Reborn as a Demonic Tree - Chapter 457

As the first Silverspire in centuries to dare ascend into the Golden Core Realm, Cassian von Silverspire, Grand Elder of the famed Silverspire family, expected to triumphantly emerge from closed-door cultivation to the fanfare of his family.

Instead, nobody awaited his return, and with his spiritual senses, he determined something had gone terribly wrong in his absence. Looming over the palace was an airship that closely resembled a floating island. As he probed it with his spiritual senses, his soul tingled with a terrible sense of foreboding, and the name Moros was whispered into his mind.

Surprisingly, that wasn't the worst of it. There was a swirling dome of ash that his spiritual senses couldn't penetrate, meaning it was beyond his cultivation realm.

He had expected that Vincent Nightrose or other noble cultivators in the Blood Lotus Sect might make trouble with his Silverspire family while he was away, but this was on a different scale.

Quickly floating down the corridors of his palace, he made his way to the courtyard. While he had no hope of fighting back against whatever this was, it was his responsibility to protect his family—and there was no way he could let his family fall to ruin just after he made a historic ascension.

The moment he appeared in the courtyard, all eyes turned to him. He scanned the crowd of his family, mentally checking who was fine. Selene and Vespera were present, but Zenovia seemed to be missing. More concerning was how his 4th wife, Lyriana, seemed badly beaten and shielded his 7th son Ryker in a hug and stood between the dome of ash and a group of well-dressed cultivators—one he recognized.

Setting down, his two wives rushed to his side.

"Care to explain to me what is happening here?" He asked them.

"Don't do anything rash, Cassian," Vespera hissed under her breath. "So long as you keep a cool head and do as they say, we can make it out of this alive." As the leader of the Ghost Edge assassins, he trusted her verdicts in most matters. Yet he couldn't help but raise a brow at that.

"Who is it making trouble on my doorstep?"

"The Ashfallen Sect," Selene was the one to answer. "They seemingly came out of nowhere and have taken over the wilderness like an unstoppable storm."

"What is Vincent Nightrose doing about it? Is that old monster still in closed-door cultivation and leaving the chaos to the Disciplinary Committee?"

"Cassian..." Vespera passed him her Eternal Pursuit Pavilion pendant, "I don't know how to tell you this, but Vincent Nightrose, alongside the Nightrose family and Nightshade City, is gone. They were eradicated in a single day by the Ashfallen Sect."

He stopped in his tracks.

Recent Bounties Claimed:

...

Vincent Nightrose: 100,000 Yinxi Coins

"What," his hand was trembling as the implications set in. "Vincent is dead? That means..." he looked up at the dome of swirling ash and gulped. Vincent had always seemed like this unbeatable existence that ruled over the wilderness. His death should have been a great relief, but that just meant this Ashfallen Sect was even more terrifying and ruthless.

Vespera had been right. If they can make it out of this alive, that alone would be a miracle. He clenched his hand around the pendant. He would stand firm for his family and ensure this was not their last day. Having spent a lifetime dealing with a tyrant, he refused to suffer like that again.

"Cassian Von Silverspire, did we wake you?" The man he had singled out earlier called out to him.

"Magnus Redclaw, it's been a while. You look... younger?" Cassian crossed his arms, "I also don't remember inviting you to my ascension celebration."

They were old friends that went way back. Having fought side by side in past wars, Magnus Redclaw had been first on his list to team up with after his ascension to try and fight back against the now-dead Vincent.

The Redclaw Grand Elder smiled, "I didn't invite you to mine either, so I suppose that makes us even." He playfully pulsed his spiritual pressure.

"Nascent Soul Realm?!" Cassian failed to hide his shock. The last time he'd seen Magnus, he had been stuck in the Star Core Realm. Since when had he made such a drastic leap in progress. "Since when? Did you receive divine enlightenment from a god's inheritance?"

"Nothing of the sort," Magnus waved him off, "I just received unprecedented cultivation resources from the Ashfallen Sect."

Cassian's eyes narrowed, "So you are with them." He also glanced past the red-haired man at his 4th wife, who didn't seem to have the strength to raise her head to look at him.

The Redclaw Grand Elder nodded, "You will be too soon enough. They have a habit of making offers that are hard to refuse," he said cryptically.

A howl of pain and the sounds of battle sounded overhead. Cassian checked out the situation with his spiritual senses and was confused to see a giant demonic sword effortlessly tearing through Star Core realm cultivators. While the sword was strong, the cultivators seemed to put up lackluster resistance. It was as if they could not muster their Qi to mount a defense.

"Who are they?" He asked.

"The Celestial Empire," Magnus Redclaw answered, "Over fifty Enforcers from the Empire were using your home as a base to lure the Princess of the Ashfallen Sect here to kill her."

"Fifty Enforcers?" Cassian muttered. He had little dealings with the Celestial Empire, so he was curious about how that situation had come about. However, the more pressing matter was the here and now. "You said it was a trap? Where are the enforcers and your Princess now? Shouldn't you be helping her?"

Magnus chuckled, "The Enforcers are trapped in that ashen dome with a furious Princess. It's them I'm worried for, not her."

Cassian was baffled. He would struggle to fight off fifty Enforcers from the Celestial Empire—not that he would dare to fight them in the first place. The Celestial Empire wasn't a force that could be messed with.

The dense swirling dome of ash began to part.

"Oh look, she must be finished," Magnus Redclaw announced, "Cassian, could you lead the Silverspire family inside? The Princess will want to hold an audience with you and the others."

Cassian debated telling his family to flee, but that massive airship floating behind him and filling him with the promise of doom made him dismiss that idea. If Magnus Redclaw could reach the Nascent Soul Realm with their resources, they seemed like a sect worth working with.

He led the way, and nobody dared to stand in his way. Once inside the room that was once the grand meeting hall, he couldn't help but feel regret seeing the mass destruction. Qi that was left over from techniques and explosions chaotically crackled through the air.

It was obvious that a violent battle had taken place here. Most strange of all was how the Celestial Empire Enforcer's corpses had demonic trees growing from them, consuming the bodies in the process. It was incredibly eerie to watch.

Yet, it was impossible to ignore the presence lording over the room—a young woman lounging in his seat. She wore a somewhat revealing black dress with a bored gaze as she appraised him.

Is she the Princess of the Ashfallen Sect? She doesn't seem to have any cultivation to speak of. His gaze landed on the spider of divine ash to her side. That monster is radiating an intense spiritual pressure beyond mine. Did she rely on that beast to win? Either way, there's no way I'm letting some stuck-up Princess do as she pleases in my home.

"It seems quite a lot occurred while I was away," he said, his deep voice capturing the attention of all. He looked up and stared intensely at the woman. "I'm the Grand Elder of the great Silverspire family, and who might you be daring to invade my home and sit in my seat?"

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The Princess rested her head on her palm and lazily analyzed him, which only angered him more.

"My name is Stella Crestfallen, and the throne was empty—so I sat down." She smiled, "I hope you don't mind."

He did mind—a lot.

"I don't know of anyone called Stella Crestfallen," the man frowned. He was well-informed and would remember the name of such a supposedly important figure.

"Oh, don't worry," Stella smirked. "You and I will be getting to know one another. After all, your family will henceforth answer to me." She stood up from the throne and held out her hand, "Come, stand up here beside me."

Cassian stood for a moment, hesitant. But eventually, he floated over the rubble that was once a grand staircase and touched down beside Stella. He didn't bother to restrain his soul pressure and was surprised to see Stella unfazed by it.

Maybe her cultivation surpasses mine, but she just hides it well? What amazing control. His opinion of the woman beside him rose considerably. He didn't mind arrogance if it was earned, and if she could withstand his soul pressure at her age, she had to be a prodigy.

"Now, I'm sure you have many questions," Stella said loud enough for everyone to hear, "A lot has happened in the short time you were in closed-door cultivation. But before that, I believe you have an inheritance to pass on?"

Cassian blinked. He hadn't expected the Princess to be aware of that. Shooting her a questioning gaze, she gestured to the crowd below with her chin.

"Ryker Von Silverspire ended up in our territory while our sect was still developing. He made a smart investment in our pill-making business and told us about the Silver Core inheritance, so we accompanied him here."

"Is that the only reason you are here?"

Stella snorted, "No. I also had some bothersome pests to exterminate."

To refer to fifty Star Core Realm Enforcers as pests... I really can't get a read on this woman. Is she pride incarnate, or does the Ashfallen Sect really stand up against the greatness of the Celestial Empire?

"I see," Cassian sighed in relief, "I hope Ryker didn't cause any trouble."

"Nothing of the sort; actually, we are quite close."

Cassian silently cheered in his heart. He knew Ryker was a smart kid, just like his mother. But to think he had managed to befriend such a tyrant. That alone warrants the right to my Silver Core, as such political ties outweigh what can be achieved through business alone.

"That's good to hear," Cassian smiled, "Perhaps he is the most worthy of my Silver Core."

"No, Father!"

Cassian looked down at the crowd and saw his son standing at the base of the staircase with... silver hair.

"I want to honor the integrity of the Silver Core inheritance," Ryker looked over his shoulder at the other wives and his step-siblings, "All of us deserve a chance to win the Silver Core."

"Since when did you become so wise and powerful, Ryker?" Cassian was genuinely impressed. "Very well, if Stella Crestfallen will humor me, I would like to conclude the Silver Core inheritance."

"Go ahead," Stella said, seemingly uninterested.

Cassian nodded, "Thank you. Wives, gather your children and present them before me."

There was a shift in the crowd, and as Vespera, Selene, and Lyriana lined up with their children, people were clearly missing. Cassian had a sinking feeling in his stomach. "Where is Zenovia?"

"Killed," Stella said bluntly before anyone else could respond. "She conspired with the Celestial Empire Enforcers to trap me and tried to kill Lyriana. Ryker was the one who finished her off."

Cassian felt his breath catch in his throat. His heart missed a beat, and his fingers tensed.

"Do you have a problem with that?" Stella said, side eying him. It was posed as a question but was a subtly veiled threat.

"I..." his mouth opened and closed a few times before he steeled his resolve to test the waters, "I do have a problem with that."

"Hmmm?" Stella hummed to herself in apparent interest. But to Cassian's surprise, she didn't seem to be fazed by his open rebuttal. If she had been Vincent Nightrose, his head would be rolling already.

Zenovia was my first wife, and she made my life a living hell. Always so jealous of the other branches of the family and causing so much drama. If she wasn't the leader of the strongest and oldest branch of the family, I'd have nothing to do with her. While Zenovia's demise is unfortunate, it's not worth antagonizing this new powerhouse over—I only really said that to see what Stella's reaction would be. It seems she is far more accommodating of others' viewpoints than other tyrants.

"I will process my thoughts and feelings regarding her unfortunate passing at a later date," he said while nodding to her two children, who stood without their mother backing them. "For now, let's focus on the Silver Core inheritance. Wait, why are there only five of you? Where is Saphira and your son Selene?"

"My dear Saphira was torn apart and had her soul eaten by a powerful monster plaguing these lands called the Soul Eater," Vespera said with rage. Selene also stepped forward and pointed to the demonic sword floating overhead, "My son was executed and devoured by that demonic sword."

Cassian narrowed his eyes at the sword, "Whose sword is that?"

"My Fathers'. I gifted it to him for his birthday." Stella said.

Cassian glanced at her. "Your father is..."

"You wouldn't know of him," Stella said while looking up at the sword, "But he lords over the Ashfallen Sect."

Cassian paused. "Does your father have any plans to deal with this Soul Eater?"

"Mhm? Why would he?" Stella tilted her head, "From the description, this Soul Eater is Nyxalia. She was created by my father after the annihilation of the Nightrose family."

Cassian felt his expression cracking, "The Ashfallen Sect seems to have torn through my family while I was away. If you want to work together, I hope you have some reparations you can offer us."

Stella smiled, sending a chill down his spine. "That is not how this is going to work, Grand Elder Silverspire. The wilderness is now under our control, meaning you either work with us," she shrugged, "or you die."

Cassian cursed under his breath.

The Princess stepped closer, with the Monarch Realm spider matching her advancement. "In fact, it's you who owes us reparations. For conspiring with the Celestial Empire, you owe us every spirit stone you have in storage."

"All of them?" Cassian had restrained himself well until now. Killing his family was one thing, but going after his wealth? Spirit stones were the lifeblood of any metal cultivator. Without vast wealth, he had no chance to progress. "Was Zenovia's death not enough to satisfy you?"

"No. Not even close," Stella sat back down on his throne and looked at him with an appraising gaze. "Anyone involved should be killed," she casually gestured to his family below, "Including Selene and Vespera."

"You wouldn't dare." He hissed through his clenched teeth.

From the throne's shadow, a towering skeleton enveloped in darkness emerged and stared down at him.

A nascent soul realm monster? Is this another beast in service to her?

"I really would, but I don't want to." Stella said, resting her chin on her palm, "You see, Grand Elder Silverspire—I want us to work together. The Ashfallen Sect will remain in these lands and fend off the beast tide, meaning you will not need to move. If you want, treat the payment of spirit stones as your contributions to fending off the beast tide. Think how much cheaper it is to remain here than having to move?"

Cassian was baffled, "You can really stand up to the beast tide?"

"Do I look insane to you?"

"Well..." Cassian coughed, "I suppose not. To think the Ashfallen Sect possesses such frightening combat strength."

"Now, while the death of your wife and children was regretful, it's in the past and cannot be changed. Let me make it up to you. In exchange for Zenovia's life, we will erect a permanent portal network you can use free of charge to expand your mining operations."

"Sorry... what?" Cassian felt like he was in some kind of strange dream with how many mind-bending things he had been told since ascending. "What is a permanent portal network?"

While the Blood Lotus Sect did have a portal network, it was comprised of spirit stone-hungry spatial formations reserved for Vincent and his Disciplinary Committee.

Stella looked at him like he was slow, "What it sounds like? Dozens of portals linked together and it will be open and free for you to use at all times. This way, you will not be inconvenienced by not moving to a new area. Now, Selene's son died because he insulted the god we worship, the All-Seeing Eye. Heretics will be killed on sight, but the Silverspire family and people of Argentum have yet to experience the greatness of the All-Seeing Eye. With that in mind, so long as you all welcome our god moving forward, we will be lenient this time, and in return for his death, we will grant you all immortality."

"Huh?" Cassian said, and the room went silent.

"We have our own afterlife," Stella said as if talking about the weather, "So long as you worship the All-Seeing Eye, your souls will be bound to the Eternal Grove of Rebirth, and you will be spared from the cycle of reincarnation and be able to live out your days as a spirit tree or another animal."

Cassian felt his brain shutting down. "You have your own... afterlife?"

"Yeah? Don't make me repeat myself; keep up. Now, for Saphira's most regrettable death, I'm willing to sell you pills at a 20% discount." She opened her palm, and with a flash of silver, a few pills appeared. "We have ones that permanently improve your spirit roots or, as some people call it, 'talent.' There's also one that removes heart demons, giving you a seamless ascension."

White flames flickered across her hand as she floated the pills over to him with telekinesis. Despite seeing her use Qi, he still couldn't feel the presence or level of her cultivation.

Cassian just stared at the pills in his hand. He had never been left so utterly speechless in his many centuries of life.

"Are these acceptable terms, Grand Elder Silverspire?" Stella asked him.

He turned and looked at her seriously, "If everything you said is true, I would be a fool to suggest otherwise." He clasped his hand around the pills and bowed, "I now know what Magnus Redclaw meant by the Ashfallen Sect giving offers that are hard to refuse."

What he had been told was unbelievable, but he was not blind. Magnus Redclaw and his own son Ryker's progress in cultivation was only attainable via a few methods, one of which was amazing cultivation resources—the kind that could only be afforded by a powerhouse sect that was able to wipe out Vincent Nightrose.

"Does that mean you accept us as your new overlords?"

Cassian didn't like that term, but he nodded, "I do."

To his surprise, Stella smiled and stood up. She gestured to the throne, "Then this is rightfully yours."

Cassian hesitantly sat down while stealing glances at Stella.

"You can handle the rest of your inheritance thingy," Stella yawned and wandered off, "I'm tired after that slaughter. Diana! You're up."

A demoness stepped out of the crowd and began to ascend the rubble.

"Wait, Stella Crestfallen. Is there a chance I can ever meet your father?"

Stella pondered for a moment before shrugging, "Sure, why not. But he doesn't like to travel much, so you will have to visit Red Vine Peak if you want to meet him."

I will definitely meet with him. Cassian clenched the armrests of his throne. I must meet with the man who killed Vincent Nightrose and stands above all.