Chapter 59

The voice did not travel through the air, but resounded directly into the depths of every consciousness, carrying ancient majesty and unquestionable absolute power. It was as if the law itself was proclaiming its judgment.

The entire battlefield froze instantly.

The heavy impact stance of the Armor Vine Warriors of Shattered Shell Ridge froze in mid-air; the surging swamp liquid waves of the Tide Lotus Alliance remained still as if frozen; the flowing shadows of the Shadow Vine Assassins solidified completely, not daring to move an inch.

All the enemies gazed up at the crystalline entity suspended in the air, gripped by a fear stemming from their very survival instincts. It wasn't a simple dread of powerful energy, but rather the trembling of lower-level life forms, as insignificant as dust, when faced with an incomprehensible higher-dimensional being.

Sprout 12's almost transparent body swayed slightly, the unwavering will to die supporting him faltering abruptly due to this unexpected turn of events. He looked up at the sky in disbelief, the radiance cast by that crystal-clear figure was gentle yet incredibly powerful, bringing a sense of solace to his burning very being.

Seed 237 gasped for breath, the tug-of-war between light and shadow within its body temporarily calmed by the intervention of this supreme external force. It stared intently at the descendant, its eyes filled with vigilance, confusion, and a glimmer of hope for survival. It could sense that the other's aura was vast and ancient, somewhat similar to the Mother Tree, yet entirely different, far more…cold and absolute.

Within the three-way alliance, a melee warrior, seemingly the commander of the Shattered Shell Ridge operation, suppressed his fear and spoke in a deep, wary voice: "Who are you? This is an internal matter of the Light Wasteland Plains, you..."

He didn't finish his sentence.

The crystalline entity didn't even make any movement; its "gaze" merely shifted almost imperceptibly.

The layers of incredibly hard vine armor surrounding the speaking warrior instantly and silently turned into the finest crystalline powder, which fluttered down, revealing his terrified body beneath. He himself, however, remained completely unharmed.

Absolute, precise control of power to the point of despair.

"...retreat."

The calm voice rang out again, this time with a clear, definitive meaning.

Without any further hesitation.

The water vein messenger of the Tide Swamp Lotus Alliance was the first to scoop up the swamp liquid that had not yet fallen, and retreated like the tide, burrowing into the underground veins and disappearing without a trace.

The Shadow Vine assassins simply vanished into faint shadows, seeping into the cracks in the ground as if they had never existed.

The warriors of Shattered Shell Ridge carried their commander, who had been stripped of his armor and paralyzed with fear, and rushed towards the edge of the light field with a heavy, frantic speed, even faster than when they arrived, and soon disappeared into the crimson mist.

In the blink of an eye, the battlefield, which had been filled with killing intent and clamor, became deathly silent. Only a scene of devastation remained—scorched earth, broken vine armor, and traces of corrosion—testifying to the fierce battle that had just taken place.

The feeling of oppression disappeared.

The crystalline entity slowly descended, hovering not far from the ground. The radiance flowing around it softened, quietly "watching" down at 237 and Sprout 12, who were supporting each other and almost exhausted.

Sprout 12 could no longer hold on, the burning was almost over, and its transparent body collapsed softly.

Seed 237 struggled to catch him, but was equally weak and could only barely support his dissipating form with its branches and leaves.

"Sprout!" 237's voice was hoarse and anxious as he tried to transfer the little light energy he had just recovered to Sprout 12, only to find that Sprout 12's life essence was as weak as a candle in the wind, and ordinary energy transfer could not sustain it at all.

Just then, a gentle yet irresistible force enveloped them.

The crystalline entity extended a structure resembling a tentacle or a beam of light, gently touching the core of Sprout 12.

A stream of pure light, containing indescribable life energy, flowed into Sprout 12.

Sprout 12's transparent, nearly dissipated body visibly reformed and regained its color. Although it was still extremely weak, the fatal dissipation trend was forcibly stopped, the flame of life stabilized, and it fell into a deep, natural restorative slumber.

237 stared blankly at the scene, utterly shocked. This power, far beyond his comprehension, had easily accomplished what he couldn't achieve even with all his might.

The glistening tendrils turned toward seed 237.

237 instinctively flinched, and the shadowy parasite deep within its body let out a silent, terrified scream, curling up and hiding itself.

The tentacles did not touch him, but hovered in front of him. A cool energy swept over his body, and the severe internal injuries he had suffered from forcibly cutting off energy and unleashing his source were quickly soothed and healed, and his consumed power was significantly replenished.

However, that energy deliberately avoided the lurking shadow deep within his energy channels, and did not attempt to purify or touch it.

Having done all this, the crystalline entity retracted its tentacles and remained suspended quietly, as if observing or waiting.

Seed 237 felt his body recovering, yet remained wary of the other's unfathomable depths and the untapped shadows. He mustered his courage, raised his head, and looked at the being whose face he couldn't see: "Who...are you? Why did you save us?"

The entity remained silent for a moment, then the ethereal voice rang out again:

“My name is ‘Jingyu’. I travel through this world to maintain the balance of decay.”

“The light and energy in this area are abnormally attenuated, and the disturbance is balanced, so I came to investigate.”

“You are all...especially unique.”

Its "gaze" seems to linger more on Seed 237, a gaze that seems to penetrate all appearances and look directly at the contradictory essence of light and shadow intertwined in its core.

"Light and darkness coexist, struggling to survive... Interesting."

"However, this symbiosis is extremely precarious and will eventually lead to its complete collapse."

237's heart tightened suddenly. As expected, the other party had seen through his most fundamental problem at a glance.

"Could you...help me get rid of it?" 237 blurted out, a hint of longing in his voice. This power was so immense, perhaps it really could...

“No.” Jingyu’s answer was cold and direct. “This shadow has become deeply intertwined with your origin. Forcibly separating it would be tantamount to annihilating your existence. My duty is not to redeem the individual, but to maintain the macroscopic balance.”

With hope dashed, 237's heart sank.

"Then... what should we do?" He looked at the sleeping Sprout 12 in his arms, his voice bitter.

"Your very existence is a variable." Jing Yu's voice was completely calm. "The survival of the Light Domain rests on your single thought. Purification? Or... succumb?"

"The external threats have not been eliminated. Although they have temporarily retreated, they will surely return. How will you deal with them then?"

After speaking, Jingyu's crystal-clear body began to rise slowly, and the light around her gradually became dazzling, as if she was preparing to leave.

"Wait!" 237 cried out hastily, "Can't you... do something more? Light Domain..."

“I have intervened to dispel this imbalance.” Jingyu’s voice began to sound distant. “The way to survival must be found by you yourselves. Perhaps… the answer lies not in resistance, but in understanding.”

The light suddenly intensified, so bright that 237 could not look directly at it.

When the bright light faded, the night sky returned to silence, and the waning moon still hung high, the mysterious entity called "Crystal Healing" had vanished without a trace, as if it had never existed.

All that remained was a devastated realm of light, and two individuals who had survived the catastrophe, their futures uncertain.

Seed 237 stood alone in the ruins, holding the sleeping Sprout 12, savoring Crystal's last words.

"The answer lies not in resistance, but in understanding?"

He looked down at his "hands," feeling the shadows that lurked within him, as well as the newly awakened source of light that was entangled with them.

External threats remain, and internal hidden dangers have not been eliminated.

Hope and despair seem to be two sides of the same coin.

He raised his head and looked out at the boundless wasteland beyond the light domain, shrouded in a crimson mist. His eyes were filled with unprecedented confusion and... a heavy determination that had been forcibly ignited.

The only path to survival seemed to be an unknown one, one that had never been imagined and was incredibly treacherous.