Evolution Begins With A Big Tree

Chapter 1150, The Two Divine Trees

Translator:  Ashish

Translation Checker: Silvain

As far as Yu Zi Yu was concerned, the prospect of declaring war held little to no weight on him.

For him, it was just another battle. The only thing that mattered was a proper justification.

Take the current situation for instance, since the Elemental Clan and Netherborns had tried to obstruct his Path of Ascension, then even if he were to annihilate them from the face of this world, it would be perfectly reasonable and justifiable.

However, if he were to ignite a war without a legitimate reason, then Yu Zi Yu might draw the vigilance of all the races, or even a joint assault.

And that was something Yu Zi Yu did not wish to see.

After all, even the strongest fists could not fend off attacks from all directions.

Despite his current unrivaled power beneath the starry skies, Yu Zi Yu knew that without alliances and strategic maneuvering, he risked becoming a target for every power in existence.

The impending fate of the Heaven-Connecting Jianmu, rooted in the depths of the stars, served as a stark reminder.

Despite her immense power, she would face an inevitable decline.

The myriad races of the universe, united in their ambition, stood ready to wield their Imperial Artifacts, all in order to sever her vitality, hide themselves from the Heaven’s Will, and forge their own path to reach Heaven.

*Haaaa…*A soft sigh escaped Yu Zi Yu, his thoughts drifting to a significant event slated for the Central Sector in about twenty years: the Day the Heaven Falls. A name that spoke of defiance, of challenge and overthrow.

Unlike Yu Zi Yu’s own aspirations to topple the Heavenly Court, this gathering had a different target: the Heaven-Connecting Jianmu, rooted in the Central Sector.

Jianmu was said to be Heaven’s emissary, tasked with watching over the world.

Yet, her very presence served to solidify the Consciousness of the Cosmic Source’s dominion over the universe, thereby hindering the cultivation of all races.

For at its core, cultivation was a rebellion against Heaven, an attempt to seize the world’s power to fuel their own growth

And the stronger the one was, the more terrifying their plunder of Heaven and Earth would be.

So… in a way, Heaven would not permit too many powerful beings to emerge.

It was in this context that the role of Jianmu became clear.

An enforcer of Heaven’s Will, she enhanced the Consciousness of the Cosmic Source’s grasp over the vast universe, making her, by default, an enemy of all living beings.

Even if that was not her intention, it could not be helped.

As far as the myriad races were concerned, her existence was nothing short of a disaster.

And now, if one were to venture to the location of Jianmu, they would gaze upon a remarkable sight: every single leaf of Jianmu bore the image of a powerful entity undergoing their Tribulation amidst the stars.

Some leaves even revealed the entity’s race and cultivation attributes, making it impossible for any lifeform undergoing Tribulation to escape the Tree’s surveillance.

As for Yu Zi Yu, a Seventh Order Entity, the leaf bearing his essence likely shone as the most radiant and terrifying of all. It blazed like a star, crackling arcs of lightning constantly shifting into countless forms.

All of Yu Zi Yu’s powers were encoded on that single leaf.

That was the true, unsettling terror of Jianmu.

Even Yu Zi Yu himself could not tolerate it. An entity possessing such intimate knowledge of one’s being was an unimaginable threat.

An entity with such thorough insight into one’s intricacies presented an unthinkable danger.

The very thought of his imprinted leaf falling into malicious hands sent a chill down his metaphorical spine, for it would expose many of his carefully concealed trump cards.

The occasional flicker of Void Energy across its surface, for instance, was a blatant indication of Yu Zi Yu’s cultivation in that domain.

Of course, unbeknownst to Yu Zi Yu, the leaf bearing his imprint had already been personally destroyed by Jianmu.

[The downfall of Jianmu is not a question of ‘if,’ but ‘how.’—that’s worth pondering.] Lost in thought, Yu Zi Yu began to strategize.

Jianmu’s present predicament was a stark premonition of his own potential future.

Both were Divine Trees of immense power, both stood as unparalleled beings, and above all, both were coveted by the myriad races.

One wrong move, and Yu Zi Yu would inherit Jianmu’s fate, becoming the focal point of a universe-wide assault.

This reality forced him to tread with extreme caution.

However, when it came to striking down Jianmu, he could not afford even the slightest carelessness.

After all, so long as Jianmu continued to exist, his cultivation would inevitably slow down, or worse—come to a complete halt—something that Yu Zi Yu could never tolerate.

“Jianmu offered me great kindness in the past. To strike now feels like a violation, a crack in my Dao Heart. Yet, to stand by… my cultivation will suffer…” A troubled sigh escaped Yu Zi Yu, the weight of his decision heavy in the air.

This was a true dilemma, a choice between two undesirable paths requiring deep thought.

To act was to betray a debt…

To not act was to betray his own potential.

As if sensing his inner turmoil, the phantom of the Imperial Artifact beside him offered a knowing smile. “Still wrestling with the Jianmu predicament?”

He, too, knew a thing or two about that ancient being. And he also knew that Jianmu had once shown kindness to Yu Zi Yu.

So naturally, he understood Yu Zi Yu’s struggle.

“Yeah…” Nodding slightly, Yu Zi Yu frankly admitted, “Back then, I was still weak, and didn’t have to worry about such things. The sheer number of powerhouses among the myriad races meant my participation held little significance. But now, I’ve stepped into the Seventh Order. Even across the entire Starry Sky, I might very well be considered the strongest… In this position, if I act, I could easily become the main force in the campaign against Jianmu. If I don’t act, the myriad races might not let me go. But if I do…”

His voice full of helplessness, Yu Zi Yu found himself caught in a bind.

Every move he made now was watched by countless powerful beings.

Even across billions of miles, he could feel unseen eyes fixed upon him.

And under such scrutiny, if the so-called ‘Number One Under the Stars’ were to go against the will of the myriad races then disaster would surely follow.

When his strength was lacking, no one cared.

But now, he was a genuine Seventh Order lifeform.

Perhaps even the only one capable of contending head-on with Jianmu.

…

“Yeah, this is quite the dilemma…” Anzuiel heaved a long sigh, seemingly sympathizing with Yu Zi Yu.

[Such is the price of prominence: every move, every decision, scrutinized by all. Even a single action could ripple through the entire situation.]

[If this young entity had no connection to Jianmu, the matter would be simple. But their shared history runs deep.  Not to mention, he had relinquished the very inheritance Jianmu had received.]

[More importantly, when Jianmu had once summoned the consciousness of the Consciousness of the Cosmic Source to suppress the True Spirit of the Human Race’s First Immortal, that alone was a huge favor. In addition, the One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones was secretly suggested to him by Jianmu.]

[He doesn’t even know that his destiny had already been obscured, his line of causality severed by a supreme being. And in the current era, there is only one existence capable of such a feat, Jianmu.]