Lin Mu's POV:
The oppressive stillness of the afflicted village hung heavy in the air, a stark contrast to the vibrant energy of the Verdant Heaven. As Master Qin began examining the sick, his brow furrowing with increasing concern, I focused my senses, trying to pinpoint the source of the malevolent shadow.
The cold, stagnant energy seemed to emanate from the center of the village, near an ancient, gnarled tree that stood as a silent sentinel in the central square. Its branches were bare and twisted, its bark a sickly grey. Even Ling Yue, with her heightened sensitivity to natural energies, felt a prickling unease radiating from it.
"That tree…" she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "It feels… wrong."
I nodded, my gaze fixed on the ancient tree. The distorted spiritual energy was strongest there. Whatever was causing this sickness was likely connected to it.
Master Qin, after examining several villagers, shook his head. "I have never seen anything like this. Their life force is being slowly drained, but there are no visible wounds or toxins."
As dusk began to settle, casting long, eerie shadows across the silent village, the sickness seemed to worsen. The afflicted groaned in their sleep, their faces pale and drawn. A sense of urgency filled me. I couldn't allow this to continue.
"Master Qin," I said, my voice calm but firm, "perhaps the source of this affliction is not a physical ailment. Ling Yue feels something wrong with the old tree in the square. Perhaps we should investigate."
Master Qin, weary and frustrated, looked at me with a hint of skepticism. "The tree? It has stood there for centuries, boy. What could be wrong with it?"
But Ling Yue's earnest gaze seemed to sway him. "Brother Lin has a keen eye for the natural world, Master. Perhaps he has noticed something we have missed."
With a reluctant sigh, Master Qin agreed. As the moon cast its silvery glow over the deserted village square, we approached the ancient tree. The air around it felt cold, and a faint, almost imperceptible whisper seemed to emanate from its gnarled branches.
I focused my spiritual energy, extending my senses further, delving into the distorted aura surrounding the tree. I could now perceive faint tendrils of shadow, like wisps of black smoke, coiling around its trunk and roots, slowly leaching the life force from the ground and the surrounding area.
And at the heart of these shadows, I sensed a faint but distinct presence – a cold, malevolent consciousness, weak but undeniably there.
"There is something… within the tree," I said, my voice low. "A shadow, draining the life."
Master Qin scoffed. "Shadows? Boy, are you feeling unwell?"
But Ling Yue, her face pale, could feel it too. "I… I feel it. A coldness."
Without further explanation, I took a step forward, channeling a small amount of my Core Formation stage spiritual energy into my hand. It manifested as a faint, golden glow, a stark contrast to the oppressive darkness surrounding the tree.
"Stand back," I instructed, my usual unassuming demeanor replaced by a quiet confidence.
Before Master Qin could protest, I thrust my hand towards the base of the tree. The golden energy struck the bark, and a ripple of power spread outwards. A low, guttural shriek echoed from within the tree, and the faint shadows writhed as if burned.
A section of the bark began to crack and crumble, revealing a dark, pulsating mass within – a core of concentrated shadow energy, faintly sentient and undeniably malevolent. It pulsed with a sickly light, and the whispers intensified, filled with a chilling despair.
Master Qin gasped, his eyes wide with disbelief. Ling Yue recoiled, her hand flying to her mouth.
"What… what is that?" Master Qin stammered.
"The source," I replied simply. "It has been feeding on the life force of this land."
The pulsating shadow core lashed out with tendrils of darkness, attempting to strike me. I calmly channeled more spiritual energy, forming a protective barrier of golden light around myself and Ling Yue. The shadows hissed and dissipated upon contact.
"It needs to be destroyed," I said, my gaze hardening. This was not a natural ailment; it was a deliberate act of malevolence.
I gathered a larger amount of spiritual energy, focusing it into a concentrated beam. The golden light intensified, illuminating the terrified faces of Master Qin and Ling Yue.
"Brother Lin…" Ling Yue whispered, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear and awe. She was witnessing a power she couldn't have imagined I possessed.
I unleashed the beam of energy, striking the pulsating shadow core within the tree. A piercing shriek echoed through the silent village, followed by a violent tremor that shook the ground. The dark mass within the tree disintegrated, the tendrils of shadow vanishing like smoke in the wind.
As the malevolent energy dissipated, a wave of revitalizing energy seemed to wash over the village. The sickly pallor of the afflicted began to recede, and faint sighs of relief could be heard from the nearby dwellings. The gnarled tree, now hollowed out, stood as a silent testament to the darkness that had been purged.
Master Qin stared at me, his mouth agape. "You… you…" He couldn't seem to find the words.
Ling Yue looked at me with wide, questioning eyes, the trust in them now tinged with a profound wonder. The unassuming boy she thought she knew had just displayed a power that seemed almost… divine.
My carefully constructed facade had cracked, revealing a glimpse of the power I had secretly cultivated for centuries. The quiet life I had envisioned was becoming increasingly complicated. The world outside was not as peaceful and oblivious as I had hoped. And the connection I shared with Ling Yue had just taken a significant, and potentially dangerous, turn. The shadows that lingered in the Verdant Heaven might have found their counterparts in the mortal realm, and the Eternal Earthling could no longer remain entirely hidden.