After leaving the Plant Academy, Lin Yan did not head directly to the ruins marked on the map. Opportunities often come with risks, and that unknown area located at the border of the Star Dou Great Forest and the Sunset Forest was no safe place. He needed to be fully prepared.
Lin Yan returned to Heaven Dou City and first went to Dugu Bo's residence.
Lin Yan recounted his general experience to Dugu Bo, omitting the specific details of the " Tree of Eternity," only stating that he had obtained a clue that might be suitable for his Fourth Soul Ring, and that he needed to explore a dangerous place.
Dugu Bo narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping over Lin Yan: "I know that Su girl from the Plant Academy, she's a daring one. Even she considers this a dangerous place... Kid, don't mess things up and kill yourself."
Even so, he still tossed Lin Yan a jade bottle. "Inside are three ' Jade Phosphor Detoxification Pill,' which can cure all poisons and are also remarkably effective against most miasma and insect venom."
"Teacher, aren't you coming with me?" Lin Yan asked, puzzled.
"I'm currently undergoing a breakthrough and it's inconvenient for me to travel far."
Lin Yan accepted the antidote pill, feeling conflicted. He had originally wanted Dugu Bo to go with him, but now it seemed he would have to go alone.
Afterwards, Lin Yan went to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy and used his accumulated contribution points to exchange for some high-quality pills to restore Soul Power and heal injuries, as well as some special tools needed to draw accurate maps and record information. He also went to the academy's library to consult all the geographical records and adventurers' notes about the border area between the Star Dou Great Forest and the Sunset Forest. Although there were very few records about that unknown area, the information on the climate characteristics of the surrounding areas and the distribution of common Soul Beast groups still gave him a preliminary understanding of the environment he was about to face.
After making all the preparations, Lin Yan left Heaven Dou City quietly at dawn without alerting anyone, his figure disappearing into the vast wilderness leading to the border between the two forests. Behind him, a figure was also quietly following.
With his powerful Soul Power and exquisite movement techniques, Lin Yan traveled at an extremely fast pace. Several days later, the surrounding scenery began to become increasingly primitive and treacherous. Towering ancient trees blocked out the sun, vines Entanglement like dragons and snakes, and the air was filled with the damp smell of humus and a faint scent of danger. This was now a paradise for Soul Beast, rarely visited by humans, and powerful auras could be sensed lurking deep within the dense forest from time to time.
Following the map's guidance, Lin Yan carefully avoided the territories of those obviously dangerous Soul Beast, while simultaneously projecting his spiritual power outwards, vigilant for any danger that might come from any direction.
After traveling for two more days, the terrain began to take on a peculiar character. On one side was the primeval jungle unique to the Star Dou Great Forest, brimming with the wild energy of life; on the other side was the ancient woodland common in the Sunset Forest, carrying a sense of desolation and heat. At the boundary between the two, a twisted and fragmented transitional zone was formed. Here, the mountains were rugged and filled with bottomless ravines. In some places, the space itself even exhibited an unstable and distorted feel, as if it had been torn apart by a tremendous force.
"This should be the area." Lin Yan stopped and compared the ruins map in his hand with the surrounding terrain. The entrance marked on the map was an inconspicuous mountain fissure covered with countless blood-red vines.
He searched carefully and finally found the crevice at the bottom of a shady cliff. The crevice was only wide enough for one person to pass through sideways. The blood-red vines at the entrance emitted a faint, sweet, and pungent smell. It was a plant called " Bloodthirsty Serpent Vine," which had extremely strong aggressive and paralyzing toxicity.
Lin Yan did not force his way in. He concealed his aura to the extreme, and at the same time, he quietly activated his First Soul Skill, " Illusory Color Concealment." His figure blended into the colors of the surrounding environment, and his aura almost disappeared. Like a slippery fish, he silently passed through the gaps in the snake vines without alerting the dangerous guards.
Upon entering the crevice, it was initially extremely narrow, barely wide enough for one person to pass through. After walking several dozen steps, the space suddenly opened up, but the light also dimmed.
He felt as if he had stepped into a forgotten underground world. Above him was no longer the sky, but countless stalactites and strange fungi shimmering with eerie blue and pale green light, providing a faint illumination. Under his feet were slippery, moss-covered ancient stone steps that stretched downwards into unfathomable darkness. The air was thick with a mixture of dust, decaying plants, and some strange energy, and his Soul Power fluctuations became chaotic and ancient.
On the stone walls on both sides of the passage are murals and runes that have long since faded and become illegible. They vaguely depict towering trees, kneeling human figures, and some strange creatures, creating an atmosphere full of desolation and mystery.
Lin Yan focused intently, his steps as light as a feather as he slowly descended the stone steps. His spiritual energy spread out like a spider web, sensing everything ahead.
"Whoosh!"
A dark shadow, swift as lightning, shot out from a hole in the side of the stone wall, aiming straight for Lin Yan's throat. It was a strange insect, the size of a fist, entirely black, with sharp mouthparts.
Lin Yan's eyes sharpened. Before he could even summon his Martial Soul, he brought his right index and middle fingers together, condensed his Soul Power, and struck out with lightning speed!
"Puff!"
With a precise touch of his fingertip to the monstrous insect's mouthparts, the sharp force pierced its skull in an instant. The insect fell to the ground with a thud, twitched twice, and then remained still.
"Such speed, such powerful penetrating force." Lin Yan felt a slight chill; the creatures in these ruins were indeed extraordinary.
The further down the path went, the wider it became, but the more dangers appeared. There were giant mosses that could spew corrosive slime, ghost mushrooms that lurked in the shadows and launched mental attacks, and hordes of man-eating rats with sharp teeth... Lin Yan either used his agility to dodge or used his Soul Skill to quickly eliminate them. His Blue Silver · Sword Leaf drew sharp streaks of blue light in the dim environment, cutting down all the threats blocking his way.
At the same time, he also encountered many strange plants. Some could emit their own light, some could condense pure water droplets, and some emitted fragrances that could calm the mind. He carefully collected some samples, all of which were rare treasures rarely seen in the outside world.
Guided by the map and notes, he traversed several forks in the road, deciphering a few simple, but weakened, illusionary restrictions (mainly created using terrain and light and shadow, which Lin Yan's powerful mental strength could see through), and finally arrived at the core area of the ruins.
This is an enormous underground dome-shaped space. Inlaid on the dome are countless luminous crystals like stars, illuminating the entire space as if it were daytime. At the center of the space is a circular altar, made of a warm white jade, engraved with complex and mysterious patterns.
Most striking of all is the strange plant growing in the very center of the altar.
It was about the height of a person, and its shape was not that of a traditional tree, but rather more like a sapling Entanglement and woven from countless crystal-clear green light threads. The trunk had a translucent jade-like texture, with liquid green light seemingly flowing slowly inside. Its roots were not embedded in the soil, but floated above the altar, connected to the glowing patterns, drawing some kind of energy. The crown was composed of billions of tiny, stardust-like green light points, swaying gently and scattering a soft glow of life.
A powerful, pure, ancient, and vibrant aura, imbued with a sense of "connection," emanated from this small tree of luminous silk, permeating the entire space.
" The Tree of Eternity's Inheritance Vessel..." Lin Yan held his breath, his eyes filled with undisguised shock. Just sensing this aura made his Soul Power become active, and his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul even conveyed a yearning throbbing.
However, the guardians then appeared.
The space around the altar distorted slightly, and three figures slowly coalesced. They were not physical entities, but elemental creatures composed of pure life energy and a certain protective will. They resembled humanoids, but their bodies were made of emerald green vines and light threads, their eyes were two leaping green flames, and they held long spears formed from energy in their hands.
Their energy fluctuations are extremely powerful, each comparable to a top-tier Soul King!
"Intruder... Leave... or... Destruction..." The intermittent mental message entered Lin Yan's mind, filled with a warning.