Granting Strength

Zed covered his eyes and struggled in pain. Alanta and Riven immediately carried him away..•°¤*(¯`★´¯)*¤° °¤*(¯´★`¯)*¤°•.

Luo, standing to the side, seemed bewildered. We quickly approached the light source to ask why, and he pointed to the colored light source beside him and said:

"It's alive! The sacred tree is alive!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the colorful light disappeared, and the divine tree returned to its former state.

This is an ancient tree, its bark somewhat blackened, its intertwined branches no longer distinguishable by their veins, and a human face growing from the middle of its trunk, which can even speak:

"It seems something big has happened in Ionia. What were those dark auras just now?"

Luo felt a little guilty, after all, he was the one who had brought the calamity here, but at this point, he could no longer hide it:

"Those are the Vastaya, attempting to bring darkness to Runeterra. They came to Mirkwood in search of Vastaya Xerath."

"Do you know what Vastaya Xerath is? And what does it mean to this dense forest?"

"The legendary creators, without Vastaya Xerath, there would be no such dense forest, nor would there be the Vastaya."

"Then why did you bring the enemy here? Aren't you afraid of causing utter destruction to this place?"

"I think it's just a legend. Vastaya Xerath doesn't exist at all, because no one has ever seen one, not even now when everyone is suffering!"

"I am Xerath, the creator of this dense forest, the matchmaker between humans and wild beasts."

Luo was shocked upon hearing this, and not only him, even Wukong's eyes widened. "What? The Divine Tree is Vastaya Xerath?"

"Little monkey, you often play on me, don't you feel anything is wrong?"

"Mmm... I can feel your body is warm."

"Heh, these guys called Vastaya are probably after my power. They've come here many times already..."

"Um, I'm sorry to interrupt you, but could you please save my friend?" Xia had already fainted from blood loss, and Luo was extremely anxious, begging Vastaya Xerath to save her.

"I won't specifically save her, but I will share my strength with a few of you. Whether we can save her or not, I don't know."

Xerath Vastaya speaking, it once again burst forth with seven-colored light, as beautiful as a rainbow. Soon, the lush foliage disappeared, and it transformed into a woman with limbs and torso no different from a human, but her head was covered with branches, like a female version of Ivern.

She spread her arms, and in each palm were four pretty round, candy-like balls of different colors.

She handed the yellow candy to Luo: "Although you like to bicker, you are absolutely loyal to your partner. I'm entrusting this protective power to you. If Xia survives, this power will allow you to protect her well."

The crimson candy was fed to Xia: "Xia is an impatient child, and sometimes she might be a bit domineering, but she's just as loyal to you. If she wakes up, this attack power will make Feather's penetration stronger, effectively countering the Vastaya's defenses."

"Thank you, and thank you on behalf of Xia!"

The colorful candy was handed to Niko: "You're the last remaining member of the Mistail Tribe. Because of your innocent and carefree nature, you're not suited for combat, so this power of transformation is entrusted to you. It can be used to save your life in crucial moments."

"The power of change? Niko can change now too!"

"Your current transformations are merely superficial; this power would grant you both the appearance and strength of a Transformer."

Wow! That's amazing! Does that mean Niko is as strong as Yasuo?

"Theoretically, it's possible, but you lack the mental fortitude of a fighter and won't be able to unleash your full potential. Don't overestimate yourself."

→

"Oh, okay, thank you."

The green candy was handed to Nidalee: "You have a burning heart for battle and masterful hunting skills, but your strength is insufficient. This enhancement will help you become a fierce hunter. Go forth and fight to your heart's content!"

Thank you for your help!

The pink candy was handed to Ahri: "Little fox, do you remember me?"

"I remember! You saved me when I was being chased by a Carnivorous Beasts!"

"Your memory is not bad. You are a descendant of the Nine-Tailed Fox Tribe as ancient as the Mistail Tribe, and are skilled in illusion magic, but you don't seem to be very proficient in it."

"Yes, I have no memories of my family. I was disliked as a child, and no one taught me anything."

"People don't despise you, they fear you. No one can break the nine-tailed fox's illusions, and they're afraid of becoming infatuated with you and never waking up."

"But I haven't hurt anyone, so why are they afraid of me?"

"You'll understand later. Swallowing this illusionary power will help you unleash your full potential. Remember, never express love to anyone, or you'll harm them!"

"Yes, I've got it!"

The moment Ahri swallowed the pink candy, nine large, fluffy white tails suddenly sprouted from her waist, startling her.

"Huh? Why was my hiding place removed?"

"Without a tail, you can't unleash your power. How are you going to deal with those called Vastaya in the future?"

"Yes, I understand, Lady Xerath!"

Wukong couldn't wait any longer. "Lord Divine Tree, isn't it my turn yet? I've been with you the longest!"

"Don't rush, little monkey, you have the Adamantine Strength." Vastaya Xerath said, handing him the grey candy.

"Adamantine Strength? What does that mean? I don't understand. Does it mean you'll be even stronger in a fight?"

"I just saw your fight with the enemy. You wielded the staff very well; there's no need for further training. This power is mainly for strengthening your body. You're naturally impulsive and like to fight to the death, so you can't do without a strong body."

"Okay, okay, that's exactly what I want – a strong body!"

There were eight candies in total. Apart from the six Vastaya, only the Sword Saint and I were left. I originally thought this was a unique tradition for them, but it turns out that everyone who saw it got a share.

She handed the red candy to the Sword Saint: "Wukong calls you Master, so you must have taught him his skills, right?"

"Yes, Wukong is exceptionally intelligent, and now he's no less gifted than me."

"This is the Comprehension Power. I don't know how effective it will be for people other than Vastaya, but perhaps it can help you comprehend the state of Unity of Heaven and Man. Eat it."

Thank you!

Finally, it was my turn, but Vastaya Xerath didn't rush to give me candy; instead, she started talking about other things:

You must be Yasuo.

Yes, you know me?

"I've heard my brother mention you. Oh, I forgot to tell you, his name is Maokai, and he's lived for countless years, just like me."

Maokai? Isn't that the Twisted Treant? I don't remember ever seeing him before.

"I don't know when I first met your brother?"

"He now lives on a small island that used to be beautiful, but was later corrupted by Death Rune and became a dead land. My brother also became extremely irritable, but recently he has shown signs of recovery and told me that you helped the island regain its life."