Golden Dragon: Six Thousand Years of Empire-Chapter 958 526: The Demon Tree That Disowns Its Kin, Devouring Heaven and Earth (Part 2)

The Black Devouring Dragon evolves to its final form and can fly away, but a tree, no matter how special, doesn't casually relocate. At least, that's what angels believe.
Because up to now, the performance of these trees has been excellent, showing none of the instability of the Black Devouring Dragon, with no mutations or aberrations. They systematically devour demon corpses, absorb the power of the Abyss, and transform the desolate wasteland environment with no vitality.
This is the second type of savior species created by Dragon King Noah, based on the masterpiece of the Black Devouring Dragon, and it has become more perfect in every aspect.
Of course, what is criticized is the reproduction method of this type of dragon tree, which is too primitive and backward, not as advanced and novel as the Black Devouring Dragon.
"Your Majesty, Vigil District A186 is missing, please issue a punishment!"
At the time of sowing the third-generation Blood Abyss Cyan Dragon Tree Seeds, as expected, what Noah anticipated happened—a third-generation Green Dragon Tree was stolen.
Unlike the untraceable outward diffusion of the Black Devouring Dragon, because of the extremely primitive breeding method of dragon trees, even the unique environment of the Abyss accelerating this process, every tree seed produced is accounted for.
Therefore, at the first sign of a problem, the head of the Imperial Guards responsible for this area not only asked Noah for forgiveness but also submitted the investigation results to him, detailing every potential motive behind the theft of this tree.
"They really were patient enough, waiting until now to make a move!"
After glancing at the investigative submitted by the head of the Imperial Guards, Noah quipped. Then he looked at the commander standing shamefaced before him, his gaze as warm as sunlight.
"Rise, Divine intervention was involved; no matter what precautions you took, this dragon tree couldn't have been protected."
"Your Majesty, regardless of the reasons, this is our dereliction of duty."
"A third-generation seed was stolen. How do you think I should reasonably punish you?"
"At the very least, we need to retrieve it."
"Retrieve it? That's not necessary, but you do need to find out. I want to know how my creation fares in the Material Realm."
The extraordinary characteristics of the third-generation tree seeds have degraded significantly compared to the Ancestor Tree; the issue of bloodline attenuation in the Dragon Clan has also appeared in plants.
The rules of balance are everywhere: the stronger the race, the harder it is to pass down its traits. Even if they are passed down, there will be some degree of loss, which no one can fully inherit.
But as a species born in the Abyss, dragon trees also inherit some characteristics of Abyss Demons, namely that they can compensate for their shortcomings through devouring and slaughter, allowing themselves to evolve toward perfection.
Therefore, theoretically speaking, let alone third-generation, even tenth or twentieth generations, as long as they consume enough, they can trace back their origins to an Ancestor Return level, ultimately achieving or even surpassing the Ancestor Tree's stature.
This is the extraordinary characteristic granted by the chaotic and unordered Abyss, allowing even the lowliest demons to ascend to the highest. In a way, this can be seen as a kind of justice and equality, although few sane creatures from the Material Realm desire such fairness.
"Our world has no hope left; the soil is nothing more than the filthy blood of demons. No matter what we plant, it will ultimately be contaminated, and nothing will grow."
"No, we still have hope. The legendary Black Devouring Dragon—if only one would descend to purify our land..."
"It's not enough. Even if a Black Devouring Dragon descends, it cannot save our land. The Black Devouring Dragon can devour the demonic Qi in the soil, but land eroded by demonic Qi, even if restored, will be no different than a desert. We have no time to wait or the energy to manage."
"Are we to abandon the Mother Tree?"
"Abandon? The Mother Tree has already withered. Must we let the tribe perish with it in the ruins?"
"No, the Mother Tree still has life; there are still green leaves!"
"That's only temporary. How long do you think our Mother Tree can last when the land outside is fully contaminated?"
"Then what do you suggest we do?"
"Migration, move to a new world. Our world no longer holds any value for salvation."
"Do you want us to become a Wandering Elf Tribe?"
"For the continuation of the race, we have no other choice."
Standing like a mountain beneath the half-withered, half-thriving Life Tree, the Wood Elf Elders argued endlessly about the future of their race. They had just won a desperate war against the Abyss's invasion.
Yet after struggling to unite with other races for victory, they were met with greater despair. The environment had deteriorated to an irreparable, insurmountable degree due to the ravages of the Abyss. To survive and thrive, the previously suppressed voices advocating for migration during wartime rose again.
This time, the Wood Elves, who barely survived the war, chose to support this notion of escape born from seeing no hope.
Outside the Life Tree's protective range lay barren lands, devoid even of weeds. Yet, even the Life Tree struggled to endure as the global environment worsened.
Under such circumstances, not even the most steadfast elf would yearn for a homeland where they cannot have enough to eat, drink, or keep warm, and face the risk of tribal extinction and severed lineage.
"We might try praying to the Divines."
"Gods? We are but lowly Wood Elves; would those noble Divines truly care to heed us?"
Upon hearing the suggestion to plead with the Divines, there was little expectation in the eyes of the many bloodstained elves present. Having been disappointed so many times, hope was absent.
"Let's give it a try!"
But when the majority of Wood Elves, clutching onto the slim chance, prayed to the Elf God System without hope, radiant Divine light tore through space, and a miracle capable of saving the world descended at that moment.
"What is this?"
The Great Elder, presiding over the ritual, looked astonished at the sapling on the altar. It was only half the height of a person, surrounded by a bloody glow, and filled with an aura of omen and calamity.
Yet, the sapling seemed so familiar. Comparing it with the towering Life Tree before their eyes revealed many similarities; it was a Life Tree seedling.
"Cultivate and care for it. It shares the same origin as the Black Devouring Dragon and can resolve all your current difficulties."
Even during the Abyss invasion, when the race faced extinction risks, prayers to the Divines went unanswered. But surprisingly, upon deciding on a race-wide migration and praying hopelessly to the Divines, a solution was suddenly offered by the gods, leaving the Wood Elves astonished.
No matter how surprising the Divine response might be, when the Divines truly provide an answer, it inevitably stirs expectations in many Wood Elves' hearts and awakens their longing for home. If there's even a slight chance, who would willingly abandon their homeland to become a wandering race?
However, when the Wood Elves followed the Divine oracle to plant the ominous Life Tree covered in blood patterns, a sudden mutation occurred.
The once constantly withering Life Tree—suffering erosion from the Abyss's invasion—withered rapidly, as the once vivid green energy was visibly siphoned from its body, continuously funneled into the newly sprouted sapling.
This was not a voluntary gift, but rather a violent plundering by the newcomer from its predecessor. The elves, aiming for safety and stability, had chosen to plant the Divinely gifted Life Tree around the Mother Tree, which had sheltered their tribe for over two thousand three hundred years, resulting in the current disastrous scene.
edly akin to the same origin as the Black Devouring Dragon, the Demon Tree indeed absorbed demonic Qi and purified the land. However, most of its energy focused on plundering its own kind—its semi-withered Life Tree kin.
Nourished by the overwhelming Power of Life, the Life Tree, initially only half the height of a person, grew at a remarkable rate. Amidst its canopy, a long and sinuous azure dragon shadow also began to materialize.