Plans Can't Keep Up with Changes

Linsey changed her appearance to resemble Kang Qi.

He climbed over the hill at the edge of the secret realm, feigning utter shock, and slowly walked forward.

Due to her personality, Green Fir often had conflicts with other awakened individuals.

If she were to appear, it would only cause the businessmen to turn their anger towards her, and would not give them a chance to instigate internal strife.

Therefore, Green Fir simply concealed her presence and hid to the side to cover Linsey's retreat.

Ahead, Linsey stepped into the desolate and chaotic land.

Along the way, he also paid attention to the damaged plants and the broken ends of the trees exposed on the ground. Some of them showed signs of being cut by cold weapons, but most of them showed an abnormal withered and broken appearance.

"It must be due to the Merchant Skill..."

Linsey analyzed the situation in a low voice.

After passing the Fifth Stage, a merchant's skills are no longer limited to trading with living things; they become more specialized and can even affect everything, making them a versatile tool.

The culprit behind this scene.

It's probably just some 'money' that Ya Li Kun paid.

Continuing forward, Linsey soon ventured deep into the secret realm, only to be stopped by the lake in front of him.

Previously, due to the presence of fog.

Linsey and Green Fir could not see what was happening on the island in the middle of the lake from the outside.

At this moment, this influence has actually turned into an advantage.

Because on the Secret Lake Island, the view from the inside out is also blocked.

The merchants were arguing fiercely and didn't even notice Linsey's arrival.

So he walked smoothly all the way to the water's edge.

No one came out to stop them.

"..."

At this moment, Linsey began to think about a question.

Life Scholar in Sixth Stage.

What is the most convincing way to enter a situation? Ideally, it should demonstrate strength without provoking hostility.

"Um..."

Linsey glanced through her luggage and quickly came up with an idea.

He took out the seeds of the "Gale Water Lily" that he had cultivated earlier and scattered them into the lake in front of him.

Splash—

Soon, sounds rose and fell in the water.

The Gale Water Lily) took root and sprouted at an incredible speed, quickly covering the lake with a lush green expanse, and then spreading out in all directions.

In a short while, the clear lake water turned into a pool of emerald green lotus leaves.

Linsey walked calmly across the lake, stepping on the broad leaves of the "Gale Water Lily," and entered the white mist.

"Look, some strange leaves are growing in the water!"

"Someone's coming!"

Who is it?

This commotion naturally served as a wake-up call for the merchants on the island in the lake.

Countless eyes converged upon her, and Linsey, under their gazes, entered the island in the form of Kang Qi.

"You are... Mr. Kang Qi?"

Just as expected, the businessman immediately recognized Kang Qi's appearance.

The [Gale Water Lily] in the pool has not yet exhausted its source Essence and is still rapidly reproducing and growing, making it extremely eye-catching.

Everyone witnessed this scene.

Subconsciously, I took this exaggerated scene as the skill of Life Scholar.

Aside from deep-seated apprehension, they naturally assumed that the well-connected ' Kang Qi ' in front of them was a genuine person!

"..."

Linsey glanced around.

On the island in the lake, tender green grass spreads out, dotted with countless tiny white or yellow flowers, emitting a faint fragrance.

This place feels like a hidden garden within a secret realm.

However, from the perspective of the Awakened, the density of Essence on the lake island is several times more exaggerated than outside! And the plants growing here are not affected by the forest anomaly.

The tranquil and peaceful atmosphere almost felt unreal.

"This is the guy..."

Linsey quickly found his target on the lake island.

There are merchants from the Riverbank Merchant Guild here, as well as other awakened individuals they have hired.

But the most eye-catching figure is the man in the middle of the lake island.

The other party was dressed in a blue robe and was manipulating his skills, relentlessly using elemental power to disrupt the ley lines beneath the secret realm.

These are the people who attacked the Forest Veins.

Just like the one Linsey had met before, he was an Element Manipulator.

There were also people constantly checking the information seeping from the earth's veins to determine the true core of the entire Forest Veins.

Not far from the two stood a slightly wealthy-looking man dressed in a purple robe.

A sixth-tier merchant— Ya Li Kun.

Linsey had seen the charitable man disguised as a body double before, so she immediately recognized him.

However, it is different from a stunt double.

The genuine product doesn't need any bluffing; it's unassuming in appearance and looks like a kind middle-aged person.

Only the respectful gazes of those around them.

Only then could people clearly recognize his identity as a Sixth Stage awakener.

But Linsey's gaze didn't linger on the other person for long.

Because right there in the crowd, he spotted a familiar figure— Ailini.

The girl who had close ties with the riverbank businesses received a great deal of attention.

She was even invited to this event, which was related to the future of the Chamber of Commerce.

"..."

"No wonder there are green dots on the map."

Linsey gave a bitter smile to herself.

He stepped forward, intending to greet the other party and then, as planned, disrupt the conflict between the merchants:

"Mr. Ya Li Kun, I'm from Nine Bends City ..."

Rumble—

Linsey had just opened her mouth.

Before they could finish speaking, the ground beneath their feet suddenly shook violently.

In an instant, all the flowers and tender grass on the lake island were flattened.

The lake water surrounding them surged as if boiling, with countless bubbles rising from the ground. Even the mist that permeated the vicinity seemed to shift and swirl restlessly.

One second ago, the world was as tranquil as a dreamlike painting.

It immediately turned into a crisis filled with unease!

"What happens?"

"Kang Qi, what did you do?"

The merchant looked completely bewildered.

This sudden turn of events was clearly unexpected, and some people immediately turned their attention to Linsey.

But Linsey was completely confused about the situation at this point.

He hadn't even had a chance to make a move yet! Faced with the hostile stares of the many merchants, Linsey first changed the magic runes on the back of his hand before trying to explain, "Ya Li Kun, I just arrived here myself."

"The Forest Veins are clearly under your control..."

Buzz—

Linsey was interrupted again.

A powerful sense of being stared at suddenly descended upon this land.

All the awakened beings present felt an immense pressure.

A tidal wave of power surged from all around, and even Sixth Stage Awakener was powerless to resist it, as if the opponent was the supreme destiny!

"..."

"The seventh... no, this is the power of the Eighth Stage!"

Someone spoke the truth in a trembling voice.

At the same time, they finally realized the source of this gaze and power.

It was the earth below, the Forest Veins that they had been constantly disturbing!

"Impossible!"

"The Forest Veins are clearly just a simple form of energy; they couldn't possibly possess such a clear consciousness!"

Ya Li Kun was the first to react.

With his left hand, he gripped a claw and squeezed the air, using his skill to crush the conscience and emotions that the merchant didn't need, briefly escaping the oppression of this will.

"Don't panic, everyone!"

"This should just be a subconscious change in the forest as a whole, it can't be a force that exists in a physical form!"

Ya Li Kun was trying his best to control the situation.

Beside the lake, Linsey looked somewhat bewildered.

He could feel the gaze upon him and understand the pressure felt by those around him.

But Linsey didn't feel any pressure on herself.

What he sensed from that gaze was a kind of intimacy, even a kind of submissiveness and flattery!