"This is it!"

A day and a half later, Lin An and his party arrived at a valley in the first two magic hours of sunset.

The valley is surrounded by mountains, and the trees on the mountainside are slanted out, lush and dense, the vines are intertwined like a net, and the branches are like an umbrella cover that covers the sky.

Amani said that the "Heart of the Spirit Tree" was found in the valley hidden below, but there was nothing special about it except that it was surrounded by mountains and forests.

"The mountains and forests around the valley are a bit strange, as if they have the effect of confusing the direction, and if you walk, you will go to the other side of the mountain, and you will not be able to reach the valley below."

Amani's explanation did not surprise everyone, since they had all come to the expedition with great fanfare, there must be some certainty that something was underneath.

And Ron, who was on the side, didn't know the destination of Lin An and the others, and didn't dare to talk to Lin An lightly, so he quietly approached John and said:

"If I'm not mistaken, this is already the very edge of the Lop Nur Pass, and further northwest, you will be out of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, and perhaps ten miles out of the road, you will encounter settlements and people. Normally, it is much faster to enter the mountain from that direction than from the Lop Nur Pass, and it is safer on the path. ”

Although there were no dangers along the way, the two warriors brought by John and Byron were also slightly injured, although it was only a minor injury to the flesh and skin, which could be quickly cured with the medicine they brought with them, but if they learned that the thrills along the way could have been avoided, anyone would be dissatisfied.

But Ron knew very well which side he was, and if it wasn't for the protection of Lin An and others along the way, he wouldn't have been able to get here even if he wasn't seriously injured.

Under the strength shown by Lin An and others, any little cleverness is false, and Ron can only pin his hopes on the moral level of Lin An and others, and try his best to improve his role, so he makes a quiet gesture. But the volume was loud enough for Lin An and the others to hear.

Lin An didn't say anything, just looked at Byron with an inquiring gaze.

This does not mean that she has reached the point of trust in Byron, but from her observations, Byron will not do anything about it when she knows that this loophole cannot be concealed.

The people on Byron's side were not surprised, as if they had already guessed that Ron would raise such a question.

And Salin and the others on Lin An's side are still in a state of loose on the outside and tight on the inside, and from the outside, they are not because of Ron's words. And when he became a soldier, Salin was still smiling, holding the staff in front of him with his hands around his chest, and his expression was relaxed.

Byron saw the expressions of Andre and the others, and couldn't help but secretly praise, saying in his heart that the people who can be valued and trusted by the Purple Rose Lady are really not ordinary people, and then he explained to Lin An:

Ron was right, seventy miles southwest of the foothills. It's the city of Cologne, and in fact the mine I mentioned earlier is on the back of the hill opposite, but strangely enough, the people who work in the mines have never discovered the nearby valley. ”

Lin An nodded, Ron said that when the valley was close to the outermost part of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, she thought of Byron's mine, not to mention that although she had been walking in the unfamiliar mountains all the way, she did not find that the frequency of encountering demonic beasts on the road was getting lower and lower.

Of course. Lin An believes that the most important thing about Byron is that he believes in it. It's just that he hasn't reached his destination yet, and Byron, even if he has ulterior motives, won't reveal it so quickly.

What's more, Byron was implied by the emperor's tacit approval, unless he found a treasure that was related to the fortunes of the country and could not be shared in the exploration, Byron was probably unlikely to tear his face with her.

Amani saw that Lin An believed Byron's explanation, and only after receiving Byron's signal did he relieve his doubts:

"I once tried to enter the pass from the bottom of the mountain. But I know the general direction, but I can't find this valley when I go down the mountain, and even if I fly over this mountain from the mining area, I still can't see it, so I can only take you to the way I first entered - these are the things that His Highness found out when he sent me to look for this valley again, and I didn't know this when you first asked about the origin of the 'Spirit Wood Heart'. ”

He explained that he did not mean to deceive the first time. Lin An nodded: that time she had used her spiritual power to perceive Amani's feelings, and he was indeed not abnormal at that time.

Amani's explanation was a bit confusing. But Lin An understood:

Figuratively speaking, this valley is a bit like a hidden map in a game, using a normal sense of orientation to determine the location, which cannot be found, and can only be entered if certain conditions are met or a certain medium is borrowed.

Byron also nodded: "I have sent people to enter from the direction of the mine, but I really can't find this valley, I suspect that there may be some unnatural force here that hides this valley." ”

It was precisely because of this result that he was so keen on this place, and after finding the valley but finding nothing, he could only find Lin An's cooperation.

Lin An and Salin glanced at each other, and they were not surprised in their hearts:

As far as the two prehistoric ruins they had seen were concerned, one was to teleport into the ruins through the guò space, and the other was simply that the entity was hidden in the cracks of the subspace, and the entrance to the material plane was just a door.

The situation in the valley is normal, and all the prehistoric relics must have a special way of hiding themselves, otherwise why has it been passed down for countless years and only been discovered today?

Therefore, the abnormality of the valley only made them more sure of the existence of the ruins, and their eyes flashed with excitement.

Everyone else also had the same idea as Lin An and the others, everyone was not stupid, they knew that the entrance was below, and they were all a little excited that the trek they had been going on for a few days was finally going to see the results, after all, they were not like Lin An and Salin, and most people had only heard of such things as ruins in legends.

"In that case, then what are you talking about so much nonsense, shall we go straight down?" Having entered the Sky City, André was also curious about the possible ruins below, urging Amani.

The others couldn't help but look at Amani expectantly.

Lin An felt a little strange, looked around, and didn't notice anything unusual for a while.

Amani said unhurriedly under the gaze of everyone:

"Of course I can't just go down like this, whether I fly or just go down a steep slope, I can't find that valley, and before I know it, I will go around to the back of the mountain, and the first time I accidentally entered that valley, I went down a mountain stream. It's nearby. ”

Naturally, Byron's men had already figured this out the last time they had visited, and he nodded to his men, and a moment later they found the mountain stream that Amani had spoken of.

The flow of water in this mountain stream is very small, and the clear water flows out of the crevices of the rocks, which is cool and sweet, and it is more luscious than ordinary spring water, and it is refreshing to drink.

Lin An felt the resemblance between this clear spring and the clear water that he had once mixed with the power of nature, but perhaps it was because the power of nature in this spring was too thin. She couldn't sense it.

It has been three days since entering the deep mountains, and after everyone has tested for non-toxicity, they have taken some spring water to replenish the water bladder.

Lin An guessed that when Amani first came here, it was also to replenish the water bladder, so he stumbled into the valley below, after all, walking along the water source in the unfamiliar mountains and forests is a well-known shortcut to find an exit.

Because it wasn't long after lunch, I didn't experience any energy-consuming fights. After drinking the spring water, everyone was shocked, so they did not rest on the spot, and slowly walked to the bottom of the mountain along the stream where the spring water gathered.

The journey was not difficult, and the expected shrubs and vines that grew all year round due to the abundance of vegetation in the mountains were not encountered.

On the way, when one of Byron's guards wanted to draw a knife to split the waist-high grass to open the way, he was also stopped by Lin An, and the careful Byron noticed this, and then everyone was more careful when walking, as much as possible not to trample on the plants encountered on the road.

When the group saw a shallow pool less than knee-deep formed by the stream at the foot of the mountain, the terrain under their feet changed from a steep slope to a relatively gentle ground.

It's an ordinary valley.

If you look at it through the eyes of Amani, who stumbled into this valley for the first time. There's really nothing special here.

As with all valleys located at the foot of the mountain. The trees here are not very tall, the trunks are sloped towards the middle of the valley, and the branches of the canopy gather in the upper part of the trunk, stretching upwards to get more sunlight.

Birds chirp among the trees, and small animals jump. But because the sun had passed noon, the light in the valley had dimmed, and Lin An and the others felt that it was still afternoon when they were halfway up the mountain, and when they went down to the bottom of the valley, it seemed that it was already dusk, and the surroundings were dark.

If there's one thing that makes the valley different, it's that it's so peaceful, even if it's dimly lit, it doesn't feel eerie.

"The valley is safe. The first two times I came down, I didn't see any danger. Not even the big beasts are visible here. And the 'Spirit Wood Heart' was picked up near this waterhole, so the second time I came to this waterhole, I searched for it again and again, but I didn't find anything special. Amani said.

"Will there be any special power in the valley that can make people get lost?" Saleen asked.

"Nope."

Amani shook his head, and there were also four or five people around Byron who showed affirmative looks, it seemed that they were the ones who had been with Amani before.

Lin An nodded, "Then let's disperse and take a look around, and come back and say something abnormal." ”

The people on her side were all headed by Lin An, and they had no objections when they heard this, and they separated in twos and threes, and Byron's people also dispersed at his signal, leaving only Amani and another warrior by his side.

Lin An was followed by Angelia, Ron and Johnm walked together, and Lin An walked to the shallow pool where the stream converged to take a look.

Byron didn't leave either, it seemed that he had made up his mind to follow Lin An, and then walked to her side, "How does Lin know that there is no danger here?" He obviously didn't think that Amani's words would win Lin An's trust.

"A kind of intuition," Lin An knew that Byron was aware of the clues, and he didn't hide it, "I have an intuition from the moment I came, this valley is very safe. ”

To be precise, since going down from top to bottom, Lin An slowly felt that the animals and plants along the way exuded an aura of friendliness - which was why Lin An stopped Byron's guards from cutting grass - and as she entered this valley, this kind of friendly aura permeated the entire valley, as if the entire valley was silently calling to welcome her arrival.

……

And in Lin An's soul, the energy that Fan Duosha said that was surrounded by Lin An's soul gradually turned green when Lin An approached this valley.

The warm and dazzling green glow was like sulfuric acid to Fan Duosha, and Fan Duosha, who was under Lin An's seal, screamed in pain, scolded twice, dragged the smoking body to hide in the most corner, and hated and angry to ache the energy he had lost. But he didn't dare to protest, and curled up in a ball and fell back into a deep sleep to save the energy to maintain his wakefulness.

And the force of nature ignored the neighbor who lived next to him, and jumped and livened happily on his own, as if from a pool of stagnant water to living water, while enthusiastically echoing the brothers and sisters outside, while gradually seeping into the depths of Lin An's soul, making Lin An's dark purple soul projection slowly melt into a touch of pale green. It emits a faint layer of luminescence from the inside out.

The penetration of the force of nature is very gentle, Lin An does not know the changes in her soul, but she feels that with the passage of time, a certain sense of her is also increasing, and there seems to be some kind of long-dormant power awakening in the depths of the valley, and a call is faintly heard, calling her to go in one direction.

……

On the opposite side of the hill where Lin An and the others came down, Titi, who was far behind Lin An, was grabbing a long vine and leaping through the forest.

When he entered the forest, it was like a fish swimming in water, and he was so happy that he seemed to think of this place as an amusement park. In addition to having to follow Lin An and not deviate from the general direction, he and his little friends broke into other people's Warcraft territories everywhere, spoaching and snatching the winter food of the owner of the territory, and went in and out without any scruples, causing a large group of Warcraft to chase with resentment, but there was no way to take these two troublesome combinations.

When Lin An sensed that some kind of power had awakened in the depths of the valley, Titi had just snatched a pair of Firefeather Eagle's eggs and fled.

Hiding in the dense forest and seeing that the Firefeather Eagle couple did not find him, Titi knocked the eagle egg into the stone and was about to suck the egg liquid, when he suddenly turned his neck ninety degrees. Look in the direction of the valley.

The egg wash, with its enticing scent, trickles down to the ground. The Shadow Lynx opened its jaw and caught it through the crack in the eggshell, sucking the slippery yolk into its stomach.

The Shadow Lynx greedily licked the egg liquid from the eggshell, and at the same time, a blur of its body appeared a few feet away, but unexpectedly did not wait for Titi's angry pursuit, and the golden vertical pupils couldn't help but look at his good friend suspiciously.

Titi threw the eagle egg in her arms, and the eagle egg that she had managed to steal burst on the ground, bleeding out the clear egg liquid. Exuding an attractive fragrance, Titi, who used to have a big index finger, did not react, and did not even leave the eagle eggs on the ground, suddenly roared, grabbed a tree vine hanging down next to him, and quickly swung towards the direction of the valley!

――In that direction!

Titi is at a gallop.

――That's the direction!!

He felt a call from his mother's body, like an eagle summoning a returning eaglet, a traveler returning to a warm harbor. Incomparably familiar, incredibly warm. Extremely eager!

……

Olympic Mountain.

At the foot of the mountain, the white marble brick square is as smooth and holy as a mirror, and there are ninety-nine huge torches around the square, so that this vast square seems to be boundless and shrouded in light at all times.

The square, which can accommodate 10,000 people, is full of people day and night, but the believers are silent except for the low recitation of the Bible under the leadership of the bishop, only the whisper of clothes rubbing.

People wrapped their bodies in thin white linen cloth and walked barefoot on the cold white stone bricks, showing their exposed hearts in the most calm attitude, and worshipping their devout faith in the Most High Father.

Directly below the square, there is a ladder of faith formed by ninety-nine steps, which is regarded by the faithful as the supreme glory, and only the most devout believers who come from afar and complete the whole path of faith with three steps and one prostration, can step on it, walk from the ladder of faith into the square of chants, receive the cardinal in person, and introduce him to the Holy See.

Since the Holy Daughter was summoned by the Father to return to Heaven, as if to make up for the loss of the comfort of the Father's favored daughter, in the past two years, there have been frequent deeds of piety in various places, which have been preached everywhere and caused great repercussions among the believers.

And just three days ago, another recognized believer walked through the thorny path of faith, came to the holy place that countless believers yearn for, knocked on the ladder of faith made of white jade, got the door of the church opened, received the personal guidance of Cardinal Ferdinand, and entered the door of the church.

Affected by this, countless faithful spontaneously gathered in the square, led by the bishops and priests, singing chants and praying in praise of the Most High Father.

In the temple at the top of the sacred mountain.

Before the majestic statue, the devout believer who had been ushered into the temple gate three days earlier threw himself on the ground, and the power of faith chanted by tens of thousands of people gathered on the statue. A holy white light descended from the high vault, enveloping the devout believer.

After two years and three months, a full twenty-seven months of trekking without shelter from the wind and rain, the knees of the believers who came to bathe in the holy light from the hardships and dangers had long been worn out in the kneeling day after day, and the white bones had already been exposed in the repeated bruising and suppuration and wear, and the long hair covered with dirt and could not be seen in the primary color, and the ragged clothes were not enough to describe his appearance, let alone his haggard face. The dent withered so that even the dearest parents could not be recognized.

But at this time, as the power of faith washes and washes, the ragged clothes and dirt are separated from the body, the worn knees are reborn flesh and bones, and the flesh and blood under the skin are reappeared, and the face is gradually plumped, as if the body has been reshaped, and a healthy and full of vitality of the youth has reappeared in the shroud of holy light.

The devout believer raised his face, and a delicate and gentle face appeared in front of the eyes of everyone in the temple.

His face was beaming. As if fully immersed in the shroud of holy light, I wonder if I have seen the joyful feast in heaven and the singing of angels, and the joy and serenity that naturally flow from that expression of my expression make people yearn for it.

But the power of faith in the vault was paused, and the chanting of sacred music was ethereal, as if it was gradually fading away from the clouds, and the white light gradually faded, and the last bit of extraordinarily white holy light fell on the hearts of the devout, forming a cross-shaped holy pattern, and the silver texture was clinging to the texture. It's like something you were born with.

The youth opened his eyes. He didn't care that he was standing naked in the eyes of the Pope and the high-ranking members of the Holy See, his eyes were peaceful and peaceful, and there was a faint look of unfinished regret.

But when his gaze cleared up and fell on the Pope in front of the idol, it turned to steadfastness and reverence, and he knelt down on one knee without hesitation.

The silver-haired Pope looked at the young man at his feet.

There was an invisible majesty in his gaze, as serene and serene as the saints proclaimed in the Bible. The young man who had just been infused with the power of faith only felt that the power of faith in his body faintly echoed the Pope in front of him, and the power possessed by the latter was as vast and endless as the ocean.

"Do you understand your way?" The Pope's voice was low and solemn.

"I know."

Without hesitation, the young man lowered his head, pressed his lips to the ground, and kissed the ground where the Pope Layer walked, his movements solemn and reverent.

"By the grace of the Father. Repaying the ...... with Faith You, wish? ”

"I do."

The young man stepped forward on his knees. Hands picked up a corner of the white robe at the Pope's hem and kissed it reverently.

The Pope, holding a white scepter, stroked the top of the young man's hair with his free left hand, as gently as a father caressing a baby.

A white light rose from the young man's body, and the low voices of the high-ranking members of the Holy See in the temple sounded, like a slight breeze blowing across the sea, and in the ears of the young people who had already been included in this big family, there was a voice of concern and joy:

“…… Ah, it's 'physical shelter.'" ”

“…… It's a pity that the grace of God is so thick, but it can't contain more grace......"

In the midst of joy, a faint voice of regret also reached the ears of the young man, but the young man had no joy or sorrow in his heart, and only knelt at the feet of the Pope, quietly listening to the instructions.

"Since the Father wills this, from now on you will be the eighth 'angel in the flesh' and rank among the Protectors of the Son......"

At this moment, the crystal ball held by a cardinal lit up, and a touch of green light leaked out of the crystal ball, and the green glow was full of vitality and full of glory, but the cardinal and some of the papal levels next to him were like seeing demons, and they cried out:

"The power of the gods!"

"Heretics!"

These voices broke the atmosphere of holiness and solemnity in the temple, as if a murmur had been inserted into the hymn of divine pleasure, which pierced the ears of those who indulged in it, and the papal decree could not help but be interrupted.

The Son, whose eyes were filled with peace and tranquility, could not help but open his eyes, and his eyes full of devotion were full of burning anger, and he could not believe that on the day he received the Holy Grace, he could hear such a filthy and evil name!

The newly crowned "Angel of the Flesh" and the Protector of the Holy Son, only felt that his pious heart had been defiled, and a heavy flame of anger ignited from his heart, his eyes were red, and his body trembled slightly.

But when his eyes came into contact with the Pope's eyes, which were not shocked or angry, and seemed to understand the anger and pain in his heart, his heart suddenly calmed down, and he felt an indescribable emotion welling up in his heart, which made him involuntarily burst into tears.

"Don't be alarmed, don't be angry, the road to protect the faith for the Holy Father is full of thorns, could it be that you have forgotten the many difficulties and obstacles on the road of faith? Have you ever flinched, shunned, or stopped because of this? ”

Remembering the storms and hardships he had endured for twenty-seven months, and the grace of God's grace to this day, a vigorous force filled his heart again, and he firmly said:

"Never! I never flinched, shy away, or stopped! ”

This solemn and pious voice echoed in the temple, and the people around couldn't help but quiet down, quietly looking at the Holy Son in the middle, their faces infected with the conversation between the Pope and the Holy Son.

The Pope added: "This is a test and a grace from the Father, can you understand?" ”

"I'm clear!"

The Holy Son's delicate face suddenly became abrupt.

The Pope's face was kind, as if he were pleased to see a thriving young tree, and his withered palm brushed the forehead of the Son again:

“…… Go, my child. ”

(To be continued)

ps：

Thank you for the big pink ticket of the vast moonlight and the big white seed! o(n_n)o~ is a daddy, and the fifth place on the classification list is always only two votes away, and you can't catch up with it, what's going on! ps: Woo, the latter part of the magic stick plot is really written about dead people~