Chapter 235: The Mark of Hunger and the Glimmer of Purification

Agony.

A cold burning sensation and a strange numbness, like two fighting venomous snakes, spread crazily up the blood vessels of her right leg, tearing at each other yet strangely achieving a terrifying balance, using her body as a battlefield. Xiang Lingna curled into a ball on the cold floor of the sanctuary, her consciousness floating and sinking in the tide of pain.

That mature female elf voice, filled with urgency and concern, like a lighthouse piercing through the mist, guided her briefly before being swallowed again by deeper pain.

"A contradictory vessel... both hope and risk... be careful... 'Hunger'... has been awakened... it is... marking..."

Marking? What mark? Is it this dark red brand, writhing like a living creature, on her leg? Is this "Hunger"? Has it been awakened? Because of what? Because she broke into the sanctuary? Or because of... this strange state within her?

On her left arm, the silver thorn mark, unwilling to yield, emitted a faint yet resilient light, joining the life energy of the emerald seed to stubbornly resist the erosion of the dark red brand. Three forces intertwined and clashed within her body, bringing pain that nearly tore her soul apart.

She could not faint! Absolutely not!

Xiang Lingna bit her lower lip hard, the taste of blood filling her mouth again, the excruciating pain stimulating her to maintain the last shred of clarity. She struggled to lift her head, looking at the emerald seed suspended there, its light flowing and shifting.

It was the only hope. That immense life energy was the bane of the dark red brand. As long as she got close to it...

Using her still-movable left arm and core strength, dragging her completely numb left leg and her right leg that burned like fire, she moved inch by inch, like a dying reptile, toward the seed at the center of the platform.

Every inch of movement was accompanied by bone-deep pain and a massive drain on her strength. Sweat, blood, and even tears seeping out from the pain mixed together, dragging a wet trail beneath her.

The distance slowly shortened.

The closer she got to the seed, the more intense, pure, and life-filled that warm energy became. The dark red brand on her right leg seemed to have met its natural enemy; its spreading speed slowed significantly, and even the burning agony lessened slightly, replaced by a deeper numbness, as if originating from the soul, and... some strange feeling of being watched?

It was as if a cold, greedy will was silently "observing" her through this brand, observing this sanctuary.

Xiang Lingna suppressed the unease in her heart and continued forward. Finally, her trembling left hand touched the warm halo emitted by the seed.

Like rain after a long drought! A pure and gentle life energy surged into her body through her fingertips, quickly flowing through her limbs and bones! The excruciating pain in her body was washed away by warm water, instantly reduced by more than half! Broken bones, torn muscles, and depleted spirit, nourished by this energy, let out hungry moans and began to heal slowly at a visible speed!

Even the dark red brand on her right leg, under the erosion of life energy, seemed to dim slightly, its spread completely halted.

It worked! It really worked!

Xiang Lingna was almost moved to tears by joy. She greedily absorbed this gift of life, feeling like a withering plant that had received water again; her consciousness gradually cleared, and a sliver of strength returned.

She tried to sit up, getting closer to the seed. The seed hovered there, its light gentle, like a kind elder silently guarding and healing her.

However, good times did not last.

In the instant her injuries eased slightly and her mind relaxed a fraction—

The dark red brand on her right leg, previously suppressed, suddenly writhed violently! As if thoroughly enraged by the stimulation of life energy, or as if sensing some distant call, it erupted with a completely different suction force, full of plunder and greed!

No longer spreading outward to erode, it began to devour the life energy surging into Xiang Lingna's body crazily and hungrily!

"Ugh!" Xiang Lingna let out a painful grunt!

The sliver of warmth that had just returned was instantly drained away! Most of the life energy surging into her body was forcibly intercepted and devoured by that strange brand! It was like a black hole attached to her that could never be filled!

Even more terrifying, through this devouring, the color of the brand became increasingly vivid and dripping at a visible speed, like a leech soaked in fresh blood, even beginning to bulge and pulse slightly! The twisted symbol on it also became clearer and more bizarre!

In contrast, the silver thorn mark and the energy of the World Tree, because life energy was being plundered in large quantities, instantly dimmed, and the wounds that had just begun to heal sent fresh waves of excruciating pain!

This brand... it was using the seed's energy to strengthen itself!

Xiang Lingna was shocked in her heart! She tried to cut off the connection to the seed's energy, but that healing sensation was like a drug, making her unable to resist. Yet if she didn't absorb energy, her injuries would worsen rapidly, and she simply couldn't hold on!

A dilemma!

She felt like a pitiful filter; the seed's energy passed through her, but the brand stole most of it, leaving only a negligible sliver to repair her battered body.

This couldn't go on! Sooner or later, she would be completely drained dry, or this brand would grow to an uncontrollable size!

She had to find a way to purify or suppress it!

Purify? Sister Liyana's nature spells might work, but a distant spring cannot quench immediate thirst. Lin Mo's primordial power... perhaps that would work too?

Thinking of Lin Mo, Xiang Lingna subconsciously focused her spirit, trying to sense the tiny, residual trace of primordial aura within her body, left over from absorbing the earth vein energy and the World Tree's tender branch. This aura was too faint, almost imperceptible under normal circumstances.

She struggled to guide this faint trace of aura, mixed with the small amount of life energy seeping through from the seed that the brand hadn't intercepted, carefully flowing toward the brand on her right leg.

Like a stream trying to extinguish a mountain fire.

The effect was negligible. That dark red brand continued to pulse greedily, devouring energy. But Xiang Lingna did not give up; she kept trying, concentrating all her will, infusing it with the tenacious and inclusive intent originating from Lin Mo, along with her thirst for life.

Time passed bit by bit.

Just as she was about to exhaust her mental strength again and her consciousness began to blur, a miracle happened.

Perhaps her persistence worked, perhaps the seed's energy itself was continuously purifying, or perhaps the brand, having devoured too much pure life energy, underwent some change she didn't understand...

The pulsing frequency of that dark red brand decreased, extremely slightly... by a fraction. At its core, the most vivid and ferocious point, the color seemed... to fade just a tiny bit? As if a drop of clear water had been injected.

At the same time, a fragmented, blurry image, full of pain and despair, like a flashback, suddenly crashed into her mind:

... Endless darkness... twisted roots... dark red moss spreading like a tide... an elf in tattered priest robes, his arm completely consumed by dark red, looked at his hand in terror, then suddenly plunged it into his own chest, pulling out an energy core that was still beating but stained with a hint of dark red... He let out a silent roar, smashing the core hard against the ground, triggering a violent explosion... In the light, a tiny, emerald light point was flung away...

The image cut off abruptly.

Xiang Lingna gasped sharply, cold sweat dripping down her face.

That was... a memory fragment remaining in the brand? That elf... was he trying to stop himself from being completely consumed? That emerald light point... was it this seed?

This brand was not just a tool for marking and devouring; it itself recorded a past tragedy and... some desperate resistance?

This discovery made Xiang Lingna's feelings incredibly complex. This evil brand, its roots might also be those of a victim.

Just as her mind was in turmoil, an even more unexpected change occurred.

That emerald seed, which had been silently hovering and providing energy, seemed to sense the extremely slight change in the brand and the memory fragments flashing through Xiang Lingna's mind; it suddenly trembled slightly.

A more pure life energy, even carrying a hint of sharp edge, like a trickling stream, actively separated out. It did not surge toward Xiang Lingna's whole body, but flowed precisely and slowly toward her left hand pressed on the ground, toward the dim silver thorn mark on her left arm!

Voom—

The thorn mark, as if awakened from slumber, lit up instantly! The silver light was no longer faint but became solid and sharp, like a blade re-tempered!

This energy did not enter Xiang Lingna's body; instead, using her left hand as a medium, it flowed and traced rapidly on the ground before her, like drawing runes!

In the blink of an eye, a small, complex, and exquisite array composed of pure life energy and silver thorn light suddenly formed on the ground! The center of the array was aimed directly at the dark red brand on her right leg!

The instant the array formed, a gentle yet powerful light of binding and purification rose up, like a transparent dome, precisely covering the dark red brand!

"Hiss—!"

The dark red brand, as if thrown into a furnace, instantly sent up wisps of extremely fine black smoke, making a sound as if being purified! The pulsing suddenly stalled, the greedy suction forcibly cut off! The brand became dim and calm at a visible speed; although it still existed, that active, greedy malice was temporarily sealed and suppressed!

The devouring had stopped!

Xiang Lingna froze, then a wild joy surged up inside her!

The seed… it's helping me? Does it possess a certain consciousness? Or is this some kind of preset protective mechanism?

The searing pain and numbness in her leg had greatly lessened; though the brand remained, it no longer posed an immediate threat. At last, vast amounts of life energy could pour into her body unimpeded, rapidly repairing her injuries.

Broken bones began to knit, the pain in her internal organs swiftly receded, and even her left leg, which had lost all sensation, began to send back a faint, prickling itch. Strength was returning to her body bit by bit.

She greedily absorbed the energy, feeling the return of vitality, nearly drunk on the sensation.

But very soon, she noticed something was not quite right.

That suspended emerald-green seed, after releasing that special burst of energy that activated the thorn formation, seemed to have dimmed by an almost imperceptible sliver. Though still vigorous, Xiang Lingna keenly sensed that it seemed… to have consumed some of its essence.

This formation was not without a price.

Moreover, the formation's light was slowly fading — clearly this kind of purifying suppression was not permanent. That dark crimson brand was merely lying dormant, not eradicated.

She had to find a way to resolve the problem completely as soon as possible, or leave this place; she could not rely on the seed's energy indefinitely.

Her injuries had mostly healed; though still weak, she at least had the ability to move. Xiang Lingna struggled to her feet and looked around this small sanctuary.

Apart from the seed in the center and the formation on the floor, the place was utterly empty. No other exit, no other clues.

"The Hall of Echoes… beneath…" she recalled the recording from the ancient terminal and that elven elder's final words.

The sanctuary lay beneath the Hall of Echoes. Then, where was the Hall of Echoes itself? Beyond that white archway at the entrance, there seemed to be only the Root Hall — it didn't look much like a "hall."

Could it be…

Her gaze dropped to her feet.

The platform's floor, apart from that palm-shaped depression and pattern, seemed to fit together seamlessly. She tried stomping hard on it — no response at all.

She looked again at that seed. The spot where it hovered was directly above the pattern below.

After a moment's hesitation, she extended her left hand and pressed it once more onto that palm-shaped depression.

This time, along with the recovery of her injuries and the fullness of energy within her, and what seemed like the seed's approving gaze, the instant she placed her hand upon it—

Hum!

The entire platform trembled slightly! The intricate pattern on the floor suddenly blazed with a soft light!

Immediately after, in the center of the platform, on the floor directly beneath the seed, a circular passage entrance just wide enough for one person silently slid open, leading downward! A breath of air, more ancient, more desolate, as if it had settled countless ages, welled up from below.

Inside the passage was a staircase spiraling downward, bottomless. Set into the walls on either side were certain softly self-luminous crystals, providing a faint but steady illumination.

The entrance to the Hall of Echoes had been here all along!

Xiang Lingna walked to the edge of the entrance and peered down. The staircase spiraled, with no end in sight. Within that desolate air seemed to be mingled an extremely faint, continuous whispering — as if countless tiny, broken voices were all jumbled together.

Was that the echo?

What would be down below? More answers? Or greater danger?

She glanced back at the dark crimson brand still being temporarily suppressed by the thorn formation, then at that seed whose light seemed to have dimmed another fraction after opening the passage.

There was no retreat.

She drew in a deep breath, clenched her fists, felt the recovered strength within her body and the hidden danger that still lingered, and resolutely stepped onto the spiraling staircase leading down.

Each step felt like stepping into a tunnel through time.

And that faint, broken whispering drifting in the air seemed to grow clearer and clearer as she descended…