Secret Agreement

Under the cover of the thick fog, Jialan crept silently towards the nearest Sun Fruit tree. His movements were extremely cautious, each step landing precisely in a spot that wouldn't make a sound. When he was still three meters away from the fruit tree, he stopped and carefully took out the Little Green Bottle, which he never showed anyone, from the depths of his Spatial Bag.

Jialan's fingers trembled slightly as he uncorked the bottle. This decision carried immense risk, but there was no other choice at this moment. He tilted the bottle carefully, letting a drop of crystal-clear liquid fall onto the exposed roots of the tree.

In an instant, a terrifying change occurred.

The tree seemed to be injected with a wild vitality, beginning to grow at a speed visible to the naked eye. Its roots writhed like awakened pythons, and its thick branches whipped the air, producing terrifying ripping sounds. Even more horrifying, the sacred golden patterns on the trunk instantly turned a ferocious dark red, as if injected with some evil power.

"What's going on?!" the Dark Flame Mage exclaimed, clumsily dodging a sweeping branch. His originally elegant and composed demeanor vanished completely, and his mage robe was torn by a branch.

Worse still, the tree's frenzy seemed to have triggered a chain reaction. The roots of several surrounding Sun Fruit trees also began to stir restlessly, the patterns beneath their bark flickering, emitting unstable energy fluctuations. The ground of the entire Shadow Valley began to tremble slightly, as if some colossal being was awakening underground.

The High Warrior, who was locked in combat with Argyle, no longer cared about attacking. He turned and rushed towards the nearest rampaging fruit tree, his face etched with anxiety. "Quick, control them!" he shouted to his companions.

Argyle was also anxious, as their objective was the Sun Fruit. Taking advantage of the chaos, Jialan followed closely behind Argyle, feigning extreme distress. While he appeared to be frantically trying to control the rampaging fruit trees, he was secretly observing the unfolding situation. The mutated Sun Fruit trees were now completely out of control, their thick roots writhing on the ground like giant pythons, their branches wildly lashing out at everything around them. The soldiers of the Aus Empire were in disarray, dodging the attacks, and the scene was chaotic.

"Just as I thought..." Jialan mused inwardly. "These fruit trees possess characteristics of both plants and animals. The green liquid has activated their berserk state." He noticed that the golden patterns on the tree trunks had completely turned dark red, and the fruits had begun to emit an ominous black glow.

Just as everyone was scrambling, a strong Mana fluctuation suddenly came from the horizon. Jialan looked up and saw two figures breaking through the air, their speed leaving a trail of afterimages in the sky. As they approached, a suffocating pressure enveloped the entire Shadow Valley.

Jialan felt his Mental Power completely suppressed, unable to even cast the simplest spell. He looked up with difficulty and recognized the figures. The one trailing half a step behind was the Wind Element High Mage who had previously forced Jialan and the others into the Ruins. However, he was now respectfully following a black-robed elder. The elder had a sinister expression, surrounded by tangible Fire Element Mana, and a mere glance from him sent shivers down one's spine.

"At... at least an Archmage-level existence..." Jialan swallowed with difficulty, cold sweat soaking his back. A powerhouse of this level could obliterate him with a single thought.

At this critical juncture, a cold snort echoed from afar, breaking the heavy pressure like a thunderclap. Jialan felt a lightness spread through him as his suppressed Mental Power reactivated. Everyone turned to see Raymond, the deputy commander of the Seventh Legion, striding towards them. With every step he took, the ground trembled slightly, and his body exuded tangible Battle Qi fluctuations.

Even more surprisingly, the accompanying High Mage Calvin followed close behind at an astonishing speed. His feet were barely an inch off the ground, yet he moved as fast as if flying, his mage robe billowing behind him.

"What's going on?" Raymond's voice boomed through the valley like muffled thunder. Surprisingly, his tone carried a hint of familiarity, as if he were acquainted with the black-robed elder.

The black-robed elder cast his sinister gaze upon the High Warrior. The warrior immediately bowed his head, cold sweat beading on his forehead. "Your Excellency Archmage, as we have done in previous years, we are holding a competition with a team from the Longsheng Empire to decide the distribution rights of the Sun Fruit. But for some reason, these Sun Fruit trees suddenly went berserk..."

Jialan's heart almost stopped. Competition? Distribution rights? These words exploded in his mind, forming a cascade of questions. He secretly glanced at Argyle, only to find the Light Knight's expression unchanged, as if he had known all along.

Raymond and Calvin exchanged a meaningful glance. Then, Calvin stepped forward and tapped the ground with his Staff. A gentle magical ripple spread out, and the rampaging fruit trees miraculously calmed down. Although the dark red patterns on their trunks remained, they at least stopped attacking. However, no one noticed that the temporarily pacified Sun Fruit trees were quietly extending their roots underground, wriggling towards the spatial rift...

"It seems we've arrived just in time," Calvin said, his voice gentle yet undeniably authoritative. "These fruit trees have clearly been interfered with. Should the Aus Empire explain why they are breaking the rules without reason?"

The black-robed elder sneered, the gem on his Staff flashing with a dangerous red light. "I should be asking you that. People from your Longsheng Empire are also here. Perhaps you intended to sabotage the Sun Fruit trees?"

The atmosphere instantly became tense. Raymond's hand was already on his sword hilt, and the black-robed elder's Staff began to gather dark red light. Strangely, both of them deliberately suppressed their power, seemingly wary of something.

"Enough!" Calvin suddenly raised his voice, his mage robe billowing as if in a strong wind. "We all know that fighting here will benefit no one."

The black-robed elder narrowed his eyes, the shadows in his wrinkles deepening. "Then what do you want? The yield this year is already scarce, and now more than half has been destroyed. We are determined to have the Sun Fruit this year..."

Raymond and Calvin exchanged a look. Raymond roared, "You took seventy percent last year, and now you want it all? Do you think the sword in my hand is just for show!"

The Wind Element Mage behind the black-robed elder, who had been silent all along, suddenly let out a cold laugh. "Then let's fight. Anyway, to allow the Sun Fruit to absorb more Shadow energy and increase its yield, your two countries have secretly expanded the rift several times. This time, let's just open it completely, and the Sun Fruit trees will bear more fruit." His voice suddenly turned sharp. "As for the Shadow Beasts that escape, let the Holy See deal with them! Over the years, we in the Dark Council have truly been cornered with nowhere to run or hide. It's time for this old bone to rest!"