Transmigrating Into a Fantasy World: Signing in During Pregnancy, Reaching the Summit with My Childhood Sweetheart

149: Chapter 149: The Illusory Forest of the Heart and Memories of the Ancient TreeBefore the Green Law Hall, the air seemed to freeze. The gazes of the three Wood Spirit Elders, like ancient vines, coiled around Nangong Xuan and Su Muxue, awaiting their answer. The Sacred Luo Ancient Tree stood silent, its branches and leaves rustling without wind, emitting gentle, ripple-like halos of light. These halos contained an ancient will and an indescribable power of Law.

”We accept the trial,” Nangong Xuan and Su Muxue spoke almost simultaneously, their voices calm yet resolute. They knew deeply that this was an indispensable step to gain the trust of the Wood Spirit Clan and approach the Life star key.

The tender leaf mark on the Grand Elder’s forehead glowed faintly as he slowly raised the ancient Wooden Staff in his hand. The other two Elders made the same motion. The different gems embedded at the tops of the three staffs—emerald green, earthy yellow, and watery blue—lit up simultaneously, resonating powerfully with the central Sacred Luo Ancient Tree.

”Follow the green law, question your true heart. With the Sacred Luo as witness, truth and falsehood shall be revealed.” The three Elders chanted in unison, their ancient language stirring the vast natural forces around them.

Hum—!

On the massive trunk of the Sacred Luo Ancient Tree, those profound golden patterns suddenly lit up, flowing as if alive. Two gentle yet irresistible pillars of cyan light descended from the tree’s crown, precisely enveloping Nangong Xuan and Su Muxue.

Their bodies trembled slightly, their eyes instantly losing focus as if their Divine Souls had been drawn out, entering another plane. Meanwhile, the chaos star core was gently pushed aside by a soft force, remaining outside the light pillars.

”Mother! Father!” Lin Mo’s consciousness called out urgently, only to find his mental connection with them temporarily severed by a pure and powerful natural barrier. He could only see his parents standing in place, eyes closed, breathing steadily, yet he could not sense any fluctuations within their hearts.

”Do not worry, spirit from beyond.” The Grand Elder’s voice sounded directly in Lin Mo’s consciousness. ”The Sacred Luo’s trial pierces directly to the heart, reflecting one’s past and true nature. They are experiencing their respective ’Heartwood Illusions.’ If their hearts align with nature, free of shadows, they shall return safely. If they harbor malice or are tainted by the ’Withering Breath,’ it will be unmistakably revealed in the illusion.”

Lin Mo’s consciousness tensed, maintaining the Star Core’s stability with all his might, ready at any moment to intervene forcefully, even at the risk of provoking the forest’s Laws, should anything go wrong... Su Muxue’s Illusion:

She found herself in an endless Moonlit Forest. The leaves of towering ancient trees shimmered with a silvery glow, like stars scattered across the branches. The air was fresh and cold, yet carried a comforting power.

However, within this breathtakingly beautiful forest, there were discordant sights. The roots of many trees were entwined with dull gray patches (The Ringworm of Silence), slowly eroding their vitality. In some areas, the soil was cracked and dry, the streams turbid, emitting mournful cries.

An ethereal yet sorrowful voice echoed in her heart: ”Daughter of Taiyin from afar... the forest weeps... the cycle of life is clogged... Will you use your power to soothe the wounds and cleanse the filth?”

There was no specific guidance, no clear enemy. The content of the trial was healing.

Su Muxue understood instantly. She closed her eyes, and pure Taiyin Star Power surged from within her. But instead of the icy coldness of an attack, it transformed into the most gentle, nourishing radiance, imbued with the blessing power of Cihang’s Nectar. This radiance, like gauze or mist, softly fell upon the tree roots eroded by the gray patches.

Sizzle... The gray patches, encountering the Taiyin Radiance, began to slowly dissolve and retreat as if ice meeting warm sunlight! Though not fast, it was indeed effective! The extreme purity of Taiyin Power combined with the life-nourishing blessing of Cihang happened to have a certain purifying effect on this decay-oriented Withering Breath.

Su Muxue immersed her mind in the task, carefully controlling the radiance like the most delicate embroiderer, slowly mending the damaged vitality bit by bit. She could sense the relieved thoughts from the trees as their pain lessened, and the growing affinity and recognition emanating from the entire forest toward her.

Her trial was one of gentle healing and resonance... Nangong Xuan’s Illusion:

The scene before his eyes was completely different.

He stood on a scorched black land, surrounded by the broken, burning remnants of giant trees. The sky was gray and dark, filled with an aura of destruction and deathly stillness. It was as if this place had experienced a cataclysmic battle, with all vitality extinguished.

A grand, cold voice interrogated him, thundering like lightning: ”Bearer of Annihilation Power! Your Dao is termination! How does it differ from this scene before you? Are you not ’Withering’ itself?!”

A terrifying pressure descended, attempting to crush his will, to make him admit that his Dao shared the same origin as the decay of the dark side, both being enemies of nature!

Yet, Nangong Xuan’s gaze remained as deep and still as an abyss. He slowly looked up at the gray, dark sky and declared clearly, ”You are mistaken!”

”Annihilation is not destruction for destruction’s sake.” He raised his hand, and the dark golden vortex of Nirvana Annihilation Qi reappeared in his palm. But this time, he actively infused it into the scorched black earth beneath his feet. ”Annihilation is necessary for Reincarnation, the blazing fire that purges decay and nurtures new life!”

Boom! The vortex sank into the earth, and the scorched black ground shook violently. An astonishing scene unfolded: under the influence of the Nirvana Dao Rhyme, the ashes from the burning decomposed and transformed at an unprecedented speed into the purest nutrients; meanwhile, the roots and seeds buried deep underground, not yet completely dead, greedily absorbed these nutrients, bursting forth with astonishing vitality!

Tender green sprouts broke through the soil at a visible pace, unfurling their leaves. The scorched black land was rapidly covered by a hopeful layer of fresh green! The extreme of destruction gave rise to even more vigorous new life!

”See clearly!” Nangong Xuan’s voice carried an undeniable Dao Rhyme. ”My Annihilation purges filth, ends the past, and paves the way for new life! How can it be compared to that decay breath which only drains life, spreads despair, and blocks Reincarnation?!”

His voice echoed like a great bell within this illusion. The cold, interrogative pressure shattered and dissipated like glass.

The scene before him changed again. The scorched earth and new greenery vanished. He seemed to be amidst a vast torrent of life, witnessing the cycles of countless lives being born, growing, decaying, and being reborn. His Nirvana Dao Rhyme no longer seemed out of place in this torrent; instead, it became an indispensable part, maintaining a certain grand balance.

A faint trace of admiration and recognition came from the will of the Sacred Luo Ancient Tree... Lin Mo’s Perspective:

Just as his parents were undergoing their trials, the chaos star core controlled by Lin Mo suddenly trembled slightly. He sensed that as the Sacred Luo Ancient Tree’s immense will was constructing and maintaining the two illusions, an extremely subtle, forcibly suppressed ’fluctuation’ leaked from within it.

That fluctuation... was filled with pain, struggle, and a kind of cold numbness!

”This is...” Lin Mo’s heart tightened. He immediately focused all his consciousness, carefully manipulating the Star Core’s Perception like threads, probing toward that leaked fluctuation.

In an instant, he seemed to see a blurry image: deep within an underground cavern filled with massive roots and life energy so dense it was overwhelming, a thick, inky gray shadow, constantly writhing and expanding, was coiled around an incredibly thick, jade-green main root! The shadow continuously secreted a gray ’mucus,’ eroding the main root, which in turn emitted intense jade-green light to resist. But it was clearly at a disadvantage; the range of the green light was being slowly compressed. The painful, struggling fluctuation was coming from that main root!

And the aura of that main root... was of the same origin as the Sacred Luo Ancient Tree outside! Even more ancient and Core!

The Sacred Luo Ancient Tree... its Core root had long been severely eroded by the ’Withering Breath’! It had been silently enduring immense pain, diverting the vast majority of its power to suppress and resist this erosion, so much so that it was hardly noticeable on the surface! The earlier fluctuation leak was due to a brief loss of control caused by the distraction of constructing the illusions!

Lin Mo’s heart sank. The crisis facing the Wood Spirit Clan was far more severe and deadly than he had imagined! This so-called ’The Ringworm of Silence’ was about to sink its claws into the Core of their Sacred Tree!

...After an unknown amount of time, the cyan light pillars enveloping Nangong Xuan and Su Muxue slowly dissipated.

Both opened their eyes simultaneously. A trace of fatigue flashed in Su Muxue’s eyes, but the aura around her was more harmonious, her affinity with the surroundings reaching its peak. Even a few glowing leaves spontaneously drifted down, circling around her. Nangong Xuan’s gaze grew deeper, the operation of the nirvana golden core within him becoming even more fluid. On the dark golden Dao patterns, the implication of the balance between creation and destruction became more apparent.

The Sacred Luo Ancient Tree swayed gently, scattering countless points of light, emitting waves of joy and recognition.

The three Elders’ faces showed expressions of relief mixed with awe. The Grand Elder stepped forward and performed an ancient salute toward the two with solemnity: ”Travelers from afar, the Sacred Luo has recognized your pure hearts of nature and the powerful essence of your strength. You have passed the green law Trial and earned the friendship and trust of the Wood Spirit Clan.”

However, at that very moment, the chaos star core flew abruptly between the two parties. Lin Mo’s extremely anxious consciousness instantly transmitted simultaneously to Nangong Xuan, Su Muxue, and the three Elders:

”No time for formalities! The Sacred Luo Ancient Tree’s Core main root is being eroded by a powerful Withering Breath! It’s very serious! It’s about to give out!”

”What?!” The three Elders were shocked, their faces instantly turning deathly pale! They looked at the Sacred Luo Ancient Tree in disbelief. The ancient tree still stood majestic, its light flowing, seemingly unchanged.

But Lin Mo’s next words plunged them into an icy abyss: ”It’s using the vast majority of its power to forcibly suppress and conceal it! I only detected it from a slight fluctuation leak when it was maintaining the illusions just now! It’s deep underground! We must go save it immediately! Otherwise, not just the Sacred Luo, but the entire forest’s life cycle Core may collapse!”

The Grand Elder no longer doubted, for at that moment, as if to confirm Lin Mo’s words, the Sacred Luo Ancient Tree trembled ever so slightly and painfully, and the light on its crown noticeably dimmed a fraction!

”Quick! Please, follow us!” The Grand Elder’s voice carried unprecedented panic and urgency. He no longer cared for ceremony, turning and rushing toward a hidden cave entrance concealed by layers of vines behind the Sacred Luo Ancient Tree!

The true crisis had only just been revealed. Passing the trial was not the end, but the beginning of another, even more perilous battle.