Chapter 172: World Tree

Beneath the firmament, as the final Demon King was slain by Artis, the world seemed to resonate, beginning to tremble.

Around Artis, a speck of purple slowly brewed, intertwining in the vicinity.

The world's origin power began to churn, carrying the fluctuations of the world's will, continuously bestowing blessings upon Artis.

"This feeling is similar to that of a Child of the World, yet it goes a step further. Not only can one passively enjoy the world's blessings, but one can also actively influence the world's consciousness, gaining a partial control over the entire world."

"After all, compared to the previous world, the world consciousness of this one is much weaker and more thoroughly devastated. Saving the world from such a brink naturally increases the authority one obtains."

Artis gazed down at the earth below, slowly descending.

In the distance, the Ancient Tree of Nature still stood, its branches drooping, silently purifying the filth of the world.

"Although the Demon King has been slain by me, remnants of those demons still remain. Once these remnants are purged and the remaining aborigines are subjugated, the task can be considered fully accomplished."

A thought flashed through Artis's mind. He looked at the distant tribes engaged in prayer and nodded.

That year, the Demon King fell, and Artis led his people on an expedition, beginning to subjugate the remaining tribes.

With the guards personally trained by Artis, those ordinary tribes had no capacity to resist and were forcibly relocated one by one near the ancient tree.

Indeed, upon seeing the vast expanse of purified land surrounding the ancient tree, these tribes grew envious, harboring no desire to flee.

As the number of believers continuously increased, the Divine Domain of Nature also steadily expanded, purifying the surrounding earth and allowing the world's consciousness of this realm to slowly recover.

A decade later, at the site of the ancient tree, Artis established a principality and announced Alan as his successor.

From then on, the indigenous people of the entire world were integrated by Artis.

The power of the world roared. Artis ordered the now-adult Alan to dispatch troops, leading the guards northward to expel the remaining demon tribes.

Having grown over the past ten years, Alan's Dragonblood lineage had fully awakened, becoming utterly unstoppable now that the Demon King had passed away.

A few more years elapsed, and the northern demons were declared annihilated. Amidst cheers, Artis announced a grand sacrificial ceremony beneath the ancient tree to pray for the great God of Nature.

Beneath a sprawling domain, the former site of the tribes had long since transformed completely. Civilization began to revive; architecture could be seen everywhere. Although still primitive in Artis's eyes, it already possessed the foundation for further advancement.

Before the altar, Artis wore ceremonial attire, followed closely by Alan, as they slowly stepped forward.

In the firmament, responding to Artis's actions, the world consciousness began to awaken, fixing its attention upon this place.

Sensing the world fluctuate in tandem with his mind, Artis smiled faintly.

"After decades of management and the total subjugation of this world's aborigines, I am finally able to influence the shifts of the world consciousness."

He looked up and murmured to himself.

This was a massive stride forward. Even in the previous world, where Artis had established a vast empire and unified the realm, he had only achieved the status of a Child of the World, falling far short of truly controlling a world.

Yet in this world, he had accomplished it.

"The world consciousness originates from the collective consciousness of all living beings, nurtured by the core of the world. In itself, it is merely a collection of macro-consciousness rather than a definitive life form."

"Once I subjugated the intelligent life within the world, I gained a portion of authority. Coupled with the favor I previously earned by banishing the demons, it is sufficient to influence the world consciousness."

"If I add the influence of the Ancient Tree of Nature, I will be able to truly control the world."

The Ancient Tree of Nature originated from Artis, sharing a single entity with him. In this world, the ancient tree served both as the object of worship for believers and as the key to helping the world recover.

The power of faith entered the Ancient Tree of Nature, causing it to grow and continuously expand the Divine Domain of Nature, helping the world purify the barrens and return to normalcy.

Such actions, while healing the world, naturally caused the world to continually bestow favor upon the ancient tree. Moreover, the continuous expansion of the Divine Domain of Nature inherently exerted influence over the world. Once the Divine Domain of Nature covered the entire world, Artis would even be able to replace the world consciousness and take complete control of the realm.

At this thought, he looked toward the tall Ancient Tree of Nature in the distance.

At this moment, amidst the worship of numerous believers, tiny specks of light gradually appeared on the ancient tree, seeming to emit a signal that drew external forces ever forward.

...

In the endless void, guided by the gradual pull of the Ancient Tree of Nature, a massive divine domain slowly approached the exterior of the world.

Upon the divine domain, an unfathomable and boundless amount of divine power surged, forming the sun, moon, and stars in the skies above the divine domain, before gradually converging upon a towering ancient tree at the center of the divine domain.

This ancient tree stood hundreds of meters tall, with a sturdy trunk and a massive physique that stood in silent repose, exuding an aura of pure nature.

This was Artis's true body, which had arrived at this location in response to his own summons.

Before the divine domain, a massive world revealed its form.

This was a world of dim radiance. Within it, the greater part of its territory exuded a profound stillness, with only a small portion carrying vitality, alongside a natural aura of the same origin as the ancient tree.

"After the passage of decades, guided by the world coordinates, I have finally arrived here."

A voice echoed through the void. Artis wore ceremonial attire, brilliance radiating from his entire body, and his golden eyes gazed forward with a sigh.

"Such a long time, coupled with the countless void storms and bizarre life forms obstructing the path—if not for reaching Tier Six, I fear even with the coordinates, I could never have reached this place."

"Therefore, only Tier Six can traverse the void, and only Tier Seven can cross the cosmic crystal walls."

He murmured, looking toward the distant world, a light of transcendence growing ever brighter within his eyes.

In the distance, as the sacrificial ceremony slowly commenced, a vast torrent of faith gradually rose, converging into a current that rushed out of the world.

In Artis's mind, scenes of believers praying flashed past, one after another, before slowly fading into stillness.

"The time has come," he whispered to himself. Then, his massive true body underwent transformation, blooming with brilliance in the void.

The void trembled. Deep within the vast abyss, a speck of light slowly ignited. Within it, a vast world slowly unfolded, centered upon an incomparably colossal ancient tree.

"Go."

Upon the divine domain, the true body of Artis radiated brilliance. Then, its massive form shifted, leaving the divine domain in an instant to station itself in the endless void. The moment it appeared, it suppressed earth, wind, water, and fire, pacifying the previously churning void storms.

Afterwards, the ancient tree slowly moved forward, steadily drawing closer to the dim world ahead, its radiance blooming and gradually enveloping the front.

Boom!!!

Within the world ahead, intense roaring resonated, accompanied by massive thunderpeals. A grand consciousness emerged from outside the world, roaring directly at the ancient tree.

This was the world consciousness. Sensing Artis's actions, it had actively manifested.

In response, Artis smiled faintly, unleashing his formidable divine power. His Tier Six might was released without concealment, and his overwhelming majesty caused the world consciousness to pause momentarily, its movements coming to a halt.

A Tier Six entity had already ascended to the level of the world, capable of a certain degree of interference with it. Yet the world before him had long been weakened, and the power of its world consciousness was not particularly formidable—in terms of raw strength, it might even be inferior to Artis.

However, no matter how weak, it was still a world consciousness, the entity that sustained an entire world. To subjugate it with merely Tier Six strength was utterly impossible.

Yet at this moment, within the interior of the world, scenes of believers praying began to manifest.

Countless believers prayed within, their fragmented strands of faith continuously radiating and converging into a devout conviction that influenced the world.

Influenced by this faith of the masses, the movements of the world consciousness faltered, and the intensity of its resistance weakened.

An Ancient Tree of Nature, similar to Artis's true body, manifested within the world. Inside the dim realm, the vast domain of nature began to exert its power, driving the transformation of mountains and rivers and continually swaying the world consciousness.

This was the Ancient Tree of Nature planted within the world previously. At this moment, it responded to the true body, taking the initiative to act.

Within the world, purple origin power drifted constantly, and the realm underwent transformation amidst gathering dark clouds. Amidst these changes, the divine avatar of Artis residing within smiled faintly, his ceremonial attire catching the eye.

He looked down at Adda, who was now aged and had one foot in the grave, as well as Cassie and others who had grown into beautiful young maidens, smiling involuntarily before turning his gaze to Alan beside him.

"Alan, from now on, you shall be the king of this nation."

He removed his crown and handed the scepter symbolizing authority to Alan.

"Do not cease the sacrifices. I shall remain outside the world, accompanying you all."

He smiled, still retaining the appearance of a youthful teenager from decades past, handsome and noble. Yet at that moment, his body was emitting a gentle glow, as if echoing the distant Ancient Tree of Nature.

Amidst the shocked gazes of the crowd, Artis transformed into a colossal sun, accompanied below by the Ancient Tree of Nature as they slowly ascended into the sky, illuminating the storm-laden world.

Outside the world, a pure piece of true spirit returned to Artis's body. Flashes of memory surfaced, rendering his gaze even more profound.

An aura akin to the world's origin emerged, carrying a certain authority.

Influenced by this, the world consciousness trembled slightly, as if affected by something, and ceased its resistance, allowing the radiance to envelop the realm.

As the brilliance was sown, a resonance began to ignite between Artis and the world.

"The essence of nature originates from the changes of the world, representing the laws and order of the world."

"Using the power of nature as a guide, and the true body of the God of Nature as a vessel, even sustaining an entire world is not impossible."

Thoughts flashed rapidly through his mind. Artis recalled the legend of the World Tree.

Legend has it that in the ancient chaos, there existed a World Tree standing tall in the primordial dawn. The World Tree absorbed chaotic energy, nurturing worlds one by one over the endless passage of time, transforming them into the primordial chaotic cosmos.

"I am the God of Nature. To evolve the primordial World Tree with the body of my ancient tree form is also a path of transcendence."

"The World Tree evolves worlds and nurtures gods and demons. If I wish to walk this path, I must devour thousands of worlds, harvest their world power, and achieve self-perfection."

He murmured, gazing down at the massive yet dim world below, the light in his eyes growing ever brighter.