Chapter 19
In the depths of the Dark Abyss, the elders of the Root Shadow Society gathered in a lightless cave.
Their sounds were like the rubbing of dry branches:
"The pruning efforts have been thwarted, which indicates that the potential of the mother tree is indeed present."
"In that case, initiate—second-stage harvesting."
Black pods split open underground, and new soldiers were slowly born.
Unlike ordinary tailors, their bodies are covered in flowing dark metal, and their blades can extend with their will.
Even more frightening is that their roots have a natural ability to absorb energy, directly seizing the vitality of severed roots and repairing them.
These new beings are known as the "Harvest Apostles".
After the Battle of the Plateau, the power of the Light Domain had not yet recovered.
The remnants of the Thorn Clan are re-establishing themselves, while the Moss Web Clan is busy repairing their torn webs.
Just then, the earth began to rumble.
Sprout 12 was the first to notice something was wrong, and her eyes suddenly turned cold:
"They didn't give us time to recover... The Reapers are here."
Dozens of Harvest Apostles attacked from the edge of the Dark Domain. Their movements were like a symphony, and the shockwaves that spread out their roots directly destroyed the grass-based barriers along their path.
The air was filled with a rusty, metallic smell.
The Light Domain is ready to fight, but the situation is completely different from the bloody battle on the plateau:
The thorny barrier was instantly cleaved, and the Reaper Apostle's blade could "extend and penetrate," striking directly at the core from behind.
The traps of the mossy web were absorbed and transformed into supplies for the harvesting apostles.
When the free-floating seeds were disturbed, the light network of the mother tree's potential was briefly disrupted.
In a short moment, three gaps were torn open in the light domain defense line.
The Thorn Chieftain roared and charged forward, perishing together with two Harvest Apostles, his bloody sap splattering across the entire battlefield.
Under the crisis, the potential of the mother tree within Seed 237 went berserk once again.
But this time, it's not just about sharing; it's about backfiring.
The light net instantly contracted, causing all the "pulse-absorbing energy" that had been seized by the harvested apostles to flow back in the opposite direction!
Those harvesters who nourished themselves with the roots of the enemy suddenly felt their energy being frantically drained from their bodies.
Cracks appeared in their dark metal roots, and their blades began to sluggish.
Sprout12 exclaimed:
"This is the true potential of the Mother Tree... capable of turning any thief into its own destruction!"
In order to amplify the effect of the backlash, the warriors of the Light Domain deliberately lured the Harvest Apostles to sever their own roots.
Each sacrifice allows more energy to be channeled back at the enemy through the network of potential within the mother tree.
The thorn warriors cried out, "For the Root!" One by one they fell, bringing forth dark cracks within the apostles.
The Harvest Apostles began to waver. They tried to retreat, but were locked in by the Light Web and trapped in a continuous dissipation of energy.
On the plateau, the forces of light and darkness intertwined, transforming into a storm of blood and roots.
As the last Harvest Apostle exploded in the backlash, it turned into a pile of charred fragments.
The battlefield fell into dead silence.
Although the Light Domain won, it was almost completely exhausted.
The Thorn Tribe is reduced to a few scattered remnants, with less than 30% of its original fighting strength remaining.
The moss-covered vegetation is severely damaged and will take several seasons to recover.
The free-living grass was so exhausted that it even lost control of the signals.
Seed 237 nearly fainted as his mother tree potential displayed its "backlash" ability for the first time, but this ability was too heavy and almost caused him to self-destruct.
Sprout 12 lifted him up and whispered:
“You pulled through, but the Dark Domain won’t stop there. Next… they will send out the real Apostles.”
Deep within the Dark Domain, the voice of the Root Shadow Society resounded once more:
"Second-order harvesting failed."
"The potential of the mother tree has the power to backfire, so we must change our strategy."
After a moment of silence, an elder whispered:
"Then—release the third-tier apostle: the pulse devourer."
The Dark Abyss, the Mother Root Palace.
A giant "incubation pool" entwined with black roots churned in a dark red light.
Countless branches, like blood vessels, gather the underground energy of the entire continent here.
A massive plant is breaking out of its shell.
Its trunk is formed from jet-black root marrow, and its surface is inlaid with translucent "crystal veins" through which silver liquid flows.
When it opened its eyes, the underground water veins seemed to tremble at the same time.
"Named the Vein Devourer, a third-tier apostle."
"His existence requires no legion; one man is enough to change the course of the earth."
The elders of the Black Domain chanted softly, as if welcoming a new deity.
Several days later, at the boundary of the light domain, the stream on the plain suddenly stopped flowing.
The springs dried up, the soil cracked, and even the distant mountain waterfalls disappeared overnight.
Sprout 12's expression changed drastically:
"Something's wrong... the entire water vein has been swallowed up!"
As they traced the source, a massive shadow appeared on the horizon.
That wasn't an army, but a solitary, towering black shadow.
With each step it takes, its roots burrow into the earth like deep-sea tentacles, "draining" the underground water and turning it into a silvery sheen on its surface.
The Devourer of the Veins has appeared.
The reconnaissance plant in the light domain was the first to make contact, but it dried up instantly.
Their roots collapsed directly, and their sap was absorbed into the bodies of the Devourers. They turned into empty shells without even uttering a cry of pain.
The Mossy Web Clan attempted to lay their traps, but the entire spiderweb-like web was rolled back, becoming a "replenishment" for the Vein Eaters.
The Thorn Clan charged in fury, but once their sharp thorns pierced an enemy's body, a silver liquid would flow back into them, instantly turning them to ash.
Sprout 12 clenched his fists and muttered:
"This guy... can turn any root vein he touches into his own nourishment... he's a born predator!"
Faced with such an enemy, the potential of the mother tree within Seed 237 stirred once more.
The light net flickered around him, but it was constantly suppressed by the Devourer's Devouring Field.
Once they get close, their light energy is absorbed and quickly converted into the other party's silver energy.
For the first time, the mother tree showed fear.
Seed 237 gritted its teeth and persisted in stretching its roots.
He sensed that the Devourer's body actually contained a "core germplasm" similar to the Mother Tree's potential—
However, it is a darkened copy that was forcibly distorted by the Dark Domain and used to devour all veins.
This means:
"The Vein Eater... is a weapon created by the Dark Domain in reverse, based on the potential of the Mother Tree!"
The warriors of the Light Domain were forced to assemble and attempt to surround and kill the Pulse Eater:
The remnants of the mossy net wove a giant net, attempting to restrict his movements.
The remaining elite of Thorns formed a suicide squad, attempting to seal his roots by perishing together with his own.
The free-floating grass desperately launched wave seeds, disrupting the "devouring field" of the pulse devourer.
However, the effect was limited.
Each time the Devourer consumes something, it grows larger and harder.
He is like a cancer on the earth, draining the water veins and energy of the entire plain into withered bones.
The light domain was on the verge of collapse.
In the most critical moment, Sprout 12 stepped forward.
The "free spirit" within him, which could originally move freely between various forces without restraint, was now being forcibly burned by him.
He rushed into the devouring zone beneath the Devourer's feet, unfurling all his roots and transforming them into an energy lightning rod.
"Come and swallow me! But remember, I will not sink alone—!"
At that moment, he forcibly connected himself with the light network of the mother tree's potential, becoming the energy conductor of seed 237.
The Devourer's field of absorption was briefly interrupted, giving light energy a chance to flow into the battlefield.
The mother tree's potential seized the brief window of opportunity, unleashing a completely new power:
"Reverse Pulse Infusion" - Concentrate all the remaining water vein energy in the light domain and infuse it into the core of the Pulse Devourer.
boom--!
The entire plain trembled, and the underground water system went berserk instantly.
The silver veins on the surface of the Vein Eater's body began to crack, as if they could not withstand the infusion.
However, he did not fall; instead, he slowly raised his head, a strange light flashing in his eyes:
"The power of the mother tree... has finally been revealed."
As soon as he finished speaking, he began to adapt to the reverse irrigation, and the cracks on his body gradually healed.
The air on the battlefield suddenly froze, and an unprecedented fear enveloped the entire area.
—The Devourer is not only capable of devouring, but also learning the potential of the Mother Tree.
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