Chapter 620
The Spirit Emperor of the Southern Territory
After the death of the lord, the other three kings were the first to discover the news of his death.
As the dark red glow appeared on the horizon, the Spirit Emperor in the Southern Territory narrowed his eyes.
"The 'Feng Master' is dead... Is the 'Shanze Master' going to be the fifth?"
"It shouldn't be. The Mountain Lord was severely injured recently. Even if he used some method to recover quickly, it's impossible for him to completely kill the Peak Lord in such a short time."
"But if it wasn't the Lord of the Mountain Marsh, who else in this world could kill Lord Feng so easily..."
Sensing the mournful cries that filled the air, the Spirit Emperor shook his head and then turned his gaze back to the second person in the room.
"Guest of the church, I think our deal is done, and you should leave now."
Upon hearing this, the man sitting opposite him shook his head.
"No, Your Majesty, I was simply captivated by the beautiful scenery and wished to linger a little longer to admire it."
"And your expression just now didn't seem very optimistic. You must have encountered some trouble. It's okay. As long as you continue to support our church, our church will always support you and even the friends of the entire Southern Territory."
"Our church never hesitates to lend a helping hand when friends are in trouble. If Your Majesty is willing to share your difficulties with me, I may be able to offer you a solution."
Emperor Ling initially wanted to refuse the man's advances, but considering that only the three kings remained, he hesitated.
Ultimately, out of fear of the Mountain Lord, he chose to believe the man and gave a brief account of the Boss's death.
"The leader is dead...?"
Upon hearing the Spirit Emperor's explanation, the man visibly paused for a moment.
"Is that mountain lord really that powerful? Even after being severely injured by my lord, he was able to recover so quickly, and... wait a minute."
"Could it be that, besides the Four Kings, there actually exists another god-like being who can freely interfere in the world?"
Realizing this, the man's expression finally became serious.
But before he could continue guessing, a chaotic alarm suddenly blared throughout the entire southern region.
"The sacred tree has collapsed...?!"
The Spirit Emperor immediately deciphered the meaning of the alarm and looked toward the center of the Southern Territory.
There used to be a giant tree that was a thousand meters tall, but now only half of the trunk is visible.
Upon seeing this scene, the Spirit Emperor was first shocked, and then an endless rage surged within him.
That giant tree was planted by him ten thousand years ago, and it only grew to a height of a thousand meters thanks to the support of the entire southern region. It embodies his hard work over ten thousand years, but now...!
When the Spirit Emperor arrived at the scene, he only saw a huge pile of branches scattered on the ground, and a blue-haired girl standing in front of the pile of branches.
[Water Dragon - Nereus lv.300]
With just one glance, the Spirit Emperor recognized her as the culprit who destroyed the Sacred Tree, based on the mournful cries surrounding her.
"Who are you? I have no grudge against you, and we are complete strangers. Why would you destroy the sacred tree? Do you know how many years of my life's work that it represents..."
Faced with the Spirit Emperor's questioning, Nereus glanced at him lightly and then spoke matter-of-factly.
"This tree has borne too much bloodshed and brought untold suffering to the world. Moreover, its life system is one-way and closed, not only unable to provide feedback to the mainland, but also endlessly consuming the mainland's vitality."
"When it spreads its roots across the entire continent, it will be another crisis on par with the Great Chaos."
With that, Nereus took out the Glory of the Hour and pointed it directly at the Spirit Emperor.
"Spirit Emperor of the Southern Territory, I have heard that your abilities are related to your emotions and that you can communicate with all things in the world. If that is the case, there should be no reason why you would not notice the pain hidden in people's hearts, but the result is that you have been ignoring it."
"Can you answer why I should ask you these questions?"
The Spirit Emperor was taken aback by Nereus's question, but quickly sneered.
"Why? What else could it be? Those greedy bastards, what right do they have to enjoy my boundless favoritism? But you, this little girl who came from who-knows-where, actually have the audacity to morally condemn me? When I was first honored as a wise king, I didn't see you come out to praise me once."
At this point, the cold smile on the Emperor's face suddenly faded slightly.
Back when he was first crowned king, his title was "the wise and virtuous king who takes care of everything".
At that time, he did feel sad because of people's suffering, and he would choose to use his ability to perceive emotions to understand everyone's needs and do his best to do so.
But the pain never disappears, and as he empathized for a long time, his heart gradually grew cold.
In addition, people gradually took his selfless dedication for a long time for granted, and began to stop praising him. Instead, they made even more outrageous demands after each request was fulfilled.
Over time, he began to close himself off, no longer trying to understand people's emotions, and instead devoted all his energy to planting trees.
As he ceased to rule the world, the power structure in the South began to gradually shift downwards.
To ensure that they can always keep power in their hands, the various forces that rule the southern region invest a lot of manpower and resources in the sacred tree every year, just to gain his continued favor.
As for those who suffer as a result, he no longer cares.
Seeing the unchanging indifference on the Spirit Emperor's face, Nereus understood the other party's answer.
"Alright then, since that's the case, I have no reason to stop targeting you."
As soon as she finished speaking, Nereus suddenly felt a sharp, knife-like pain in her chest, almost causing her to drop her sword.
Seeing that Nereus was firmly held in place by him, the Spirit Emperor, who had been somewhat wary, instantly felt relieved.
"In the end, you are just an ordinary person limited by emotions. The simplest painful emotion is enough to make you unable to even hold a weapon. If I were to stuff all the chaotic emotions in the world into your body, I don't know if your consciousness could withstand it."
"So before I completely lose my temper with you, you'd better apologize for your rudeness just now, otherwise I won't mind..."
Before he could finish speaking, the Spirit Emperor seemed to see something unbelievable, and his cold face instantly showed a layer of astonishment.
Nereus took a deep breath and quickly recovered from the pain he had been inflicted on him, standing before him again as if nothing had happened.
"It is a bit uncomfortable, but it will only hurt for a little while. Okay, let's continue."
……