Arcane splendor begins with the throne

Chapter 160 The Shepherd

Brian walked among the trees of Ashenvale Forest, his horse moving forward steadily, carefully avoiding the many twisted and entangled tree roots.

There are no shrubs in the forest, and the ground gradually rises.

The reason why this forest is called 'Ashen Valley' is because it is located in a huge valley.

When he felt that the ground was rising, it meant that he had walked more than half of the distance in the Ashenvale Forest.

The further he went, the taller and darker and thicker the trees appeared, with occasional drops of damp moisture dripping from the still leaves.

Otherwise, the entire forest was silent.

At this moment, he couldn't hear the whispers between the branches, and couldn't feel their movement, as if he was in a still picture.

The sound of the horse stepping on the dead leaves, the sound of the horse's hooves occasionally tripping over the hidden tree roots, and the sound of the tree beckoning to the dead branches playfully stretched out to him, and the sound of being broken, all sounded like a thud to the ears.

At the same time, he also clearly felt that the forest seemed to be denser and more vigilant than before.

This made him feel very uncomfortable, as if he was being watched.

That gaze was full of hostility at first, as if a sudden blow might fly at any moment, making him subconsciously look up or glance back.

As his vigilance became more serious, the hostility began to weaken and turned into disgust, and slowly, it turned into a contradictory and complicated scrutiny, until the unfriendly gaze completely disappeared, which gradually made him feel at ease.

Brian had a walking experience and of course knew why.

This is the site of the druids of the tree shepherd association.

They are the observers and guardians of the forest, and they are forbidden places for poachers and loggers. Maybe under any thick oak tree, there may be dead bones that nourish the land.

As long as he doesn't show hostility and walks through the forest like a traveler, he won't be attacked.

As he went on, the light got brighter and brighter.

Suddenly he was out of the woods and in a wide meadow.

There are no long trees on the grass, only messy weeds and a large number of half-person tall herbaceous plants.

The trees and foliage at the fringe were so verdant, almost like a solid forest wall around it, that it looked like a druidic society meeting place.

Because there is a man-made gap in the tree wall on the opposite side of the grass, and behind it is a flat path.

Dimly, he could see the path leading into the woods, wide in places and shaded by the dark branches of the trees.

But in Brian's view, it doesn't affect his unimpeded passage at all, which is more benevolent than the dense forest he just walked through.

The horse neighed cheerfully, shook its head and shook its mane, snorted and exhaled a cloud of moist white air.

Brian adjusted his visual spectrum, combed his hair wet with mist with his fingers, and looked up.

The sky above him was blue and clear, more than he had expected.

For he was walking in the shadow of the forest's dense fog, and it was impossible to see the sun rise and the mist lift.

But the sun did not rise high enough, and the light only lit up the tops of the trees, and did not reach him.

This also means that there is still a long way to go to get out of the Ashenvale forest.

Brian patted the horse's head, pulled himself together, looked up hopefully at the brightening daylight in the sky, and continued on his way.

Compared with the silent woods before, the atmosphere in the woods he was walking in now was much more lively.

All kinds of small animals can be seen everywhere in the woods. The number of squirrels and hares is the largest, followed by various birds.

Brian even spotted a bird he thought seemed extinct long ago: the yellow-bellied horned pheasant.

At this time, the female bird is leisurely leading a group of chicks, chirping and pecking at the fruits of ferns on the grass.

Looking at the plump body of the female bird covered in chestnut brown feathers, this gave him the urge to turn it into rations.

Because he has heard that the yellow-bellied horned pheasant, which is about half a meter long, tastes very delicious when baked.

If not, it would not be endangered.

Thinking about it, Brian didn't take any action.

This is not the real world, and the most you can get for a bird is a fine and you will be locked up for a few years.

The druids of the Tree Shepherd Association dare to kill, and a flash of lightning is enough to shock them to death.

He secretly sighed in his heart that this place deserves to be the last pure land by the wood elves.

I have to admit that places without human activities are indeed full of vitality.

No wonder the druids of the Tree Shepherd Association so repelled adventurers and civilians from destroying the forest.

For this reason, it even caused a chaos at the party in the small town of Three Pines.

As the sun rose over the mid-heaven, Brann finally emerged from the Ashenvale Forest.

Just as he continued to make up his mind to set out for the Bloodstone Two-Door Fortress, a sound resembling galloping horseshoes came, making him stop involuntarily.

Because he could clearly feel that this uninvited guest came for him.

And through hearing, he could tell that the uninvited guest was not riding a horse, but more like a deer.

As the sound became more and more serious, he finally guessed that it was a tall and strong elk.

This kind of deer has thick limbs, broad and fleshy main hooves, and well-developed hanging hooves that make a loud knocking sound when walking.

Just as Brian expected, after a while, this robust elk with gray-black fur appeared in his sight.

From the towering antlers, it can be seen that it is a buck, but the tall and burly rider on the back of the deer made him look weird.

It was an old man in a grey-brown leaf cloak, a headband of antlers, a chain of parasites around his neck, and a twisted, gnarled oak staff.

As the elk galloped, his exuberant white hair and beard fluttered in the wind, reminding Brian of the tangled roots of trees and the dense branches of ancient war trees.

He recognized at a glance that this person was the druid leader he had seen in the small town of Three Pine Trees, and he seemed to be called by other druids: Lord Buck.

At the same time, he also inadvertently learned that the opponent is the most powerful druid in the tree shepherd association.

That's exactly what happened.

That night, he alone made all the adventurers speechless, and he made the baroness blush with seriousness, dare not speak out, including the baron himself.

Even he, who is a melon eater, was bitterly criticized by the other party, which made him dumbfounded.

In that chaotic gathering, the lightning summoned by the druid leader finally ended by piercing the roof of the warehouse through a huge transparent hole.

When the angry group of druids left, the belated arrival of the town's defense team symbolically captured a few of the adventurers who made the most trouble.

"Your Excellency the Buck." Brian looked thoughtfully at the slowly approaching druid leader, held the reins, and greeted him.

"Hi, Your Excellency Brian, I'm very sorry to bother you." The druid leader stroked the elk's head and responded in a thick voice.

Hearing the other party's slightly respectful words, Brian was taken aback.

His thoughts turned quickly, and he took the initiative to meet the keen eyes of the druid leader, and said with a smile in the same tone:
"You're welcome, Your Excellency the Bucks, and I'm also very sorry for keeping you waiting for so long."

There is no doubt that this was a premeditated encounter.

The only thing that puzzled him was what was the purpose of the other party looking for him.

And from the first time the two met, it could be seen that the old druid didn't know him, but now he directly called him by his name.

Obviously, the old guy had secretly investigated him.

In fact, Brian's attitude towards these balanced druids is the same as that of paladins.

Sometimes I respect their behavior from the bottom of my heart, and sometimes I am so angry that I grit my teeth because of their behavior.

At least for the way they protect the wood elves and accept refugees, he has a good impression of them.

After thinking about it, he seemed to have guessed the purpose of the other party, probably because he had noticed the god-like power he had obtained.

This is also the reason why the wood elves took the initiative to get close to themselves.

After all, he, who received the gift from the tree spirit, seems to have become the spokesperson of the will of the entire Asno world. Naturally, he can easily attract those powerful nature admirers like flowers attract bees.

"That's right, as Your Excellency said, I've been waiting here for a long time." The old Druid obviously heard the ridicule in Brian's words, he didn't care, and said in a serious tone.

"In this case, let's not be polite about these false gifts." Brian let go of the reins in his hands and let the horse run to the side to eat the grass, "Your Excellency Buck, if you have anything to say, just tell me. "

"Your Excellency was born in the holy land of elves. You should know that this is a vast world, and it is also a new world. It is like a newborn sun, full of vigor and vitality, exuding vitality all the time. What a pity..."

The old Druid looked up at the blue sky, paused for a while, and while Brian waited patiently, he sighed deeply, and then said slowly:

"I can feel that Your Excellency is the benefactor of Sina Fey Melianne. Since I heard the news, I am very grateful. I think that Your Excellency Brian should also fully understand how the situation in this world is. Seriously. The only consolation we have is that this crazy evil has not yet brought disaster and destruction to the world..."

"I understand what you said, what's the matter...you might as well just say it without going around." Brian frowned, and reached out his hand to stop him from speaking.

Whenever he heard such meaningful words, he always felt that what he said next was all nonsense.

The fact is exactly the same. In his opinion, what the old druid said was indeed all nonsense and missed the point of the question at all.

"Then, with all due respect, when we first met in the small town of Three Pine Trees, I could tell right away that your excellency didn't have a thorough grasp of your own power, and you didn't even know how to use it."

The old Druid didn't care that his words were interrupted by the other party, he calmed down the elk who wanted to run away to graze.

"You mean..." Brian didn't understand the real intention of the old druid for a while.

What the other party said was correct, the natural gifts he received, apart from the general function of developing god-like power under the guidance of the little devil, have not yet thoroughly studied the "animal" and "plant" fields.

Although he also knows that the way to activate the domain is to feel the sacredness of nature, but now he has no extra time to waste it on this.

"I'm here to help you." The old druid raised the oak staff in his hand and reminded:
"Please don't be nervous, take the initiative to let go of the defenses of the mind and body, I will help you and let you understand what is the real natural realm."

A quiet and peaceful breath emerged in the air.

The jungle was rustling, the grass was swaying without wind, and the horses and elk grazing couldn't help but look back at the old druid.

There was a look of surprise in Brian's eyes. He sat upright on the horseback, staring intently at the old druid holding the oak staff high.

He saw the loose parasitic ring on the other party's neck trembled slightly, exuding strands of emerald light, and then converging to the top of the oak staff like silk threads.

He heard a gentle rhythm like flowing water, and his heart felt an indescribable comfort.

So he followed the instructions of the old druid, closed his eyes lightly, and completely let go of everything in himself, body, mind and intuition for magic, to welcome this soothing breath.

Natural energies flickered around him, and Brian instinctively thought they were more intoxicating than any wine he'd ever tasted.

In a trance, he felt a light enveloped him, making him seem to step into a French window, overlooking a world that had long since disappeared.

This place is full of natural atmosphere, verdant forests, fragrant flowers, and gentle little animals... Here, everything that grows on the earth is free from blemishes, diseases, deformities, and everything is pure and flawless... He can't help but want to be intoxicated In this wonder.

I do not know how long it has been……

When Brian opened his eyes, he found in disbelief that the "Animal" field and "Plant" field on his panel had changed from gray to green.

There is no doubt that these two fields are activated.

He looked up, the blue sky was still sunny, and the cool breeze was blowing on his face, a sense of comfort flooded his whole body.

Brian set his sights on the old druid.

He saw that the druid was exhausted, his ruddy face turned sickly pale, and the oak staff in his hand trembled slightly, as if it would fall out of his hand at any moment.

"Are you okay?"

Brian opened his mouth and said a concerned word dryly.

He knew very well that the other party would never help him awaken the domain for no reason, but seeing his tiredness, he still couldn't help but be concerned.

"It's okay, it's just a lack of strength, just rest for two days."

The old druid took a deep breath, calmed down his chaotic breath, and said regretfully:

"It's a pity that the world is too restricted. It has clearly reached a critical point and comprehended the true meaning of nature, but it is still unable to break through the domain of the four-ring natural magic. Otherwise, it would not be so laborious."

The true meaning of nature?
As the saying goes, the speaker has no intention, but the listener has intention.

Brian's heart, which had been calmed down, once again set off a huge wave.

If some powerful druids reach a certain critical point, the spirit will come into contact with the most real existence and will of nature, and then glimpse a trace of the most real mystery of nature.

From this, I realized the extremely powerful "natural" field.

To be precise, his "animal" domain and "plant" domain are small domains extending from the "nature" domain, and they cannot be compared at all.

For druids, this is the most powerful domain blessing.

Brian has witnessed it with his own eyes in the main world, a legendary druid who has just realized the "nature" domain can easily defeat a legendary druid whose professional level is 5 levels higher than his own.

The battle between them looks like the suppression of blood or position.

After all, both use natural magic. A druid with a "nature" domain must have higher natural authority than his opponent, making most of the opponent's natural magic useless.

What Brian didn't expect was that in such a low-magic world where it was difficult to improve his strength, he could also meet a druid with a "natural" domain.

However, when one thinks of the old druid's extreme obsession with natural balance, one can roughly understand the reason.

Because in the process of improving strength, professionals who can reach unattainable heights are often those extremely extreme existences.

Similarly, it is this group of people who overturned the most.

"Thank you for your help."

Brian thanked the old Druid, and then went straight to the point: "Then, Your Excellency the Buck, tell us your purpose."

"Your Excellency Brian should be aware of the situation in the Ecebra Desert." The old druid comforted his mount, took a breath, and said rather weakly.

"Of course I know that." Brian nodded slightly.

The Ecebra desert is mainly composed of sand seas and lifeless salt flats.

But before the arrival of the human tower, it was also a beautiful and fertile land.

The reason why it became like this was mainly because a legendary wizard and a legendary psion were fighting here after the magic net was torn apart.

The two seem to have used some kind of forbidden energy, causing arcane and psionic powers to intertwine, resulting in a terrible corruption.

This chaotic energy is like a raging storm, desecrating every inch of the continent.

Thinking of this, Brian looked thoughtfully at the old druid in front of him, and vaguely guessed the old druid's purpose for looking for him.

"Yes, the power of corruption has never disappeared from the beginning to the end. This evil power has penetrated deep into the ground, trying to completely integrate with the entire world like a vein." The Druid's words confirmed Brian's inner guess.

context?

He immediately thought of the ubiquitous arteries and veins in the living body.

"So you have found a way to purify?" He met the vicissitudes of the old druid's face.

The old Druid didn't answer his question. He was silent for a moment and hesitated for a long time. Then he waved his hand, and a pale golden box floated over.

Brian took the box and examined it carefully.

It was a wooden box, pale gold in color, unpainted on the outside, the pale gold being the original color of the wood from which the box was made.

"It turned out to be golden oak." Brian said to himself in surprise.

All wood with golden color is very unusual, most of them are stained with a trace of divinity.

For druids, the golden oak tree is a sacred object, and it is also a tree that contains powerful natural energy.

It is usually used by druids to make magic tools.

He opened the box curiously, and inside was an ordinary oak tree seed. He vaguely felt a strong natural energy intertwined with the power of corruption.

"I found this in the depths of the Ecebra desert." The old druid said, "I suspect that this seed is the first acorn fruit that Sinafee Melianne has borne in this world." .Before it took root and sprouted, it was corrupted by chaotic energy and finally buried deep underground."

"You mean to let me purify this seed." Brian said his inner guess.

"That's right." The old druid nodded slightly, "If this seed is purified, it can take root and germinate in the desert, and as it grows, it can gradually purify the chaotic energy deep in the desert."

"I see." Brian closed the lid and put it away, "Don't worry, I will definitely find a way to purify this seed and deliver it to you personally."

As for how to purify the oak tree seeds, he already had a rough idea in his mind.

For him, this is not a difficult task. He only needs to find a pool full of pure natural energy.

It just so happens that the ancient ceremony "Starlight Reflection" that his ancient ring needs to activate also needs to meet such a condition, which will not affect his time at all.

In his opinion, the fundamental reason why the old druid came to him was that he possessed the divine power to purify the oak tree seeds.

"In that case, I'm relieved." Seeing Brian's promise, the old Druid relaxed, and a smile appeared on his gradually rosy old face.

"Your Excellency Buck, there is one thing you must know."

Brian stroked the horse's thick mane, thought for a moment, and said in a serious tone: "Even if I purify the oak tree seed, it is impossible for it to take root in the desert, after all, the Essebra desert has been surrounded by chaotic energy. Totally corrupt."

"Of course I know this." The old druid said with a look of surprise in his keen eyes:

"Our tree shepherd association pursues the balance between man and nature, so all of them are people with lofty ideals, and they are willing to save the land that was destroyed by chaotic energy.

When I learned about the current situation of the Essebra Desert, I have arranged for many members of the association to go to the desert to plant oak trees.I believe that when oak forests appear in the desert, that is the time to plant this oak seed. "

Hearing this, Brian looked at Druid with a flash of respect.

Planting trees in the desert is not just about digging a hole and pouring some water.

The druids of the Tree Shepherd Association want to plant oak trees that can grow, and they must use their own natural energy to maintain them. It is unimaginable to spend the price and time to plant an oak forest.

For them, this is a war that tests the perseverance and patience of the druids.

"Your Excellency Brian, take your leave." The old Druid stroked the elk's head, ready to leave.

"Wait a minute." Brian called to Druid, feeling the other's gaze, he greeted him with a complicated expression.

When their eyes met, he seemed to see the roots of old trees that had penetrated deep into the ground, and they were stubborn.

"Nature is balanced, animals and plants are part of nature, humans, elves, dwarves... all races are also part of nature, right?"

"That's right, this is called natural balance." The old druid nodded, and the next sentence made Brian's heart sink to the bottom.

"Unfortunately...they have fallen."

After speaking, he drove the elk away amidst the loud clinking of hooves.

Brian stared at the back of the old druid until he disappeared from his sight, then looked away.

He tightened the reins suddenly, clamped the horse's belly with his feet, and disappeared into the wilderness amidst the dissatisfied snort of the horse.

In his opinion, this group of druids who stubbornly advocate the balance of nature are the same as paladins who stubbornly maintain justice.

They know that evil is a part of the world, and it is difficult to maintain a balance between man and nature, but they resolutely stick to their beliefs. Sometimes, they are really a group of people worthy of respect.

Perhaps, this group of stubborn idealists is also part of keeping the world going, Brian said to himself with emotion.

…………

(End of this chapter)