Reborn as a Demonic Tree

Chapter 355: Cornered Rat

Stella frowned. She had quite a lot to go off, yet it was serving rather useless when everyone streaming through the portal wore the same style of black cloak, marking them as members of the All-Seeing Eye, and many had their hoods up, obscuring their features. Their proximity to each other also made sensing for cultivators in the Soul Fire Realm and above impossible for her.

"Tree, are you able to pick her out?" Stella said under her breath. An assassin used any means available to them to gather intel. While she would love to handle this herself, asking Tree for help wasn't cheating."While outnumbered by a hundred to one, there are still more than a hundred Soul Fire Realm's present, and I don't know her affinity." Ash's voice reverberated through her mind, "So no, I can't easily pick her out. You need to find a way to narrow down the search even more, regardless of their appearance, as appearances can be obscured or changed. Just like what you are doing now. Thousands of people are walking below you with no idea the Princess of the sect is watching over them."

Stella silently nodded in agreement. By blanketing her spiritual senses over the people, she reached a similar conclusion to Ash. There were too many Soul Fire Realm cultivators to investigate them all individually.

I can't detect any Star Core cultivators besides those in the Ashfallen Sect here, so the culprit, assuming they are still around, is definitely in the Soul Fire Realm. However, to harm Ash's roots in such a realm, they must be in the upper stages or possess a rare and powerful affinity. That definitely narrows down the possibilities even more.

"This is really bad," Ash said, "To think someone would get a hold of my sap during an event like this. I can track people infected with my sap now, but that also came with an upgrade to its potency. If the culprit infects the water supply, everyone in the Qi Realm will turn into trees before I have time to react and save them."

Stella winced. That would be an absolute disaster, as the disappearance of everyone participating in the tournament wouldn't go unnoticed by these people's families. Ashfallen's reputation would crumble, along with faith in the All-Seeing Eye.

"Don't worry, Tree. I'll find them before that happens."

Realizing that standing here was a waste of time, she needed a new approach. If the culprit was here, the best way to single them out would be to use the tournament to her advantage. It forced participants to show off their cultivation level and affinities, which would help narrow down the suspects further.

There was still one problem, though. Unless there is only a single person with the possible cultivation level or affinity to damage Ashlock's roots, how would she discern the culprit between the options?

Stella turned on her heel, walked over the cusp of the slanted roof, and then traversed through the aether. During the brief journey, her spatial ring flashed as she removed her mask and cult cloak and changed into her usual 'Princess' attire, which consisted of comfortable white cotton clothes that left her arms and ankles exposed and had tree decals on them.

She exited the aether plane in a flash of white flames and appeared next to the Redclaw Grand Elder. The man was standing in the judge's box. His arms were behind his back as he oversaw the arena, gradually filling up with Qi Realm cultivators in preparation for the first round.

"Grand Elder," Stella said as the man hadn't noticed her presence.

"Oh, Princess! Welcome." The Redclaw Grand Elder said over his shoulder. "We are about an hour from starting the first round. The other judges are currently busy assisting with getting everything prepared but will be here soon."

"Good," Stella nodded to him as she sat on a cushioned stone throne. "When will the Soul Fire Realm matches begin?"

"Not for a few days, Princess. There are far too many Qi Realm people to get through first."

"I see..." Stella frowned. There were also far too many Soul Fire Realm cultivators to watch them fight one by one. Disaster could strike at any moment. If I were the culprit trapped inside a tournament realm, what would make me show my true colors the fastest? Hmmm. Stella stared off into the distance for a moment as she thought back to the Azure Clan tournament realm. She hadn't felt pressured into making a move besides her greed because they assumed she was one of them. We already offer outstanding rewards for this tournament, so improving those won't make them act. No. What I need to do is put pressure on them. Make them feel they are in a pot of water about to boil them to death if they don't run.

"Grand Elder," Stella said.

"Yes, Princess?" He turned and faced her.

"I need a favor from you and the Redclaws."

"Oh? What would that be?"

Stella's gaze and tone turned ice cold. "Someone dared to harm the trees in Ashfallen City. As you know, the immortal is directly linked to these trees, so harming the trees is like cutting the immortal directly."

"Who dared?!" The Grand Elder's face twisted in rage.

"We don't know yet, that's the problem."

"Then what should we do?"

Stella smirked, "Spread the news. Someone dared to hurt the trees."

The Grand Elder looked at her with concern, "Is that really wise, Princess? If the enemy knows we are looking for them, they might run before we figure out their identity."

"That would be perfect as it would make them stand out," Stella retorted as she sat back on the throne, "A cornered rat always bares its claws. Let's see how long they can take the heat and lay low."

"As you wish, Princess," the Grand Elder said, giving a short bow before he left the room to fulfill her orders.

"I should get going, too," Stella said as she rose and stepped into the aether plane. In a flash of silver, she reassumed her investigator outfit.

She planned to head back to Old Bill and try to use aether Qi to determine the culprit's affinity type. After all, if she could figure that out, then it was all over for the rat.

***

Serena was sure of it. The investigator, who had vanished like a ghost mere moments ago, was now standing on a rooftop through the portal. Making sure not to make direct eye contact, she watched the strange mortal out of the corner of her eye.

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Of course, there was a chance that there were multiple investigators, but she could see a few strands of blonde hair poking out between the hood and the mask. However, the most notable defining feature was how arrogantly the person stood. It was as if they were looking down on people despite being mortal.

The investigator's head moved slightly as their gaze, obscured by the jade mask, swept over the crowd. Serena lowered her head further—stupid trees and mortals. If I had known the pills sold here were so good, and this Ashfallen Sect had such high capabilities, I wouldn't have dared to even look at the trees, let alone damage them.

But what was done was done. Now, all Serena needed to do was dispose of the leads, integrate into this sect, and drain it of all it was worth before leaving and continuing the search for the Abyssal Tide sect's stone. No matter how good this place was, she couldn't stay for long. Converting untamed Qi into Abyssal Tide Qi was too slow, and she would die of old age before she reached the Nascent Soul Realm at this rate.

"Cultivation realm?"

Serena glanced up and saw a cultivator who, judging by his strikingly similar features to the Redclaw Grand Elder, was likely part of the Redclaw family.

"9th stage of the Soul Fire Realm," Serena replied. This cultivator seemed at a similar level of power to her, so there was no point in lying.

The man nodded and simply gestured at a road off to the side that seemed to have few people walking down it. "You will stay in the Red Village in house 109 until you are called to participate in the tournament. This village will be housing the Soul Fire Realm cultivators. Please know that setting up formations inside your house is not allowed, and fighting outside the arena is not tolerated. We will personally review any violations." The man gave an unkind smile. "Don't expect the punishments to be lenient. Do I make myself clear?"

Serena nodded.

"Good," the man looked past her, "Next!"

As Serena left and walked down the cobbled stone road, she glanced over her shoulder at where the investigator had been standing on the rooftop. Yet all she saw was a small flash of white flames, and the investigator was gone.

Huh? What was that?

***

Serena sat in house 109, gazing out the window at the sky. Nine moons dominated her view from the horizon to the zenith, backdropped by a swirling lilac cloud that seemed alive as it ebbed and flowed around the moons. Serena had to admit the Ashfallen Sect had gone all out with the illusion array, as it almost felt like she was in a different dimension.

Of course, such a thing would be impossible, even for a sect as impressive as this. If a Monarch Realm cultivator really resided here, the name Ashfallen would be in the history books, and stories of their might would be passed down by the Elders for generations. After all, Monarch Realm beings didn't just appear overnight. They were historical figures, usually from before the Era of Ascension, whose influence and feats echoed throughout the realm's history.

"Though it is strange for a nameless sect to have so many Star Core Realm people. Just what is going on here?" Serena sighed as she stopped being mesmerized by the sky and decided to look out the window at the village square. Red flowers grew from a large circular flowerbed encircled by a dozen similar-looking houses, which was likely why this place was called 'Red Village.'

Hours had passed since she arrived here, and she had spent them sitting and gazing out the window. She had tried to cultivate but felt too on edge as if something was watching her.

"The trees have eyes," Serena muttered to herself, then snorted. "How ridiculous." She stood up, her wooden chair screeching across the floor as it was pushed back. Shaking her head, she walked to the middle of the small room, where there was a large cushion. Plopping down on it, she brought out the bottles of pills she had bought. Since she had a few days to kill before her matches likely started, she thought now would be an excellent time to test these pills.

***

Serena opened her eyes the following day. Her brain was buzzing, and her body felt refreshed. "I'm starting to realize why this place has so many Star Core cultivators," Serena mused as she cycled her Qi through her clearer spirit roots and soul, which were devoid of the heart demon she hadn't even realized was suppressing her progress. "Cultivation has never felt so easy, and the quality of the Qi here... it's unbelievable."

No place on the land had compared to the Abyssal Tide Sect thus far, but Serena had to admit. The Ashfallen Sect impressed her greatly. While marveling at how much her cultivation had progressed toward forming a Star Core in a single night, she felt her stomach grumble.

"To think a cultivator as powerful as I still needs to eat," Serena clicked her tongue and stood up. "If I remember, I passed Red Village's tavern on the way here, where there should be free food. I guess I'll try the cuisine here and gather some intel from the other Soul Fire Realm cultivators."

Serena then thought back to the mustache man whispering something into the investigator's ear. Unsure of what was shared, she fished out one of her spatial rings. Inserting some Qi, she retrieved a simple mask that covered the top of her face and a Spiritual Nullification Pill. It was a profound tier pill capable of concealing a cultivator's aura, making them appear far weaker for a few hours or days, depending on the quality and strength of the cultivator. The stronger the cultivator, the less it could suppress.

A mask would definitely make her stand out, but so would her foreign-looking features that she hadn't seen anyone else on the land possessing. Eating the pill, she cycled it and frowned.

"Shit quality. Looks like I got scammed." Exerting her aura, she estimated that she appeared to be in the lower stages of the Soul Fire Realm now. "Whatever, I only need it to alter my cultivation realm enough to appear like a different person. Just in case the mustache man deduced my cultivation stage and passed it onto the investigator."

***

Serena picked at her food as she glanced around the tavern. It was some unfamiliar purplish meat and orange potatoes. It was tasty enough with good seasoning, but she missed the fresh taste of seafood.

Glancing around, she saw quite a lot of people in this tavern.

"The fights were quite fun to watch, honestly," a man with a hearty laugh at a neighboring table told a bored-looking woman. "They put a hundred of those Qi Realm weaklings in the arena and told them to have a brawl as the Ashfallen Sect's Grand Elders watched on from their private booth."

"Did any die?" The woman asked dryly before taking a swing of alcohol.

"No, that's the best part!" the man said excitedly. "They all had these light shields around them, and the moment they shattered, someone used telekinesis to pick up the weaklings like mangled dogs and carried them out of the battle. Once the hour-long fight ended, a dozen or so of them were told they passed. But that's not even the crazy bit."

"Oh?" The woman raised a brow.

"The person who was the last one standing?" The man paused in suspense, "They didn't get chosen."

"Huh? Why?"

The man leaned back on his chair, causing it to creek. "The Princess personally stood up and told them they were a talentless coward and unfit for the Ashfallen Sect."

"Ah, so the Princess of Slaughter has made her appearance." The woman crossed her arms, "I've heard the stories from those who saw her effortlessly kill the rogue cultivators in the mine but never laid eyes on her myself."

The man grinned, "Even if you don't watch the Qi Realm fights, she should be residing over our matches, so you will get a good look."

"Is it true she is young?"

"Mhm, I'm not sure," the man rubbed his chin, "She looks to be about sixteen, but you know how it is. Qi greatly slows the aging process, making it hard to tell the age of prodigies."

The woman nodded, "True."

A moment of quiet spanned between the two before the man leaned in, and his voice dropped to a whisper that Serena barely heard over the noise in the tavern. "Did you hear the rumor going around? Someone dared to harm one of the sacred trees."

Serena dropped her fork on her plate, and her blood ran cold.

The woman's eyes widened, "No? Did that really happen?"

"Yeah, but here's the crazy part. The Ashfallen Sect haven't caught the culprit yet."

"Nobody has ever harmed the trees and gotten away with it." The woman shrugged dismissively, "It's only a matter of time until the Princess catches and executes them to set an example."

The man laughed as he stood up, "Ain't that the truth. I almost feel bad for them. No matter how far they run, it's impossible to escape the gaze of the All-Seeing Eye."

"True..."

Serena watched the pair leave with a sinking feeling in her stomach.

I need to learn more about this Princess as soon as possible. I should be able to see her during the Qi Realm matches today, but I also need to know stories about her. Who are her allies? What are her weaknesses? How can I avoid her? Is there a way to beg for her mercy?

Having no more appetite, Serena searched the tavern for someone to ask. Most were in groups, or it looked like they might be trouble asking, like the few Redclaws scattered around.

Oh, what about her? Serena thought as her eyes landed on a young girl who couldn't be older than ten, stabbing at her food with a fork. She had bright green hair and seemed to have many cute little jasmine flowers intertwined with it. From the doll Serena had seen that other kid holding earlier, this Princess seemed popular with the kids, so maybe this girl would know some stories about her.

Leaving her half-eaten food behind, she strode over to the table.

"Hey, is this chair taken?"

The girl looked up from her food, "No... why are you asking?"

"Can I sit here?"

The girl looked around at the empty tables with a hint of confusion before shrugging, "Sure."

"I know this might be a strange question," Serena said as she sat. "But do you know anything about the Princess? I've heard a lot about her and wondered if there are any stories about her."

The room suddenly went deathly silent, and it seemed like every pair of eyeballs in the room turned to look at her.

Did I mess up?

The green-haired girl lowered her fork and looked at her strangely, "Yes, of course, I know about the Princess. She is my Master, after all."