Densely packed, they covered every inch of the walls, from the dome to the floor.
Thick and thin alike, the thickest as wide as a wrist, the finest like strands of hair, woven into a living web.
They pulsed, contracting and expanding rhythmically, making the entire hall seem like the heart of some enormous living creature.
The cloying sweetness in the air was so strong here that it made him nauseous.
Lu Yuan's gaze moved away from the roots and fell upon the middle of the hall.
The Tree Man leader who had fled through the streets during the day was there.
But he was no longer human.
His body had fused into the wall. Flesh and twisted branches were tangled together like a rope that had been wrung dry.
His limbs were gone, and even the outline of his torso had nearly vanished. Only the curve of his ribs could still be faintly seen through gaps in his torn skin.
Gray-green roots pierced through his waist and abdomen, pinning him to the rock wall. Only his head retained a trace of facial contours, tilted to one side, his features blurred.
But he was smiling.
His face was filled with delight, the corners of his mouth curled upward as though he had seen something he liked.
The threads left behind by the Worm of Knowledge were connected to him, clearly reaching their end here.
Lu Yuan did not look at him again.
Because there were more things around the hall.
Dozens of people were embedded in the walls.
They were all alive.
The moment Lu Yuan saw them, he knew they could not be saved.
Because it was already difficult to distinguish where their bodies ended and the roots began.
Gray-green branches pierced into the top of each person's head,