"There is such a possibility," Yun Jin said calmly. "Zi Mo Xiāndì, I suggest you prepare for the worst, and treat this possibility as truth. If the tree root meets the tree branch, what will happen?"
Zi Mo Xiāndì fell silent for a long time before speaking slowly. "The root in that demon's hand had not fully withered. During the great battle, I could still see traces of green on it. I am not deeply knowledgeable about the Tree of Life, but if the image you showed me is accurate, Lin Xiao's branch had already withered. Who knows what properties remain in a withered branch? What I fear most is…"
Her voice grew faintly trembling, edged with terror. "If that demon somehow revives the Tree of Life…"
That was a root! Theoretically, it held a probability of regrowing into an entirely new Tree of Life.
And the Tree of Life was a divine object born of heaven and earth. Who could predict what unimaginable powers it would possess once it grew to maturity?
Zi Mo Xiāndì suddenly recalled the demon's twisted experiments. Did he alter ferocious beasts merely out of boredom?
Legend held that the Tree of Life could nurture entirely new races. Could his experiments in beast modification be tied to this? A chilling horror coursed through Zi Mo Xiāndì.
Yun Jin, however, remained steadier. She asked, "What is the demon's current situation? Is the seal intact? Can you observe him at all?"
Zi Mo Xiāndì shook her head, flustered, and explained, "The treasure that demon used to forge his beasts is called the Cage of Ten Thousand Beings. It is nearly at the level of a divine artifact. Although we sealed him and prevented his Primordial Soul from leaving the central grand array, we could not sever his connection to the Cage of Ten Thousand Beings. His Primordial Soul can still remotely control it. No one knows what he is doing inside."
"Is there a chance he could break free?" Yun Jin asked.
Zi Mo Xiāndì gradually calmed herself. "Not in the short term. The combined seal of four Immortal Emperors is no trifling matter. But…"
"But?"
Yun Jin frowned slightly.
Zi Mo Xiāndì's tone grew heavy. "In two years, the structure of Sky City will shift. The four main cities will merge. At that time, the four of us Immortal Emperors must join hands, using a secret art to reinforce the seal. But during the recasting of that seal, there will be a very brief gap.
That gap may last only for an instant. But in that instant, the demon will be entirely unsealed.
This need not trouble you too much," Zi Mo Xiāndì quickly added. "An instant only. We will swiftly complete the sealing again. He will not stir up much of a storm in such a fleeting moment."
Speaking thus, Zi Mo Xiāndì fully regained her composure.
What was a single withered branch of the Tree of Life? Perhaps it held little true effect. To regrow the Tree of Life itself was something even deities might not accomplish. How could a demon succeed, even if he too bore the title of Immortal Emperor?
One fleeting instant without seal…
Yun Jin fell into silence, speechless.
Now she understood that persistent feeling of being spied upon within Sky City. It must have been the demon watching her.
Yun Jin was certain. When that instant of freedom came, the demon would strike at her without fail. This was not paranoia. It was her clear understanding of her uncanny ability to draw enmity. Even if it was only her imagination, Yun Jin always made it a habit to prepare for the worst.
She asked, "If the demon makes a move, how much strength could he exert?"
Zi Mo Xiāndì considered before replying. "Ordinarily, small worlds impose limits. But Sky City is unique; it circumvents certain rules. In that instant, though he could not unleash the full might of a peak Immortal Emperor, he should still display the strength of a peak Celestial Immortal."
She elaborated casually, as if lecturing Yun Jin: "In the Immortal Realm, the progression is Celestial Immortal (Tianxian) , Golden Immortal (Jinxian), Mystic Immortal (Xuanxian), and beyond that, Immortal Emperor (Xiandi). Immortal Emperors stand at the pinnacle. Yet even among them, power differs vastly. If this demon exerts peak Tianxian strength, he could obliterate anyone in a small world in an instant."
Yun Jin's brow twitched. "Could he kill me instantly?"
Zi Mo Xiāndì chuckled softly. "I know that within this small world, you are already a peerless powerhouse. But before the peak of Tianxian…"
She did not finish the sentence.
But Yun Jin understood. If the demon truly unleashed his strength, she would be slain instantly.
Frustration welled within her. She had just attained invincibility among her peers, had just thought she could breathe easier, and now this calamity loomed.
Two years…
No, not even two full years remained. She had to raise her strength further. Not to defeat the demon, but to survive his strike. To simply live through it. That much, she believed, was possible.
Zi Mo Xiāndì offered comfort: "Do not worry. He will not attack you idly. To strike requires burning spiritual power. He has no reason to waste the energy he painstakingly preserves on you."
Yun Jin sighed. "Zi Mo Xiāndì, you do not understand. I may lack many talents, but when it comes to attracting hatred, I am unrivaled. For someone to sacrifice everything just to kill me—that is all too normal."
Especially when…
Lin Xiao may well have traded that branch to him. And if Lin Xiao bore such bitter hatred that he was willing to offer up such a treasure merely for her death, who else could be the target but Yun Jin?
Of that, she was completely confident.
Zi Mo Xiāndì stared blankly, struck by Yun Jin's matter-of-fact tone. After a pause, realizing Yun Jin was not jesting, she spoke with hesitation.
"At all other times, as long as we remain within Sky City, I can shield you. But in that instant, I must devote myself wholly to the sealing ritual. I will not be able to help you at all. If he truly targets you then…" Zi Mo Xiāndì frowned deeply.
Would Yun Jin still have any chance of survival?
"It is fine. Two years remain," Yun Jin answered with remarkable calm.
Two years… was that long?
As Zi Mo Xiāndì pondered, she froze.
When Sky City had opened, barely over a year had passed.
When Yun Jin first arrived, she had only been at the Unity stage.
And now? Already late Mahayana.
For Yun Jin, perhaps two years really was plenty.
Zi Mo Xiāndì's eyes flickered with anticipation. "Do not fear. Once we endure this moment, when Sky City opens again, we will unite and annihilate him utterly. Thereafter, there will be no more hidden threat."
"Good," Yun Jin agreed.
Yet inwardly, her thoughts turned.
If the demon was destroyed, what then of Zi Mo and the other three Immortal Emperors?
Would they not be freed from their shackles as well?
Though in a small world they could not wield their true Immortal Emperor power, even a fragment of their might would be enough to slaughter all living beings.
Of course, these doubts she would not voice. At least until the demon was slain, their positions were aligned.
===
From here, I will write the next stage (as in Immortal Realm) as the Chinese name of the stage. Of course when Yun Jin still on this minor world, I still use "Immortal Emperor" as stage and "Xiāndì" when address them.
天仙 (Tiānxiān): "Celestial Immortal."
金仙 (Jīnxiān): "Golden Immortal."
玄仙 (Xuánxiān): "Mystic Immortal".
仙帝 (Xiāndì): "Immortal Emperor."