Chapter 43: The Whisper of Corruption, the Furnace of the Geothermal Veins, and the Call of the Thorns

The cold rot spread like a bone-deep ulcer, rampaging through Lin Mo's meridians. That withering will, originating from deep within the cracks of the Moonlight Crystal, carrying the malicious projection of the Rot Claw, greedily corroded the life energy of the 【Seed of Life】, attempting to assimilate it and pollute this body brimming with potential.

Lin Mo only felt blackness flickering before his eyes, countless twisted, rotting tree shadows wildly dancing in his consciousness, whispering of eternal decay. He tightly guarded his spirit, mobilizing the scorching core deep within the 【Seed of Life】—that point fused with Fire Pattern Steel energy—transforming it into a searing torrent that violently crashed into the invading withering will!

Hiss—!

Like cold water poured into boiling oil! The emerald-green life fire tinged with orange-red light violently collided and annihilated with the cold, withered purple energy! Agony swept over his entire body, Lin Mo's throat sweetened, and a wisp of fresh blood spilled from the corner of his mouth. But the effect was remarkable! That withering will let out a silent shriek, like a viper scalded by a branding iron, and violently shrank back into the depths of the Moonlight Crystal, lurking within the purple filth of the cracks, temporarily lying dormant.

"Cough, cough..." Lin Mo coughed violently, his body swaying as if utterly drained, cold sweat soaking through his tattered clothes. The withering pollution within his body was temporarily suppressed and dispersed, but the consumption was enormous; the energy reserves of the 【Seed of Life】 instantly plummeted back to 30%, and the core seemed to be shrouded in a layer of haze that was difficult to dispel, its operation sluggish.

"Boss!" Wrench quickly supported him.

"Brother Lin Mo! Sister Ai Li, she..." Xiang Lingna pointed at Sister Ai Li with a sobbing voice. In the instant Lin Mo's energy went chaotic just now, the purple qi that had been mostly dispelled from Sister Ai Li's wound had counterattacked back, and even faint, vine-like purple patterns had appeared around the wound, identical to the brand on Priestess Liyana's wrist! Her body temperature rose again, her breathing became rapid, and she fell into a deeper coma.

Lin Mo looked at Sister Ai Li's condition, then at the crystal where malicious intent lurked in dead silence, his gaze Heavy and Solemn. Conventional life energy treatment could not only fail to eradicate this pollution originating from the Rot Claw's source, but might instead be exploited by it, even inviting disaster! He had to find stronger purifying power, or... weaken the Rot Claw from the source!

"Wrench," Lin Mo's voice was hoarse yet firm, "how much of that Fire Pattern Steel ore you found is left? The exact location?"

Wrench was stunned for a moment, then pointed at the geothermal crack in the depths of the depression that still radiated residual heat: "Right by that crack! A patch was arched out by the earth fire! It's exposed! Grandpa Wrench dug around a bit, there's definitely a vein underneath! The quality is absolutely beyond reproach!"

A glint flashed in Lin Mo's eyes. The pure fire-attribute energy contained within Fire Pattern Steel could effectively replenish the 【Seed of Life】, and the ore itself was an excellent material for forging divine weapons. More importantly, that geothermal crack! Since it could erupt earth fire, its depths must surely contain purer, more violent geothermal heat energy!

A bold and crazy plan took shape in his mind.

"Xiang Lingna, you watch over Sister Ai Li, use a clean cloth dipped in water to wipe her forehead and cool her down, be careful not to touch the wound! Wrench!" Lin Mo looked at the green-skinned goblin, "Bring every usable tool, come with me! We're going to... build a furnace!"

"A furnace?" Wrench's bean-sized eyes went wide, "Boss, we don't even have a decent pot right now..."

"We'll use that crack!" Lin Mo pointed at the geothermal crack, "Use the earth fire as the furnace! Use Fire Pattern Steel as the anvil! What we're forging isn't a pot, it's a weapon that can fight against withering and sever corruption!"

He needed a weapon! A weapon that could bear the purifying power of the 【Seed of Life】, cut through the withering fog, and even wound an existence like the Rot Claw! And the material was this Fire Pattern Steel cast by earth fire! And the primer... Lin Mo's gaze once again turned to the Moonlight Crystal. Perhaps, it needed a touch of "blessing" from the elven world.

He forced his body to move, walked to the unconscious Sister Ai Li's side, and picked up the cold, silent crystal. He concentrated his last bit of spirit, communicating with the stable Thorns Passage node deep in his consciousness.

"Priestess Liyana..." Lin Mo's thoughts carried exhaustion and urgency, "Sister Ai Li brought back the crystal... but the crystal was corrupted and polluted... Sister Ai Li also suffered heavy injuries; the pollution invaded her body... conventional life energy cannot dispel it... I need help... I need... the true meaning of nature and moonlight purification..."

He transmitted Sister Ai Li's injuries, the crystal's cracks and pollution, as well as his plan to use earth fire to cast Fire Pattern Steel, all of it. Now, only Priestess Liyana, this Priestess of the Moon God, could possibly understand and guide that higher-level purifying power.

The Withering Forest, upon the remains of the World Tree.

Priestess Liyana's condition was even worse than Lin Mo had imagined. To support the descent of the Thorns Throne upon the wasteland, she had nearly overdrawn her remaining Moon God power. The purple filth on her silver hair had already spread to her shoulders, the vine brand on her wrist had turned deep purple, like a tightening shackle. The silver pure land beneath her feet had shrunk to barely accommodate one person, its light dim.

The information Lin Mo transmitted made her heart ache as if cut by a knife. Sister Ai Li's injuries, the crystal's pollution... all of it was to save her and her dying world!

"The Rot Claw's... curse..." Priestess Liyana panted weakly, feeling the rotting aura transmitted from the other end of the Moonlight Crystal, originating from the same source as that within her body—an aura even more ancient and vicious than what she bore. Conventional purification was indeed ineffective.

She looked at the broken Moonlight Gem shard at the tip of her Withered Wood Technique staff. Then she looked at the surging withering fog around her, which seemed to have grown more active due to the crystal's damage. An equally risky thought rose in her heart.

"Lin Mo..." Priestess Liyana's thoughts carried resolve, "I will... guide... the source rune... of the Moon God's purifying power... brand it into... the will of nature... and transmit it to you..."

"Use the staff as a guide... use the remaining pure land as the source... communicate... the afterglow... of the Emerald Dream... you need... at the critical moment... of casting... to fuse this will... into... the steel..."

"But... this process... will greatly weaken... my defense... against the Rot Claw... the time... is very short..."

Priestess Liyana began to softly chant an extremely abstruse Ancient Incantation, as if from the dawn of the world's creation. The broken Moonlight Gem shard lit up with a faint yet pure light, the silver pure land beneath her feet fluctuated violently, and wisps of the purest silver radiance were drawn out, merging into her fingertips. Using her finger as a brush, her life and faith as ink, she painstakingly sketched an incomparably complex silver rune composed of countless vines, crescents, and star patterns in the void! With every stroke, her face grew paler by a shade, and the purple on her silver hair deepened by a thread!

When the final stroke was completed, that source rune containing the true meaning of the Moon God's purification hovered in the air, emanating a pure and majestic aura. Priestess Liyana's body swayed, barely able to stand. She bit through her tongue tip, spitting a mouthful of silver blood imbued with life essence onto the rune!

Hum!

The rune's light flared brilliantly! It then transformed into a condensed silver stream of light, piercing through space, following the stable Thorns Passage, crossing planes, and instantly pouring into the Moonlight Crystal in Lin Mo's hand!

The crystal shuddered violently! In the cracks on its surface, the lurking purple filth let out a sharp shriek, as if encountering its nemesis, surging and resisting frantically! But the silver stream of light surged forward irresistibly, forcefully Branding a phantom of that purification rune into the crystal's Core Brand! Although it could not eradicate the pollution, it temporarily suppressed it and bestowed upon the crystal a sliver of the authority to guide purifying power!

"Quick... cast..." Priestess Liyana transmitted her thoughts with her last ounce of strength, her body softly leaning against the remains of the World Tree, the light of the silver pure land beneath her feet dimming to its extreme. Almost at the very moment she was utterly spent, from deep within the withering fog, a roar brimming with greed and fury thundered forth! The Rot Claw had sensed the weakening of the protective power and was approaching once more!

The wasteland depression.

The Moonlight Crystal in Lin Mo's hand became warm, a point of pure silver light at its core flickering slightly, as if responding to his call. He felt the phantom of that complex and powerful purification rune transmitted by Priestess Liyana, as well as the tremendous price she paid and the crisis she faced!

Time was of the essence!

"Wrench! Get to work!" Lin Mo let out a low roar, flames burning in his eyes. He held the crystal and charged toward the geothermal crack with Wrench.

Beside the crack, dozens of dark-red Fire Pattern Steel raw ores of various sizes lay scattered. Wrench was already swinging a crude pickaxe and crowbar, frantically digging at the loosened rocks at the edge of the crack, unearthing more high-quality ore.

Lin Mo selected the largest piece, a Fire Pattern Steel ore half a person's height tall, with the brightest flowing orange-red patterns within. He directed Wrench to use the found metal supports and heat-resistant stones to build an extremely crude "suspended platform" at a narrow spot above the crack. The target ore was placed on the platform, directly facing the dark-red earth fire magma flowing deep within the crack below!

"Boss! Will this work? This rock is damn hard!" Wrench wiped a sweat as he looked at the churning magma below.

"It has to work!" Lin Mo took a deep breath, pressing the Moonlight Crystal tightly against his chest, feeling the purification rune contained within. He walked to the edge of the crack, placed his hands on the scorching rocks, closed his eyes, sank his entire spirit into the 【Seed of Life】, and communicated with the core fused with the geothermal fragment!

"Earth fire... heed my command!" Lin Mo roared in his heart! The power of the 【Seed of Life】 surged out wildly, carrying affinity and control over geothermal power, plunging into the depths of the crack like a fuse!

Boom—!

As if a slumbering volcano had been awakened! The earth fire magma deep within the crack boiled violently! A pillar of crimson flame, thicker and hotter than before, guided by an invisible hand, roared out of the crack, viciously licking and enveloping the massive Fire Pattern Steel ore on the suspended platform!

The terrifying high temperature instantly distorted the air! The dark-red ore in the crimson flame visibly turned red-hot, softened, and its surface began to melt! Orange-red liquid metal dripped like lava, only to be held up by the higher earth fire below, forming a churning, scorching metal molten pool beneath the suspended platform!

"My grandpa Wrench..." Wrench stared dumbfounded, his bean-sized eyes reflected red by the firelight. This was simply a miracle!

Lin Mo endured immense spiritual pressure and energy consumption, sweat evaporating the moment it seeped out. He desperately maintained the guidance of the earth fire while concentrating his entire mind on the Moonlight Crystal against his chest!

"Priestess Liyana... true meaning of purification... fuse into the steel!"

He guided the phantom of that silver rune within the crystal, peeling it out, transforming it into a pure, cold silver stream of light carrying the aura of moonlight and nature, like the finishing touch, shooting into the churning, boiling crimson metal molten pool below!

Hiss—!!!

Like a scalding branding iron plunged into ice water! The crimson molten pool instantly erupted with dazzling, blinding light! The silver stream of light frantically fused, collided, and tempered with the violent earth fire and the pure essence of Fire Pattern Steel! The entire molten pool boiled and roared violently as if it had gained life! An indescribable, peculiar aura merging the earth's violence, moonlight's purity, and nature's vitality permeated the air!

Lin Mo's face was deathly pale, his body swaying on the brink of collapse; guiding the fusion of two diametrically opposed forces had nearly drained his soul! But his eyes were filled with anticipation! He could feel that within the molten pool, something transcending mortal iron was being born... under the tempering of the earth fire furnace and moonlight!

Just then, another anomaly occurred! The purple filth temporarily suppressed in the crystal's core, seemingly attracted by the powerful aura of life and purification in the molten pool, actually broke free from part of the rune's constraints, transforming into a vicious purple-black stream of light that also violently shot toward the molten pool! It sought to pollute this divine weapon being born!

"Don't even think about it!" Lin Mo's eyes nearly split with rage, he roared out loud! However, he was already powerless to stop it!