Chapter 2347 Inspection
When the seal passage was closed, it required the combined strength of each clan to open it," Tippy explained. "Attempting to forcefully break the seal from the outside could cause ripples that would affect the internal seal."
The situation deep within the seal was unknown, and minimizing external disturbances was crucial. That's why Tippy had gathered the leaders of all major clans to assist in opening the entrance.
Seeing all the clan elders personally present also surprised Tippy.
Fang Heng stood still, watching the group ahead cautiously.
"How do I know this isn't a trap set by you to deal with me?" he asked.
"I wasn't aware that the elders themselves were coming," Tippy responded. "Unlocking the external seal is of utmost importance, and I believe they are here to prevent any mishaps." Tippy raised two root-like fingers, swearing, "I swear in the name of the soul tribe that this is not a trap."
"Alright, I hope you keep your word."
Since he was already here, Fang Heng had prepared himself to face any traps.
Tippy led Fang Heng to the gathering of people at the entrance and respectfully bowed to the elders. "It's an honor to have the Great Elders here personally. Thank you for coming."
"It's such an important matter to unseal the passage; naturally, we had to come and ensure nothing goes wrong," Senzo replied, his gaze cool as he glanced at Fang Heng. "As for your soul tribe, Jeno just let you come alone? Can he trust you?"
"Great Elder Jeno has been unwell and rarely leaves the tribe. His condition worsened after returning yesterday..."
"Enough of this chatter," Tam Sangga interjected impatiently, raising his hand. "Let's get on with it."
In front of them, the passage was blocked by entangled giant roots. Tippy and the three other Great Elders from different tribes positioned themselves in front of the vines at the entrance, aligning in a row. They concentrated, forming an imprint with their hands.
Under the glow of four colored lights, the vines covering the passage quickly dispersed, revealing a pathway beyond.
"Hiss, hiss, hiss..."
Faint traces of polluted black fog leaked out from the breach.
The seal had endured for centuries, and only a small portion of the black fog seemed to have escaped. The effectiveness of the seal appeared satisfactory.
Fang Heng surveyed the entrance, contemplating silently.
"Please proceed," Senzo said to Tippy, nodding. "Since this matter is overseen by the soul tribe, it's appropriate for you to lead the way."
"Understood."
Tippy nodded and stepped into the depths of the seal.
Entering the passage, they found themselves on soft soil. Fang Heng could sense the slow release of pollution aura from the earth beneath them.
After enduring pollution for a long time, the land had been heavily corroded and had become very soft.
"We're here."
Advancing a bit through the passage, they reached a sizable open space ahead.
Faint traces of magic array markings, remnants of ancient times, could barely be discerned on the ground.
Due to the passage of time, the outer layers of the magic array had faded significantly and suffered large-scale damage, rendering it completely ineffective.
"This location where we stand now is the sealed land," Tippy explained, gesturing towards the open space. "According to fragments we gleaned from the tree spirit tribe's ancient books, our soul tribe deduced that the tree spirit tribe in the Inner World gathered the entire clan's strength, exhausting all the power of the previous sacred tree to seal Shaluba deep underground."
"With the sacred tree completely depleted of its strength and withering away, the tree spirit tribe gradually weakened and eventually faced extinction," Tippy continued.
Fang Heng crouched down, gently touching the black soil beneath him, sensing the aura emanating from the earth. The demonic seed, sealed deep underground by layers of special seals, emitted its aura slowly over the years, resulting in the current state of affairs.
So, which demonic seed lay buried below?
It would be ideal if it were the Sloth demonic seed. Perhaps the phantom shadow rat could be persuaded to consume and convert its strength. However, dealing with other types of demonic seeds would prove more challenging. Perhaps cooperation with the demonic seed could be considered, especially if it were to help combat 'Jealousy'?
Fang Heng considered the possibility of convincing the demonic seed to collaborate.
The elder of the root tribe asked, "Well? Fang Heng? After observing for so long, have you discovered anything?"
"The seal is slowly being eroded by the pollution's strength," Fang Heng stood up and said, "I can attempt to reinforce the outer periphery of the seal and perform regular maintenance on the magic array every month. In theory, we can keep the magic array stable for five years. Beyond that, it's uncertain; the seal below will gradually corrode over time."
"Fang Heng," Senzo shook his head, continuing, "you may not be aware that the pollution's strength is currently in a calm period. If there were severe fluctuations, it wouldn't look like what you see now. We need you to completely resolve this issue."
"Hmph," Tam Sangga huffed lightly and began to walk away. "I've said it before: no one can deal with the pollution. There's no point wasting time. I have other matters to attend to; I'll take my leave."
"Well, it's not entirely impossible," Tam Sangga couldn't help but pause and turn back, looking at Fang Heng. Everyone was curious to see what he had in mind.
Could he really have a solution?
"But this method is somewhat risky."
"Fang Heng, if you have something to say, say it directly. All the Great Elders are here. If you can truly eliminate the black fog completely, we will naturally spare no effort," Tippy urged.
"Alright, I'll say it straight: unseal it and let me talk to the demonic seed," Fang Heng proposed.
"Are you out of your mind?!" Tam Sangga's expression immediately turned grave as he sharply rebuked, "Do you know how much effort it took us to temporarily seal Shaluba? And you want to release it?"
The notion of a sealed demonic seed was solely voiced by Fang Heng. Whether it was true or false remained unclear.
In the eyes of the tree spirit tribe, Shaluba sealed beneath the sealed land is immensely powerful. Releasing him could potentially bring catastrophic consequences to the world.
The root tribe's Great Elder fixed his gaze on Fang Heng, his voice solemn as he asked, "Fang Heng, how confident are you?"
"Hundred percent," Fang Heng replied, silently adding to himself: Hundred percent unsure.
The worst-case scenario would be releasing the pollution source, failing to communicate with the demonic seed, and being unable to defeat it. If that happened, he could always run away. After all, the demonic seed's enemy was the tree spirit tribe.
Whatever the outcome, Fang Heng believed he wouldn't come out at a loss.
Tippy lowered her head in thought and asked, "What do you all think about Fang Heng's proposal?"