Chapter 22

When the rift closed, Seed 237 and Sprout 12 fell into an unfamiliar canyon.

There are no light towers in the Light Domain, nor monitoring pods of the Dark Roots; only a thick fog shrouds the area, and ancient moss and forgotten vines grow at the bottom of the valley.

Sprout 12 looked up and blinked:

"Good luck, 237. This is an abandoned water vein canyon, which used to be the border between the Light Domain and the Dark Root, but now nobody cares about it."

Seed 237 stretched out its roots and discovered a complex network of underground water flows, yet it bore no trace of any particular power.

At that moment, he felt the fingertip of freedom in his chest begin to vibrate slightly, as if telling him—

This place can become a new foundation.

Sprout 12's eyes are serious:

"Listen, brother. Neither light nor darkness will let you go, but don't think you can fight alone."

If we truly want to take the third path, we must unite groups of people who also have nowhere else to go.

Seed237 remained silent for a moment, then slowly nodded.

He buried the free seedlings in an ancient vein of stone at the bottom of the valley.

As the pulsation was released, the moss and vines around the canyon simultaneously awakened, emitting a strange halo—

It is neither the ordered light of the light domain nor the corrupting black of the dark root, but a kind of free-rhythmic flickering.

At that moment, Seed237 understood:

This valley is the prototype of the Third Domain.

Soon after, the news spread, and several small factions struggling to survive in the cracks took the initiative to approach:

The Windfeather Moss Cluster—a group of mosses abandoned by the Light Realm. They were banished from the altar for their "impure energy" and now only yearn for a place to live.

The Ironroot Vine Team – a group of vine warriors who were once loyal to the Darkroot, but were wanted for refusing to slaughter their fellow foes.

Wandering Flower Spirits – Flower creatures that migrate alone, unwilling to be defined by any power, pursuing only their own blooming.

They all came with doubt and fear, but after seeing the free-flowing energy at the bottom of the valley, a long-lost light rekindled in their eyes.

Sprout 12 pats Seed 237 on the shoulder:

"See? The Third Realm is not just our fantasy; it is taking root and sprouting."

However, as the aura of freedom gradually spread, the Light Domain and the Dark Root also keenly detected the anomaly.

One night, a large number of Light Domain Monitoring Vine and Dark Root Patrol Pods approached the canyon at the same time, attempting to join forces to kill them once again.

This time, Seed237 did not back down.

He gathered his newly formed allies at the heart of the canyon, where the Free Seeds shone brightly, triggering—

The first expansion of the domain after the mother tree's potential was awakened.

An invisible wave spread out, enveloping the entire canyon in a "free root network".

Once the optical fiber enters the optical domain, its frequency will be disrupted and it will become ineffective.

The dark vines, with their hidden roots, burrowed into the ground, but were diverted into the chaotic water veins, never to reunite.

Hundreds of monitoring vines and patrol pods rushed in, but they all got lost and disintegrated in the free root network, turning into harmless nutrients.

After the victory, the Windfeather Moss swarm murmured in unison, the Wandering Flower Spirits burst into starlight-like sparks in the night sky, and the Iron Root Vine Team wielded their hard root whips to guard the surrounding area.

Sprout12 smiled and stretched out both hands, as if solemnly announcing:

"From this day forward, this place will be the foundation of the Third Domain."

We belong neither to the light nor to the darkness.

We belong to freedom.

Seed 237 gazed at the shimmering root network at the bottom of the valley, and for the first time felt a power beyond mere survival—

A real possibility that could change the landscape of the continent.