The Sword Emperor Transmigrates-Chapter 222

According to ancient records, Yggdrasil was classified as an ash tree.

It was said that Odin, the king of the Aesir pantheon and the supreme being, had personally planted and nurtured the sapling—an act that was supposed to showcase his power and influence.

However, Yggdrasil’s growth had far surpassed even Odin’s wisdom, expanding to encompass the three realms—the heavens, the earth, and the underworld.

Niflheim—the roots that dug deep into the earth, reaching the Hell Realm.

Midgard—the roots that surfaced on the ground, stretching to the Middle Realm.

Asgard—the roots that soared skyward, connecting to the Celestial Realm.

What started as a mere ash tree evolved, absorbing death, life, and wisdom, growing to a stature that even the gods could not ignore. Yggdrasil came to represent the laws of nature, the largest force in the universe.

As the guardian of the Natural Realm, Yggdrasil came to hold the status of a Great God. At its peak, an eagle nested—its name lost to time—while goddesses tended the roots stretching toward Asgard, pouring the Water of Life upon them.

Back in the ancient era, Yggdrasil truly was a Divine Tree.

“The roots connecting the three realms are well-known, but her branches were said to have grown to the extent of reaching the nine sub-dimensions,” said Grace, who was flying a few meters ahead of Leonard.

Perhaps feeling stifled by the grim atmosphere brought on by Uluka’s impending death, Grace seemed to be trying to lighten the mood. In any case, Leonard was quickly learning new things thanks to her.

“Yggdrasil’s dew and leaves would fall and nurture the earth, making the world fertile. For that, she was also known as the Mother of Life. In the ancient era, all living beings could feel Yggdrasil’s influence, no matter where they were in the world. Anything that drew breath worshiped her.”

“Indeed.”

“Back then, Muspelheim, the fire realm ruled by the fire giants, and Niflheim, ruled by the Queen of Death, were not considered separate dimensions. It was after the God-Slaying War that all connections to the World Tree Yggdrasil were severed, and over time, the dimensions drifted apart.”

To be precise, it wasn’t that the connections disappeared; rather, they were severed. Surtr, the ruler of Muspelheim, and Nidhogg, who reigned over Nastrond at the borders of Niflheim, were responsible for that.

“Although Yggdrasil's influence was beneficial to the world, not everyone welcomed it. To beings that burned and destroyed and spread decay everywhere, the Mother of Life was an eyesore.”

So, during the God-Slaying War, Surtr and Nidhogg noticed Yggdrasil’s weakened state and maximized their authority by burning or gnawing at the branches of the World Tree extending into their realms.

It was during this moment that Muspelheim became a wasteland of ash, and Nastrond, isolated as a kingdom of death, saw the birth of its Outer Gods.

While Grace and Leonard spoke of these events, they came closer to Yggdrasil. Her sheer size distorted their perspective. After crossing the horizon multiple times, Yggdrasil’s massive trunk continued to grow until it filled more than half of their field of vision.

As they reached Yggdrasil’s immediate surroundings, the group could only gape in awe.

“...It’s unreal how big it is.”

“Can we even call this a tree? The trees in this realm were large, but compared to this thing, they’re like weeds.”

“Well, it is one of the symbols of the mythological era. There’s probably nothing else like it.”

Even when the world turned into a wasteland during the God-Slaying War, Yggdrasil did not fall. It survived, resisting even the poison of Nidhogg.

Though the cost of her survival was the corruption and devastation of the surrounding lands, Yggdrasil likely remained unaware, her consciousness shattered—a phenomenon commonly known as Depravation.

“Cough!”

Just as they reached the base of Yggdrasil, Uluka began coughing up blackened, lifeless blood before collapsing to his knees.

Grace hurried to his side to support him, but Uluka’s fading vitality was evident. His eyes were glazed over, and the Aura Dragon he unconsciously manifested around his body had become faint, like a mist.

It was only natural.

“Yggdrasil’s interference is too strong, and not just for Uluka. If we stay here too long, we might not survive either,” Wade explained with a calm expression, swinging his sword to cut away the authority surging toward them. Though it was only a temporary solution, it worked well.

“I’m... fine.”

Uluka, looking somewhat better, managed to sit up. The form of his Aura Dragon became clearer, and his skin, previously strained from Yggdrasil’s influence, began to regain its normal texture.

No one looked at him with pity. He was someone who had journeyed to the brink of death for the sake of his life’s mission. Even if they couldn’t bless him, no one would dare to show him sympathy.

If we can’t protect ourselves with our heart swords, we have no chance of surviving in this area.

The unique nature of the Five Elements One Origin granted tremendous resistance to external interference, but even so, it took conscious effort to keep the body from being distorted.

There was not the slightest hint of malice or killing intent. To Yggdrasil, her influence was merely an act of nourishing life, just as she had been doing in the ancient era. She wasn’t attacking or opposing them, and that made it all the more terrifying.

If this authority were focused on crushing a single target, not even a Demigod Tier knight would survive...

While Leonard swallowed dry, Wade, who had been tapping the surface of the World Tree, suddenly extended his sword.

It was the strongest cut he could make without resorting to his unique trait—a simple yet perfect horizontal slash. The strike exploded at the base of Yggdrasil’s trunk.

Thunk!

However, his Aura Blade helplessly bounced off the bark, failing to even leave a scratch. Then, another Aura Blade surged on his sword, as though it were a toy with multiple charges.

A most surreal scene.

For a swordsman like Wade, who could cleave even through beings with Vajra Physique without needing to use his conceptual martial arts, this was unprecedented. It wasn’t magic or authority that had blocked his strike; the sheer resilience of the tree’s bark had nullified his attack.

“What is this?”

“It’s incredibly tough.”

The other veteran knights stared at the tree with grim expressions.

Western God Style, Two Swords Style

Cutter of All Things

Sky and Clouds Piercer

Sky Splitting Cross Slash

The White Tiger Qi responded to Leonard’s technique, and his dual swords surged with power, causing the space around the jet-black sword to quiver. It was a conceptual martial art that could interfere with the conceptual realms. The swords in his hands crossed in a swift, dual slash.

Where the two diagonal slashes intersected, the space was torn apart, creating a murderous abyss that no matter could withstand.

No matter how resilient the substance or material was, nothing could endure within that realm. Even if adamantium was purified and compressed to form a lump, the power of the conceptual realm would bypass its durability.

Therefore, Leonard was confident that Yggdrasil’s bark would also be cut down.

Claaang!

However, the Sky Splitting Cross Slash barely managed to leave a faint scratch on the surface of the bark, ultimately rendered ineffective like Wade’s previous attack. Despite using his conceptual martial arts, Leonard had only managed to leave a scratch less than an inch deep.

Even without the insight from the Dragon Eye, the commanders quickly realized why that was.

“The difference in status is so vast that even the powers of the conceptual realms are being nullified... That means Audrey’s Extermination won’t work either.”

“So we need pure destructive force?”

“Yes. If it’s not a conceptual martial art that directly impacts power, it won’t be entirely useless.”

Indeed, something like Wade’s Flamberg or Bayard, which surged in power by increasing the user’s speed, might prove effective. As soon as they realized this, Wade was engulfed in a radiant glow.

Time was running out—or rather, time was running out for Uluka.

Responding to a martial artist’s resolve, Wade triggered his unique trait, determined to help Uluka fulfill his life duty before he met his end.

Bayard

With wings of light propelling him at high speed, Wade retreated several kilometers to reach his maximum velocity before charging at Yggdrasil. Like a lightning bolt, he converted that speed and force into a strike.

There was no need for intricate maneuvers to cut down a standing tree, as the sheer power alone was immense.

The blinding blade struck Yggdrasil.

Krrch—!

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.

This time, the attack was filled with sheer determination. Wade, the strongest commander of Cardenas, drove his sword exactly one meter deep before it came to a halt. Even using Bayard, that was all he could manage.

Grace had also tried her best.

Cosmic Blade

Lacking confidence in surpassing Wade’s strength through sheer physical force, Grace instead unleashed a technique that couldn’t be nullified even by the gap in status. She focused the five elements of earth, water, fire, wind, and air into a single strike.

A blade of starlit darkness shot forth.

Cliiiink—!!

It struck the spot Wade had already cut, and the Cosmic Blade advanced a little under a meter before dissipating. Grace’s pallor grew even more pronounced, a stark contrast to the underwhelming result.

Uluka, his eyes filled with despair, said, “I think I understand now why the Outer Gods Nidhogg and Surtr chose not to attack Yggdrasil directly...”

Even though Surtr and Nidhogg were considered high-ranking True Gods, they were not confident in breaking through Yggdrasil’s defenses. That was why Nidhogg had spread its poison into the roots of the World Tree and Surtr was content with burning her branches, severing the connection.

Despite being considerably weaker compared to her prime, Yggdrasil still remained far beyond the reach of Demigod Tier beings. Even if the Aeroship fleet and Mobile Fortress executed a combined self-destruct attack, it was doubtful they could so much as scorch the bark of the World Tree.

The commanders’ faces twisted in frustration as they found themselves up against an insurmountable wall so late in the game.

That was when it happened.

Heavenly Nature Sword Art

The Second Nature

One-Finger Zen

Leonard, raising his left hand on a whim, shot a flash of light. It was the dagger that had pierced the cast-iron fist of the Void Deity Pollux and struck him between the eyes—Mimong, the ancient relic given to him by Wade.

Amplified several times over by his heightened willpower after breaking through to the Demigod Tier, the blade sliced through Yggdrasil’s bark shockingly easy, even though not even the Cosmic Blade had managed to penetrate it.

As Leonard twirled his left index finger, Mimong spun several times, boring a large hole in Yggdrasil’s trunk. Although this attack was by no means effortless, compared to the previous ones, it was incredibly efficient.

“Is that... Mimong? How?” Wade asked, surprised at how Leonard was able to remotely control a relic that didn’t even respond to aura.

“It’s my little secret.”

Leonard, however, deflected the question. The knowledge tied to the Heavenly Nature Sword Art, which was an anomaly even in the Central Plains, would leave more questions than answers, no matter how he explained. It was better to just call it his secret technique.

Leonard then calculated the internal and mental energy he had spent using the Heavenly Nature Sword Art and clicked his tongue.

It’s undoubtedly ten times more efficient than conceptual martial arts, but cutting down a tree of this size is impossible. Even piercing through it might be a stretch.

Had he attempted this before reaching the Demigod Tier, Leonard would have undoubtedly collapsed. The energy consumption from using the Heavenly Nature Sword Art was too high, even though he had adapted to Mimong and minimized its rejection. If he hadn’t done that, he wouldn’t even have been able to attempt this in the first place.

As he pondered under the hopeful gazes of the commanders, Leonard recalled the Third Nature of the Heavenly Nature Sword Art.

...I’ve never succeeded before, but I have no choice but to try.

The first and third natures of the Heavenly Nature Sword Art were closely related. While the first nature involved merging one’s body with the sword, the third nature was the opposite—it merged the user with the sword itself.

Essentially, it meant becoming a living blade. This technique had been demonstrated before by the Sword Immortal Lu Dongbin, but Yeon Mu-Hyuk had dismissed it as nonsense. Of course, since he hadn’t even managed to master the first nature, how could he have grasped the potential of the third nature?

However, Leonard was no longer that Yeon Mu-Hyuk.

“Don’t be too shocked, and just wait for a moment,” Leonard told the commanders as he focused.

Heavenly Nature Sword Art

The Third Nature

Sword-Body Assimilation

At that moment, Leonard’s body became translucent, merging with Mimong as his form disappeared.

Cliiiiiink—!!

Leonard, now a literal sword, shot forward, driving into the section of Yggdrasil’s trunk that had barely been cut. Knowing that Mimong’s sharpness could surpass Yggdrasil’s defenses, all that was left was to add more momentum.

He drilled. He pierced. He cut.

Yggdrasil’s bark, which required immense force to peel even a single layer, was penetrated in an instant, and Leonard soon found himself inside the massive trunk. Feeling the overwhelming influence around him, he dug in even deeper.

In such a clash, hesitation was fatal. Once you commit, you must keep going to the very end, or death awaits.

Leonard, advancing with a resolve that defied death itself, and Yggdrasil, trying to resist him—an utterly fierce clash from which...

Thud!

...Leonard emerged victorious, piercing through the thick wall.

“Huff...! Huff, huff...!”

As soon as his path was no longer obstructed, Leonard undid the Sword-Body Assimilation and collapsed to the ground. He hadn’t used this much energy since reaching the Demigod Tier. Even after his fight against Surtr, where he had fought with all his might, he hadn’t felt so utterly drained like he did now.

Leonard was utterly spent, all for cutting through a bit of bark.

“...But it seems I found the right spot after all.”

As Leonard forced himself to stand, his eyes landed on something grotesque.

Thump...! Thump...!

Despite being blackened and decayed with poisonous energy, it pulsed with an overwhelming, twisted life force. Before him was Yggdrasil’s heart—the core of the World Tree.

Once a blessing that spread life in ancient times, it had now become the source of a curse worse than death.

—■■...! ■■■, ■■■...!

The cries of Yggdrasil, begging him not to come closer, to leave her body alone, were unintelligible. In response, Leonard raised his sword instead of Mimong. Instinctively, he knew the heart wasn’t as tough as the bark. In that case, his jet-black sword would be better for finishing the job than Mimong, which specialized in cutting.

“...This is the end.”

With a flash of multicolored light, the sword pierced Yggdrasil’s heart.