Wizard: Starting from Escape from the Thorn Garden

Only the enormous Void Lotus of Tranquility continued to slowly rotate, emitting a serene and vast spatial fluctuation.

Kate's fingers were firmly pressed on the deep vortex of the lotus heart.

There was no terrifying suction force, no destructive energy.

It feels cool yet supple to the touch, as if pressing against an incredibly tough yet elastic thin film.

Beneath the membrane, a vast yet gentle spatial energy flows slowly.

[Test passed!]

[Spatial affinity and control have been recognized!]

A grand yet gentle thought swept over Kate, carrying a hint of approval.

Immediately afterwards, a pure, cool, and vast torrent of spatial energy surged into Kate's body through his fingers!

This energy is not destructive, but baptismal!

It washed over Kate's limbs and bones, nourished his spiritual sea, and resonated strongly with the essence of the moon shadow within his body!

Kate felt every cell in her body rejoice; her perception of space had never been so clear!

The turmoil in my mind was instantly calmed, becoming clearer and more stable!

The golden roots of the Seed of Origin, nourished by spatial energy, seemed to be coated with a faint silver glow, further enhancing their analytical capabilities!

[Received: Baptism of the Origin of Space!]

[Effects: Spatial affinity greatly increased! Spiritual energy purity +15%! Spiritual sea stability +20%! Seed of Origin analysis efficiency +10%! Moon Shadow Essence spatial properties enhanced!]

This surge of energy lasted for several seconds before gradually subsiding.

Kate felt as if she had been reborn. Although her mental energy was greatly depleted, her mental sea was exceptionally stable and clear, and her sensitivity to space had improved to a new level!

Just then, the Void Lotus of Tranquility in front of him changed.

The enormous lotus flower slowly shrank and condensed, its light becoming inward.

In the end, it transformed into a physical lotus flower, only the size of a palm, yet more solid, with petals flowing with a tangible silver-blue luster and pale gold stardust!

It hovered in front of Kate, emanating a gentle yet powerful spatial fluctuation.

[Item: Void Serenity Lotus (Mature Form, Space Contract)]

[Status: Host approved; can be used for symbiotic fusion or as a top-tier space material.]

[Characteristics: Same as before, energy is contained and can be stored for a long time.]

Kate carefully reached out her hand, and the delicate lotus flower, like a weary bird returning to its nest, gently landed in her palm, its touch as warm and cool as jade.

The moment the lotus flower was in hand, the surrounding silvery-gray void began to ripple and dissipate like water.

Kate felt the space had shifted again.

The scene before him returned, and he was still standing beside the patch of moss that shimmered with a sapphire luster, his fingers still outstretched.

The pale purple clover, after he touched it, seemed to have exhausted all its strength, quickly withered, turned into a wisp of silver-gray dust, and dissipated into the air.

It was as if everything that had just happened was just a dream.

But the silver-blue lotus flower in his palm, radiating a cool spatial vibration, and the unprecedented stability and clarity in his spiritual sea, clearly told him—everything was real!

He successfully passed the spatial test and obtained the Void Tranquility Lotus he had always dreamed of!

Kate suppressed her excitement and quickly put the lotus into a specially made jade box lined with space-stabilizing runes to isolate it from her aura.

He looked around. Elena seemed to still be communicating with the Seed of Trial, but it was nearing its end. Starlight and green light intertwined on her body, and the bud of the Seed of Trial was slowly blooming, though at a much slower pace than Kate had before.

The guardians' attention was mostly focused on her, and they did not notice Kate's brief change in direction.

Kate quietly stepped back a few paces and found a relatively secluded spot, hidden by the giant glowing fern, where she sat down cross-legged.

He needs to process this tremendous gain as soon as possible and think about how to make use of this Void Meditation Lotus.

Within the sea of ​​consciousness, the golden roots of the Seed of Origin entwined around the illusory silver-blue lotus, and a chilling stream of analysis surged forth:

[Symbiotic Integration Simulation:]

Target: Void Lotus of Tranquility (Mature Form)

Core Conflict: High-Speed ​​Energy Aggregator vs. Bloodthirsty Instinct of the Blood-Eating Vine/Abyssal Fragment Contamination

Key ingredients for harmonization: Moon Shadow Essence (of the same origin in space) + Silver Star Moss Starlight (purifies and stabilizes) + Seed of Origin (absolute suppression and harmonization)

Estimated benefits from integration:

1. Anchoring in the Sea of ​​Spirit: Greatly enhances the stability of the Sea of ​​Spirit, providing extremely strong resistance to mental shocks, pollution, and illusions.

2. Leap in Spatial Perception: Increases perception of spatial fluctuations, fissures, and folds by over 300%, and enhances the efficiency and power of learning spatial spells.

3. Qualitative Change in Mental Power: The purity and capacity of mental power are enhanced, providing the most solid foundation for building the "Wizard's Heart".

4. Rule Fragments: Weak spatial folds and stable rule fragments can aid in comprehension.

Integration risk: High!

The spatial energy is too vast and needs to be guided and integrated in stages to avoid impacting the structure of the spiritual sea.

The Blood-Devouring Vine may instinctively retaliate when stimulated by spatial energy, requiring the Seed of Origin to suppress it powerfully throughout the process.

Recommendation: Return to a protected or safe environment for deep integration under the guidance of a mentor. The current environment is too risky.

"Don't rush..." Kate took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to merge immediately.

The warning from the Seed of Origin was clear: fusing with a magical plant of this level, especially in a dangerous environment like the Trial Tower, was far too risky.

"First, carry it as material to stabilize the mental sea and enhance spatial perception." He made the decision.

Even without fusion, carrying the Void Tranquility Lotus allows its naturally emitted spatial fluctuations to subtly nourish his spatial affinity and passively stabilize his spiritual sea.

More importantly, it solved a core problem on Kate's path to becoming a formal wizard—the stability and capacity of her mental sea!

With it, combined with the Seed of Origin, Kate was confident that when she attempted to become a formal wizard, she would build a "Wizard's Heart" that was far more stable and powerful than that of ordinary people!

Just as Kate was basking in the joy of her enormous harvest, a gentle energy fluctuation came from the direction of the platform.

Elena slowly opened her eyes, her silver eyes showing a hint of weariness, but also a hint of satisfaction.

The trial seed before her had already bloomed, but it had only six petals, which were a pure milky white, far less dazzling than Kate's nine silver petals.

The guardian light spirit slowly retreated, and a stream of emerald-colored water separated from the pool and poured into the container in her hand.

She completed the trial and obtained the holy spring water, but she did not pass the trial perfectly and failed to obtain the petals of the proof of life.

Elena stood up, her gaze sweeping across the courtyard, and she quickly spotted Kate.

She walked over, her voice still ethereal, but tinged with curiosity: "Junior Kate, you seem to have... made some progress? Your mental fluctuations are more stable than before."

Kate felt a chill run down her spine; Elena's senses were indeed sharp.

He remained calm and composed, replying, "I have some understanding. The life energy here is pure and very suitable for my symbiote, thus it is somewhat helpful to my spiritual sea."

Elena gave him a deep look with her silver eyes, but didn't press him further. She simply nodded slightly. "Evan and the others should be arriving soon. Are you preparing to head to the Crystal Source Cave?"

Kate nodded and gripped the jade box containing the Lotus of Tranquility.

In the Garden of Life, where silver light flowed, the atmosphere was subtle and solemn.

Elena successfully made the Seed of Trial bloom into a six-petaled silver-white flower, obtaining approximately 30 units of Holy Spring Water. Although this was far from Kate's perfect harvest, it was enough to prove her strength and potential.

Her face was slightly pale, but her eyes remained clear, and the light of the Nebula Crystal had returned to a stable state.

Subsequently, Evan, Sophia, Kyle, Serena, and others also arrived at the platform one after another.

They each endured the brutal selection process of the purification corridor, leaving behind exhaustion and injuries of varying degrees.

Aiwen used the agility of the wind and his keen perception of spatial fluctuations to barely avoid most of the constructs, but it also consumed a huge amount of energy.

Sophia withstood several purification beams thanks to the formidable defense of her rock armor, leaving several irreparable scorch marks on the armor.

Kyle and Serena, like true shadows, used spatial refraction and shadow leaps to navigate through the crevices, facing constant danger and their breathing becoming somewhat disordered.

Without exception, they all successfully made the Seed of Trial bloom, but the number of petals ranged from three to five, and the amount of holy spring water they obtained was only 10 to 40 units.

The cold scan from the Seed of Origin indicated that both their spiritual sea and physical body had left subtle traces of "purification," which, while not fatal, were difficult to completely eliminate in the short term.

Evan surveyed the crowd, his voice steady:

"The entrance to the Crystal Source Cave is just behind the light gate ahead."

According to the records of the Barrier and the Star Tower, it is one of the core areas of the Purification Temple, with an extremely unstable spatial structure, violent energy tides, and is filled with unknown spatial traps and energy storms.

Historically, few apprentices who entered this place, regardless of their skill level, survived, and most suffered mental trauma, leaving behind vague accounts of their experiences.

The only certainty is that it holds clues to the most crucial secret of the Purification Temple—the Life Crystal—and...immense danger.

He paused, his gaze falling on Kate. "But the risks... far exceed any of the previous levels. We won't be moving forward; we can't help you anymore."

Kate met Evan's gaze, her eyes sharp and resolute: "I understand. But I have to go in. The Life Crystal is the only hope for saving Ella."

Evan nodded, offering no advice:

"Alright. We respect your choice. But time is of the essence. The total time for the Southern Region Trial is limited, and we cannot wait indefinitely. Three days."

He held out three fingers:

"We will rest and explore the outskirts of the Garden of Life, while keeping an eye out for potential threats for you."

Three days later, whether you come out or not, we must leave and head to the next level to seek other opportunities.

This is for the overall benefit of the team.

"Three days..." Kate murmured to herself.

The seed of origin coldly deduces possibilities:

[The flow of time inside the Crystal Source Cave may be abnormal, and the spatial structure may be distorted. Three days of external time may correspond to several days or even hours inside. The risk is extremely high, and the uncertainty is immense.]

But he didn't hesitate: "Okay, three days, thank you everyone."

Sophia said in a deep voice, "Be careful. Spatial storms are more terrifying than any enemy."

Kyle said coldly from the shadows, "Come back alive."

Elena handed him a jade talisman that shimmered with a faint starlight:

"This is a one-way communication talisman, infused with a trace of my star imprint. If you encounter irresistible spatial turbulence or a deadly crisis, crush it."

Perhaps... it can buy you a sliver of hope, or... guide us to your remains.

Her voice was calm, yet carried a subtle hint of concern.

Kate solemnly accepted the jade talisman: "Thank you, Senior Elena."

Kate nodded slightly and said no more.

He did one last check of the dimensional bag: the repaired Shadow of Thorns, the spare potion, the jade box containing the Glowing Algae and the Void Serenity Lotus, the petals of the Proof of Life, and most importantly—the 100 units of Holy Spring Water.

When the Seed of Origin was activated to its fullest extent, the mental sea became clear and stable, the essence of the moonlight flowed silently within the body, and the Blood-Devouring Vine in the right arm was firmly suppressed.

He took a deep breath, feeling the vast yet gentle life energy of the Garden of Life, then turned around and strode toward the light gate in front of the platform, which flowed with liquid silver light and emitted strong spatial fluctuations.

The portal resembled a swirling nebula, deep and mysterious.

Kate stopped at the door and took out the petal of the life-proof.

The moment the petals touched the light gate, they burst forth with a soft, silvery-white light!

Om-!

The light gate fluctuated violently, the rotating nebula accelerated its speed, and a stable channel formed at the center, emitting a purer but also more violent spatial energy aura.

Kate turned around and took one last look at her teammates behind her.

Evan's eyes were sharp and expectant; Sophia was resolute as a rock; Kyle and Serena blended into the shadows; Elena's silver eyes were deep.

They represent the Greencap Alliance, and also one of the few bonds he has in this cruel wizarding world.

Without further hesitation, he stepped into the portal of light!

In an instant, the feeling of dizziness far surpassed any previous teleportation!

It's no longer a spatial displacement; it's more like being thrown into a giant centrifuge filled with viscous liquid at high speed!

The body was being torn apart, stretched, and twisted wildly by an invisible force!

It felt as if my internal organs were about to shift! My bones groaned as if they couldn't bear the weight!

The Seed of Origin is alarming wildly!

[WARNING! High-intensity spatial turbulence! Extremely unstable spatial structure! Disrupted time perception!]

A violent throbbing and fear emanated from the blood-devouring vine patterns on his right arm!

The essence of moonlight was passively activated to its maximum, forming a layer of violently fluctuating pale silver halo on the body surface, struggling to neutralize some of the spatial tearing force!

What lay before me was no longer a scene, but countless fragments of broken, distorted, and rapidly spinning light and shadow!

Vibrant colors, yet utter chaos! A deafening, terrifying buzzing sound filled the air, as if space itself were howling in agony!

I don't know how much time passed, maybe a moment, maybe eternity, but the suffocating, tearing sensation suddenly disappeared.

Kate fell heavily to the ground, feeling as if all the bones in her body had broken. The intense dizziness and nausea almost made her vomit.

He suppressed his discomfort and immediately activated the enhanced senses of the Thorn Armor and the Seed of Origin, vigilantly observing his surroundings.

Crystal Source Secret Cave!

The world before her completely overturned Kate's understanding of space.

There is no sky, no earth, and not even a clear sense of direction here.

He felt as if he were inside a gigantic, strange cavity composed of countless broken crystals and solidified light streams, constantly writhing and reassembling.

The "ground" is not a physical entity, but rather a liquid energy that flows and emits a soft white light. Stepping on it feels like stepping on viscous mercury, causing a slight sinking sensation while providing support.

The surrounding "walls" and "dome" are made up of countless huge crystal clusters of different sizes, shapes, and colors.

These crystals are slowly growing, breaking, and reforming, as if they have a life of their own!

Broken crystal shards floated in the air, like stardust, refracting an eerie light.

The air was filled with an intense, almost overwhelming, life energy, but this energy was also brimming with violent activity, like boiling water!

It was also mixed with violent spatial turbulence and subtle, high-frequency spatial shockwaves, like shattering glass!

The light emanating from the glowing crystals and the flowing energy floor illuminated the entire space in a bizarre and surreal way.

Countless tiny, lightning-like spatial rifts appeared and disappeared in the void, crackling and emitting a destructive aura.

The spatial structure was extremely unstable! Kate felt as if her body was being pulled by an invisible force, sometimes as heavy as lead, sometimes as light as if she could fly.

My sense of direction is completely confused; the concepts of up, down, left, and right are meaningless here.

The Seed of Origin was operating at full power, and a stream of icy analysis flowed into consciousness:

[Environment: Crystal Source Cave (Core of the Purification Temple)]

[Spatial State: Highly Unstable! Spatial folds, faults, and fissures are rampant! Time flow is abnormal (estimated external 1 hour ≈ internal 3-6 hours)!]

[Energy Attributes: Berserk Life Energy (Excessively High Activity), Chaotic Spatial Energy, Slight Temporal Disturbance.]

[Main threats: Spatial rifts cutting through, spatial turbulence tearing apart, rampant life energy erosion, time perception distortion leading to mental breakdown, and unknown spatial traps.]

[Recommendation: Move with extreme caution, prioritize stabilizing your mental state! Use the essence of moonlight to sense weak points in the space, and avoid contact with any glowing crystals.]

Kate took a deep breath, suppressing the shock and a hint of instinctive fear in her heart.

The dangers here far exceeded his imagination!

The violent life energy, like countless fine needles, tried to pierce his pores, stimulating his cells to overactivate and bringing a tearing, throbbing pain.

The spatial turbulence was like an invisible blade, constantly cutting into his armor and mental perception.

He immediately took a highly concentrated mental stabilizing agent and a life-regulating agent, while simultaneously activating the Seed of Origin to guide the essence of the moonlight to form a more stable spatial refraction layer on his body surface, and attempted to analyze the weak points of the surrounding violent energy flow.

He took his first step cautiously.

The viscous energy ground beneath my feet rippled slightly, reflecting a strange elasticity.

He focused his mind, relying on the faint spatial perception brought by the essence of the moon's shadow, and tried his best to avoid those visible spatial rifts that looked like black scars.

Every step felt like dancing on a knife's edge.

He must constantly adjust his center of gravity to fight against the chaotic gravitational field.

He had to concentrate intensely, anticipate the trajectory of the spatial turbulence, and dodge to the side at the last second.

He had to suppress the Bloodthirsty Vine within his body, which was agitated by the violent life energy.

The Seed of Origin acts like the most sophisticated navigator, constantly scanning, analyzing, and deducing relatively safe paths.

[Ten meters to the left front, spatial folds, convergence point of turbulent energy flows, danger! Detour behind the crystal cluster on the right, watch out for the crystal growth tips!]

[The cluster of floating crystal fragments above is about to collide, causing a spatial shockwave with a range of five meters. Retreat!]

[A vortex has appeared on the energy ground directly ahead, possibly a spatial trap. Move three steps to the left!]

Kate moved like a ghost navigating through a storm and a minefield, her movements slow and precise, her mind on high alert.

Time loses its meaning here.

Kate could only estimate this by relying on the Seed of Origin's precise calculations of her biological clock and mental energy consumption.

[Internal time elapsed: Approximately 2 hours. Mental energy depletion: 35%. Physical strain: Moderate.]

He ventured deeper into the secret cave, where the surrounding scenery became increasingly eerie.

The glowing crystal clusters grew larger and more distorted, some resembling menacing monsters, others like solidified teardrops.

Inside some of the crystals, there seemed to be vague, struggling phantoms of creatures sealed away, emanating faint fluctuations of resentment.

The concentration of violent life energy in the air was getting higher and higher, and it even began to condense into liquid droplets of light, which dripped from the tip of the crystal and created small ripples on the ground.

Just then, a sharp alarm suddenly sounded from the Seed of Origin!

[WARNING! High-energy spatial collapse point! Location: 50 meters directly in front, below the giant teardrop-shaped crystal!]

[Abnormal life force detected! Intensity...unable to lock onto! Almost imperceptible!]

Kate's pupils constricted sharply!

Not far ahead, beneath an inverted crystal tens of meters high, entirely blue, and shaped like a giant teardrop, the space was violently twisted and collapsed, like a piece of paper crumpled by an invisible hand!

A deep, dark vortex that seems capable of swallowing all light is forming!

At the center of the vortex, a chilling, eerie fluctuation emanated, a mixture of immense life energy and endless deathly silence!

What chilled Kate to the bone even more was that at the edge of the collapsing vortex, a faint, yet pure, emerald-green light could be faintly seen!

Although the light was small, it seemed to contain the primordial life force of the universe at its inception!

Life Source Crystal?!