CHAPTER 367: 145 THE SACKCLOTH TREE AND THE MAGIC MIRROR (PLEASE COLLECT)_2

First-order Middle Stage—Chain Fireball!

"BOOM!"

"RUMBLE..."

Six enormous fireballs descended from the sky like fallen suns, plunging into the dense forest.

In an instant, the raging fire could no longer be contained.

"RUSTLE..."

The branches trembled violently, as if narrating a sorrowful tale.

One by one, trees perished in the flames. Even the towering giant tree at the center could only sway its massive body weakly.

The rapidly drawn moisture turned into sparse raindrops that fell on the island, proving virtually useless in extinguishing the flames.

"CRACK!"

"CRASH!"

Branches burned in the inferno, emitting crisp, snapping sounds.

Under the intense heat and fierce flames, streaks of char began to appear on the giant tree at the island’s center.

"Get ready!" Ayala put away her telescope, raised her right hand, and prepared to deliver the final assault on the island’s trees.

"Wait a moment," Carl suddenly spoke, a hint of surprise in his eyes. He then steered the Magic Flying Carpet toward the island.

By then, the trees on the island’s perimeter had already been reduced to ashes, with only a few deep-rooted tree roots spared.

Sadness! Desolation! Unyielding despair!

Alive? Carl mused, looking pensive as he reached under the rubble and pulled out a nearly lifeless root, his fingers piercing into it like tentacles.

He hadn’t yet finished constructing the One-Circle Witchcraft, Life Whisper, but he had mastered Level Zero Plant Sensing.

Instantly, a faint consciousness emerged in his mind.

"Don’t kill me!"

"I..."

"I don’t want to die...!"

The once lush island was now a swath of char, with only a hint of green lingering in its center.

The over three-hundred-meter-tall giant tree had snapped, its charred wood turning to charcoal and scattering nearby.

On the remaining trunk, now only over ten meters tall, scorch marks were evident, and the few green sprouts that had re-emerged represented its final struggle.

"I don’t want to die!" The green sprouts trembled, emitting a sorrowful plea, "Please, don’t kill me. I am the only Saros tree left in this world. Please, spare my life."

"Why should I spare you?" Carl paced, sensing the frail life force before him. "Don’t talk about mercy or redemption. Countless people have died on this island. When you devoured them, you probably didn’t think twice about showing mercy."

"No! I haven’t!" The green sprouts shook. "I’ve spent most of my time asleep to minimize consumption. Devouring humans... I don’t remember clearly."

"Is that so?" Carl stopped. "You think I believe you?"

The reason he was willing to stay his hand was merely his curiosity, having encountered an intelligent life form other than the Human Clan for the first time. It wasn’t out of any pity, nor was there any so-called sympathy.

"I’m not lying to you," the green sprout’s voice was faint. "What must I do for you to spare me?"

"Don’t sound so pitiful." Carl looked down at the ash-covered ground, his voice indifferent. "Many roots under the ground weren’t burned to death. Although your power has greatly diminished, you still have a chance to fight back. You might as well try."

"RUMBLE..."

The ground shook as if countless earthworms were writhing beneath. The green sprout seemed to be struggling internally.

It indeed still had the ability to fight for its life.

But...

The man had dared to land on the island and had even pointed out its hidden methods. How much of a chance did it still have? Moreover, there were several warships at sea. Even if it killed the man before it, how could it evade the warships’ assault?

"Human," the green sprout drooped, its voice weak, "I beg for your mercy."

"I can forgive you." Carl’s eyes twinkled as a mark formed from spiritual power materialized out of thin air. "But I need to place this into your life core."

"This is..." The green sprout trembled. "A Soul Seal!"

"Hmm?" Carl raised an eyebrow. It knows? The Soul Seal, like the Blood Pill, comes from that witchcraft book, ’Mother of All Spirits’. Can people in this world recognize it too?

Wait a minute! Carl squinted. Saros tree? That name... it seems to have appeared in the *Magic Plants Encyclopedia* that Wizards use. A special type of magical plant. Could it be... the two worlds have some sort of connection?

"I don’t know," the green sprout shook, its voice filled with uncertainty. "Beings like us are supposed to inherit some of our ancestors’ memories. However, due to this world, most of my memories are blank, only surfacing automatically when I encounter certain things. In my memories, the Soul Seal originates from some terrifying entity who enslaved many lives..."

As it spoke, its voice was already tinged with dread.

"You can refuse." Carl lifted his left hand, where a First Order Seal quietly hovered. "Two choices. Pick one."

The Soul Seal, or death!

The green sprout froze. In that moment, even the sea breeze seemed to carry a note of desolation and profound unwillingness.

After a long while, its voice, filled with sorrow, said, "I choose the Soul Seal."

"Very good!" A smile appeared on Carl’s face.

He had been practicing condensing the Soul Seal with his spiritual power for some time, but he had never successfully controlled another species. This time, encountering an intelligent life form, he actually had a chance to succeed.

As the green sprout opened its life core, the Soul Seal submerged into it. Soon after, a peculiar sensation arose in Carl’s mind.

The Soul Seal was a success!

Everything had gone very smoothly.

However, if it hadn’t willingly opened its life core, this method might not have worked, and he would likely have had to abandon this technique.

The Soul Seal means control! It controls the life and death of other beings. Under the Soul Seal’s suppression, those marked by it cannot even muster the thought of resistance. This kind of control... it’s less like control and more like enslavement! Forced enslavement! However, it’s not without its price. If one’s spiritual power isn’t strong enough, they could suffer a backlash from the Soul Seal.