Chapter 35: Sorrow of the Silver Moon: The Rotten Claw's Hunt and the Choice of the Core

The depression was shrouded in the scorched smell of earth-fire and the pungent stench of molten metal. Sister Ai Li knelt beside Lin Mo, her fingers trembling as she reached for his carotid artery. The faint pulse beneath her fingertips eased her cold expression slightly. Lin Mo's entire body resembled charcoal, his skin severely burned over large areas, his breathing faint, but he was still alive! It was the final protection of the Seed of Life, combined with Priestess Liyana's crucial spiritual comfort, that had saved his life.

Banzi rolled and scrambled over, pulling a small iron box from the hidden compartment of his oil-stained "plate armor." Inside was a black ointment. "Quick! Smear it on! Old Banzi's 'Life-Saving Black Jade Ointment'! Although... it might have some side effects..." He frantically applied it to Lin Mo's wounds.

Xiang Lingna climbed out of the cellar. Seeing Lin Mo's state, her small face turned deathly pale, and tears streamed down her cheeks, but she immediately ran to fetch the cleanest purified water and carefully fed it to Lin Mo.

Under the combined effect of the ointment and purified water, Lin Mo's breathing gradually stabilized, yet he remained unconscious. The light of the Seed of Life on his chest dimmed, as if it too had exhausted its power.

The remaining forces of the Black Scorpion had fled in disarray; the depression was temporarily safe, but the cost was heavy. The hut collapsed completely, half of the purified water station's ruins were swallowed by lava-like cracks, most of the newly expanded potato field was scorched by the high heat, and only the few 'Starlight Moss' plants Xiang Lingna had moved in advance and the core potato seedlings she carefully tended survived. Banzi's "masterpiece" was also almost entirely destroyed.

Sister Ai Li simply bandaged the wound on her shoulder; the old injury on her back throbbed faintly. She silently cleared a relatively safe area, settled Lin Mo, and then began collecting scattered weapons and usable supplies. Her movements remained crisp, but deep in her eyes, besides the cold killing intent, there was a hint of unnoticeable heaviness. Lin Mo's fall had caused this newly formed small group to lose its backbone.

And at this moment, in the Withered Forest, Priestess Liyana was facing a life-or-death crisis!

Forcing herself to split her attention to support Lin Mo not only exhausted her spiritual power but also caused a flaw in the Moon God's power maintaining the Silver Pure Land! The 'Rotten Claw', always lurking deep in the mist, seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

"Roar——!!!"

A roar filled with greed and ferocity exploded in the Withered Forest! The dense purple mist churned like boiling water! A massive figure suddenly burst out from the mist!

It stood nearly five meters tall, its form resembling a terrifying giant forcibly stitched together from a massive tree and rotting flesh! Its torso was a thick, cracked black ancient tree covered in purple fungal spots, while its limbs were twisted appendages covered in rotting bark and writhing mycelium; its huge hands were like giant claws woven from withered branches, with corrosive purple slime dripping from the fingertips! Its head was a large "helmet" covered in thick tree knots, with a crack opening in the center of the helmet, revealing a pair of cloudy, greedy yellow giant eyes!

Rotten Claw! Hunter of the Mist! Embodiment of Withering!

It ignored the surging withering mist around it, its massive Rotten Claw carrying a foul wind that tore through the air, fiercely clawing at the small Silver Pure Land on the tree knot! Its target was directly the weakened Priestess Liyana and the World Tree remains she guarded!

Priestess Liyana's face was as pale as paper, her silver hair dancing wildly in the foul wind brought by the Rotten Claw. She forced herself to raise the Withered Wood Staff, and the fragments of the broken Moonlight Pearl at the staff's head erupted with the last, blinding silver light!

"In the name of the Moon God! Wall of Nature!" She used her last strength to chant the ancient protective incantation!

A barrier composed of countless wildly growing silver thorns instantly rose from the ground before the tree knot! The thorns were entwined with pure Moonlight power, forming the last line of defense!

"Screech——!"

The Rotten Claw's giant claw slammed hard against the thorn barrier! A piercing sound of corrosion rang out! The silver thorns turned gray and withered at a speed visible to the naked eye! The Moonlight power was crazily eroded by the dense withering aura!

The barrier shook violently, its light fading rapidly! Priestess Liyana's body trembled like a candle in the wind, and silver blood spilled from the corner of her mouth again! The silver moss beneath her feet withered rapidly!

"No! Liyana!" Although Lin Mo's consciousness had fallen into a coma, through the Seed of Life and the remaining spiritual link, he seemed to "see" this desperate scene! A strong will erupted from his comatose body!

The Seed of Life, sensing the host's strong will and his contract connection with Priestess Liyana, erupted with the last trace of emerald light! This faint yet pure life energy crossed the planes and instantly injected into Priestess Liyana's collapsing thorn barrier!

Replenished by this life force from another world, the nearly shattered thorn barrier flashed brightly! The speed of withering suddenly slowed!

A flash of shock and rage passed through the Rotten Claw's yellow giant eyes! It increased its force, and purple slime poured from its giant claw like a waterfall, crazily corroding the barrier!

Two forces stalled before the tree knot! The silver thorns and the purple Rotten Claw, nature and withering, engaged in a final struggle! Priestess Liyana's body teetered, supported only by her will. Lin Mo's comatose body also convulsed violently, with blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

At this critical moment of life and death, deep within the scorched land in Lin Mo's territory caused by the high heat, in the earth vein crack that had just erupted, a stone about the size of a fist, entirely crimson and resembling molten crystal, was slowly cooling and solidifying. Although most of the violent energy contained within it had been vented, a refined, relatively stable fire-attribute energy source at its core had settled.

【Detected 'Small Earth Vein Heart Fragment (Cooling Phase)'! Energy Status: Stable (Medium Purity, Fire Attribute)!】

【This energy source can serve as a 'Stable Anchor'! Absorb it to stabilize the 'Elven Sorrow' channel node?】

【Warning: After absorption, it will be temporarily unavailable for territory construction or recharging! And it may trigger unknown spatial disturbances!】

The system's prompt exploded like thunder in Lin Mo's chaotic consciousness! Stable Anchor! With it, the channel could be stabilized, perhaps... truly helping Liyana! But the price was giving up this precious energy source and potentially inviting new trouble!

Absorb? Or keep?

Lin Mo struggled in his coma; Liyana's desperate image and the wailing of the Elven world echoed in his mind. The foundation of the Wasteland needed energy, but an ally in another world was paying the price of life for him!

"Ab... sorb..." A faint yet firm thought transmitted from the depths of Lin Mo's will.

【Command Confirmed! Beginning absorption of 'Small Earth Vein Heart Fragment'! Guiding energy...】

【'Elven Sorrow' secondary channel node energy supply increased to 30%! Stability greatly enhanced!】

【Warning: Spatial coordinates generated ripples due to high-purity energy injection! May be detected by higher-dimensional entities!】

【Channel reinforcement complete! Attempt to open a temporary material transmission channel (extremely small scale, high risk)!】

Crimson energy was drawn from the underground crack, transforming into a streak of light that merged into the Seed of Life on Lin Mo's chest. The emerald light instantly flared intensely! A powerful and stable energy surged through the channel of the spiritual link, crossed the planes, and poured into Priestess Liyana's collapsing thorn barrier!

Receiving this vast, stable energy support carrying the power of the earth, the silver thorn barrier instantly surged! It became incredibly tough and thick! A faint emerald flame even ignited on the thorns!

"Screech——!!!"

The Rotten Claw's giant claw struck the thorns burning with emerald flames, instantly producing a violent sound like hot iron hitting water! The purple slime evaporated, and the rotting bark ignited! The intense pain caused the Rotten Claw to let out a sky-shattering howl of agony, 猛地 retracting its claw! Its cloudy yellow giant eyes were filled with unbelievable terror!

It looked fearfully at the thorn barrier burning with emerald flames and at Priestess Liyana behind the barrier, whose face was still pale but whose eyes had reignited with hope, then greedily glanced at the silver light on the World Tree remains, and finally let out a reluctant roar before its massive body slowly retreated into the dense withering mist, disappearing from sight.

The crisis was temporarily averted. Priestess Liyana collapsed onto the tree knot, looking at the thorn barrier burning with emerald flames before her, feeling the vast power and warmth contained within it from a friend of another world; a crystal tear finally slid down her cheek, stained with purple marks.

In the Wasteland depression, Lin Mo remained unconscious, but his breathing was much more stable. The light of the Seed of Life on his chest flowed, with a crimson core now inside. An extremely faint yet unusually stable thorn symbol slowly rotated deep within his consciousness.

The Elven crisis had eased, but the Rotten Claw had not gone far. And Lin Mo, to save his ally, had consumed a precious energy source, leaving behind the hidden danger of "spatial ripples." The future of the Wasteland and the hope of the Elves both hung on the comatose Lord. Sister Ai Li guarded Lin Mo's side, her cold eyes gazing into the void, as if piercing through the planes to see the figure of that silver-haired elf.