mtl008 Chapter 264 The Missing Tree Garden
Chapter 264 The Missing Tree Garden
Deep within the whispering forest, on the path leading to the Divine Enlightenment Tree Garden.
Lush green plants take root on both sides of the road, like a group of loyal knights, quietly guarding this narrow path.
Vines hung down from the giant tree like green curtains, swaying gently in the breeze.
At this moment, Lin Qiong was walking on this dark and quiet path, the fallen leaves under his feet making a soft "crunch" sound that echoed in this deep forest.
"Ah, Aglaia truly deserves to be the leader of the Golden Blood."
Lin Qiong, feeling slightly tired from the long journey, moved to a spot where he could just see the giant tree in the distance.
He stopped, looked at the giant tree, and couldn't help but utter a complaint:
"They really know how to order people around."
Not long ago, Aglaia discussed the matter of forming an alliance with Lin Qiong and the others.
But who could have imagined that after the discussion, Aglaia would make a request to Lin Qiong and the others under the pretext of assisting in the recovery of the fire.
They should head to the Divine Tree Garden immediately to investigate why they went missing there, and while they're at it, retrieve the Titan symbolizing "reason"—
Serhis's embers were safely brought back to Ohma.
“I agree with that.” Xing walked slowly from behind, her face also filled with exhaustion. “They immediately sent us to retrieve the Fire Seed after forming an alliance; it’s clearly premeditated!”
She stopped beside Lin Qiong, then began to complain indignantly:
"Besides, this road is too difficult to walk on. It's winding and twisting, and there are tree roots on the ground that can trip you up from time to time!"
Perhaps it was because the surroundings were too quiet that their voices sounded exceptionally clear, which drew a burst of childlike laughter from behind.
"Haha, what you just said reminds me of how Little White looked when he first came to Tree Garden!"
The sound attracted Lin Qiong and Xing's attention, and the two immediately turned their gaze away from the giant tree and looked behind them.
Upon closer inspection, they saw that Tian was floating in mid-air as if it had defied gravity, slowly drifting towards them.
Although Xiaodie lagged behind Tian by half a body length, she could keep up with Tian's walking speed as she flew, as if the tree roots growing on the ground had no effect on her at all.
"Little White also complained that this road was difficult to walk on."
Tian floated up to Lin Qiong and Xing, put her hands on her hips, and said with a smile.
“That’s incredibly difficult to walk through.” Lin Qiong raised an eyebrow, glanced at the tree roots clinging to the path, and said helplessly, “With so many people in the Tree Garden, doesn’t anyone bother to clean and maintain this place?”
"Your Excellency, Lord Bai'e also brought up that statement back then." Xia Die covered her mouth and chuckled, her eyes narrowing into slits. "Then she was scolded by Teacher Xia at that time."
"What did they say back then? Tell me quickly." Xing, who was standing to the side, suddenly became interested, leaned forward slightly, and eagerly asked Xia Die.
Xia Die's lips curled up slightly, she cleared her throat, and imitated the tone of the teacher she had mentioned, "That Summer":
"You are... Bai E from the Ai Li Mi Xie, right? Asking questions unrelated to class will result in a deduction of one credit!"
"Also, if you're taking my class not to pursue the truth, but to study the growth habits of plants, then I suggest you get a job as a horticulturist."
"Perhaps that place can meet your needs."
"puff!"
Xia Die's lifelike imitation made everyone burst into laughter.
Tian, in particular, laughed so hard she fell straight back to the ground, clutching her stomach and giggling incessantly.
This sudden joy was like a refreshing stream, dispelling the fatigue that had been building up on Lin Qiong and Xing, allowing their tense nerves to relax.
When the laughter subsided, Tian floated back into the air and looked at Lin Qiong and Xing:
"How are you feeling now? Much better, right?"
"That's how the road in Shuting is. It will always feel a bit difficult at first, but you'll get used to it after walking it a few more times!"
As she spoke, she pointed ahead, "And, the Janus Trail is just ahead, just hang in there a little longer!"
Upon hearing her words, Lin Qiong and Xing immediately looked in the direction Tianan pointed, and saw a pair of winged devices faintly visible in the distance, hidden by green plants.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"
And so, the four of them continued along the path toward the Janus Trail, chatting casually about other interesting anecdotes.
......
But after everyone passed through the Janus Secret Path and truly entered the Garden of Divine Enlightenment, they understood why this place had lost contact with Ohma.
The shocking scratches on the stone wall, the dark red congealed bloodstains, the dilapidated bookshelves, and the books scattered haphazardly on the ground...
The sights before us all tell the story of the immense disaster that once befell this place.
"Look! What's that!"
Xing seemed to be drawn to something, and suddenly pointed into the distance, letting out a gasp.
Lin Qiong looked in the direction she pointed and saw several creatures he had never seen before lingering there.
They are entirely black, with yellow-orange patterns on their surface resembling bloodstains. From the outside, they look like withered, lifeless vines.
"That's... a creation of the Black Tide! The Black Tide has actually spread all the way to the Tree Garden?"
When those hideous creatures came into Xia Die's view, her pupils suddenly contracted violently, her eyes widened uncontrollably, and her face was filled with shock and disbelief.
"Oh no, the spark... and what about Teacher Xia at that moment..."
Xia Die's voice trembled slightly. She took a quick step forward, but then stopped immediately and slowly withdrew.
Lin Qiong, noticing her subtle movement, frowned slightly, then stepped forward and said:
"Xia Die, you're familiar with this place, so you should be able to lead the way, right? Let's rescue the people first, and then we'll go find the fire."
Xia Die, who had been somewhat hesitant, looked up at Lin Qiong gratefully and then nodded emphatically.
"Alright, please follow me."
Afterwards, Lin Qiong and the others followed Xia Die, clearing away the Black Tide Creatures they encountered along the way, until they arrived at a hiding place where Tree Court scholars might be present.
The area was completely hidden by dense foliage; if Xiaodie hadn't been familiar with the place, she probably wouldn't have been able to find the entrance hidden behind the green screen.
However, when the group arrived, they found the place empty except for a strangely shaped mechanical device on the table.
Lin Qiong and the others did not hesitate and immediately activated the device in front of them, using the alchemical image left by Xia Ke inside.
They learned that the other scholars had already left Tree Garden and were now on their way to Ohma.
Only a small number of scholars chose to stay in the tree garden with Nakashia to jointly resist the erosion of the Kuroshio.
"Since you have already seen this footage, it means that something unexpected happened."
"Now, please continue onward to the Throne of Enlightenment to retrieve the Flame... and our remains..."
As the voice faded into the air, the video also stopped.
Every word Xia had just spoken struck each person like a heavy hammer, immersing them in their own thoughts and leaving them unable to recover for a long time.
After a long silence, Xia Die slowly spoke:
"Let's go, let's retrieve the embers... and Teacher Xia's remains."
......
When Lin Qiong and the others arrived at the Throne of Enlightenment, they finally saw the unexpected situation that Xia had mentioned—
At that moment, Xia's body slumped limply onto the throne built from ancient tree roots.
Not far in front of him stood a mysterious figure holding a black sword, his body hidden in a black robe.
Upon seeing this, Lin Qiong's eyes widened instantly, and he exclaimed in surprise:
"It's him! The fire thief we encountered before!"