Chapter 374: Dead Man Walking
Ashlock used {Eye of the Tree God} to watch from the skies as his adopted daughter strode toward the castle of their greatest foe with two Nascent Soul Realm Ents and Diana in tow. She had a carefree spring in her step and a smile on her face that didn't fade even as dozens of members of the Nightrose family, all in the Star Core Realm, flew in from the castle and took up positions on the rooftops of the houses lining the central street.
As if they were living statues, none of the Nightrose family cultivators made a move, even as Hades floated over them, the Ent's shadowy head almost scraping the blood-red dome shielding the city. Watching a shadow titan following a girl barely the size of one of its fingers was rather comical—or at least Ashlock found it funny. The Nightrose family didn't seem to mirror his amusement at the titan's presence. Their expressions were tense, and a few had already conjured blood weapons.
The surrounding city was chaos as the titan's presence and stature were impossible to miss. Mortals and cultivators alike pointed at the 7th stage Nascent Soul Realm Ent, and like a swarm of ants, they fled through the streets to the outskirts. Warning bells echoed in the distance, and the airships that were like floating cities did their best to get out of Hades's way. They slowly rotated as fierce winds from the Azurecrest wind cultivators on board desperately tried to get the airships moving while the people aboard gathered at the windows and stared at Hades.
Ashlock had never felt this... powerful. He hadn't even unleashed everything he and his sect were capable of, yet the tyrants of this land were already showing caution, and their city was in chaos. If he wanted, he could tear the sky apart, envelop everyone in telekinesis, and haul them into his waiting vines to be devoured. The capital city of the Blood Lotus Sect could be brought to ruin by him in a single day.
But he didn't plan to or want to do that. Despite his emotions being dulled since becoming a tree, causing mass suffering of mortals for sacrificial credits, and some Qi wasn't the route he wanted to go down. "That's how you become a tyrant like Vincent Nightrose. You can only push people so far before the world finds a way to bring you down. I doubt Vincent ever foresaw Nightrose City falling to a spirit tree, of all things."
Speaking of Vincent Nightrose, Ashlock decided to go ahead of Stella to scout for the tyrant. They had killed two of his guardians and made a lot of noise, so if he was still alive, he should be on the move to stop the chaos. Looking into the main hallway of the castle, Ashlock was surprised to see people from the various noble families of the Blood Lotus Sect rushing out of a grandiose meeting room and toward the castle's front entrance. By their appearance and the Qi wreathing their bodies, he could tell which families were in attendance.
"I can see people from the Skyrend, Terraforge, Azurecrest, Starweaver, and Silverspire families. All seem to be Grand Elders or at least high-ups in their respective families by their mid to high Star Clore level cultivation." Ashlock mused. Of course, none were in the Nascent Soul Realm, as that would be a death sentence from Vincent. "I wonder if they would be willing to switch sides if I tell them they are allowed to ascend, and I'll even help them."
So long as they signed oaths of loyalty and stayed in their cities, Ashlock would accept them all—even the Skyrend family, which he found annoyingly arrogant and generally disliked. Past transgressions could be overlooked if they were willing to be loyal and use their strength to help him repel the beast tide. There only seemed to be a single member representing the Skyrend family, which made sense as Morrigan and Maple had wiped out most of them. However, he couldn't see their representative's face due to the cloak they wore.
Ashlock searched the rest of the castle, his gaze sweeping across every room and hallway. But other than many panicking Star Core Elders of the Nightrose family barking orders to each other, he found no signs of Vincent. It should be impossible for a man of Vincent's caliber to completely hide his cultivation and presence. Ashlock tried to track his cursed blood but couldn't feel it anywhere in the castle. Someone had definitely absorbed and isolated it from his senses.