Quest: Subjugate the Corrupted Treant entrenched in the depths of Grayhowl Forest.
Rank: Elite.
Description: An ancient treant in the depths of Grayhowl Forest has been corrupted by an unknown power, losing its sanity and attacking all creatures that enter the forest. Multiple caravans and adventurer parties have already fallen victim. A powerful adventurer is needed for its subjugation.
Reward: Two thousand gold coins.
Jiang Lin reached out and took the purple commission from the quest board.
The hall fell silent instantly.
The eyes of all the elves focused on him—some with surprise, some with doubt, some with mockery, and others with concern.
Behind the counter, the old elf pushed up his monocle.
“Are you sure you want to take this quest? That Corrupted Treant has killed at least three adventurer parties. The captain of one of them was a 5th-rank elven ranger.”
“I'm sure.”
Jiang Lin placed the commission on the counter.
The old elf stared at him for a few breaths before finally sighing. He took out a seal from under the counter and stamped the commission.
“The time limit is seven days. If it's not completed by then, it will be considered a failure. If you need a team, you can recruit members in the guild.”
“No need.”
Jiang Lin tucked away the commission and turned to walk out of the guild.
Elune followed closely behind him.
“Are you going alone? That Corrupted Treant is very dangerous. Should I accompany you...”
“No need. Trust my strength. Bringing another person might even affect me.”
Jiang Lin looked at her:
“I'll be back within three days.”
Elune opened her mouth to speak, but in the end, she only gave a slight nod.
“Then... be careful.”
Jiang Lin gave a slight nod and turned away, moving quickly toward Grayhowl Forest according to the map he had obtained.
In the blink of an eye, his figure disappeared at the end of Silverleaf Town's street.
Elune stood where she was, watching that golden silhouette from behind. Her pale purple eyes reflected the morning light, as well as an emotion she hadn't even noticed herself.
...
Grayhowl Forest was located about eighty li southwest of Silverleaf Town. It was a vast primeval forest where trees often reached dozens of meters high, their canopies thick and dense, blotting out the sun.
The ground was covered in a thick layer of fallen leaves and moss, feeling soft underfoot like stepping on clouds. The air was filled with a mixture of earth, humus, and the scent of unknown wild flowers.
Jiang Lin moved through the forest, the perception of his 【Phantom Step · Shadow Wind】 fully expanded. Within a radius of several hundred meters, every minute change was caught by his senses.
The outer edges of the forest were still relatively normal, with occasional traces of wild animals.
Creatures that looked like deer with spiral horns on their heads, reptiles covered in pale green scales, and groups of monkeys leaping through the canopy.
Sensing Jiang Lin's presence, they all scattered and fled.
But as he delved deeper, the atmosphere of the forest began to turn eerie.
The trees grew increasingly twisted, their trunks showing patterns that resembled human faces, and their branches swaying slowly in the wind like withered arms.
Moss and wild flowers no longer grew on the ground, replaced by patches of grayish-black decaying matter that emitted a pungent stench of rot.
A suffocating sense of pressure hung in the air, as if he were being watched by some gargantuan entity.
Jiang Lin stopped in his tracks, his gaze falling on a giant tree not far ahead.
That tree was much sturdier than the others, its trunk exceeding five meters in diameter and covered in thick, grayish-black moss. Its canopy had completely withered, leaving only a few bare branches reaching toward the sky like the arms of a dying man.
But Jiang Lin could feel that the tree was still alive. Furthermore, a dense, malevolent life energy pulsed within it.
A Corrupted Treant.
Jiang Lin raised his right hand, and the Eight Extremities Holy Sword condensed in his palm. The white-gold blade was wreathed in deep blue ice soul power, and the eight-colored runes at the crossguard flowed slowly.
He stepped forward toward the giant tree.
As he entered within thirty meters of the tree, the ground suddenly shook. On the trunk of the giant tree, those face-like patterns "opened" simultaneously, revealing countless pairs of dark green eyes burning with the light of decay.
All those eyes "looked" at Jiang Lin in unison.
Its roots tore out of the ground, bringing up clouds of dirt and decaying matter. Its thick branches swung like arms, smashing down toward Jiang Lin with immense force.
Jiang Lin didn't retreat. He took a step forward, raising the Eight Extremities Holy Sword high above his head as the deep blue light on the blade surged.
First Style · Frost Condensation.
The strike was shadowless.
The falling branch of the giant tree froze instantly in mid-air, deep blue frost flowers appearing on its surface. The frost spread rapidly, covering the entire branch in an instant.
“Crack... crack-crack...”
Amidst the continuous sounds of shattering, the thick branch broke apart inch by inch, dissolving into countless particles of ice crystal powder.
The Corrupted Treant let out a silent roar. Its countless dark green eyes lit up simultaneously, and the grayish-black moss on the trunk surged wildly. Countless hair-thin tentacles shot out from the moss, darting toward Jiang Lin.
Jiang Lin shifted his sword stance.
Fourth Style · Cold Current.
A wave of deep blue sword qi spread out like flowing water. Everywhere it passed, the tentacles froze, shattered, and turned to dust. The sword qi continued unabated, sinking into the trunk of the Corrupted Treant.
The Corrupted Treant's movements suddenly stiffened.
Its countless dark green eyes widened, the decaying light within them flickering violently. The grayish-black moss on its trunk began to peel away, revealing the grayish-white, lifeless wood beneath.
Then, its massive body began to tilt.
“Boom!!!”
The giant tree collapsed, slamming into the ground and kicking up a cloud of decaying matter.
But Jiang Lin knew it wasn't dead yet.
He walked up to the fallen trunk and placed his right hand on its surface. Sinking his consciousness into it, he “saw” the dense, malevolent life energy within the Corrupted Treant.
That energy gathered deep within the heart of the tree, forming a dark green core the size of a fist. Inside the core, countless tiny, maggot-like substances were writhing.
Jiang Lin raised the Eight Extremities Holy Sword, pointed the tip at the tree's heart, and gently thrust it in.
“Squelch.”
A soft sound of penetration. The tip of the blade accurately pierced the dark green core.
The core vibrated violently, the writhing substances inside struggling frantically to escape. But the ice soul power had already spread, freezing the core into a deep blue ball of ice.
“Crack.”
The ice ball shattered, turning into countless tiny crystals that drifted out from the cracks in the trunk.
The body of the Corrupted Treant began to disintegrate. The grayish-black moss peeled off in sheets, and the grayish-white wood crumbled inch by inch, finally turning into a pile of decaying remains.
Jiang Lin stood with his sword lowered, his gaze falling on the center of the remains. There sat a fist-sized, emerald-green crystal emitting a soft, life-filled light.
He bent down and picked up the crystal.
It was warm to the touch, and liquid green light seemed to flow slowly inside. This was the treant's life core—the part that hadn't been completely corrupted.
Jiang Lin put the crystal into his spatial ring, turned, and walked out of the forest.
Behind him, the remains of the Corrupted Treant slowly drifted away in the wind.
On the outskirts of Grayhowl Forest, several elven adventurers were gathered together, discussing in low voices.
They had come specifically to watch the excitement after hearing that someone had taken the quest to subjugate the Corrupted Treant.
“Did that human really go in?”
“He did. Alone, without even forming a team.”
“Isn't that just seeking death? That Corrupted Treant is a monster that killed a 5th-rank ranger.”
“What kind of skill could a 4th-rank human have?”
Amidst the discussion, a sharp-eyed elf suddenly pointed toward the depths of the forest.
“Someone's coming out!”
All eyes snapped in that direction.
A golden silhouette was slowly stepping out from the shadows of the forest.
Golden hair, golden eyes, and a faint aura of holy light and deep blue ice soul power swirling around him.
His robes were spotless, as if he had merely gone for a stroll in the woods.
Jiang Lin walked out of the forest, not even glancing at the dumbfounded elven adventurers as he headed straight for Silverleaf Town.
It wasn't until his back disappeared at the end of the road that those elves finally snapped out of it.
“He... he's back?”
“What about the Corrupted Treant?”
“I don't know... should we go in and look?”
They looked at each other, and finally, gathering their courage, they cautiously made their way into the depths of the forest.
When they saw the pile of decaying remains and the deep crater left by the collapsed giant tree, everyone fell silent.
“He... he actually did it.”
“A single 4th-rank human subjugated the Corrupted Treant?”
“And there isn't even a speck of dust on his clothes...”
In Silverleaf Town, at the Adventurer's Guild.
When Jiang Lin placed the emerald-green life core on the counter, the entire guild hall fell into a deathly silence.
The old elf pushed up his monocle, his fingertips trembling slightly. He carefully picked up the core, observed it for a moment, and then let out a long breath.
“It is indeed the life core of a Corrupted Treant. It hasn't been fully corrupted and is of excellent quality. This core alone is worth at least a thousand gold coins.”
He put down the core and looked at Jiang Lin with a complex gaze.
“Quest complete. The reward is two thousand gold coins, plus the purchase price of the core at one thousand gold coins, totaling three thousand gold coins. Do you want cash, or should it be deposited into your badge?”
“If deposited, you can use this badge to exchange for gold coins at any Adventurer's Guild in Alderon.”
“Withdraw the cash.”
Jiang Lin requested cash directly.
This would make it much more convenient for him to use the money.
At the same time, these three thousand gold coins were more than enough for his needs for a long time to come.
“Wait a moment.”
Hearing that Jiang Lin wanted cash, the old elf turned and went to the vault to fetch the money.
A moment later, the old elf returned with a heavy bag in his hand.
“Here are three thousand gold coins. You can count them.”
Jiang Lin took it, glanced inside, then put it into his spatial ring and gave a slight nod.
“Thanks.”
Then, he turned and walked out of the guild.
The old elf suddenly spoke:
“Mr. Matthew.”
Jiang Lin stopped and looked back at him.
The old elf was silent for a moment before saying solemnly:
“If you're willing to take more quests, the guild will always welcome you.”
“I will.”
Jiang Lin pushed open the door and stepped out.
On the streets of Silverleaf Town, the afterglow of the setting sun dyed the stone path a warm golden-red. Jiang Lin walked back to the manor, his long golden hair fluttering gently in the evening breeze.
By the time he reached the manor, the sky had turned completely dark. Warm light shone through the windows of the main house, and Alice was still waiting at the door.
Seeing Jiang Lin, her eyes visibly brightened.
“Mr. Matthew, you've returned.”
She hurried forward, looking him up and down. After confirming he wasn't injured, she let out a clear sigh of relief.
“My Lady is waiting for you in the dining room.”
Jiang Lin nodded and entered the main house.
In the dining room, Elune was sitting at the head of the table. She was still wearing that pale green dress, her silver-purple hair tied in a loose side braid draped over her chest.
The table was covered with exquisite dishes, but she hadn't touched a single bite. Hearing his footsteps, she snapped her head up, a flash of pleasant surprise crossing her pale purple eyes.
“You're back.”
Her voice was soft, yet carried an unmistakable joy.
“Yes.”
Jiang Lin sat down to her right.
“Was the quest successful?”
“Yes.”
Elune was silent for a moment, then asked softly:
“Are you injured?”
“No.”
Elune looked down, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly.
“That's good.”
She picked up her knife and fork and began to cut the fruit on her plate. Although she still didn't eat much, her movements were far more lighthearted than before.
After dinner, Jiang Lin stood up.
“Tonight, I'll start teaching you sword intent.”
Elune was stunned for a moment, then nodded vigorously.
“Okay.”
There was a hint of excitement in her voice that she hadn't even noticed herself.
In the manor's garden, the moonlight was like water. The moonlight roses bloomed slowly in the night, their silver-white petals glowing with a soft luster under the moon, like stars scattered upon the earth.
Jiang Lin stood in the center of the garden, with Elune standing opposite him, holding a slender elven longsword.
“Sword intent is the manifestation of a swordsman's understanding of the 'Way of the Sword'.”
Jiang Lin spoke, his voice calm.
“Some enter the sword through slaughter, some through protection, and some through freedom. What is your sword?”
Elune was silent for a moment, then said softly:
“I don't know.”
“It's fine.”
Jiang Lin raised his right hand, pressing his index and middle fingers together as a point of extremely faint, deep blue light condensed at his fingertips.
“First, feel what sword intent is.”
He pointed forward lightly. A wisp of extremely faint sword intent drifted from his fingertip, brushing over the blade of Elune's sword like a thin veil.
The elven longsword in Elune's hand vibrated gently, letting out a clear, resonant hum. She felt an indescribable “intent” travel through the blade into her fingertips, up her arm, and into her heart.
It was Jiang Lin's sword intent.
A longing to become stronger, a longing to break through, and a longing to see the end of the path.
“Is this... your sword intent?”
she asked softly.
“Yes.”
Jiang Lin withdrew his hand.
“You need to find your own sword intent. All I can do is let you know what sword intent is.”
Elune was silent for a moment, then nodded vigorously.
“I understand.”
She gripped her elven longsword tightly and closed her eyes, beginning to carefully experience the feeling of that sword intent flowing through the blade just now.
Jiang Lin stood by the side, watching her quietly.
The moonlight fell upon them, casting long shadows. In the garden, the fragrance of the moonlight roses drifted slowly in the night breeze.
Little Black was perched on a stone pillar at the edge of the garden, its amber cat eyes watching the two figures in the center.
It muttered a few words softly, then curled into a ball and began to nap.
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