81: Star Spirit Forest

After dealing with matters in Skydome City, Shen Xiaochuan immediately wanted to go to the Southeast Forbidden Land to find a blue crystal core. He put away half of the map, opened the Faith Mall, took out a teleportation scroll, and entered the coordinates [758,2569]. With a flash of light, he vanished.

His feet felt hot, and he abruptly opened his eyes. He found himself standing on a circular stone platform, surrounded by flames, with complex lines drawn on the ground, and a blue-purple fire flickering in the center. He almost stepped into it.

"Who's there!" a voice cried out.

Standing in front was a girl with long green hair and pointed ears, wearing a skirt made of vines. She crossed her arms, took a step back, and her eyes were full of vigilance.

Shen Xiaochuan immediately put down his weapon and raised his hands: "I mean no harm."

The girl stared at him for a few seconds, then her eyes suddenly widened, and her voice trembled slightly: "You... you came out of the fire?"

"No," he said, "I was teleported here."

As soon as he finished speaking, footsteps echoed from afar. Over a dozen women, dressed similarly to the girl in natural-style clothes and carrying wooden staffs or bows and arrows, surrounded them. They all stopped when they saw Shen Xiaochuan on the stone platform.

Someone whispered: "The person from the prophecy... has really come?"

"He appeared on the Sacred Fire Altar; he must be the one chosen by the Goddess!"

"Three days ago, the Clan Chief said that the Bearer of Light would come!"

Shen Xiaochuan frowned. The System popped up a notification:

[Triggered B-rank Quest: Guidance of the Goddess of Nature]

[Quest Content: Assist in purifying the pollution source of the Star Spirit Forest]

[Reward: Star Spirit Covenant Authority, random rare-grade Nature-type skill book]

[Warning: If you leave the Star Spirit Forest before completing the quest, you will permanently lose entry privileges]

He finished reading the quest and thought about it. The rewards were decent, especially the authority, which might be useful later. But these people were clearly mistaken.

An old woman with white hair and green eyes, wearing leaf-shaped gold ornaments on her head, stepped forward. She looked at Shen Xiaochuan, then knelt on one knee: "We have been waiting for you for a long time, Son of Prophecy!"

The others also knelt down.

Shen Xiaochuan didn't move: "I am not some Son of Prophecy; I'm here to find something."

"You don't need to hide it," the old woman looked up. "The Goddess appeared in my dreams three times, saying that an external brave one would come through fire to save our clan."

"Wait," Shen Xiaochuan interrupted, "What did you say about Bloodline continuation?"

"Our clan has not had a newborn in a hundred years," her voice was low. "The Goddess said that only by the chosen one of the gods combining with our clan members can the Spring of Life flow again."

The surroundings suddenly fell silent.

Shen Xiaochuan's mouth twitched: "You've got it wrong. I'm here to find something, not to get married."

His words were too direct, and the crowd immediately became agitated.

"But you appeared on the Sacred Fire Altar! This is the most sacred recognition!" the green-haired girl stepped forward. "Only those chosen by the Goddess can approach the Sacred Fire without harm."

Shen Xiaochuan looked down at the fire; it indeed hadn't burned him. But he knew why—when he was teleporting, the scale in his arms vibrated, as if guiding his position.

He pulled out the scale and found that its temperature had dropped, and some patterns had appeared on its surface, identical to the patterns on the ground.

"It brought me here," he held up the scale. "I didn't come here intentionally."

The old woman stared at it for a long time: "Is this a Canglan Tiger's reverse scale? It's still alive?"

"It's dead," Shen Xiaochuan put the scale back. "I got this from its body."

"So that's how it is," the old woman slowly stood up. "No wonder you could pass the fire trial. The Canglan Tiger was once the guardian beast of the Star Spirit Forest, and its Bloodline is still recognized by the Sacred Fire."

She turned to everyone and said: "Although this guest is not a brave one in the traditional sense, he is someone brought by fate. Please trust him for now."

Then she looked at Shen Xiaochuan: "I am Clan Leader. If you don't want to bear this responsibility, we won't force you. But if you are willing to help, the Star Spirit Forest will always welcome you."

"What exactly needs to be done?" he asked.

Clan Leader remained silent for a while before saying: "Half a month ago, in the middle of the night, a black crack appeared in the sky, and the trees trembled. The next day, the idol bled, and the guards fainted. People sent to investigate returned insane, only able to shout 'the root is breathing.' On the third day, miasma began to rise, the purification ritual failed, the Spring of Life turned black, and all new spirit embryos died."

Shen Xiaochuan nodded: "I can go and check the situation, but I can't guarantee a solution."

"That's enough," Clan Leader smiled. "Green Tie, take him back to the village and arrange accommodation."

The green-haired girl stepped forward: "Yes, Clan Chief."

She walked up to Shen Xiaochuan and whispered: "I'm sorry, I was too nervous just now."

"It's fine," he said, "Lead the way."

The two left the altar and walked along a glowing path deeper into the dense forest. On both sides were large trees, their branches and leaves intertwined, and vines moved slowly, as if alive.

"Are there no men in your village?" Shen Xiaochuan asked.

"Never," Green Tie shook her head. "We rely on the Spring of Life to nurture new spirits. But now that the spring water has turned black, it's becoming increasingly difficult."

"So you think you need outside help?"

"It's a hope," she whispered. "But some of the Human Race also cut down trees and steal treasures. The Clan Chief didn't want to see you at first either."

"But she still did."

"Because you didn't bring weapons into the village," she pointed to his empty hands. "And you're dressed very ordinarily, unlike those conquerors in armor with swords."

Shen Xiaochuan looked down at his work uniform, with a copper gear and dust hanging from the cuff. He had worn these clothes for almost two months, washed them many times, and their color had faded.

"The Spiritual Qi here is very strong," he said, "but there's a strange smell."

"The pollution is spreading from the center of the dense forest," Green Tie's expression was heavy. "In a few more days, the village will also be affected."

They arrived at an open space. Wooden houses were built on trees, their roofs covered with living vines, and luminous flowers bloomed in the wall cracks. A group of female elves were working, some weaving, some brewing medicine, and children were running around.

Everyone stopped to stare when they saw Shen Xiaochuan.

"Is he the one the Clan Chief invited back?"

"A bit shorter than the Human Race brave one in the murals."

"But his eyes are bright, like they hold light."

Green Tie led him into a giant ancient tree. It was hollow inside, serving as a council hall. On the wall hung an old painting: a man holding a spear, standing atop the forest, with black mist at his feet.

"That was the previous external brave one," Green Tie said. "He came three hundred years ago. He Sealed the Evil Root but didn't completely eradicate it."

Shen Xiaochuan looked at the painting, and a System prompt popped up:

[Hidden clue discovered: The Star Spirit Forest was once invaded by the 'Root of Corruption,' with an 87% match to current pollution characteristics]

Soon after, Clan Leader came in, asking Green Tie to guard the door outside.

"I know what you're thinking," she sat opposite him. "You suspect us of using you."

"I said I don't do anything outside of a transaction," Shen Xiaochuan said calmly. "But I can help investigate the source of the pollution. The prerequisite is that you tell me all the information."

At this moment, a cold-faced female elf walked out from the corner, crossing her arms and sneering: "Hmph, just him? Don't tell me he's here to cause trouble."

Clan Leader frowned: "Moon Shadow, don't be rude."

Shen Xiaochuan glanced at her, ignoring her, and simply waited for the Clan Chief to speak.

Clan Leader was silent for a moment, then finally spoke: "Half a month ago, in the middle of the night, a black crack appeared in the sky, and the trees trembled. The next day, the idol bled, and the guards fainted. People sent to investigate returned insane, only able to shout 'the root is breathing.' On the third day, miasma began to rise, the purification ritual failed, the Spring of Life turned black, and all new spirit embryos died."

Shen Xiaochuan listened, tapping his fingers lightly on the table. This didn't seem like a natural phenomenon; it was more like some kind of consciousness at work.

He opened the Faith Mall and pulled out a few items: "I have Seeds of Life, Purification Spray, and an Ecological Monitor here. If you agree, I can conduct a test first."

Clan Leader looked at these things, full of doubt: "These... are they really useful?"

"You'll know if you try," he said. "I don't believe in myths; I believe in tools."

She looked at him and suddenly smiled: "You're different from the brave ones before."

Shen Xiaochuan sneered: "I'm not a brave one; I'm just someone who solves problems."

"What did you do before?"

"An engineer."

There was a commotion outside. Green Tie pushed the door open: "Clan Chief, the vines at the village entrance are starting to wither!"

Clan Leader stood up abruptly: "That fast?"

Shen Xiaochuan walked to the window.

Clan Leader stopped him: "No! Going in now is suicide. At least wait until the ritual is ready."

"How long does your ritual take?"

"Six hours."

"I can't wait," he turned to Green Tie. "Take me to the nearest pollution point; I need to take samples."

Green Tie hesitated, looking at the Clan Chief.

"No!" Clan Leader said loudly. "You're an outsider, what do you know! Going in is suicide!"

Shen Xiaochuan sneered, taking out a Purification Rune Stone: "I know how to solve problems with tools. And you, you can only wait here to die. Now, either I go by myself, or you cooperate with me."

Clan Leader and the others exchanged glances, then finally nodded helplessly.

The surrounding elves all showed surprised expressions, some whispering: "This person seems to be truly capable." Those who originally didn't believe him also began to change their minds. Moon Shadow stood in the corner, her face pale, biting her lip without speaking.

Ten minutes later, he and Green Tie left the village. Behind them, Clan Leader stood at the ancient tree's entrance, holding a glowing blue stone in her hand, her lips moving slightly, as if in prayer.

They walked through a field of flowers, whose colors were fading. Shen Xiaochuan took out a small instrument; the screen showed a high concentration of spores in the air.

Clan Leader was about to speak, but Shen Xiaochuan held up the instrument and said coldly: "Look, data doesn't lie. The pollution has already reached here, what are you waiting for a ritual for!" Clan Leader's expression changed, unable to speak.

"Look over there," Green Tie pointed ahead.

A large tree lay on the ground, its trunk cracked, oozing black viscous liquid. As they approached, a faint pulsing sound, like a heartbeat, could be heard.

Shen Xiaochuan crouched down and used a metal tube to collect a drop of black liquid. As soon as the sample was placed in the box, the instrument immediately sounded an alarm:

[Active parasitic hyphae detected, possessing neural manipulation characteristics]

He looked up and saw a broken white bone spur, covered in black mud, stuck in a crack in the tree root.

No one likes to be publicly questioned. But this bone spur was very important; he had to investigate it thoroughly. He reached out to take it.

Green Tie suddenly shouted: "Don't touch that thing!"

The moment his fingertip touched the bone spur, a strange power rushed into his mind. What secret did this spur hide? Was it related to the source of the pollution? Could he leave safely with the clue?