Reborn as a Demonic Tree

Chapter 621: Four Teams

Amber threw her whole body into a bow.

”I, Amber Redclaw of the Ashbound Order, accept any punishment for my tardiness and deeply apologize to everyone for making them wait!”

The air chilled as Diana slowly descended before her. Demonic mist pooled around her feet and spread out to shroud them.

Amber didnʼt dare raise her head, her whole body tense as a tree trunk. While she had enjoyed many conversations with Diana, that didnʼt make bowing in the presence of an angered Archdemon any less terrifying.

”You did well,” Diana said, her voice carried by the demonic mist as a whisper.

I did... well?

”But you are still half a day late, meaning you had far more time in there than anyone else.”

Dianaʼs claws rested on the top of her head.

”Iʼll have to make an example of you.”

Amber let out a startled yelp as Diana lifted her by her hair with frightening ease and held her in the air high enough that her feet couldnʼt touch the ground.

”Use your Nascent Soul Realm cultivation to float,” Diana whispered before turning with her in hand and facing the crowd of cultivators all sworn into the Ashbound Order.

”Despite her impressive ascension to the Nascent Soul Realm, Amber Redclaw went against orders to return within thirty days and has kept you all waiting for half a day,” Diana announced, her Qi-empowered voice echoing out across Ashlockʼs Inner World.

Murmurs spread throughout the crowd, and Amber felt her cheeks redden with embarrassment.

”However, if she had done this for malicious reasons and without the future of the Ashbound Order in mind, her oath of loyalty would have been broken, and her soul would have been devoured,” Diana continued to explain. ”Therefore, her punishment will be decided at a later date.”

Amber let out a relieved sigh.

”Evelyn Duskwalker, Mr. Choi, and Ryker Silverspire, come up here.”

From within the crowd, the three emerged. Mr. Choi attracted the most attention with his large frame looming over most, a bald head etched with scars, and a purple silk robe embroidered with golden koi fish. Ryker Silverspire emerged from the group of Elaineʼs prized students with an air of authority that didnʼt match his age or stature. Finally, Amber noticed Evelyn Duskwalker gliding above the crowd as nothing more than a shadow, arriving first.

She also reached the Nascent Soul Realm as Elder Margret predicted.

Once Ryker and Mr. Choi arrived, Diana finally set Amber down.

”These four will be captains of teams within the Ashbound Order,” Diana declared, her voice rolling out through the demonic fog so all present could hear.

Amberʼs eyes widened. I was still chosen despite being late?

The others present had mixed reactions, ranging from Rykerʼs indifference to Mr. Choiʼs grin. Evelyn shot Amber a glance, but it didnʼt seem to be malicious.

As Elder Margret warned me, Evelyn Duskwalker would be my closest rival within the Ashbound Order. Amber returned the glance with a smile. Itʼs always good to have a rival to keep you on your toes.

”Iʼve already thought of names for each team,” Diana continued. ”Mr. Choi will lead team Koi, Evelyn Duskwalker will lead team Wraith, Ryker Silverspire will lead team Quicksilver, and finally, Amber Redclaw will lead team...” Diana paused and glanced at Amber, and seemed to change her mind about whatever previous name she had come up with. ”Amber will lead team Phoenix. The teams will handle different fields on a day-to-day basis, but I can assign them any tasks as needed. Team Koi will focus on managing the underworld in each city, while team Phoenix will handle public security. Team Quicksilver will handle commerce disputes and manage commercial channels, while team Wraith will be the eyes and ears of the Ashfallen Empire.”

So team Wraith are basically spies, while Iʼll handle the more public-facing side like the Redclaw family has already been doing for Ashfallen City and Darklight City.

”Everyone here has to join one of the teams, and the benefits provided and expectations of each group will differ.” Diana continued, and Amber felt Dianaʼs hand on her back pushing her forward. ”Team captains, please go down and convince the cultivators of the Ashbound Order why they should join your teams.”

Amber walked forward alongside the other captains and tried not to shrink away under a thousand judgmental stares.

Iʼll need to recruit as many people as possible. Public security is already demanding enough and will be made worse if I donʼt have enough people to deploy.

Deciding to take the initiative over the other captains, she ran forward, flapped her wings of fire once, and took off into the sky above the crowd.

”Esteemed members of the Ashbound Order,” she called out. ”Anyone who wishes to join the team of the Phoenix and protect the Ashfallen Empireʼs great cities from public unrest, please join me over here.”

She set down on a rocky outcrop to the left and faced the crowd.

There was an unnerving lack of movement. In fact, she saw people already shifting toward Ryker, who had silently taken up a post not far from the cavernʼs mouth.

Hard to compete with a five-year-old prodigy known to be close to the Princess. Amber bit her lip. Evelyn also has people heading her way, and Mr. Choi already has a large following waiting for him.

Her wings drooped slightly, mirroring her souring mood.

Iʼve already made a terrible impression by making everyone wait and being singled out by Grand Elder Diana. If I were in their position, I wouldnʼt join me either.

It was terribly awkward standing all alone.

Maybe I should relinquish my position to someone else...

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A sudden, blazing streak of fire erupted from deep within the crowd and arced in her direction. Amber followed the trajectory until it ended in a small explosion before her, revealing the culprit.

”Elder Margret?”

”Thatʼs me,” Elder Margret said with a smile as she hopped off her sword. ”I was hoping to join your team, Amber! Is that all right?”

”Of course!” Amber said, leaping down and hugging her.

Elder Margret patted her on the back. ”Now, this isnʼt how a captain of the Ashbound Order should act. Go stand up there and look proud.”

”Okay,” Amber said, trying to hide her tears as she broke the hug and jumped back onto the rocky outcrop. With at least one person at her side, her wings stopped drooping and flared brightly.

Following Elder Margretʼs example, members of her family blazed trails of fire across the sky as they came to her.

”You guys...” Amber muttered.

”You really thought we would choose another team?” Elder Mo chuckled as he appeared beside Elder Margret. ”Spying, commerce, and the underworld arenʼt tasks that suit the Redclaw family. We like to be seen brightly in the sky and known by the people! Isnʼt that right?”

A proud cheer spread through her family, and like moths to a flame, other cultivators began to head over. One of them was Jasmine, Stellaʼs disciple.

”Jasmine, Iʼm surprised you chose my team,” Amber said, stealing glances at Ryker, who had amassed quite the group, many of whom were members of Elaineʼs prized students.

Jasmine noticed her gaze. ”You thought Iʼd pick Rykerʼs team?”

Amber nodded.

”Too annoying,” Jasmine said with a dismissive wave. ”Since he will be handling commerce, he will have to interact with my father a lot. Iʼm more interested in interacting with and protecting mortals like my mother than rowdy merchants.”

”That... actually makes a lot of sense,” Amber said and smiled. ”Welcome to the team.”

”Thank you.” Jasmine returned the smile and then got swarmed with curious cultivators as if she were a celebrity. Amber didnʼt recognize many of them, aside from faces seen in passing around White Stone Peak.

Iʼm sure to learn all their names in time.

After Jasmine pledged to join Team Phoenix, the number of cultivators swelled quickly, and Amberʼs group became the largest by the end. It felt weird to see her own family and Elders who had raised her now gathered beneath her under a banner that wasnʼt the Redclaw family.

”You seem popular,” Diana said as she emerged from the demonic mist at her side. ”I was ready to inform everyone that Team Phoenix would receive the most funding and resources, as public security will be the most demanding sector, but it seems my involvement was unnecessary.”

”You can thank Jasmine for that. The moment she joined, a surge of interest came with her,” Amber said with an amused smile. ”It would seem the Princessʼs popularity is as high as ever. Speaking of...” she searched the surroundings. ”Where is the Princess?”

A sigh escaped Dianaʼs lips. ”She suffered a near defeat with a rebel Monarch and is recovering at the moment.”

That was a surprise.

”The Princess... lost?”

”Not quite. She would have finished off the Monarch but possibly died from her injuries shortly after.” Diana shook her head. ”Itʼs complicated. All you need to know is she will recover soon.”

”Okay,” Amber nodded. ”Thatʼs a relief.”

If Stella dies, we all know how far Ashlock will go after how quickly the Celestial Empire fell. The last thing we need right now is anything happening to her.

”Anyway,” Diana said, changing the topic. ”Now that every cultivator has picked a team, I want to show you and your team something.”

Diana clicked her fingers, and a desolation rift appeared beside her and the hundreds of cultivators that had chosen Amberʼs team.

”Please, follow me,”Diana said, and the towering Archdemon gracefully glided off the rocky outcrop and through the rift. Amber followed in the wake of her demonic mist and through to the other side.

A gasp escaped her lips.

Before her was an incomprehensibly enormous cliff face that consumed her sight. No wait, that doesnʼt have the texture of stone. Itʼs almost like... bark? She slowly looked up and, instead of a sky, saw a canopy of golden leaves.

Is this the World Tree? Amber marveled as her team members filtered in behind her through the rift, letting out similar gasps of awe.

”If you think this is impressive, just wait until you see what I have to show you all next,” Diana said with a playful smile that would make anyoneʼs heart flutter.

The rift finally closed, and Diana clapped her hands.

”Alright, members of Team Phoenix, welcome to your new headquarters,” Diana said, gesturing around.

Amber realized she had been so awestruck with the World Tree that she hadnʼt spared a glance at her surroundings. They were clearly on a floating island of some kind, as they were closer to the World Treeʼs canopy than the ground. There was nothing much here besides a single demonic tree behind Diana, a few Mudcloaks, and a horde of Ents that stood motionless like a forest.

”This is a spatial-affinity Bastion newly raised by the All-Seeing Eye. For those unaware, Bastions are floating islands capable of manifesting shields, artillery, and storms of their affinities.” Diana stepped back and patted the tree that was about twice her height. ”This demonic tree is the operator of the Bastion. You can ask it to make portals to any of the cities as needed.”

So thatʼs why it has spatial affinity. Thatʼs going to be really useful, but why is there nothing else here besides this tree...

As if anticipating her question, Diana walked away from the tree, and the group of Mudcloaks waiting nearby rushed to her side. ”These Mudcloaks have been tasked to build Team Phoenixʼs headquarters. Amber, its design will fall on your shoulders.”

”Me?” Amber pointed at herself. ”I know nothing about building.”

”Then find someone who does, or leave it to the Mudcloaks,” Diana replied with a shrug. ”Now, onto the duties of Team Phoenix. After the Ashfallen Sect conquered the Celestial Empire and became the Ashfallen Empire, there has been mass civil unrest, made worse by the Great Fracturing.”

”The Great Fracturing?” Amber asked the question everyone else had.

Diana smirked and gestured to the edge of the Bastion. ”See for yourself.”

Amber floated to the edge and froze.

”What...”

Darklight City was below her. Not out in the wilderness—it was here, below the World Treeʼs canopy. Her gaze wandered, and she saw a massive landmass floating in the distance, and the gleam of the White Stone Palace caught her eye.

Is that Ashfallen City and White Stone Peak... why is it floating?! Wait, is Darklight City also floating? What is going on?!

”A lot happened while you were all in the Eternal Realm,” Diana explained over the explosive discussion among the cultivators. ”The World Tree lifted the leyline and brought a whole section of the wilderness under her canopy. The All-Seeing Eye then lifted our cities into the skies above the others, with Red Vine Peak now poking through the World Treeʼs canopy.”

Amber looked directly upward and saw the underside of a landmass shrouded in desolation.

That must be Red Vine Peak. I still canʼt believe what Iʼm seeing.

”It will be Team Phoenixʼs job to protect all of the cities, including those we captured from the Celestial Empire, such as Floridawn.”

Amberʼs gaze snapped toward Diana. ”All of the cities?”

Diana nodded, her voice dropping. ”All of them.”

”We donʼt have nearly enough cultivators to oversee such a vast area...” Her gaze settled on the Ents waiting silently beyond Diana.

Diana smiled. ”Each member of your team will be assigned Ents to assist in their tasks. With that, covering so many cities should be possible.”

”Still...”

”You will have to make it work, Amber,” Diana said, her tone sharp and leaving no room for retort.

Amber remembered who she was talking to and straightened up. ”Understood. I will work hard to meet your expectations.”

”Good. I need all cities under control as soon as possible,” Diana said, turning to the demonic tree. ”Portal to Quicksilverʼs Bastion.”

A portal manifested, and Diana paused half a step through.

”Once Stella recovers, Ashlock is planning to ascend to the Monarch Realm and initiate the Era of Ascension,” Diana said, her voice reaching only Amberʼs ears. ”The Heavens will not take his ascension lightly, so ensure public order is secured before then.”

”How long do I have?” Amber asked hesitantly.

”Days at most,” Diana said and stepped through.

Amber gulped and faced her empty island, the hundreds of cultivators that had chosen her team, the Ents left in her command, and the Mudcloaks awaiting her orders.

Maybe reaching the Nascent Soul Realm was the easiest part of this whole ordeal.

She set down among the cultivators, and many looked her way.

So this is what it feels like to be an important member of the Ashfallen Empire.

Clapping, she drew everyoneʼs attention away from their impossible-to-grasp surroundings.

”I assume nobody here wants to get on the bad side of Grand Elder Diana like I did. No? Then we have a lot of work to do.”