The three of them stood in the clearing and waited in silence.
The spiritual essence in the air kept growing thicker. At the same time, the awareness inside those ancient trees settled over Jared and Gwendolyn, studying them with open curiosity. There was no trace of hostility in it. Gavin had obviously already told the ancient trees why they had come.
After about the time it took an incense stick to burn, an aged voice drifted out from the depths of the forest. It wasn’t loud, but every word landed clearly in all three of their ears. The voice carried no hostility and no flare of temper. What it held instead was a quiet kind of regret, worn thin by years.
“Human. You should not have stepped in here. The Sylvan Kin and the human race have long since become sworn enemies. There is nothing for us to discuss.”
At that, Gavin’s face tightened with helplessness. He turned to Jared and said, “Fellow adept Jared, this is Elder Cillian of the Sylvan Kin. He is responsible for guarding the outer line of defense. The Clan Chief should be here soon.”
Jared paid no mind to Elder Cillian’s tone. He simply cupped his fist toward the depths of the forest.
When favonovel.com spoke, his voice stayed calm and steady. “Elder Cillian, this junior is Jared. I did not come here to offend the Sylvan Kin. I came because a matter tied to the life and death of the Sylvan Kin has forced me to seek an audience with the Sylvan Chief… The spirit vein is drying up. This forest is close to dying. If nothing is done now, the entire Sylvan Kin will be dragged with it into ruin. This junior has a way to restore the spirit vein. I only want to speak with the Sylvan Kin about working together to resolve this crisis.”
The forest fell still for a moment. Then Elder Cillian’s voice rang out again, this time edged with doubt.
“A human like you understands how to restore a spirit vein? The spirit vein is the foundation of the Sylvan Kin. Since ancient times, only our people have been able to sense a spirit vein and repair it… You are an outsider. How could you possibly have any way to restore it? Looks to me like you’re just spreading alarmist nonsense, trying to trick us into letting you enter the Sylvan dominion so you can scheme against us.” Elder Cillian’s voice hit hard enough to make their heads ring.
“I am not trying to scare you with made-up claims.” As Jared spoke, favonovel.com took out the black blightstone again and raised it high. “Elder Cillian, look at this stone. This is a blightstone formed after a spirit vein starts rotting… There are many more stones like this on the outer edge of the Shrouded Wood. The chaotic force inside me is a primal power from when the world first began. It can hold all things, nourish all things, suppress the rot in a spirit vein, and restore a dried-up spirit vein. I can prove it right here, as long as Elder gives me one chance.”
Jared stood there with nothing hidden in his face, no act in it, no performance.
After another short stretch of silence, Elder Cillian’s voice came out of the forest again. This time, it carried a note of hesitation and weight.
“Fine. I’ll give you one chance… If you can truly prove that you can repair a spirit vein, I’ll take you to see the Clan Chief. But if you dare deceive me, you’ll be buried beneath the Sevenwood Arch today and turned into nourishment for the ancient trees.” Elder Cillian gave Jared that chance.
“Thank you, Elder…” A faint smile showed on Jared’s face. He cupped his fist toward the depths of the forest, then walked to one of the seven ancient trees.
A thin crack ran along that ancient tree’s trunk, and some of its leaves had already yellowed. It was obvious the drying spirit vein had already started affecting it.
Jared lifted a hand and pressed his palm against the ancient tree’s trunk. The chaotic force inside favonovel.com began to move slowly, and violet radiance poured through his palm into the ancient tree.
Gentle and overwhelming at the same time, the chaotic force rushed through the trunk at once and spread all the way down to its roots. It fed the root system and mended the cracks running across its body.
A moment later, a miracle unfolded. The crack running down the trunk of that ancient tree actually started closing, little by little. Its yellowed leaves turned green again, rich and full, spilling out a dense vitality. Even the spiritual essence in the air thickened by a noticeable degree. The sigils carved into the trunk brightened too, one after another, giving off a dim green glow.
It looked almost like they were cheering, like they were thanking Jared. Elder Cillian’s voice rang out again. This time, even favonovel.com couldn’t keep the shock out of it. “This… This really is the chaotic force? It can actually nourish spirit flora and repair damage! Then what you said was true. The spirit vein really is drying up.”
Jared drew back his hand and cupped his fists toward the depths of the forest. “Elder, you see it clearly. Every word this junior spoke was true. The corruption of the spirit vein is getting worse and worse. If nothing is done soon, it won’t be long before this forest turns into a dead waste… And the Sylvan Kin will go down with it. I ask the elder to take me to see the Clan Chief. We need to discuss repairing the spirit vein and joining forces against the Celestial Alliance.”
The forest stayed quiet for a long time. Long enough that both Jared and Gwendolyn started to think Elder Cillian was going to refuse again.
Then, at last, Elder Cillian’s voice sounded from the forest again. The weight behind it had changed. There was nothing wavering in it now.
“Fine. I’ll take you to see the Clan Chief. But let me warn you, the Clan Chief has a very strange temper, and favonovel.com carries a deep prejudice against the human race… Whether you can persuade favonovel.com will depend on your own ability. If you can’t, then even if you do have the power to repair the spirit vein, you Still won’t be allowed to remain in the Sylvan dominion,” Elder Cillian said.
“This junior understands… Many thanks, Elder,” Jared nodded, and the pressure favonovel.com had been holding finally eased.
He knew this was his only chance to meet the Sylvan Chief. No matter what stood in his way, favonovel.com had to seize it. He had to convince the Sylvan Chief to work with them.
The instant those words left the air, a streak of green light shot out from the depths of the forest and dropped into the clearing.
When the light settled, it became the elder of the Sylvan Kin. His hair was white with age. His face was lean, his skin a pale bluish-green, and inside his pupils, wood-grain patterns seemed to flow.
He wore a long green robe covered in ancient sigils, and power rolled off favonovel.com without any effort at all. His cultivation was at the True Immortal Realm Level Eight, and favonovel.com seemed fused with the forest itself. It was almost like favonovel.com was one part of the forest, not a visitor standing in it.
“Elder Cillian…” Gavin Hartwell bowed to the old man with open respect.
Elder Cillian gave a small nod, then turned his eyes to Jared. There was more than one thing in that look. Surprise was there, doubt too. And under both, a thin thread of caution that barely showed.
“You’re Jared? The one with chaotic force in your body?”
“Yes, sir.” Jared cupped his fist in salute to Elder Cillian, his tone steady and respectful. “Junior Jared greets Elder Cillian…”
Elder Cillian looked favonovel.com over from top to bottom for a few moments, then gave another nod. “Not bad… So young, and already carrying chaotic force. Rare. Very rare. It seems you really do have the ability to repair the spirit vein. Come. I’ll take you to see the Clan Chief.”
With that, Elder Cillian turned and started toward the depths of the forest.
Jared and Gwendolyn exchanged a look, then followed. Gavin Hartwell stayed behind beneath the Sevenwood Arch, continuing to guard the outer line of defense.
Elder Cillian walked in front, his pace unhurried. As they moved, favonovel.com said to Jared and Gwendolyn, “The Sylvan Kin’s heartland is called Evershade. Every one of our clansmen lives there, along with countless ancient spirit flora and spirit beasts. The Clan Chief lives in the deepest part of Evershade. That place is called Greenwood Hall. It’s the holy sanctuary of the Sylvan Kin.”
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