347: Chapter 347 Yao Guang's Abnormality

Gao Feng noticed her abnormality. One day, he came out of his Cultivation room and saw Yao Guang sitting on that familiar rock again, so he walked over.

"Something on your mind?" He sat down beside her and asked softly.

Yao Guang turned her head, saw him, forced a smile, and said, "It's nothing, just... there's something I want to tell you."

Gao Feng nodded, not rushing her, just waiting quietly.

Yao Guang was silent for a long time, her gaze fixed on the distant sea of clouds, and slowly began, "Senior Brother Gao Feng, do you know where I come from?"

Gao Feng said, "Aren't you a Disciple of the Wuxiang Sect?"

Yao Guang shook her head and whispered, "I was adopted by the Wuxiang Sect. My hometown is in a very, very distant place."

She paused, then continued, "That's a Small World called Green Wood Realm, on the edge of the Cultivation World. It's very small, very remote, you probably haven't even heard of it. But it's beautiful there, full of forests, full of Spirit Plants, and the air is always filled with the fresh scent of grass and wood. In spring, the Qingmu Flowers bloom all over the mountains, and the entire valley is light green..."

A nostalgic light flashed in her eyes, and the corners of her mouth slightly curved upwards, as if lost in distant memories.

"My Family, the Yao Family, has lived in the Green Wood Realm for generations," she continued. "Our Family is famous for its healing Spells, and we're quite well-known in the Green Wood Realm. Our clansmen have cultivated a healing Saint Grade Spirit Medicine called 'azure wood spirit medicine' for generations. It's a very miraculous Spirit Medicine that can instantly heal severe injuries, with an effect several times better than ordinary healing Medicinal Pills. Relying on these Spirit Medicine, although the Yao Family isn't large, they lived very well in the Green Wood Realm."

As she spoke, the smile on her face gradually disappeared, replaced by deep sorrow.

"Later, the Ten Thousand Races invaded."

Gao Feng's heart sank.

Yao Guang's voice became low: "Although the Green Wood Realm was remote, it ultimately couldn't escape that catastrophe. The Wood Clan among the Ten Thousand Races took a fancy to the Spirit Plant resources there and sent a large army to attack the Green Wood Realm. That day, I will never forget."

Her eyes began to redden: "The sky was dyed red with flames, there were shouts of killing everywhere, and screams everywhere. My father, mother, grandfather, grandmother... they all rushed out to fight. They hid me in the basement and told me to wait for them to come back. They said, wait obediently, and they would come back for me after they drove away the bad guys."

"I waited one day, two days, three days..."

Tears streamed down her cheeks: "They didn't come back. Not a single one."

Gao Feng remained silent, not interrupting her.

Yao Guang wiped away her tears and continued, "Later, the last surviving Elder of the Family found me. He was covered in wounds and on his last breath. He used his last strength to activate a Teleportation Talisman and sent me to the Wuxiang Sect. He said: 'Live on, the Legacy of the Yao Family cannot be broken. One day, you must go back and rebuild the Yao Family.'"

She lowered her head, her voice choked: "Then he died. Right in front of me. I don't even know his name, I only know that he was my clansman, my Elder, the one who risked his life to send me out."

It was a long time before she composed herself and continued, "These years, I've been Cultivating in the Wuxiang Sect, learning healing Spells and Alchemy. I dared not forget the Elder's words; I always wanted to go back and rebuild the Yao Family. But... but I'm too weak. The Green Wood Realm is occupied by the Wood Clan, and there are enemies everywhere. If I go back, I'll only be throwing my life away."

She looked up at Gao Feng, her eyes full of complex emotions: "But it's different now. I've broken through to Foundation Establishment Third Layer Late Stage, and I have companions like you. Moreover, I can feel the aura of the Yao Family's ancestral land in the Green Wood Realm."

Gao Feng raised an eyebrow: "You can sense it?"

Yao Guang nodded and said, "People of the Yao Family plant a Natal Spirit Plant in their ancestral land from a young age, connected to the ancestral land's aura. Even though I've been away for so many years, that connection is still there. Although it's very faint, I can feel that the ancestral land is still there, and that ten-thousand-year-old Green Wood Sacred Tree might also still be there."

She paused, her voice becoming more earnest: "Senior Brother Gao Feng, I want to go to the Green Wood Realm to see. Even if it's just a glimpse. I want to know if the ancestral land is still there, and if there's anything left that can be salvaged. If we can reclaim the ancestral land, I can rebuild the Yao Family there and Cultivate more azure wood spirit medicine. By then, for the great war in three years, we'll have an inexhaustible supply of healing resources."

She looked at Gao Feng, her eyes full of anticipation: "Can... can you come with me?"

Gao Feng looked at her, at the deep anticipation in her eyes, and a complex emotion surged in his heart.

He remembered Tian Xin when she sought revenge, Chu Lan when she searched for the time spirit spring, and their persistence and determination during every adventure. Everyone has their past, everyone has their obsession, and everyone is moving forward with difficulty on this path.

And his responsibility was to accompany them, help them, and protect them.

He nodded and said, "Okay, I'll go with you."

Yao Guang was stunned, and then her eyes reddened again. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but nothing came out.

Gao Feng smiled slightly and said, "Thank me for what? We're teammates."

Yao Guang nodded vigorously, tears streaming down her face again. But this time, they were tears of gratitude.

That night, Gao Feng gathered everyone and told them about Yao Guang's situation.

"Green Wood Realm?" Chu Lan's eyes lit up. "The Wood Clan's territory? That's a place I've wanted to see for a long time! How is the Wood Clan's Spirit Plant Art different from our Human Race's Spirit Plant Art? What are the characteristics of their Cultivation Technique? What varieties of Spirit Plants do they have? I've wanted to research them for ages!"

Her string of questions made everyone laugh.

Luo Li said, "Yao Guang's matter is everyone's matter. Of course, we'll all go together."

Su Ning nodded and said, "My Spatial Magic can help you quickly reach the Green Wood Realm, and also evacuate you in an emergency."

Tian Xin rarely showed a hint of a smile, saying, "I've recently researched several new Dark Talismans, just in time to test their power."

Lin Yue grinned and said, "Leave the fighting to me! My Rock Demon Phantom is very tough!"

Yao Guang looked at them, at these sincere faces, and tears welled up again. But this time, they were tears of emotion.

"Thank you... thank you all..." she choked out.

In the following days, everyone began to prepare for the trip to the Green Wood Realm.

Yao Guang locked herself in the Alchemy room, refining Medicinal Pills day and night. Using various Spirit Plants provided by Chu Lan as raw materials, she refined a large quantity of "azure wood healing pills." This Medicinal Pill was a secret Family recipe of the Yao Family, with azure wood spirit medicine as the main ingredient, capable of instantly healing severe injuries, with effects far surpassing ordinary healing Medicinal Pills. Although what was used now was not true azure wood spirit medicine, the effect was still quite good.

Three days later, she emerged from the Alchemy room, holding a pile of jade bottles, a tired but satisfied smile on her face.

"These are azure wood healing pills, two hundred in total." She distributed the jade bottles to everyone. "Each of you take some; they can save your life at critical moments."

Chu Lan also took out a Storage Pouch and handed it to Yao Guang: "Inside are several new seeds I've recently cultivated. There's 'Iron Bone Grass' that can grow in extreme environments, 'Warning Vine' that can alert to danger, and a few branches of the Time Holy Vine. They might come in handy if we encounter danger."

Su Ning, meanwhile, was studying the terrain of the Green Wood Realm. Using Spatial Magic for deductions, she discovered that there were Spatial Imprisonment Restrictions set up by the Wood Clan around the Green Wood Realm, and a forced Breakthrough would be detected. However, she had found several weak points in the Restrictions, through which they could infiltrate.

Tian Xin drew a batch of new Dark Concealment Talismans, which were even more concealed and lasted longer than the previous ones.

Lin Yue, on the other hand, was practicing combat Formations to ensure they could react immediately to any sudden situation.

Luo Li repeatedly practiced several melodies specifically designed to counter the Wood Clan in the music room. It was said that the Wood Clan had a weaker resistance to music, and Luo Li's musical Spells could produce unexpected effects.

The night before their departure, Yao Guang spread a hand-drawn map on a stone table.

"This is a map of the Green Wood Realm." She pointed to the markings on it. "We are here now, in the Meteor Realm. The Green Wood Realm is here, eighty thousand li east of the Meteor Realm. With our pace, plus Su Ning's Space Teleportation, we can probably get there in about a day."

Her finger moved across the map, finally landing on a valley: "This is the Yao Family's ancestral land, Qingmu Valley. The valley is not large, but its terrain is complex, easy to defend and difficult to attack. The valley entrance is guarded by a natural Formation, making it difficult for outsiders to enter. If those Formations are still there, our infiltration difficulty will be much lower."

Everyone carefully studied the map, memorizing every detail.

"Deep in the valley is a Green Wood Sacred Tree, said to be ten thousand years old," Yao Guang continued. "That is the Foundation of the Yao Family; all azure wood spirit medicine are cultivated from it. If we can find that Holy Tree, the Yao Family can truly be rebuilt."

A glimmer of anticipation flashed in her eyes, but soon dimmed: "However, so many years have passed, the Wood Clan must have turned the place upside down. It's hard to say if the Holy Tree is still there."

Gao Feng said, "We'll know when we go see. Whether it's there or not, we have to go see."

Yao Guang nodded, took a deep breath, and looked at everyone.

"Let's go."

With the aid of Su Ning's Spatial Magic, the group reached the outskirts of the Green Wood Realm in less than a day.

Su Ning formed hand seals, and a silver light unfolded in the Void Realm, slowly spreading like ripples. When the light touched the Spatial Imprisonment Restriction at the edge of the Green Wood Realm, it paused slightly, then quietly permeated, opening a tiny crack.

"Quick," she whispered. "This crack can only last for ten breaths."

The group filed in, passing through the crack and stepping into the Green Wood Realm.

When their feet touched the soil of the Green Wood Realm, everyone was stunned.

The sky was gray, as if covered by a thick haze.

The earth, which should have been bathed in sunlight, now let through not a single ray of warmth.