The King Of Warriors novel (Jared Chance) novel Chapter 6384

At the same time, the five Sylvan adepts moved together.

The wooden staff in his hand kept whipping through the air, each swing throwing out streams of green spiritual power that changed shape as they flew.

Some turned into sharp wooden swords. Some became wooden spikes steeped in deadly poison. Others twisted into vines with crushing, relentless binding force.

They closed in from every direction and sealed off every path of retreat.

Jared took in the scene in front of him and saw the problem for what it was. If this standoff dragged on any longer, they would do more than waste time.

It could also draw in even more Sylvan adepts.

And once that happened, getting in front of the Sylvan Chief would only become harder.

So he decided to end it fast.

He needed to do it without hurting these Sylvan patrols, and still make them move aside on their own.

He drew in a deep breath, and the chaotic force inside him surged again.

The violet radiance swelled in a flash, gathering into a giant purple hand that drifted toward the five Sylvan adepts with what looked like a light, casual press.

The hand seemed slow.

But the force inside it was crushing. There was no killing intent in it at all, only a massive pressure that dropped over the five Sylvan adepts and smothered them whole.

The five Sylvan adepts went pale on the spot.

They could feel it with brutal clarity. That pressure was far too strong, well beyond anything their bodies could bear.

There was no resisting it.

The Sylvan leader tried to swing his wooden staff and strike back, only to find that his body would not move at all.

Even the wood-aspected spiritual power inside him locked up completely, as if it had been frozen solid.

The other four Sylvan adepts were caught under the same pressure and pinned in place, unable to move.

The color drained from their faces, and what was left there was plain to see.

The giant purple hand came down lightly overhead the five Sylvan adepts.

It did not injure them in the slightest. It only sent a strand of gentle chaotic force into their bodies.

That force suppressed their spiritual power and left them unable to attack again.

"Fellow adept, we really don't mean you any harm."

Jared spoke again. His voice stayed mild, but there was weight behind it that left no room to argue.

"The spirit vein is drying up. The forest is almost dead."

"And your Sylvan Kin are about to face destruction with it."

"We came here to help you solve this crisis and talk about working together."

"Together, against the Celestial Alliance."

"If you insist on blocking us and delay something this serious, it won't just be you. The entire Sylvan Kin will be wiped out because of it."

Jared gave them that warning one more time.

The fear on the Sylvan leader's face slowly faded.

In its place came a flicker of doubt, and then shock.

"What did you say? The spirit vein is drying up? That's impossible!"

"Our Sylvan Kin's spirit vein has been stable since ancient times. How could it possibly dry up?"

"You're lying to us!" The Sylvan leader didn't believe a word of it.

Jared didn't argue. He only reached into his robe and pulled out a black stone.

He had picked it up near the outer edge of the Shrouded Wood.

Its surface was covered in cracks. A black liquid seeped out through them, giving off a faint rotten stench.

He tossed the stone to the Sylvan leader and said,

"Fellow adept, take a look for yourself. I picked this up near the outer edge of the Shrouded Wood."

"Your Sylvan Kin have lived here for generations. You should know what this is."

"This is blightstone, formed after a spirit vein starts to rot."

He had only ever taken it for a natural change in the forest. It had never occurred to him that the spirit vein itself was the cause.

The other four Sylvan adepts had been listening to every word between the two men. By now, the looks on their faces had changed too. The shock was plain, and so was the weight that followed it.

One after another, they turned to Gavin and waited for him to decide.

A long while passed before Gavin slowly lifted his head. The struggle that had been sitting in his eyes thinned, bit by bit.

What took its place was resolve.

He knew this was tied to whether the Sylvan Kin lived or died. There was no room in it for even the slightest carelessness.

And he could not keep leaning on his own prejudice to block Jared and the others any longer.

So he cupped his fist toward Jared and spoke with clear respect.

"Fellow adept Jared, I offended you earlier. Please forgive me."

"As for the spirit vein drying up, I had noticed something was wrong too. I just never took it seriously."

"Since you have a way to resolve the spirit vein crisis, then I'll take you to see the Clan Chief."

"But the Clan Chief has never liked humans. Whether you can persuade him or not will depend on your own ability."

By then, most of the hostility had drained out of Gavin.

"Thank you for making an exception, fellow adept." A faint smile showed on Jared's face.

He lifted a hand and drew back the chaotic force that had been covering the five Sylvan adepts.

"If we can meet the Clan Chief and convince him to work with us, that will be a blessing not just for the Sylvan Kin, but for the whole human race as well," Jared said.

Gavin nodded and put away the black blightstone in his hand.

He shot the other four Sylvan adepts a look and said, "You stay here and continue patrol duty. Keep a close watch on everything around you."

"If any other outsiders break in, report it at once. I'll take fellow adept Jared and fellow adept Gwendolyn to see the Clan Chief."

"Yes, Captain!" the four Sylvan adepts answered in unison.

They put away their wooden staves, then slipped back into the thick fog and resumed patrol duty.