Chapter 161: The Light Chaser

The distance between Banwang City and the Dragon Clan Territory was extremely vast. Without special means of travel, even a powerful steed like the Storm Holy Wolf would require over half a month to barely reach it.

Xiong Batian did not head directly to the Dragon Clan Territory. Instead, she relied on her Berserk Domain to grant Little Husky Two a powerful boost, allowing him to swiftly return to the Elf Church of the Lord Divine Tree. The place was eerily silent.

Xiong Batian could no longer sense the aura of the Lord Divine Tree, which filled her with immense anxiety as she hurried into the interior of the Elf Church. The divine presence emanating from within brought unbearable Divine Pressure upon many residents living nearby, causing many to faint.

Inside the church were Liya and a group of the Lord Divine Tree’s Followers. In Liya’s arms was the Spirit Fruit, which Xiong Batian recognized all too well.

Instantly, images of the Lord Divine Tree meeting with misfortune flashed through Xiong Batian’s mind. Anxiously, she walked up to Liya.

“What exactly happened here?”

Many of the Followers had only recently gathered inside the church. The earlier Divine Pressure had made it difficult for them to breathe, yet they could also sense that this pressure originated from their Blessed One—the Soul Pressure of the Lord Divine Tree. While it wouldn’t harm them, the inner fear remained overwhelming.

After all, encountering a Deity was an exceedingly rare occurrence, and the fact that the Deity was their own Blessed One was something they could hardly fathom.

Seeing their Leader, Xiong Batian, return, the Followers quickly cleared a path.

Li Wenjun, who had recently succeeded in joining the Elf Church, also made way for the Forest’s ruler. He had gone through great hardships to secure residency here for his parents, ensuring their safety, and had managed to live under the protection of the Lord Divine Tree himself.

But now, the current events had disrupted all stability and balance. Although the Hero Army had not successfully launched an attack, the dangers discussed in the Magic Mirror chat group seemed not to stem from the Hero Army.

Instead, the threat came from a Deity.

Though he didn’t know what had happened, the Divine Pressure from the Lord Divine Tree left him breathless.

The fact that Xiong Batian and Liya, both Transcendent Demigod Rank powerhouses, had simultaneously returned from the battlefield of Banwang City spoke volumes about the severity of the situation.

Now, Liya was about to explain to Xiong Batian and the gathered Followers everything the Lord Divine Tree had said—that the Lord Divine Tree had already joined the Divine War involving Dragon God Radon, the Elven Divine Tree Sylph, and Demon King Mephistopheles.

Leaving aside the immense impact this battle would bring, the participating forces were not limited to the Demon Race and the Dragonkin. With the coincidental arrival of the Hero Army, the human forces were also likely to intervene to some extent.

Moreover, this battle involved a deranged Deity—the Elven Divine Tree Sylph, the former deity of the Elves—and the newly established Forest’s guardian deity of the Elf Church, the Lord Divine Tree, revered by the church members.

Even these Followers could not fully comprehend the relationship between the two Deities, nor could they predict the outcome of the Divine War.

In a battle between Deities, there was very little these Followers could do besides pray.

Liya held the Spirit Fruit in her hands. The Lord Divine Tree had said this was His contingency plan. Therefore, Liya had no desire to participate in assisting the Lord Divine Tree in the Divine War. She felt the fruit in her hands was incredibly heavy; she only wanted to protect this fruit well, to bring hope for survival in the future.

But choice was free. The Elf Church itself had been established from the beginning to bring believers to the Lord Divine Tree and harvest Faith Power. It would never demand what believers should do; everything was voluntary and free.

Liya explained these matters to the Followers precisely to allow them to choose freely.

Whether to stay here as reinforcements for the Lord Divine Tree, or to pass through this Portal to assist the Lord Divine Tree in the perilous Divine War where survival was uncertain, or to leave the Forest and escape the war—all these were choices they could make freely.

This was not the first time such a situation had occurred, after all, what the Lord Divine Tree needed were devout believers.

Liya’s voice echoed continuously within the Church. Though not loud, it was very gentle—a voice the congregation had heard countless times.

This time, no one chose to leave. The Lord Divine Tree always brought them miracles; He was a true Deity. Only now did they realize how fortunate they were to receive the Blessing of a Deity.

Liya and most of the Elves chose to remain here, becoming the Lord Divine Tree’s reinforcements to protect these Spirit Fruits.

Meanwhile, Xiong Batian felt that losing a Deity would be worse than anything else. Leaving aside whether they could even participate in a Deity’s war, the army brought by Demon King Mephistopheles alone was no weaker than any other faction, not to mention the powerful Dragon Kings within the Dragonkin.

Xiong Batian did not believe that relying entirely on a Deity’s power could bring happiness. Wielding her golden Spiked Club, Xiong Batian forcefully drove it into the ground before her, her expression resolute as she declared.

“Who is willing to go with me into the heart of the Dragonkin lands!”

Xiong Batian had always served as the spear of the Lord Divine Tree; how could she sit idly by at such a time? Much of the opportunity and growth she had gained over the years came from the Lord Divine Tree. Despite her constant efforts, she had never had a chance to repay Him.

And now, when the Lord Divine Tree needed help the most, they, His Followers, were unable to offer any assistance, forced to hide within this Church protected by the Deity’s barrier, still under the Lord Divine Tree’s shelter. This was something Xiong Batian could not accept.

She would lead her followers to follow in the Lord Divine Tree’s footsteps. As soon as Xiong Batian’s words fell,

Qiqi and a group of Wind Demon Panthers stepped behind Xiong Batian. Qiqi did not like interacting with Humans, preferring to engage with Elves, with whom her ancestors had ties. She had also aligned with Xiong Batian for the sake of her race. Now that there were many powerful individuals within her race, there was no need to cling to survival for the race’s sake.

Besides the Wind Demon Panther Clan, the Black Bear Clan also stepped forward. Since their Clan Leader had spoken thus, how could they not go and meet the Deity?

At this moment, Li Wenjun also stepped forward. He didn’t quite know what he was thinking, choosing to venture into the heart of the Dragonkin lands. His parents lived here, and he had grown from a small farmer to a level approaching Demigod. Many opportunities had been granted by the Lord Divine Tree; without His protection, his parents would have struggled to survive.

In the past, Banwang City was not a place where lowly commoners like them could live. Even if there was a risk to his life, he did not want to lose the gentle Deity that was Lord Divine Tree.

Seeing the first Human step forward, more Human Followers also stood up, including Luke, Mark, Luqi, Jielude, and others.

They now trusted the current Deity even more. Compared to the True God of the Church, this Deity had brought hope for their future—a Deity worthy of their support, one they genuinely wished to uphold.

The Portal was right before them. Xiong Batian’s Berserk Domain instantly expanded, its terrifying amplification causing everyone to shudder. The overwhelming power surged through their bodies, elevating them to a level even stronger than that of a Demigod.

Xiong Batian’s strength had advanced once again, as the Demon King Seed within her quietly bloomed.