Though it was his first time setting foot in this place, Mako felt strangely familiar with everything around him. Back when he was ambushed by the ghosts of the Fortress of the Long Night, he had once been here in spirit form.
Supported by Danni and Meifu, Mako took slow, steady steps toward the Black Gate.The hidden tunnel in the fortress's kitchen well had already been repaired and cleared by Langya's team in advance, making it easier for Mako and the others to descend.
Inside this secret passage, there was another concealed mechanism. Once the Child of the Forest recited the source incantation, another hidden route would open, leading straight to the core of the magic array.
Yueying had already received the incantation from the Three-Eyed Crow ahead of time. After she chanted a long, sorrowful spell, a shimmering doorway of light slowly appeared within the dried-up well.
After stepping through the portal, Mako and his companions entered a long underground corridor.They walked for nearly ten minutes before emerging into a vast subterranean chamber.
It wasn't as dark or damp as they had imagined. The air carried a heavy earthy scent, mixed with the smell of old tree roots, and a faint breeze stirred, brushing gently against their faces.
There, in the center of the cavern, stood a massive white tree trunk.Countless pale roots extended outward from it, twisting and coiling together like the capillaries inside a human body. Every now and then, golden energy rippled faintly across their surfaces.
Staring at this wondrous sight, Mako couldn't help but exclaim in surprise,"Wait… are you saying this so-called magic array is actually this Yuliang Wood?"
"My lord, you are correct!"A soft, fragile voice suddenly echoed from the distance. "This magic array was indeed built upon the foundation of the Eternal Tree. It had nearly withered away long ago—who would've thought your power would awaken it once again?"
Everyone turned toward the voice and saw a figure radiating golden light.It walked forward slowly, stopping before them, and gave a graceful bow toward Mako.
The being stood about the same height as him, its outline and proportions unmistakably humanoid—yet something about it suggested a foreign race. Judging by the delicate features, it was likely a female.
"You can speak the common tongue?" Mako asked in astonishment. "Who are you? Why are you here? The Eternal Tree… wait—are you of the Ailing race?"
"Respected lord, I am not one of the Eternal Ones," she said softly. "I am merely a lifeform they created. If you wish, you may call me Huo zhi Nü—the Lady of Flame.After the Great War of the Ancient Era, I bound the remnants of my shattered soul within this Eternal Tree. I had thought I would fade away completely… but your mighty power reactivated the magic array and awakened me once more."
Her voice was filled with gratitude, for in her eyes, it was Mako who had granted her a second life.
According to the records of the Deep Divers, the Ailing were the creators of the Yuliang Wood, which they called the Eternal Tree.These artificially created trees were excellent conductors of magic; some Ailing even used them to craft staffs and weapons. During the Ailing's golden age, many magical creatures also chose to make their homes within the groves of Yuliang Wood.
The Yuliang Wood was the product of the Ailing's "God-Making Project."And this one, in particular, was the very first Eternal Tree in existence—a living witness to an entire era.
The Lady of Flame went on to explain:In the ancient days, the Ailing people fell into civil war due to differing beliefs about "eternal life."Countless magical beings and civilians perished, and their beautiful oasis cities were reduced to ruins.
In the later stages of the war, the Deep Divers launched attacks on all surface races for unknown reasons. A cataclysmic magical explosion in the Ailing capital tore the continent apart—and it was during that disaster that the Lady of Flame fell.
She had been a powerful magical creature created by an Ailing beast mage. When the calamity struck, her body was destroyed, but she narrowly survived thanks to her unique magical essence.
The devastating shockwave scattered her soul across the land until it was carried here.Using the last of her strength, she bound herself to the largest Eternal Tree and fell into an endless sleep—until Mako's battle at the Fortress of the Long Night finally awakened her completely.
"My lord," she said, kneeling as her golden aura flickered faintly, "the Lady of Flame wishes to serve you. Only by following you can I continue to exist. Please… I wish to live. I beg you!"
A chime suddenly echoed in Mako's mind.
Ding!"An unknown lifeform, moved by your power, wishes to join your party.Would you like to spend 5,000 gold to perform a transformation?"
Mako raised an eyebrow, curious.He didn't recall seeing any lifeform like the Lady of Flame listed in his system's index. Out of interest, he selected Yes.
Ding! System matching lifeform template...Matched: Level 7 Elemental Creature – 'Phoenix'.Error: Source power insufficient... reloading...Ding! Congratulations! You have obtained the special artifact 'Fengyu Cloak'.
Fengyu Cloak
Effect: Grants the wearer control over fire and the ability to cast the Level 5 Summoning Spell Summon Phoenix (cost: 10 MP per minute).Equippable by: Unknown (Note: Host cannot equip).Spells included:
Fireball Chain (Beginner)
Flame Wall (Beginner)
Summon Phoenix (Intermediate)
When the system announced that the transformation was complete, Mako eagerly clicked Claim.A beautiful cloak, glowing like living flame, appeared in his hands.
He called the girls over one by one to test the cloak on them.When he finally reached Yueying, the system chimed again, confirming the successful match. The Fengyu Cloak bonded itself to her.
A burst of bright golden light flared from Yueying's body.When it faded, a perfectly fitted cloak draped her shoulders, its fiery design making her look like a goddess of flames.Meifu and the other two women circled around her, admiring it enviously and chattering excitedly about its design.
From behind, it truly looked as if a phoenix had alighted upon her back—the lower feathers shimmered faintly with seven-colored radiance, breathtakingly beautiful.
Then Danni turned toward Mako with a pout."Dear, that cloak you gave Sister Yueying is gorgeous! I love it too! No fair— I want a gift as well!"
Meifu gave him a hopeful look too. She said nothing, but her sparkling eyes betrayed her longing.
Even Ningfu ran over, tugging at Mako's arm."Lord Makoer! I want a gift too! Yueying's cloak is so, so pretty!"
"Little Fish!" Danni scolded. "Don't make trouble. You're not like us—Makoer is our bonded mate, not yours!"
"Hmph! Whatever you can do, I can do too! It's not like I can't—ahh ouch!"
Before Ningfu could finish her cheeky remark, Meifu flicked her sharply on the forehead.Then Danni and Meifu dragged her aside to have a very serious conversation with her.
Mako rubbed his temple, realizing he might've gotten carried away earlier.He had just wanted to test the cloak's abilities and hadn't considered that it was a one-of-a-kind item.Fortunately, during his raid on the Deep Diver treasury, he'd obtained plenty of treasures—he could always modify a few later and gift them to the others.
Yueying approached him gently. "Makoer, let's begin. I hope this time it works. I don't want that power tormenting you any longer. Sister Yezi once said that the Green Prophet has long suffered under the corruption of the Outer God's power. If this works for you, maybe we can purify him too."
"I know," Mako smiled, brushing her cheek. "Don't worry. If your gods said it's possible, that means they're confident it will succeed."
He gave her a reassuring nod, then slowly walked toward the roots.The roots stirred as if alive, weaving themselves into a chair for him.
Suppressing the discomfort wracking his body, Mako sat down.Immediately, the roots began wrapping around him, thin tendrils piercing through his clothes and pressing tightly against his skin.
A warm sensation flooded over him. Golden energy began to flicker across his body, and his consciousness gradually sank into silence.Moments later, his mind drifted into a world of chaos.
Everything was white—formless, endless.Energy of every kind rippled through the void, along with countless drifting souls. When they passed through him, Mako could faintly sense their thoughts and memories.
"We finally meet your true essence… mysterious outsider."
A voice—thrumming with emotion—echoed through the currents of his consciousness.Seven humanoid figures appeared around him, each emanating a different aura.
Through the flow of thought, Mako understood who they were:The seven surviving Old Gods—River, Flame, Mountain, Thunder, Plant, Beast, and Death.There had once been two others—Past and Future—but they had been stripped of their power by the Outer God.
Only fragments of their consciousness and strength remained.The Three-Eyed Crow was their inheritor, and it was through the power of Past and Future that he had gained his supreme ability to peer through time itself.
"So… do you have any way to fix what's wrong with me?" Mako asked them. "I've tried everything. Honestly, if I weren't afraid of wrecking the Vitality Spring, I'd have experimented even more."
He had exhausted every possible method—and at last, he understood why the Three-Eyed Crow always looked so tortured.
This energy was like a fungal infection—leave even the tiniest trace, and it would spread again rapidly.It was maddening.
The River God's voice flowed gently, like water washing over stone:"To tell the truth, we have no perfect solution either.However, within this Eternal Tree lies a magic array and an artifact. The Eternal Tree was created by the Father Gods themselves, though it was damaged in our war with the Outer God. Later, we guided our followers to build what humans now call the Wall of Despair upon its fallen trunk."
"You and that Outer God are both beings from beyond this realm. Your mastery of power is extraordinary—thus, we believe you can awaken the array and the artifact.With either of them, you should be able to cleanse yourself of the corruption."
The river's tone carried a calming, almost healing quality, and Mako's anxiety eased.
He couldn't shake the feeling that he was being set up, but for the sake of his life—and his body—he followed them to the location of the magic array.
It was a massive circle glowing faintly with pale blue light.
When Mako finally saw its full form, he realized it was an enormous twelve-pointed star array, the second ring inscribed with six distinct energy nodes, and at the very center were three overlapping square rings.In the innermost core rested the artifact the seven gods had spoken of.
The sheer complexity made his head spin.Thanks to his Mana Control skill, he could see the array's structure in full detail—but just analyzing one of the star's corners nearly made his mind crash.For a second, it felt like his brain was caught in a tangle of burning wires.
Yet as he calmed his thoughts and continued his analysis, awe replaced frustration.The magical engineering of the Ailing truly surpassed imagination.If only the Gith, the Valyrians, or even the Loyinans had grasped even a fraction of this knowledge, history would have been written very differently.
Clearing away his stray thoughts, Mako immersed himself in the study of the array, examining it from the outermost points inward.
The deeper he went, the more he understood its secret:The reason Ailing arrays were so complex was to maximize the efficiency of life energy.
The carvings themselves required immense precision and coordination among many trained mages.Guided by Mako's consciousness, the seven Old Gods began assisting him in repairing the array.
Bit by bit, the array began to hum back to life.Just as Mako was about to drift toward the artifact at its center, a dark surge erupted within his body in the outer world.
The roots wrapped around him began to blacken and wither. The corruption spread fast, consuming half the tree in an instant.The once-sacred chamber filled with a chilling wind—death and cold radiated from every corner.
A dark mist thickened, and within it, two ghostly blue eyes slowly opened.A voice—cold, cruel, and filled with mockery—echoed through the void:
"Pathetic insects… this power belongs to me. You can all die now."