新华社-🍒TG@fnseo💌

在distantancientkingdomofXiong,wheretimewastoldinthelanguageofshadowsandancientmagic,thereexistedasacredgroveknownastheGroveoftheStar-FedOx.Thisgrovewasnotmerelyaplaceofgreeneryandflowers,butaplacewheretheheavensandearth,airandwater,andallthatwasdivine,gatheredtocelebratetheharmonyofcreation.AttheheartofthisgrovestoodtheAltaroftheStar-FedOx,amonolithofpolishedobsidian,inscribedwiththenamesofalltheworld'sancestors,andguardedbyaspiritknownonlyastheGuardianoftheOx.

TheAltarwassaidtohavebeenbroughttherebyanancientqueen,who,inamomentofgreatvision,sawthatthestarsthemselvescouldbefedbythebloodofthepure-hearted.Shethereforesacrificedherson,whosebloodwouldflowintotheAltar,andthegrovewouldbloomwiththeflowersofimmortality.ButtheQueen'ssonwasagreatandstrongman,andhisblood,whenpouredintotheAltar,didnotmerelygrowtheflowers;italsocausedthegroundtotremble,theairtohumwithastrangevibration,andthespiritsofthedeadtoriseinadanceoflightandshadow.

Oneday,ayoungknightnamedLiancametothegrove,searchingforasacredvesseltocarrythebloodofavisionarywhohadforetoldagreatcatastrophewouldsooncometotheland.TheGuardianoftheOx,sensingtheknight'sdesperation,allowedhimtoenterthegrove,butwarnedhimthattheAltarwasnottobedisturbedwithoutcause.

AsLianapproachedtheAltar,hewasmetbytheGuardian,whoexplainedthatthebloodofthevisionarywouldnotmerelygrowtheflowers,butwouldalsocausetheentiregrovetoshift,thestarstorealign,andthecourseofhistorytochange.TheGuardianthenrevealedtoLianthatthevisionary'sbloodwasnotmerelyadrop,butariver,flowingfromtheveryheartoftheEarthitself,andthattheblood'spathwaspredetermined,leadingthroughthegrovetotheverycenteroftheWorldTree,wheretheHeartoftheWorldlayhidden.

Thevisionary'sblood,theGuardiansaid,wasnotmerelyagift,butacurse.ItwouldbringforthapeoplewhowouldunderstandthetruenatureoftheWorldTree,butwhowouldalsobecomeitsenemy,fortheWorldTree'sheartwasadeep,dark,malevolententitythatfedonthebloodofthepure,andwouldconsumethosewhosoughttounderstandit.

Lian,drivenbyamixoffearandcuriosity,agreedtomakethejourney.HewasledbytheGuardiantotheverycenterofthegrove,wheretheAltaroftheStar-FedOxstoodsentineloverthevisionary'sblood.InsidetheAltar,Lianfoundthevisionary'sblood,athick,viscousliquidthatpulsedwithafaint,etherealglow.HethenfoundtheWorldTree'sHeart,amassive,pulsatingorganthatseemedtohumwiththepoweroftheentireuniverse.

AsLianlookedupontheHeart,hefeltadeep,primalsurgeofpowerwithinhimself.Thevisionary'sblood,herealized,wasnotmerelyasacrifice,butaawakening.ItwasthelifeforceoftheWorldTree,anditwasthekeytounderstandingthetruenatureofthegrove,oftheWorldTree,andofthefateoftheland.

Butasthesurgegrewstronger,Lianfeltasharppaininhisheart,asifthevisionary'sbloodhadseepedintothecracksofhisownsoul.Herealizedthathehadtakenmorethanhecouldgive,morethanthevisionary'sbloodcouldbear.Hefeltawaveofnausea,aspreadingdarkness,andthegroundbeneathhisfeetbegantotremble.

Whenthepainsubsided,Lianfoundhimselfstandinginadifferentplace,inadifferenttime,inadifferentland.Hewasnowtherulerofanewkingdom,wherethegroveoftheStar-FedOxlayinruins,andthevisionary'sbloodwashiddenaway,preservedinadark,forbiddenchamber.HewastoldthattheWorldTree'sHearthadbeenconsumedbyadark,malevolentforce,andthatthekingdomhehadonceknownwasnowashadowofitsformerself.

Butinhisheart,Lianknewthathehadfulfilledthevisionary'sprophecy,thathehadcompletedthecircleofhistory,andthathewasnowthebringerofchange.Thevisionary'sbloodhadbeenacatalystforgood,aforcethatwouldbringforthanewageofunderstandingandwisdom,butatthecostofhisownsoul.

AsLianlookedoutuponthekingdomhehadcreated,hefeltadeepsenseofguilt.Hehadtakenthevisionary'sblood,andindoingso,hehadalsotakenthevisionary'sspirit.HehadeatentheheartoftheWorldTree,andindoingso,hehadconsumedthesoulofthegreatancestorwhohadforetoldhisdestiny.

Butintheend,Lianrealizedthathehadbeenafooltodosuchathing.Thevisionary'sbloodwasmorethanasacrifice;itwasacalling.Itwasaduty.AndbyeatingtheheartoftheWorldTree,hehadeatentheessenceofhisownhumanity,andhadturnedintoabeingofdarkness,ashadowofthemanhehadbeen.

Ashestoodinthekingdomhehadcreated,Lianfeltadeepsenseofregret.HehadwalkedthroughthegroveoftheStar-FedOx,andindoingso,hehadwalkedthroughtheheartsofthepeoplehehadcreated.Hehadeatenthevisionary'sblood,andindoingso,hehadeatentheheartsofthosehehadsaved.HehadconsumedtheWorldTree'sHeart,andindoingso,hehadconsumedthesoulofthegreatancestorwhohadguidedhim.

Butintheend,Lianknewthathehadfulfilledtheprophecy.Hehadcompletedthecircleofhistory.HehadeatentheheartoftheWorldTree,andindoingso,hehadeatentheheartofthemanwhohadbeenhisenemy.Andinthatmoment,herealizedthathewasnolongerthestrong,valiantknighthehadbeen,butabeingofdarkness,ashadowofthemanhehadbecome.

Andso,hefellintothedarkness,andthekingdomhehadcreatedbegantofallapart,asthevisionary'sbloodhadforetold.Thestarsbegantorealign,thegrovebegantodie,andtheWorldTreebegantogrowstronger,untilitconsumedallthatstoodagainstit.

Intheend,Lianwasbutashadowofthemanhehadbeen,andallthatremainedwasthememoryofhisactions,areminderofthepowerofthevisionary'sblood,andthecostthathadbeenpaidforit.

Andso,thelegendofthegroveoftheStar-FedOxwasborn,ataleofgoodandevil,ofsacrificeandpower,ofthepriceofunderstanding.Itwasatalethatwouldbetoldforgenerationstocome,astorythatwouldremindallwhohearditofthedarkandlightwithinusall.

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