Secret Agreement

Under cover of the thick fog, Jialan silently approached the nearest Sun Fruit Tree. His movements were extraordinarily careful, every step placed precisely where it would make no sound. When he was still three meters from the tree, he stopped and cautiously took out the Little Green Bottle he never showed anyone from deep within his Spatial Bag.

Jialan's fingers trembled slightly as he pulled out the stopper. The decision was extremely risky, but he had no other choice now. He carefully tilted the bottle and let a single crystalline drop fall onto the tree's exposed roots.

In an instant, a horrifying change occurred.

The tree seemed to have been infused with violent vitality and began growing madly at a speed visible to the naked eye. Its roots twisted and writhed like awakened giant pythons, while thick branches lashed through the air with terrifying cracking sounds. Even more horrifying, the sacred golden patterns on its trunk instantly turned a ferocious dark red, as though some evil power had been injected into it.

"What's going on?!" the Dark Flame Mage cried out, narrowly dodging a sweeping branch in a miserable scramble. His once elegant and composed bearing was completely gone, and a tear had been ripped into his robe by the branch.

Worse still, the tree's madness seemed to trigger a chain reaction. The roots of several nearby Sun Fruit Trees also began to writhe restlessly. The patterns beneath their bark flickered brightly and dimly, releasing unstable waves of energy. The entire ground of Shadow Valley began to tremble faintly, as though some enormous creature were awakening underground.

The High Warrior entangled in battle with Argyle no longer dared to continue attacking. He turned and rushed toward the nearest rampaging fruit tree, his face full of anxiety. "Control them quickly!" he shouted at his companions.

Argyle was equally anxious; after all, Sun Fruit was also the purpose of their journey. Taking advantage of the chaos, Jialan followed closely behind Argyle, putting on an extremely worried expression. On the surface, he frantically tried to control the rampaging fruit trees, but in truth, he was secretly observing the changes in the situation. The mutated Sun Fruit Trees had completely lost control. Their thick roots wriggled across the ground like giant pythons, and their branches wildly lashed at everything around them. The soldiers of the Aus Empire dodged the attacks in utter disarray, and the scene was a complete mess.

Just as expected... Jialan thought. These fruit trees possess traits of both plants and animals. The green liquid triggered their berserk state. He noticed that the golden patterns on the trunks had entirely turned dark red, while the fruits had begun to emit an ominous black glow.

Just as everyone was scrambling about in panic, an intense wave of magical power suddenly came from the horizon. Jialan looked up and saw two figures tearing through the air, moving so quickly that they left a trail of afterimages behind them. As they drew closer, a suffocating pressure enveloped the entirety of Shadow Valley.

Jialan felt his spiritual power completely suppressed, unable to cast even the simplest spell. He struggled to look up and make out the newcomers. The one half a step behind was unmistakably the Wind Element High Mage who had driven Jialan and the others into the ruins last time. Yet now, he respectfully followed behind an old man in black robes. The old man's face was sinister, and Fire Element magic power so dense it seemed tangible swirled around him. A mere sweep of his gaze sent chills down one's spine.

"At... at least an Archmage..." Jialan swallowed with difficulty, cold sweat soaking his back. A powerhouse of that level could reduce him to ashes with a single thought.

At that critical moment, a cold snort came from afar, shattering the oppressive pressure like a clap of thunder. Jialan immediately felt the weight on his body lift, and his suppressed spiritual power became active once more. Everyone turned to look and saw Raymond, deputy commander of the Seventh Legion, striding toward them. With every step he took, the ground trembled slightly, and waves of battle aura so dense they seemed tangible radiated from his body.

Even more surprising was that Calvin, the accompanying High Mage, followed close behind at astonishing speed. His feet hovered barely an inch above the ground, yet he moved as swiftly as if he were flying, his robe snapping loudly behind him.

"What happened?" Raymond's voice rumbled through the valley like muffled thunder. Surprisingly, his tone carried a hint of familiarity, as though he and the black-robed old man were old acquaintances.

The black-robed old man fixed his cold gaze on the High Warrior. The warrior immediately bowed his head, cold sweat beading on his forehead. "Lord Archmage, as in previous years, we were competing with the Longsheng Empire's team to determine the distribution rights for the Sun Fruit. But for some reason, these Sun Fruit Trees suddenly went berserk..."

Jialan's heart nearly stopped. Competition? Distribution rights? The words exploded in his mind, forming a string of questions. He secretly looked at Argyle, only to find that the Light Knight's face was utterly expressionless, as though he had known all along.

Raymond and Calvin exchanged a meaningful glance. Then Calvin stepped forward and lightly tapped the ground with his staff. A gentle ripple of magic spread outward, and the berserk fruit trees miraculously calmed down. Although the dark-red patterns on their trunks had not faded, they at least stopped attacking. Yet no one noticed that the temporarily soothed Sun Fruit Trees were quietly extending their roots underground, wriggling toward the spatial rift...

"It seems we arrived at just the right time." Calvin's voice was gentle, yet carried unquestionable authority. "These fruit trees were clearly tampered with deliberately. Shouldn't the Aus Empire explain why it broke the rules for no reason?"

The black-robed old man gave a cold laugh. The gem atop his staff flashed with a dangerous red light. "That is what I should be asking. Your people from the Longsheng Empire are here as well. Perhaps you were the ones intending to sabotage the Sun Fruit Trees?"

The atmosphere instantly became tense. Raymond's hand had already gripped his sword hilt, while dark-red light began gathering at the tip of the black-robed old man's staff. Yet strangely, both of them deliberately restrained their power, as though each had something to fear.

"Enough!" Calvin suddenly raised his voice, and his robe billowed without wind. "We all know perfectly well that a full-scale fight here will benefit no one."

The black-robed old man narrowed his eyes, and the shadows between his wrinkles deepened. "Then what do you want? This year's yield was already scarce, and now more than half has been destroyed. We are determined to obtain this year's Sun Fruit..."

Raymond and Calvin looked at each other. Raymond shouted, "You took seventy percent last year, and now you want all of it this year? Do you think the sword in my hand is just for show?!"

The Wind Element mage who had remained silent behind the black-robed old man suddenly let out a cold laugh. "Then let's fight. In any case, to let the Sun Fruit absorb more Shadow energy and increase its yield, your two nations have secretly enlarged the rift several times already. This time, why not simply open it completely? That way, the Sun Fruit Trees can bear even more fruit." His voice suddenly became shrill. "As for the Shadow Beasts that escape, let the Holy See worry about them! All these years, our Dark Council has truly been hounded until there was nowhere to go in heaven or earth. It is time for these old bones of mine to finally rest!"