Chapter 284: Taking Root
The two of them wove their way through that eerie, terrifying Dark Forest, their figures swift as the wind, stirring up swathes of black leaves and withered grass.
The darkness all around seemed almost alive, silently spreading, the wind howling ominously. All the way up to the edge of Jiang Che’s Dungeon, the two kept talking about this and that, some things meaningful, some not.
Their voices echoed especially clearly in this deathly quiet forest, only to be quickly swallowed up by the darkness again.
Not until they reached Jiang Che’s territory did Ding Ning finally feel the sense of being watched from the shadows diminish greatly.
Those Lords claimed they were leaving, but she still sensed countless eyes peering at them from the dark—a chill so impossible to describe, it made her skin crawl and her back prickle.
"The passage isn’t stable yet; my parents need to wait until it’s stabilized before they can come over."
After she finished speaking, and the lurking sense of surveillance around them vanished completely, Ding Ning finally frowned and looked at Jiang Che.
"Do you know where the Dark Mother Plant is?" She looked Jiang Che over from head to toe. Surely he hadn’t just hidden it somewhere?
Hearing her words, Jiang Che understood at once—the eyes spying on them from the dark had truly disappeared now.
Jiang Che’s strength wasn’t great enough to sense the auras of the various Lords very clearly.
But from what Ding Ning said, he realized those Lords hadn’t really left to search elsewhere. They’d only claimed to go, hiding nearby instead in hopes of overhearing something from Jiang Che’s mouth.
After all, Jiang Che was the last one who’d seen the Dark Mother Plant.
"It’s safe now." Ding Ning pointed at the ground, her expression grave. "We’re on your territory now. Generally, Lords very rarely spy on each other’s domains directly—too easy to get caught. If someone’s discovered crossing those lines, it’ll spark serious conflict and retaliation."
"Right here." Jiang Che stretched out his hand, and Ding Ning immediately saw another black leaf-shaped mark on his wrist.
Ding Ning grabbed Jiang Che’s hand in an instant, scrutinizing the dark leaf-shaped imprint there.
The mark looked just like a cursed leaf, its veins twisted and profound, as if condensed from thick Power of Darkness.
The edge of the leaf was jagged and uneven, shimmering with a bizarre ghostly light like a will-o’-the-wisp dancing faintly in the dark.
The mark was ink-black, so dark it seemed about to devour all the light around it.
Ding Ning’s frown deepened, her gaze full of worry and confusion.
"Why is this thing in your body?" No wonder she hadn’t sensed any trace of the Dark Mother Plant along the way—she’d never have guessed he’d hidden it within himself.
It’s true that humans above Tier Thirteen aren’t easily corroded by the Dark Forest, but that doesn’t mean you can just keep the Mother Plant inside your own body.
This was the Dark Mother Plant—an existence seething with endless evil and peril.
Even though Jiang Che was strong, a single misstep and he could be devoured by its power: mind lost, soul scattered, becoming a mere walking corpse.
Thinking that, Ding Ning’s face turned pale as paper, sweat beading on her forehead. She gripped Jiang Che’s hand tightly, her mind racing—desperately searching for a way to extract the Dark Mother Plant without harming him.
Jiang Che shook his head, a calm smile on his face as he reassured Ding Ning, "There’s nothing to worry about." His eyes were steady and serene, as if everything was under control.
He took Ding Ning’s hand and, steps steady, led her deeper into the Dungeon.
Along the way, Ding Ning was anxious and uneasy, while Jiang Che seemed especially composed.
Not until they reached the exact center of the challenge zone did Jiang Che finally stop, and slowly stretch out his hand.
"Come out. Take root here." His voice was low and forceful, radiating unquestionable resolve.
He hadn’t chosen to let the Dark Mother Plant take root on the outskirts—it would be planted right in the heart of his own Dungeon territory.
It was an extremely bold and risky decision.
He’d mulled it over for a very long time before deciding.
"Heh heh, what an interesting choice." Suddenly, a strange voice flared up from inside Jiang Che, as if tumbling up from the Nine Nether Abyss, carrying endless cold and mystery.
In the next moment, Ding Ning saw the leaf emerge from Jiang Che’s wrist, transforming into a seed that glowed with dim, ghostly light.
The seed fell fast, embedding itself deep in the earth at the Dungeon’s center.
Instantly, a powerful and wicked aura radiated from that spot, the air itself seeming to twist and warp under its influence.
The very moment it took root, the Dark Forest began to breed and grow again at an astonishing speed.
Those weird roots were like countless giant black serpents, erupting from the ground and writhing madly.
The branches whipped about like crazed tentacles, stretching violently in all directions.
Within the walls of Red Pearl Mental Hospital, those roots and branches spread furiously, pressing and squeezing, shattering the once solid walls.
Plaster fell in sheets, revealing mottled brick and stone beneath.
The entire Dungeon seemed shrouded in a curtain of darkness, thick with a strange, uncanny air.
Ding Ning frowned. "Why let it grow here?"
All this time, they’d done their utmost to clear away the Dark Forest—waging bloody battles to seize patches of territory. Never before had the Dark Forest been allowed to take root inside their own Dungeon.
This was unheard of, utterly inconceivable. In the past, all they’d felt toward the Dark Forest was endless wariness and hostility.
"I made a deal with it—let it take root here." Jiang Che broke the brief silence, his expression calm yet his eyes holding a depth difficult for others to fathom.
He told Ding Ning exactly what had just happened, holding nothing back—including how the Mother Plant already knew everything about them and Black Crow.
As she listened, Ding Ning lowered her head, deep in thought, a complex look in her eyes and her brow gently furrowed.
After a long while, she glanced once more at the Dark Mother Plant taking root at the very center.
The Mother Plant emanated a chilling, profound darkness.
As if she had finally steeled her resolve, Ding Ning reached out and patted the Mother Plant at its heart.
"In that case, let’s do it this way." She narrowed her eyes, her smile sweet as honey.
"I trust you. When you made that choice, it must have been the best solution at the time." With that, she grabbed Jiang Che’s hand, unable to contain her excitement: "Where’s our home? Did you set up a kitchen yet?"
She’d put Jiang Che through all those trials, precisely to cultivate his combat instincts—if he made this choice, then undoubtedly, it was the best he could have made.
"Heh heh heh heh heh..." The Dark Mother Plant began to laugh shrilly again. "Aren’t you afraid I’ll destroy the entire Dungeon?"
"There’s a kitchen—our home is the first thing I finished." Jiang Che took Ding Ning’s hand, unable to wait as he led her toward the residential area.
Watching the two of them walk away hand in hand, the Dark Mother Plant was stunned. Had they just ignored everything it said?!