Samsara Paradise: Dream Weaver of Connections.

Leonard also noticed the faint light and stared in surprise: "This godforsaken place... there are living things here?"

It's no wonder Leonard was so surprised. After entering the door, Leonard found that there wasn't even a single insect inside, nor could he detect a trace of life. Only those "former kin" that had been twisted into inhuman forms by the crimson power were scattered across the land.

That faint spiritual essence seemed to understand Leonard's words, and swayed slightly in the gray mist.

Like a newborn animal tentatively exploring the unfamiliar surroundings, it carried an indescribable longing as it slowly drifted closer.

In the end, it chose Lin Yi and began to slowly rotate around him.

A clear mental fluctuation spread out, no longer a vague emotion, but a more specific idea.

Lin Yi tried to communicate with it spiritually, but he felt that the power of the abyss within him instinctively and strongly repelled this soul with the aura of nature, like the natural opposition of ice and fire.

Normally, the other party shouldn't have such a high level of goodwill towards Lin Yi. After all, Lin Yi is an Abyss-type class, which is a mortal enemy for a Pokémon in this situation. However, the World's Blessing seems to have offset this rejection.

"We've waited a long time." A fragmented thought entered Lin Yi's mind, like a toddler learning to speak. "Seeing you defeat the gatekeeper, you're very strong, you can help us..."

"How can I help you?"

“Kill the king, the king… has suffered for too long.” The light of the spirit flickered, conveying intense pain.

"The forest is weeping, all things are suffering. The king has twisted everything; those who come near him are devoured and assimilated..."

“Our brothers and sisters disappeared when they got close, becoming part of it. Or they were completely annihilated. We are too weak, so we can only hide here and wait for hope.”

Its speed of rotation around Lin Yi suddenly increased, and the faint light seemed to be ignited by this plea of ​​hope: "You have protection, you can resist erosion, you can get close to ending all this, please let the forest rest, let us be free."

After hundreds of years of waiting, and the silent annihilation or distortion and assimilation of countless companions as they approached the Mad King's core area, this lucky surviving soul placed all its hopes on Lin Yi, an outsider with the world's protection.

"Where is it?" Lin Yi asked directly.

Since we have local "guides," we should make the most of them.

The light of the spirit stabilized, as if it were trying to recall and perceive: "Deepest in the roots of the tree, in the darkest place. It was once the most powerful guardian, now corrupted by ancient power. The power of the elves is its foundation, and also its shackles."

"Is the power of the elves a shackle?"

"Yes, the pollution has distorted the origin, but the core of the elf's bloodline remains." The spirit's thoughts were somewhat confused, clearly indicating that it did not hold a high position in its previous life and had limited knowledge, much of which was only hearsay or vague perception.

Just then, as if it remembered something, the light drifted toward an inconspicuous corner of the area where the World Tree's massive roots were spread out, a place covered with thick black ash.

"There's poison buried there left behind by the traitor from back then. It's incredibly effective against elven bloodlines; it might be usable."

"Reynard, dig there." Lin Yi pointed to the location indicated by the spirit.

Leonard pulled out his short-handled shovel and walked to the area. He first cautiously tested the ground with his foot before squatting down and carefully brushing away the loose ash on the surface with the shovel.

Beneath the ashes lay darker black soil, emanating a somber smell of earth and decay.

Leonard took a deep breath, his arm muscles bulging, and the shovel began to fly in his hands.

Soon, a pit half a meter deep appeared in front of the two.

"clang!"

A crisp metallic clang rang out in the silence, as if the shovel had struck something exceptionally hard.

Leonard crouched down and carefully brushed away the soil with his hands, revealing a small square box with intricate runes engraved on its surface.

The box was exceptionally well-preserved; the runes seemed to have acted as a barrier, preventing it from being damaged over the long years and in harsh environments.

Leonard took the box out and handed it to Lin Yi.

Lin Yi wiped the dust off the box lid and found a hidden clip.

Using the power of the abyss to erode the runes on it, Lin Yi pressed hard to open the latch.

"Click."

With a soft click, the lid of the box popped open.

A strange fragrance, rich with floral scents yet subtly tinged with a fishy smell, instantly filled the air, but was quickly diluted by the surrounding gray mist and deathly stillness.

Inside the box was dried moss, which had turned a deathly gray color.

In the depression in the center of the moss, a crystal bottle about the thickness of a finger and about ten centimeters long lay quietly.

Lin Yi picked up the crystal bottle, and a prompt immediately appeared.

【Words of Purple Tears】

Origin: Whispering Forest, Star Mark Family Secret Workshop

Quality: legendary
Type: Single-use medicine

Effect: When used on a target possessing high elven blood (including its branches, such as blood elves), it will cause a violent collapse and contamination of their bloodline essence. The intensity and duration of the effect are directly related to the purity of the target's bloodline and their strength level.

Deals massive true damage equal to 20% to 50% of the target's maximum health (depending on purity) to targets with Epic or lower Elven bloodlines, and inflicts the 'Bloodline Curse' status, permanently reducing all their attributes by 15% to 30%, greatly weakening their natural affinity and mana regeneration speed, and has a very high probability of causing immediate death.

Deals true damage equal to 10% of the target's maximum health to targets with Epic or higher Elf bloodline, inflicts the 'Bloodline Curse' status, and forcibly interrupts any skills or statuses related to the Elf bloodline's origin.

Rating: 530+
Description: A king-killing poison concocted by a powerful nobleman during the Whispering Forest era who sought to overthrow the monarchy. Only three were successfully concocted, intended to assassinate the then-elf king. After the rebellion was exposed, two were destroyed by the royal family, and the whereabouts of one remain unknown.

"The steps to the throne are stained with the blood of our compatriots." — The last words of the Star Mark Clan Head.

According to Lin Yi's assessment, the potency of this thing was definitely more terrifying at the beginning than it is now, but as time went by, the effect of this potion has been reduced considerably.

If it still has the initial effects of the medicine, even if the "Words of Purple Tears" cannot completely poison the Elf King at his peak in one go, it can definitely severely injure him to the brink of death and completely destroy the foundation of his power.

No wonder the little elf's thoughts called it "poison left by a traitor" and regarded it as a secret.

Given that the Elven royal family's order to destroy something that targets the very essence of their own bloodline is entirely understandable, this highly toxic substance, specifically designed to harm the bloodline of their race, would be a catastrophic disaster for the entire Elven race if it were to spread.

Lin Yi looked at the little sprite still floating beside him: "Thank you."

The spirit's light leaped merrily a few times, conveying a deep sense of gratitude and relief: "The forest will remember you, we can finally rest."

With this expression of gratitude, the light of the spirit began to dissipate, like a candle flame that had burned out.

The obsession that had sustained its existence in this desolate land for hundreds of years finally began to dissipate after encountering Lin Yi.

It was originally a lonely soul clinging to life by relying on the remaining essence of trees that were not yet completely dead, and its willpower was nothing short of miraculous.

Now that hope has arrived and obsession has subsided, that fragile bond has come to an end.

The faint green light flickered a few times, like a candle in the wind, before finally going out completely and dissipating into the thick gray fog, leaving no trace.

Centuries of agonizing waiting have finally ended in eternal darkness.

Silence reigned once more, with only the colossal World Tree standing before them like a silent tombstone.

The area where the tree roots are entangled in front is the entrance to the underground.

"Reynard, you stay here and guard the entrance." Lin Yi moved his right shoulder, which had mostly healed, and after confirming that there were no problems, he asked Leonard to stay.

Although Leonard has some fighting ability, he is still far inferior to the Mad King.

To avoid any accidents, Lin Yi simply left Leonard here, so he could keep watch outside.

"Have a safe journey, sir." Leonard nodded. He knew very well that going in would not only be of no help, but would also be a burden.

Lin Yi said no more, turned around and stepped into the bottomless dark passage. His footsteps echoed in the impenetrable darkness.

This passage was not formed naturally; obvious traces of artificial excavation remain on its inner walls.

The rough wooden surface is covered with a slippery, cold, moss-like substance, and ancient carvings remain on it, but these once exquisite patterns have now been eroded and blurred, covered with a thick layer of black grime.

The deeper you go, the more an indescribable sense of oppression arises, like layers of tides pressing in from all directions.

The air was filled with two kinds of scarlet power and the aura of the ancient gods.

These two forces intertwine here, forming a delicate balance, like thin ice barely held together on a pot of boiling oil. Any excessive energy disturbance could instantly shatter this balance, triggering unpredictable and catastrophic consequences.

The passage is not straight downwards, but rather spirals down along the complex network of veins inside the main root of the World Tree.

After walking for about ten minutes, Lin Yi paused slightly.

Ahead was no longer pure darkness and tree roots; a faint light shone from the end of the passage.

Leaving the passage, an unimaginably vast underground space appeared before us.

The dome was so high that it was hidden in the thick, scarlet fog, and countless broken, stalactite-like, huge tree roots hung in mid-air.

The smallest of these roots is as thick as several people can hug, while the largest is comparable to a palace pillar. Their surfaces are also charred and cracked, and some of them have a thick, dark red liquid dripping from their ends, like a wound that never heals and is bleeding.

At the center of the space is a huge circular altar formed by countless thick roots naturally intertwining and guarding it.

What was placed on the altar was not a sacred totem or crystal, but the ugly body of an ancient god.

The body resembled a jellyfish magnified many times over, its pale tentacles drooping limply at the edge of the altar.

Countless channels made of scarlet energy extended from the ends of the tree roots hanging from the dome, piercing deep into various parts of the ancient god's body.

The crimson power, like a greedy parasite, frantically poured into the ancient gods through these "blood vessels."

However, the ancient god's body did not seem to be completely dead. The remaining instincts of the body forcibly neutralized the invading crimson power and transformed it into a thin layer of ancient god power.

The neutralized power of the ancient god transformed into a relatively stable energy that continuously dissipated from the wounds in which the "blood vessels" pierced the ancient god's body, merging into the surrounding air.

The entire body of the ancient god was like a "purifier" that had been forcibly fixed in place.

At the edge of the altar, a figure stood silently.

He wore a set of simple, pale green rattan armor woven from some kind of tough vines. The surface of the rattan armor was covered with dull silver leaf-shaped plates, on which the emblem representing the elven royal family could be vaguely discerned, but the emblem had been eroded and blurred.

Beneath the vine armor was a tall but unusually withered figure, its exposed skin displaying a sickly grayish-white color.

The other person had their back to Lin Yi, head bowed, long golden hair disheveled and obscuring their face.

The other person's right hand was resting on the hilt of a longsword at his waist. The scabbard of the sword was extremely ornate, inlaid with gems that had long lost their luster, but the exposed blade at the hilt and guard had an eerie dark red color.

[Comparing intelligence attributes of both sides... Comparison complete. Our intelligence attribute is 0.83 times that of the enemy. Due to the dual bonuses of the Awakening Mission and Eye of Reconnaissance, we have obtained 68% of the enemy's data.]

The information is as follows
Name: The Mad King (Elke Lortheran)

Category: Crimson Invader

Health: 100%
Crimson Power: 28500/30000 points

Strength: 128 (true attribute)
Agility: 130 (true attribute)
Physical strength: 125 (real attribute)
Intelligence: 118 (true attribute)
Charisma: 89
Skill 1: Elven Royal Bloodline (Passive, LV.70): Health +25000, Nature Magic Resistance +40%, Resistance to Mind Control and Curse Effects +25%.

Skill 2: Sword Master (Passive Lv.26): Increases sword weapon attack power by 466%, nerve reflex speed by 117%, dynamic vision by 98%, greatly improves sword skills and reaction ability, and restores health equal to 30% of the damage dealt.

技能3：天羽斩（主动Lv.46）：对前方扇形区域发动一次斩击，造成（力量×5 +敏捷×4）点无视60%护甲的物理伤害，并附带“破甲”效果。

Skill 4: Royal Majesty (Passive, Lv.65): Reduces the attributes of enemy units within 300 meters by 5% (effect halved against leader-level units), and slightly increases the morale of allies. The higher the Charisma, the stronger the range and effect.

Skill 5: Unyielding Fighting Spirit (Passive, Lv.48): When health is below 30%, gain the "Unbreakable" effect (immune to strong control effects such as knockback, knock-up, and stun), all damage reduction +25%, attack power +20%, lasting until leaving combat or health recovers to above 50%.

Skill 6: Crimson Tremor (???)
Skill 7: Frenzied Will (Passive, Lv.63): Immune to mind control, fear, and confusion effects.

???

Skill 12: ? ? ? (Ultimate Ability): ? ? ?
The moment Lin Yi's gaze fell upon the Mad King, a surge of energy suddenly erupted from the Mad King's center!
Om-! ! !
Lin Yi's vision was instantly covered by a thick, blood-red color, and a sharp ringing sound rang in his ears.

[Warning: The hunter is suffering from the 'Crimson Tremor' effect, taking 132 points of corrosive damage per second (68% immunity has been saved).]

[Mental assessment in progress... Assessment passed! The hunter resists the mental confusion effect.]

[If the hunter accumulates 100 layers of Crimson Corrosion during the 'Crimson Tremor', an instant death rule will be triggered. Current Corrosion Layer: 1.]

There was no turning around, no warning.

The Mad King pressed his right hand, which was resting on the hilt of his sword, down very slightly.

Boom! ! !

A three-meter-diameter crater was instantly blasted open beneath Lin Yi's feet, and countless fragments of rock imbued with crimson power shot out in all directions like cannonballs.

At the critical moment, Lin Yi's senses issued a frantic warning, and his body reacted to the limit under the drive of instinct.

He instantly channeled all his strength into his legs and sprang to the side and backward.

Although Lin Yi's body was still in mid-air, the shockwave from the explosion beneath his feet was already approaching.

Lin Yi suppressed the dizziness of being hit by a giant hammer and swung his left hand out like lightning.

laugh--!
Several invisible strands of Dark Soul Silk shot out, precisely wrapping around a huge, broken root protruding diagonally from above.

At the same time, he spread his five fingers on his right hand and pressed them against the empty space beside him.

hum!
A heavy Hercules Shield instantly materialized beside him, not for defense, but as a stepping stone.

Using the pull of the Dark Soul Silk and the reaction force of stepping on the Divine Shield, Lin Yi's body managed to complete a sharp-angled leap in mid-air, narrowly avoiding the most destructive area of ​​the explosion.

Even so, the energy shock and soul vibration spreading from the edge of the explosion still made Lin Yi feel dizzy and his blood and qi churn.

After several leaps, Lin Yi landed on another giant root more than ten meters away.

If Lin Yi hadn't reacted so quickly, he would have been seriously injured, if not killed, by that attack.

The Mad King's attack methods were far more bizarre than those Edmund had encountered, and his attacks came without any warning.

After stabilizing his stance, the massive root beneath Lin Yi's feet shattered the moment he stepped on it.

The distance of several dozen meters seemed to disappear under Lin Yi's speed. In the blink of an eye, Lin Yi appeared less than five meters in front of the Mad King.

The black and white rose longsword unleashed a burst of sword energy, aiming straight for the Mad King's head.

The Mad King's right hand, resting on the blood-stained sword at his waist, flicked outward with remarkable ease, drawing the sword and sweeping it horizontally. The movement was so fluid, as if he had practiced it countless times, carrying an elegance that was ingrained in his very bones.

There was no earth-shattering burst of power, only a thick, dark red sword light, like a river of blood, sweeping away the incoming sword energy with a single stroke.

Without pausing for a moment, the Mad King raised his sword and pointed it at Lin Yi's feet.

puff!
The massive root beneath Lin Yi's feet exploded again without warning in the direction the sword tip pointed.

boom! ! !
This attack had a larger blast radius and greater power.

The crimson energy, like erupting volcanic lava, instantly blasted the ground where Lin Yi was standing to smithereens. (End of Chapter)