Chapter 1680
Chapter 1680 - 1676: Tree of Life
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8 min read
No one would expect the losers to gracefully exit the stage of history. The early stage of the Mountainous Kingdom’s Great Counteroffensive is going rather smoothly; the invaders probably never anticipated such a swift and fierce counterattack.
As an old stager in Exotic Realm exploration, Lu Ping’an would never underestimate his opponents, but neither would he overestimate those people from the Exotic Realm... He has profoundly realized that the opponents often stumble unexpectedly.
"...Tsk, this defense line is practically a giveaway."
It is now the second day of the war, the fortieth hour into the counteroffensive, signaling the end of the war time offered by the Eastern Country.
On the tactical level, driving all the Fishmen in the area back to the sea is a great victory for the entire South Asia and even for all of Asia’s battlefields.
But strategically speaking, Dragon Moon Island being held for more than three days and 72 hours means that other strategic objectives are likely to fail. Supporting the island countries in the Pacific Ocean is the limit, not to mention the exploratory offensive against the mainland of Australia... The latter has the real potential to completely change the situation of the entire planet.
The Eastern Country’s private deadline is fifty hours, but the current situation does not guarantee sufficiency.
"Fortunately, they have not considered defense..."
If the invaders were really to start constructing defensive positions, just the defense lines formed by the Sea Beasts and Giant Soldiers, and creating various fortresses and ring-shaped defense zones could vastly delay the timing.
But, it seems they never considered the possibility of being pushed back into the sea from the start.
"Ah ah ah, Flesh People..."
The giant Naga Lord, brandishing a Sharp Blade, is struggling, attempting to resist.
But in the skies above, countless drones are gunning down, the accumulated poison of Metal continuously inflicts bloody wounds and fatal injuries, while on the ground, frenzied Wolf-men are tearing apart.
"The King of Mercy," or rather "The God of Mortal Resistance," is already world-famous.
A large number of Mountainous People have seized this opportunity, most of them being the vulnerable groups of the elderly, women, and children who have endured the agony of helplessness over the years.
Rather than licking their wounds and clinging to their might, waiting for Death in despair, it’s better to seize the opportunity provided by the "God of Mortal" of the Eastern Country here and now, to exchange their lives for the power to protect everything.
These powers are not strong, the Mortal’s life has a limit, and the Life Points they can exchange for are also quite scant. Lu Ping’an’s rule has determined that the trade has to be fair, meaning that they are risking it all, yet their combat power improvement is still limited.
But what "limited" means in the eyes of Lu Ping’an is, to a Mortal, a gap from 1 to 100 or even 1000.
An ordinary Mortal is but a delightfully crunchy snack to a Fishman, but at this moment, the "Simple Warriors," who have been transformed by being infused with Wolf-man blood and raised by Life Wishing, could match the strength of a typical third-tier combatant.
Yet another warrior turns into a blaze.
Extraordinary Element Manipulators have always been the "Nobles" among professionals. They require not just talent and Qi Yun but also vast resources and time to accumulate.
And the colossal investment does not pay off in the early stages, with third-tier and above Element Manipulators being so weak they’re barely functional... yet those beyond third-tier can manipulate Extraordinary Elements, bringing about wide-scale destruction that Mortals cannot resist.
"Thank you, ’The King of Mercy.’ You’ve given us the possibility of becoming Strongmen, you’ve given us the opportunity to burn our own lives..."
A cluster of Firebirds hover in mid-air.
Some are golden, some are black.
Those with talent choose to endure the baptism of golden Holy Flame, being gloriously enlisted into the ranks of the Purifying Holy Flame.
Those without talent join the ranks of the Burning Legion, throwing themselves into the flames of world destruction, perhaps also a fine choice.
The Courtyard of Lu Ping’an is "fair"... If you are willing to surrender your life, whether you are talented or not, the Path of the spirit has no end.
"...Really, it’s getting a bit noisy."
On the battlefield, Lu Ping’an is surrounded by the prayers and gratitude of countless Mortals.
His World’s Reason is being enacted at this moment: mortals can sacrifice and trade their own Life to obtain the "Power" that protects themselves.
Lu Ping’an’s Divinity conveys these prayers into his ears.
At this moment, he is their God, the one they pray to and seek, precisely because this longing can be turned into reality here.
Lu Ping’an even feels his own Divinity vaguely stirring at this moment.
It seems that with a nod and step from him, the world is willing to nurture him into a Deity.
After all, this world needs a God of Redemption, one who gives hope to the mortal resisters...
"Kill them, kill them all!!"
The enraged Fishman Leaders begin their counterattack; they are the toughest bone to chew in this assault, and the root cause why the defensive lines haven’t completely collapsed.
A large number of high-level combat powers have finally joined the battlefield, unwilling to be cast into the ocean and once again become wanderers afflicted by the Poison Sea.
Pain and laments continue unabated; even Lu Ping’an, observing the battlefield from a lofty perspective, didn’t anticipate the Mountainous People erupting with such immense courage and strength.
Sparks of the Flame of Life blossom, even though they can only inflict minor wounds on high-level lords, they do so willingly.
Up to this point in the war, factoring in escaped refugees and the missing, an entire generation of young men has been decimated, and at the same time, at least forty percent of the population is gone... The remnants on the battlefield don’t think of fleeing or surrendering because there is simply nowhere to retreat to or escape.
The guests from the Foreign Domain who pushed mortals to their limits are now enjoying their "payback."
At this moment, Lu Ping’an vaguely touches upon the Divine Position of "revenge" and "redemption."
He sighs, dispersing the temptation; setting aside the sensitive status of competing for a Divine Position with friends, his existence in the Mortal World is actually more useful than being hung in the sky... Even if sacrificing himself could bring victory to the battle, Lu Ping’an has no such intentions.
"...I grant the ’blessing of Life’, and in return, you give the ’tribute of Life’."
After sighing, Lu Ping’an adds a new "rule."
His World’s Reason becomes even more "complete"... This concerns the rules of borrowing and returning.
For those willing to sacrifice Life, the benevolent Courtyard Master will provide loan support, and upon their death, bankruptcy liquidation will proceed immediately, turning them into pure nutrition for the Courtyard.
Even among the Life God, where Evil Gods are rampant, Lu Ping’an’s practice of cultivating and harvesting Life as Fruit can be considered utterly evil and extraordinarily fitting for the Way of Life known as the "Tree."
Lu Ping’an is surprised to find that he has unexpectedly come full circle with his master, the Balance Disaster Beast wanted by countless worlds...
"What is this, the Balance Disaster Tree?"
Lu Ping’an falls silent for a moment, feeling countless lives pass away, growing stronger unceasingly; this "way of planting and harvesting" has surpassed his expectations.
It is a powerful path, an almost infinite road, but Lu Ping’an does not like it.
"If you don’t like it, then don’t follow it."
"Beast instinct is inherently greedy, but you can use humanity to constrain it."
"There is no need to follow the path I once took, which has been proven foolish and wrong..."
Big Cat, at this time, unexpectedly offers advice.
Lu Ping’an looks ahead, where countless lives are being harvested, countless trade applications are being submitted; they are willing to become a part of this cycle, longing to be a part of the Tree of Life harvest.
"I refuse. I will tame the beastly with humanity, bind sensibility with rationality, and constrain instinct with rules... My path is about mutual growth, development, natural inclusion, and being a gear in the social order—definitely not being a solitary king who devours everything."
— End of Chapter 1680 —