The Soul-Devouring Mist of the Forgotten Plane and the Star Core Guardian

[System notification: Arrived in the "Forgotten Plane." Current region: "Soul-Devouring Mist Belt." Regional traits: The mist devours spiritual power and forcibly awakens fears buried in the subconscious. Main quest: Find the "Star Core Temple," awaken the sleeping Star Core Guardian, and eliminate the remaining colonist forces. Side quest: Rescue the plane's natives trapped in the mist to obtain "Spiritual Shield" items. Quest time limit: 16 hours (Forgotten Plane time).]

Chapter 1: The Mist Appears and the Soul-Devouring Vines

Xiao Yan and the others stepped through the portal and were immediately enveloped in gray-purple mist. The mist was thick as gauze, and breathing it in brought a faint stinging sensation, as though countless tiny needles were pricking at their nerves.

"Our spiritual power is draining!" Lu Mu's detector sounded an urgent alarm. The "spiritual power index" on its screen was dropping by five percent per minute. "Quick, use the Flame of Creation marks to resist it!"

Everyone immediately activated the green marks on their bodies. Warm energy flowed through their blood, and sure enough, the loss of spiritual power slowed. Xiao Yan looked at the pale mist all around them, the Origin Flame dancing in his palm. "There's more to this mist than meets the eye. Something's hiding in it."

Before he had finished speaking, a sudden disturbance came from the ground beneath their feet. Countless deep-purple vines burst from the earth, covered in barbs whose tips glimmered an eerie green. As though alive, the vines wound toward their ankles. When they touched skin, they brought a powerful wave of dizziness-the vines were devouring memories through touch!

"They're Soul-Devouring Vines!" Lin Xiuya drew his longsword and sent sword Qi slashing at the vines. "Don't let them touch you! These vines extract fragments of memory and make you lose yourselves in the mist!"

Wu Hao swung the Space-Splitting Axe, its blade tearing open spatial rifts that shredded the oncoming vines. But the severed vines soon emerged from underground again, even denser than before. Zi Yan manifested dragon wings, flames dripping from their tips. When the flames landed on the vines, they left only faint scorch marks.

"They aren't afraid of ordinary flames!" Zi Yan frowned, infused the Dragon Phoenix Flame with the Flame of Creation's energy, and breathed fire again. This time, orange-red flames covered the vines like lava. The vines instantly curled up, carbonized, and turned to black ash. "We have to use fused energy!"

Xiao Yan understood at once. The Origin Flame and Green Lotus Core Flame intertwined to form a crimson-gold flame. He thrust both hands forward, turning it into a wall of fire that kept the vines out. "Lu Mu, can you identify the source of the vines?"

Lu Mu's detector probed deep underground, displaying a densely packed network of roots on its screen. "The source is three kilometers northwest. There's a 'Soul-Devouring Mother Tree' there. All the vines are extensions of it."

"Let's deal with the trouble in front of us first." Lin Xiuya traced a sword flourish, his sword Qi wrapped in spiritual power as it cut a transparent path through the mist. "The vines' weak points are at their roots. The nodules there have a faint blue glow."

They changed tactics, focusing their attacks on the nodules at the vines' roots. Xiao Yan's flames burned through the tangled vines, while Wu Hao's axe split the soil and exposed the pale-blue nodules. Lin Xiuya's longsword stabbed into them with precision, and Zi Yan used her dragon breath to clean up any that slipped through the net. In less than ten minutes, they had cleared away the surrounding vines, but the black ash left on the ground was still giving off white smoke, and a pungent smell like burning plastic filled the air.

"The spiritual power index has stabilized." Lu Mu breathed a sigh of relief. "But the mist is growing thicker. We need to find the mother tree quickly, or the vines will keep coming out without end."

Xiao Yan looked northwest. The mist seemed even thicker there, and he could faintly hear the rustling of leaves, like someone whispering. He clenched his fist, the light of the Origin Flame piercing the mist. "Let's go pay that mother tree a visit."

Chapter 2: The Soul-Devouring Mother Tree and the Memory Cage

After traveling three kilometers into the mist, they came upon a colossal tree that blotted out the sky and sun. Its trunk twisted like a snake, and its bark was a rotten gray-black. There were no leaves on its branches. In their place hung countless Soul-Devouring Vines, each bearing a translucent "fruit" at its tip. Inside the fruits were hazy human figures, clutching their heads as though suffering immense pain.

"Those are the natives it devoured!" Zi Yan's voice rang with anger. "This tree trapped their memories in the fruits to nourish itself!"

[System notification: "Soul-Devouring Mother Tree" discovered (level: 75, lord monster). Defeating it will stop the vines from regenerating and rescue 127 natives. Weak point: The "Soul-Devouring Crystal Core" in the heart of the tree.]

The mother tree seemed to sense their arrival. The vines on its branches suddenly whipped about wildly, and countless fruits hurtled toward the group! They burst upon hitting the ground, releasing white mist. All sorts of illusions appeared within it: Xiao Yan saw Yao Lao lying in a pool of blood, Zi Yan saw Dragon Valley swallowed by lava, Wu Hao saw his family members reduced to ash, Lin Xiuya saw his father's sword run through his own chest, and Lu Mu saw all his mechanical devices go out of control...

"It's Memory Cage!" Lin Xiuya was the first to react. He sliced open his palm with his longsword, letting blood drip onto the blade. "Use pain to stay conscious!"

The sharp pain instantly broke everyone free of the illusions. Xiao Yan condensed the Origin Flame into a shield, and the white mist dispersed as soon as it touched the flames. "Don't be fooled by the illusions! Attack the mother tree's trunk!"

Wu Hao roared and swung the Space-Splitting Axe at the trunk with the power of space. The moment the blade bit into the bark, the mother tree let out a piercing shriek. Countless cracks split its trunk, and thick black sap oozed out, eating small pits into the ground wherever it fell.

"It's bleeding!" Lu Mu activated the small missile launcher on his shoulder. "Aim for the cracks!" Three specially made missiles screamed through the air and exploded against the cracks. Black sap splattered, the mother tree's branches shook wildly, and vines came crashing down like a torrential rain.

Zi Yan spread her dragon wings and darted through the gaps between the vines, using the Dragon Phoenix Flame to precisely scorch the fruits holding the natives. "We have to save them first!" As the flames enveloped the fruits, their transparent shells gradually melted. The figures inside became points of light and drifted toward the mother tree's crown-clearly souls imprisoned by the tree.

"It's controlling their souls!" Xiao Yan's gaze sharpened. The Origin Flame became a fire dragon that climbed the vines. "Burn through its soul threads!" Wherever the fire dragon passed, vines snapped. Freed from their pull, the points of light lingered in the air for a moment before flying off into the distance.

[System notification: Rescued 37 natives. Obtained "Spiritual Shield x3."]

The mother tree was thoroughly enraged. Its trunk suddenly swelled, and countless thick main roots burst from the ground, sweeping at the group like giant serpents! The earth shook violently, as if an earthquake had struck. Wu Hao leaped onto one of the main roots and drove his axe firmly into it. "Xiao Yan! Its crystal core has to be in the heart of the tree. I'll open a path for you!"

Wu Hao split the main root with his axe, Xiao Yan close behind him. Flames opened the way ahead, burning through the entangling vines. Lin Xiuya and Zi Yan covered their flanks, preventing the other roots from launching sneak attacks. Lu Mu's detector showed that the heart of the tree lay at the center of its trunk. The energy reaction there was strongest, pulsing irregularly-clearly, the crystal core was highly active.

"Just ahead!" Xiao Yan saw a fist-sized purple crystal at the center of the trunk. Vein-like patterns covered its surface, and with each pulse, the mother tree's attacks grew more frenzied. He took a deep breath and concentrated all his energy in his right fist. "Origin: Burning Heaven!"

Crimson-gold flames formed a spiral drill that pierced the trunk in an instant and struck the crystal core with perfect accuracy! The mother tree let out a deafening wail. Its trunk began to wither rapidly, and the vines lost their vitality and drooped. The fruits that had yet to be rescued burst open on their own, sending points of light streaking into the sky like meteors.

[System notification: Defeated the Soul-Devouring Mother Tree. Obtained "Soul-Devouring Crystal Core Fragment x5." Rescued all natives. Reward: "Group Spiritual Shield" (can withstand one spiritual impact).]

The withered mother tree collapsed with a crash, revealing what lay behind it-a temple built of obsidian, with faint starlight glimmering at its peak. It was the Star Core Temple. But two colonists clad in black armor stood at its entrance, their spears gleaming coldly. They were evidently guards.

Chapter 3: The Obsidian Temple and the Twin Guards

Dark-red runes were engraved on the armor of the colonists at the temple entrance, and their eyes glowed red beneath their helmets. When they saw Xiao Yan and the others, they raised their spears toward the sky. The gems at the spearheads fired two red lasers, scorching lines across the ground.

[System notification: Encountered "Obsidian Guards" (level: 72, elite monster x2). Skills: Rune Confinement, Lava Charge. Warning: The two guards share health. Their armor's weak points must be struck simultaneously to deal effective damage.]

"Shared health? That's a little troublesome." Wu Hao hefted his axe. "Do we split up or attack together?"

"Together. Let's finish this quickly," Xiao Yan said. "Lu Mu, analyze their weak points!"

Lu Mu's detector scanned the guards' armor. "The runes on the left side of their chests are their weak points, but the two guards' runes flash alternately. Attacks only work when both light up at the same time!"

"Wait for my signal." Lin Xiuya pointed his longsword straight at the guard on the left. "Xiao Yan, take the left with me. Wu Hao, Zi Yan, take the right. Lu Mu, find a chance to interfere with their runes!"

The battle erupted in an instant! The guard on the left struck first with Lava Charge. Flames blasted from the gaps in his armor as he hurtled forward like a cannonball. Lin Xiuya took an unorthodox approach, avoiding the frontal charge and slashing sword Qi at the guard's joints, forcing him back for the moment. Xiao Yan seized the chance to circle behind the guard, turning the Origin Flame into chains that bound his legs.

The guard on the right refused to be outdone. He plunged his spear into the ground, instantly splitting it open and sending magma spreading through the cracks! Wu Hao drove the Space-Splitting Axe into the ground, creating a spatial rift that blocked the magma. Zi Yan's Dragon Phoenix Flame collided with it, sending sparks flying across the sky.

"The runes are about to light up together!" Lu Mu shouted. He activated an electromagnetic interference device, briefly disrupting the flashing frequency of the runes on the guards' armor. At the very instant the runes on both guards' left chests lit up red-

"Now!"

Xiao Yan and Wu Hao struck at once. The Origin Flame and the power of space fused into a two-colored pillar of light that slammed into the guards' left chests! With a resounding clang, cracks appeared in both suits of armor, and black liquid seeped out.

[System notification: Obsidian Guards' health reduced by 30%. Entering berserk state!]

The guards roared, and every rune on their armor lit up. Countless spikes suddenly rose from the ground at the temple entrance, with remnants of the Soul-Devouring Vines wrapped around them-clearly a lingering danger left by the mother tree. Zi Yan reacted swiftly, spreading her dragon wings to shield everyone beneath them. The Dragon Phoenix Flame scorched the spikes, temporarily stopping the vines from regenerating.

"Their spears can draw up magma from underground!" Lin Xiuya warned. His arm had been burned by splashing magma, leaving a red mark. Xiao Yan immediately infused him with the Flame of Creation's energy, and the wound healed at a visible rate.

"We have to destroy their spears!" Wu Hao seized an opening and swung his axe at the right guard's weapon, only for the guard to block with his spear. The tremendous force sent a numb shock through the web of Wu Hao's hand. The left guard took the opportunity to sweep his spear across. Xiao Yan blocked it with a flame shield, but the impact cracked the shield.

Lu Mu suddenly shouted, "There are ports on the backs of their armor! Energy cables!" Only then did everyone notice a removable plate on each guard's back, with several cables flickering with electrical current exposed beneath it.

"Zi Yan, cover me!" Xiao Yan suddenly rushed behind the left guard, compressing the Origin Flame into a point in his palm. Zi Yan understood. Her dragon breath poured down like a waterfall, forcing both guards to retreat again and again. Xiao Yan seized the opening and drove the point of flame precisely into the left guard's energy port!

With a sizzle, the energy cables short-circuited, and the left guard's movements immediately slowed. Seeing this, the right guard turned to help, only to be tied down by Wu Hao's axe. Lin Xiuya seized the opportunity and thrust his longsword in along the right guard's energy cables. The sound of gears breaking came from inside the armor.

The two guards moved more and more slowly, and the runes on their armor began flickering erratically. Xiao Yan and Wu Hao exchanged a glance and unleashed their strongest attacks at the same time. "Origin: Armor Break!" "Space-Splitting Slash!"

Both attacks struck the weak points on the guards' left chests at once. Their armor shattered completely, and the two guards turned into two piles of scrap metal trailing black smoke.

[System notification: Defeated the Obsidian Guards. Obtained the "Obsidian Key," which can open the gates of the Star Core Temple.]

Xiao Yan picked up the key and inserted it into the temple's lock. The obsidian gates slowly opened, and an ancient, heavy heartbeat came from within, as though something living lay asleep inside.

Chapter 4: The Heart of the Star Core and the Last Frenzy of the Colonist Remnants

The temple's interior was far more expansive than they had imagined. Its dome held a simulated starry sky, where countless stars moved according to some pattern. The floor was paved with glowing star-patterned stones, their veins carrying a blue liquid like blood. At the center of the temple floated an enormous crystal roughly ten meters in diameter, its surface covered in star charts. This was the Heart of the Star Core-the energy core of the entire Forgotten Plane.

Beside the Heart of the Star Core stood an old man in a star-patterned robe. His body was translucent; he was evidently in energy form. He slowly opened his eyes, and it was as though the entire starry sky lay within them. "At last... a new guardian has come."

[System notification: Story event "The Star Core Guardian's Request" triggered. Speak with the guardian to learn about the history of the Forgotten Plane and the colonists' plot.]

"Are you the Star Core Guardian?" Xiao Yan stepped forward. "We've come to eliminate the remaining colonist forces."

The old man sighed, his voice aged and weary. "Three hundred years ago, the colonists used the 'Soul-Devouring Mist' to contaminate the Heart of the Star Core. I was forced into slumber, and the plane's energy fell into disorder as a result. That was how the natives came to have their memories devoured by the mist. Their goal was to use the Heart of the Star Core's energy to activate the 'Space-Tearing Cannon,' turn the Forgotten Plane into a weapon, and bombard other planes."

"Where's the Space-Tearing Cannon?" Wu Hao asked urgently.

"Right beneath the Heart of the Star Core." The old man pointed to the bottom of the crystal, where a metal device did indeed sit, connected to the Heart by countless pipes. "They're injecting the last of the energy now. It's expected to activate in one hour."

[System notification: Main quest updated: Prevent the Space-Tearing Cannon from activating and destroy the energy injection device. Quest time limit: 60 minutes.]

Just then, a side door of the temple was suddenly battered open, and a group of colonists rushed in. Their leader was a one-eyed man with a vicious scar across his face and a remote control in his hand. "Old thing, I didn't expect you to be awake."

"Lei Ge, the colonists' third-in-command!" Lu Mu's detector sounded an alarm. "His mechanical left eye can fire spiritual impacts. Danger level: extremely high."

Lei Ge sneered and pressed the remote. The Heart of the Star Core suddenly shook violently, and its blue liquid churned and turned dark red. "I've already injected the 'Energy-Devouring Virus' into the Heart of the Star Core. Even if you destroy the device, it'll explode in three hours, and the entire plane will be reduced to ruins!"

"You're insane!" Zi Yan shouted angrily. "You'll die too!"

"Die?" Lei Ge laughed wildly. "I uploaded my consciousness to the colonists' main ship long ago. This body is nothing but a shell. You, on the other hand, will be buried along with this plane!" The colonists behind him raised their weapons, the light of laser guns and energy blades flickering inside the temple.

"Stop them!" Xiao Yan made his decision on the spot. "Lin Xiuya, Wu Hao, take on Lei Ge with me! Zi Yan, you and Lu Mu destroy the energy device!"

Lei Ge's mechanical eye suddenly fired a red beam straight at the space between Xiao Yan's brows! Xiao Yan was prepared. The Group Spiritual Shield triggered automatically and blocked the beam. "Useless!" Lei Ge grinned viciously. His figure flashed, and he appeared on the other side of the Heart of the Star Core, an energy blade now in his hand. Its edge flickered with unstable black light.

"It's a spatial jump device!" Lu Mu shouted. "His armor lets him teleport short distances!"

Wu Hao swung his axe at Lei Ge, but Lei Ge teleported out of the way. The axe struck the Heart of the Star Core, sending energy rippling across it. Lin Xiuya's sword followed Lei Ge like a shadow, tracking his movements and preventing him from concentrating on controlling the virus.

Xiao Yan seized the opportunity and turned the Origin Flame into a great net, trapping Lei Ge inside. As the net of flames burned, Lei Ge found himself unable to teleport-the Flame of Creation's energy countered spatial jumps!

"Damn it!" Lei Ge hacked frantically at the net with his energy blade. Cracks appeared in the net, but it never broke. Just then, an explosion came from Zi Yan's direction-the casing of the energy device had been blasted open!

"No!" Lei Ge's eyes nearly split with rage, and the red light of his mechanical eye became unbearably bright. "Let's die together!" He suddenly detonated the energy bomb on his body, and an enormous shockwave instantly engulfed the net of flames!

The shockwave sent Xiao Yan flying into the Heart of the Star Core. A sweet taste rose in his throat, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. He struggled to look toward Lei Ge's position. All that remained there was a mechanical eye still flashing red.

[System notification: Defeated Lei Ge, leader of the colonist remnants, but the Energy-Devouring Virus has spread. Time remaining before the Heart of the Star Core becomes unstable: 170 minutes.]

Zi Yan and Lu Mu ran over, and Lu Mu examined the Heart of the Star Core. "The virus is eating away at the energy core. It needs to be purified with the Flame of Creation's origin energy, but that will consume a great deal of your life force."

Xiao Yan looked at the translucent old man, who nodded. "There is no other way. Guardian, are you ready?"

Xiao Yan clenched his fist. The light of the Origin Flame shone brighter than ever before. "Let's begin."

Chapter 5: Purifying the Star Core and the Plane's Rebirth

Xiao Yan walked beneath the Heart of the Star Core and pressed his palm against the surface of the dark-red crystal. The Flame of Creation poured in through his palm, and wherever it passed, the dark-red liquid receded like the tide, turning pure blue once more. But the process was excruciating. The Heart of the Star Core's energy intertwined with his life force, and every time it circulated, it felt as though a knife were churning inside him.

"Hold on!" Zi Yan's voice was thick with tears. She tried to step forward and help, but the old man stopped her.

"This is the guardian's trial. He alone can complete it." The old man's voice held respect. "The first guardian purified the Star Core the same way, back then."

Wu Hao and Lin Xiuya stood guard, watching every corner of the temple for anyone who might have slipped through the net. Lu Mu adjusted his equipment, trying to find a way to speed up the purification. "Xiao Yan, adjust the Origin Flame's frequency to resonate with the Star Core. That will reduce the life force you're using!"

Xiao Yan adjusted the flame's frequency as Lu Mu suggested. Sure enough, the pain eased considerably, and the purification sped up. The blue area of the Heart of the Star Core grew larger and larger. The simulated starry sky on the dome began to move normally again, and starlight spilled across the floor, making the patterns in the star-patterned stones clearer.

As the last dark-red patch was purified, the Heart of the Star Core burst forth with brilliant blue light. The light pierced the temple and enveloped the entire Forgotten Plane.