After thinking for a while, Linde's eyes flashed with a hint of data, as if he had grasped the key.
By the way, he has the [Activation Aura], which is not just used for treatment or enhancement; its essence is the precise manipulation and perception of "life activity".
As long as we don't directly trespass into that sensitive natural sanctuary in the "Starry Sky Apostle," a creation that embodies Zedo technology and cold steel, but instead approach it in a more discreet and "natural" way, we might be able to significantly reduce the rejection reaction.
He quickly devised a new plan.
After calibrating its direction, the "Starry Sky Apostle" took off again, heading towards the location of the Eternal Silent Forest.
As Kel'Thalas said, the Everlasting Forest is located in a vast area at the border of the Elven Kingdom and the Dwarven Red Mountain Kingdom, in the northeastern part of the continent.
Even at the "Starry Sky Apostle's" extreme speed, it took more than a month to traverse such a long distance.
Fortunately, the journey was smooth and uneventful, and no more legendary creatures as powerful as the golden dragon or other unexpected events were encountered, making the trip very successful.
When the sensors of the "Starry Sky Apostle" finally captured the vast green sea known as the forbidden zone of life, Linde, even though he was mentally prepared, could not help but be moved by the sensory scene fed back by the [Activation Aura].
Unlike the solid and blazing life force of the golden dragon Kael'thas, the forest ahead emanated a sense of... a qualitative change brought about by boundless quantitative change!
Through the unique perspective of the halo, Linde "saw" not a single powerful source of life, but billions of plants, vines, fungi, insects, birds, beasts... countless life activities, some weak and some strong, intertwined together to form a surging, boundless ocean of life force!
These activities are not chaotic; they seem to be connected and coordinated by an invisible and enormous network, like a colossal life form, with every breath and every pulse synchronized, exuding an ancient, profound, exclusive, and majestic collective will.
This forest is alive! It is a unified whole!
The "Starry Sky Apostle" slowly descended, eventually hovering over a relatively open gravel beach near a winding river at the edge of the forest.
Linde did not rush to land, but instead conducted a series of thorough scans and probes.
The forest above is vibrant and teeming with life, teeming with diverse species.
The forest below was eerily quiet.
The towering ancient trees block out the sun, their thick canopies almost completely obscuring the light, making the area beneath them appear dark and deep.
Thick vines coiled around the tree trunks like pythons, and all sorts of unfamiliar, strangely colored ferns and mosses covered every inch of the ground and rocks.
The air was thick with a dampness that carried the scent of decaying leaves and fertile soil, and a kind of... stagnant, ancient atmosphere.
There were no birdsong or animal roars, only the rustling of the wind through the leaves at different heights and the murmuring of the flowing river.
But this silence is not deathly stillness; rather, it contains a chilling "activity" that is being watched by countless eyes in the shadows.
Linden could sense that the entire forest's "attention" seemed to have been partially focused on him, this uninvited guest.
An invisible, heavy pressure began to spread, and the surrounding air seemed to become thicker.
We can't go any further.
Linde piloted the "Starry Sky Apostle" to slowly descend onto the gravel beach. The eerie blue light faded, and the massive machine resembled a sleeping behemoth, creating a stark contrast with the surrounding primitive natural environment.
The hatch slid open silently.
Linde did not leave immediately, but instead activated the [Activation Aura] to its fullest extent, adjusting it to an extremely precise state.
The power of the halo no longer radiates outward, but rather converges inward, tightly enveloping him and simulating a highly restrained, almost "natural" life fluctuation.
He carefully stripped away all the "alien" auras belonging to the Steel Sky, Zedo Technology, Crystal Creation, and Shadow Abyss from his own energy, trying his best to disguise himself as an individual with exceptionally strong vitality, but whose essence still belonged to the "natural realm"—like a naturally powerful druid or some kind of humanoid natural spirit.
At the same time, he emitted extremely faint, tentative signals of "friendliness" and "respect" to the surrounding forest through his halo, gently touching that vast network of life like knocking on a door.
After doing all this, Lin Decai stepped out of the cockpit and onto the damp ground at the edge of the Eternal Silent Forest.
Instantly, the immense sense of life pressure became even clearer and more direct.
The soil beneath his feet was soft and elastic, brimming with life. The ancient trees around him stood silently, their "gaze" seemingly able to penetrate the disguise of the [Activation Aura] and examine his most core essence.
Linde did not make any rash moves, but simply stood quietly in place, maintaining the operation of the halo and continuously radiating the idea of peace and respect.
Time passed little by little.
The forest's sense of rejection didn't seem to intensify, but it didn't diminish either. The feeling of being constantly monitored remained.
Linde knew that simply standing on the periphery was not enough. He needed to delve deeper, to find an opportunity to communicate with that collective will, with the "deep-rooted elder" Valak.
He began to move slowly forward, taking light steps, trying to avoid stepping on the moss or fungi that looked particularly lush.
【Activation Aura】Like the most sophisticated radar, it constantly senses the "emotional" feedback of the surrounding life.
When he gets close to certain types of ancient trees or areas, his sense of repulsion intensifies; while when he passes through areas with flowing springs or forest clearings bathed in rare sunlight, the pressure lessens slightly.
He was like someone walking through a minefield, carefully choosing his path, guided by the halo.
The deeper you go, the dimmer the light becomes, and the older and larger the trees appear. Some trees have trunks that are over ten meters in diameter, and their bark is covered with deep grooves, as if recording thousands of years of history.
He began to see strange sights: mushroom rings emitting a soft glow; silver-thread trees whose leaves moved without wind, as if whispering secrets; and once, he even glimpsed a humanoid creature made entirely of vines and leaves flashing by in the distant dense forest, which was definitely not an ordinary animal or magical beast.
The "vitality" of the forest is revealed in ways beyond imagination.
Suddenly, a strong warning sounded from the [Activation Aura]!
On the path ahead, the tangled tree roots and intertwined vines began to slowly wriggle and grow as if they were alive, quickly weaving together to form a dense, impenetrable barrier that blocked the way.
At the same time, from the depths of the woods on both sides came a sickening rustling sound and heavy footsteps.
Several enormous figures slowly emerged from the shadows—
It was a colossal humanoid structure forcibly blended together from ancient wood, hard rock, moist soil, and lush green plants—the Forest Colossus!
They are over five meters tall, and their steps are heavy, causing the ground to tremble slightly with each step.
The rough "face" has only two hollow holes that shimmer with an eerie green light, locking onto Lind. Their arms could be huge hardwood mallets or thorny vine whips.
The pure, cold, natural fury transformed into a tangible guardian.
Linde stopped in his tracks, his heart sinking.
The worst-case scenario still occurred. The collective will of the forest ultimately determined that he was an "outsider" that needed to be removed.
It would be foolish to fight against the fury of the entire forest. But retreating is not an option either.
Linde took a deep breath, a faint purple light flashing in his eyes.
Instead of attacking or retreating, he instantly boosted the power of the [Activation Aura] to a new level!
But this time, the power of the halo was not used to strengthen itself, nor to attack, but rather... to resonate!
With himself at the core, he used the highly concentrated power representing the origin of "life vitality" as the finest carving knife to simulate the fluctuation frequency of the ancient collective will deep in the forest and attempted to establish a connection with it!
He was no longer sending vague signals of "friendliness," but rather conveying a clear and direct intention, like a stone thrown into a deep pool:
"Seek wisdom, not destruction! Find the way! Pay homage to antiquity!"
This thought, imbued with pure life force and attempting to resonate with the forest, acted like a strange harmonizing agent, causing the approaching forest colossi to noticeably pause.
The eerie green light flashing in their eyes momentarily became chaotic, as if a conflict had occurred within their internal commands.
Is it to carry out the order of expulsion and destruction? Or... to respond to this strange call, imbued with a sense of shared origin?
The wriggling vines and roots around them also slowed down.
The forest's immense collective will seemed to hesitate and become curious, like an ancient giant hearing for the first time a strange sound that was both unfamiliar and seemed to contain its own language.
Linde maintained the output of the aura and the transmission of mental energy, remaining motionless, as if he had transformed into a tree in the forest.
He was gambling, gambling that the will of this ancient forest, besides its exclusion and protection, also contained a higher level of curiosity and exploration of "life" itself.
It's possible that this "deep-rooted old man" Valak hasn't completely lost his independent consciousness; perhaps... he's also observing this visitor who can "converse" with him in such a peculiar way.
The stalemate continued in silence.
The forest colossus stood frozen in place like a sculpture, with only the green light in its eyes flickering.
Time seemed to become viscous and long.
Just as Linde thought the attempt was about to fail and was preparing to activate the backup plan—
The thick barrier in front, made of tree roots and vines, began to rustle softly from its very center.
As if possessing a sense of self, those resilient plants slowly retreated to both sides, wriggling and contracting, eventually... forming a secluded and tranquil path that could only accommodate one person at a time.
The path leads into the darker depths of the forest, where the air is filled with a more intense and ancient life force than the surrounding area.
At the same time, the green light in the eyes of those forest colossi returned to stability, but they were no longer aggressive. Instead, they slowly retreated and disappeared back into the dark forest as if they had never been there.
The obstruction has disappeared.
A "permitted" road quietly unfolded before Linde.
Lind slowly exhaled, knowing that his bet seemed to have worked.
He withdrew some of the power of his aura, remaining highly vigilant and respectful, and stepped into the secluded path.
The trees on both sides of the path are even older and more unusual, with some branches naturally growing into arch-like shapes.
The light grew dimmer, with only moss and fungi emitting a faint blue or pale green glow providing illumination, like guiding streetlights.
The ancient will in the air became clearer. It was still majestic, but the previous rejection and hostility had greatly diminished, replaced by a silent...guidance and observation.
Lind knew he was being led to the heart of the forest, to the being who was one with nature—"The Deep-Rooted Elder" Valak.
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