Chapter 32
The failure of the Riftwalkers plunged the Darkroot Council into a brief silence.
With his cracked fingers, Corrosive Root traced the map of the continent, finally fixing his gaze on the Holy Domain: "Since infiltration is ineffective, then let's just—blockade it."
Bai Jinzhi coldly echoed, "It prevents the Holy Domain from communicating with the outside world. If the Root Seal loses its circulating bloodline, it will eventually collapse due to backlash."
Therefore, the Dark Root Council mobilized its four branches simultaneously:
Bloodthorn Guard – responsible for establishing the first "thorn barrier" in the northern Iron Plains.
The Wandering Vine Clan – Infiltrates the eastern marshes to lay down the "Phantom Root Web".
White Ash Branches – stationed in the barren southern valleys, severing the earth's veins through burning.
The Bone-Eating Root Cluster—guarding the western stone ridge, burying "vein-devouring stones" underground.
From four directions, like four black nails, they were driven into the outer perimeter of the Plains Sanctuary.
A new tool for monitoring seed pods, resembling transparent seeds, is implanted in key water veins.
They can monitor the vibrations of underground water flow in real time, and once they detect any anomalies, they will transform into a spore army to intercept them.
Sprout 12 sneaked into the outer perimeter to investigate, and returned with an unprecedentedly solemn expression.
"Damn it... They're not just setting up defenses, they're trying to change the very essence of the entire continent."
Once completed, all flows will bypass the Sanctuary, and you will become an isolated island.
In the lakeside square, the pillars glowed with soft light, illuminating the gathered allies.
Elder Ye roared, "They want to suffocate the Holy Domain! If the lifeblood is cut off, our children simply won't survive!"
Sprout12 added in a low voice: "This is not just an encirclement and suppression, but a reconstruction of the earth's veins. They are rewriting the continent itself."
Seed 237 listens quietly to the shimmering root imprint on the palm.
He spoke slowly: "If they want to blockade... we have to break their ring."
Several days later, in the northern Iron Plains.
The thorny barrier of the Bloodthorn Guard has grown tall, like a city wall made of flesh and iron spikes, stretching across the land.
The roots flow beneath the barrier, yet are constantly torn apart and reassembled, emitting a painful pulse.
Seed 237 led his team to the scene, facing the main force of Dark Root for the first time.
Sprout 12 led the way through the thorns, but was intercepted halfway by dozens of Bloodthorn Guards.
In the air, roots intertwine to form a web, and a deadly threat surges forth like a tide.
“From now on, it’s not just about lurking and guarding.” 237 took a deep breath, and the root mark shone brightly.
The pulse of the sacred realm deep within the lake emanated from afar, transforming into a stream of white light that rushed along his arm toward the battlefield.
The earth trembled, and the Bloodthorn Guard's barrier faced its first direct attack from the Holy Domain.
The sky was heavy with gray clouds, and the air was filled with a rusty smell.
On the spine of the earth, the Bloodthorn Guards had already completed their masterpiece—
A thorny barrier: hundreds of meters long blood vines and iron thorns intertwine, like a giant beast lying on the ground, devouring all the roots that flow through it.
Blood-red sap seeped continuously from the base of the barrier; it was the groaning of the plundered water veins.
Inside the barrier, the banners of the Dark Roots stood tall, and the armor of the Thorn Guards gleamed with black light, waiting coldly.
The team led by Seed237 stopped in front of the barrier.
Those who accompanied him included:
Sprout 12 – A free-roaming knight who sneaks into gaps in barriers to find weaknesses;
Elder Ye dispatched guardian rattan soldiers—dozens of plant warriors covered in thick leaves;
The water spirit veins of the sacred lake center—condensed into several streams of light, ready to explode at any moment.
237 raised his hand, and the root seal shimmered. For the first time, the power of the Mother Tree in the heart of the lake crossed the plains and flowed into the blood of the explorers.
The leaves of the vine soldiers glowed with a white fluorescence, and the flow rate of the water spirit suddenly increased.
Sprout 12 grinned: "So this is your Holy Land's trump card."
The leader of the Bloodthorn Guard, a giant thorn bush covered in iron spikes, slowly rose from the center of the barrier.
Its sound is deep and has a metallic, abrasive quality:
"The Holy Land... has finally taken its first step. Unfortunately, you're too late."
As soon as he finished speaking, the barrier began to close, as if to seal off the entire land.
Dozens of blood vines lashed down like snakes, fiercely striking towards Team 237.
"Defend the position!"
The guardian rattan soldiers responded in unison, their leaves overlapping to form a green shield wall.
The blood vines slammed down, shattering the shield wall, but the holy light re-entered and forcibly repaired the cracks.
The battle is at a stalemate.
Just as the shield wall was about to be completely crushed, Seed 237 clasped his hands together, and the root seal suddenly shone brightly.
The power of the Mother Tree in the heart of the lake travels thousands of miles, surging up from the earth to Tieyuan.
boom!
The earth cracked open, and a white, root-like rainbow shot into the sky, striking directly at the core of the barrier.
The thorny barrier emitted a sharp, mournful cry, as if countless living beings were wailing simultaneously.
"How is this possible... The power of the Mother Tree can transcend boundaries!" For the first time, the Bloodthorn Guard leader's voice carried fear.
Taking advantage of the collision, Sprout 12 transformed into a streak of green and flashed into the depths of the barrier.
He darted through the gaps in the blood vines like a fish and found a monitoring pod that was functioning.
Sprout 12 clasped her hands together and said softly, "I'm sorry, but please lend us your seeds as a breakthrough point."
After saying that, he stuffed the fragment of the Holy Light Vein into the seed pod and forcibly altered its signal.
Instantly, parts of the barrier experienced reverse oscillations, and the blood vines lost control, strangling each other.
Taking advantage of the momentary chaos, 237 roared and led the rattan soldiers and the water spirit group in a simultaneous attack.
The light roots of the sacred realm merged with the water veins in the heart of the lake, transforming into a massive waterfall of light that crashed down on the left wing of the barrier.
The barrier of blood and iron finally cracked at this moment.
A breach leading to the northern border was forcibly broken through.
The leader of the Thorn Guard roared in anger, but it was too late to stop it.
As the barrier was breached, the light roots of the Holy Land rapidly extended, piercing into the Iron Plains and beginning to reconnect with the plundered roots.
In the wind and snow, a corner of the barrier collapsed, forcing the Dark Roots to retreat.
Sprout 12 dragged his battered body back to 237's side, grinning as he said:
"Ha... At least now the mainland knows that the Holy Domain is not just a defensive turtle shell."
237 looked at the still-wriggling remnants of thorns in the distance, but felt no relief whatsoever.
Because he understood that this was only the first step in the Dark Roots' "blockade plan".
The real war has only just begun.
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