Xiao Han carefully stored the Poison Dragon Lizard's crystal core, then peeled off a few useful pieces of material and casually tossed them into his storage space.
He dusted off his hands and looked up at the unfamiliar primeval forest.
With a gentle tap of the fingertip in the void, the Void Marker] attempted to merge.
It's done.
The spatial barriers in this godforsaken place are actually much looser than those on Blue Star.
He even caught a few wisps of spatial fluctuations, subtle yet real.
"There's hope!"
Xiao Han determined the direction and headed towards the area where the spatial fluctuations were most active.
The sunlight dappled through the trees. After walking for about half an hour, he stopped.
Not far ahead, several deliberately broken tree branches pointed in the same direction, and there were some trampled marks on the ground. Although cleverly concealed, they could not escape his eyes.
He followed the trail, rounded a huge rock, and the sound of water gradually grew louder.
Rumble--
A wide waterfall cascades down from a high cliff, filling the air with mist.
Beyond the waterfall lies a hidden paradise.
The valley was small, and wisps of smoke were rising from the simple thatched roofs of houses.
Dozens of figures moved about in the valley, dressed in a completely different manner from those outside, their bodies wrapped in animal skins, with strange patterns tattooed on their faces and arms.
Xiao Han stepped into the valley, and in an instant, a certain balance within the valley was broken.
"Waaaaah--!"
The sharp sound of a horn shattered the tranquility of the valley.
"Swish!"
In the woods, behind rocks, and in thatched huts, figures suddenly sprang up, wielding simple bone spears and stone axes, and in the blink of an eye, they surrounded Xiao Han completely.
An exceptionally robust young man stepped forward from the crowd, his face adorned with an eagle totem poised to take flight, and a blue bone spear in his hand pointed directly at Xiao Han, exuding the oppressive aura of a fifth-level Martial King Realm.
"Outsider! Trespassing on sacred ground, die!"
The young totem warrior roared, and the totem on his chest burst forth with light, causing his body to grow larger out of thin air.
Speed and power surged to their peak in an instant, the bone spear tearing through the air, transforming into a deadly blue shadow, its target: Xiao Han's throat!
Without uttering a single wasted word, every move was a deadly strike.
"Tsk, that's really wild."
Xiao Han swayed slightly, easily dodging the sharp spearhead.
He casually touched and guided the spear shaft with his fingertips.
The young totem warrior suddenly felt a sudden, unexpected force strike him, causing him to stumble and nearly drop his bone spear.
Within Xiao Han's body, a powerful aura far surpassing that of the Martial King Realm suddenly erupted, its invisible weight pressing down in all directions.
That was the unique pressure belonging to the Twin Martial Souls, spreading out silently.
Every single one of the tribal warriors around them froze in place.
Their arms, gripping their weapons, trembled violently, the bone spears and stone axes clanging together with a loud clatter.
The young man with the eagle totem was the first to be hit. He was forced back several steps by the invisible force, and the veins on his forehead bulged and throbbed.
"Everyone, I'm just passing by, I didn't mean anything by it." Xiao Han spread his hands, his spiritual energy spreading out like ripples on water, conveying goodwill.
From deep within the tribe, a hoarse, aged voice drifted out. "Let him in."
The tribal warriors surrounding Xiao Han looked at each other, reluctantly putting down their weapons, but their vigilance remained undiminished.
Before long, two young girls dressed in plain animal skin skirts, supporting an old woman, came out of the largest stone house in the very center of the tribe.
The old woman's face was etched with deep wrinkles by time, and she held a withered wooden staff in her hand, its original appearance unrecognizable.
She was covered in colorful feathers, which swayed gently as she moved.
The old woman looked Xiao Han up and down, her gaze lingering a moment longer on his chest.
"Distinguished guest from afar, this old woman invites you in," the high priest said.
Xiao Han nodded and followed the high priest into the stone hall built of large stones.
This stone hall is probably their sacred temple.
The hall was quite dark, with only a few unidentified glowing stones providing a faint light that barely illuminated a small area.
"Child, you've come from outside, haven't you?" The high priest sat down on a simple stone chair, his voice sounding somewhat ethereal.
"We call this place the Land of Forgetfulness," the high priest said slowly.
"Long, long ago, in the primordial era, a cataclysmic war shattered a great world."
"This is just a small piece left of that shattered world, separated from your world by countless years."
"We are the descendants who stayed behind to guard the World Tree Remnant Root after the great war."
Xiao Han's heart skipped a beat. The World Tree Remnant Root?
This is way too much information!
"Holy crap, is this melon even ripe?" he wondered to himself.
"High Priest, do you... do you have a way to send me back to Blue Star?" Xiao Han suppressed the turmoil in his heart and quickly asked.
The high priest nodded first, then gently shook his head.
"There's an old, worn-out teleportation array in the tribe that still works."
The high priest sighed, "Exactly, it takes a ton of energy to operate that thing, way too much."
"Moreover, the current situation of our tribe... alas, we're probably barely able to protect ourselves."
She raised her withered hand and pointed to the back of the temple.
There was a spring there, its water exuding a faint life force, but wisps of black mist swirled around it.
"That is the Spring of Life, the source of our tribe's power, and it's also connected to the World Tree Remnant Root. Now, it's been tainted by the Void Demonic Qi."
"If you can help us purify the Spring of Life, I can activate the teleportation array to send you back."
[Ding! Host is facing a special choice; God-Level Choice activated!]
Option A: Safe Purification! Assist the High Priest in the purification ritual. It takes a long time but carries low risk. Rewards: [Life Blessing] (Slightly increases Constitution and affinity for life energy), [Tribal Friendship +50].
[Option B: Delve into the Demon's Lair and Eradicate the Source! Sololy infiltrate the bottom of the Spring of Life, find and destroy the source of the demonic corruption—a sealed Void Evil Demon Remnant Soul Clone. Rewards: [World Tree’s Gift] (A significant evolution opportunity for the Chaos Green Lotus Martial Soul, capable of absorbing a portion of the World Tree Remnant Root's essence), [Voidwalker] title (Increases spatial affinity and reduces the cost of void travel), [Tribal Treasure: Guardian Totem] (Contains the power of tribal faith, allowing you to summon the totem for protection in crucial moments).]
Xiao Han stared at the outrageously generous rewards of Option B, especially the evolution opportunity of the Chaos Green Lotus, his mouth practically watering. Risk? Fortune favors the bold!
"I choose B!" Xiao Han said decisively.
The high priest gave him a deep look, his withered face showing relief mixed with a hint of worry.
The old woman reached into her bosom and pulled out a tender green bud, its life force emanating from it.
She handed the twig to Xiao Han: "This is Guardian Sprout, containing the aura of the World Tree. I hope it can lend you a hand."
"Child, the future of the tribe rests in your hands."
Xiao Han took the Guardian Sprout, and felt the immense life force emanating from it through his palm.
He nodded solemnly, without uttering any unnecessary words.