Awakened King Tree

After Rana's Memory left, Lin Feng continued playing with the remaining Aranara. Only after nearly collapsing from exhaustion did he finally complete the epic achievement of playing with every single Aranara.

Looking at the hundreds of flowers in his hands, Lin Feng wondered how he was supposed to weave so many more flowers than there had been in the game into a garland.

Feeling the gratitude and trust nearly overflowing from the flowers, Lin Feng gained an entirely new understanding of just how desperately the Aranara wished to eradicate the Withering.

When he arrived at the center of Vanarana, the Song Gatherers who had long been prepared noticed Lin Feng's arrival and happily began jumping around.

"His strength and heart shine as brilliantly as the sun. His name is Nara Lin Feng," praised the little brownish-yellow mushroom.

"Gold beneath the sun, white light in the forest. His name is Xiao Bai."

For once, Xiao Bai, who had always followed Lin Feng, had not been left behind.

"Nara Lin Feng, Xiao Xiaobai!"

"You've come. Everyone has been very happy during this Utsava Festival."

The green Laramoth and the brown village chief Rana Raga came forward to offer their congratulations.

"Thank you, everyone. Xiao Bai and I had a lot of fun too."

Lin Feng smiled and admitted his fondness for the Aranara.

"Yes. In the stories, the most important part of the Utsava Festival is for Nara friends and Aranara to sing together. Song Gatherers, are you ready?"

Rana Raga asked the Song Gatherers.

"Yes! We are ready. This dream has waited for a long time. Whether trees or green grass, all hope to hear Nara and Aranara sing together once more."

Rana Gavi, the brownish-yellow little mushroom, excitedly shook the leaves atop its head. It was clearly looking forward immensely to this first joint song in five hundred years.

At the Aranara's earnest invitation, Lin Feng joined the final chorus.

Though he merely hummed softly along with the melody, when he noticed the excited gazes of the countless Aranara around him, Lin Feng still felt the weighty trust and expectations resting upon him.

At the end of the Utsava Festival, Lin Feng accepted the woven garland from Laramoth. As he placed the especially gorgeous wreath upon his head, he silently made a certain resolution.

"This flower crown is the blessing we Aranara give to our most beloved Nara. It is the blessing of all Vanarana."

Rana Raga said this to Lin Feng, who gladly accepted the garland.

"Please thank everyone in Vanarana for me." Lin Feng was a little moved.

"I should be thanking Nara Lin Feng! We are all so happy that you accepted our flowers—happier than after soaking up enough sun, drinking enough sweet water, and dreaming beautiful dreams."

The green Laramoth danced through the air as he spoke.

After bidding farewell to the adorable little ones of Vanarana, Lin Feng and Laramoth, his "guide" carrying five Vanarana Fruits, set out toward the destination of this journey.

Lin Feng had initially only hoped to gain power through the Vijnana Fruit, but after the Utsava Festival, he had come to genuinely like these innocent little fellows.

As for resolving the Withering Manifestation, Lin Feng had originally prepared two plans.

The first, and best-case scenario, was that the Awakened King Tree had not yet been tainted. After consuming the Vijnana Fruit, Lin Feng would rely on the power he gained and the Aranara's help to gradually unseal the layers, just as in the game, before finally defeating the Withering Manifestation with his enhanced strength.

For Lin Feng, who already possessed dream adaptability, his utilization of the Vijnana Fruit would far surpass Rana's in the game. Moreover, by analyzing the dream-related Authority contained within the Vijnana Fruit, Lin Feng could accomplish a goal he had wanted to achieve ever since crossing over—linking Xiao Bai's mind with his own, allowing Lin Feng to help him control and sort through the power within his body.

As long as Xiao Bai could slowly gain control over his own power, even if only by a little, almost no one in Teyvat would be able to threaten Lin Feng again.

But if the Awakened King Tree had been contaminated, Lin Feng's original plan had been to follow the process from the game: have Laramoth absorb the memories of the Awakened King Tree and Rana's Memory, assist him in defeating the Withering Manifestation, and finally pick the Vijnana Fruit from the new Awakened King Tree.

But was he really willing to do that now? Lin Feng hesitated.

After spending this time together, Lin Feng had come to recognize these little fellows as his friends. Innocent and pure, yet wholeheartedly considerate of one another, the Aranara were undoubtedly the perfect companions.

Though sprouting and growing was a seed's destiny, Lin Feng, as a human, still could not easily treat a dependable friend as a price to be sacrificed in order to achieve his own goal.

With his heart tangled in conflict, Lin Feng eventually arrived before the Awakened King Tree.

Sensing the faint aura of the Withering emanating from the Awakened King Tree, Lin Feng let out a long sigh.

"Stop, Laramoth."

Lin Feng called out to Laramoth, who had been preparing to enter the Awakened King Tree's dream.

Everything could have ended safely if he simply followed the game's development, but Lin Feng, having crossed over into this world, still wanted to make as many changes of his own as possible.

In the end, Lin Feng entered the Awakened King Tree alone and cleared the Withering from its dream.

Calling over the utterly Doubts-filled Laramoth, Lin Feng set off on the return journey.

"The Awakened King Tree has been contaminated. Until the Withering is completely cleared, it can no longer bear Vijnana Fruit. Wait for me a little longer," Lin Feng told Laramoth.

After soothing the somewhat helpless Laramoth, Lin Feng told him that he had a solution. At most, it would take one month. Before the effects of the Utsava Festival faded, he would definitely come find him again.

And so, after confirming Laramoth's return, Lin Feng began his final preparations with Xiao Bai.

"Lin Feng, are you sure you want to bury yourself here?" Tighnari looked at Lin Feng, whom he had not seen for some time, and wondered whether he had eaten some of Farbod's mushrooms.

"Yes, at the Statue of the Seven in that part of the rainforest hardly anyone visits. In a moment, I'll dig a pit and lie down in it. If I don't wake up, please make sure to come wake me after three weeks." Lin Feng made the request to Tighnari before him with a perfectly sincere expression.

"All right. If you're serious, I'll help you."

Tighnari sighed. Having grown accustomed to Lin Feng's wild ideas, he ultimately agreed to this extremely bizarre request.

"Thanks. Of all the people I could think of, you're still the most reliable!"

Lin Feng breathed a sigh of relief when Tighnari agreed.

"Come to think of it, why do you look especially exhausted? Did something happen?"

Seeing Tighnari looking as though he had been worked to the bone, Lin Feng asked curiously.

Tighnari shot Lin Feng a resentful glance and complained:

"You have the nerve to ask?"

"Wasn't it because a certain former Forest Ranger gave Gandharva Ville a massive renovation? The scene was so spectacular that passersby thought a god had manifested."

"As word spread from one person to ten, then from ten to a hundred, it somehow turned into the absurd rumor that staying in Gandharva Ville could earn you a Vision."

Tighnari fiercely glared twice at a certain someone who had increased his workload without even realizing it.

Lin Feng: "..." I was careless.

He had only wanted to restore Gandharva Ville, which had looked obviously run-down, but he had not expected it to cause such an effect.

After apologizing to Tighnari, Lin Feng, too embarrassed to show his face, hurried to the Statue of the Seven in the forest and began his pre-battle preparations.