The Sword Emperor Transmigrates-Chapter 223

The blade gently sliced through the once impenetrable bark, reaching deep into the heart of the tree, which had been steeped in poison for centuries. At the same moment, Leonard mustered all the strength of the Azure Dragon Qi within him.

Eastern God Style

Authority Nullification Technique

Rightful Return

Leonard had long awaited this moment, ever since he had briefly purified the Wraith King of Decay, Cybele. Unlike the fickle Wraith King, who, despite temporary purification, would always fall back into depravation due to the endless corruption supplied by Yggdrasil, this was different.

The true source of the contamination came directly from Nidhogg, who had sunk its fangs into Yggdrasil’s roots, poisoning her from her foundation to her very heart. Yet, despite being afflicted with the poison of an Outer God, the World Tree had never lost her sense of purpose. She had endured, cutting off contact with other dimensions.

Leonard placed his trust in that strength.

If I succeed, even if just for a moment, the World Tree might regain her sanity.

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The lightning that surged from Leonard’s Mindscape coursed down his sword, lashing out at the poison festering within the tree’s heart. Under normal circumstances, this battle would have been unwinnable.

The poison left behind by Nidhogg had persisted for nearly a millennium, maintaining its potency even after all that time. Even taking into account the unique properties of the Eastern God Style, Leonard’s efforts should have been futile. However, the battle was taking place in the heart of Yggdrasil itself, shifting the odds.

A deep rumble reverberated.

The blue lightning of the Rightful Return crackled across the heart of the tree, flickering repeatedly as it scorched away the lingering poison. Although the lightning was weak compared to the immense pressure of the poison, the sparks still managed to awaken Yggdrasil’s dormant consciousness.

Realizing what was happening, the tree now understood—the being that had pierced her heart was an ally, and the entity she had once considered a form of nourishment was the true enemy.

With Yggdrasil’s consciousness fully awakened by the Azure Dragon Qi, the poison within her heart merged into a single mass. Though it would have been ideal to expel the poison altogether, this was the best that could be done for now.

—■■■■, ■■■, Ah, ah...

Her voice, once incomprehensible and distorted, now rang clear, delicate and resonant like a bell. The heart of the tree was also changing. The veins that had writhed like tar-soaked worms subsided, and except for the spot pierced by the jet-black sword, the heart now appeared almost normal.

The faint vitality emanating from within felt pure and noble, evoking the true essence of Yggdrasil, the World Tree.

Leonard stepped back a few paces, releasing his grip on the sword hilt, and waited for the tree to speak.

So... This is the Mother of Life.

She was an entity once revered as the cornerstone of nature. Even though she was no longer a god, Yggdrasil was still the Divine Tree, wielding power that surpassed even Demigod Tier beings. Now, at last, the ancient tree turned her attention to the human who had invaded her heart.

The mere weight of her gaze bore down on Leonard’s shoulders, but the overwhelming goodwill behind it allowed him to stand without faltering.

Yggdrasil finally spoke up.

—I am sorry.

“...What?” Leonard asked, perplexed. The apology, brimming with genuine regret and humility, caught him off guard.

Yggdrasil—an entity on par with the True Gods, far beyond the reach of this era—was bowing to a mere mortal, whose insignificance in comparison was undeniable. Understanding his shock, Yggdrasil offered an explanation.

—If it weren’t for you all, my children and I would have continued to blindly destroy the world. I am genuinely ashamed of all the damage I have been causing.

“The poison of the Outer God is to blame.”

—No. This is the result of doubting my children and stubbornly clinging to life.

Yggdrasil refused to absolve herself of blame. She regretted not disappearing alongside Nidhogg’s poison. Had she done so, she believed that she wouldn’t have remained in this world as a calamity, spreading death and decay for so long.

Thanks to the Arcadian Empire and the Three Noble Houses, the damage had been minimized, but even so, many lives had been lost to the Spriggans.

—I was arrogant. I tried to confine my children within my nest, even though they could have flourished in the wilderness without the protection of the gods. They wouldn’t have had to make up for my absence either.

As Yggdrasil’s will to live, which had endured despite the poison, began to fade, her long-delayed death took hold. Even if the poison was fully purged, her roots and branches had already decayed. Losing her sanity again and dragging her children into peril was unthinkable—death, by her own will, was by far the better choice.

As Yggdrasil’s presence faded, Leonard realized what was happening.

“Are you going to die?”

—Yes.

There was not a hint of hesitation in her response. She had no regrets about forsaking her immortality. Her calm acceptance of the natural cycle of life and death evoked a sense of awe.

In her last moments, Yggdrasil sought to repay Leonard for bringing her back to her senses.

—The Divine Throne is empty. If that does not change, the world will inevitably fall into a crisis.

Her words evoked a memory in Leonard’s mind.

“The laws of our world and the otherworldly laws of the Corroded Realm. Beyond that boundary lies a realm closer to Nastrond than this world. Even if you destroy the core of the Corroded Realm, the contamination will be too severe to recover from in the short term.”

“Are the Outer Gods really that powerful? Enough to prevent the laws of our world from restoring balance?”

“Not quite. Our world’s laws weakened after the end of the old era, when the Divine Throne was left vacant.”

Those were the words of Cruella, the Class 9 Archmage. It was one of the most dangerous truths of this world, a secret known only to the Cardenas commanders.

Unable to resist his curiosity, Leonard asked, “I don’t know much about that. Can you explain more?”

At that, Yggdrasil gave a soft chuckle.

—Of course. I will tell you everything I know.

What followed was the story of an entity from the ancient era, one who had once stood so high that even the leaders of the many deity pantheons had to look up to her. Any scholar obsessed with archaeology would have gladly given years of their life just to hear one word of her tale.

Unsure where to begin, Yggdrasil proceeded with her explanation.

—Shall I begin by explaining what the Divine Throne is? The Divine Throne, as the term implies, is meant for the ruler and caretaker of this world. When it remains vacant for too long, the dimensional barriers weaken, and the laws of the world grow feeble. That is why so many Rifts and Corroded Realms have appeared, because the throne is vacant.

“Couldn’t you have stopped their appearance, Yggdrasil?”

—I am merely a manifestation of the world’s laws, much like the deity pantheons. Within my domain, the laws are fortified.

But then, Yggdrasil paused as she conjured an illusion.

Shiinggggg...

A glowing sphere appeared in the space where only Leonard and the heart of the tree had been, drawing his gaze. Leonard’s pupils widened as he gazed upon it with his Dragon Eye, realizing what the sphere was.

—You recognize it, don’t you? It’s exactly what you’re thinking. This is the image of the star we live on. Isn’t it beautiful?

Though he had caught glimpses of it while using Sword Flight, this was his first time seeing the star’s complete form. Leonard was struck silent by an indescribable emotion, while the World Tree patiently waited before altering the illusion.

The projection of the star, adorned with green, blue, and ochre hues, was encased in a white, cloud-like shroud, which began to dissipate.

—The power of the Divine Throne is like gravity. There’s an element of inertia, so it may hold on for a millennium, but if left unattended, the atmosphere will eventually dissipate. What you see now as the atmosphere represents the dimensional barrier.

As the atmosphere, or rather, the dimensional barrier around the star vanished, meteors rained down on the star, tearing apart continents and overturning seas. The sheer devastation wasn’t something that human civilization could withstand.

What Yggdrasil was portraying as a meteor shower was actually the invasion of the Outer Gods.

—The land and water are no different. Without gravity, they lose their tether and spill into space.

That wasn’t all. Yggdrasil altered the illusion of the star once again. The continents and oceans, shredded by the meteor shower, began to lift from the surface of the star, scattering in all directions like blood spurting from an open wound.

It was no coincidence that thoughts of the Celestial Realm and the Demonic Realm surfaced in Leonard’s mind.

“...Then, how should we deal with this?” he asked.

—The Divine Throne must be filled.

Yggdrasil’s tone suggested there was no other option.

—A new god to occupy the seat... That’s the only way to save this world from destruction.

“Are you saying someone must reach the Deification Tier?”

—The Deification Tier? Ah, that refers to the ultimate stage of human training, doesn’t it? Yes, that is correct.

“Could mages do it as well? I’ve heard their definition of Class 10 aligns with the Deification Tier.”

Yggdrasil paused for a second, pondering his question.

—No, they cannot.

“Why is that?”

—The magic your kind uses is merely a formula based on the laws of this world. As long as the Divine Throne is occupied, you can reach Class 10 through its approval. But in the absence of a god, it is impossible. There is no one on the Divine Throne to grant permission.

If reaching the Deification Tier for martial artists involved creating their own domain and ruling over it, for mages, the Class 10 was akin to receiving an official title from the world itself. Without a god to grant that title, no Class 10 Archmage could be born.

—Also, in this era, you are the most likely candidate among the mortals to reach the Divine Throne.

“There are other Demigod Tier knights stronger than me,” Leonard argued, puzzled by Yggdrasil’s remark. “Some have reached far higher levels than I have, haven’t they?”

—No. Merely attaining divinity isn’t enough to sit on the Divine Throne. You must possess the authority to encompass the entire world. Even if you become a god, if your power lacks the proper balance, you will not be fit for the throne. In the past, the leaders of various deity pantheons shared this responsibility, but that is impossible in the current era.

The birth of even one individual in the Deification Tier could shift the course of a war, but to hope for multiple such figures to emerge was as unlikely as waiting for a rabbit to run into a tree stump, as in the old fable.

—It is a heavy burden to bear, but... no one is more suited than you. You have managed to mend my mistake, so I am sure that the flow of fate will assist you as well.

Yggdrasil’s voice was fading, signaling the inevitable end. With tenderness in her tone, she was finally able to release the sorrow that had been festering within her for nearly a millennium.

—This is the end. Thank you for continuing to live well, even in a world without us. Please deliver my final message to the children of the forest. Farewell...

The World Tree’s final words were filled with humility, despite having been worshiped as a divine figure since ancient times. As she finished speaking, the entire space where her heart was collapsed, and Leonard felt himself being gently pulled somewhere. It seemed Yggdrasil was guiding him outside.

As he allowed himself to be drawn out by the gentle force, Leonard paid his respects to the fading Divine Tree.

I hope you can finally rest in peace.

For nearly a thousand years, Yggdrasil had endured the poison of Nidhogg, not out of a desire for life, but out of an intense motherly love. She had conquered even death with that love, and only after seeing that living beings could thrive without her could she finally accept her end.