The Ruler of the Realm of Life

Morning greeted the Green Sky Sect with dew-kissed leaves and melodious bird songs.

Chen Xuwu awoke feeling refreshed, the Qi in his Dantian pulsing steadily, radiating a vitality he had never felt in his old world.

Yesterday's mission in Green Leaf Village, though tiring, had given him deep satisfaction and the impetus to move forward.

A new mission from Elder Liu. Patrolling deeper into the forest, searching for traces of dark energy.

This is no longer about healing what's visible, but finding what's hidden. It feels like a nature detective.

He spent a short time in morning meditation, feeling his connection with nature deepen.

'Nature Resonance' felt more responsive, as if every plant around him was an extension of himself.

Soon after, Lin Qianyu came to visit the Jade Bamboo Pavilion, bringing breakfast as usual.

SFX: (Gentle knock on the door, knock-knock, followed by the aroma of warm porridge and tea)

"Good morning, Chen Xuwu! Ready for today's patrol?" Lin Qianyu greeted, her smile bright, yet there was a slight hint of worry in her clear eyes.

"Good morning, Lin Qianyu. Of course!" Chen Xuwu replied, accepting the bowl of porridge. "I can't wait.

The deeper forest must hold many interesting things, and perhaps some new puzzles."

Lin Qianyu sat opposite him, observing Chen Xuwu who seemed so enthusiastic.

"Elder Liu said the forest there is wilder and there might be stronger spiritual beasts. And... the dark energy you sensed could be dangerous. Don't underestimate it."

She's worried about me. It's funny, I used to be the one always worried about deadlines, now she's worried about monsters.

Chen Xuwu smiled faintly. "I'll be careful. And I have 'Aura of Nature Purification' if there's any trouble. I won't be reckless."

"I know," Lin Qianyu said, sighing slightly, but her smile widened. "But still... that evil Qi feels very cunning, like a shadow hard to catch. I will always be with you, Chen Xuwu. I won't let you face danger alone.

This is our mission together." Her eyes radiated sincerity and strong determination, an unspoken promise.

SFX: (Whispers of wind carrying the scent of flowers, whoosh, followed by Lin Qianyu's slightly racing heartbeat, lub-dub... lub-dub...)

Chen Xuwu felt warmth in his heart. Lin Qianyu always supports me. She's an amazing friend, and I'm lucky to have her here.

"Thank you, Lin Qianyu. I appreciate it more than you know."

After breakfast, they prepared. Lin Qianyu carried her slender sword, while Chen Xuwu relied only on his nature skills, feeling lighter without the burden of a weapon.

They walked away from the sect area, heading towards a path that led to a rarely explored part of the forest, known as 'Whispering Forest'.

The trees here were much older and taller, forming a thick canopy that almost completely blocked out sunlight.

The air felt damper and colder, filled with the scent of moss, damp earth, and old wood.

SFX: (Sound of quiet footsteps on damp ground, squish-squish, and the sound of dripping water from leaves, drip-drip, creating a silent forest melody)

Chen Xuwu focused his 'Empathic Leaf Knot'. The deeper they went, he began to feel a change.

The whispers of nature here were not as clear as near the sect. There was a kind of... faint confusion, like distorted sounds.

Some plants appeared slightly withered in certain areas, though not as severely as in Green Leaf Village.

Some small animals seemed more agitated than usual, hiding behind bushes, their eyes radiating fear.

"How is it, Chen Xuwu? What do you feel?" Lin Qianyu asked, glancing at him. "This forest indeed feels different, more... heavy."

"Yes," Chen Xuwu replied, his eyes scanning his surroundings. "Nature here feels... uncomfortable.

Like something is disturbing the balance, but very subtly. There's no thick evil Qi like yesterday, but there are traces of it. It's like someone is playing with the Qi here."

"Playing?" Lin Qianyu frowned. "Do you mean, like children disturbing an ant nest?"

Chen Xuwu chuckled softly. "More like that, but with much greater power. Like someone is trying to control, but doesn't care about the consequences."

They continued walking, Chen Xuwu leading, his senses as a Guardian of Nature guiding him through the labyrinth of trees.

They arrived at a strange small area where some beautiful forest flowers appeared withered on one side, while on the other side, the same flowers bloomed with overly bright colors, as if forced to bloom prematurely.

"Look at this," Chen Xuwu said, pointing. "These flowers are withered, but that one... it bloomed too quickly, unnaturally. It's like someone tried to manipulate their growth, but imperfectly, draining their vitality instead."

Lin Qianyu approached, touching the petals of the overly bright flower. "Its Qi... indeed feels strange. There's a kind of energy forcing its growth, but also draining its vitality. Like being forced to look beautiful, then discarded."

This isn't just about destruction. It's about manipulation. That evil person... he's not just destroying, but also trying to control nature, forcing it to submit to his will.

This is a mind game, not just brute force. Chen Xuwu felt the pattern becoming clearer.

Suddenly, from behind a bush, a small fox appeared. Foxes were usually shy, but this one seemed agitated, its fur slightly disheveled.

Its eyes were a little watery, and it kept scratching its ears with its paws, as if something was greatly bothering it.

SFX: (Sound of a small fox whining uneasily, whine, and the sound of scratching claws, scratch-scratch, sounding pitiful)

"Little Fire Fox," Lin Qianyu whispered, her eyes radiating sympathy. "They're usually very agile and clean. What's wrong with it?"

Chen Xuwu knelt, gently extending his hand towards the fox. He focused his 'Empathic Leaf Knot' and 'Aura of Body Harmony'.

He felt the fox's Qi was slightly disturbed, there was a kind of subtle irritation within it, not severe evil Qi contamination, but more like a continuous disturbance.

It feels itchy and confused. Something is bothering it from within, like an invisible parasite.

Chen Xuwu channeled a little 'Touch of Life' towards the fox. The fox initially hesitated, its frightened eyes staring at Chen Xuwu, then slowly approached, sniffing his hand.

As Chen Xuwu's pure Qi touched it, the fox sighed in relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from its shoulders. The irritation in its eyes subsided, and it stopped scratching.

The fox rubbed its head against Chen Xuwu's hand, then darted away with calmer, more agile steps.

SFX: (Sound of the fox sighing in relief, sigh, followed by the sound of light footsteps, pitter-patter, moving away into the bushes)

"You calmed it," Lin Qianyu said, amazed. "What happened to it? Was it sick?"

"Its Qi was slightly disturbed, Lin Qianyu.

Like something was making it agitated, but not to the point of possession," Chen Xuwu explained. "This wasn't a direct attack, but more like... a deliberate disturbance. Making living beings uncomfortable, perhaps for a specific purpose. Like making them agitated so they're easy to manipulate or just to test limits."

This is the mastermind's trace. He doesn't always use brute force. He also uses more subtle methods, disturbing the balance to see what happens.

He tests, he plays, and he enjoys the small chaos he creates. Chen Xuwu felt a chill up his spine. This enemy is far more dangerous than just a rampaging monster. He is the mind behind the chaos.

They continued their patrol, Chen Xuwu becoming increasingly sensitive to the disturbed whispers of nature.

He found more areas with Qi that felt 'wrong'—plants that grew too quickly then withered, water flows slightly deviating from their path, or even rocks emitting strange vibrations.

"This is strange, isn't it?" Chen Xuwu said, pointing to a tree whose leaves were yellowing on one side, yet deep green on the other. "Like someone intentionally damaged a part, but not all of it."

"Yes, very strange," Lin Qianyu agreed, her gaze serious. "This isn't natural damage. This is more like... an experiment."

Every one of these incidents... is like a thread. And someone is weaving them into a larger pattern, an intricate design.

Chen Xuwu realized that this enemy was not only powerful, but also very patient and methodical, with a terrifying intelligence.

The sun began to lean west, the shadows of the trees lengthening. Lin Qianyu glanced at Chen Xuwu, who seemed intensely focused, his eyes scanning his surroundings with an intensity she had never seen before.

He's truly serious about this mission. And he's so sensitive to nature. My feelings for him... deepen every time I see him so dedicated.

He's not just strong, but also has a sincere heart. Lin Qianyu felt her cheeks flush again, and she quickly averted her gaze to the trees, trying to hide her blush.

SFX: (Whispers of the night wind carrying the scent of the forest, whoosh, followed by Lin Qianyu's racing heartbeat, lub-dub... lub-dub..., getting faster)

"It's almost dusk, Chen Xuwu," Lin Qianyu said. "We should head back to the sect. I'm sure Elder Liu will be very interested in what you found today."

Chen Xuwu nodded. "Alright. I have a lot to report. And a lot to think about."

As they turned to head back, Chen Xuwu felt a strange cold gust of wind. He turned back, towards the depths of the forest.

The disturbing Qi was still there, faint, yet feeling more organized now, as if watching him, an intelligent and cunning presence.

I know you're there. I will find you. This game has just begun, and I will be a better player.

In a cave shrouded in black mist, Grandmaster Mo Xie smiled faintly, his glowing red eyes staring into an obsidian mirror.

The image of Chen Xuwu patrolling and calming the fox was faintly visible there, followed by Chen Xuwu's serious expression as he sensed the traces of manipulation.

SFX: (A barely audible rasping laugh, hehehe, from Mo Xie, followed by the slow swirling hiss of dark energy, ssssshhh)

He's starting to feel my threads. He's starting to see the pattern. Interesting. Very interesting. He doesn't just rely on his strength, but also his intuition.

Exactly as I suspected. He is a much cleverer piece than the others. Let him keep searching. The more he searches, the deeper he will fall into my web. And I am the mastermind behind every move, every little 'disturbance'.

The game has just begun, little Guardian of Nature. And I will enjoy every second of it.