Chapter 35
Sprout 12 passed through the Water Vein Corridor and returned to the Holy Root Square in the Light Domain.
The branches of the mother tree stretched out in the sky, radiating a warm glow.
Everything was as peaceful as usual, but a shadow lingered in his heart.
The defenses he had just completed—no one should know about them.
However, while stealthily moving, the Darkroots guards seemed to be fully aware of the existence of the "Barrier Seed".
This suggests that... someone within the Dark Root faction may have received advance intelligence from within the Light Domain.
Seed237 is chairing the meeting.
When Sprout 12 stepped in, all eyes turned to him.
"Yadou, you're back." Hu Zi's voice was reassuring, but there was a hint of nervousness between her brows.
Sprout 12 handed over fragments of roots collected in the heart of the Dark Roots, still bearing black corrosion lines.
"They've deployed monitoring seed pods in key waterways; I've set up the first line of defense, but—"
He paused slightly, his gaze sweeping across the crowd in the hall, "They seem to know what we're doing much faster than we thought."
Some representatives in the light domain immediately began to whisper among themselves:
"Could someone be leaking our plans?"
"The whereabouts of free plants are too random, perhaps... they cannot be trusted at all."
"The fact that bean sprouts can move freely through the dark roots speaks volumes."
The voice grew increasingly shrill, even taking on a hostile tone.
Sprout 12's fingers clenched unconsciously, and she felt a sharp pain in her heart for the first time.
He knew that his talent was the Light Domain's greatest advantage, but in some people's eyes, it might become a reason for doubt.
Seed 237 took a picture of the branches and leaves, stopping the chaos.
"Enough! Sprout is my most trusted partner. If he had betrayed me, he would never have come back today."
The radiance of the mother tree then spread, drowning out the noise.
Even so, the seeds of doubt had already been quietly sown.
After the meeting, Sprout 12 walked along the Sacred Roots Corridor, her figure appearing particularly lonely.
In the wind, he seemed to hear the cold laughter of the Dark Root guards:
"A free plant, belonging to neither side, will ultimately be suspected by both..."
The bean sprout looked up at the light and shadow of its mother tree, its gaze resolute:
"Whether they trust me or not, I will not back down."
Because only I can traverse all the factions and truly find a way out for Hu Zi and the Light Domain.
At the same time, the Dark Roots Cave.
A deep voice echoed from the shadows:
"As expected, the light domain began to shake."
They will tear themselves apart if they continue to sow seeds of doubt.
In the black soil, a twisted monitoring seed pod is quietly extending its roots toward the direction of the light field...
The Light Curtain Forest, deep within the Light Domain, is usually the most tranquil place, where holy light shines through the leaves, resembling countless flowing river ripples.
But today, there was an unusual atmosphere in the woods.
Several young vine buds whispered to each other:
"Can Sprout 12 really travel freely? Is he really reliable?"
“If the Dark Roots know everything about us, there’s only one explanation—there’s a leaker among us.”
"The mother tree trusts him, but... can we?"
The sound was like dust in the wind, which should have been insignificant, but it was amplified and transmitted.
Seed 237 meditated alone under the mother tree, its roots probing into the ground, yet it sensed a faint and chaotic pulse.
That wasn't an invasion from the hidden roots, but rather... a tremor of internal emotions that transformed into real energy, disrupting the stability of the root system.
“Cracks…cracks are forming within the light domain.”
Hu Zi opened her eyes, her gaze heavy.
Sprout 12 is gifted with the ability to hear the "heartfelt voices" of different plants.
As he traversed the forest of light curtains, he sensed a voice that was all too sharp:
"As long as a point of contact for the hidden root pods is left in the water veins, freedom can be obtained in exchange..."
Sprout 12 suddenly stopped.
This is the thought of betrayal.
He did not appear immediately, but quietly followed the sound.
Deep in the forest, he saw a slender silver-leaved vine secretly burying a dark seed pod in a crack in the water vein.
Those pods, shimmering with a dark light, are the "listening seeds" of the Dark Root.
Sprout 12 emerged from the shadows and whispered:
"What are you doing?"
The silver-leaf vine shuddered and hurriedly stood in front of the seed pods, its leaves trembling with tension.
"I...I just...want freedom! The Light Domain is too restrictive! The Dark Roots promised me that as long as I hand over some water veins, they won't swallow me up!"
Ya Dou's eyes held a complex expression.
"But you know, this step will expose the entire light domain."
Silverleaf Vine was silent for a moment, then suddenly shouted wildly:
"The Light Domain has no chance of winning! No matter how strong the light of the Mother Tree is, it can't stop the expansion of the Dark Roots! Only by surrendering can we survive!"
Sprout 12 reached out and plucked the dark seed pod, a faint light igniting in its palm.
"If you really want freedom, you should protect the land that allows you to breathe."
The Dark Roots don't want you; they want to use you to destroy all their comrades.
Silvervine froze, its eyes flickering between fear and uncertainty.
But in the end, it drooped its leaves in despair, and whispered as if weeping:
"I...I'm just scared."
Sprout 12 did not expose him, but instead handed the seed pod to Seed 237.
"237, suspicion has taken shape."
Within the realm of light, there is not only fear, but also the possibility of a second or third traitor.
The mother tree's radiance gently enveloped 237 and the budding bean, and a voice came from deep within the tree trunk:
“Cracks are inevitable. But that’s precisely why we need to repair them with trust.”
If we only resort to expulsion and punishment, suspicion will grow wildly like spores of a dark root.
We must find a way to truly solidify the realm of light, instead of letting it be driven by fear.
Seed237 took a deep breath.
“Then let’s start with this seed pod and build a new chain of defense and trust.”
The Light Domain Council decided to establish the "Water Vein Guardians," composed of plants from different factions, to supervise each other and prevent any one side from becoming too powerful.
However, the shadows still lurk.
The laughter of the Dark Roots still seemed to echo deep within the earth:
"Trust? Ha... Let the cracks continue to grow."
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