Mu

"Eee-gah-gah-gah-gah!"

The Abyss Remnant Elite, instantly submerged by the massive wave of vines, had its limbs bound by countless creepers and its torso scorched by endless energy, erupting into a shrill, agonizing wail on the spot.

However, the more violently it struggled, the tighter the vines constricted.

Sharp and formidable Auling Power surged continuously from the vines, burning the giant beast's body like a raging fire, subsequently melting and dissolving its flesh and blood step by step.

Dozens of seconds passed, and this pursuer from the Abyss finally lost the strength to resist, collapsing completely within the lush green thicket of vines as its body turned to ash.

Witnessing this scene, Ye Chen's youthful face was instantly filled with shock.

He truly found it hard to imagine that the Abyss Elite, which had been so powerful and resilient, could appear so vulnerable in the face of this sudden, massive wave of vines!

Subsequently, a hoarse and aged voice slowly emerged from the other end of the green carpet of vines.

"Little one, are you alright?"

Hiss!

Hearing the familiar human language, Ye Chen froze, subconsciously gripping his revolver and long blade as he turned to look at the source of the sound.

A trembling figure appeared from the top of the vine thicket, then nimbly hopped down with the aid of a wooden cane, revealing their true appearance to the boy.

This was a short, strangely-looking old man with a face full of wrinkles and white hair, but his skin was as emerald green as the plants behind him. Furthermore, his entire body was dressed in—no, to be precise, was growing—various types of plants.

The old man's legs were clad in pants made of green leaves, his arms were sleeved in red flowers, his torso was clothed in tree branches, and his head was capped with a cluster of colorful mushrooms, making his overall appearance bizarre to the extreme.

At the very first glance, this old man left a vivid and profound impression on Ye Chen, to the point where the latter was momentarily too stunned to speak, standing frozen in place.

The old man, who wore plants as clothing, squinted his aged eyes and began to walk slowly toward the boy while sizing him up.

It was not until the distance between them was less than five meters that Ye Chen snapped out of his shock and hurriedly put away his weapons.

In front of someone capable of effortlessly killing an Abyss Elite, Ye Chen was practically as helpless as an infant; his life and death rested entirely on the other's whim, so showing hostility was clearly a reckless and foolish choice.

Because of this, Ye Chen chose to stow away his revolver and straight blade, then let his arms hang down with palms open, greeting the approaching old man in a posture devoid of any hostility.

"Hahaha, the little one is quite clever, isn't he?"

The plant-man walked up to Ye Chen, looked up at his anxious and nervous face, and couldn't help but chuckle teasingly before shifting his tone to ask Ye Chen calmly:

"Your name. It is, Ye Chen, correct?"

"Yes."

"Who sent you here?"

"My teacher."

Ye Chen confessed truthfully without hesitation; he had a rough idea of the current situation.

Since the old man knew his name beforehand without asking, it stood to reason that he and Lyle knew each other.

Given that someone as meticulous as Lyle would send Ye Chen to this place, he likely already knew of this mysterious old man's existence.

Therefore, Ye Chen believed in his heart that the other party was likely an ally.

"Teacher, huh. I see."

The plant-man pondered for a moment, shook his head of colorful mushrooms, reached out to pat Ye Chen on the back, and then pointed toward the waiting green carpet of vines.

"My name is Mu, and I am a friend of your Hunter teacher."

"Of course, you can also call me Grandpa Mu, hahaha!"

"However, we should get moving before discussing the details. Come with me."

As his voice fell, the plant-man gave a light hop, and his short body flew back to the top of the vine thicket.

Ye Chen hesitated for a moment, then chose to follow, leaping onto the giant carpet woven from vines and sitting down on a soft plant-based seat alongside Mu.

As soon as the two landed, the giant vine carpet surged, kicking up a massive wave across the vast grassland and rushing toward a range of lush, rolling mountains in the distance.

Sitting on the carpet, Ye Chen curiously examined this green world devoid of ice and snow, feeling the cool breeze on his face, and his previously heavy heart felt involuntarily lighter.

Mu had waited for a long time on the side, and seeing Ye Chen's furrowed brows gradually relax, he finally asked him to briefly recount the sequence of events—what happened before he arrived here, and how the minions of the Abyss followed him into this place.

Ye Chen nodded, and although he still felt troubled, he told Mu everything that had happened.

"That is how it happened, Grandpa Mu."

After recounting the thrill and sorrow he had just experienced, Ye Chen sighed with a dim expression.

He really did not want to dwell on those painful memories again; for now, he just wanted to bury these matters deep in his heart.

"I see. So that person has passed on. Sigh. However, this was bound to happen sooner or later, and I believe he was already prepared for it."

After hearing the story, Mu rubbed his aged brows. A faint sense of regret initially appeared on his face, but it was quickly replaced by a calm and peaceful composure.

"Your teacher and I were close friends, and I owed him many favors. Many years ago, he told me this day would come and entrusted me with sending you safely to the Holy Light Pure Land."

"Because of this, I will now fulfill my promise and take you to the Sun-Moon Mountain Range."

"At the summit of those Sun-Moon Mountains, there is a Teleportation Altar. Only by passing through there can I send you to the Holy Light Pure Land."

Mu stroked his white beard, gazing at the distant mountains as he explained this to Ye Chen.

"Holy Light Pure Land."

Ye Chen repeated the words in a low voice, then fixed his gaze on the towering, rolling Sun-Moon Mountain Range in the distance.

He had originally thought that this land, filled with greenery everywhere, was the new world Lyle had described to him.

He had not expected that this was merely a transit station, and the true Holy Light Pure Land was still far ahead.