The only road leading out.


    Banna is perched on a teau, sitting at an average height of 1,500 meters. As the two made their ascent up the mountain, the altitude swiftly climbed to around 2,000 meters. The view was almost celestial, with stars twinkling beautifully above.


    Lin Wan’er (ni) was in a particrly cheerful mood. She rolled down the car window, leaned out, and gazed at the starry sky, reminiscent of a little girl visiting her grandmother’s home in the countryside after a summer break. A joyful smile brightened her face, and her expression was one of pure enchantment.


    Charlie Wade was equally captivated by the scenery. After spending so much time in a bustling concrete city, where he could only see a handful of stars—sometimes just a few—this vast expanse of twinkling lights was a refreshing change.


    Here, countless stars adorned the night sky, with the Milky Way’s outline appearing particrly vivid and mesmerizing.<h3 style="background-color:DodgerBlue">


    As the car navigated a series of sharp turns, the stunning sight of Tianchi, embraced by surrounding mountains, suddenly unfolded before them.


    The shimmering Tianchi Lake resembled a giant mirror, reflecting the stars scattered across the sky. This tranquil night scene seemed toe alive in an instant. Despite it being nighttime, Charlie Wade could still sense that the view before him was different from what Lin Wan’er (ni) had initially described. The picturesque scene was almost a perfect replica of an exquisite painting, both in appearance and charm.


    Lin Wan’er (ni) beamed with happiness. As she gazed at the outline of Tianchi, she eximed to Charlie Wade, “Tianchi hasn’t changed at all! Even the shape looks just like before!” Charlie Wade asked her, “Can you still find where the mother of Pucha is?”


    “Yes!” Lin Wan’er (ni) replied eagerly, pointing towards the distant Tianchi. “The mother of Pucha is located on the north bank of Tianchi, about a hundred feet from the shore.”


    She gestured toward the elevated area on the north bank of Tianchi Lake, saying to Charlie Wade, “The silhouette of that house over there is from the vige back then. It seems to still be standing, though there’s hardly anyone left. The house with the lights on likely has the few remaining residents.”


    Charlie Wade nodded and suggested, “Let’s park the car at the vige entrance and walk down.”


    “Okay!” Lin Wan’er (ni) could hardly contain her excitement. Throughout her three hundred years of wandering, this ce was what she had cherished and longed for most.


    Following Lin Wan’er (ni)’s directions, Charlie Wade parked the car along the road, a few hundred meters from the vige entrance. After grabbing the camping gear, they descended the hillside together towards the edge of Tianchi below.


    With the help of the moonlight and starlight, Lin Wan’er (ni) walked about two miles beside Tianchi Lake, ultimately locating where the mother of Pucha once thrived.


    She pointed to a patch of bare yellownd slightly elevated on the shore and said, “That spot should be where the mother of Pucha grew.”


    Charlie Wade scanned the surroundings, noticing the lush green grass and trees all around, but this particr piece ofnd, measuring over 100 meters in diameter, was devoid of life, almost resembling a patch of alopecia. He couldn’t help but ask, “That’s strange. Why isn’t anything growing here?”


    He shook his head in confusion. “I don’t know either. Do you want to take a closer look with me?”


    “Sure,” Charlie Wade replied without hesitation, and together with Lin Wan’er (ni), they approached the barren patch ofnd.


    Once they stood there, Charlie Wade felt an even greater sense of intrigue.


    He remarked to Lin Wan’er (ni), “Miss Lin, this area should have a tropical climate, making it pleasant throughout the year. The altitude here is higher, leading to cooler temperatures, so it should have a spring-like climate all year long. With abundant sunlight and this unique climate, it seems ideal for nt growth.”


    He continued, “If I remember correctly, southern Yunnan produces a significant portion of Huaxia’s flowers. In a ce like southern Yunnan, it would be impossible to findnd without flowers or nts. So why is this piece ofnd, where the mother of Pucha flourished,pletely barren?” Lin Wan’er (ni) shook her head, surprised. “Honestly, my family finds it just as puzzling. In the past, this ce was remarkably vibrant. Thend next to Tianchi Lake was always full of color, teeming with various nts. Within a radius of 100 zhang, the mother of Pucha was surrounded by lush vegetation, and I never imagined it would be barren now.”


    Charlie Wade sighed, “Perhaps it exhausted all the nutrients in the soil?”


    Lin Wan’er (ni) shook her head in disagreement. “Even if that were the case, more than three hundred years have passed. Even the most barren soil should have recovered by now. It can’t possibly remain devoid of life.” Just as she spoke, the sky suddenly darkened.


    The two were examining the deste yellow earth beneath the moonlight and starlight when, in an instant, they felt the surroundings plunging into darkness.


    They both looked up and saw dark clouds rapidly gathering, obscuring most of Tianchi Lake.


    Charlie Wade noticed that the speed at which these dark clouds were forming was abnormal, unlike any natural phenomenon he had ever witnessed. It felt eerily simr to the moments before he activated the Thunderbolt to summon thunder.


    Startled, Charlie Wade uttered, “Does it feel like something unusual is happening?”


    Upon hearing Charlie Wade’s words, Lin Wan’er (ni) furrowed her brows, gazing at the thickening dark clouds in the sky. She began counting quickly on her fingers and murmured, “It seems like someone is behind this… it feels more like…”<fnad96> Checktest chapters at find?novel</fnad96>