Chapter 98: The Heart of Wutong. Xiao Chong smiled slightly and sheathed his sword. "Thanks to your flexible control, otherwise this attack would have been difficult to hit." After the worm disappeared, the two met again in front of the huge mirror. Zi Yan smiled slightly, with an incredible light in her eyes: "Just now in the illusion, I met the 'Spirit of Wind and Sand', and it told me that the 'Essence of Sand' is hidden in the heart of the Wutong tree, but we must pass the final test." "Heart of Wutong..." Xiao Chong pondered for a moment, "It seems that it is far from over." The sunlight shines through layers of green leaves, casting mottled shadows, adding a touch of dreaminess to this mysterious heart of the paulownia tree. The air is filled with the faint scent of flowers and soil, which makes people take a deep breath involuntarily and feel this rare purity and tranquility. However, this tranquility did not last long. "Zi Yan, be careful!" Xiao Chong was keenly aware of the movement, and before he finished speaking, several thick tree roots suddenly sprang out from the ground like flexible giant pythons and rushed towards the two. Zi Yan jumped lightly and avoided the attack, with a hint of surprise flashing in her emerald green eyes. “The trees here are so spiritual?” she whispered, and with a flash of light in her hand, an exquisite dagger was already in her palm, flickering with a faint light, as if resonating with the life force around it.

Xiao Chong drew out the long sword on his back, the blade glowing with a pale blue cold light, entwined with the roots of the giant trees, and every slash was accompanied by a thunderous roar, showing his strength and determination. "We can't force our way in, we must find a way to get through." He reminded Zi Yan between breaths. At this moment, a gentle and ancient voice sounded in their hearts: "Foreign travelers, this is the heart of the Wutong tree, where the soul of the thousand-year-old tree resides. If you want to obtain the 'essence of sand', you must prove your respect for life and your determination to protect it." Zi Yan and Xiao Chong looked at each other, and the doubts and vigilance in their hearts were slightly reduced. They understood that this was a test of Wutong Heart. Zi Yan asked softly, "Honorable Wutong Spirit, how should we prove ourselves?" "You must use your heart as a guide and your strength as a witness. Guide these lost creatures back to where they belong and calm their inner restlessness." The voice gradually dissipated, and the atmosphere around seemed to soften a lot. Xiao Chong pondered for a moment, looking at the giant trees that were ready to move, and came up with a plan in his mind. He said to Zi Yan: "Let's split up, I will be responsible for cleaning up the tree roots that have been corroded by the dark aura, and you will use your ability to appease the souls of these giant trees." Zi Yan nodded, and her figure turned into a green shadow, moving lightly through the forest. Wherever she went, she would touch the tree trunks and whisper soothing words. Strangely, under her touch, the branches and leaves of the originally violent giant trees gradually calmed down, as if they felt some kind of comfort. At the same time, Xiao Chong was fighting with the tree roots with amazing speed and strength. His swordsmanship was precise and gentle. Every strike was made to avoid the vital points, aiming to disperse rather than destroy. Sweat flowed down his forehead, but the determination in his eyes never wavered. After some hard work, the heart of Wutong finally regained its former tranquility. The giant trees slowly lowered their branches, as if to thank the two. At this moment, a dazzling bead slowly fell from the paulownia tree in the center and landed in Xiao Chong's open palm, emitting a warm and soft light - this was the "Soul of the Leaf". Xiao Chong lowered his head and stared at the "Leaf Soul" in his palm. The warm light seemed to resonate with his heartbeat. On the side, Zi Yan was also amazed and whispered: "This... Is this the power of the Wutong Heart? It's so amazing." "Yes, I didn't expect that the 'Leaf Soul' could contain such a powerful vitality." Xiao Chong stood up slowly, the bead in his hand reflecting his determined face, "We have to quickly find the next condition - 'Breath of Water'. According to the sandworm, it is hidden at the bottom of the dark and deep Biquan Valley." Zi Yan frowned slightly and asked with concern: "Biquan Valley? It is said that the place is extremely dangerous, and even experienced explorers dare not easily set foot there. Are you sure we want to go there?" "In order to restore the hope of my people, I must face any danger." Xiao Chong said in a firm tone, with an unyielding light flashing in his eyes. The two then set out on a new journey, passing through lush forests, crossing turbulent rivers, and finally arrived at the entrance of Biquan Valley. The entrance of the valley was shrouded in a layer of fog, like a natural barrier that isolated the world, and it looked mysterious. "This... is Biquan Valley." Zi Yan tightened the weapon in her hand and looked around vigilantly. Xiao Chong nodded and took out an ancient compass from his backpack. The needle on the compass spun violently the moment he stepped into the valley entrance, and finally pointed steadily to the depths of the valley. "Follow the compass, the 'Breath of Water' should be in that direction."

They stepped into the valley carefully, and the surroundings gradually became damp and cold. Occasionally, a low sound of water could be heard, echoing in this deep valley, adding a bit of mystery and uneasiness. As they went deeper, a silver waterfall came into view, pouring down like the Milky Way, rushing straight to the valley bottom, and the steam rising from the water created a colorful halo. "Look, there is light behind the waterfall!" Zi Yan pointed at the gorgeous light and shadow, with a hint of surprise in her eyes. The two of them slowly approached the waterfall along the slippery rocks, and with the help of each other's arm strength, they finally passed through the water curtain and came to a hidden cave. Inside the cave, a clear spring lay quietly, the water surface was gently rippling, emitting a faint blue light, which was the location of the "Breath of Water". At this moment, a cold wind suddenly blew past, and a black shadow fell silently from the top of the cave, standing in front of the spring, blocking the way of the two. "Huh, someone actually found this place. You know, the 'Breath of Water' is not something that anyone can take away." The visitor was a mysterious man in a black robe, and his voice was filled with unquestionable majesty. Xiao Chong clenched the sword in his hand, his eyes sharp: "No matter who you are, you can't stop my determination to find hope for my people." "Your courage is commendable, but your strength is insufficient." The mysterious man sneered, then his figure flashed and rushed towards Xiao Chong at lightning speed. Just when the crisis was about to break out, a gentle but firm force pushed Xiao Chong aside. It was Zi Yan who acted in time and used her superb archery skills to shoot an arrow with a binding spell, which entangled the mysterious man's actions. "Run away, you are not strong enough to challenge us." Zi Yan said coldly. The light on the arrow became brighter and brighter, forcing the mysterious man to retreat. The mysterious man disappeared into the darkness, leaving only one sentence: "Remember, power is not everything, the real test is still to come..." Looking at the direction where the mysterious man left, Xiao Chong and Zi Yan looked at each other, their eyes full of determination for the future and trust in each other. (End of this chapter)