Chapter 1236: The Third Guardian

In the thick white fog like cotton wool, with the gradual approach of the perspective, that illusory giant tree that seemed to connect heaven and earth appeared in front of Xia De again.

Every time he saw the shadow left by the Father of the Infinite Tree, it meant that an adventure was coming to an end. Those people, those stories, would all be drowned in the dust and corners of history, and Xia De, who witnessed all this, was just like the countless tree rings on the giant tree recording history, just recording all this.

Every time he saw the shadow left by the Father of the Infinite Tree, he had completely different moods. But at least this time Xia De had less melancholy because he knew that the new friends he met would have relatively good endings.

Sister Perry made achievements before she died, Mr. Lehman successfully married a girl with animal characteristics and passed on his bloodline until the Sixth Era. Although Xia De didn't know the history of the witch Brecht, the thirteenth-level witch was an extremely powerful existence even in the Fifth Era, which was known as the Witch Era, so there was no need to worry too much about her future.

"Walking in history, witnessing this story, but never changing anything that has already happened. What is the meaning of all this?"

【Don't you already have a guess?】

"She" whispered, the wind of unknown origin brought "her" laughter to his ears, and the wind also brushed across the treetops, and also seemed to brush across Xia De's heart. In the rustling sound, from the transparent tree crown, two emerald green leaves emitting faint light drifted towards Xia De below.

Xia De looked up:

"I didn't understand all this before witnessing Luvia's story, but now... it's probably for connection."

He held his hands together and raised them high above his head, letting the overlapping tree leaves fall into his hands, lying with that small pink flower.

For a moment, Xia De felt that he realized something, and only then did he understand that "flower and leaf" gave him inspiration:

"Father of the Infinite Tree... Earth Mother God... could there be any... um... special relationship?"

Although this kind of thinking was a bit blasphemous, the twin sister relationship between the "Silver Moon Sage" and the "Supreme Sun-Binding One" already showed that besides equal status, the thirteen ancient gods might also have other special relationships.

【Perhaps your guess is correct, but who can know?】

Only Xia De's miracle "Ancient Sound" could provide stories from the initial era, but unfortunately, there were too few things passed down from those ancient years.

Obtaining two brand new 【Youthful Leaves】, it meant that Xia De had to return to reality. "She" didn't forget to remind Xia De softly:

【You are still in a dangerous occasion after returning.】

He was still deep in the black mud gushing from the source of the Crazy Earth, because his own "weight" was not enough to sink, and he was even more unable to climb out of the ground again.

"It doesn't matter, it's precisely because of this that I dared to take the risk to enter that place to pursue divinity, after all..."

He looked up at the giant tree gradually moving away in the white fog, said goodbye and thanked it softly, and then took the initiative to turn and walk into the depths of the white fog—

【Outsider, you have returned to the current time.】

【Message from the ancient god "Father of the Infinite Tree":】

【Infinite time protects you.】

The white fog dissipated, and the black mud emerged from all directions, trying to wrap Xia De's body again. And at this time, the white fog that had not completely disappeared seemed to be stimulated by the black mud and actually gushed out again.

Xia De still didn't know what these white fogs were, but when the emerald green light turned the entire fog into a terrifying fog miasma, Xia De understood very well that the power of the Father of the Infinite Tree, which represented "nature and trees," was how powerful it was.

The emerald green fog touched the black mud, the black mud melted like ice and snow, the emerald green fog formed a spherical space to wrap Xia De, and the green light bloomed on the outside of the sphere, forming strange tree-shaped flowing runes. The green fog opened up a safe space for Xia De in the black mud, representing the most extreme power of "nature," making Xia De's eyes emit green ghostly light.

And the help from the oldest tree god realized his first "Earth Power" spellcasting without materials:

"Earth Power - Healing Aura!"

"What happened?!"

Xia De plunged into the spring eye gushing with black mud. In fact, not much time had passed. Even counting the process of his sinking, it was only half a minute in total.

As if Xia De sacrificed himself, after he threw himself into the black mud, the emerald green light full of life breath rushed straight into the night sky from the black mud spring eye, so that most of the night sky was reflected into a strange green.

Although life force could not heal the "Crazy Earth," when those rays swept over the people on the edge of the black mud, everyone felt that their bodies and spirits were much easier.

Clearly it was still winter, but the tender buds of wild grass actually sprouted from the ground of the courtyard that had not been completely covered by black mud. The swaying emerald green light spots gradually spread towards the surroundings, and vaguely, one could see the shadow of the giant tree rooted in the "spring eye" gushing with black mud and green light, but the earthy yellow spiritual energy that rushed out next made people realize again what was happening at this moment.

Holding the mud holy cup, with an expression that Miss Lathers was almost about to cry—she thought Xia De sacrificed himself, Xia De's figure rose to the ground again in the green light ball and those mixed rays.

Escaping from danger, the protection of the Tree Father disappeared, and the earthy yellow spiritual

Even though Xia De had just downed a whole bottle of "Desire Essence" in one breath, to the point where he felt he was going to explode from the heat, the consumption of his spirit was still far beyond expectations. The situation this time was completely beyond what he could currently handle; this pollution came from the source of the Randel Valley land, otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to perceive divinity, and this level of pollution was even more terrifying than that of the Saint-Périer Cemetery—the latter of which had been sealed for two eras.

"No..."

Xia De had good self-awareness; if he were carrying the 【Nightwatcher】 today, he might still have a chance to put up a fight, but he didn't even have a suitable spellcasting medium in his hand, so he had already prepared for a temporary retreat.

Just as he was about to have the church hurry to send people to use a divine ritual to control the spread of the black mud and give everyone a chance to retreat, he unexpectedly heard a sound from behind him. Facing the black mud, someone suddenly speaking—this was a scene Xia De found familiar:

"Young man, hold on, I'm here to help you."

The transparent spirit hand gently patted Xia De's shoulder, and Xia De, standing with both feet on the ground, immediately sensed that the recovery of his own spirit and physical strength had become faster.

【Outlander, you have been affected by the miracle "Earth Power: Spring Descent." Within one hour, while standing on the ground, your recovery of spirit and physical strength will become faster.】

This was not the end, because immediately following, the earth-yellow spirit energy familiar to Xia De surged around him.

Turning his head to look, the soul, from an unknown origin, scattered soil from its hands, and then a semi-transparent Holy Grail took shape in the soul's hands. Although that Holy Grail, compared by "quality," was far inferior to the materialized cup in Xia De's hand, compared by "quantity," the other party's "Earth Power: Healing Aura" far exceeded Xia De's spellcasting effect.

The support of this brand-new power gave the land, which had been impossible to purify, the possibility of being healed. It was just that when Xia De looked at the stranger's face, he discovered that this was not Mr. Thomas Granger from last time. But this face was not unfamiliar either; he saw it every time he came to Randel Valley City at the Church of the Forgotten:

"Mr. Lassus?"

Xia De asked hesitantly, but he was not surprised at all. Sister Perry had once said that Randel Valley itself had guardians and evil, the former protecting the peace of this land. Since Mr. Thomas Granger, who went missing seventy years ago, was one, then the late Mr. Lassus, the father of Miss Lassus who went missing more than a decade ago, could also be one.

The transparent soul nodded slightly but did not open its mouth to answer, not even looking at Miss Lassus on the periphery. The young lady could not see what was happening here at this moment because the two "healing auras" had merged together, and the light was truly too intense.

With the earth-yellow spirit energy gushing from two sources, the black mud on the ground receded bit by bit, but the "black mud spring eye" where the fountain had originally been was the key.

With Xia De's current power, it was not enough to completely eliminate this "spring eye," but clearly, Mr. Lassus could do it.

The soul suddenly asked:

"Do you not want the Orthodox Church to see you?"

Now that the church's team had arrived, it would be troublesome for Xia De to leave later.

"Yes."

Xia De replied, and so Mr. Lassus pressed his hand onto Xia De's shoulder again:

"Do not resist."

As he pushed with force, Xia De stumbled and took a step forward. Even though it was only a step's distance, he felt as if he had walked several miles in an instant.

Looking around again, under his feet was a snow-covered path in the dark countryside, surrounded by a sparse dead forest. The starry sky above was inverted, and the light of the three moons was so delightful to Xia De.

The night sky in the southeast still retained some emerald-green traces, and the distant manor, partially obscured by the dead forest, was clearly the place where Xia De had just fought. Even now, standing outside the manor, he could still feel the massive healing aura permanently healing this land, and Xia De, who also possessed this power, truly could not imagine how massive a spirit would be required to drive a miracle of such scale. He even believed that Mr. Lassus was entirely capable of "sinking" directly to the very bottom of the black mud to touch the great power Xia De wanted to touch.

He stood in place, somewhat dazed, understanding that he had arrived at a safe place, but his doubts had only increased because of tonight's events:

"Came out directly... Are the guardians of Randel Valley all dead souls?"