Chapter 636 - 643: The Plant Clan

He leaned forward slightly. When he faced Song Wanning, his initial arrogance and composure were long gone.

"To be frank, Song Dao You, I asked you to stay because I’ve taken note of your ability to remain untainted by the Blood Evil!"

The Flower Clan Leader knew this was no time to be coy. He cast a restrictive ward around them, ensuring no one could eavesdrop. Only then did he carefully stand, walk to the side, and open a passage behind a bookshelf.

"I will explain everything, Song Dao You. Please, follow me once more!!!"

He gestured for her to proceed, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

’After waiting for so long, he had finally met the fated person from the legends. How could he not be thrilled?’

"This is..."

Song Wanning raised an eyebrow slightly and stood up.

From within the passage, a faint light shone, and it unexpectedly made her heart beat faster.

She had the vague feeling that something was calling to her!

’What’s going on?’

Song Wanning’s brow furrowed even tighter as suspicion clouded her mind.

But she didn’t sense any danger, so her worries eased slightly.

"Song Dao You, I swear to the heavens now: if I have any intention of harming you, may I be struck down by lightning and suffer a terrible death!"

To dispel Song Wanning’s final reservations, the Flower Clan Leader directly swore a Heart Demon Oath.

This was enough to demonstrate his resolve!!

As expected, upon hearing this, Song Wanning’s expression finally softened.

"Then let’s go have a look. If I can be of help to you, Clan Leader, I will certainly do everything in my power."

"But if I find myself powerless to help, I hope you won’t be upset, Clan Leader."

she said with a smile, then headed into the passage.

The light within the passage guided her. The deeper she went, the brighter it became.

She didn’t know how many hours had passed. After rounding a bend, the scene before her changed in an instant.

An endless, brilliant light suddenly appeared. For a moment, Song Wanning stared at the scene before her, utterly stunned.

’She thought she had stumbled into some kind of paradise.’

Before her stood groves of lush, green trees, and the ground was covered in all sorts of flowers and plants.

Babbling streams seemed to pour down from the heavens, stirring the surrounding birds and beasts into a flurry of activity.

The scene before her was like an unreal painting, so beautiful it was breathtaking.

Song Wanning’s gaze darkened. She had already seen sentient plants and trees multiple times within the Flower Clan’s territory. ’Could the rumors from the outside world be true?’

’What exactly is going on here?’

At her side, the Flower Clan Leader gazed at the scene, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.

He led Song Wanning forward. The moment they stepped out of the passage, an overwhelming wave of wood-aspected Spiritual Power washed over them.

Song Wanning gently closed her eyes, feeling the rich life force, and was shaken to her core.

She felt as if she could see a world of plants and trees, rallying and crying out.

They were crying out in indignation, begging her for help!

In her mind, each struggling tree, flower, and blade of grass was filled with tears, clutching at her desperately.

As if she were their last straw.

Song Wanning’s expression was dazed. She slowly opened her eyes and turned to look at the Flower Clan Leader.

The corners of the Flower Clan Leader’s eyes were red. He gave Song Wanning a faint smile.

"What you saw was real, Dao You. That was the Plant Clan crying out to you for help!"

"What exactly is going on?"

Song Wanning’s brow furrowed so tightly it was practically a knot.

"Sigh... it’s a long story."

The Flower Clan Leader sighed softly again and invited Song Wanning to sit on the grass. Only then did he begin to tell the story of the schism between the Flower Clan and the Plant Clan.

"Tens of thousands of years ago, the Plant Clan was prosperous and flourishing. Our descendants were constantly awakening to sentience."

"As you know, Dao You, it is exceptionally difficult for the Plant Clan to ascend. But back then, a member of our clan would ascend every few hundred years!!"

His face was filled with pride as he said this, but it quickly fell into sorrow.

"But then one day, a foreign Demon appeared silently among the Plant Clan."

"That Demon sought to devour the Plant Clan to strengthen itself. How could our ancestors ever agree to that?"

"The Plant Clan rose up in resistance and fought a world-shaking battle against the Demon... but the creature was simply too powerful."

"In the end, the Plant Clan was almost completely annihilated. Our ancestors chose to perish along with the Demon, and only by doing so did they preserve a sliver of hope."

"But perhaps because that great war was so brutal, from that point on, all descendants of the Plant Clan were cursed, unable to take on a physical form."

"The Flower Clan Leader of that era, in order to preserve some small hope for the Plant Clan, had no choice but to break away from the clan. He swore an oath to the heavens and earth, and only then did he secure a chance for survival, allowing our clan to gradually develop and grow."

"Now, as you have seen, no matter how hard these members of the Plant Clan try, they cannot transform. They can only remain helplessly trapped within their original bodies."

"When the lifespan of their original bodies is exhausted, their sentience can only dissipate in despair."

"Only by breaking free from their physical forms and continuing to cultivate can they advance, extend their lifespans, and have even a sliver of hope for ascension!!!"

The Flower Clan Leader’s eyes filled with tears. Every time he came here, he would be met with the desperate pleas of these members of the Plant Clan.

But he could do nothing but watch helplessly and wait for the fated one.

He pressed his lips together tightly and looked at Song Wanning.

"Song Dao You, the Blood Evil is the Heavenly Dao’s punishment for the Plant Clan. But you are different. The Blood Evil has no effect on you!"

"Therefore, you might have a way to save the Plant Clan!"

"As long as you are willing to try, regardless of the outcome, you will be the benefactor of both the Plant Clan and my Flower Clan!!"

Back then, the Plant Clan had been all but wiped out, leaving only the previous Flower Clan Leader.

At that time, the future Flower Clan Leader was just a small flower, completely unable to bear such responsibilities. He had no choice but to break away from the Plant Clan.

’Now, if the Flower Clan can rejoin the Plant Clan, surely the spirit of the previous Clan Leader would be gratified!’

He gazed at Song Wanning, his eyes full of hope, as he awaited her answer.

Song Wanning, however, only furrowed her brow in silent thought.

"Clan Leader, have you ever seen what that Demon looked like?"

She suddenly spoke, but her words left the Flower Clan Leader baffled.

"What do you mean by this, Song Dao You? I have seen an image of it in the records left behind by the previous Clan Leader!"

’That battle was incredibly tragic. Since it concerned the painful history of the Plant Clan, it wasn’t something he could just casually show to others.’

"Was the Demon’s aura similar to this?"

With a wave of her hand, Song Wanning projected an image into the air. It was the very Demon that had appeared on Song Que’s body when she fought him.

’Although Song Que was already dead, she had always felt there was something strange about that Demon’s appearance.’

’Song Que himself hadn’t been corrupted, but the Demon’s possession had influenced him...’

’The Demon had dissipated along with him, but the matter had always weighed on her mind. Now, hearing of another Demon, she naturally made the connection.’

That was why she had asked on instinct.