Chapter 34
The circular stone council hall has a virtual mother tree in the center, which is entwined by vines of light.
Whenever the roots of the continent tremble, its branches shimmer, reflecting the changes in the external landscape.
The appearance of the Ash Apostle cast a shadow over the hearts of all members of the Light Realm.
For several days in a row, the resonance of the mother tree seemed urgent and restless.
Elder "Liuquan Changying" spoke first, his voice heavy:
"The encounter at the dried-up lake has been confirmed. In addition to the Dark Root, a new mutated type has emerged—the Fire of the Burning Root."
Another elder, "Liulizhi," frowned: "If it is allowed to spread, the underground water veins will be burned, not just decayed, but completely destroyed."
The atmosphere in the council chamber was tense.
The Light Seed warriors and scholars present all realized that:
—The power of the Ash Apostles may be even more difficult to contain than the corruption of the Darkroot.
As the discussion gradually became increasingly agitated, Sprout12 suddenly raised her hand with a smile:
"Everyone, don't forget one fact."
He nimbly circled around to the phantom of the mother tree, his finger tracing a water vein in the air.
"Although the fire that burns the roots is terrifying, it needs fuel."
Without sufficient roots and water veins, it cannot sustain itself.
Everyone in the council chamber was taken aback.
Sprout12 continued: "In other words, it's impossible for it to ignite the entire continent at the same time."
We can limit its spread by finding the 'source of fire' it inevitably passes through.
Seed237 listened quietly, but the words of the Ash Apostle before his departure echoed in his mind:
"Has the Mother Tree begun to teach you true power?"
That statement was not only a threat, but also a kind of proclamation.
The Ash Apostle seemed to know better than anyone else that the Mother Tree was awakening, and that he was merely a "trial" being performed ahead of time.
Liu Quan Changying nodded slowly: "Ya Dou is right."
Since burning the roots requires fuel, we need to deploy a 'reverse vein barrier' to establish protection at critical points.
“But these nodes are scattered all over the continent, and conventional forces simply can’t reach them in time.” Liulizhi frowned.
Sprout 12 blinked and suddenly smiled: "Then why don't you leave it to me?"
My identity exists between light and darkness, which allows me to establish my presence without attracting attention.
As for the risks—”
He shrugged. "Free sprouts are born to live in risk."
Ultimately, the council reached a consensus:
Seed 237 is responsible for tracking the new power bestowed by the mother tree to fight against the Ashfire.
Sprout 12 secretly sneaks to set up barriers at key water vein nodes.
For the first time, the Holy Land will deploy "Root Vein Defense" across the entire continent.
When the light and shadow faded, the council chamber returned to silence.
Seed 237 gazed at the illusory image of the mother tree, a thought surfacing in its mind but never uttered:
The appearance of the Ash Apostles may just be the first card played by the Darkroots.
Sprout 12 ventured into the heart of the Dark Root forces.
The soil here is a sickly grayish-black, and the water veins look like scorched veins, accompanied by a pungent smell when they flow.
The outer shell of his vine pods tightened, disguising him as an ordinary, dark-rooted plant.
This innate ability to camouflage is a gift from free plants—
He can move between different factions without being easily exposed.
But this time, he knew in his heart:
He didn't come to visit; he came to set up defenses.
He took out the "reverse vein barrier seed" bestowed by the mother tree from the vine bag.
It is a translucent pod of light, like a pulsating heart, radiating a gentle, rippling water-like rhythm.
Sprout 12 bent down and buried the first barrier seed in the black soil.
Instantly, the surrounding dark roots twitched violently, as if they were being scorched.
The light pods quietly merged into the water veins, transforming into a protective layer that was almost imperceptible.
"First point: success."
Sprout 12 murmured softly, a hint of confidence flashing in his eyes.
However, just as he was about to continue his stealthy advance, a low rumble came from the darkness ahead.
"...There is a scent of light."
A tall, dark root guardian crawled out of the soil, its body made of tangled, withered roots, its eyes flashing with scarlet fire.
It opened its mouth, and a corrosive smell filled the air.
Sprout 12 felt a tightness in her chest.
This area is clearly a remote, outlying area, so why are there guards?
The guard approached slowly, his voice low: "Who are you? This land should not have outsiders."
Sprout 12 quickly adjusted his breathing, activated his disguise, and concealed his entire aura as the rotten smell of Dark Root.
“I’m just passing through,” he replied in a low, husky voice.
The guard sized him up and suddenly sneered, "If you really are You Gen, then prove it to me."
Join us and hand over your seed pods—otherwise, you'll be a spy for the Light Realm.
At that moment, Sprout 12 sensed a strong sense of danger.
If the Barrier Seed falls into the hands of the Dark Root, all defense plans will be exposed instantly.
A choice flashed through his mind:
If I refuse, my whereabouts will probably be exposed immediately;
If you pretend to hand it over, you'll still have to find a chance to take it back.
Sprout 12's lips curled up slightly, as if she were casually spreading out her palm.
A small pod slowly fell and landed on the black soil.
Just as the guard reached out to investigate, the pod suddenly burst open, emitting a ring of tiny waves of light.
The guard staggered, and a layer of his roots was shaved off.
Sprout 12 took the opportunity to slide into the ground and quickly escaped with the help of the water vein's underground current.
His heart was pounding, but he couldn't suppress a smile.
"Fortunately, we prepared false seed pods."
However, from the deeper darkness, an even colder voice whispered:
"Sure enough, they've started deploying defenses along the waterways..."
Interesting, free plant, looks like you deserve to be watched closely.
Invisible tentacles slowly stretched out underground.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
