Chapter 112: Spirit of the Dark Forest
"Even we fall ill, especially during the Ice Ages and Chaos Periods. The vitality in the Dark Forest diminishes, increasing our susceptibility to sickness. Xiao Lan's constitution is weaker, so she always takes the brunt of it," Xiao Hong remarked.
Hua Mi nodded in understanding, "Take good care of her. Matters in the Flower Fields can wait."
Since it was a normal occurrence, it wasn't too worrisome. They were more experienced in dealing with such situations than he was, so Hua Mi didn't fret much about it initially.
However, by afternoon, things took an unexpected turn.
Xiao Orange fell sick too, and this time, the situation seemed more severe. It wasn't just Xiao Lan and Xiao Orange; the other five also felt varying degrees of discomfort.
"Perhaps we should seek help from the Spirit of the Dark Forest."
"Spirit of the Dark Forest... But where do we find it?"
Finally decided, Hua Mi accompanied Xiao Hong in the quest to locate the Forest Spirit, while Xiao Bai stayed behind to look after them.
During their flight, Hua Mi noticed something amiss with some trees below. It wasn't just the withering state typical of the Ice Ages. These trees seemed entirely lifeless. Once tall and sturdy trunks now appeared parched and twisted, as though scorched by intense flames, despite no signs of fire around.
"What's happening here? Could it be some sort of plant plague?" Hua Mi wondered aloud.
As he saw several trees in this dire state, Hua Mi directed the bee swarm to investigate one of the withered trees, hoping to find some clues. He knew the state of the Pseudo-Flower Spirits was deeply entwined with this forest. Perhaps these desolate trees held the key to their illness.
"Uh..." Xiao Hong attempted to sense the tree's condition but shivered involuntarily, feeling a sudden chill that made her tremble.
"This doesn't seem like an ordinary illness," she voiced her concern.
Realizing the severity of the situation, Hua Mi wasted no time and swiftly moved her away from there, accelerating towards their objective.
After about an hour, Xiao Hong suddenly alerted, "We're here."
Surveying the area, Hua Mi spotted a vast expanse of snow-covered forest below, seemingly no different from any other place.
"Where?" he inquired.
"The realm won't readily open to us. We need to find the guardian spirit of the realm," Xiao Hong explained.
"Alright, what does the guardian spirit look like?"
"Very majestic! You'll know once you see it. But we have to land and search on foot."
"Why?" Hua Mi queried, "Wouldn't it be easier to search from above?"
"We must show sincerity. The spirit won't reveal itself unless we search with our own eyes, no magic or tools allowed," Xiao Hong clarified.
Hua Mi then guided the bee swarm to land, starting their search for traces left by the guardian spirit amidst the snow-covered forest.
It could be footprints or scratches on trees. Maybe even a pile of droppings? Well, he wasn't sure if the spirit would leave droppings.
"Clark should be doing this kind of work," Hua Mi muttered to himself, scanning the snowy ground.
Having to rely solely on their eyes and not use reconnaissance bees was quite a headache for him. Without the bees' aid, he felt somewhat powerless in this magical world.
But he held hope for self-improvement. "The byproduct, Fire Lotus, produced by Azure Fire Bees, enhances my resistance to cold. Hopefully, more attributes will be enhanced later on. While practicing bee control, I can also strengthen my own abilities."
These were thoughts for later. For now, he focused on finding the guardian spirit. It should leave noticeable traces in the snow, and at least, the search area was smaller compared to when they sought the Tree Spirits earlier.
Hua Mi continued his search, while Xiao Hong simultaneously called out, "Great Spirit, we urgently need to enter the realm. Please show yourself and guide us in!"
"..." Hua Mi thought it was a bit naive. Would shouting really work? It was hard to say. But he felt if it were that easy, anyone could enter. The rules seemed clear: find the guardian spirit to enter the realm. They needed to exhibit patience and sincerity by genuinely looking for traces.
Life was akin to a trial...
Just as he was gearing up to motivate himself, Xiao Hong suddenly cheered, "Yes! Found it!"
"Really?" Hua Mi raised his gaze.
Indeed, not far ahead, a large antlered deer emitting a green glow emerged leisurely from behind a tree.
It didn't approach them but stood calmly, gazing in their direction.
"..." Forget about trials.
Hua Mi and Xiao Hong happily proceeded towards the guardian spirit. As they neared, the spirit turned and walked forward at a leisurely pace.
Regardless of their speed, they maintained a certain distance from the spirit, not too close yet not too far, enough to keep track without losing sight of it.
Truly majestic...
At least, Hua Mi was certain it wouldn't leave droppings.
As they continued, Hua Mi suddenly found his vision darkening. The surroundings were swiftly engulfed by flowing blackness, leaving only the spirit and a fragment of the scene visible.
Then, the spirit transformed into a green beam, seemingly tearing through space. The green light split open, spreading to both sides.
As the blackness faded from his sight, a verdant environment unfolded before him: trees, vines, flowers, and grass...
It felt akin to walking into an oasis after a long desert journey.
Leading the way, Xiao Hong guided him through an archway woven of vines. They entered a small courtyard, encircled by verdant vegetation. In the center lay a pool... no, it was too small for that; it was more of a pond.
Hovering above the pond, Xiao Hong exclaimed, "How could this be..."
Approaching, Hua Mi noticed clear black streaks rippling through the otherwise pristine waters, like spilled ink.
"The Dark Forest has been contaminated," Xiao Hong's face twisted in horror, "by a malevolent force... We must find the Spirit of the Dark Forest urgently. Let's split up."
Without haste, Xiao Hong swiftly flew towards another archway.
However, Hua Mi chose to stay behind, squatting by the pond's edge, observing.
The swirling blackness in the water seemed like a vortex capable of devouring everything, instilling a profound sense of unease on prolonged observation.
A malevolent force... was it a curse?
This unsettling feeling, reminiscent of facing the Abyssal Rift in Brass City, or combating the vampire curse in the Ashen Graveyard, albeit to a lesser extent, all hinted at the same malevolence.
Releasing a scouting bee, Hua Mi intended for a more in-depth investigation of the pond.
Just as he connected with the bee's senses, an eerie sound echoed behind him.
Without turning, a deep voice resonated, "Stay away from there, human."
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