Chapter 129: Jade Sprout, Star-Grain Bulwark

The purifying light Uncle Suolin had ignited with his life was rapidly fading within the river bend. The blue-white pulses receded like a tide, leaving behind wilted, carbonized moss and the smoldering, rotting remnants of root tendrils. The suffocating stench of decay in the air, though greatly weakened, was seeping back in from the churning darkness around them as the purifying field waned.

Worst of all, the Doctor's projection—which had been temporarily shattered—was reforming at the river bend's entrance! Though far thinner than before, the fury and killing intent burning in those abyssal eyes had grown even fiercer! It slowly raised its newly reformed hand, and that lethal dark-purple annihilation glow lit up once more at its fingertips! This time, its target was clearer—Xiang Lingna, and the jade shard in her hands that had caused so much trouble!

The shadow of death loomed once more! Uncle Suolin's sacrifice had only bought them less than a minute!

"Kid... think of something fast... that monster's coming again!" Wrench cried out in panic, dragging his twisted "survival arm" behind a massive crystal cluster, his voice cracking with a sob.

Xiang Lingna held Lin Mo in her arms, kneeling on the relatively "clean" mudflat. Her little face was pale from grief and fear, but her eyes were fixed intently on the warm jade shard in her hands. The shard seemed to sense the approaching crisis and the lingering purifying energy in the surrounding space (from the crystal clusters and Uncle Suolin's Moon God power), and was emitting a faint yet urgent pulse.

Uncle Suolin had protected them with his life... the Core was struggling painfully in its cage... Uncle Copperbeard's fate was unknown... Brother Lin Mo was still unconscious... Now, the only one she could rely on was herself!

An instinct from deep within her bloodline, belonging to one naturally attuned to nature, was fully awakened in this desperate moment! Xiang Lingna stopped thinking about the consequences; she poured all her fear, sorrow, and will to protect into the shard in her hands!

She closed her eyes, and just as she had when coaxing forth light moss and star-grain wood in the sanctuary, she focused her entire spirit to feel, to guide! But this time, her will was no longer confined to small plants—it was this entire briefly purified space! The lingering purifying energy! The earth beneath her feet! Those few crystal clusters radiating blue-white light, imbued with the power of order! And most of all, this jade shard in her hands, sharing the same origin as the Wang Ting Core!

"Grow... protect... like the star-grain wood... take root... purify... protect everyone..." Xiang Lingna murmured, her voice carrying a strange, magical quality imbued with nature's rhythm. She pressed her hands, tightly gripping the shard, hard against the mudflat beneath her—ground that had just been purified and not yet recontaminated!

Hum——!!!

The jade shard seemed infused with a soul! In an instant, it erupted with an unprecedented life-glow, as rich as a jade forest! This radiance was no longer gentle, but brimming with a vigorous, almost wild will to grow!

Hiss hiss hiss——!

From the spot where Xiang Lingna's hands had pressed down, countless silver-white, thick, resilient star-grain wood roots burst from the earth! These roots were ten times thicker and a hundred times tougher than the ones she had coaxed forth in the sanctuary! Like living silver dragons, they madly spread and took root in all directions!

Even more terrifying, these star-grain wood roots seemed to possess intelligence! They precisely wound themselves around the few blue-white-glowing crystal clusters at the center of the river bend! The tips of the roots secreted a strange purifying substance, instantly establishing a connection with the crystal clusters' energy! Vast, pure earth-vein energy was guided and absorbed by the roots, transformed into even purer life-purifying power!

At the same time, the roots also madly burrowed into the surrounding rock walls, even probing into the underground dark river, greedily drawing moisture and faint earth-vein energy!

Under the combined catalysis of the jade shard, the lingering purifying energy, the earth-vein crystals, and Xiang Lingna's full natural will, the star-grain wood's growth speed reached an unimaginable level!

Rumble rumble rumble!

The ground was shaking! Countless silver-white tree trunks burst from the earth, shooting up and thickening at a visible rate! Intricate elven runes, flowing with emerald-green and blue-white light, naturally formed on the bark! The canopies stretched wildly, silver-white leaves glittering with starlight at their edges, emanating a powerful purifying halo!

In just a dozen or so breaths, a micro-forest composed of dozens of towering star-grain ancient trees—each over a dozen meters tall, radiating immense life and purifying aura—erupted from the mudflat of the river bend! Firmly protecting Xiang Lingna, Lin Mo, Wrench, and Uncle Suolin's remains at the forest's center!

This forest was no longer mere vegetation, but a living bulwark—fusing the life essence of the Jade Heart, the order energy of the earth-vein crystals, Uncle Suolin's residual Moon God power, and Xiang Lingna's ultimate will to protect!

The instant the star-grain forest formed—

Fwip!

The annihilation beam condensed by the Doctor's projection shot forth viciously, like the breath of death!

However, the beam failed to pierce the forest!

On the forest's outer edge, the runes on several star-grain ancient trees lit up simultaneously! Interwoven purifying halos formed a resilient energy shield, flowing with silver-white and emerald-green hues!

Fwoosh!

The annihilation beam slammed hard into the shield! Blinding light erupted! The shield rippled violently, and fine cracks even appeared in the struck area! Several outer ancient trees were eroded by the escaping annihilation energy, their silver-white leaves instantly turning ashen!

But the shield held!

The star-grain forest shook violently, leaves falling like a rainstorm, but Xiang Lingna and the others in the core area were safe and sound!

"It held! Xiang Lingna, kid! You're amazing!" Wrench poked his head out from behind a tree, shouting joyfully.

But Xiang Lingna groaned, her little face instantly turning paper-white, a trickle of fresh blood seeping from the corner of her mouth! Maintaining this forcibly grown star-grain bulwark, fused with multiple powers, was an unimaginable burden for her! Every attack from the Doctor struck like a heavy hammer against her soul! She could feel the forest's agony, feel the energy draining at terrifying speed!

The Doctor's projection seemed startled too, its movements pausing for an instant. Immediately, even wilder fury radiated from its body! It no longer fired beams, but its entire form transformed into a streak of dark-purple flowing light, tearing through space with a shriek, and slammed viciously into the star-grain forest's shield!

Boom——!!!

An even more violent collision! The shield let out a teeth-grinding groan, and the cracks instantly widened! Several more ancient trees withered rapidly under the backlash!

Xiang Lingna coughed up another mouthful of fresh blood, her body swaying on the verge of collapse, her consciousness beginning to blur. The star-grain forest's radiance dimmed a fraction in turn.

At this rate, it couldn't hold much longer! She had to counterattack! Or... wake Lin Mo!

Xiang Lingna's gaze fell on Lin Mo, still unconscious in her arms. The stardust crystal on his chest seemed to sense the star-grain forest's immense life energy and the terrifying threat of the Doctor outside, and was flickering with an extremely faint, unstable light.

A thought flashed through Xiang Lingna's mind—use the star-grain forest's life energy to forcefully stimulate Lin Mo's stardust crystal and awaken him!

But the risk was enormous! A single misstep could utterly destroy Lin Mo's weakened body!

Watching the Doctor's projection gathering power once more, preparing to launch an even more terrifying charge, a flash of resolve crossed Xiang Lingna's eyes.

There was no choice!