[Tree] Chapter 660: Uldrenneth's Awakening (Patreon)

Ashlock felt it. Everyone felt it.

The deep groan reverberating from the Great Trench sent a series of shockwaves through the ocean. Ashlock instinctively flared Moros's shields, ready for them to be wiped out. But to his surprise, the shockwave contained little Qi and only made Moros's shields ripple.

It wasn't an attack; it was simply the groan of an awakening monster.  

But that didn't stop the shockwaves from impacting the islands hard. Coralspear Sect's island trembled violently, defensive formations flaring brightly throughout the palace to stop it from crumbling. Warning bells began ringing across the island, and Ashlock could even hear them through the fog from neighboring islands.

After a full minute, the fierce shaking finally stopped.

Gorran and the others from the Sunken Crown Isles had gone pale. An elderly man in light brown robes rushed into the room, a mixture of panic and anger on his face.

"You fools!" he screamed, spittle flying from his mouth. "Uldrenneth stirs awake due to your brother! Everyone else paid the requested tribute except the Coralspear Sect, and now Uldrenneth will awaken to claim what is rightfully his!"

"Shut up, old man. The tribute you demanded was ridiculous!" A Coralspear Elder snapped back. "I'm surprised anyone else paid it!"

"What was it?" Gorran asked.  

"Three Star Core Realm cultivators to be fed to the Great Trench!" The old man Ashlock assumed was from the Drowned Bell Sect said like a priest delivering a prophecy. "For Uldrenneth is hungry, and the ocean has been found wanting!"

Gorran looked at him like he was crazy. "Three Star Core Realms? Are you insane—who would agree to that?"

"Those that don't want a repeat of the battle three hundred years ago," the elderly man spat. "Now we are all dead!"

Demonic mist suddenly flooded the room and solidified into the shape of a winged woman behind the Drowned Bell Sect Elder. The man shivered and glanced over his shoulder as Diana loomed over him.

The Coralspear Sect Elders drew their weapons and moved in to surround Diana, but Gorran gestured for them to stand down.

"Why don't you feed yourself to the monster then?" Diana said, grabbing the man by the throat and hoisting him into the air. "Or is it because everything your sect stands for is lies?"

Another shockwave came, shaking the island harder than before.

Ashlock left Diana to deal with matters and peered down into the ocean's depths as far as his spiritual sense could reach. The Great Trench remained impenetrable to his senses, just as Khaos had reported. A veil of perpetual darkness covered it like underwater fog, and now a thick blanket of displaced sand covered the rest of the seabed, concealing whatever else lurked below.

"Morthex, retreat from the trench," Ashlock commanded. A section of sand began to swirl inward, joining a rising vortex filled with corpses and captured souls—Harrek's included. Once a soul entered Morthex's domain, escape was impossible. That was why Ashlock allowed Harrek to flee into the ocean, so he could be captured.

Ashlock inspected the captured souls in the vortex, and beside Harrek's, none were human.

"The Drowned Bell Sect likely lied about feeding any cultivators to Uldrenneth, but the idea that the monster has been deprived of sustenance does have some merit," Ashlock mused.

It was one reason he had Morthex waiting on the edge of the trench, capturing all the souls he could, but he never expected this to be the reason Uldrenneth awoke. The original plan was for Morthex to raise an army of sea monsters and invade the Great Trench during the Red Tide to anger Uldrenneth.

"But that no longer seems necessary."

Morthex rose at the base of the vortex. He looked bigger than before and had advanced a stage in cultivation, making him a stage above Ashlock in the Monarch Realm. No doubt it was because of his domain, which let him consume souls to heal, further his cultivation, or even turn them into bound specters or Ents.

If it was food Uldrenneth was after, Morthex was a swirling buffet waiting to be claimed.

"Morthex, head to the Ninth Wave Sect and lurk beneath the Jade Emperor's Consortium's outpost—" Ashlock paused as he realized who he was talking to. "Just follow Khaos. She knows where it is."

Morthex began gliding through the ocean with his swarm of souls and Entified sea monsters in tow. Another shockwave erupted out of the Great Trench, throwing up more sand and sending the weaker Ents around Morthex spiraling.

"Father?!" A barely comprehensible whisper reached the back of his mind. Ashlock followed it and realized Timmy and Dennis were calling out. Their previous argument forgotten, they were panicking as shockwaves kept smashing into their islands.

"What is it?" he asked, annoyed. He had been about to check on the state of the room when they distracted him.

"Father, what is happening?!" Timmy asked, his voice trembling with panic.

"Morthex was successful in rousing Uldrenneth from his slumber," Ashlock answered simply. "There's nothing to be concerned about."

"Uldrenneth?" Dennis asked. "Please excuse my ignorance, Father, as I'm a little unfamiliar with this place, and Timmy hasn't bothered to catch me up on what's going on. But is Uldrenneth some kind of calamity?"

"I suppose some would call a Sovereign sea monster with an appetite for islands a calamity—"

"Did you say Sovereign!?" Dennis yelled.

"Appetite for islands?!" Timmy screamed in horror. "I'm stuck on an island! Get me out of here!!!"

"Don't yell like that. You're spirit trees, so act like ones," Ashlock berated them. Why did they become so childish at the first sign of trouble?

"S-Sorry, Father," Timmy said. "It's just... I wasn't aware of a Sovereign lurking beneath us."

"What did you think the source of that heartbeat you felt every hour was?"

"I didn't really think to ask. But... to think it was a Sovereign. Are we going to be okay?" Timmy stammered.

"Possibly," Ashlock replied. "My hope is it will see Morthex as tasty and target the Ninth Wave Sect and the outpost first."

"Once this sect and outpost are destroyed, who will stop Uldrenneth from eating us next?" Dennis asked.

It was a good question. Ashlock hadn't really thought that far. His only concern until now had been destroying the outpost in a believable way so the Jade Emperor's Consortium would write off the Sunken Crown Isles and not send anyone to investigate. Uldrenneth was a monster capable of swallowing an island, and it had a history of doing so. Having it carry out the act was the highest priority.

What happened to the rest of the Sunken Crown Isles once the beast was awakened hadn't mattered to Ashlock, since his plan was to raise his Sanctuary once Uldrenneth was either defeated or gone.

But after investing so much effort in winning the islands and their leaders over, it would be a shame to waste it.

"My hope is that Yun Zhilan will beat Uldrenneth back into the Great Trench like she did 300 years ago. I will, of course, be assisting her in any way I can once the outpost has been swallowed, and Khaos has quietly eliminated any remaining representatives." Ashlock paused. "For now, you two focus on keeping your islands from crumbling into the ocean. Should Uldrenneth target either of you for whatever reason, I'll portal you out."

Or at least he hoped he could. Ashlock had never faced a Sovereign before, and had no idea what they were capable of. Though, given how big the jump between realms had been until now, he didn't like their chances.

Ashlock tuned his offspring out again and focused on the bedroom in the Coralspear palace.

The argument had clearly spiraled because the Drowned Bell Sect Elder was dead on the floor, his neck broken and his face purple from being suffocated.

"What a corrupt old man," Diana mused, licking her lips. "His heart demon was almost as corrupt as yours, Torvun. Mhm, yes. I think that meal was enough to push me to the next stage."

"Allow me to be the first to offer congratulations on your advancement," Gorran said, putting his fist to his palm and bowing. "I can only imagine how strong you must truly be if this is merely a clone of yours."

"Thank you, Gorran." Diana's gaze shifted to the others in the room. It was clear the Coralspear Elders had many questions after what they had just witnessed. She smiled at them. "You lot follow me," she said, departing for the doorway.

The Elders paled even further, their eyes darting between Gorran and the Archdemon.

"She doesn't take no for an answer," Gorran said with a smile. "Go on, don't be shy."

"But Patriarch—"

"Go," Gorran said coldly. "It's best not to keep an Archdemon waiting on you."

The Elders shared a glance, then followed Diana to another room, their heads hung low. One of them muttered prayers to themselves while another trembled with every step. Diana watched them follow with amusement, and once they shuffled into the room, she slammed the door shut.

Sael jumped at the sound, and Morrigan patted her head. "Relax, honey. They will be fine. Just signing a contract is all."

"What about me?" Sael stammered, her eyes darting to Gorran. "I warned you about Harrek. Please. Don't throw me away—let me sign the contract too—"

Gorran raised his hand to silence her. "I'd never do such a thing, but your fate isn't mine to decide." He glanced at Morrigan. "Though I do hope you will be spared."

Morrigan chuckled. "Of course! There's nothing to worry about, Sael. The All-Seeing Eye is merciful, especially to mortals and the weak. Besides, I wouldn't advise signing one of those contracts."

Sael gripped her skirt. "Is it because I'm a mortal?"

"Indeed, honey," Morrigan patted her again. "Kaida overengineered them to bind even Monarchs, so if you were to sign one, your soul might be extinguished in the process."

Ferrin nodded in agreement. "I passed out from the pain after signing mine."

"Me too," Torvun said.

The doors to the other room opened, and only Diana stepped out. Ashlock sensed the Elders twitching on the floor, their souls being overtaken by Kaida's ink.

"Diana," Ashlock called out to her. "Uldrenneth is yet to leave the Great Trench, and I have Morthex heading toward the Ninth Wave Sect in hopes of leading him to our target. While it's unusual that he's awakening early, it shouldn't affect our plans. What we need is information in case this has happened before."

Diana nodded and clapped her hands to draw everyone's attention, but it made an oddly soft sound, likely because she was made out of hardened demonic mist.

"All three of you were present during the last time Uldrenneth surfaced, correct?"

Ferrin, Torvun, and Gorran nodded.

"So can someone please explain to me what's happening?" She glanced between the three Patriarchs. "Those shakes are from Uldrenneth awakening, right?"

Gorran nodded. "That is correct. It happened last time, but not until after the Red Tide began."

"It's believed the red moon lifts the veil over the Great Trench, freeing the horrors that live down there," Ferrin added. "That's what Yun Zhilan said at least, after she recovered enough to fight and tried chasing Uldrenneth down into the Great Trench. The veil blocked her pursuit and only weakens under the red moon."

Diana crossed her arms. "Then why has Yun Zhilan never ventured down there during a Red Tide?"

"She barely won last time, and now she's terribly injured," Torvun explained. "To go down there in her state would be suicide."

Gorran nodded. "Torvun is right. During the Red Tide, monsters are practically pouring out of the Great Trench and fleeing to the surface. While individually they are no threat to Yun Zhilan, she can't fight them all in her state."

"I see." Diana tilted her head. "I can guess it's Uldrenneth they are escaping?"

The three Patriarchs exchanged a glance and nodded.

"Why the hesitation?" Diana asked.

"It's just... all of this is information either from Yun Zhilan or the Drowned Bell Sect," Gorran said and glanced at the dead man on the floor. "I always had my doubts, but to learn the Drowned Bell Sect has been lying to us this whole time makes me doubt Yun Zhilan too."

"She does have a lot to gain from keeping us scared of Uldrenneth," Ferrin added. "Combined, all of us could overthrow the Ninth Wave Sect, but it's a known fact that only Yun Zhilan stands a chance against Uldrenneth." He paused and corrected himself. "Ahem, and your Master, of course."

"Ah, right, of course," Diana said, slowly nodding. "Compared to my Master, Uldrenneth is a mere ocean worm. However, he is busy with other matters and can only assist from afar. So we still need to lay a trap to deal with a monster of this power. Do you happen to know when Uldrenneth will leave the Great Trench now that he's started to awaken?"

"He shouldn't be able to yet, if Yun Zhilan is to be believed," Gorran said. "The Great Trench is a prison for Uldrenneth as much as it is his sanctuary. Until the red moon shines through the dark, he shouldn't be able to leave."

That was good news. The Red Tide wasn't set to begin until tomorrow, so that gave Ashlock ample time to prepare—

He felt it before he saw it.

A spiritual pressure, calm and serene, washed over the ocean. It didn't come from below, but from above. The fog array that shrouded all of the islands in the Sunken Crown Isles dissipated at once, Ashlock's desolate Qi included.

In the distance, Ashlock laid eyes on the Ninth Wave Sect's island for the first time. It was massive compared to the others, with a mountain range, beaches, and a long stretch of coastline. At the northernmost point, he saw a jade tower piercing the clouds and gleaming in the twilight.

For a moment, the world felt like it held its breath for a single person.

In the Ninth Wave Sect's largest harbor, a lone woman stood on the water as if it were glass. Ashlock didn't need to be told who it was—he knew by the aura around her.

"That's Yun Zhilan," Ashlock muttered. For a Sovereign, she looked fairly normal—and by that, Ashlock meant she wasn't a living volcano or made of water. She was human, and one of the most serene people he had ever seen. Her skin was pale like the inside of a shell, and her long hair was platinum white. It floated around her as if she were submerged in water while she stared down into the ocean with eyes of pale jade.

It was this calm beauty she wielded that made the black lines reaching from beneath her collar up her neck, across the line of her jaw, and into her left eye so jarring. Ashlock had seen those same black lines on Ferrin, but the ones Yun Zhilan bore were thick, like the roots of a black plant. They pulsed with her heartbeat, and despite the pain she was likely in, she managed to keep her composure.

"Uldrenneth blood," Ashlock murmured. "So that's what the soul-cleansing formation Khaos found that takes ten Elders to power was keeping at bay."

It was something he could fix. His gaze drifted to the jade tower.

"Not yet. I can help her after the outpost falls," Ashlock mused. "But if Uldrenneth can't leave the trench until tomorrow, what is she doing out here in such a bad condition?"