Chapter 226: Cloud-Player Parents, Green Origin Clan Legacy (Requesting Monthly Votes)

After half a million newbies were recruited and entered.

The congestion in the Newbie Village space continued to worsen.

From an overhead view of the Senluo Forest Realm region, the crowd of newbie players entering looked like plant roots extending after piercing the earth, radiating in all directions from the starting point.

Westward from the starting point.

"Xiao Luo, listen to your dad's advice: let's first raise our Body Tempering level to 1, then open the second Star Pulse slot."

"You are truly stupid. Storing Shou Shou Jili to buy a Cultivation Combat Technique can save a lot of Shou Shou Jili, but your early-game development speed will be much slower than others."

"Raising Body Tempering also allows you to inherit Painful Painful Minghun attributes and fight in your main body form. Isn't that better than painfully saving money in the early game to get a Cultivation Combat Technique?"

"I can't stand you; I don't have you as a son. That qualification should have been mine; you play way too badly."

"Xiao Luo, Mom thinks Dad is right. Spending Shou Shou Jili on Body Tempering levels can also bring attribute boosts; Mom and Dad are doing this for your own good..."

Watching the mixed nagging from his parents in the livestream room, Jiang Luo felt helpless in his heart.

When he first entered the game, he forgot to turn on the livestream.

As a result, his dad called him specifically.

He said, "Why haven't you entered the game yet? Get in and turn on the livestream immediately; watching our son clear the wilderness is way more interesting than watching other players' streams."

Jiang Luo didn't think much of it; after logging back in, he turned on the livestream mode.

The result was that his parents, those two cloud players, came up with all sorts of Ji De Xiang Fa.

Watching was one thing, but his parents were absolutely the most hated type of cloud players on the forums, especially fond of pontificating.

They acted as if, "Although I don't have game qualifications, I definitely know more than you."

Just now, he had listed the collected Plant Essence Clumps on the Trading Hall; they sold out quickly, earning him 639 points of Shou Shou Jili.

He had originally planned to hoard money to buy a Cultivation Combat Technique, then rapidly increase Body Tempering experience through AFK cultivation later.

But his parents were not happy about it.

All sorts of persuasion; if you don't listen, you are unfilial.

As the Chosen One, he possessed a powerful rule-level ability in the livestream room: one-click block for tourists.

This was once the game function he hated most, because back then, from a cloud player's perspective, having his comments blocked meant losing a lot of fun.

But now, he felt this function was truly powerful.

But the problem was, the disruptive cloud players in the livestream room were his parents.

They also possessed an unsolvable rule-level ability that was effective only against him: Bloodline Suppression.

Choked by family affection, bitterness hidden in the heart.

He could snap back at netizens, but snapping back at parents would be unfilial rebellion.

But after feeling distressed, he still decided to follow his own Ji De Xiang Fa.

Whether to choose a Cultivation Combat Technique or Body Tempering levels in the early game has always been a highly controversial topic among the newbie crowd on the forums.

Directly raising Body Tempering levels means you can enjoy the attribute bonuses from Body Tempering levels earlier; after reaching Body Tempering level 1, you can also inherit Painful Painful Minghun attributes and fight in your original body form later.

Purchasing a Cultivation Combat Technique allows you to open the AFK cultivation mode, saving a lot of Shou Shou Jili when gaining Body Tempering experience later.

Both have their own advantages.

He originally also wanted to follow the path of raising Body Tempering levels first, after all, only with stronger attributes can you hunt stronger monsters.

But the Senluo Forest Realm region is a bit special.

Opening the map, you can see a numerical value for the average spiritual energy content of the region in the upper left corner.

The Senluo Forest Realm region is 2.3 times that of the Di Zhong Village space.

This means the amplification efficiency brought by cultivating a Combat Technique here is also 2.3 times; suffering a bit in the early game is fine, but as long as you possess a Cultivation Combat Technique, your future Body Tempering level gains will achieve a qualitative leap.

This is called accumulating thickly to burst forth thinly; bitter first, sweet later.

"Stop messing around; I am a seasoned veteran player after all, buying a Cultivation Combat Technique first is definitely the right move."

As soon as he finished speaking, his dad sent a bullet comment:

"Can you be more seasoned than me? How old are you and how old am I? When you were swimming with siblings you've never met, your dad was already grinding virtual games; your little bit of knowledge compared to your dad's isn't even a hair; the virtual games your dad has beaten are more than the salt you've eaten."

"Xiao Luo, your dad is right; your dad was once a famous strategy-guide player in 'Immortal Journey', and the strategy posts he published even made the news."

Jiang Luo:...

This is what a generation gap is; this is the generation gap.

He always felt his parents were very open-minded, supporting any decision he made from childhood to adulthood.

But after he obtained the Monster World qualification, things changed.

Especially regarding game understanding, they were simply one version behind the times.

At this moment, Mahua poked his head over and smiled, saying:

"Da Luo, you have to understand; your uncle and aunt really want to play Monster World; they are experiencing the game content through your perspective now; since your actions do not match their Ji De Xiang Fa, naturally they will feel extremely uncomfortable."

"Understood, let's hunt first." Jiang Luo nodded and stopped paying attention to the livestream room.

Gazing into the distance, the area nearby was already filled with the figures of newbie players; finding a monster was not easy.

They could only continue moving, leaving the main group to better find huntable monsters.

Before long, they encountered four plant-type lifeforms blocking the road.

Their appearance looked like they were pieced together from various fungi, with brown and white as the main colors, dotted with bright spots.

Their size was very small; Jiang Luo estimated they were about knee-height to him, their round, rolling shapes appearing endearing.

Scanning with Analysis, the monster's information floated into his mind:

【Spore-Colored Mushroom (Monster)】:

Hunting Level: Level 4

Target Analysis: A plant-type monster derived from the scattered energy of the "Precognition," a dominant-level Meng Yuan Chu monster in the Senluo Forest Realm region; it has no combat methods and possesses high nutritional value.

……

Reading the analysis description, Jiang Luo felt this looked more like a spirit plant.

After all, monsters that couldn't fight were indeed quite rare.

At least before the Forest Luo Realm region opened, even the level-0 little crabs on the Colorful Mist Coast would snap at players with their claws.

Afraid the newbies rushing up from behind would steal their kills, they struck immediately.

Once the Extraction trait activated, the Spore-Color Mushroom touched by the green light began to dissolve at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Yet the attacked Spore-Color Mushroom didn't leave, still standing dully in place.

The other three Spore-Color Mushrooms beside it also showed no reaction, looking completely harmless.

This was also, in Jiang Luo's eyes, one of the bigger differences between plant-type monsters and flesh-type monsters — plant-type monsters generally had a lower intelligence level.

But in terms of HP thickness, plant-type monsters were clearly higher than flesh-type monsters.

This reminded him of an obscure post he'd scrolled past on the forum.

A bored player had posted a bored monster-type analysis thread, and only a handful of players had replied.

Because that player had used real-world logic in the post, trying to explain why same-level plant-type monsters had higher life intensity than flesh-type monsters.

Stating that plants were made of cellulose cell walls, which provided extra support and protection for plant cells, so they could better resist physical damage.

Secondly, plants had stronger cell division ability, and their self-repair and regeneration were also stronger than flesh-type lifeforms.

Looking at lifespan, some plants had extremely long lifespans, even able to survive for thousands of years.

So judging life intensity, plant-type lifeforms in Monster World could take more punishment than same-level flesh-type monsters — consistent with real-world logic.

He also noted at the end that this was a very detailed setting in Monster World.

But for Jiang Luo, with the Extraction divine skill in hand, any plant-type monster could be easily broken through.

In less than ten seconds, this mushroom monster was broken down into a Plant Essence Cluster.

During this time, his sworn bro Mahua just stood beside him — he didn't even need to step forward to tank the monster's output.

After completing the kill, a prompt sounded.

The level of Extraction Painful Painful Minghun also rose to level 3 at this moment.

After the Painful Painful Minghun level went up, killing power increased greatly, and the remaining three Spore-Color Mushrooms were taken down even faster.

Jiang Luo stepped forward to pick up the Plant Essence Cluster and tossed it into his spatial pouch. Just as he was about to continue onward, he saw a bullet comment flash by.

"Son, did you check the Trade House before killing? Plant-type monsters with nutritional value like this generally fetch a high price on the Trade House — using Extraction to kill them is such a waste."

Seeing this, Jiang Luo immediately said irritably:

"Spore-Color Mushrooms are plant-type lifeforms unique to the Forest Luo Realm region. There's no way the Trade House has goods like this for sale right now — there's no basis for price comparison at all."

Just as he finished speaking, another bullet comment flashed by:

"For goods like this you can check the Commission Board — search it and you might find some."

While feeling helpless inside, Jiang Luo still opened the Trade House and his consciousness tapped the Commission Board.

Instantly, a flood of information was listed out.

They were all kinds of demand messages posted by other players.

He typed "Spore-Color Mushroom" into the search bar. After the search bar refreshed, three entries appeared.

The first commission message was:

【Asking — where can I find the Spore-Color Mushroom, the main ingredient for "Spirit Spore Soup" in the Spirit Food Codex? Any bros able to supply? Buying at 300 Shou Shou Jili per mushroom. Paid info on a gatherable location works too.】

"See that, you unfilial brat? So stupid!" A golden bullet comment flashed by.

Jiang Luo: ……

He hadn't expected his old man to actually be right — this thing was extremely valuable.

Reselling to Spirit Chef players, one could sell for a starting price of 300 Shou Shou Jili, and 4 of them meant a minimum return of 1200 Shou Shou Jili.

But now they'd all been broken down into Plant Essence Clusters by him — a massive loss.

Thinking of this, Jiang Luo turned to look at Mahua, then shared the Commission Board information.

Seeing the screenshot, Mahua immediately lunged, both hands clamping around his neck:

"Dog Luo, give me back my 1200 Shou Shou Jili."

"Cough cough… I'm even more upset than you — that's a tenth of a Combat Technique Fragment, and now it's just gone like that."

After a bit of roughhousing, the two continued on their way.

Having learned from experience, their thinking changed.

They realized opportunity was everywhere, but the key was how to seize it.

With insufficient knowledge, even when opportunity was right before one's eyes, it was easy to miss.

Jiang Luo now had only one thought: whenever he encountered a special monster he didn't understand, look it up — that was also a process of learning and growth.

Six hours of gameplay slipped away unnoticed.

The Forest Luo Realm region was still under a low night curtain, the darkness seeming especially long.

Already having hunted their way up to level 7, Jiang Luo and Mahua arrived at a small hillside and gazed into the distance.

On the vast plains, green plants stretched in waves all the way to the horizon.

Grass blades swayed in the breeze, wave after wave of soft "shas sha" whispers — very soothing.

The air here was filled with even more countless glowing spores drifting on the wind; when the wind direction aligned, it looked like the sky was raining colorful glowing droplets.

The plant light sources on the grass, the drifting spore light sources in the air, and the starlight in the sky — three kinds of light sources illuminated this plant world shrouded in night.

This was also, in Jiang Luo's eyes, the region second only to the Colorful Mist Coast in terms of environmental beauty.

And in terms of color splendor, it was even a notch above the Colorful Mist Coast.

"Da Luo, look — what's that?"

Ma Hua's voice pulled Jiang Luo back to reality from his trance over the scenery; he followed the direction of Ma Hua's finger with his gaze.

At the horizon's end to the west, a mushroom as massive as a mountain stood towering on the edge of the sky.

Its colossal form remained clearly visible even from a great distance.

Its cap was immeasurably broad, like an inverted giant umbrella, its surface covered in thick, glowing patterns resembling the growth rings recording the traces of time.

The purple-brown cap shimmered faintly in the air; under the starlight, its surface seemed plated with a layer of purple radiance.

Its thick stalk supported the cap like a pillar holding up the sky, covered in layers upon layers of plant scales; at first glance, it looked as if countless stars were inlaid into its trunk.

Around the mushroom, glowing spores in the air were especially dense, drifting lightly around the fungus like fireflies, sometimes gathering, sometimes scattering, adding a touch of dreamlike color to this giant object.

The low-lying green vegetation on the distant plain formed a sharp contrast with this giant mushroom, as if it were the sole ruler of this realm of heaven and earth, silently overlooking everything beneath it.

"Sss, if I used Extraction to decompose this, how many Plant Essence Clusters would it yield?"

"Makes sense, we might get rich in one go." Ma Hua nodded in agreement.

Just as Jiang Luo finished speaking, his parents' golden bullet comments scrolled across:

"Silly son, this is obviously a scene monster, not something you newbies can challenge. Decompose? Even if that giant mushroom just stood there letting you decompose it for a year, it wouldn't drop a single scrap of health... Stop looking, hunt quickly. At your age, you should be working hard; seize the head start to get your qualification, work hard, and strive to change your fate through the game."

"Go for it, Xiao Luo. Mom heard the Eclipse Clan has longevity and beauty techniques, but the price is steep. Our hopes for this life rest on you (Brick-moving party cheering. jpg)."

Muttering a complaint in his heart, Jiang Luo turned his gaze toward the green plain ahead.

The plain was filled with plant-type monster figures; with the main force behind them not yet arrived, they had to start hunting immediately.

Following Ma Hua down the slope, they immediately faced three plant-type monsters of hunting level 3.

With the divine skill Extraction in hand, he decomposed these three plant-type monsters in no time.

While browsing the forums, Jiang Luo had seen veteran players say that in the early stage with only the Three Phantom Gods available, even killing a small monster outside the village was difficult, requiring a group of players to barely manage the kill.

Later, when the Colorful Mist Coast and Winter Snow Plains regions opened, the difficulty decreased slightly.

During this period, all first-generation Painful Painful Minghun were unlocked; newbies had more Painful Painful Minghun to choose from, could form teams for mutual complementation, and hunting efficiency improved significantly.

By the time the Di Ku Shi Jie scene opened, the intensity of the newbie stage rose again.

Mainly because mechanical lifeforms possessed higher intelligence than ordinary flesh-and-blood monsters; even the weakest cleaning robots could block, predict, and sweep the legs, forcing newbie players to team up to challenge them.

With the opening of the Sen Luo Lin Jing region this time, the monster intensity of the newbie stage rose again.

But with the version-defining divine skill "Extraction" buffing him, hunting became extremely easy.

He felt that a team of four or five damage-dealing players wasn't as efficient at dealing damage as him using Extraction.

This showed how overpowered the Extraction Painful Painful Minghun was in this scene.

In other games, skills that were overpowered would inevitably get nerfed with one cut; if that wasn't enough, two cuts.

But this was the Monster World.

Since the server opened, there had been no adjustments to Painful Painful Minghun strength, so it was clearly possible to enjoy this forever.

However, the Extraction Painful Painful Minghun also had drawbacks; it was only miraculously effective against plant-type lifeforms.

Once he went to the Di Zong Mountain Range, the damage dealt to evil spirits after release was zero, making it completely useless; it was a true god-tier Painful Painful Minghun within the Sen Luo Lin Jing scene.

Pushing forward by hunting along the way, his level quickly reached 8.

Newbie player figures began to surge constantly around him, and the atmosphere on the scene gradually grew lively.

The plain was no longer quiet; instead, it was replaced by a scene of clamor.

More and more players gathered in the plain area, and the air was filled with an atmosphere of tension and excitement.

Players formed groups of three or five, creating small teams to cooperate in combat, hunting plant-type monsters on the plain.

Jiang Luo, having finished hunting again, looked up; not far away, a newbie team was besieging a giant man-eating flower. As its petals opened and closed, it spat out corrosive acid. The newbie players dodged nimbly, looking for opportunities to counterattack.

On the other side, a team was entangled with a group of vine monsters...

Players' shouts, the sounds of Painful Painful Minghun traits being released, and the sounds emitted by plant-type monsters when counterattacking formed an impassioned battle symphony.

"Be careful not to get hit by the Thorn Grass; we have to fight while retreating."

"Focus fire on the one I marked; don't split the firepower. Tank, step up and tank a round."

"Can you aim any straighter? You chose the Scatter Arrow Painful Painful Minghun at the start, yet you have to get right in someone's face to hit. If you like melee so much, just switch to the Damage-Taking build."

Glancing over, he saw the newbie players' combat process on the plain was so intense.

Jiang Luo couldn't help but sigh; compared to them, his own hunting process was truly easy.

Choosing the Extraction Painful Painful Minghun at the start was absolutely the correct choice.

It was like using a cheat code in a game; killing with pleasure the whole way.

When encountering challenges, his best friend would step up to take damage, leaving him only to deal damage.

In Jiang Luo's view, this was simply a dream start.

But the foreseeable future saw a wave of players switching their Painful Painful Minghun away from Extraction soon sweeping the Sen Luo Lin Jing region.

Players aren't stupid; they might not understand at the start, but they will quickly realize the power of Extraction.

Snap!

Just then, a vine shot from the side, whipping Jiang Luo's branch-like form hard, making him stumble.

Looking up, he saw a crack in the green grass ahead, from which a withered vine extended.

"Do plants all ambush?"

Before Jiang Luo could counterattack, Ma Hua, standing beside him, struck first, grabbing the vine extending from the soil and suddenly exerting force with both hands.

Immediately, a plant-type monster from beneath the ground burst forth. Jiang Luo decisively released his Decomposition Painful Painful Minghun on it.

This was a plant-type lifeform resembling a pumpkin, entirely white.

After being struck by the Extraction light, green bubbles constantly floated up on its body; before it even hit the ground, it was decomposed into Plant Essence Clusters.

The battle was resolved in the easiest way possible once again.

Jiang Luo took two steps forward and stored the Plant Essence Cluster into his spatial bag.

Just as he was about to continue forward with Mahua.

At that moment, a golden barrage streaked across:

"Stupid son, I think I just saw something glowing in that pumpkin pit. Go take a look."

"Fine, Dad." Jiang Luo dragged out his tone to express his displeasure, then walked to the pit left behind by a plant-type monster shaped like a pumpkin and stood still, peering into the earthen hole. Sure enough, he saw a faint glow.

"There really is something!"

Driven by curiosity, he switched to his main form, walked up to the dirt mound, crouched down, and brushed aside the soil next to it.

The earth was moist and loose, carrying a faint scent of grass and wood.

He thrust his right hand into the pit, his entire arm sinking in, reaching toward the spot emitting a faint glow. While fumbling, his fingertips suddenly touched a hard object.

Jiang Luo's heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't help speeding up his movements.

This might really be a stroke of fortune.

As his fingers dug at the soil, the dirt wrapping the hard object was brushed away bit by bit.

When Jiang Luo pulled his arm back, a metal plaque was now in his hand.

The plaque wasn't large, about the size of a palm, with some chips along its edges.

He wiped the loose dirt off the plaque with his hand. Borrowing the scene's light source, he could faintly see some strange symbols and patterns carved on it, like some kind of ancient script. The back of the plaque was inlaid with three dim spiritual patterns, looking very old.

"What are you looking at? Are you doing archaeology? Just analyze it directly, pig brain."

The golden barrage streaked across, and Jiang Luo decisively activated Analyze.

【Green Source Clan Mark】:

Item Description: A token to unlock the Green Source Clan's inheritance. Can be taken to the Green Source Clan's inheritance site to unlock the inheritance.

……

Just as Jiang Luo was wondering where the Green Source Clan's inheritance site was, a Challenger Prompt sounded in his mind:

【Challenger Prompt: Hidden Quest "Green Source Clan Inheritance" triggered.】

Hidden Quest Description: Bring the Green Source Clan Mark to the marked location on the map to open the hidden inheritance scene.

"Holy crap, a hidden quest!"

Seeing the prompt's contents, Jiang Luo immediately widened his eyes.

Mahua beside him also grinned and said:

"Uncle really is a veteran player, truly impressive, able to spot opportunities from the details. We almost missed it."

"Mahua, stop sucking up. What I'm wondering is why a hidden quest would come with a prompt. I've seen plenty of big-shot guide writers on the forums say that in this game, aside from quests for Containment Territory nodes, there are no trigger-type quests."

"I don't know about that. Maybe it's a special perk for our newbie scene." Mahua scratched his head.

Carrying his doubts, Jiang Luo summoned the map function.

He found a new golden marker on the map. After his consciousness tapped it, it showed a straight-line distance of 12.4 kilometers from his current position.

"Let's go."

Stowing the metal plaque in his spatial pouch, Jiang Luo decided to head off and open that hidden treasure chest right now.

Just as Jiang Luo and Mahua set out, a piece of information surfaced in Qi Sheng's mind.

It showed that among the intel obtained from the Lord of Benefits, one piece of information had been activated—clearly because a player had triggered a hidden quest.

This was the latest content he had added.

When a player met the conditions described in the Lord of Benefits' intel, a quest would automatically activate, delivering the Lord of Benefits' intel in the form of a hidden quest.

But he couldn't guarantee whether the hidden quest would yield rewards.

Although Guidance could screen and verify intel through the Analyze ability, retrieving this portion of untouched information was too troublesome—it was scattered across a large number of regions.

Right now Guidance's abilities hadn't recovered yet, and he didn't want to spend too much Shou Shou Jili on unknown intel.

Consider it letting the players draw blind boxes.

Whether they hit the jackpot depends entirely on the players' luck.

……

4 hours later.

Hunting their way forward, Jiang Luo and Mahua finally arrived at the marked location on the map.

The cursor pointed to a massive boulder lying across the ground.

"Finally here. That wasn't easy."

At this point, Jiang Luo and Mahua looked disheveled.

The scene was made up of plant-type monsters—everywhere were poisonous plants and hidden traps.

Without the perception boost from their Eagle-Headed Demon teammate, they could be startled at any moment.

Either a vine would suddenly fly at them, or the ground would suddenly crack open trying to swallow them… For timid players, exploring an unknown scene was absolutely torture, their hearts in their throats the entire way.

Fortunately, after 4 hours of trekking, they had finally reached the hidden treasure chest location.

Fatigue was immediately replaced by anticipation.

Standing before the massive boulder, Jiang Luo took the metal plaque out of his personal pouch.

Instantly, flowing light bloomed across the metal plaque's surface, and the light released shot straight toward a corner of the massive boulder.

Jiang Luo immediately crouched down and went to the area illuminated by the light.

Complex patterns appeared on it. After bringing the metal plaque close, the light grew even more brilliant.

He tried pressing the metal plaque against the pattern.

The moment they made contact, a low humming sound rose from within the boulder, as if some ancient power had been awakened.

The palm holding the metal plaque also felt a faint, continuous tremor.

At that moment, the flowing light on the metal plaque's surface suddenly surged, transforming into a dazzling beam that shot toward the pattern on the boulder.

Crack! Crack!

The surface of the massive stone cracked, fine fissures spreading rapidly like a spiderweb.

A faint green glow seeped through the cracks.

Jiang Luo and Mahua, sensing the stone was about to shatter, swiftly retreated.

Boom!

The massive stone suddenly emitted a dull roar; dense chunks of stone peeled away, revealing ancient runes hidden beneath.

Every line of the runes activated at once, flowing with a faint glow.

The runes connected to one another, forming a vast pattern resembling an ancient array.

As the metal plaque's glow continuously poured in, the runes gradually brightened, from dim to brilliant, as if countless stars had been ignited.

Soon, the glow emitted by the metal plaque weakened and finally vanished.

Gazing at the mysterious pattern, Jiang Luo and Mahua were stunned.

"What's next?" Jiang Luo traced his finger along the raised spirit lines on the pattern, curious.

At that moment, a golden bullet comment streaked across.

"What's next? Ask the Guide next! You really think you're here on an archaeological dig, studying it like this? Idiot son."

Family ties choked him, bloodline suppressed him—Jiang Luo felt deeply wronged.

But his father was right.

When in doubt, ask the Guide.

He immediately looked up at the floating Guide water orb, deciding to give his first greeting.

"Guide Brother."

【Release.】

"I want to know how to open the Green Source Clan's inheritance chest—what's the deal with this stone wall?"

The Guide glanced at the stone wall, then conjured two arms and shrugged helplessly:

【The Green Source Clan's inheritance metal plaque isn't the key—even without it, brute force can unlock the runes on the stone wall. The real requirement is Green Source Clan blood to activate the inheritance, since this wasn't meant for you at all. Keep using brute force and the space inside will collapse.】

Hearing the Guide's answer, Jiang Luo was stunned:

"Isn't this a hidden quest? There must be a next step—does it just end here?"

【You can try crafting a Green Source Clan blood or aura cluster. This clan originated in this region, and many plants retain Green Source Clan aura. Collect this information to craft a Green Source Clan aura cluster.】

Hearing the hidden quest could continue, Jiang Luo instantly perked up:

"Guide Brother, once we collect the materials, can you help us craft it?"

【You clearly misunderstand—I only give advice. I won't take any action.】

"Ah, once we gather all the materials, how do we craft it?"

【That's outside my scope.】

Just as Jiang Luo struggled with how to proceed with the hidden quest, his father's advice flashed across as a golden bullet comment:

"Go to the Imperial Tomb Village library for answers, or directly contact the Alchemist Guild—they'll surely have a way."

His father's suggestion reignited Jiang Luo's hope.

He immediately asked the Guide which plant-type monster materials were needed to craft Green Source Clan aura.

After receiving a clear answer, he summoned the forum interface, located a member of the Alchemist Guild, and sent a private chat request.

Soon, a middle-aged man appeared on the glowing screen before him.

"Alchemist Guild. What's your need? Want to order a gene serum?"

"No way. I can't handle that stuff." Hearing "gene seed," Jiang Luo instantly recalled veteran forum players' descriptions of gene seeds.

Soul-rending pain. Better off dead. One dose, remembered for life.

"The latest gene seed is just a little pain—not intense. Try it. It'll save you a lot of Shou Shou Jili."

"No way. I hate pain—even little pain's too much." Jiang Luo firmly refused, then stated his purpose.

Upon learning Jiang Luo wanted to craft a mixed plant-energy aura cluster, the middle-aged man did not immediately agree—he asked Jiang Luo to send the material list provided by the Guide.

After waiting a long while, the man on the screen nodded:

"The material tiers aren't high. I don't have them, but if you provide them, I can craft it. Fee: 1500 Shou Shou Jili."

Though the price was hard to accept, Jiang Luo still agreed.

After closing the chat window, he immediately began hunting the plant-type monsters listed by the Guide with Mahua.

As new players explored the Senluo Forest Zone, the map continuously updated with newly discovered monster types.

Among them were the plant-type monsters mentioned in the bestiary, along with the regions on the map where such monsters clustered.

"Mahua, let's get to work—we've got to open this hidden chest." With a clear goal, Jiang Luo now had purpose.

"Let's go." Mahua nodded.

For the next three days, Jiang Luo and Mahua raced across the Senluo Forest Zone.

They finally gathered all the required materials from the plant-type monsters.

To prevent damage to the materials, Jiang Luo dared not use extraction during combat, fearing he'd destroy the plants' essence.

After trading the materials to the Alchemist Guild member, Jiang Luo and Mahua set out again toward the stone wall.

Three hours later, they received a trade request from the Alchemist Guild member.

After spending 1500 Shou Shou Jili, they received a jar filled with swirling green mist.

Returning to the stone wall, Jiang Luo and Mahua opened the lid and, following the Guide's instructions, poured the green mist onto the stone wall's spirit lines.

Instantly, the massive stone trembled again.

A fissure split open at its center; a brilliant beam shot forth, engulfing Jiang Luo and Mahua in its light.

Within the pillar of light, countless tiny specks of light fluttered like fireflies, slowly coalescing into an illusory gateway, its edges formed of runes.

Jiang Luo and Mahua's eyes reflected the dazzling brilliance, a surge of indescribable excitement rising in their hearts.

"Hahaha, it's done." Mahua excitedly clenched his fist.

Jiang Luo did not reply, his gaze fixed tightly on the light gate.

Within the gate, a strange space could faintly be seen, connected to another independent space.

"Let's go, in to take a look." Jiang Luo took a deep breath, tightened his grip on the metal token in his hand, and stepped toward the light gate.

Mahua followed closely behind, and the two figures were gradually swallowed by the light.

The instant they stepped into the light gate, the giant stone let out a low rumble, the light gate slowly closed, the glow of the runes gradually dimmed, and finally calm was restored.

Inside the ruins, an entirely new world unfolded before their eyes.

Above their heads was a starry sky, twinkling with dazzling light, as if within arm's reach.

Beneath their feet was a path formed of green specks of light, winding forward into the distance.

On either side of the path, thick Shi Zhu rose tall, their surfaces covered in ancient runes, an air of primitive antiquity rushing toward them.

A faint, delicate fragrance lingered in the air, like the scent given off by some kind of plant.

In the distance, a towering structure shrouded in hazy light could faintly be seen, like the dwelling of a deity.

"We're probably going to strike it rich — this haul won't be capped at a hundred thousand Shou Shou Jili."

"I think it might be five hundred thousand Shou Shou Jili."

At this moment, a golden bullet comment broke the mood.

"Is there any chance there's still a trial inside, and you need your Painful Painful Minghun level to reach 100 before you can unlock it (smug. jpg)."

"Old man, don't mess with our mindset like that."

Following the path paved with green light to the front of the structure, Jiang Luo discovered a cracked altar beside the building.

He swept Analyze over it, and the relevant information surfaced in his mind:

【Cross-Dimensional Teleportation Array (Damaged)】:

Analysis Introduction: When the terrifying Black Tide descended, the Green Source Clan, for the survival of their race, built this as one of the cross-dimensional teleportation arrays for the clan's newborn generation.

The crystals on the teleportation array had all gone dim — clearly there was nothing to gain. Jiang Luo and Mahua swept straight past, following the staircase into the building.

What lay before their eyes was not the expected piles of wealth, but only a green obelisk standing at the center.

"No way — it's empty?" Jiang Luo was instantly dumbfounded.

He immediately activated Analyze and swept it over the black obelisk.

【Green Source Clan — Inheritance Stone Stele】:

Analysis Introduction: Inheritance information left by the Green Source Clan for the newborn generation who fled Monster World. It contains historical memory imagery, hoping that when the distant newborn generation returns, they can recover the lost historical memories and find the root of their bloodline.

"Guide-bro, is the inheritance treasure this stone stele?"

【This is the inheritance information the Green Source Clan left for posterity, recording their origins, so that later generations may know the historical memories that may have already been lost… You can look at it or not, it won't affect you opening the treasure chest. If you want to see it, just touch the stele with your hand, and the inheritance information will be poured into your minds.】

After hearing the Guide's introduction, Jiang Luo and Mahua exchanged a glance, and simultaneously reached out to touch the ancient stone stele standing before them.

In an instant, a surge of immense spiritual energy poured into their minds.

The scene before Jiang Luo's eyes suddenly shifted, as if crossing countless time-spaces, entering the historical light-and-shadow of the Green Source Clan.

At the very center of his vision, an ancient, colossal mushroom stood between heaven and earth.

The light-shadow imagery flickered, as years flowed by.

The mushroom's cap slowly unfolded, from time to time scattering countless spores that shimmered with green light.

The spores took root upon landing, gradually growing into one tiny lifeform after another.

They had wooden bodies, with patterns identical to those on the mushroom's surface appearing on their skin, and their eyes looked somewhat dull.

This made Jiang Luo realize that these lives were the earliest Green Source Clan — intelligent beings derived from the great mushroom.

Just like in the Spirit Valley, countless non-Meng Yuan Chu spirit monsters were species born under the influence of Meng Yuan Chu power.

The imagery continued: from the moment of their birth, the Green Source Clan possessed the power to sense the pulse of nature.

But this race never built any civilization.

They explored the world in ignorance, until the descent of a figure brought the light of wisdom.

This figure in the imagery radiated an ethereal radiance all around, the face shrouded in a halo, the skin fair and glowing, a moon-white gauze skirt swaying gently in the wind.

Whenever night fell, this figure would borrow the moonlight to scatter a gentle fluorescence, and within this light was contained ancient knowledge and wisdom. The ancestors of the Green Source Clan sat around the great mushroom, listening to the deity's teaching, learning the mysteries of the world.

This information taught the Green Source Clan how to communicate with plants, how to draw energy from the earth, how to use the rhythms of nature to heal wounds.

The ancestors of the Green Source Clan gradually mastered the ability to control plants during this process.

They wove houses from vines, lit up the night with flowers, built fortresses from trees, and established a powerful civilization upon this land.

The Green Source Clan soon began to explore a wider world.

This was the origin of the Green Source Clan.

In the central city of their civilization, a magnificent statue of the Goddess stood tall — she was the Divine Mother in the eyes of the Green Source Clan, and also the source of their faith and power.

And they believed themselves to be the continuation of the Divine Mother's will.

The imagery kept advancing: the Green Source Clan's development grew ever faster, becoming the undisputed hegemonic force of the Senluo Forest region.

Until that day, when darkness quietly swept across the land.

Countless terrifying figures appeared tearing through the firmament, a sinister moon manifested, and the sky was dyed a deep crimson.

The entire world was burning.

The light-shadow imagery advanced — the cataclysmic battle that would change the future of Monster World was about to arrive.

Some clans fled Monster World, some clans continued to hold their homeland.

The Green Source Clan, who had always been unable to make contact with the deities, also made their decision at this moment.

The image flickered continuously.

Before the Mother Goddess statue, warriors of the Green Source Tribe came from all directions, converging into a green ocean, standing in neat formation.

Their bodies were woven of wood and flesh, ancient runes surfacing on their skin, flickering with a faint green light.

A deep, resonant voice rang across the heavens — it was the sole leader of the Green Source Tribe, "Cang Ye."

He stood before the Mother Goddess statue, holding a scepter carved from a branch of the Green Source Mother Tree, its tip set with a brilliant green gemstone.

"Worship the heavens, Beneath Di Zhao god!" Cang Ye raised the scepter high, his voice like Lei Ting rolling across this realm.

All the warriors answered in unison, their voices a tidal wave:

"Worship the heavens, Beneath Di Zhao god!"

Whoosh!

Every figure knelt at once, kowtowing toward the sky, the scene overwhelming.

"Worship the Mother Goddess, Nu E."

Every figure dropped to both knees, crossed their hands over their chests, kowtowed toward the goddess statue, heads bowed as they silently recited ancient prayers, their voices a tidal wave that made the earth tremble.

The prayers were steeped in the Green Source Tribe's reverence for life and their fanatic devotion to the faith of Nu E.

Cang Ye descended the high platform and came before an altar woven of vines.

A jade bowl rested upon the altar.

"With blood as oath, with life as covenant!" Cang Ye used the scepter to slash open his own palm, and fresh blood dripped into the bowl.

The gathered warriors followed suit one after another, each cutting open their palm and letting their fresh blood merge into the bowl before them.

"From this point, perhaps there is no return!" Cang Ye's voice was low and resolute:

"But our will stands together with the Mother Goddess Nu E!"

The warriors roared in unison, no fear in their eyes — only resolve.

When the words fell, endless killing intent flickered in Cang Ye's eyes.

He lifted the jade bowl, dipped his fingers into the green blood, then smeared it across his forehead and cheeks.

The glowing bloodstains stood out starkly against his skin.

Then he tilted his head back and drank the fresh blood in the bowl in one gulp, his Adam's apple bobbing, every movement brimming with power.

All the Green Source Tribe warriors followed suit, then rose to their feet and followed their leader Cang Ye to the battlefield.

The image jumped at this moment — the green tide formed by the Green Source Tribe warriors surged into the high sky, stabbing toward the thickest patch of black in the heavens.

The sky suddenly split open, a pitch-black rift devouring everything, terrifying figures surging from the darkness, their tentacles like a black flood sweeping across the land, and wherever they passed, all things withered.

The Green Source Tribe warriors followed closely behind their leader Cang Ye, their bodies beginning to change in flight — wooden grain surfaced on their skin, their arms transformed into sharp thorns.

Battle erupted in an instant.

In the blink of an eye, countless figures were swallowed by the darkness.

But the Green Source Tribe did not retreat in the slightest, charging wave after wave toward the sky, trying with their tiny selves to tear apart the darkness shrouding the firmament of Monster World.

Vines and tentacles intertwined, green light and black void colliding again and again.

The heavens and earth were filled with the forces of destruction and rebirth; Green Source Tribe warriors fell one after another, but not a single tribesman retreated — their eyes burned with the fanaticism of a fight to the death.

Worship the heavens, Beneath Di Zhao; worship the Mother Goddess, Nu E.

Once these two rituals ended, the Green Source Tribe had staked the future of their entire race.

To retreat would be blasphemy against their faith in the gods.

Even Shen Shou Zhong, they would resolutely choose to detonate the life energy within their own bodies, trying to perish together with the evil — the green light that bloomed was the final cry of their lives.

The images left Jiang Luo and Mahua shaken.

This was a war without the dawn of victory; the Green Source Tribe's joining of the fight was like ants trying to shake a great tree, gaining only the endless sacrifice of their tribesmen.

But the Green Source Tribe's loyalty to their faith — even through the screen, they could still feel it.

It seemed that once the worship-and-go-to-war ritual ended, the current generation of the Green Source Tribe had already prepared themselves for a fight to the death without rest.

Wishing only to contribute a sliver of their own strength to tearing open the dark firmament.

At the end of the image, black flames surged like a raging tide of demons, pouring madly from the cracks in the earth, spreading rapidly with the force of a prairie fire.

Wherever they passed, the once lush and vibrant vegetation instantly dissolved.

The emerald green was gone, leaving only a deathly black ash.

The vine houses carefully woven by the Green Source Tribe now twisted and warped under the dark devastation, ultimately swallowed mercilessly by the flames.

The tree fortresses symbolizing the Green Source Tribe's wisdom and power — under the roasting of the black flames, their wooden structures collapsed, massive trunks snapping and crashing down, kicking up billowing dust, playing a funeral dirge for this once-glorious civilization.

Even the Nu E statue that carried the Green Source Tribe's entire faith and spiritual sustenance — the black flames licked at its base, and the once-smooth stone surface was scored with crack after crack, like savage scars carved by time.

The cracks spread rapidly, climbing from the base upward until they reached the face of the Nu E statue.

"Crack—"

After a tremendous crash, the head of the Mother Goddess statue broke off first, plummeting down with a thunderous roar.

Immediately after, the body also began to crumble apart, fragments of stone raining down like droplets, ultimately swallowed by the black tide along with the city.

The light of the Green Source Tribe's civilization was extinguished, just like that.

Leaving behind only scorched earth after the black tide's devastation.

As the years turned, the great mushroom still standing on the land had witnessed the rise and fall of the Green Source Tribe, yet remained unmoved, steady as a mountain.

New green grew again centered on the great mushroom — fresh flowers and green grass blanketed the hills, but nearly every trace of the Green Source Tribe's existence had been erased.

Souls return to Nu E; faith endures forever.

The Green Source Tribe chose to take part in a local campaign of the Cataclysm War in their own way — only this sealed-away chapter of history, before the vast tide of the era, had scarcely any who knew of it.

At the very end of the image, Cang Ye, holding the Mother Tree scepter, smiled as he looked toward Jiang Luo and Mahua, who were reading the contents of the recording:

"Descendants of our tribe — when darkness came, we used our flesh and blood to build a great wall against evil, paid with our lives to defend our loyalty to the Mother Goddess Nu E, and chose to steadfastly guard this land that nurtured us. Perhaps our civilization has already vanished in the fires of war, and our figures have been sealed away by the years, but the spark of faith has been buried deep within the earth."

Cang Ye's gaze was resolute, carrying a power that pierced through time and space, as he continued:

"Junior, if you ever see this recording, remember that faith is the cornerstone of our strength, the wellspring that sustains us when we rise from despair. No matter where you return from in the future, no matter what hardships and obstacles you encounter, you must hold tight to this light of faith; do not let it be extinguished in the darkness."

"We have never forgotten the teachings of the Angry Goddess Mother. She bestowed wisdom upon us, taught us to coexist with nature and breathe in unison with the earth. Her light once illuminated our path; now, this faith is yours to carry on."

The image shattered into countless points of light and scattered. Jiang Luo and Mahua opened their eyes.

Gazing at the floating green light orb suspended on the stone stele, their feelings were incredibly complex.

This was merely a game, yet the immersion was too intense.

The content within the light and shadow images placed them in that ancient era, making them members of the Green Source Clan.

Blood oaths, worshipping the deity, fighting to the death... fearing no death, facing challenges that could not be defeated, offering their lives to uphold loyalty to their faith.

This faith moved them deeply.

In the end, the Green Source Clan did not wait for the clansmen to be sent away; instead, they waited for these two players.

After recording and preserving this image, Jiang Luo reached out his hand to grab the inheritance green light floating before him.

Half an hour later, a post sparked heated discussion on the forum.

Especially the players of the Green Wood Clan, who were instantly stunned after seeing the video content recorded in the post.

(End of this chapter)