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[Tree] Chapter 328: Origins
🕑 Added 2024-06-23 14:28:22 +0000 UTCAshlock opened a hole in the Bastion's shadow shield, allowing Evelyn to pass through. The liquid shadows sealed up behind her as she hopped off her sword and absorbed it in a flash of silver light.
"I'm so relieved you are okay," Nox drifted over and embraced Evelyn before she could even react, "We were worried you were going to die in here. Thank the heavens we made it in time."
Evelyn frowned while awkwardly returning the hug, "Why would I die in here?"
Nox released the hug and looked at Evelyn strangely, "You picked a pocket realm with Nascent Soul level Qi. As someone at the 3rd stage of the Star Core Realm, you wouldn't have stood a chance against any monsters here."
"Monsters?" Evelyn seemed even more confused, "I haven't seen any—well, to be fair, I didn't see much of anything. The moment I appeared here, I was shrouded in darkness. After flying around for a while, I gave up and found a nice spot of stone to sit on. I was cultivating the incredibly dense shadow Qi here until it all drifted away, and then I saw you in the distance."
"Did you not see or even hear the giant monster guarding this castle?"
"No? Though the ground did seem to tremble a lot. But I assumed those were earthquakes, not the result of a monster walking around." Evelyn glanced around, "Where is it?"
"We killed it already and stored the body elsewhere," Nox lied, "It was drawing all the light into itself to create that shadow veil which it was using to empower itself and hide the castle from intruders. Once it died, the veil dissipated, and that's how you saw us."
"I see," Evelyn slowly nodded, "So what now? Is that the end of my visit to the Mystic Realm? I chose the wrong one, and now I have to leave?"
"No, I can let you pick another one," Ashlock informed her, and Evelyn winced at his voice. "However, at least for now, it would be easier if you stayed with us while we explored this castle and the rest of this pocket realm. Nox can protect you from the monsters. It's safe here."
Evelyn glanced at Nox, who gave her a thumbs up. "That's fine with me," Evelyn shrugged, "All I wanted to do in this Mystic Realm visit was go up a stage in cultivation. Killing monsters and whatnot is of no interest to me, so if there's a safe space for me to cultivate from, then that's ideal."
"Leave it to me, Sis," Nox gestured toward her tree. "Come take a seat under my canopy. I will direct shadow Qi from outside straight to you in an amount that won't overwhelm your soul."
"Thank you," Evelyn turned and paused as she looked at the tree. Her voice dropped to a whisper, "Who is that?" She asked as she gestured with her chin to the sleeping beauty.
"Her name is Morrigan, and she is the head of the Voidmind family. Well, at least for now," Ashlock said.
"For now?" Morrigan murmured.
Seeing Morrigan listen to their conversation and even join in annoyed Ashlock. He didn't mind if people slept; as a tree, he understood the appeal. But what Morrigan was doing was disrespectful.
"Why are you pretending to sleep to avoid my questions, Morrigan?" Ashlock asked. "Cultivators, especially at your level, could go forever without sleep. We both know this. Drop the act, and yes. You are the head of the family for now. I took steps to wipe the Voidmind family out, leaving only those I deemed useful alive. Those that aren't useful to me can serve in death."
Ashlock decided to air out his thoughts to ensure they were on the same page. He did not like Morrigan nor trust her. Spending a decade in this world had taught him there was nothing weaker than a family bond, so to trust her for the sole reason of being Elaine's mother would be insanity.
She was dangerous in more ways than one.
The problem was, what was he supposed to do to her? Thus far, she hadn't shown any hints of aggression, and other than going where she pleased, she hadn't caused him any harm... yet.
Morrigan opened her eyes—the fake drowsiness gone like the wind. "Are you threatening me?"
"Threatening you? That's one way to put it, I suppose. But I would say I feel more threatened by you. I can't trust someone to be so close to my sect members who I don't know or is under an oath of loyalty to me."
Nox positioned herself before Evelyn, and the pair stepped back from the awakening void cultivator.
Having Evelyn here certainly wasn't ideal, but in a twisted way, she was a good test subject to see Morrigan's motives. Ashlock valued all his sect members, but some certainly more than others. Evelyn was a new addition to the sect and part of a proxy family in another city. In other words, she's replaceable. As the sect grew, his love for humanity and cultivators didn't expand to all. If anything, it only narrowed his focus to those he truly cared for.
Morrigan stood up and ran a hand through her hair, "So you are one of those types. How annoying."
"What do you mean?" Ashlock asked, not expecting this answer. He had slaughtered her bloodline, turned them into abominations, and even transformed her husband into a tree. He expected her to show malicious intentions toward him after everything he had said and done, yet she seemed more annoyed than enraged.
"You are a paranoid control freak," Morrigan said bluntly while crossing her arms beneath her chest.
"What?" Ashlock replied on instinct at the insult, "I'm not—"
"Yes, you are, but I don't mean that as an insult. As annoying as it is, people like you live the longest." Morrigan cut him off, "Exceedingly, few prosper in this world alone. To live a long life and reach the peak, those with your traits become rulers, surround themselves with allies, and, dare I say, brainwashed meat bags to throw at enemies. Even the most powerful cultivator has to let their guard down or have moments of weakness—such as the days following a fresh ascension to Nascent Soul Realm. Having dependable people around you during those times is imperative to your survival. So, do you admit now you are a paranoid control freak?"
Ashlock thought over his life as a tree. Since he couldn't run, and his cultivation had been far behind those around him. Yes, he had been paranoid in the past about his existence getting out, which naturally led him to need a sense of control over those around him to feel safe. He still felt the need for heaven-bound oaths to trust people, especially someone as strange and mysterious as Morrigan. But was that so wrong?
"Maybe a little." Ashlock eventually agreed. "But what is your point?"
"You and I are the same, more than you even know. We are the types to rule over others with secrets we want to take to the grave." Morrigan grinned, and with his spiritual sight, Ashlock peered into the darkness of her mouth and could see the vague shadow of another row of teeth.
Morrigan's grin faded, and she turned serious, "I will never bend the knee to you and become your oath-bound slave. That is why you feel unnerved around me—because you think I threaten your rule. Don't you agree?"
Ashlock hated having to interact with these old monsters. Morrigan seemed to switch between being a drunk wine mom who was an airhead to someone with almost suspicious levels of insight. He had gotten used to most cultivators training their poker faces to never show any reaction, but Morrigan had taken a completely different approach, which was far worse.
"Is this how people feel talking to Stella sometimes?" Ashlock grumbled to himself, "That totally unchecked confidence that, in her case, comes from lacking social skills, but she always manages to find a way to throw cultivators off."
In truth, he hadn't known that she would never accept an oath. He also didn't feel his rule threatened by her at all. As a divine being, he was immune to void Qi. If Morrigan became a threat, he would hide anyone he cared about in his Inner World, seal it off, and then have Larry hunt Morrigan down until the end of the realm. He did not fear her. But he did find her unchecked presence a nuisance and danger to those not immune to the void like Stella or Diana.
With a sigh, he decided to reply to Morrigan, "You are partially correct. But you got one thing terribly wrong."
"Oh? What is that?"
Nox exploded with divine lilac flames that soared into the sky. Ashlock activated Spatial Lock while slamming his entire presence onto Morrigan, including the weight of his Inner World and his divinity. The black-haired beauty grunted as she buckled under his pressure and fell to her knees before Nox.
"You may not agree to an oath, but you will bend your knee to me one way or another," Ashlock said, not holding back his Abyssal Whispers from invading her mind.
Morrigan trembled under his pressure as she fell forward onto her arms, her black hair obscuring her expression like curtains.
"Also, I may be a paranoid control freak, but I do not fear you." Ashlock said, "I have tolerated you until now, but if you refuse to cooperate with me and show your true colors, don't expect me to be kind."
Nox drifted a little closer, leaving Evelyn behind. She seemed concerned as she looked down at the woman being crushed.
"Ashlock, maybe this is a bit of an overreaction," Nox said softly.
"No, it's not," Ashlock replied. Nox hadn't seen what he had seen and didn't know what he did. This was the best way to handle this situation. Morrigan needed to be put in her place before she got out of control, and he came to regret not putting his metaphorical foot down and letting this monster in human skin parade around like she owned the place.
Nox went to say something more, but Evelyn held her shoulder and shook her head. "The immortal knows what he is doing."
Her loyalty lay with Ashlock, but the scene before Nox likely didn't seem fair or make sense. If only she knew the full extent of Ashlock's suspicions, but he didn't want to say them just yet.
"But..." Nox trailed off, clearly conflicted.
A small laugh escaped Morrigan, making Nox frown and Evelyn step back. It was then that Ashlock realized her trembling hadn't been from his pressure but rather her holding back laughter.
"I must admit I respect the arrogance and resolve to put me in my place. You're going to go far, immortal." Morrigan's hair turned from black to rose gold, just like her daughter Elaine's, starting from the roots and cascading down to her hair tips. Rolling her shoulders, she casually stood up despite Ashlock never letting up his pressure and looked defiantly at Nox's tree with a calm gaze.
"But to show me such disrespect is a mistake."
Raising her hand, Morrigan clicked her fingers, and everything was gone. Nox, the Bastion, Evelyn, the pocket realm with the giant castle and darkened skies. All that remained was Ashlock in his spiritual tree form and Morrigan in an endless void.
"What did you do?"
"Pulled out your soul to the void for a chat. Some things should be kept between us, away from prying eyes and ears. Those heavenly oaths you rely on for loyalty aren't as dependable as you think." Morrigan's smile faded, and she glared at him. He felt his soul shudder despite being immune to void Qi. Just what was she?
"I would say my tolerance for dealing with arrogant people is quite high after many years of life, but you might be the first to make me snap in centuries," Morrigan said as she slowly walked around his spiritual avatar and ran a finger along his bark. "You slaughtered my family that I spent effort raising, made a member of my bloodline swear an oath to you under the heavens. I dismissed these as minor inconveniences in the grand scheme of things, but now you dare to crush me with your pathetic pressure?"
Ashlock now realized his mistake. He believed Morrigan was stuck at the peak of the Star Core Realm, just like the rest of the Voidmind family. But if she could shrug off his pressure like this, he no longer knew the extent of her power.
"I may not be able to kill your divine soul," Morrigan fully grinned. Her jaw unlocked further than a human's, and she showed off her extra row of teeth, "But I can make your life a living hell."
"So you really aren't human," Ashlock said, steering the conversation away from the threats. He wanted answers to help him better understand and navigate this situation.
"Neither are you." Morrigan pointed out.
"How do you know I'm not human?"
Morrigan seemed confused by his question. "Humanity is the most basic form of sapient beings capable of cultivating through distinct realms with bottlenecks. As such, they are only found in their untouched form on the 9th layer of creation. Once you go to higher layers, nobody is what you would call a "human" anymore. Many default to a humanoid appearance as it's comfortable, but the flesh is merely a vessel for the soul."
Ashlock had heard that term before from Senior Lee.
"I can tell you aren't human because nobody with your power would be down here," Morrigan narrowed her eyes, "Though I have to admit this is the first time I have spoken to such a capable spirit tree that wasn't one of the iterations of the World Tree."
So she had figured out he was a spirit tree, which wasn't much of a surprise if one looked past his facade even a little.
"You spoke to the old World Tree?"
"I have, and it's the reason I have put up with your actions thus far. You might be the only one capable of freeing us from the eternal cycle, and it seems one of the origins has already taken an interest in you, and I want in," Morrigan licked her lips, "What do you say to a pact where we agree to mutual cooperation?"
[Origin of the void wishes to form a pact]
Ashlock looked at the message floating in his vision with contempt. Morrigan had displayed impressive power, yet despite all his wrongdoings against her, she still wanted a pact? Something wasn't right here.
She wanted to use him. That much was clear. The question was... for what? His truffles? His Mystic Realm? What was she after?
Even more concerning are these 'origins'. Who were they? He didn't know. Apparently, one had already taken an interest in him, and Morrigan knew somehow?
Until he figured all of this out, there was no way he was signing a pact with such a person. Mutual cooperation worked both ways. Before he knew it, the Ashfallen Sect could be dragged into higher-layer wars due to Morrigan and her enemies.
Ashlock dismissed the message floating in his mind.
"My answer is no."
Comments
Joker Nijima
Thank you for the chapter
Michael M
Elaine is the only void user/void entity we know that isn't a nut case
Demonlord
Thanks for the amazing chapter 😊
Daniel is ŁØNE
It can hardly be called overconfidence, he does not fear her and that is fact, and like she said she can't kill him only make him suffer, what Ash fears is not her but how her presence might affect those he cares for in his sect, and making sure that you are fortified from the inside before you take on external threats is just common sense. If anything Morrigan has been the one giving Ash shit for no actual reason, Ash has done nothing to antagonize her but she is constantly going out of her way to involve her self in his affairs and be knowingly annoying as some sort of power play to show that she will not bend the knee even though he hasn't actually forced anything upon her. All ash has done is keep her at arms length because he doesn't trust her which makes perfect sense since she hasn't given him a single reason to do so, if anything she is constantly giving him reasons no to instead. Like it is one thing to not want to be beholden to someone but it's another to actively test their limits, you can be respectful without being subservient, the 2 aren't mutually inclusive, anyone with common sense would have done what Ash did because she is an unchecked threat that refuses to be agreeable, considering how many enemies he has already leaving a potential threat in his court would be stupid. Ash might suffer for this choice because she is likely currently stronger are has more tools than he does but in reality making an enemy of Ash at this juncture will likely only lead to Morrigan's eventual death unless she completely destroys his path to power. She can complain all she wants about Ash being a control freak but had she been generally more aggregable and not actively done things that would piss him off by involving herself where she is uninvited he would not have had to act in the best interest of his people and himself which are his priority, this isn't an ego thing. You can't force someone's hand then act like it is their fault for reacting, it's almost like she wanted a confrontation to occur so that control freak bs she was spouting is lowkey stupid.
Morgan Song
thank you for the chapter
BrotherJohn
I love Morrigan more now. For too long now Ashlock’s met problems he can solve with violence. I like that she checked him here. Obviously we understand why Ashlock is the way he is but some of his plans for the future seem over confident to say the least so meeting someone as powerful as her was a great way to remind Ashlock of that. Plus I love that with her character introduction it’s clear we’re going to be getting some questions answered we’ve had from the beginning and learn some deeper truths of the story. That’s the stuff that gets me going
Tejing
Underneath all the talk about supposed paranoia and arrogance, this is very simple. Morrigan is not behaving like she wants a mutually beneficial relationship. The basis of such a relationship is a certain level of understanding of what's important to one another. Morrigan refuses to reveal even a speck of her motives. She's not even behaving like she wants a mutually disinterested relationship. She actively inserts herself into the middle of Ashlock's space constantly. The only rational conclusions from her actions thus far are that she's an enemy, or that she's undecided what she wants from their relationship. Her sheer unwillingness to give others any of the information they need to predict her actions at even the most basic level is essentially a hostile act in itself. Much like a predator getting close to prey without revealing themselves. It's perfectly rational to assume hostile intent from such behavior. Ashlock has been incredibly patient to tolerate it for this long, and she's being incredibly deluded about her own behavior if she thinks otherwise. And the biggest irony of all is Morrigan was the one who wanted Ashlock to be upfront with her in the first place, but utterly failed to reciprocate in kind. Until she's willing to start doing so, any such "pact" would only be a farce.
Alexey Gladkich
Well, she has lived for millenia or even more, so she should have the experience to judge. Though, considering how family members ends up as nutcases, it is rather doubtful. Some people just lose more and more marbles over time. She does have the skill and cultivation prowess though.
Michael M
Oh I get what he is doing. I just felt like she coming on thick for someone that has no idea what's going on and didn't care at all her family was killed. Felt like I had to defend my boy lol. Has he made perfect choices no but the cultivator world is cruel and he is using heavy handed methods but for good or at least better then most in that world would do lol
Alexey Gladkich
This type of questions have both internal and external perspectives. Externally, Ash's actions are that of a control freak. Compared to other cultivators it definitely looks this way. From internal perspective, would any normal human not end up this way if they underwent the same experience? It is a matter of perspective, how one judges personal traits, by external behaviour or via internal deviation.
Joel
Morrigan kills Ashlock. You are free of writing. The end.
Michael M
Damn its sad that i knew she would be to strong to kill but I'm glad he said no and hope he fucks her up. He isn't being a a paranoid control freak. I'd say for his situation he is understandably so. Anyone in the world would enslave him to grow things if they could/knew he was alive. Also many things about his situation which isn't normal at all for cultivators and only be made worse if people knew about him. And he isn't a control freak for the contract he Is the leader of a once secret sect that I's growing rapidly and doesn't have time or the people to ensure members behave, they can barely police a city. And of course he is going to raise people to fight for him HE IS A TREE he can't really move. Not to mention he is only a few years old in this world of course he will want to prioritize safety. I don't like her at all and at this point if it was me would be enemies forever now she better watch out when his peeps start rising to the next layer. But thank you for the chapter very interested to see where this all goes.
Demian Buckle
Thank you for the Chapter.
leah manta
Ash is getting a bit overconfident. I’m glad Morrigan isn’t taking his shit.
Beeees!
Morrigan is puppet master, def allowing much
Alexey Gladkich
"Be careful whom you try to control." I believe. Maple surely realised that she's an ancient Worldwaker or something.
Dusk
"Origin of the Void"? That's why Maple a few chapters ago cautioned Ashlock to "Be careful who you associate with" or something along those lines.
Alexey Gladkich
I don't believe they are more powerful than her. She seems more like Senior Lee, just heavily restricted inside the realms. He also refrained from flaunting his power.
Scion
Can maple help here? Maybe his family
TreeReader
Oh interesting
Me
That's probably the correct anwser at least for now.
Borbino the great
Super interesting chapter in excited to see what’s up with Morrigan hopefully ash can get some good stuff out of dealing with the crazy😂
SDCard
Thanks for the chapter!
Quentin Cozzi
Thanks for the chapter!
