Chapter 53 Emerald Elegy and Straight Male Photosynthesis Plus
Emerald Elegy and Straight Photosynthesis Plus
Qingluo's anxious message was like a pour of cold water, instantly extinguishing the fleeting joy within the Rotroot Nest. The pure life force emanating from the Jianmu fragments was still warm, but it couldn't dispel the heavy gloom that suddenly settled over everyone's hearts.
"Damn it! It never ends!" Li Jiuyou spat blood-stained saliva, the fierce gleam in his scarlet eyes not fading, but only intensifying his fury. He snatched up the jade-soft Jianmu branch—it felt slightly cool to the touch, and a surge of vitality flowed through his palm. The ruptured wound on his arm instantly felt numb and healed, and even the demonic fire within him tamed a little. This thing was truly a treasure.
Jiang Xuelan's face remained pale, but his icy blue eyes were as sharp as ever. He quickly retracted Qingluo's message vines and brushed his fingertips across the Frost Silence sword, shaking off the foul ice crystals that had stained it. "Let's go!"
Needless to say, the five of them (including the turtle) immediately turned back the way they came. This time, with the Jianmu fragments clearing the way, the situation was completely different!
Li Jiuyou held the fragment in front, the scarlet-gold vine robe burning like a beacon in the dim maze of rotten roots. The emerald green light emanating from the Jianmu fragments spread out softly yet steadily, like tangible waves. Wherever the light touched, the slippery, sticky dark green fungal mats withered and hardened, as if encountering a natural enemy, turning into dry ash. On the surfaces of the wriggling rotten roots, disgusting pustules and cracks shrank and scabbed over at a visible speed, revealing the dark brown wood grain beneath. Even more surprising, the dark red nightmare vines lurking in the shadows, ready to move, shimmered in the emerald green light like vampires caught in direct sunlight, emitting a sizzling sound. The dark red spots on the vines quickly dimmed and shrank, and the entire vine curled up and retreated into the deeper shadows, not daring to approach even a little closer!
"Tsk tsk, this stuff works better than insecticide!" Xuanjia rested on Mangu's shoulder, his eyes shining. "It's like a walking purifier! Li boy, hold it up high! Let me shine it on this old turtle too, to get rid of the bad luck!"
Li Jiuyou rolled his eyes in annoyance, but subconsciously raised the Jianmu fragment higher. A emerald green light enveloped them all, and they could now move forward without any obstacles! They were no longer stepping on sticky fungal mats, but on dry, hardened ground. The air also became much fresher, the stench of decay replaced by the fresh, plant-based fragrance of the Jianmu trees.
Jiang Xuelan followed closely behind, his ice-blue vine robe spotless and his steps steady. The icy blue glow of the newly formed vine patterns on his arms seemed to resonate subtly with the emerald green glow as they approached the Jianmu fragments, flowing more smoothly. He silently felt the Jianmu energy nourishing his internal injuries and... its subtle soothing effect on the dormant God-Slaying Gu in his lower back. Hope, like a spark cast into the icy plains, was faint but real.
Ah Che's face flushed red, a mixture of excitement and nervousness. His pure wood spirit energy, as if inspired by the Jianmu fragments, circulated automatically, forming a thin, tender green halo around him that complemented the emerald green of the Jianmu tree, as if silently responding to the call of the ancient sacred tree. Man Gu, carrying the bone club, faithfully stood by Ah Che's side, his large, copper-bell-like eyes warily scanning the rapidly receding darkness ahead.
The return journey was remarkably smooth, almost sprinting through the rotten root maze. As they emerged from the archway formed by twisted vines and bathed in the soft light of the Emerald Forest's outer reaches, the sight before them made everyone gasp!
In the distance, the massive vine dome suspended above the Emerald Dream Lake—the "Emerald Heart"—was completely engulfed by dense, dark red, almost black vines that wriggled like living creatures! Those vines, like countless massive, blood-stained veins, wedged themselves deeply into the emerald vine barrier! The dome, which had once radiated a warm green light, now dimmed, like a candle in the wind. Emerald green vine fragments continuously crumbled and fell from its surface, strangled by the filthy vines, dropping into the shimmering Dream Lake below, stirring up dismal ripples!
The entire Emerald Forest groaned in agony. The luster of the towering trees dimmed, the dangling, glowing flowers withered, and the air was filled with the scent of despair and decay. Countless Dryads gathered at the forest's edge, wailing mournfully toward the tainted dome. Young Dryad children hid behind their mothers, their large amber eyes filled with fear.
Qingluo rushed forward anxiously, her face pale. "Hurry! The barrier is about to collapse! Those black vines are growing from the roots inside the dome! Grandma is supporting the core, but her power has also been eroded by the pollution!"
Jiang Xuelan and Li Jiuyou exchanged a glance, each seeing the solemnity in the other's eyes. Inside the dome!
"Let's go!" Li Jiuyou shouted softly and handed the Jianmu fragment to Jiang Xuelan, "Ice face, take it! This thing suits your cold air better!" He subconsciously avoided direct contact with Jiang Xuelan's hand, as if the ice vine clothes still retained the vibration of Yue Luquan's heartbeat.
Jiang Xuelan accepted the fragment without hesitation. Icy-blue immortal energy surged in, and the fragment glowed with a vibrant emerald light! He transformed into a stream of light and charged first, heading for the massive vine base connecting the dome to the center of the Emerald Dream Lake below! Li Jiuyou followed closely behind, his crimson-gold demonic fire clearing the way. Man Gu scooped up A Che, and Xuan Jia clutched Man Gu's shoulder armor tightly, struggling to keep up.
The entrance to the base had been sealed by filthy vines, emitting a suffocating aura of decadence. Jiang Xuelan held a fragment of Jianmu in his hand, and a emerald green glow pierced the darkness like a sharp sword! The filthy vines hissed sharply, withering and retreating as if burned, revealing a crack barely wide enough for one person to pass through, which continuously oozed foul mucus!
Everyone rushed in without hesitation!
The scene inside the dome is shocking!
The vast space, once a temple of life, constructed from emerald vines, now resembled a hellish den. The thick, main vines supporting the dome had been largely overrun, entangled, and assimilated by the dark red, nearly black, filthy vines! Like an ugly tumor clinging to a jade disk! A sticky, dark red liquid, like blood, oozed from the cracks in the tightened vines, dripping into the murky, fetid pool below. The air was thick with the stench of blood and the sweet, cloying smell of decay.
At the center of the dome, a stout, emerald-hued main vine stood, like the backbone supporting the heavens and the earth. Grandma Green Vine sat cross-legged, suspended before this main vine! She placed her hands on the vine's surface, her deep green vine robe fluttering in the wind, and silver strands danced through her dark green hair. A vast, pure life force continuously surged from her body, pouring into the main vine, desperately resisting the spiderweb-like dark red veins of filth spreading from within. But her face was as pale as paper, a trickle of dark green juice oozing from the corner of her mouth. The wooden staff in her hand, inlaid with charred leaves, had lost its luster, and even tiny cracks appeared on the shaft. The emerald halo surrounding her was being continuously eroded and compressed by the dark red veins of filth!
"Mother-in-law!" Qingluo screamed in shock, tears welling up in her eyes.
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