Chapter 2892: Guardian

Perhaps having heard Yang Kai's call, an aged face appeared on the trunk of a tree before him, and it smiled faintly. "Wu Niu, we meet again."

"Yes, we meet again. I never expected to run into you here." Yang Kai wiped the blood from his face.

The ancient face spoke kindly: "I truly did not misjudge you. You've grown so quickly — the future may well belong to you."

Yang Kai shook his head, offering no comment on that, and asked curiously: "Senior, weren't you in Frost Snow City? Is this a clone of yours?"

"A clone? No, no, no — this isn't a clone. This is me."

Yang Kai's expression turned solemn as he instantly grasped what was happening. "Senior, you intend to sacrifice yourself?"

Qing laughed heartily: "The realm passage is far too profound. The only way to seal it is through this method. I've lived long enough — I witnessed two Demon invasions. The last time, I was powerless to act. This time, I want to do my part. After all these years, the Barbarian tribes have shown me much kindness."

"Perhaps there's another way," Yang Kai said, furrowing his brow.

The face on the trunk swayed slightly, as though shaking its head. "The moment I left Frost Snow City, I could never return."

In that instant, Yang Kai understood many things. The Evergreen Divine Tree had guarded Frost Snow City for tens of thousands of years, never once leaving — not because he didn't want to, but because he couldn't. There must have been some profound bond between him and that stretch of land.

But this time, to seal the realm passage, he had departed the soil that had nurtured him for tens of thousands of years, condensing all his vital essence into a single point and hiding within that seven-colored clay — which Yang Kai had carried to the area beneath the realm passage.

This was an irreversible process. Qing's rapid growth now was nothing more than a final, fleeting resurgence.

Yang Kai's expression filled with reverence. He placed a hand over his heart and said: "The Barbarian tribes will witness your sacrifice, and future generations will remember your deeds."

Qing laughed aloud: "There's no need to comfort me. I've already made my preparations." His tone paused, and he grew considerably more serious. "Before that, however, I need your help with something."

"Rest assured, Senior. The Wu Niu Tribe will hold this place."

"Good." The ancient face nodded, then faded from view.

Yang Kai turned to look at Die. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Die replied: "What would you have me say?"

"Did you know about this already?"

Die answered: "I did."

Yang Kai stared at her with a peculiar expression, trying to read some trace of emotion on her face. But Die's features remained impassive — she seemed no different from a stranger to Qing. Die was vastly different from when he had first met her two years ago; her temperament had undergone a dramatic change. Yang Kai even wondered whether she was truly the same Die he had known before.

He shook his head and let the thought go.

Qing's rapid growth had not stopped. In the time it took for him and Yang Kai to speak, the colossal Evergreen Divine Tree had grown from fifty zhang to a hundred zhang tall. Craning one's neck to look up, one could barely see where the crown ended.

Everyone on the battlefield had noticed this extraordinary development.

The Barbarian tribes cheered. Many recognized it as the guardian deity of Frost Snow City, and as word spread through excited shouts, even more people learned the news. Morale surged in an instant, and every fighter seemed reborn.

Though Qing was only the guardian of the Frost Snow Tribe, his reputation had long since spread throughout every Barbarian tribe, large and small. No one had ever seen Qing unleash his power, but everyone said he was a powerhouse comparable to a Shaman Saint.

Because he wasn't technically Barbarian, the Barbarians had only four Great Saints — but he was a Saint beyond those four.

Now, at this critical moment, such a powerful ally had suddenly appeared on the chaotic battlefield. Moreover, he had penetrated deep into the heart of the Demon army. This naturally sent the Barbarian warriors into a frenzy of excitement.

Everyone seemed to envision the Demons collapsing like an avalanche and fleeing ten thousand li in defeat. Qing's arrival had sent Barbarian morale skyrocketing, and the battle lines — once deadlocked — now began to tip ever so slightly in the Barbarians' favor.

The Demons, on the other hand, were stricken with dread. Though they had no idea what this colossal tree actually was, the unknown was the most terrifying thing of all. The tree was so immense and imposing that it delivered a staggering visual impact, and it continued to grow taller, seemingly poised to pierce the heavens. The emerald light enveloping its exterior appeared to possess some miraculous purifying property — every wisp of demonic energy that drifted near was cleansed completely.

Many Demons who didn't know what they were dealing with attempted to rush forward and destroy the growing tree. They were cut down in droves by the Great Shamans of the Wu Niu Tribe standing guard around it.

The Evergreen Divine Tree's sudden appearance had thrown the Demon forces into disarray for a time.

But the situation soon stabilized. It was as if someone had issued a command — the Demons began forming battle formations, advancing toward the Evergreen Divine Tree in disciplined waves.

The focus of the battlefield shifted in an instant to the area beneath the realm passage.

The Wu Niu Tribe bore an unimaginable burden of pressure. Demons surged toward them from every direction like a tidal wave, fearless of death — even the Soul Devouring Bugs could not halt their charge.

The Wu Niu Tribe's cavalry, led by Ah Hu, circled endlessly around the great tree like a whip of tempered steel coiling at its base. Wherever they passed, devastation followed. Their blades had been hacked to the point of curling, and every rider was coated in thick, dark blood.

The four remaining Demon Kings had fought their way out of the encirclement to return, each one severely depleted, their faces pale as parchment.