Chapter 329: Mist and Lamp

On the Aifala Dalu, there is not much attention to the naming of animals and plants.

Some are the simplest descriptive naming, directly using the appearance, sound, behavior, or habitat of the creature as its name, such as "Blood Thorn Flower," "Sparrow Claw Vine"...

Those who are slightly more particular may connect it with mythological allusions, heroic epics, or historical events when naming, such as "Merlin Rose," "Kael'thas's Spider Plant"...

Of course, in most cases, what is widely spread among adventurers and explorers is the most widely circulated common name of this creature.

In the long history of the Aifala Dalu, perhaps some capable people who were proficient in relevant biological knowledge and naming skills have tried to formulate a general and strict naming criterion.

But no one has ever succeeded.

After all, this is a fantasy world where gods really exist and divine power is fragmented.

A common forest deer that can be seen everywhere, "Nature," "Antlers," "Guardian," "Life"... it is very likely that it is connected to many great existences above the God Kingdom behind it.

And a widely circulated name that is recognized by most people is, to some extent, part of "faith."

The involvement is by no means a field that mortals can reach.

"Mist Lamp Grass" is the name of this plant in the common language.

Simple and easy to understand, even a country farmer who doesn't know a big character can roughly imagine its appearance and growth environment when hearing this term.

And in the Elvish language, which has always paid attention to phonology and elegance and likes to outline the richest imagery with the fewest syllables, Mist Lamp Grass also has its poetic expression.

Literally translated, "Mist Lamp Grass" is:

——The hazy halo swaying in the thickest mist before dawn.

It is not tall itself, each plant is about half a foot to one foot long, the slender emerald-green stem seems unable to bear the pressure of the "dew" above and bends slightly, with a lantern-shaped inflorescence clustered by dense blue-white petals hanging at the top.

Just like a humble night watchman.

For most of the year, Mist Lamp Grass is inconspicuous, just hanging alone in the cracks of the mountain cliffs, hidden in the depths of weeds and shrubs.

Only around the Midsummer Festival will it turn the scattered magic power it absorbs silently on weekdays into a kind of light dust particle emitted from the stamen, which comes into contact with the moisture in the surrounding air to stimulate a soft light.

In Elvish legends, Mist Lamp Grass is transformed from the tears of an Elf in ancient times. She was separated from her lover in the forest, and where the tears fell, they turned into these small lamps that illuminate the way home, guiding lost souls to find their way home.

Even today, many Elvish clan rangers will tie a Mist Lamp Grass to their waist or wear badges with corresponding patterns to show their identity and honor.

Lily'ai naturally wouldn't know these allusions about Mist Lamp Grass.

For her, this is just a kind of plant in the forest, no different from the wild flowers on the roadside and the tree vines hanging down.

It even carries a faint resistance.

Because the time point for every sacrificial ritual is during the blooming period of Mist Lamp Grass.

This makes the girl instinctively associate "death" with "Mist Lamp Grass."

Bang—

Behind her was the huge dull sound of the heavy wooden door closing, and the sound of chains and door locks rubbing echoed in her ears.

She seemed to faintly hear the clamor of the villagers.

This made Lily'ai, who had endured the oppressive atmosphere in the village for many days, feel happy in her heart.

"Yes, the ritual is over, everyone doesn't have to suffer like these two days anymore."

But soon, accompanied by the gradual departure of footsteps and human voices, a kind of unspeakable fear and loneliness swallowed the girl's body and consciousness like a tide.

The canyon is deep, filled with mist, and the air is a thick and damp cold silence.

Darkness and water mist roll and flow in front of her eyes, just like some kind of living entity, firmly limiting her sight to within ten steps.

The concept of space seems to become blurred at this moment, only the heartbeat becomes more and more ear-piercing, accompanied by the echo stirred up when water droplets on the rock wall occasionally drip, vibrating the eardrum.

Light has become a luxury here.

The towering cliffs on both sides cut off the warmth and light from above the sky, and only the dim light that faintly seeped down was scattered and refracted in the mist, forming a piece of disturbing blurred faint light.

In this dim light and low visibility environment, Mist Lamp Grass has become the most conspicuous thing.

The soft halo of blue and white is like stars falling into the canyon, swaying gently in the depths, hanging low, and the exquisite lantern-shaped flowers emit fluorescence in the breeze, illuminating a small circle of air and dark moss around them.

The number of Mist Lamp Grass is not large, but because of the overly dark environment, the sense of existence is particularly strong.

On the rock wall, among the grass... one after another, as if they were really like what is described in the legend, guiding the lost to move forward to the depths of the canyon.

Lily'ai had long been prepared to die, and her flat and calm attitude when facing Dongshu showed her determination.

But no matter how much she hypnotized herself, doing this was for her family, for the village, she was just a girl who had never even been out of the village.

When relatives are no longer there and the way home is blocked.

Facing such a lonely situation and the impending death, she still felt a deep fear in her heart.

The severe pain from her arm and the warm liquid flowing from the wound instinctively reminded her that her life was passing away.

And the bone-chilling cold in the air made Lily'ai's body tremble, just like a moth to a flame, subconsciously leaning towards the only light source in the current environment, running towards the direction of Mist Lamp Grass.

The canyon was silent enough to make people panic.

Clearly, her movements didn't stop, and she didn't stay in place for a moment, but the girl felt that her body was getting colder and colder, and her limbs were gradually becoming weak.

In addition, in the terrifying dead silence around that made people unable to stop holding their breath, Lily'ai even felt some kind of gaze lurking in the depths of the darkness.

Maybe it was the blurred outline that flashed by when a certain Mist Lamp Grass swayed in the distance; perhaps it was the abstract face composed of moss on the rock wall beside her; or... from this piece of land under her feet itself.

Lily'ai even had a kind of illusion, as if this road led by Mist Lamp Grass to the depths of darkness was not her choice, but the will of the canyon inducing her to step into some terrifying abyss step by step.

"Clatter!"

Suddenly!

The bushes not far ahead shook suddenly, and the noise that erupted abruptly in the dead silence made the girl who was highly focused scream.

Her body stiffened for an instant, and the whole person sat on the ground.

Her pupils vibrated, her consciousness was trance-like, as if she was about to faint in the next second.

Fortunately, almost at the same time as her scream, the deliberately lowered familiar male voice made Lily'ai regain her senses after reacting.

"Shh, don't make a sound..."

Staring at the blurred outline gradually approaching in the dim light, Lily'ai's eyes widened subconsciously, and her tone carried some incredulity:

"Dongshu!?"

"Why, why are you here."

The simple boy who rarely missed morning training and suddenly appeared in this forbidden area didn't answer the other party's question.

Seeing Lily'ai, his eyes were first ecstatic, rejoicing that the other party had not died as a sacrifice in the ritual.

Then, after noticing the pale cheeks of the girl and the bandaged wound on her arm, it was another burst of panic.

Hurriedly taking out the herbs and bandages he had prepared from his waist bag, he stepped forward in a panic, wanting to bandage the girl's wound.

"No, no, no..." ===== CHAPTER 330 =====