Chapter 1123: Fourth Prince

Chapter 1123: Chapter 904: Fourth Prince

Duke and Vera silently retreated outside the passageway and exchanged a few words.

Vera said that if she exerted her full power within the Thorn Domain, she could bring the Ancient Vine into a state almost akin to sleep within a few breaths.

The demon relies on the aura of the Ancient Vine to operate; once the vine quiets down, it will momentarily lose its judgment of the outside world.

Duke nodded without saying much, as he had already figured out the remaining moves in his mind.

If he utilized these few breaths wisely, he could silently advance above the Ancient Vine through Wind Elementalization and pluck the seed before the demon reacted.

The two exchanged a glance and began their actions.

Vera withdrew to the corner of the stone wall, leaning against the damp vines, closing her eyes to concentrate.

Her hands slowly lifted in front of her chest, ten fingers spread wide open, as two fully bloomed purple thorn flowers silently emerged from her palms, with faint halos at the edges of the petals transforming into countless tiny light threads, drifting toward the space occupied by the Ancient Vine.

She did not direct the light threads straight at the demon but instead bypassed it, gradually seeping into the soil where the Ancient Vine’s roots and tendrils sprawled, along the exposed roots and tendrils on the ground.

Duke observed silently from the side, aware of Vera’s meticulous work.

Her Thorn Domain and this Ancient Vine are not the same species; their only connection is a distant and indistinct shared source, and to bring such a grand and ancient will into serenity, it must be induced gently rather than stimulated.

The front end of the light threads steadily advanced toward the root of the Ancient Vine like vine sprouts rooting in the soil.

Vera’s complexion paled slightly, sweat beads seeping from her forehead, yet her hands remained steady.

Duke could sense the vine’s initial slow, vigilant tremors gradually calming down, the entangled thorns loosening little by little, akin to an elderly person in the night returning to a light sleep.

Those dried, yellow leaves bearing seeds also ceased their gentle shaking, drooping quietly mid-air.

At that moment, deep within the vine roots, the demigod-level demon suddenly lifted its head, its bark-like face slowly turning toward Vera’s direction.

Duke’s heart skipped a beat, but he remained unmoved, still concealed in the shadow of the stone wall.

The demon did not make any further movements, merely watching quietly, seemingly aware of an existence, yet losing its direction due to the vine’s silence.

Catching this fleeting gap, Duke silently dissipated his form, transforming into a nearly nonexistent breeze sweeping across the ground toward the Ancient Vine.

In the state of Wind Elementalization, even his breathing had merged into the air.

In a flash, he was above the central highest branch of the Ancient Vine.

He re-materialized his right hand, a few strands of dark golden sand gently slipped from his sleeve, surrounding him as protection against a sudden awakening of the vines.

He extended his hand, his fingertips reaching into the semi-curled dry leaves, extremely light and slow, as if plucking a fragmented moon shadow from the water’s surface.

At the instant when his fingertip touched the seed, the dark golden veins on the seed’s surface suddenly illuminated, like awakened eyes.

The demon simultaneously erupted, emitting a bizarre, sharp screech resembling countless dry branches snapping at once from its throat.

Its slender limbs propelled itself across the ground, the entire body shooting towards Duke as if a gray-green remnant shadow, with astonishing speed.

Duke did not look back; he had already grasped the seed, plucked it from the branch with extremely steady force, simultaneously springing off the vine with his feet, darting across.

The demon missed its target, its claw tips carrying corrosive sap that struck the vine, instantly burning gray-black fissures into the vine’s body.

Like awoken from severe pain, the vine’s thorns frantically flailed, inciting violent shakes throughout the surrounding plant life, turning soil, fallen leaves, and broken branches into a widespread chaos.

Both Duke and Vera had already retreated into the passageway’s depths amidst the confusion, the seed in hand while the entire area sprang to life.

Behind them, the demon furiously screeched as it chased, its limbs pounding the stone ground, drawing ever closer.

Duke did not speak more, swiftly steering Vera toward the previously chosen fork, casting a sand wall veiled in four-color divine light behind him.

Within the narrow passage, the sand wall rose with a rumble, blocking the maddened demon on the other end.

A muffled sound was heard, like something had fiercely collided with the wall, followed by thorns scraping sharply against the stone wall.

Seizing this brief blockage, the two darted like the wind through several forked paths until the screeching faded into the distance, then paused.

Once assured of the surrounding silence, Duke released Vera’s wrist, producing the seed from the Space Ring, handing it to her.

Vera stared at the dark green seed, silent for several breaths, before reaching out her hands to accept it.

As her fingertips touched the seed, its dark golden veins lit up again, this time merely responding to her.

Thin vine shadows emerged from her fingertips, circled the seed, and slowly penetrated it.

Duke could feel an intensely stable, highly compatible rule fluctuation establishing a mystical connection between them.

The moment the seed was secured, the Divine Revelation Mark on Duke’s hand faintly glowed.

He glanced at it, noting a surge of over one million points.

Since Duke was the sole possessor of the seed initially, Vera’s reacquisition did not increase her score.

He did not dwell on it, refocusing on the scene before him.