Reborn as a Demonic Tree - Chapter 455

Lyriana Silverspire, the 4th wife of the Silverspire Grand Elder and mother to Ryker, was on the brink of death. Beaten and bruised, her bloodied hair clung to her slumped head. She couldn't wipe off the dried blood from her face as she was chained to a runically enhanced chair that restricted her Qi and soul pressure.

An unnatural chill in the air stirred Lyriana from her half-slumber. The demonic sword that could have belonged to a titan still floated before her, trapped in a spatial formation. It radiated the promise of slaughter, and as her head raised and she eyed it, a tendril of bloodied mist seemed to poke the formation as if greeting her.

"Morning sword," she rasped. "Or should I say evening... I don't know how long it's been." She lazily glanced around the grand meeting room. It was still the same, with fifty Celestial Empire enforcers standing alongside the walls. Their gazes were locked onto her as if she would somehow escape the moment they looked away.

"No, we can't hold on any longer."

Lyriana tilted her head toward the voice. While it was muffled as they were beyond the closed meeting room's doors, and she couldn't rely on her spiritual senses to listen in, it was one she recognized.

That explains the chill in the air—Zenovia is here.

The Grand Elder's first wife and her biggest nemesis. For whatever reason, Zenovia felt incredibly threatened and jealous by her, which had made her life a living hell. But she had never gone this far when the Grand Elder had been around.

"The Grand Elder is going to leave closed-door cultivation any minute now," Zenovia continued. "I need to put an end to this before then."

"You can't just kill her—not now." Vespera, the second wife, retorted. "The enforcers won't allow it. They have switched focus to Stella Crestfallen, and Lyriana is their bait. Do you want to invite the Celestial Empire's wrath over your jealousy?"

They are debating whether to kill me now? Lyriana pursed her bruised lips from the beatings. Maybe it's for the best. If I'm dead, Ryker won't return here, and he will be safe. I just want him to live a longer and better life than I did...

The door to the meeting room swung open, bathing it in an evening glow. Three women strode in, with the ice beauty Zenovia taking the lead as usual.

"Jealousy? Don't be ridiculous," Zenovia scoffed and gestured toward Lyriana, "I mean, just look at her? Her mere existence brings down our prestige. Lesser branches of the family see her as an inspiration—if such an ordinary woman could capture the Grand Elder's heart, they will begin to think, 'Why not me as well?' It's our duty as the noble-blooded wives to keep them away by setting an example—" Her icy eyes focused on Lyriana, "—by getting rid of her."

"You still can't kill her." Vespera reminded her.

"I know that," Zenovia snapped back, "At least not yet. Once the Ashfallen Sect is at our gates and the Celestial Empire has Stella Crestfallen, her pitiful remaining value will be gone."

Lyriana glanced between the two through her bloodied hair. It felt strange hearing Vespera defend her, even though it was from a purely logical standpoint rather than actually caring about her well-being.

"What are you planning to do, Zenovia?" Selene, the third wife, asked in a calm tone.

"Hurry things along, that's what." Zenovia brought out the emerald hairpin—a long-range communication artifact that Lyriana used to keep in contact with Sebastian. "I'm going to force Ryker to come running home to mommy."

"I really don't think that's a good idea," Selene said, trying to grab Zenovia's wrist, but the ice beauty pulled her arm out of reach. Three Celestial Empire enforcers stepped away from the wall and put themselves between Zenovia and the other two wives.

Selene raised a brow, "What is the meaning of this? Why are you blocking me in my own home?"

"Zenovia is doing this at our request," an elderly-looking man who was a Celestial Empire enforcer said with a firm tone. "Knowing that, do you still have a problem?"

"Yes, I do, actually," Selene said, "The Ashfallen Sect is not an entity even you can antagonize so openly. They wiped out the Blood Lotus Sect in a single day, and as we know, Ryker has some connections to them and their famed Murder Princess—Stella Crestfallen."

"So what?" the man replied, unfazed. "All cultivators that live out here in the wilderness are weaklings. What do we have to fear from some upstart sect?"

"Weaklings? You must be joking. The Blood Lotus Sect was founded by Vincent Nightrose, a peak Nascent Soul Realm cultivator and holder of many bloodlines. He ruled these lands with an iron fist, yet was defeated in hours by the Ashfallen Sect." Selene narrowed her eyes, "If your councilman was here, I wouldn't be as concerned. But with him missing, we might not stand a chance against the Ashfallen Sect should they really come."

Zenovia scoffed. "What nonsense, Selene. There are fifty enforcers here, plus our own forces. What hope would the Ashfallen Sect have attacking us on home turf so far their sect? Nobody has even seen their leader in person, and they worship a god whom nobody has heard about until this year."

"They are ranked as a Divine level sect, alongside the Celestial Empire." Vespera pointed out, "And they overtook Nightrose City with ease despite being so far from home. What makes you think we will be any different."

"You have nothing to worry about," the Celestial Empire enforcer said firmly, "With us here, they won't dare to make a move—even with the councilman gone. And if they were foolish enough to attack, we will fight back."

Selene crossed her arms, "I don't believe you. The Celestial Empire's only objective is to capture Stella Crestfallen. The rest of us are bait, just like Lyriana over there."

At the mention of her name, all eyes turned to her.

Zenovia smirked, seeing her terrible condition. Something about her suffering seemed to bring great joy to her.

"Please proceed with the agreed plan," the Celestial Empire enforcer gestured toward Lyriana. "If we have Stella Crestfallen by sundown, we will kill Lyriana for you in return."

Zenovia licked her lips and strode over, hairpin in hand.

"Don't do it, Zenovia. If you invite Ashfallen's wrath, you will doom us all." Selene insisted, "I received a prophecy many moons ago. A soul will be forged in gold. A foreign princess will incite a slaughter, and a prodigy within the family will make themselves known."

Zenovia laughed and looked over her shoulder at Selene, "So what? A soul forged in gold means the Grand Elder will succeed. Inciting a slaughter doesn't mean winning it, and if a prodigy appears, that's good news."

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

"If the prodigy is Ryker, is that still good news?" Lyriana said, her voice scratching her dry throat.

There was a stunned silence.

Zenovia snorted, "Ryker? Don't make me laugh. He's what, in the Iron Core Realm and only five years old? There's no way he will be the one to inherit the Silver Core from the Grand Elder, which means there's no hope for him."

Lyriana smiled for the first time in days—her lips cracked, and she could taste iron, but she didn't care. "Just like I'm more beautiful and talented than you, Ryker is superior to all your children. None of your accursed offspring even come close to him. He's my shining star, and I'm so proud of—" The air escaped her lungs as an icy ball of metal smashed into her chest, sending her falling backward and banging her head on the stone floor. As Lyriana saw stars and groaned, she could hear the tapping of Zenovia's shoes against the stone as the bitch walked over.

Zenovia loomed over her, a twisted expression on her face. In an unbecoming act of the ice queen, she spat on Lyriana.

Lyriana's eyes widened in shock as she felt the saliva trail down her cheek. "Did you just... spit on me?"

"So what if I did?" Zenovia smirked. The hairpin artifact in her hand was glowing green, meaning this was all being projected to Sebastian. "Do you see this, Ryker? Your clueless mother, who doesn't know her place in this world, is at death's door. Come here by the end of tomorrow with Stella Crestfallen, or she will be incinerated in the great forge of Argentum."

A projection manifested beside Lyriana. It was Sebastian. "Zenovia, what is the meaning of this?"

"Oh, if it isn't Lyriana's little lapdog, are you—"

"Zenovia shut your mouth," Sebastian said as he glanced around, "This is the meeting hall? Good. Prepare to welcome the Princess. She will be arriving soon."

"What did you just say to me?!" Zenovia shouted, "Did you just order me around?"

Sebastian looked at her with a blank expression, "You are the self-proclaimed acting head of the family since the Grand Elder is in closed-door cultivation, are you not?"

"So what if I am—"

"Then do your duty and prepare for a superior's visit, or do you plan to shame the family? Do I have to remind you that the Ashfallen Sect rules these lands?" Sebastian said, his tone leaving no room for retort. "In fact, you would all be dead already. But the Princess wanted to deal with you all personally. I will not accept mistakes. We will be arriving soon."

"What nonsense are you sprouting?" Zenovia's face was tinged red with rage. "We have had no reports of any Ashfallen Sect airship heading our way."

"You never will until they have arrived."

"What a joke. Are they coming on foot?" Zenovia clicked her tongue. "How can I prepare if I don't know when they are coming?"

Sebastian smiled, "Don't worry, you will know when they have arrived."

"No, Sebastian!" Lyriana croaked out. "Don't come back here. It's a trap—" She was silenced by the elderly Celestial Empire enforcer clamping his hand on her mouth.

"You have nothing to fear, Lyriana. You are safe." Sebastian smiled at her. "Just hang in there and watch the show. We will see you soon." His projection vanished, leaving a moment of tense silence in his wake.

"No..." Lyriana whimpered, tears streaking down her face. "Don't come back."

The Celestial Empire enforcer pulled back his hand and stood up.

"Enforcers, you heard the projection. The Ashfallen Sect will be arriving soon." He drew his sword. "Our only objective for now is the capture of Stella Crestfallen." He turned to Zenovia, "Invite her into the meeting hall."

The edge of Zenovia's lip twitched, "I will remain here at Lyriana's side to ensure her swift end. I don't like how sure Sebastian seemed regarding her safety."

"Fine," The Celestial Empire enforcer glared at the other two wives, "One of you do it."

"I will," Selene offered and left the room.

Vespera watched her leave before glancing between Zenovia and Lyriana, "You two have doomed us all," she hissed through clenched teeth. "All signs point to the Ashfallen Sect being a group you can't mess with, and they have too many enemies to get involved with."

A distant bell suddenly rang, drawing everyone's focus.

"The warning bell?" Zenovia said with a confused expression. "Are we under attack?"

"Mistress Zenovia!" A silver-haired man ran into the room, "There's a problem!"

"Spit it out," Zenovia said.

The man bowed. "There's a storm over the city."

"A... storm?" Zenovia exchanged a look with Vespera and the Celestial Empire's enforcer. "Why is the bell going?"

"It's not a typical storm, Mistress. It appeared out of nowhere over Argentum and is made entirely out of Qi. It's also calling out to us."

The Celestial Empire enforcer stepped forward, "Stop with the nonsense! What do you mean calling out—" He froze, as did everyone else.

Even Lyriana could feel it. A terrible sense of foreboding gripped her soul, and a voice filled with doom whispered in the back of her mind.

Moros.

Like a harrowing drumbeat, the name reverberated onward. Louder and louder. At first, a whisper, but as the impending sense of dread rose, so too did the volume.

Moros. Moros. Moros. Moros. Moros.

The main doors to the palace that lead to the courtyard swung open from a strong wind, showing the orange tinged sky beyond. Lyriana shifted her body and strained her neck to get a good view.

As the silver-haired man had claimed, there was a strange storm overhead. But it did not consist of clouds, rain, or snow. It was a peculiar white mist that seemed to warp reality around it.

"Is everyone else getting the name Moros repeated in their heads?" the Celestial Empire enforcer said, his voice ever so slightly shaking.

"Yes," Vespera nodded, "I hear it too. Who is Moros? Maybe something to do with the Ashfallen Sect?"

"The Ashfallen Sect? How could it be them?" Zenovia snorted, "The Celestial Empire has the fastest fleet of airships in the realm, and it would still take a night to rush here from Darklight City. You give them far too much credit if you think the Ashfallen Sect could arrive this quickly."

Despite her tone, there was a hint of unease in Zenovia's voice. Even if logically it didn't make sense, at the back of their minds, they were all thinking the same thing.

Could this be the Ashfallen Sect?

"Something's coming!" The Celestial Empire enforcer shouted, drawing everyone's attention. Sure enough, the white mist parted to reveal an impossibility.

"Is that... an airship?" Zenovia muttered in disbelief.

Nobody had an answer. It was impossibly large—just its bow would dwarf a usual airship. The white mist seemed to move with it as if the airship was floating on a sea.

"I think it's a floating island in the shape of an airship," Vespera said, her eyes widening, "Is... that Moros? It's not the name of a person. It's the name of the ship."

"A ship with a name—how pretentious," Zenovia said, taking charge. "Whether it belongs to the Ashfallen Sect or not, be ready to receive them."

Lyriana watched from the floor in disbelief. Ryker, just who did you make friends with?

The enormous ship drew near the palace, the sheer aura around it making reality quake at its presence. Casting a looming shadow over the entire mountain, it came to a pause.

"Citizens of Argentum, you are in the presence of an envoy hailing from the Ashfallen Sect." A voice thundered from the ship and spread across the land. "The Silverspire family is in possession of a weapon belonging to our god and has refused its return. Please be prepared to receive the Princess of Ashfallen's envoy or face annihilation."

A soul pressure far beyond anyone present slammed into the palace, forcing everyone to briefly kneel. Then, as quickly as it came, it vanished.

Zenovia shakily stood back up, "What in the nine realms was that?"

"Whatever it is, we don't stand a chance," Vespera insisted. "Call this off, Zenovia."

Zenovia glanced between the Celestial Empire enforcer and Lyriana. "I can't do that," she shook her head.

"Stop talking," the enforcer hissed, pointing at the ship, "Look, they are coming."

Lyriana followed the man's finger; sure enough, a bridge of floating stone slabs had formed between the ship's bow and the palace courtyard. Walking down it was a small group of people, but the two at the front commanded the most attention.

A little boy with silver hair was holding the hand of a blonde-haired woman wearing a sleek black dress. A black pendant adorned her neck, and she had red maple leaf earrings.

Lyriana could recognize her son in an instant, and from the description she had gotten from Sebastian, that woman beside him must be his Big Sister, Stella Crestfallen—the Princess of the Ashfallen Sect.

The only thing that seemed out of place was the eight legs of shimmering silver ash sprouting from Stella’s back like angelic wings and the halo orbiting her head. A beautiful sword was already drawn and resting in her hand. As she finished her descent and stepped foot onto the courtyard, Lyriana thought she saw a deep anger in her eyes.

At that moment, the prophecy replayed in her mind.

A foreign princess will incite a slaughter, and a prodigy within the family will make themselves known.

"That's her, without a doubt," the Celestial Empire enforcer said, moving deeper into the meeting hall. "Everyone get ready. Stella Crestfallen is here."