"Elder!"
The rangers hurried to Tang Qi's side, ready to arrest and drag him away.
But Elder Bell Deer lightly shook the staff in his hand. Amid a crisp jingle, the treehouse doors rose from the ground, separating Tang Qi from the rangers.
Tang Qi carefully studied the sapling before him. He understood that it was part of the World Tree and also the entrance through which the [Road of Wealth] was delivered. "How long do you intend to keep them asleep? Or do you plan to make sure they never wake again?"
"The ritual cannot be interrupted now, and there is no way to form a barrier. At the very least, they can serve as nourishment for the World Tree. We plan to use this replenished nourishment as spellcasting material for a long-lasting [Sleep Spell]. That should allow the Society members to spend a long time in slumber.
"After today, the consumed materials will have to be gathered again. Fortunately, you recovered the Flail Snail, so we will not need to exhaust ourselves searching for it anew. It should take only about a year.
"When we awaken them again a year from now, perhaps it will have been no more than the blink of an eye for them. The beauty of the past will still remain with them."
"But those people will not wait for you for a year."
Even without Markwen saying it, Tang Qi could guess that a large number of Plague Society members had likely gathered around the outskirts of Ebony Forest.
Whether in dreams or reality, three saplings grew simultaneously to the north, southwest, and southeast of Ebony Forest.
They formed a stable triangular magic formation, each representing one elemental material. Through ritual spellcasting, they took root in the minds of the Society members with