Chapter 479 - 476: Biological Bloodline?

Chapter 479: Chapter 476: Biological Bloodline?

The withered yellow branches and leaves looked as if they had been infused with moisture. Though still shriveled, they stopped curling up and falling off. A few tender leaves at the very top even struggled to reveal a hint of fresh, vibrant green.

The green light, once so faint it had nearly gone out, shone once more. Although it was far from as brilliant as its eruption that night, it had stabilized considerably, like a flickering candle in the wind now shielded by a thin lampshade.

The members of the Flood Dragon Clan, gazing from afar outside the forbidden grounds, saw this sight with perfect clarity.

"My heavens! Look, there’s a light! The Life Tree’s light is shining again!"

"The Clan Leader and the others succeeded!"

"The tribe is saved!"

Ecstatic relief swept through the entire tribe in an instant!

Long-suppressed anxiety and fear erupted into thunderous cheers and wild dancing.

Many Beastmen were so moved that tears welled in their eyes as they knelt devoutly, facing the forbidden ground.

This brief resurgence of "life" was like a straw for a drowning man to clutch, giving them room to breathe and a sliver of hope.

The light gradually subsided, and the array fell silent.

Jiao Yuan and the Red Rank elder were pale and drained, their foreheads beaded with sweat. The ritual had clearly taken a massive toll, leaving them barely able to stand.

Jinying’s face was also slightly pale, but his breathing remained steady. The depths of his icy eyes, however, seemed to have grown even colder, as if the spellcasting had consumed a great deal of his body heat.

The Life Tree had regained a faint glimmer of life. Though it was merely drinking poison to quench a thirst, it had at least temporarily stabilized the situation.

Jiao Yuan stared at the hard-won splash of green on the treetop, panting heavily. There was little joy in his eyes, only deeper exhaustion and worry.

Jinying walked over to him. "Uncle Yuan, I’ve heard that you have a daughter. The ultimate solution for the Life Tree’s revival lies in awakening its source with the power of a pure and strong new bloodline. Why... not let your daughter, Coral, try?"

Upon hearing this, the bitterness on Jiao Yuan’s face deepened. He heaved a heavy sigh. "Jinying, I do indeed have a daughter, Coral. She is my and my Wife’s treasure, but for some reason, no matter how we guide her, no matter how hard Coral tries, she can’t establish the slightest connection with the Life Tree."

His tone was filled with helplessness and a deep sense of frustration.

Coral carried the last hope of him and the tribe, yet she was precisely the one who couldn’t light this Holy Tree.

The two of them walked out of the forbidden ground together, still talking.

However, they hadn’t gone far before their path was blocked by several of the tribe’s most respected male elders.

These elderly Beastmen showed no joy of survival on their faces, only a profound and unshakable solemnity and worry.

"Clan Leader!"

The leader, a white-haired old man leaning on a bone staff, spoke in an aged voice that carried unquestionable weight. "The Life Tree’s condition can’t be hidden from us old timers. That array just now was nothing more than drinking poison to quench a thirst, a forced extension of its life! It... it won’t last much longer!"

His cloudy yet sharp eyes stared directly at Jiao Yuan. "Are you... are you really going to disregard the very survival of the entire tribe for a single female?!"

The other elders nodded in agreement, their gazes like torches, filled with silent condemnation and pleading.

Jiao Yuan’s expression instantly turned incredibly grim.

’Of course I know. I know better than anyone!’

’But Lan Yi gave up her other Beast Husbands for me. How could I bear to make her suffer such a betrayal?’

And so, he had delayed and delayed.

"Elders..." Jiao Yuan’s voice was hoarse and full of conflict. "Give me one more month!"

He practically spat the words out through gritted teeth. "If Coral still can’t awaken the Life Tree within a month, I will accept your arrangement and continue the bloodline for the tribe."

As he spoke those final words, he looked as if all his strength had been drained, his face a mask of unconcealed pain and deep guilt for betraying Lan Yi.

Seeing their Clan Leader’s tortured expression, the elders could only let out a long sigh.

They understood the Clan Leader’s feelings for Lan Yi, but the tribe’s survival was paramount.

The elder with the staff stepped forward and patted Jiao Yuan’s arm, his voice softening. "Clan Leader, you are the pillar of the tribe. Your descendants ensure the tribe’s continuation. Lan Yi... she is wise and understands the greater good. She will understand your predicament."

These words were less of a comfort and more of a way to let Jiao Yuan save face, a form of psychological support.

As an outsider, Jinying stood quietly to the side, watching everything like a bystander.

He had no right to comment on the internal matters of succession and choice within the Flood Dragon Tribe.

After all the Flood Dragon Beastmen had left, only Jiao Yuan and Jinying remained on the empty path.

Jiao Yuan looked at the young, powerful male of an Alien Race beside him, whose potential seemed limitless. An idea suddenly sparked in his mind.

"Jinying," Jiao Yuan’s tone held a hint of an elder’s concern, trying to dispel the earlier somberness. "I haven’t asked you yet, have you taken a mate?"

Jinying was taken aback for a moment, apparently not expecting Jiao Yuan to suddenly ask such a question.

He quickly replied, "Not officially."

Jiao Yuan’s eyes instantly lit up with a hint of eagerness. "Jinying, my boy, I have a young daughter, Coral. She is a Holy Female, very beautiful, with good Talent, and her personality is..."

However, before he could finish, Jinying interrupted him calmly but firmly. "Uncle Yuan, thank you for your kind intentions. Although I have not officially taken a mate, a mate has already been arranged for me within my clan."

The light in Jiao Yuan’s eyes instantly dimmed, his disappointment palpable.

He forced a smile and patted Jinying’s shoulder. "Alright, I won’t force you."

He said no more and personally escorted Jinying to his lodgings—a secluded treehouse near the forbidden ground—so he could rest.

As evening fell, the afterglow of the setting sun coated the Flood Dragon Tribe in a warm, golden light. Accompanied by Yan Lie and Jin Yi, Bai Wanwan began to stroll around the tribe.

She needed to familiarize herself with her surroundings and look for potential clues.

As they passed a flowerbed full of strange blue blossoms, they came face-to-face with Lan Yi and her daughter, Coral.

Lan Yi was crouching down, gently arranging the hem of Coral’s magnificent Jue Sha skirt. Her movements were meticulous and full of love.

Coral was also exceptionally beautiful, with a hint of arrogance in her features, but she appeared very well-behaved in front of Lan Yi at this moment.

Lan Yi took out a delicate silk handkerchief and gently wiped away nonexistent beads of sweat from Coral’s forehead. Her gaze was incredibly gentle, and a contented smile played on her lips, presenting the very image of a kind and doting Mother.

But in Bai Wanwan’s eyes, this scene only stirred a deeper doubt and a chill in her heart.

’Lan Yi’s affection for Coral seemed so real, not at all fake.’

’So... is Coral truly her own flesh and blood?’

’If she is, then what in the world is Lan Yi trying to do?’