After two days in the sacred existence tree, the twelve sacred existence tree guardians were sitting on their thrones with expressions of astonishment on their faces due to the surprise meeting called by Ji Yaoli. However, they did not say anything until Ji Yaoli felt their anger and hatred growing every second, especially from Zao Liyong, whose facial features were a complex mixture of anger, hatred, suppressed happiness, and malice. Despite this, he broke the silence that had taken over with a tone filled with respect and nobility, but at the same time, it contained great anger and disrespect that could be imagined.
"Mr. Ji Yaoli, can you explain the reason for calling an emergency meeting?"
Ji Yaoli's gaze turned sharp as he looked at Zao Liyong, a look that was enough to instill terror in his heart. All their eyes held some surprise at the change in Ji Yaoli's expression. He was usually calm and indifferent, but now his features were rough and stern.
Ji Yaoli then decided to speak, breaking the silence that had once again settled after Zao Liyong's words. His tone was filled with power and profound wisdom, gained from his long experience. "I want to review what we last discussed in the previous meeting."
He then snapped his fingers, and a portal appeared, showing the events that occurred near the end of Sacred Existence Tree Meeting No. 6,300,577,823,550. No one could say anything as the portal began to display the events of the last meeting.
Zao Liyong, the owner of the fifth throne, spoke in a calm tone filled with poise and strength, directing his gaze towards the Existence Tree with a cold look. His heart was filled with immense anger towards the future that awaited him, but he kept these feelings within his heart and revealed them to no one. He was the type who trusted no one but himself.
"A long time has passed, countless ages and epochs, and not much time is left until the birth of the Creator of the Sacred Existence Tree, the Greatest Originator. Only about 500 trillion years remain until his birth, and many things will change. This will be dangerous for us as guardians, as our work as guardians will end after that..."
He paused for a few seconds, his expression turning stern, his tone becoming more resolute than before.
"After the birth of the four fruit rulers of existence and the Creator of the Sacred Existence Tree, the Greatest Originator, we will be merely a memory of the past. What do you want to do about it? Will we accept our fate, or will we face it? The choice is yours."
The reason for his unwillingness to let this happen was his own self-interest and the benefit that was at risk, as the position of the Sacred Existence Tree Guardians was high within the four fruits or realms that the Existence Tree carried. Even the founding wings left them to their will, and they were respected and granted countless privileges within the Sacred Existence Tree, and all eleven other existential trees. With the birth of the four fruit rulers of existence and the Creator of the Sacred Existence Tree, the Greatest Originator, their mission would end, and consequently, their privileges and prestigious status would be lost. This was something Zao Liyong did not want to happen, as he had become accustomed to these matters since his birth an unknown time ago, meaning since the existence of the Sacred Existence Tree itself. He had received this status since birth, and since birth, he would not have liked a life of poverty. If he lived it even for a single day, he would not be satisfied and would do anything to remain in a life of luxury. This applied to Zao Liyong and the other Sacred Existence Tree guardians, except for Ji Yaoli, who wanted to end this tiring mission and live in peace with his beloved, Xiuhua Minghua, without any obstacles due to the high status that prevented him from even having a single child.
High status is a blessing, but it is also a curse, as it prevents its owner from living freely.
As soon as he finished speaking, the place, which was not a place, was engulfed in absolute silence. A period of time passed, which did not exist at all, for Ji Yaoli, who had been listening to Zao Liyong's words from beginning to end, to speak. He understood his meaning, which was to kill the four fruit rulers of existence and the Creator of the Sacred Existence Tree before they were even born. This was something he did not want to happen, as he wanted to live a new life with his wife Xiuhua Minghua, have a child to continue his lineage, and strengthen the bond between him and his only love. Therefore, he wanted the birth of the four fruit rulers of existence and the Creator of the Sacred Existence Tree. However, he had to wait for nearly two thousand years for them to be ready to rule the Sacred Existence Tree. Even so, two thousand years was considered a short period for a being that had lived for so long that it surpassed human comprehension. He spoke with a tone of indifference, but at the end, it was filled with absolute seriousness, power, and a clear refusal to accommodate Zao Liyong, who was obstructing his future plans for a peaceful life.
"I know that, but as guardians of the Existence Tree, we cannot shirk what we were created for. We and our counterparts are guardians of the other twelve Existence Trees. We must complete our mission and give the rulers of the Existence Tree what they deserve. This is my final decision. If anyone has anything else to say, let them say it. After that, I will listen to everything you have to say."
He paused to hear the discussions of the other throne owners, but they were silent. No one dared to oppose him. The other throne owners had understood Ji Yaoli's words, which between the lines meant, "The situation will remain as it is. Anyone who wants to change it will find me a rock in their path. Is my message clear to everyone?" Despite this, many of the Sacred Existence Tree guardians were not satisfied with their current situation, as their interests and status as rulers and masters of the beings living within the fruit of existence were in danger.
However, despite this, no one dared to speak, as Ji Yaoli was far superior to them, possessing one of the five bodies of Serdi, which Ji Yaoli possessed. He was the only one among the twelve Sacred Existence Tree guardians to possess one, making his power greater than all of them combined.
After a period of silence, the owner of the fourth throne, Dominic, decided to break the silence with a deep sigh before speaking.
"Since everyone has not made any statement, the decision of the fifth throne owner, Zao Liyong, is rejected, and the situation will remain as it is. I declare the end of the special meeting for the Sacred Existence Tree Guardian No. 6,300,577,823,550, and we wish all attendees a life full of happiness and prosperity."
After this, each of the Sacred Existence Tree guardians left the world and entered the realms carried by the Sacred Existence Tree, then headed to their private realms. The portal then stopped displaying further scenes, which made Alexazia and Dominic sigh with relief in their hearts, as they had not revealed that they had informed Ji Yaoli about the treason happening from the other Sacred Existence Tree guardians. There were 12 guardians of the Sacred Existence Tree, divided into 6 women and 6 men, who were called the owners of the 12 thrones, and their order was according to the throne number they sat on.
The first and most powerful throne owner, Ji Yaoli.
The second throne owner, Jinhai.
The third throne owner, Dominic.
The fourth throne owner, Evelyn.
The fifth throne owner, Zao Liyong.
The sixth throne owner, Dominic.
The seventh throne owner, Richard.
The eighth throne owner, Alexazia.
The ninth throne owner, Margaret.
The tenth throne owner, Seo-yeon.
The eleventh throne owner, Hyun-woo.
The twelfth throne owner, Chae-yeon.
Ji Yaoli was the most powerful, and Chae-yeon was the weakest. However, even the weakest among them had a power that surpassed the levels of this world's special system, exceeding the rank of Beyond-Existence incomparably. Their power was capable of crushing these beings with ease and without a trace of effort.
Zao Liyong's expression turned into a malicious smile as he looked at Ji Yaoli. His expression held no good; his desire for power blinded him from seeing the world clearly.
"So, according to your conclusion from all this, you stand by my request to prevent the rulers of the fruit of existence and the rulers of the Existence Tree from existing. Is that correct, Mr. Ji Yaoli?"
Zao Liyong no longer hid anything. He had stopped using indirect words and moved to direct conversation, thinking that Ji Yaoli had finally joined him, as he knew Ji Yaoli understood what he was getting at from his previous words. However, Ji Yaoli's response shattered his expectations and made him indescribably angry.
"No, I did not mean that. Yes, I will not allow the world to confine me to one path; I will move from one path to another regardless of what happens. But that will not happen until after the birth of the rulers of the fruit of existence and the Creator of the Sacred Existence Tree, the Greatest Originator. Therefore, I categorically refuse your request. If you have anything to say, say it, as I will not be merciful to those who obstruct my goals. Is my message clear, Zao Liyong, or not? And this message is directed to everyone."
There was an overwhelming aura that made everyone unable to lift a finger. It was the power to control everything. If logical words did not work, then matters would be resolved by force, which happens on Earth, where giant nations control smaller nations with words, or rather, threats, such as imposing sanctions. If that did not work, they would use weapons, the language of combat. The same happened in this world; if dialogue failed, there was suppression by absolute force and authority. Ji Yaoli was the prime example of this. He had used his power and authority as the head of the Sacred Existence Tree guardians to suppress their actions before they even began. However, Zao Liyong did not seem to intend to end the matter there. He rose from his throne with a slight smile on his face, filled with extreme malice and cunning, and then extended his hand towards Ji Yaoli.
"Hahaha, Ji Yaoli, you are just a fool blinded by love. You want to end your work as ruler of the Sacred Existence Tree to live a life of luxury with your wife. Is that correct?"
His tone was filled with direct sarcasm towards Ji Yaoli, but on the other hand, Ji Yaoli's expression was complex and difficult to read. He then began to clap heartily after hearing Zao Liyong's words, which confused Zao Liyong. Ji Yaoli then spoke, taking Zao Liyong by surprise, his tone filled with direct sarcasm towards Zao Liyong.
"Yes, you are right. One of my goals in the birth of the rulers of the sacred fruit of existence and the Creator of the Sacred Existence Tree is to take a break from protecting the Sacred Existence Tree. But living a peaceful life with my wife, Xiuhua Minghua, is not my complete goal. My goal is to continue my path towards power, as it is an endless path. With 144 entities that have surpassed the power system itself, it is possible for beings to be unimaginably stronger than us. Therefore, I will continue my path towards power, as it is the only thing that remains the same. The strong remain strong, and the weak remain weak. He who does not know himself does not deserve to covet absolute power. And I know who I am. I am not a guardian of the Sacred Existence Tree, nor am I just a character who ends with the birth of the protagonist. I am not someone who will live to become stronger. I am no longer Ji Yaoli; my name is Tom Fraglesen, a man who fell into the depths of failure to rise again to the peak, which is not the end, but there are other peaks higher than this peak I am on today. Do you understand, Zao Liyong?"
As soon as Tom finished speaking, the world around him began to crack slowly, turning into an endless void. Tom had returned to his original form. His face showed confusion, as he did not comprehend what had happened to him. Who were those people he saw? Who was Ji Yaoli? What was the relationship between them? Many questions swirled in his mind without any answers.
Several hours turned into days. He was in that endless void, looking at nothing, trying to piece together his thoughts about everything he saw in that strange world. Years and centuries passed, and Tom was still in that world without any sign of him leaving. Yet, he felt deep down that the situation would not remain the same. After several more centuries, a strong light began to appear.
From nothing, he mumbled in a faint voice, "It seems the second test is about to begin."
After more than 5,000 years inside that void, he gradually realized that everything he had gone through was the first test of the five tests mentioned in those inscriptions.
[Spring always comes after winter, and summer comes after spring, autumn comes after summer, and winter comes after autumn. Thus, power comes after worthiness. He who does not know himself does not deserve to covet absolute power.]
Therefore, he was prepared this time as much as possible for the second test, which would not be easy at all.