46: Chapter 46 Hope in Desperate Circumstances: Reaching the Treetop

Zhang Hao collapsed, his Domain dissipated, and the entire corrupted root cavern sank into an eerie silence.

Only the "gurgling" sound of the sea of pus slowly solidifying and the heavy breathing of the crowd echoed through the space.

The massive remains of the Corrupted Ant Queen were melting rapidly, merging into the dark red fluid that was gradually losing its activity, symbolizing the destruction of the source of corruption.

However, the joy of victory had not yet had time to rise before it was overshadowed by an even heavier gloom.

"Zhang Hao!" Lin Wan knelt half-way on the ground, holding the unconscious Zhang Hao tightly, her voice choked with sobs.

She could clearly feel the body in her arms alternating between freezing cold and scorching heat, his life force flickering like a candle in the wind.

"Let me see." Queen Qinglian was the first to arrive at his side; she knelt down, and her slender, fair palm gently pressed against Zhang Hao's forehead, with soft, azure-blue water light flowing out as she attempted to probe his internal condition.

However, the moment her Mental Energy probed inside, it was like a stone sinking into the ocean, instantly shredded and repelled by a chaotic, violent energy!

"Ugh!" Queen Qinglian let out a muffled groan and withdrew her hand as if electrocuted, her expression becoming even more solemn, even carrying a hint of horror.

"It's no good! His body… is in complete chaos! Three distinct types of Origin energy are clashing wildly within his heart and Meridians!"

"The Power of Life and the power of order are spontaneously resisting the corruption, but the essence of that corrupted energy is extremely high-level and stubborn; they are annihilating and tearing at each other… fundamentally destroying his life structure!"

Queen Chaoyang, Queen Yetan, and Queen Zhufeng also gathered around, their expressions changing upon hearing this.

They attempted to use their respective powers to soothe or suppress it, but whether it was the scorching solar essence, the cool moonlight, or the flowing breeze, once it entered Zhang Hao's body, it was like adding fuel to the fire, instead exacerbating the chaos of energy and even inviting an even more ferocious counterattack from the corrupted energy.

Under the stimulation of their powers, Zhang Hao's body trembled violently, and a trace of dark red blood foam containing the aura of corruption even overflowed from the corner of his mouth.

"Stop! Our power attributes are not completely homologous with his; forcibly intervening will only accelerate his collapse!"

Queen Chaoyang decisively ordered them to stop trying, her golden eyes filled with anxiety and helplessness.

They were the guardians of the world, possessing powerful strength, yet they were helpless against this root-level energy war currently raging inside Zhang Hao.

Listening to the queens' diagnosis, Lin Wan's heart sank to the bottom.

She knew better than anyone what this kind of trauma, acting directly upon the Origin of life, meant for Hosts like them who entered the Dream Mission World with their "Physical Body".

This was by no means a simple data corruption or mental shock, but a real, potentially fatal crisis!

Once they "died" here, the consequences would be unimaginable; it would very likely mean the true dissolution of their consciousness!

Despair, like cold vines, wrapped around everyone's heart.

Just then, Qingmu (from the Flowing Water Lotus Kingdom team), who had been observing in silence and trying to probe Zhang Hao's condition with [Life Perception], suddenly raised his head and said in a slightly uncertain tone:

"Your Majesties, Miss Lin Wan, I… I perceive that the two purifying powers belonging to Brother Zhang Hao, although suppressed and conflicted by the corrupted energy, seem to… seem to be spontaneously protecting his core Sea of Consciousness and the most important nodes of vitality, and… vaguely exist in some kind of extremely weak resonance with the outside world, especially with the area above?"

Above?

Everyone looked up subconsciously; although they were in the deep root cavern, their consciousnesses were involuntarily drawn to the [World Tree] itself, which towered into the clouds and supported the heavens and earth, and to the Ritual of Flowers platform located at the peak of the canopy, symbolizing the ultimate hope and balance of this world!

A brilliant light suddenly erupted in Queen Chaoyang's eyes, as if she had grabbed the last straw: "That's it! The Holy Tree! The Ritual of Flowers! How could we have forgotten this!"

She quickly explained: "The Ritual of Flowers is originally a great ceremony for our four Flower Elf Kingdoms to communicate with the Holy Tree's Origin will by using our respective Origin flowers (flower of sunbeam, moonshadow flower, wind-whisper flower, water-mirror flower) as catalysts, gathering the purest and most majestic power of vitality and order in the world to nourish, purify, and balance the entire world!"

"This power is essentially homologous with the order and Power of Life within young friend Zhang Hao, and even more grandiose and pure!"

Queen Yetan's cold voice followed, carrying a hint of determination: "The fact that the purifying power within him can resonate with the Holy Tree shows that his essence has been recognized by the Holy Tree."

"Perhaps… only by borrowing the power of the ritual, using the grand order and the torrent of life from the Foundation of the entire world, can we thoroughly wash away and purify that stubborn root corruption, and pull his body and Soul back from the edge of collapse!"

"This is the only hope!" Queen Zhufeng gripped the longbow in her hand, her eyes firm.

Queen Qinglian looked at Lin Wan, her tone gentle yet unquestionable: "Miss Lin Wan, time is of the essence. The balance within him is extremely fragile; I do not know how long he can hold on. We must set off immediately, go to the treetop, and start the ritual!"

Hope was reignited; although slim, it was the only visible light in the darkness.

"I will go with you!" Lin Wan did not hesitate; she gently wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, her gaze becoming firm once again.

She carefully carried Zhang Hao on her back, feeling the painful tremors of his body alternating between freezing cold and scorching heat, with only one thought in her mind—she must save him!

"We are going too!" Mo Li, Bai Zhi, Shi Yan, Feng Ling, Lan, and Qingmu said in unison.

They were a team that had experienced life and death together, and they would never abandon a companion at this moment.

"Good!" Queen Chaoyang nodded heavily, no longer hesitating. "There is no time to lose, we leave immediately!"

The four queens once again unfurled their gorgeous and powerful energy wings—Wings of Sunbeam, Wings of Moon-glory, Wings of Flowing Wind, and Wings of Azure Waves.

Lin Wan also vibrated the Wings of Sunbeam bestowed upon her by Queen Chaoyang on her back, carrying Zhang Hao carefully.

"Let's go!"

At the command, four brilliant streams of light were the first to soar into the sky, breaking through the oppression of the root cavern, and along the incomparably massive trunk of the World Tree, they flew rapidly towards the peak of the canopy hidden above the clouds!

Lin Wan followed closely behind, and the other members of the Host team also flapped their wings and followed.

They had to be fast, even faster! Racing against time, racing against the constantly worsening energy conflict within Zhang Hao.

At the top of the World Tree, the ritual, originally prepared to save the world, now carried all the hope for the survival of an outsider.