Dividing into Three Paths

Jialan remembered the Necromancer they encountered in the Misty Forest last time. They had suspected a larger force behind the opponent then, and now it seemed that guess was likely correct.

"That Sun Fruit..." Jialan suddenly thought of something, lowering their voice even further, "Is it meant to counter the undead? I heard it has a special purifying effect on Dark creatures."

Argyle's footsteps paused imperceptibly. "Partially correct. But its true purpose..." The Light Knight stopped himself, as if hesitant about something. The night before they departed, he had received a letter from his family, and was already getting close to the truth of the matter.

The group trudged through the thick snow for another half a day, finally nearing the entrance to Shadow Valley. The closer they got, the less snow there was on the ground; it was as if this place could control the weather itself. Argyle raised his hand, signaling the team to halt. He stared intently at the entrance to the valley, shrouded in thick fog, the muscles beneath his armor visibly tensing.

Jialan followed his gaze and couldn't help but hold their breath. At the entrance to Shadow Valley, several twisted black thorns writhed unnervingly, as if alive. The thorns had an unnatural oily sheen on their surface, and their sharp barbs were coated with a suspicious dark red substance.

"Something's not right..." Argyle's hand returned to his sword hilt, his voice extremely low. "These thorns shouldn't be growing at this season."

Albert cautiously approached to observe, the old Mage's brow furrowing tighter. "Someone cast a Dark Nourishment Spell here. Judging by the growth of these thorns, the caster is at least a high-level Necromancer." He reached out and lightly touched the surface of a thorn, then quickly retracted his hand. "It seems we aren't the only ones after this valley."

Argyle pondered for a moment, then decisively made his decision. "The team is too conspicuous. We'll split up. Two Mages and three soldiers per team, forming three small squads to act independently, maintaining crystal communication."

He turned to Jialan. "You're with me, plus three elite soldiers. We'll go collect the Sun Fruit. Albert, take another team to collect Shadow Crystals. The rest will be responsible for the Star Brilliance Grass."

Jialan noticed Argyle deliberately lowering his voice when assigning tasks, as if he didn't want others to hear the details of their group's mission.

After the teams were formed, Argyle pulled Jialan aside. "Listen, the Sun Fruit grows in the deepest part of Shadow Valley, where the forces of Dark and Light converge. It's very unstable." The Light Knight's eyes were unusually serious. "I need you to remain vigilant at all times, especially for any abnormal magical fluctuations." Jialan nodded and discreetly checked their equipment.

The three small squads separated at the valley entrance, each proceeding along different routes. Jialan followed closely behind Argyle, with three fully armed elite soldiers behind them. They moved silently through the twisted woods, each step taken with extreme caution.

As they ventured deeper into the valley, the surrounding scenery became increasingly bizarre. The black trees' branches twisted into agonized human shapes, and scattered bones were frequently visible on the ground. Most unsettling was the sweet, putrid smell that permeated the air, making one dizzy if inhaled for too long.

"Put this on." Argyle handed everyone a medicinal-soaked mask. "It can filter out most of the poisonous gas." Jialan took the mask but didn't put it on immediately. Their sharp gaze swept over the strange surroundings, and their hands quickly formed seals as Jialan softly chanted a series of incantations. Their voice was quiet but carried an undeniable sense of power.

"Focus on casting!"

A clear blue light burst from their fingertips, like a divine awakening pouring into their mind from the crown of their head. A flash of blue light flickered in Jialan's pupils, and their thoughts immediately became exceptionally clear.

Argyle and the three soldiers watched this scene in astonishment. Before they could react, Jialan had already begun their second spell.

"Mental Revelation!"

A silver-white halo formed above their head, descending slowly like a crown before disappearing into their hair. As the halo merged, the world within Jialan's perception became incredibly detailed. They could clearly "see" the flow of every trace of Mana around them, even the tiny Dark particles in the air were nowhere to hide.

"Mind Guard!"

A pale golden barrier quietly unfolded in their spiritual world, like the most loyal guard resisting potential mental intrusions. The Dark aura permeating Shadow Valley was completely isolated, unable to affect their mind any longer.

Finally, they interlocked their index fingers and thumbs, forming a triangle aimed at their eyes. "True Sight!" A sharp glint flashed in their pupils, and the mist before them seemed to be torn open by an invisible hand, revealing the hidden scenery within the fog with sudden clarity.

This series of fluid spell enhancements took only a few breaths. Various magical lights flashed and disappeared on Jialan one after another, leaving Argyle and the three soldiers dumbfounded. They had never seen a Mage cast so many buff spells on themselves in such a short period.

"You..." Argyle showed a rare expression of surprise. "These spells..."

Jialan calmly put on the gas mask. "Although Multiple Casting consumes a lot of Mana, it's worth the risk in a place like this."

Argyle gave them a deep look, said nothing further, and simply made a gesture to advance.

As they delved deeper into the valley, Jialan's caution proved to be correct.

Under the enhancement of "True Sight," Jialan repeatedly detected hidden deadly traps in the mist ahead of time. Those seemingly ordinary black thorns were actually covered in spikes capable of piercing steel armor, and their surface shimmered with a suspicious purplish-black luster. Beneath the seemingly flat snow on the ground lay bottomless crevices, their edges adorned with eerie ice crystals.

"Stop!" Jialan suddenly reached out to block a soldier who was about to step forward. The soldier's boot was only an inch away from what appeared to be "ground." When Jialan illuminated the area with a "Light Spell," everyone gasped in shock—it wasn't ground at all, but a cleverly disguised magical illusion. Below it was a deep pit filled with poisoned spikes, and a few corpses were vaguely visible at the bottom.

"They look like soldiers from the Aus Empire..." Argyle examined the corpses closely, his expression grim. "They haven't been dead for more than three days."

Most horrifying was that these corpses were already exhibiting signs of undeath—their skin had an unnatural grayish-blue hue, and their fingernails had become sharp and black.

The three elite soldiers unconsciously stood straighter, their gazes towards Jialan now tinged with a degree of awe. In a place like Shadow Valley, an astute Spellcaster could often determine the life or death of the entire team.