Wizard: Starting from Escape from the Thorn Garden

The second attempt begins.

Evan's wind magic was no longer sharp and intimidating, but became like a flowing stream, with a sense of agility that allowed him to travel through space.

The earth and rock energy of Sofia is no longer as hard as iron, but like fertile soil, exuding a warm and inclusive aura.

Chen Lin then activated the Seed of Origin with all his might!

After being strengthened, it can control its own energy more precisely, easily suppressing the ferocious instincts of the Bloodthirsty Vine.

At the same time, it guides the inertia and spatial characteristics of the moon's essence to integrate into the energy of the vines.

He imagined the evergreen vines growing tenaciously under the moonlight, which would subdue and quell the ferocity of the Bloodthirsty Vine.

This time, the contact between the three energies was much gentler.

The cyan stream of wind flows slowly, carrying the gray-white earth and stone energy like a riverbed, while the dark golden vine energy, like aquatic plants, struggles to grow and spread in the gaps between the wind and the earth, trying to weave into a net.

Although things were still bumpy and the vine phantoms appeared and disappeared intermittently, making it extremely unstable, at least it did not trigger another violent energy explosion.

An extremely fragile "thorn storm" prototype, with a coverage area of ​​less than five meters and fluctuating energy levels, was struggling to be maintained in the center of the three people.

"Hold on!"

Evan's forehead was covered in sweat, and his voice trembled slightly.

Maintaining such high-precision energy balance consumes a tremendous amount of mental energy.

It lasted for less than ten seconds before collapsing due to insufficient energy and subtle fluctuations.

The three of them breathed a sigh of relief, feeling exhausted.

"There has been progress, but it's still far from enough."

Evan wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"The energy resonance is too low, the stability is extremely poor, and the power... is barely worthless."

Practice extra every day! Until you can consistently perform the movement within ten seconds!

In the days that followed, the team developed a fixed rhythm in the oppressive environment of the Shadowy Corridor.

During the day, Kyle and Serena will scout ahead, searching for areas where astral energy leaks might occur.

These areas are often accompanied by more pronounced spatial ripples, strange glowing minerals or mosses, and... more powerful guardians.

On one occasion, they discovered a faint leak point located inside a giant fossilized skeleton.

The fossilized skeleton emitted a faint blue light, and the fluctuations within its interior space were significantly stronger than those around it.

However, a group of mid-level Rank 4 "Void Predators" lurked around the skeleton—a type of bat-like creature with wings edged in sharp spatial light that could blink over short distances.

Battle breaks out!

Void Predators are fast, have unpredictable attacks, can blink to dodge attacks, and can launch spatial cuts from blind spots.

Rhodes's berserk fire area-of-effect attack is ineffective and is more likely to accidentally injure teammates.

Sofia's defenses were strong, but she couldn't keep up with the speed of the opponent's teleportation. Kyle and Serena's assassinations also repeatedly failed.

At crucial moments, Chen Lin demonstrated an amazing ability to control the situation.

"Poison Ivy - Earth Web!"

He gave a low shout, and a large number of vines burst out of the ground, weaving together to form a huge, ground-covering vine network around everyone!

Pale purple paralyzing toxins permeated the vines.

When Void Predators Blink to land or fly low, they inevitably come into contact with the vine net!

The paralyzing toxin takes effect instantly upon contact!

While it cannot completely freeze them, it is enough to slow their movements for a moment.

"A great opportunity!" A glint flashed in Evan's eyes.

"Wind Binding - Stagnation!"

Several condensed cyan wind ropes precisely entangled several predators that were slowed down by the vine net!

"Rock Spike - Strangulation!"

Sofia slammed her fists into the ground!

Several sharp stone spikes instantly pierced through the bound predator from below!

Rhodes seized the opportunity and unleashed a molten core punch at a predator leader that was trying to swoop down from the sky, blasting it away with violent flames!

Chen Lin, on the other hand, was like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows; his vines always delivered a fatal blow at the most crucial moment.

A predator, severely wounded by Evan's wind blades and attempting to escape by blinking, was precisely pierced through the core by a vine that suddenly shot out from the shadows!

Another predator, knocked down by Sophia and cut by Kyle's Shadow Silk, was also entangled by vines around its neck, injected with toxins, and died instantly!

[Successfully killed a Void Predator (Mid-Tier 4) x1, earning 10 points.]

[Successfully killed a Void Predator (Mid-Tier 4) x1, earning 10 points.]

......

Chen Lin's points were steadily increasing, and each time he defeated a target, the Bloodthirsty Vine could devour a relatively pure evil energy, nourishing the Seed of Origin, and making him more and more sensitive to the "weaknesses" of shadow and spatial creatures.

He did it extremely discreetly, often finishing off targets when they were already severely wounded, making it seem like he was just ensuring the kill, and no one else noticed anything unusual.

At night, the "Thorn Storm" combined attack formation is practiced without fail.

At the center of the stronghold, Evan, Sophia, and Chen Lin repeatedly attempted energy resonance.

Failure is the norm; the muffled groans and gasps from energy conflicts and backlashes are constant.

But the progress is also visible to the naked eye.

Evan's control over the power of wind became increasingly refined, and he began to incorporate a sense of spatial etherealness unique to the Shadow Corridor.

Sofia's earth power is more restrained and inclusive, like a silent foundation.

With the help of the Seed of Origin, Chen Lin became increasingly adept at suppressing and transforming the energy of the Bloodthirsty Vine, and the ferocious aura within the vine's phantom image greatly diminished.

Thanks to its symbiotic relationship with the moon and shadow, it has gained more resilience and spatial adaptability, and its compatibility with the flow of wind and the support of soil is getting higher and higher.

Elena's astral harmonizing field played a crucial role; her predictions allowed her to detect early signs of energy conflicts and guide them away.

Seventh day.

"Focus! Resonate!" Evan whispered.

The blue wind flowed smoothly along the path of the array, like a tamed river.

The grayish-white soil and rocks are as stable as a rock, providing a solid foundation.

The dark golden vine energy, like a vibrant thorn bush, grows vigorously and intertwines in the gaps between the wind and the earth, forming a phantom of a thorn forest that covers an area of ​​ten meters in radius and is both real and illusory!

Within the illusory image, wind blades appear and disappear, earth spikes are hidden, and vines are like snakes!

Although there were still some fluctuations, this time, the prototype of "Thorn Storm" remained stable for a full thirty seconds!

"Great!" Rod couldn't help but cheer.

A hint of joy flashed in Evan's eyes:

"Excellent! The duration of maintenance meets the target."

The next step is to try injecting more energy to increase the intensity and simulate attack transformation.

Chen Lin, attempt to guide the vines to strangle and bind; Sophia, prepare the ground spikes; I, gather my wind blades.

The three of them were highly focused, carefully increasing their energy output.

The thorny phantoms became more solid, their strangling power manifesting! Gray light surged on the ground, and sharp stone spikes appeared and disappeared among the vines! The river of wind accelerated, bringing with it a sharp whistling sound!

However, just as the energy level reached a certain critical point—

Buzz! Boom!

The three energies became unbalanced once again! The vine phantom suddenly surged, and the ferocious instinct of the Bloodthirsty Vine was almost uncontrollable, frantically tearing at the wind veins!

Wind blades shot out uncontrollably! Ground spikes suddenly appeared haphazardly!

"Disperse!" Evan made a decisive move, forcibly severing the energy connection!

puff!

All three coughed up a small mouthful of blood, their auras weakened, and the energy backlash caused them some minor injuries.

"It still doesn't work..." Sophia wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, a hint of frustration on her rock-like face. "As the energy intensity increases, even the slightest differences are magnified, and the conflict intensifies."

Chen Lin also felt a surge of agitation from the Bloodthirsty Vine on his right arm; it had almost lost control and launched a counterattack when the energy surged earlier.

He needs more control.

"Rest! We'll continue tomorrow!" Evan suppressed his surging blood, his eyes still resolute. "We've already reached the threshold! All we lack is the final touch of coordination and control! Chen Lin, you need to improve your control over your own power! Especially the stability when increasing intensity!"

Chen Lin nodded silently, but he was thinking in his heart.

Analysis of the Seed of Origin shows that the core of the energy conflict lies in the fact that when he increases his output, the ferocious instinct of the Bloodthirsty Vine will increase simultaneously, which intensifies the conflict with the "Life Thorns" characteristic required by the array.

Perhaps... we can use the devoured evil energy to strengthen the suppressive power of the Seed of Origin?

After the drill, the exhausted group went to rest.

Chen Lin quietly walked to the edge of the stronghold and sat down cross-legged.

He sensed the malevolent energy accumulating within the Seed of Origin and began to try to guide it, not to enhance himself, but to construct a more powerful mental suppression field, specifically targeting the ferocious instincts of the Bloodthirsty Vine.

Time passed amidst intense battles, tedious drills, and difficult reflections.

The twelfth day.

The team finally found a relatively stable, faint leak of astral energy deep within a cave filled with clusters of glowing crystals.

In the center of the cave, a small space rippled gently like water, emanating a cool, pure, and strange energy with subtle spatial fluctuations.

The group took turns reflecting on the situation near the leak point.

Evan felt the flow of the wind and the rhythm of space; Sophia experienced the weight of the earth and the capacity of space; Rhode... tried to burn the spatial folds with flames, but almost caused a small-scale spatial disorder, and was forcibly pulled away by Elena; Kyle and Serena were like fish in water, their figures appearing and disappearing near the leak point, sensing the combination of shadow leaps and spatial nodes.

Chen Lin reaped the greatest benefits. His lunar symbiosis was inherently related to space, and under the influence of astral energy, he gained a deeper understanding of spatial refraction and subtle spatial perception.

He could even vaguely sense the subtle folds in the space within a few meters around him. Although he couldn't utilize them yet, they laid the foundation for the future.

The Seed of Origin also records a wealth of valuable spatial energy data.

On the same day, the "Thorn Storm" exercise also made a breakthrough!

"Start the battle!" Evan's voice was tinged with excitement.

The three energies of green wind, gray earth, and dark gold vines rose up once again!

This time, as the energy intensity began to increase, Chen Lin fully activated the Seed of Origin!

The accumulated malevolent energy transformed into cold shackles, firmly suppressing the restlessness of the Bloodthirsty Vine on the right arm! At the same time, the essence of moonlight flowed, maximizing the spatial adaptability of the vine's energy!

Under Elena's starlight harmonization, the three energies struggled to maintain a balance, and their strength steadily increased!

The thorny phantom now covers an area of ​​fifteen meters! Its solidity has greatly increased!

Wind blades whistled and weaved through the vines! Ground spikes were poised to strike beneath the vine netting!

"Turn! Strangulate!" Evan ordered.

With a thought, countless illusory vines seemed to come alive, suddenly tightening and strangling!

Sophia launched her attack simultaneously, unleashing several sharp stone spikes from the center of the attack! Evan, meanwhile, manipulated wind blades, which swept through the thorny domain like a meat grinder!

boom!

A black boulder used as a target in front of them instantly crumbled into countless fragments under the triple blow of thorns entanglement, ground spikes piercing, and wind blades cutting!

Amazing power!

Although the three of them were pale and exhausted, their eyes were filled with excitement!

"It's a success!" Rod's eyes widened.

"The high-intensity attack lasted for twenty seconds!" Elena announced the time precisely.

Evan let out a long sigh of relief, a smile spreading across his face: "Good! Although it's not perfect yet, and the consumption is high, at least we have a trump card to fight against wizard-level beings! Let's continue to consolidate it! Before entering the third level, we need to achieve complete control!"

As Chen Lin felt the unwilling screams coming from the Bloodthirsty Vine on his right arm under the powerful suppression, and the faint emptiness coming from the Seed of Origin due to the consumption of a large amount of evil energy, a smile appeared on his lips.

The lingering in the shadowy corridor yielded remarkable results.

The team's strength has been quietly improved through the trials of blood and fire and the tedious drills.

Meanwhile, Chen Lin quietly strengthened his own essence amidst the shadows and battles.

The path to the Corrupted Garden and the Purifying Temple seemed to have become clearer.

On the fifteenth day of their stay deep in the Shadow Corridor, the members of the Green Peak Alliance concluded their final "Thorn Storm" practice exercise.

The air was filled with the lingering scent of energy collisions and the weary yet satisfied breaths of the group.

Evan stared at the black giant rock target that had been pulverized into dust, his eyes flashing with a sharp light.

"Excellent! The duration has stabilized at 25 seconds, the energy intensity has increased by 30%, and the synergy between strangulation and puncture has been significantly enhanced!"

Evan's voice carried a barely perceptible hint of excitement, "Although we're still far from being able to control everything at will, it's enough to buy us a crucial respite in the Corruption Garden. It's time to leave."

The nebula crystal in Elena's hand shimmered slightly, and starlight swirled in her silver eyes: "Guided by the stars, the entrance to the third level, the 'Corrupted Garden,' is deep within the 'Valley of the Dead' in the northwest direction of the corridor."

Approximately 80 kilometers from here. The spatial structure along the way is extremely unstable, and the concentration of undead energy is significantly increased, posing a high danger level.

"The Valley of the Dead?" Rhode clenched his fist, flame patterns glowing in the dim light. "Doesn't sound like a good place. Whatever, let's just charge in!"

"Eighty kilometers, in the Shadow Corridor environment, it will take at least two days," Kyle said coldly from the shadows. "The Rift Valley is a lair of the undead and shadow creatures, and also a high-risk area for spatial rifts. Serena, let's scout ahead."

Serena nodded silently, her figure vanishing as if blending into ink. Kyle followed closely behind, the two blurry shadows silently gliding into the darkness beyond the platform.

"Everyone else, rest for an hour, then set off!" Evan ordered.

Chen Lin sat down cross-legged, making the most of his time to recover.

In the sea of ​​consciousness, the illusory image of the seven-colored floating flower appeared slightly withered, and the three spiritual seeds rotated slowly.

The combined attack drill just now was extremely taxing, but what he was more concerned about was that most of the evil energy accumulated within the Seed of Origin had been depleted.

In places like the Shadow Corridor, malevolent energy serves as "food" to nourish the Seed of Origin and suppress the instincts of the Blood-Eating Vine.

An hour later, guided by the shadowy mark left by Kyle, the group stepped into the deeper darkness.