The system is the proficiency panel

The drastic changes in the core area of ​​the Quicksand Forest were like dropping a piece of ice into a cauldron of boiling oil, instantly igniting the turbulent undercurrent beneath the dead silence. The terrifying energy fluctuations, brief but powerful enough to shake the very laws of the plane, echoed like the clarion call of a storm, clearly reaching every corner of the Quicksand Forest and even alarming beings further afield.

Deep within the Quicksand Forest, in a vast lair shrouded in dark red corruption, Harkon the Hearteater suddenly rose from his throne of bones and rotting wood. The legendary warrior's signature cruel grin had long since vanished, replaced by a look of utter horror and fury.

The weak spiritual connection between him and the Whispering Root Agares, which was distorted by the will of the Corrupted Maw, transmitted boundless pain and rage in that instant!

The Holy Tree was wounded, and it was a fundamental wound! He could clearly feel the remnants of the magnificent, heavenly sword intent, as well as the soul-shaking rage and... a subtle, imperceptible sense of fear emanating from the divine gift deep within the Holy Tree.

"Who is it! Who dares to desecrate the sacred tree? Desecrate the gift of our Lord Morgaros!"

Harkon's roar was like that of a wounded beast, his raging fighting spirit erupting uncontrollably, sending several of the fallen elves serving him flying backwards, blood spurting from their mouths. All of the Rotmaw cultists in the lair, whether praying, training, or torturing sacrifices, felt the deepest panic and fury of the High Priest, falling to the ground and trembling.

"Search, search! We'll find them even if we have to turn the Quicksand Forest upside down!"

Harken's eyes were red and his voice was hoarse with extreme anger.

"All patrols and secret sentries are dispatched! Block all main roads out of the forest. Kill any suspicious individuals without mercy!"

He suddenly looked at a flesh and blood altar deep in the nest that was constantly wriggling and flowing with filthy liquid.

"Pray to our Lord, offer double the sacrifice, and ask our Lord to bestow divine grace and guide the blasphemer. The wounds to the Holy Tree must be healed with the flesh, blood, and souls of the blasphemer!"

Embrace of the Corrupted Maw, the poisonous dragon entrenched in the Quicksand Forest, became completely furious after its nest was stabbed, and fell into unprecedented madness and hysteria.

……

In a secluded stronghold nestled in an abandoned mine on the outskirts of the Quicksand Forest, Bloody Hand Carlos suddenly crushed the crystal wine glass in his hand. Amber liquor mixed with glass shards splashed across his hand, but he remained oblivious, staring intently at the core area, his expression a shifting mood.

The aftermath of that energy… was terrifying, far beyond legend. Though it lasted only a moment, the destructive sharpness and the subsequent eruption of rage from the Holy Tree (as they privately called Agares) sent a chill through the bones of this desperado, dancing on the edge of a blade.

"Something happened in the core area. Who did it?"

Carlos's voice was low and hoarse, filled with disbelief. He knew only too well how terrifying the sacred tree of the Rotmaw's Embrace was. The last time he plundered the sacrifice, he relied on intelligence and the fact that some of the enemy's main forces were out, so he didn't dare to approach the core.

"Boss, could it be... a master sent by the Jones family?"

A shadow wrapped in a cloak beside him whispered.

"They're tracking down that batch of goods and the mage's death. It's not impossible for them to send an old monster at the peak of the legendary level..."

Carlos's eyes flickered. The Jones family's shadow was indeed a thorn in his side. But then, an even crazier idea sprouted in his mind: Chaos is the ladder!

The lair of the Embrace of the Rotmaw has been destroyed, and at least severely damaged. The Holy Tree is furious and must have sent out all its forces to search for the murderer. The interior is empty, and this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Although the important containers looted last time were taken away by the higher-ups, he knew that there were several secret warehouses near the core area of ​​Corrupted Maw's Embrace, which stored the wealth and magical materials plundered over the years!

"Send the order!"

Carlos stood up suddenly, his eyes flashing with greed and ruthlessness.

"Have the Snakefang Squad contact Butcher Balk in Bloodthorn immediately. Tell him I have a big deal. The reward is 30% of the Rotmaw's Embrace's core warehouse. The rest of the men, assemble immediately and bring all the heavy weapons! Once the Rotmaw's mad dogs are lured away, we'll go clean out their lair!"

The danger is huge, but the benefits are enough for Carloz to take a step forward in the Ash Merchant Corps. The prelude to chaos has begun, and he, the hyena, is going to tear off the biggest and fattest piece of meat!

……

The guild hall was no longer bustling with activity, replaced by a crushing silence and whispers of panic. Everyone felt the terrifying throbbing from the heart of the forest, and the weapons hanging on the walls vibrated and hummed.

"Oh my god...what is that?"

"The fallen sacred tree is angry!"

"It's over. Those Rotthroat lunatics are definitely going crazy again..."

"Quick! Check to see if there's any escort mission leaving the forest! We can't stay in this damn place anymore!"

The pale-faced female clerk behind the counter tried to calm the tumultuous crowd, but her trembling fingers betrayed her inner fear. She subconsciously looked toward the smoke-filled stall in the corner.

The old pipe was still nestled in his worn chair, the large brass pipe emitting curls of blue smoke, his cloudy eyes half-closed, as if he were dozing. But if someone looked closely, they would see that the knuckles of his fingers gripping the pipe were slightly white from the force applied, and deep in his cloudy eyes was a turbulent shock and a hint of indescribable excitement.

“That power…”

The old pipe cried out silently in his heart.

"Is it the person behind that kid? Or... is it that kid himself?"

He thought of Lin Ji's deep, calm yet sharp eyes, my unfathomable strength, and the three incredibly pure energy crystals.

He carefully sensed the lingering warmth of the three spirit stones in his arms, and recalled the two figures who had vanished into the depths of the Quicksand Forest not long ago, like depth charges. His intuition told him that this sudden storm was definitely related to those two mysterious newcomers!

"Jones' spies, Ash's stirrings, and now a ruthless character who can disrupt Rotmaw's lair..."

The old pipe's mouth curled into a silent, almost greedy smile.

"The sky of the Quicksand Forest is about to change. This information is worth a lot of money!"

He began to quickly consider which party he should sell this earth-shattering news to in order to maximize his profits. His own safety was also a concern. He wasn't a legend, so he decided to report this to the guild leader first.

……

In the temporary camp of the Bloodthorn Mercenary Group, the group leader, Butcher Balk, slammed his fist on the heavy oak table, sending wood chips flying.

"Damn it! The Jones family's mad dog hasn't been sent away yet, and now the Rotthroat family's lair has been destroyed again? Who the hell is messing with me?"

Balk was shocked and furious. The Jones family had been chasing them like mad dogs, convinced they had robbed and killed their Nine-Ring Mage and their wares. While they did occasionally engage in illicit dealings, this wasn't their fault! Now, the Rotmaw Embrace had suffered another devastating blow. The sacred tree had been damaged, and the cultists throughout the forest had gone mad. It was obvious that if the Rotmaw Embrace couldn't find the culprit, it would likely turn its wrath against all forces outside its sphere of influence.

"Boss, Ash's Snake Fang is here, saying that Carlos has a big deal..."

A subordinate came in cautiously to report.

"Carlos? That greedy hyena?" A fierce gleam flashed in Balk's eyes.

"If he comes to my house at this time, it must be bad news. Tell him that I am busy now and tell him to get lost!"

Now he just wanted to take his men away from this dangerous place as soon as possible. The pressure from the Jones family and the possible crazy revenge of the Embrace of the Corrupted Throat were not something he could bear. He felt like he was being roasted on a fire.

……

The Jones family spies scattered throughout the outer reaches of the Quicksand Forest were equally shocked by the dramatic changes in the core area. Captain Ronald, a Ninth Ring Mage, stood on a high ground, gazing at the turbulent energy currents deep within the forest, his expression grim enough to drip with water.

"A clash of peak legendary levels, perhaps even touching the divine realm..."

He whispered to the deputy beside him, his voice trembling slightly.

"This is definitely not something that Bloodthorn's hyenas could do! The Quicksand Forest is hiding a terrifying existence that we don't know about, or... is there a third party involved?"

He immediately thought of the robbery of his family's goods and the death of the Nine-Ring Mage. Could this third party be the true culprit? What was their target? The Jones family? Or the Quicksand Forest itself?

"Send the order!"

Ronald gave the order decisively.

"Everyone, suspend your in-depth investigation of Bloodthorn, retreat into hiding, and focus on gathering all information regarding the battle just now! I want to know who is fighting the Corrupted Sacred Tree of the Corrupted Maw's Embrace!"

This unknown and powerful enemy was a hundred times more dangerous than the Bloodthorn Mercenary Group! He had to report this shocking incident to his family immediately.

……

In the Yonghui Forest, within the observation room atop the Silver Dome of the Light Core Refraction Tower, Elder Seranville's previously calm and intelligent face was now filled with an unprecedented solemnity.

With the help of the observation ability of the Silver Dome Crown, his emerald green eyes penetrated the distant distance and saw the traces of distorted rules and violent corrupt turbulence in the core of the Quicksand Forest that had not yet dissipated.

"Such pure severing intent... so sharp that it could actually wound the sacred tree tainted by Morgaroth's will..."

Seranville's voice was low and serious, filled with deep fear.

"This is definitely not something that any legendary powerhouse known to Aetherius could do. Was it Pu Jianxing? Or was it the power behind Lin Ji who took action?"

He immediately recalled Pu Jianxing and Elvis's report about the existence of at least four weak divine powers (Nascent Soul True Lords) behind Lin Ji. It now appeared that the opponent's power level and destructive potential far exceeded his previous expectations! Although the attackers were minions of the Corrupted Throat, enemies of the elves, the appearance of this uncontrolled, terrifying force capable of easily destabilizing the regional balance at the edge of the Yonghui Forest itself posed a huge variable and threat!

"Send the observed scene to the royal court."

Seranville turned around and gave orders to the high elf wizard standing beside him, who also had a look of shock on his face.

"Immediately activate the Silver Crown's all-around monitoring of the border area between the Eternal Glory Forest and the Dust Throne. Specifically, dispatch additional Silver Leaf Ranger troops to the Green Shadow City garrison to closely monitor the movements of Lin Ji and his group and their base. At the same time..."

He paused, a gleam in his eyes.

"In my name, I am sending a formal letter of inquiry to Lin Ji, requesting him to respond to the cause of the energy changes in the core area of ​​the Quicksand Forest. Keep your wording polite."

The elves need to know whether this force is a temporary ally or a future hidden danger.

……

Lin Ji and Yun Shitian had just returned, and before they could even tell Pang Bin and Xiao Ningxue about Old Pipe's intelligence and the Patton incident, a frightening and violent energy surge emanated from the depths of the Quicksand Forest!

Lin Ji's expression changed at the same time. He sensed the weakness of Dao Yan and the others, and that weakness was definitely not a disguise!

"Something's happened. I'll go and take over. Ningxue and Master Pang, be prepared to engage the enemy."

Lin Ji spoke without hesitation, his figure transforming into a stream of light and soaring into the sky, sprinting towards the source of the wave. Upon hearing this, Xiao Ningxue immediately activated the formation covering the stronghold, preparing to purify any contamination that might follow. Pang Bin also immediately ordered the Foundation Establishment cultivators within the stronghold to be ready for support.

Soon, Lin Ji encountered Feng Tian, ​​Dao Yan, and Qing Yu, who were fleeing for their lives, dozens of miles outside the stronghold. Feng Tian's flames dimmed, and a trace of fear lingered in his golden eyes. Dao Yan's face was as pale as paper, blood stained at the corners of his mouth, clearly from overuse of his precognitive abilities, which had even backfired. Qing Yu, half-held by Feng Tian, ​​was breathing weakly, and the aura of his Wood Realm dimmed, clearly exhausted from resisting the spiritual erosion.

"Daozi, Master Pu is the last one left and is seriously injured!"

Feng Tian saw Lin Ji and shouted anxiously.

As soon as he finished speaking, a dim, yet lightning-fast, sword light ripped through the air, instantly arriving before everyone. The light faded, revealing Pu Jianxing. His face was as pale as gold paper, his aura turbulent. Even the pressure of a Jindan Zhenren was struggling to maintain, evidently suffering a severe backlash.

"Enter the stronghold..."

Pu Jianxing uttered only three words before his body swayed, nearly losing his balance. Forcibly activating the principles of the sword and confronting a source of pollution so close to a weak divine power head-on would come at a huge cost.

Lin Ji immediately stepped forward to support Pu Jianxing, and the huge water and wood spiritual power immediately enveloped him to treat the other party. At the same time, he used space movement to transfer everyone back to the base.

At the core of the stronghold, Pang Bin took a deep breath as he looked upon the severely injured Pu Jianxing and the dejected Dao Yan and Qing Yu. He immediately ordered the cultivators skilled in healing to assist Lin Ji. Meanwhile, Xiao Ningxue upgraded the stronghold's defenses to the highest level, fully activating all formations to ensure a foolproof defense.

Half an hour later, Daoyan and the other two recovered from their injuries, and Pu Jianxing's injuries also stabilized. After they could talk normally, Lin Ji waved his hand to let the non-core cultivators leave the room, and asked with a serious expression.

"Master Pu, what on earth did you encounter in the core area? Why did you get hurt like this?"