Chapter 217: The Light Cocoon of the Heart and the Revival of Remnants

The purifying light erupting from the core of the leyline energy well, like the first ray of light at the dawn of the universe, swept over everything, cleansing the filth. That raging black wave let out a final, unwilling, piercing shriek in this extreme brilliance, then, like ice and snow exposed to the scorching sun, rapidly melted and evaporated, ultimately turning completely into nothingness, leaving only a faint, nauseating smell of scorched odor, which was then thoroughly purified and erased by the pure energy flow.

The dark purple energy shield outside Liyana's body shattered like paper; she herself was hurled away like a kite with a broken string, crashing onto the smooth crystal floor far away. After struggling a few times, she lay completely still. The dark purple crystal at her forehead became extremely dim, even showing fine cracks on its surface, and the strange patterns spreading from it faded considerably, as if the erosion process had been forcibly interrupted. Her eyes were tightly closed, her face pale, but the cold indifference between her brows had vanished, replaced by a weak calmness. Her breathing, though faint, no longer carried that heart-stopping sense of death. The purifying light forcibly suppressed the annihilation spores within her body, but the price was that she too fell into a deep, self-repairing coma.

Grona was so blinded by the sudden light that she could not open her eyes, but she could feel the suffocating corrosion and coldness vanish instantly. She panted heavily, supporting her nearly broken body with her war axe; the surface of her power armor was covered in corrosion marks and dents, sizzling with tiny electric sparks. "Damn it... finally... quiet..." She spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, looked around, and felt lingering fear.

When the light erupted, Lingna and Sister Ai Li instinctively closed their eyes tightly. That warm yet immense power washed over their bodies, bringing an indescribable sense of comfort. At the wound on Lingna's shoulder eroded by shadow energy, the black patterns receded rapidly like shadows under sunlight. Although the wound remained, the bone-chilling, excruciating pain vanished, leaving only the pain of pure physical trauma. The erosion under Ai Li's ribs and on her shoulder was similarly purified; the black faded away. Although her injuries remained severe, the cold power that constantly gnawed at her life and will disappeared, allowing her to finally catch her breath. She coughed violently, spitting out several mouthfuls of thick black blood, after which her breathing became somewhat smoother.

"Brother Lin Mo!" As the light subsided slightly, Lingna immediately looked anxiously toward the direction of the energy heart. Ai Li and Grona also looked immediately, their hearts rising to their throats.

The scene before them left them stunned.

The energy heart still beat, but its rhythm had become steady and powerful. Each beat emitted a more gentle, immense milky-white radiance, illuminating the entire cavity. Directly beneath the heart, where Lin Mo had originally plunged into the energy tide, a huge light cocoon, woven from the purest leyline energy and the starlight dust that had not yet fully dissipated, had appeared, resembling amber!

The light cocoon presented a gentle milky-white hue, with faint golden threads flowing within. A vague human silhouette could be vaguely seen curled inside, as if fallen into the deepest sleep. A faint yet incredibly resilient pulse of life slowly emanated from the light cocoon, maintaining a strange synchronization with the beating of the entire energy heart.

Lin Mo was not dead! But he seemed to have been counter-attacked by the massive energy he had summoned, entering a special state of self-repair and transformation!

"Boss..." Grona's eyes widened as she looked at the miraculous light cocoon, scratching her damaged helmet. "Is this... turned into an egg?"

"It is an energy self-repair mechanism..." Zero's faint voice suddenly came from the console that had fallen aside. Its light was extremely dim, like a candle in the wind. "Lord Lin Mo's... body and soul... were severely damaged during the purification process... The leyline energy... in its most primal form... wrapped him... conducting... slow... reshaping and... nourishment..."

Hearing Zero's voice and explanation, the three finally breathed a slight sigh of relief. As long as he was alive, there was hope.

"Then... how long until he can come out?" Lingna asked anxiously.

"Unknown..." Zero's voice was intermittent. "The time scale of the leyline energy... differs from the outside world... It could be very fast... or it could be... extremely long..."

This was undoubtedly another uncertain factor.

Just then, the entire leyline cavity, and indeed the entire Ark Remnant, began to undergo slow yet significant changes!

Vooom———

That vast humming sound, originating from the Ark itself, rang out again. But it was no longer the previous wail or warning; instead, it had become steady, powerful, and filled with a certain sense of "revival"! With the vigorous beating of the energy heart, pure leyline energy began to flow along those long-dry and abandoned energy pipes and meridians, transporting to every corner of the Ark Remnant!

Through the breach at the entrance, one could see the vibrations of the dome outside gradually cease, and the falling rain of fire and debris decreased. Inside the broken ecological dome hall, lights that had long been extinguished lit up one by one. Although the light was faint, it brought long-awaited brightness. The damaged energy simulation sky flickered a few times and actually managed to restore operation in one area, projecting a fake but reassuring artificial starry sky. Even the air circulation system started operating again, emitting a slight breathing sound, pumping in fresh, oxygen-rich air.

The entire Ark Remnant, like a dying giant, began to slowly regain a trace of vitality after its heart started beating again!

"Gardener! Can the Gardener be restored?" Lingna looked hopefully toward the platform direction, but deathly silence still reigned there; the shattering of the World Tree seed was irreversible.

Zero fell silent for a moment, then replied: "The Gardener core... has withered along with the seed... But the restart of the leyline energy... might activate the Ark's... backup management systems... in other areas..."

This meant they might not need to rely entirely on that weak AI.

Grona walked to the entrance and looked out into space through the breach. After suffering heavy damage and the impact of the leyline energy eruption, the Doctor's flagship seemed to have temporarily retreated a certain distance, forming a new standoff with the mixed fleet Grona had brought. Cannon fire was sporadic, but large-scale orbital bombardment had stopped. Clearly, the revival and eruption of the leyline energy had also intimidated the Doctor.

"The bastards outside have quieted down for now," Grona said, turning back. "But I feel they have no good intentions; they are definitely plotting something more sinister."

This temporary safety was hard-won. But the crisis was far from resolved. Lin Mo was asleep, Liyana was in a coma, Ai Li and Lingna were severely injured, Grona had exhausted herself greatly, and Zero was severely damaged. They remained fragile.

And the biggest hidden danger was this: the annihilation spores within Liyana's body had only been suppressed, not eradicated. Although the erosive matter under that crystal tree had been purified, its root source, the primal pollution of the Devouring Realm's Throat, had it truly been completely eliminated?

Ai Li struggled over to Liyana's side and carefully checked her condition, her brows still tightly furrowed. "The thing inside her... is still sleeping... very unstable..."

Lingna also looked worriedly at the huge light cocoon and the comatose Liyana.

Just then, Zero's console flickered again, projecting an extremely blurry and fragmented energy flow map.

"Detected... leyline energy... is automatically repairing... some secondary circuits... One of them... points to... the depths of Unit B-7... A previously... undetectable... area... Energy signature... identified as... 'Ancient Elf Emergency Shelter'... or... 'Ark Bridge Backup Entrance'..."

A new area? The Ark Bridge? Did a true method to control this massive ship exist there? Or... other World Tree seeds?

Hope seemed to always squeeze out new buds in desperate situations.