"Is this... the embryonic form of the Life and Death Rule?"
Jiang Fan's heart shook.
He could clearly sense that a more powerful rule, one that stood above the Withered Glory Rule, had been stirred.
"So that's it..."
"The Withered Glory Rule is only the surface!"
"What's truly hidden behind it is the Life and Death Rule that controls all things..."
Excitement surged through Jiang Fan, and he immediately poured more of his mind into it.
He tried to fully comprehend that thread of the Life and Death Rule.
But just then, a sudden change erupted.
The old tree's withering on the west side of the courtyard abruptly intensified. Its once emerald leaves completely dried up and shattered within a few breaths, turning into drifting ash.
Although new shoots sprouted on the east side, they grew in an extremely twisted way. The branches and leaves looked indescribably strange, even carrying a faintly ominous aura.
"Not good!"
Jiang Fan's expression changed, and he hurriedly tried to withdraw his mind.
But it was already too late.
That thread of rule power he had stirred seemed to have gone out of control and begun to backlash against the Withered Glory Pavilion itself.
In the courtyard, with the old tree as the center, two sets of lines—one of decay and one of vitality—rapidly spread outward.
On one half of the ground, plants grew wildly. On the other half, not a single blade of grass remained, and even the rocks began to weather and flake away.
Jiang Fan took a deep breath, formed seals with both hands, and the spiritual power inside him surged out, turning into a golden light barrier that enveloped the entire Withered Glory Pavilion to prevent that thread of the Life and Death Rule from spreading outward.
At the same time,