CHAPTER 53: CHAPTER53-ANOTHER BLESSING ADDED

The lightning illuminated the cavity where the Emerald Heart was embedded, revealing a terrifying truth hidden on the emerald tree.

The cavity was filled with numerous deformed plants, each bearing sharp teeth and blood-red eyes, emitting a nauseating stench.

These monstrous plants, provoked by the force of the lightning, unleashed their ferocious nature, attacking everything around them.

Some vines, like tentacles, stretched towards Owen, trying to entwine him tightly; others lashed out like whips, hissing menacingly through the air...

Owen’s expression shifted slightly, arcanergy surging within him, unleashing his thunder magic.

A bolt of lightning struck the grotesque plants.

They emitted black smoke, writhing in agony like flesh scorched by flames, becoming even more vicious.

Countless vines surged like a flood from the gates of hell, launching a fierce assault on Owen.

The tentacle-like vines twisted madly, again attempting to ensnare Owen tightly.

Feeling the weakness in his body, Owen thought to himself:

"I cannot confront them head-on."

His body began to emit a dazzling golden light, his pupils turning gold in an instant, like two miniature suns.

Owen transformed into a Gold Divine Dragon, soaring through the sky.

The appearance of the Gold Divine Dragon instilled unprecedented fear in the multitude of vines.

They recoiled, no longer daring to approach Owen.

Owen seized the opportunity to fly away, gliding downward.

...

Finn gazed up at the gloomy sky, murmuring:

"Can Mr. Owen manage? At an altitude of 4,000 meters, the cold alone is lethal."

Diana’s lips curled slightly, seemingly unconcerned as she said:

"Don’t forget, he’s a dragon, and not just any dragon but from the..."

She didn’t finish her sentence.

She had already recognized Owen as a Gold Divine Dragon, a dragon kind not seen for over 5,000 years, whose formidable nature was recorded in books.

The sprites around were unaware of Owen’s prowess, their little faces filled with worry.

The emerald sprite king, looking up at the sky and then at his dying child, exclaimed:

"Owen, you must find the Emerald Heart!"

Suddenly, a dragon’s roar burst through the sky, abruptly and unexpectedly.

The emerald sprite king was startled:

"A dragon? Could it be a dreamscape dragon attacking? That shouldn’t be; isn’t it deep within?"

The other sprites were in a state of panic.

"Dragons, they are so ferocious and brutal, it’s not coming to kill us, is it?"

"My king, what should we do now? Should we run?"

"Where did this dragon come from? It’s terrifying!"

In the sky, a dazzling light appeared, bright and splendid like the sun.

Accompanied by a deafening roar, a massive Gold Divine Dragon descended in front of the sprites.

Its body, tens of meters long, with golden scales shimmering brilliantly, seemed like a deity descending from the heavens.

The sprites were stunned by this sudden appearance, gathering together, staring wide-eyed at the Gold Divine Dragon.

"What kind of dragon is this, so majestic in appearance!"

"Surely it’s here to kill us; it could swallow one of us whole."

"Such a terrifying creature, I can’t even see its full body!"

The Gold Divine Dragon slowly descended to the ground, creating a whirlwind.

The emerald sprites, generally about one and a half finger joints in size, looked at Owen as if he were a colossal giant.

The wind brought by Owen knocked down many emerald sprites, and some of the weaker ones were blown about haphazardly.

The Gold Divine Dragon emitted a glow, and Owen transformed back into his human form.

"?"

The sprites were all stunned.

Owen?

None of them had imagined that Owen was a dragon.

"He’s actually Owen? Wasn’t he a human?"

"Dragons can shapeshift; what’s so strange about that?"

"So impressive, that’s a dragon, eh? The strongest race from thousands of years ago!"

"I’ve only seen dragons in books, never thought I’d see one in real life."

The emerald sprite king also seemed bewildered, his eyelids twitching, thinking to himself:

"What have I done? To capture a Gold Divine Dragon and a human lady saint... If they hold a grudge against us emerald sprites... that would be disastrous."

It hurriedly approached Owen, flying up to his face, devoid of its previous pride and indifference:

"Mr. Owen, you’ve returned."

Owen looked at the obsequious manner of the emerald sprite king and chuckled inwardly:

"This is the power brought by a strong race, even a grandmaster wouldn’t dare show disdain in front of an advanced race."

"Hmm," Owen took out the Emerald Heart from his spatial ring, "Is this the Emerald Heart?"

The avatar of the Old Tree, extremely excited, trembled:

"That’s it... that’s it, Owen, you really brought back the Emerald Heart."

Owen handed the Emerald Heart to the emerald sprite king.

Owen watched as the emerald sprite king handed the Emerald Heart to the avatar of the Old Tree and reminded:

"What about my part of the deal?"

The emerald sprite king hurriedly responded:

"Rest assured, Mr. Owen, the three emerald arcana will be presented to you immediately. However, you may only choose one, as each is a precious treasure of our tribe, and it’s already a stretch for us to offer them."

"Acceptable." Owen felt satisfied, his efforts not in vain.

The emerald sprite king, holding the Emerald Heart, turned to the avatar of the Old Tree:

"How do we use the Emerald Heart?"

"Offer it as a sacrifice to me, and my strength will be fully restored."

"Understood."

The emerald sprite king, dressed in a lavish green robe, his gaze emanating a sense of solemnity and sanctity, approached the emerald tree.

He pressed his hands together and prayed silently.

With his prayer, a green light radiated from his hands.

The Emerald Heart, lifted by the strange green light, appeared even more mystical.

Gradually, it moved closer to the emerald tree.

Instantly, a green light surged from within the emerald tree, enveloping the Emerald Heart completely.

The Emerald Heart began to emit a dazzling light, intertwining and resonating with the energy of the emerald tree, creating a miraculous harmony.

The entire emerald forest was shaken by this powerful energy.

Trees swayed gracefully, and flowers bloomed in splendid colors.

The emerald sprites, sensing this power, gathered around the emerald tree, watching the scene with devout eyes.

Witnessing such a peaceful moment, Owen was filled with questions.

Whose was the Emerald Heart originally?

What was its purpose?

What were those deformed plants on the emerald tree?

And why hadn’t the avatar of the Old Tree mentioned them until now?

After the sacrifice of the Emerald Heart, the emerald tree fully awakened.

Its trunk began to tremble, and its branches danced as if celebrating this moment.

An ancient face gradually emerged from the trunk, its eyes full of wisdom, as if having witnessed the vicissitudes of the world, mesmerizing to look upon.

It looked at Owen, a benevolent smile forming:

"Owen, thank you."

Knowing the importance of saying the right things to the right entity, Owen responded appropriately.

"I merely did what I could, and it’s an honor to contribute to the sprites."

"No, no, no, you are a great benefactor to our race."

As it spoke, its eyes twinkled slightly, and its branches swayed gently.

"The great gift I promised you, please accept it."

Energy, like green ripples, surged from the trunk, gradually spreading throughout the entire forest.

Suddenly, this energy, like a vortex, converged above Owen’s head, continuously pouring into his body.

"Emerald tree blessing!"

Envy flashed in the eyes of the emerald sprite king, as the emerald sprites hadn’t seen such a grand spectacle in a long time.

Owen felt the presence of this power, his body undergoing wondrous changes.

The jade energy rapidly infiltrated Owen’s body, mingling with his internal arcanergy.

Owen felt a powerful force surging within him, his muscles becoming more robust and powerful, his bones cracking as if reassembling and strengthening.

As the jade energy poured in, Owen’s arcanergy also grew continuously.

He could feel his arcanergy becoming stronger and purer, flowing inside him like a tumultuous green river.

Excitement and anticipation twinkled in Owen’s eyes; perhaps this was his chance to break through from a gold magus to a diamond magus!

As time passed, the jade energy gradually subsided, and Owen’s body calmed down.

"Mr. Owen has become stronger again," Finn exclaimed joyfully from the side.

Diana blinked, her eyes filled with envy:

"Owen is so lucky, receiving such a blessing."

"A blessing? What of it?" Finn’s brow furrowed slightly. "I had a sage bless me when I was a child."

Diana glanced at Finn and bluntly said:

"A sage-tier blessing draws on divine creation and costs a great deal, leading to serious consequences. So, your kind of blessing is at most silver-tier."

"The blessing from the emerald tree, however, is a natural creation. Though it also costs a great deal, it brings no ill effects. It can be considered a diamond-tier blessing."

"The difference is that big?" Finn’s mouth hung open in surprise.

"Why else would I say Owen is lucky?"