Chapter 37

After that night, the waters of the mainland were no longer clear.

Dark patterns gradually emerge in the underground water network of plains, hills, swamps, and foothills.

The water veins, which once flowed through the earth like blood, are now blocked by hidden roots:

The flow was cut off, the circulation was distorted, and some water sources even turned directly into a viscous black liquid that seeped out from the ground.

The thorny grass kneels on the cracked riverbed; at the touch of a fingertip, black spore-like fluff rises up.

"They...are massively altering the nature of the water veins!"

The moment the blockade occurred, the territories of all major ecological forces were thrown into turmoil:

Tundra Herds: Watering spots suddenly dry up, causing chaos among large numbers of herbivores, allowing predators to expand their territory.

Swamp Spirits: A race that originally depended on wetlands for survival, but they have discovered that the swamps are hardening, and their spores can no longer spread.

High-mountain wind vine: Spring water flows backward in the valley, forcing some vines to wither and cry out for migration.

Human tribes: The villages that relied on shallow wells were the first to feel the thirst. The water below the well was completely covered by black mist.

All factions realized that the Darkroots were not merely hunting the Watchers, but rather seeking to make the entire continent breathe for them.

Under the protection of the Mother Tree in the Light Domain, Seed 237 and its companions held an emergency meeting.

Sprout12 unfolded a hand-drawn root diagram, pointing to the node that had suddenly turned black:

"They planted dark pods at all the major waterway passes and coordinated with each other through the dark web."

This isn't a localized battle...this is a waterway blockade covering the entire continent!

Crimson Vine roared, "If we let them complete this, the entire continent will become a breeding ground for hidden forces!"

237 remained silent for a long time, then suddenly whispered:

"...This means we must wage our first total war."

As the blockade was completed, a deep rumble could be heard throughout the mainland, as if it were coming from underground.

That was not a natural phenomenon, but rather the will of the hidden roots, flowing directly into the ears of all living beings through the water veins:

Water belongs to the root, soil belongs to the root.

You are nothing but floating leaves that parasitize the surface.

Resistance is a state of aridity.

Countless beings trembled in fear, realizing for the first time that the Dark Root was not a hidden infiltrator, but an open declaration of its desire for domination.

The Watchers' gazes were fixed on 237.

Within him, the power that could reverse the flow of water was gradually awakening.

"If the roots of the mainland are obscured by the black net, then we must establish a new light stream."

The potential of the mother tree may be the only breakthrough.

The winds blowing across the plains bring withered and scorched earth.

The first all-out ecological war is about to begin.

When the Dark Root forces' water vein blockade swept across the continent, all races were forced to make a choice.

Water is not only the lifeblood of survival, but also a measure of power.

Some groups chose to seek refuge in exchange for temporary sustenance; others were forced to migrate, yearning for new protection.

The mainland began to split into two distinct trends.

tundra herds

Hunger drove them to submission, and the beast king lowered his giant horns before the Darkroot Water Source.

They were given "black liquid," which caused their fur to become dull and their eyes to turn scarlet after drinking it.

The tundra was thus transformed into the Black Beast Wasteland.

Swamp Mist Spirit

The Mist Spirits originally relied on water vapor to float, but were driven to the brink of despair by the blockade.

The dark roots promised them "eternal moisture" and bestowed upon them seeds of black mist.

From then on, the swamp spirits became shadows, lingering in the night.

Kaolin Vine

They can survive tenaciously in cliffs and mountain springs, and have not yet been completely cut off from water.

Elder Feng Teng chose to wait and see, worried that forming an alliance with any party would lead to a landslide.

Human tribes

Human reactions are the most complex.

Some villages bowed to the dark roots in order to obtain water;

Some tribes sent envoys to secretly contact the Light Realm, hoping to gain a place in the new order.

Seabuckthorn tribe

These tenacious plants growing on the edge of the desert firmly believe that the dark water from their dark roots will only cause the land to die completely.

They voluntarily offered their drought-resistant offshoots, willing to live and die with the Light Domain.

Whispering Reeds

Of the reeds growing along the stream, only a few survived after being eroded by the dark roots.

They chose to follow Hu Zi 237, declaring that they would use their songs to awaken Qing Shui.

Free sprout bean series

Represented by Sprout 12, these free plants, which are not subject to any rule, can freely move between various forces.

They bring intelligence, maintain communication, and become the most crucial "secret envoys" in the Light Domain.

In the central plains of the Mother Tree's Light Domain, a council of the New Alliance is being held.

The branches and leaves of sea buckthorn root themselves in the soil, symbolizing a vow;

The stream and reeds echoed with songs, filling the venue with clear and melodious sounds;

Sprout 12 moved among the tables, piecing together the fragmented intelligence he had obtained from the neutral forces to form the whole picture.

237 looked at all this, but felt even heavier in his heart.

"We are not building an army..."

We are igniting the flame of survival on a continent.

However, on the outskirts of the alliance meeting, a familiar yet cold figure quietly appeared—

That was the second of the new apostles. He did not attack directly, but sat quietly in the shadows listening.

Deep within his eyes were patterns remarkably similar to the radiance of the mother tree, only shrouded in darkness.

The Dark Root forces seem to have known about the alliance's plans all along.

The potential of the mother tree is being forced to awaken more quickly under the impact of this large-scale faction conflict.