Wizard: Starting from Escape from the Thorn Garden

Evan lightly tapped the map of light and shadow with his finger. In the depths of the third layer, a blurry area surrounded by layers of mist and dangerous symbols lit up, marked with a Holy Grail pattern made of pure silver light.

"Purify the Temple".

Evan's voice carried a hint of solemnity and longing.

"The relics left behind by the ancient 'Life Watchers' cult are said to contain powerful life-purifying energy, capable of healing soul wounds and purifying the pollution of the abyss."

Within its core area, every few decades, when the celestial alignment of the barrier and the energy tides within the tower reach a specific point of convergence, the outer defenses experience a brief period of weakness, making entry possible.

Chen Lin's heart skipped a beat! It's here!

The hope for saving Ella!

Elena's interface, ethereal voice:

"My stellar omens and the family's inherited star chart confirm that this trial coincides with a window of opportunity for the periodic fluctuations in the outer defenses of the temple! Although the exact location cannot be pinpointed, the direction is clear: it lies deep within the Corrupted Garden, near the 'Withered Royal Court' area."

"A withered royal court?"

Sofia frowned slightly.

"That is the most polluted core of the Corrupted Garden, inhabited by a 'Corrupted Ancient Tree Lord' who has reached the level of a formal wizard, as well as a large number of abyssal demonic plants and corrupted creatures controlled by it. The level of danger is far greater than that of ordinary areas."

"Opportunities and risks coexist."

Kyle said coldly from the shadows,

"The temple's purifying power is a natural enemy of abyssal creatures, but it may also drive them even more mad. Infiltration requires absolute stealth and precise timing."

Rhodes snorted, "What lord? Anyone who dares to block my way, burn them to ashes!"

Aiven looked at Chen Lin, his eyes deep: "Chen Lin, the core purifying power of the Purification Temple is a sacred object that can heal wounds at the very source of the soul. This must also be one of your goals in joining the Alliance."

Chen Lin met his gaze calmly: "Yes. I need the power of the Temple to heal an important companion."

He did not hide anything, nor did he need to.

Everyone here is intelligent, and it's no secret that Master Liria is paying attention to Ella.

"Very good, we have the same goal."

Evan tapped his fingertips on the table.

"Entering the temple and acquiring its power is no easy task; it requires teamwork."

But before that, we need to ensure we can safely reach the 'Withered Royal Court' and break through the outer defenses during the fluctuation window.

This requires detailed planning and absolute trust in each other's abilities.

He changed the subject:

"Therefore, before formulating a final plan, we need to have a deeper understanding of each other's current strengths and weaknesses."

It wasn't a test; it was to ensure that in a life-or-death situation, one could confidently entrust their back to their teammates.

Evan's gaze swept over the crowd:

"As usual, we'll share some core combat data and showcase signature abilities or newly acquired key skills. I, Sophia, and Elena will start."

He raised his hand first, and a wisp of condensed cyan whirlwind swirled around his fingertips. The whirlwind rapidly expanded, forming a miniature, complex three-dimensional rune array composed of countless wind blades.

"Enhanced Gale Sword Domain: The range is 15% larger than the normal Gale Sword Domain, the wind blade cutting power is increased by 20%, and it comes with a slight spatial disturbance effect that can interfere with locking on."

A clear image of battle appeared before him:

He weaved through a storm of wind blades, his movements as swift as lightning, easily annihilating several level-four shadow wolves.

Sophia placed her hands on the table, and a gray-white light flowed across her body, instantly condensing into a giant rock shield covered with mysterious runes in front of her.

"Earth Barrier - Rune Enhancement: Physical defense increased by 30%, energy resistance increased by 25%, and the 'Shock Recoil' rune is added, causing melee attacks to take a certain percentage of recoil damage."

In the video, she withstood a raging pillar of lava fire. Runes on her shield lit up, reflecting some of the energy back and defeating the caster.

The nebula crystal floating in Elena's palm shone brightly, forming a slowly rotating shield around her composed of starlight.

"Star Protection - Prophecy Reflection: Basic protection is enhanced, and it can deflect some targeted spells. This deflection is based on prophetic prediction and also slightly reflects mental attacks."

In the video, a mental shockwave from a blind spot shot toward her, but it was strangely deflected in front of the starlight shield and struck the empty space next to her.

Next up is Rod.

He let out a low roar, and his right fist suddenly burst into a crimson-white flame, which condensed into a ferocious phantom of a giant fiery fist!

"Molten Core Fist - Charge: Increases the power of a single burst by 40%, adds a 'Molten Penetration' effect, causes additional damage to energy armor, and reduces the charge time to 0.5 seconds."

In the video, he smashed a thick metal rune shield with a single punch, and the shockwave blasted the rock golem behind him into pieces.

Serena didn't speak, but her figure flickered and vanished from the spot in an instant, reappearing in the shadows on the other side of the platform the next moment. The whole process was silent, leaving only a faint, fading afterimage in the spot.

At the same time, a cold glint flashed from her fingertip, and a thin, almost invisible black needle pierced the vine behind her seat, instantly withering a small section of the vine.

"Shadow Leap - Silent: Maximum jump distance increased to 50 meters, landing silently, and enhanced aura concealment. Poisoned Shadow Needle - Nerve Withering: Toxin activation speed increased by 100%, even a trace amount can cause limb paralysis and necrosis."

Her presentation was concise yet deadly.

Kyle remained hidden in the shadows, but the air in front of him distorted slightly, and a very dim light, almost blending into the environment, flashed by. In the distance, a silver-blue petal falling from the platform railing silently split in two.

"Shadow Silk Cutting - Spatial Attachment: The cutting line is imbued with a slight spatial sharpness, ignoring some energy defenses and making its trajectory more concealed."

His abilities, like himself, are cold and efficient.

All eyes were once again focused on Chen Lin.

The pressure is invisible, yet it weighs as heavily as a thousand pounds.

This is a true "pledge of allegiance," demonstrating not only ability but also sincerity and determination to integrate into the core circle.

Chen Lin remained calm; he had been prepared.

He slowly raised his right hand, the Shadow Thorn Ring shimmering with a restrained luster under the starlight.

"Symbiotic - Spirit Vine Control".

As he spoke in a deep voice, the vine patterns under his right sleeve lit up slightly, and several solidified vine phantoms, interwoven with dark gold and jade patterns and with pale purple poisonous light swirling around their tips, instantly intertwined and danced in front of him.

"Bloodthirsty Poison Ivy Entanglement - Enhanced: Binding force increased by 20%, nerve paralysis toxin activation speed increased by 30%, with the addition of a slight blood-sucking effect."

A battle scene appeared: vines coiled around a roaring earth elemental golem like venomous pythons, the toxins rapidly seeping in, causing the golem's movements to become visibly stiff and sluggish, and the energy luster on its body to dim.

Then, he pointed his left index finger lightly into the air.

"Seed of the Spirit Pivot - Refraction of Moonlight." A silver seed, wrapped in pale blue moonlight, shot silently from the flower's stamen, tracing a strange arc in the air before striking a distant rock that served as a target.

The seed did not explode, but instead released an invisible spiritual wave.

"Mental Interference - Illusion: Area-of-effect mental impact, with added subtle spatial refraction illusions."

In the video, the seed explodes in the crowd, and the movements of several apprentices who were attacking him freeze instantly, their eyes glazed over, as if they saw several phantoms of Chen Lin.

Finally, Chen Lin had a thought.

hum!

A layer of extremely fine, dark gray energy thorns that distorted light and space instantly covered his entire body!

His figure suddenly became blurry and transparent in everyone's eyes, and his aura almost disappeared, as if he had merged into the shadow in the corner of the platform!

Although it only lasted for a short three seconds before being deactivated, the instantaneous disappearance and reappearance caused everyone present to shrink their pupils!

"Shadowthorn Ring - Shadowvine Protection: Powerful optical concealment, subtle aura concealment, spatial refraction interference lock."

Chen Lin's voice came from the now clear figure, calm and undisturbed.

The presentation has ended.

The platform was silent.

Evan's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he clapped his hands first:

"Brilliant! A perfect blend of offense and defense, with stealth and escape capabilities!"

Junior Chen Lin, your abilities are more comprehensive and...unique than we expected!

The binding and toxin control of the spirit vine will play a significant role in the Corruption Garden.

The psionic seeds' mental interference and illusions are a powerful tool for controlling the battlefield! And this shadow protection…”

He glanced meaningfully at the ring on Chen Lin's hand, "Master Liria's work is truly extraordinary. With you here, our chances of penetrating the 'Withered Royal Court' have increased even further!"

A hint of approval appeared on Sofia's rock-like face:

"Toxin resistance, control, and stealth are all things the Corruption Garden desperately needs. Your vines can become the core of the team, allowing you to dictate the course of the battle."

Elena's silver eyes shimmered with starlight, as if she were deducing something: "The combination of the psionic seed and spatial refraction... very interesting. Perhaps it can synergize with my stellar field."

Rhodes grinned, his fighting spirit waning slightly, replaced by a hint of seriousness in his eyes: "Can fight, withstand attacks, and hide? Not bad! Much better than those guys who only know how to hide in the back!"

Kyle nodded silently in the shadows, as if in agreement.

Serena's gaze lingered on Chen Lin's ring for a moment behind her mask before shifting away.

Chen Lin bowed slightly: "Seniors, you flatter me. I am willing to serve the team."

He knew that demonstrating his strength was only the first step; to truly gain trust, he needed to prove himself through actions in the Trial Tower.

"Excellent!" Evan's spirits lifted.

"With the addition of junior student Chen Lin, our team is now more complete. Next, let's discuss the 'Purify the Temple' action plan in detail!"

He tapped his fingertip on the light and shadow map on the Starshine Stone tabletop again, zooming in on the "Withered Court" area deep within the Corrupted Garden, shrouded in mist.

"According to intelligence and Elena's prophecy, the fluctuation window at the temple entrance is expected to be between the 55th and 58th day after entering the Trial Tower, lasting no more than 24 hours."

Our goal is to break through the outer perimeter of the 'Withered Royal Court' and reach the designated coordinates of the 'Moonshadow Altar' before the window of opportunity opens. That's the energy resonance point Elena predicted, and also the best location to enter the temple.

The breakthrough route plan is as follows...

Evan began to explain in detail, combining the danger markers on the map with each person's abilities and characteristics, and assigned tasks:

The attacking forwards consist of Rod and Sofia.

Rhodes is responsible for the frontal assault, tearing apart the demonized plant defenses and clearing large obstacles; Sophia is responsible for flank cover and core defense, resisting the ranged attacks and area-of-effect poisonous miasma of the Corrupted Ancient Tree Lord, and protecting the rear.

The Shadow Scout and Assassination Team is composed of Kyle and Serena.

Their duties include scouting ahead, clearing out sentries, lurking deadly insects and shadowy creatures along the way, and marking safe paths and traps.

At critical moments, launch a deadly sneak attack on the corrupted ancient tree lord's spiritual nodes or energy core.

Elena is the core of the team's support and early warning capabilities.

It provides environmental purification force fields such as weakening toxic miasma, providing stellar omens and warnings, and preventing spatial rifts and the approach of powerful creatures.

The mental barrier supports teammates against environmental mental pollution and, upon approaching the altar, guides the resonance of stellar power to locate the entrance.

Chen Lin is the core of control and the key to concealment.

Use vines to restrict and divide the enchanted plant population and insect swarms over a large area, and use neurotoxins to paralyze high-threat targets such as Abyssal Poison Stinger and Corrupted Mantis;

Psionic seeds can be used for mental interference, disrupting enemy formations and creating chaos;

When encountering unavoidable dangers such as boss area-of-effect attacks or when stealth is required, activate Shadow Vine Sanctuary to provide the team with temporary group concealment or cover for retreat.

"Specific tactical details will be fine-tuned after entering the Trial Tower based on the actual situation."

Evan concluded,

"Remember, our primary objective is to reach the Moonshadow Altar and enter the temple!"

Avoid direct confrontations with the Corrupted Ancient Tree Lords along the way, unless absolutely necessary.

"Conserve our strength to face the unknown challenges within the temple."

The meeting lasted for several hours.

The group repeatedly rehearsed the route, discussed possible emergencies and solutions, and even simulated several coordinated tactics.

Chen Lin listened attentively throughout, quickly absorbing valuable information about the Trial Tower environment, monster characteristics, and details of his teammates' abilities, combined with the cold analysis from the Seed of Origin.

He occasionally raised specific questions about the control range of the vines, the relationship between the time when the toxins take effect and the ambient humidity, and the coverage limit of the shade vine shelter, demonstrating a pragmatic and precise tactical thinking, which further won the recognition of the crowd.

As the light and shadow map on the Starshine Stone table slowly faded out, the meeting drew to a close.

Evan nodded, glancing around at everyone: "Then, this pre-battle core strategy meeting of the Emerald Peak Alliance is now concluded. Everyone, seize the last moments to improve and prepare. Meet at the Barrier Teleportation Plaza in twenty days, and march on the Southern Trial Tower!"

Everyone stood up.

Rod patted Chen Lin on the shoulder with considerable force: "Kid, don't hold us back!"

Sofia nodded slightly to Chen Lin.

Kyle's figure had silently disappeared into the shadows.

Serena vanished without a trace, as if she had melted into the air.

Elena gave Chen Lin a very faint smile, like starlight, then closed her eyes again, immersing herself in the perception of the stars.

Aiven walked to Chen Lin's side and handed him a specially made jade talisman with what appeared to be swirling blue energy inside: "This is the core communication talisman of the Emerald Peak Alliance. Within the Trial Tower, as long as the distance is no more than a hundred miles and it is not blocked by a special force field, you can make short message communications. Keep it safe."

Chen Lin took the jade talisman; it felt warm and smooth to the touch, with a light, breezy quality. "Thank you, Senior Aiwen."

Leaving the Emerald Pavilion and walking along the corridor, Chen Lin stroked the cold, shadowy thorn ring on his index finger, his eyes as sharp as ever.

Before that, we must convert the resources we have at hand into combat power as much as possible.

Stepping out of the corridor, Chen Lin headed towards the direction of the Green Vine Workshop.