

The final battle was about to begin.