Chapter 54: Unexpected Changes

The morning sunlight shone through the colorful glazed windows of the hall of the "Spirit Tree Council" and fell on the ground, forming patches of gorgeous light and shadow. Kyle and the others woke up from their sleep. Although the fatigue from the previous day had not completely dissipated, at the thought of the crisis of the spirit trees, they quickly got up, ready to face the challenges of the new day.

At this time, the elders had been busy in the library all night, trying to find information related to the spirit tree research notes. There was a trace of fatigue in the eyes of Grand Elder Xingyao, but more of it was firmness and perseverance. He shuttled through the towering piles of ancient books, not missing any possible clues. Second Elder Yinglan, with her keen insight, carefully studied every ancient document, trying to find the key to solving the mystery of the notes. Fourth Elder Huiyan, although straightforward in character, was now quietly assisting the other elders. His thick hands carefully turned the yellowed pages of the books, for fear of damaging these precious materials.

Lynn came to the residence of Kyle and the others. With a gentle smile on his face, he said, "The elders are still doing their best to find relevant information. It will probably take some time. How about I take you to look around the 'Spirit Tree Council' first, so that you can have a better understanding of this star domain?" Kyle and the others readily agreed. They knew very well that learning more about the Colorful Spirit Tree Star Domain might provide new ideas for solving the crisis of the spirit trees.

Led by Lynn, the main characters first came to the historical corridor of the "Spirit Tree Council". The walls of the corridor were hung with huge scrolls of paintings, depicting the long process of the Lingyao Clan and the Colorful Spirit Trees from their initial encounter, to their harmonious symbiosis, and then to their joint resistance against various crises. As they walked, Lynn explained the story behind each painting to everyone.

"Look at this one," Lynn pointed to a painting depicting the Colorful Spirit Tree emitting multicolored lights and the members of the Lingyao Clan celebrating around the spirit tree. "This is an important moment when the Lingyao Clan established a symbiotic relationship with the Colorful Spirit Trees. Since then, the power of the spirit trees has nourished us, and we have done our best to protect the spirit trees." Elsa looked at the painting, and a look of envy appeared in her eyes. "The spirit trees must have been very beautiful at that time, and the whole star domain was full of vitality." Lynn nodded, and his expression gradually became solemn. "Yes, but later, somehow, the 'Dark Erosion' substances began to quietly invade our star domain. At first, there were just some subtle changes. The light of the spirit trees became dim, and some small 'Dark Erosion' monsters began to appear. We thought it was just an accidental phenomenon, but we didn't expect it to be the beginning of a terrible disaster."

Moving on, they came to a painting depicting the rampage of the "Dark Erosion" monsters and the gradual erosion of the spirit trees by the darkness. There was a trace of anger and helplessness in Lynn's voice. "As the power of the 'Dark Erosion' became stronger and stronger, more and more monsters appeared. They frantically attacked the spirit trees and destroyed our homeland. Although the Lingyao Clan fought back bravely, it was still difficult to stop the spread of the 'Dark Erosion'." Kyle frowned and clenched his fists. "We will definitely find a way to completely solve the problem of the 'Dark Erosion' and bring the spirit trees back to life." Everyone nodded, and their eyes sparkled with determination.

After visiting the historical corridor, Lynn took the main characters to the garden of the "Spirit Tree Council". The garden was planted with various strange plants. These plants were cultivated by the Lingyao Clan during the long process of symbiosis with the spirit trees, and they had an intricate connection with the spirit trees. Some of the plants emitted a charming fragrance, making people feel refreshed when they smelled it; some of the plants' leaves would flash with multicolored lights in the breeze, as beautiful as a dream.

"These plants are not only beautiful but also have many miraculous effects," Lynn introduced. "Some can cure injuries and illnesses, some can enhance magical power, and some can purify the 'Dark Erosion' aura in the air." As he spoke, Lynn plucked a fragrant leaf and handed it to Elsa. "Smell this. The fragrance of this leaf can soothe emotions and relieve fatigue." Elsa took the leaf and sniffed it gently. Suddenly, a fresh breath spread throughout her body, and her fatigue was greatly reduced.

It was already lunchtime when they left the garden. Lynn took the main characters to the dining hall of the "Spirit Tree Council", where a variety of special delicacies from the Colorful Spirit Tree Star Domain were laid out. On the dining table, a spirit tree fruit pudding first caught everyone's attention. The pudding emitted a soft multicolored light, as if condensing the gorgeous colors of the spirit tree in one place. The surface was also dotted with fine crystals of spirit tree flower nectar, twinkling like stars. Kyle was the first to pick up a spoon, gently scooped a spoonful and put it into his mouth. The pudding melted in his mouth, and the delicate taste, accompanied by the rich and sweet fruit aroma, spread on his taste buds, as if every taste bud was dancing merrily. "This taste is incredible!" Kyle couldn't help but exclaim, his eyes full of surprise.

Then, a plate of stir-fried spirit leaves and spirit mushrooms was served. The spirit leaves were emerald green and slightly curled on the plate, surrounding the plump and round spirit mushrooms. The surface of the spirit mushrooms glowed with a faint luster, as if endowed with the vitality of life. Elsa picked up a spirit leaf and a piece of spirit mushroom and put them into her mouth. The fresh fragrance of the spirit leaf instantly spread in her mouth, with a trace of coolness. The spirit mushroom had a smooth taste and was juicy and delicious. The two flavors blended with each other, creating a unique and wonderful taste experience. "This combination is amazing!" Elsa's eyes lit up, and she said to Lynn.

Morgan couldn't hold back any longer. His eyes were fixed on a plate of spirit tree flower nectar roasted wings. The roasted wings were golden brown in color, and a layer of crystal-clear spirit tree flower nectar was brushed on the surface, shining with an alluring luster under the light. Morgan reached out and picked up a roasted wing and took a big bite. The outer skin was crispy, making a "crunch" sound. Then, the sweetness of the spirit tree flower nectar and the tender and juicy taste of the chicken burst out together, and the rich aroma filled the whole dining hall. While chewing vigorously, Morgan said vaguely, "It's so delicious. I really didn't expect there to be such delicious food in this star domain." Everyone couldn't help laughing at Morgan's eating appearance.

Cavin was deeply interested in a plate of spirit tree seed fried rice. The spirit tree seeds in the fried rice were plump and of different colors, mixed with the glistening rice, just like a colorful painting. Cavin gently scooped up a spoonful and put it into his mouth. The unique chewy texture of the spirit tree seeds complemented the softness of the rice. With every bite, he could feel the slight sweetness and the faint nutty aroma emitted by the spirit tree seeds. "The taste of this fried rice has rich layers. It's great!" Cavin pushed his glasses and praised it.

Alicia quietly tasted every delicacy. Although she didn't exclaim loudly like the others, from the slightly raised corners of her mouth and the satisfied look in her eyes, it could also be seen that she liked these delicacies. During the process of enjoying the food, the main characters temporarily forgot the crisis of the spirit trees and immersed themselves in this moment of pleasure.

However, on the other side of the "Spirit Tree Council", an unknown change was quietly taking place. In a hidden cave, Third Elder Lingfeng stood alone in the dark. On weekdays, he had an amiable face and always wore a faint smile, but at this moment, there was a look of struggle and a bit of madness on his face. His body trembled slightly, and a faint black aura emanated from him, which was completely different from his usual gentle image.

"No... I can't..." Third Elder Lingfeng murmured to himself, and his eyes were full of pain and conflict. It seemed that a powerful force was trying to control him, and he was doing his best to resist. His hands tightly grasped his hair, beads of sweat covered his forehead, and his body bent slightly due to the pain.

In the depths of the cave, a mass of black mist was slowly surging. There seemed to be some kind of evil will hidden in this black mist, constantly sending out temptations and instructions to Third Elder Lingfeng. Third Elder Lingfeng's eyes were sometimes firm and sometimes confused, and he was engaged in a fierce struggle with this evil force.

"I am a guardian of the spirit trees... I can't betray the spirit trees..." Third Elder Lingfeng gritted his teeth and said with difficulty. However, the mass of black mist didn't seem to 打算 let him go. It kept approaching Third Elder Lingfeng, and the black aura became stronger, trying to completely swallow him up.

At this time, in the dining hall of the "Spirit Tree Council", Lynn was enthusiastically introducing the next delicacy to Kyle and the others. He didn't notice the abnormality that had occurred to Third Elder at all. And Kyle and the others were also immersed in the delicious food and the pleasant atmosphere. They didn't know that a huge crisis was quietly approaching...