Wizard: Starting with Dealing with Magical Plants

Chapter 267 Cultivation

"That's the gray fog depression."

Rowling stopped and gestured for Ellie to stop as well.

"Don't get within 50 meters of the edge of the fog; we'll go around it along its southern edge."

Just as the two were about to turn south and continue moving forward close to the edge of the depression while maintaining a safe distance, Rowling suddenly frowned and raised his hand to signal Ellie to be quiet.

He listened intently, extending the perception of [Quiet Dust Star] to its fullest extent.

In the wind, besides the inherent deathly stillness and decay of the gray fog depression, there was also a faint but clearly discernible energy fluctuation.

It's not the murky energy of gray fog, but a more ordered, more condensed energy, with a metallic texture and a cold, logical feel!

This fluctuation—is somewhat similar to the fluctuations transmitted from the dark golden light and the recycling program information deep in the canyon!

But it was fainter, more subtle, and seemed to originate not from our side, but from the depths of the gray fog depression.

Could it be that something related to the observer's legacy is hidden within this gray fog depression?

Or has the so-called recycling process already started and tracked it here?

Rowling's heart sank slightly.

The mark on his wrist remained calm, without any burning sensation.

But the appearance of this fluctuation is definitely not a good sign.

"Ellie," Rowling said in a low, serious voice, "stay close to me, move quietly, and we need to get out of here quickly."

"Don't look back, and don't make any unnecessary noise."

Although Ellie was confused, she sensed danger from Rowling's sudden change in expression and tone.

She nodded immediately and followed closely behind Rowling.

Instead of following the relatively gentle southern edge route they had planned, the two veered slightly southwest, choosing a more rugged path that would allow them to quickly distance themselves from the gray fog depression, and swiftly traversed among the rocks and dead trees.

Less than ten minutes after they left the spot.

Deep within the gray fog depression, the still fog suddenly surged without warning.

Immediately afterwards, a very dim, dark golden spot of light, almost blending into the gray fog, flickered briefly somewhere in the fog before going out.

On the edge of the depression, on a patch of ground covered in ash, several extremely faint scorch marks, as if instantly burned by high temperatures and bearing strange geometric patterns, quietly emerged.

The scorch mark lasted for less than three seconds before disappearing on its own, as if it had never existed.

Only the pervasive stillness and decay silently shrouded this cursed land.

Roland slowed down only after he had left the gray fog depression far behind and the unpleasant, decaying smell in the air had completely disappeared.

Looking back, the depression shrouded in gray fog had shrunk to a blurry gray patch on the horizon.

But the faint, orderly energy fluctuations I had just sensed still lingered in my heart like tiny ice spikes.

"Mr. Rowling—was there something just now?" Ellie asked breathlessly in a low voice.

She also sensed Rowling's sudden tension and unusual urgency.

"It might be my imagination, or it might not be."

Rowling didn't hide anything, but he didn't explain in detail either.

"The gray fog depression is more dangerous than rumored."

"If you hear any news about that place in the future, or see any similar abnormal energy, be sure to stay away and don't be curious."

Ellie nodded as if she understood, and kept those words firmly in mind.

After taking a deep breath, Rolin re-oriented himself.

They have deviated from their original route that hugged the southern edge of the depression, and are now located approximately southwest of the depression, seemingly closer to the outline of the main peak of the Sighing Mountains.

The terrain ahead gradually rises, and more rocks and sparse coniferous hardy plants begin to appear.

"Continue northwest, up this gentle slope." Rowling pointed ahead, "The terrain rises, the view improves, and it's easier to find a relatively safe place to spend the night."

"We'll camp near that rocky area up ahead today."

The two walked up the gentle slope.

Scattered across the slope are large and small black rocks, jagged in shape.

The wind picked up noticeably, carrying the chill characteristic of high-altitude regions, causing Ellie to wrap her thin coat tighter around herself.

Rowling chose a recessed spot with a tall rock wall behind him and several natural boulders in front serving as a barrier as his campsite.

This place is sheltered from the wind and offers a relatively open view, allowing you to see a vast expanse of wilderness from where you came from.

Set up camp, fetch water, start a fire, and prepare food.

By the time the whole process was completed, it was already dark.

The campfire crackled, dispelling the chill.

Instead of resting immediately, Rowling gestured for Ellie to sit opposite him.

"We've had a tough journey today, but now is not the time to relax." Roland's voice sounded calm and clear in the firelight. "In the wilderness, strength is the foundation of survival."

"Your 'Azure Wood Spiritual Art' is a basic meditation method of the natural system with great potential, but it requires proper guidance and a lot of practice."

Ellie immediately sat up straight and listened attentively.

"Natural energy is everywhere, but it is also the most elusive."

"When it is gentle, it nourishes all things; when it is violent, it can destroy everything." Roland stretched out his palm, palm up, and a faint light halo with a fresh grassy scent slowly emerged, swirling and condensing in his palm, eventually forming a tiny, pulsating, emerald-green dot the size of a soybean.

Ellie's eyes lit up.

She could sense the vibrant life force contained within those points of light, which was far more solid and stable than when she tried to guide it haphazardly herself.

"Perception is the first step." Roland dispersed the light spots. "Close your eyes, relax your mind, don't try to grasp the energy, but let yourself blend into the surrounding environment."

"Listen to the sound of the wind passing through the cracks in the rocks, smell the scent of soil and plants, feel the solidity of the earth beneath your feet and the vitality floating in the air—tell me what you feel."

2

Ellie closed her eyes as instructed and tried to relax.

At first, my mind was still filled with the thrilling scenes from the day and my physical exhaustion.

But as Luo Lin calmly guided her, she gradually calmed down.

The wind was a bit cold, but it seemed to carry the scent of distant snow-capped peaks.

It smells like soil—a bit damp, and also a faint, raw, grassy smell.

Beneath my feet—the stones were hard, but it seemed—there was something very faint and warm, emanating from deep within.

She tried to capture that warm feeling, her mind unconsciously focusing on it.

In that instant, she "saw" it.

It's not with the eyes, but with a kind of vague, almost instinctive introspection.

Inside her body, near her lower abdomen, there was a faint, pale green halo, like a candle flickering in the wind, rotating very slowly and according to a specific rhythm.

In the air surrounding her body, countless even finer, almost imperceptible pale green specks of light were slowly approaching her with each breath and heartbeat, drawn in by the rotating halo of light and gradually merging into it.

Although the speed is ridiculously slow and the amount absorbed is negligible, it is indeed being absorbed!