Arthurius and the other higher-ups of the World Tree clan were currently in the midst of a meeting. They had become that much more frequent ever since Yao Jun returned to the universe, he was kicking up the various sects and clans that had remained quiet and the resulting fuss made it hard to lay proper plans.
A Godking had fallen. For the first time in thousands of years, a Godking had fallen. It was tantamount to driving a blade directly into the chest of the Final Fire clan, he was pushing them directly towards the edge. But that wasn't always something good, a cornered rat would bite even a cat. The last thing the World Tree clan wanted was to get hit by the Final Fire clan's last resort and perish alongside them.
"Alright, Diana, we'll follow your suggestion. But I want you to add one of the navy's fleets to the eastern front's surveillance, the last thing we need is for the Primordial Sea clan to sneak up on us while we're looking elsewhere."
Arthurius was rubbing the bridge of his nose as he spoke, the 13 other people around the oval table voicing their understanding. Arthurius wasn't actually the leader of the clan, he was just forced to take on that responsibility temporarily because their eldest brother, Gilberd Grievin, had left to bring their father out from his seclusion. Now, when he would finally manage to achieve that was a different question entirely, it was one of the reasons Arthurius was so stressed.
Luckily, Lissandra and Salaman were with him this time instead of out on any missions so he had some people he could lean on. When he then factored in Diana and Leylan, their entire family was practically gathered for the first time in quite a few years, they were just missing Gilberd and their father.
"Admiral Doushin, please assign your most diligent capt..."
Arthurius suddenly cut his words short as he addressed their admiral, a terrible shiver running down his spine. The air in the meeting room had suddenly gotten heavy, an all too familiar aura flooding it. His heart pounded in his chest, the owner of that aura shouldn't have appeared here, he should still be slumbering to conserve his strength. But alas, the twisting of the wooden walls and floor symbolized that he had indeed shown himself, an aged face forming from the wood.
"This unworthy descendant greets the Exalted Origin."
Arthurius got on his knees and lowered his forehead to the floor before the face could say anything, the others in the meeting mimicking his actions. Origin, that was the only title they could use in front of this face. The first of their race, the father of them all, the seed from which the entire World Tree grew.
In truth, this was Arthurius's first time meeting the Origin, his father had just made him aware of the aura it brought with it. The last time the Origin showed itself was about 10 000 years ago, back when the World Tree clan was on the verge of eradication. He had slumbered ever since, conserving his strength while simultaneously nurturing the growth of the World Tree. If he appeared out of nowhere then it meant that the clan may very well be on the brink of extinction again.
"Godking Demon, is he someone that you are familiar with?"
The voice that came from the Origin was low and sombre, it reverberated throughout not just their bodies but the entire room, coming from even the smallest pieces of wood. He was still keeping an eye on the entity just above their planet, but he had never heard of it so he decided that it would be best to consult with his descendants. He had slightly misunderstood the title however, leaving Arthurius somewhat bewildered.
"Godking Demon... Forgive this descendant, Exalted Origin, but I'm afraid that I've never heard of someone like that."
Demon, it was a very simple title really, and that was exactly what made it scary. Godkings were fiercely proud beings, they wouldn't be willing to share their title with anyone. So if there was someone who could claim the Godking title of Demon then it meant that he was strong enough to deter everyone else from using the word Demon in their title.
Arthurius glanced at the others in the room, but they all shook their heads in turn, they'd never heard of a Godking like this. The face twisted slightly, a bit of room opening between the eyes as a screen projecting the scene above the planet appeared.
"How strange. He has arrived right by the planet, with an offer he says. Does he perhaps look familiar?"
The gazes of those in the room were drawn towards the projected screen, as well as the man that it featured. And that figure, how could they possibly not recognize it? Sure, most of the people here had never met him in person, but Leylan, Diana, Arthurius, all three had dealt with him. And above all, every single one of them had heard of his exploits. That youth, quietly standing in the air, was the one who tore down a Godking.
"That... Yes. Forgive me, Exalted Origin, but we are actually familiar with him, I spoke wrongly to you because I did not know that he had acquired a Godking title. That man is known as Yao Jun, and while he has yet to become a Godking, he has murdered Firesage Wyrmheart from the Final Fire clan. He has some friendly relations with our clans because we helped him a bit when he was younger."
Of course he didn't have a Godking title, only those who reached the Godking realm could have them. And Yao Jun? He was still only in the Heavenly Deity realm, which granted, only made him that much scarier. At the same time as he answered, Arthurius couldn't help but have a small thought. Yes, if it was him then he might just be someone worthy of having the moniker of Demon once he became a Godking, that simple yet oppressive title.
"Not a Godking... Mhm, yes, that would explain the sensation. But descendant, is it really just Firesage Wyrmheart? The aura of death around him seems too strong to have come from a single Godking."
Godking World tree had obviously noticed that Yao Jun had yet to reach the Godking realm, but he was older and stronger than most other living beings so he could sense things others could not. The aura of death that had seeped into his very being and the strength that lurked within him, both belonged to a Godking. And it wasn't just any normal Godking, it was a Godking born during a time of war and disasters, one who was crafted for battle.
Arthurius felt another shiver creep up his spine, tickling his neck. He didn't doubt the words of the Origin, he didn't dare to blaspheme like that. So he had no other option than to wonder, exactly what had Yao Jun been doing since they last saw each other?
"I... I do not know, Exalted Origin. I will make sure to find out the truth and report it to you."
He hadn't been keeping tabs on him, and he most certainly hadn't set scouts on him to track his moves. He wanted to avoid stepping on Yao Jun's toes, the last thing they wanted was to turn that thing into an enemy. But now it seemed like he would at least have to do a little digging. Luckily, the death of a Godking was hard to cover up so it should be relatively easy to unearth the truth.
"Do that. It seems like I will need to spend less time slumbering, the world really seems to be moving too fast for an old soul nowadays."
Godking World Tree spoke with what seemed to be a sigh, the room rumbling softly. Now that he had looked at the state of his clan, as well as the being that had arrived, it seemed like things had changed quite a bit since his last appearance. Perhaps war had already swallowed the universe again.
---
Yao Jun still maintained the base level of courtesy, waiting quietly in the air while looking down at the face that had emerged from the tree. The leaf-formed eyes swam about a little while observing him so he assumed that it was probably talking with the leaders of the clan to figure out the situation, or more specifically, his identity. Eventually, it seemed to receive the answer it sought.
"Your identity has been confirmed so I shall stall you no more. But I implore you, do not start any battles within my clan. I was born in a time of peace and so I would prefer it if we could simply keep living in times like that."
The wood that formed the face receded once it finished speaking its peace, Godking World Tree retreating to wherever it was he resided. The planet still seemed rather chaotic, but that was probably just to be expected, a Godking had shown himself after all. But that chaos had nothing to do with Yao Jun, who stretched out his senses until he found his target.
"There you are."
Space in front of him twisted and he stepped into it, leaving behind the stunned guards that had originally halted him. They hadn't dared to say a single thing ever since Godking World Tree showed himself, they just stood there, frozen like statues.
Yao Jun arrived in the meeting room where Arthurius and the others were in the process of getting up from their previous kneeling. They had expected him to arrive, but once he actually stood there they couldn't help but find it somewhat suffocating. Leylan and Diana had it fairly easy, the first was generally friendly to Yao Jun in the past and the other had made some deals with him back then as well.
But Arthurius knew that they could only take it this easily because they had not seen him when he first returned. They had made a mistake when they helped Titan's Gate impersonate him and the others, and it was a mistake that almost cost them dearly. Arthurius was still anxious about that so he couldn't help but swallow, he couldn't even remember the last time he was this nervous around someone.
"I figured you'd come eventually, I didn't expect you to alert the Exalted Origin in the process however. I won't beat around the bush, what do you need from us?"
Yao Jun was a determined man, he moved with a goal and rarely did things without a purpose, especially when he took the initiative to seek someone out. Indeed, Yao Jun hadn't come here just to chat with Leylan and the others, his eyes sliding across the people that were gathered here. Some looked at him with hidden fear, some curiosity, some with complex emotions, and some were just trying to figure him out.
There weren't just people from the World Tree clan here, they had inevitably needed to take in some outsiders over their long existence. Some excelled and were promoted, that was just the nature of things, even in a clan that prided itself on its bloodline. And Yao Jun's gaze landed on exactly one of these people, the pale-skinned and orange-haired Admiral Doushin.
"I owe Ren Shuren a debt, that is why I will make your race an offer. Leave this universe, do so and I will ignore the Godking that you sent to assassinate me. But if you choose to remain here, and keep going after me, then I will add you to the list."
The admiral, who had just tilted his head when Yao Jun turned to look at him, suddenly froze. His dark green pupils shook for a slight moment before he controlled himself, a cramped smile slowly creeping onto his face. Yao Jun's hand rose slightly, a vine with red-veined leaves quietly extending from within his sleeves.
"There's no need to try lying, my friend is very familiar with the taste of your blood, you can't hide from him."
Yama had drank a lot of blood in his life, but blood that was of equal quality to the Sebettu bloodline was rare even for him. After all, the Sebettu traced their bloodline back to an Origin Beast, the taste of their blood was exquisite so it was not something he could forget. That was why he had notified Yao Jun of this admiral the moment they arrived here.
"I'm sorry... I don't think I really follow along. Could I get an update?"
A somewhat youthful voice cut through the room, Yao Jun's eyes glancing towards the source. The one who spoke was from the World Tree clan, evident by his elongated features, and had curly brown hair and emerald green eyes. Yao Jun had never met him before, but he fit the description of Salaman Grievin, one of Arthurius's siblings. Yao Jun didn't need to explain anything, the admiral opened his mouth of his own accord.
"I'm a Sebettu. I was tasked with infiltrating the clan and quietly sending back reports as well as sabotaging things should the day ever come. But that hardly seems realistic now. The fact that you're here, I take it Song Yau failed and subsequently perished?"
The admiral, Doushin, put on an expression of calm as he spoke, but his eyes were darting about and his fingers kept twitching. He wanted to curse his shit luck for having things go this far south, not only had they lost one of their Sovereign Gods but his cover had been blown this publicly, there was no way he could salvage this situation. That was why he spoke so freely, if he couldn't salvage the situation, shouldn't he at least protect his own life?
"What he said. And yes, she died, as did the one from Heaven's Gate. Now, the offer."
Just as Doushin had no problem admitting his true allegiance, Yao Jun had no problem admitting that he had murdered one of theirs. They weren't allies, after all, much less friends. no, they were far closer to being enemies, Yao Jun only made them this offer because Ren Shuren had helped ensure the safety of his family in the past. It was a debt he hadn't forgotten, and one he had yet to pay back.
"I can't give an immediate answer, nor can I speak for all the Sebettu, I'm just one of many spies. But if you let me leave here alive then I can contact my commanding officer and have her bring the offer to the race, how does that sound?"
Doushin was just a spy. He was only in the late stage of the Earthly Deity realm so the Sebettu had countless more like him, he in no way had the right to say that the Sebettu would leave this universe. But Yao Jun had never expected him to be the one to answer the offer, his only role was to pass it along.
"Go. But you don't have long, probably only about a week. If you're still here after that, then I will take that as your answer and just find some other way to repay my debt."
Yao Jun waved his hand at the man, space around him warping as he was jettisoned away. He had to send him away like this because it was obvious that the World Tree clan would want to kill him, he had spied on them for quite some time after all.
His gaze turned slightly, and just as he expected, some of the gazes cast his way had turned wary, faint traces of unease and hostility mixed into them. He had just protected one of their enemies so it was just to be expected.
That was the problem with people like Yao Jun. They didn't have any allegiance towards any one side so they could do as they pleased, but as a result, it meant that neither side fully trusted them. They were free, but at the same time they were alone. But that was fine, Yao Jun had never been alone after all. And what he was about to do was far more helpful to the World Tree clan so they would just have to drop this event.
"Arthurius. I am aware that he was your enemy, but in this one instance I must ensure his safety, that is what a debt means. But what I plan to do from here on out will be helping you out so you'll just have to pretend that nothing happened."
Erasing their enemies from the universe, Yao Jun hadn't been lying when he said that to Godking World Tree. The Final Fire clan, the Heaven's Gate sect, the Primordial Sea clan, the Endless Abyss sect, and finally the Merging Heaven clan. They were all part of the alliance that cost Little Thunder his life, they had all shown varying levels of hostility and animosity toward him in the past. Now it was time to start dealing with them all.
"I need lists. The members of the sects, the members of the clans, their bases, their homes, everything. And then I need a list of every single person who holds one or more fragments of a Supreme Law, especially those tied to the allied clans."
Supreme Laws, scattered fragments belonging to the nine God Gates, small pieces of this universe's Origin Heart. They were superb fuel for cracking open the remaining fragments that lingered within him. So it was time to hunt. Supreme Law fragments, enemy sects and clans, Godkings, the remaining God Gates, it was time for him to hunt and become worthy.
