Apam Woods

Although clearing the Withering had delayed him a little, Lin Feng still reached his destination—Apam Woods—within two days.

As he looked at the countless towering mushrooms before him, each glowing with a dim blue radiance, Lin Feng was once again shocked by Teyvat's unique ecology.

—From the soft black earth rose countless mushrooms as immense as giant trees. Their stalks had completely lignified, feeling like old rainforest trees to the touch. Their enormous caps were thick and sturdy enough to support the weight of several adults.

Under the moonlight, countless mushroom caps emitted a beautiful blue glow, creating a dreamlike and fantastical atmosphere.

Though captivated by the beauty of this foreign world, Lin Feng had not forgotten his purpose—open the path to the Apam Woods Spirit and clear the massive Tumor of the Withering formed from accumulated Withering power within.

Releasing his dream energy, Lin Feng began sensing for Aranakin, Ranjiru, and Ranaga, the three little Aranara lingering nearby.

"Found them!"

It did not take long for Lin Feng to discover an Aranara responding to him. With a step, he sped toward the source of the response.

Looking at the Aranara before him, with its brownish-yellow cap and pink limbs, Lin Feng knew this had to be Aranakin, one of the three little ones.

The pink flower atop the adorable little fellow's head spun continuously, helping Aranakin float through the air like a bamboo dragonfly.

Aranakin stayed quietly where it was. It did not show any surprise upon seeing Lin Feng—unexpectedly, it was an Aranara that was not afraid of people.

"Hello, little fellow. My name is Lin Feng, and this is Xiao Bai. At Lesser Lord Kusanali's request, we came to help you heal the Apam Woods Spirit," Lin Feng introduced himself to Aranakin.

"Aranakin is not a little fellow! Aranakin is Aranakin!"

Aranakin looked at Lin Feng, bounced in the air, and protested.

"Never mind that. I'll do everything I can to help you clear the Withering. Tell me about your original plan first, Aranakin."

Lin Feng went straight to the point.

Aranakin seemed unexpectedly mature among the Aranara. It looked at Lin Feng and spoke with clear logic:

"First, we need to find 'Sumeru Rose.' 'Sumeru Rose' is the tiny glowing light, just like my song!"

"But to find 'Sumeru Rose,' we need 'Kusava.'"

"'Kusava' is the temporary home of Aranara memories. It gives Aranara strength."

"Stop!" Listening to Aranakin's endless explanation, Lin Feng felt as though he were looking at a chain of quests within a game.

"If I'm not mistaken, you have two more companions named Ranjiru and Ranaga, right? And they'll also ask me to find some special spirit herbs?" Lin Feng asked.

"Eh? Nara Lin Feng is so smart! It's fresh jui—"

Aranakin revealed a shocked expression, its tiny eyes turning into two circles.

"If we follow your method, it'll be far too troublesome. Can you call Ranjiru and Ranaga over first?"

"I want to see whether I can awaken 'Yama' on my own and enter the 'Apam Woods Spirit.'"

Eager to skip ahead, Lin Feng intended to go directly to the final step.

"But without the power of spirit medicine, we cannot perform the 'Aranyaka' ritual. Without the power of 'tree' and 'grass,' 'Yama' does not want to wake from its beautiful dream."

Aranakin was clearly somewhat Doubts.

"Don't worry, I naturally have my confidence. If you don't believe me, take a look at this."

Lin Feng activated his Elemental Mastery: Dendro, mixing the gathered Elemental Power with his will and aura before compressing it into a droplet of liquid that shimmered with green light.

The moment Aranakin saw that green droplet, it leaped up excitedly.

"That's wonderful! It is the power of 'grass'! The memory of 'Sumeru Rose' does not need to be eaten!"

"I'll go call Ranjiru and Ranaga back right away! We'll perform the 'Aranyaka' ritual at 'the hour when the moon reaches the zenith'!"

After saying that, Aranakin vanished.

Watching the excited little fellow, Lin Feng could understand why it was so happy.

The original Aranyaka ritual required the memories of three Aranara to be blended with three kinds of spirit medicine before they could finally obtain a spirit medicine called "Aranyaka."

After completing the ritual, the Aranara would gradually lose their memories. This was extremely cruel to them, because memories were the most precious things an Aranara possessed. Forgetting their friends would make the innocent Aranara sad.

A short while later, besides Aranakin, a yellow mushroom and a little green bok choy appeared before Lin Feng. They were the Aranara named Ranaga and Ranjiru, respectively.

Looking at the three little ones before him, Lin Feng could not help sighing. If his memory had not improved after transmigrating, merely remembering all these names would have been enough to torment him.

"Hello, Ranaga and Ranjiru. I'm Lin Feng, and this is Xiao Bai. This is what I intend to use in place of the Aranyaka spirit medicine. Feel it and see whether it will work."

Lin Feng introduced himself again while handing the Aranara the droplet of condensed liquid that could be called "divine power."

"So amazing! It is the power of 'grass'! Padisarah can be saved!" the green Ranjiru said, hopping in the air.

"Gogo Nara is amazing! Now we do not have to find Viparyas!" Ranaga, who looked like a yellow mushroom, said happily as well.

"That's great, then. Since it works, and it's almost midnight, can we begin preparing the ritual?" Relieved that he had successfully skipped the steps, Lin Feng asked in a more relaxed tone.

"Yes, we can begin soon. This time, we do not need to make spirit medicine. We only need to wait until 'the hour when the moon reaches the zenith' to awaken 'Yama'!"

The three Aranara spoke in unison. As thanks for not having to lose their memories, they each offered a flower, seemingly as gifts.

"Nara Lin Feng, clearing Marana makes friend. Gift from friend, accept."

"Thank you. I'll keep them safe." Knowing the special significance flowers held for the Aranara, Lin Feng gratefully accepted the gifts from these innocent little fellows.

After a brief rest, midnight finally arrived.

The three Aranara began singing beneath the clear moonlight.

Thinking back on this one-night speedrun of Vimana Agama,

Lin Feng once again felt the beauty of power.

Puzzles? What puzzles? Just smash them to pieces!

Raising his head toward the massive mushroom, "Yama," awakened by that droplet of divine power, and the entrance to the "Apam Woods Spirit" exposed beneath it,

Lin Feng took a deep breath and prepared to face the final challenge of this mission—the gigantic Tumor of the Withering.