Chapter 330 - 328: Dying Along the Way Is Meaningless

"Actually, you could have been a bit more subtle," the Dark Mother Plant said somewhat speechlessly.

Its slightly trembling branches seemed to express its dissatisfaction.

Jiang Che's directness left it feeling a bit unsettled.

After all, it had carefully guarded this secret for so long, and now being exposed so plainly gave it a sense of insecurity.

"There's no one else here, why pretend?" Jiang Che responded indifferently.

His eyes were full of openness, because to him, since no one else was around, there was no need for concealment.

The Dark Mother Plant remained silent; these were the words, but the secret it had guarded for so long being blurted out like this felt strange.

Perhaps because the Dark Forest constantly eavesdropped on secrets through nearby trees, it now always felt some unease.

As the Dark Forest, it understood the concept of "walls have ears," something Jiang Che as a human seemed not to know!

The Dark Mother Plant murmured to itself.

Jiang Che felt a bit anxious; if the Dark Forest's target was the various Lords, Ding Ning and the others would always be in danger.

He began to worry about Ding Ning's safety, his mind constantly imagining various possible dangerous scenarios.

Yet, remembering he was also parasitized by the Dark Forest and hadn't been harmed yet, he knew the Dark Forest had its own purposes.

Until its purposes were achieved, this forest wouldn't stop.

Jiang Che fell into thought; he must quickly figure out the purposes of the Dark Forest to find a strategy and protect himself and those around him.

"How can you turn back and strike?" Jiang Che asked the Dark Forest, eyes shining with a calculating light.

He knew that to protect Ding Ning and others, he must make the Dark Forest stand on his side to fight against other Dark Mother Plants.

"There's no way." The Dark Mother Plant shook its head, "I've already lost qualification. Unless you obtain the throne, I can't rejoin the battlefield."

It could help other Mother Plants, but having already withdrawn, it wouldn't want to be a dog for other Mother Plants.

The Dark Mother Plant softly said, "As of now, only with the current king's death will a new throne become vacant for you to seize."

Jiang Che frowned, knowing it wouldn't be easy.

The Dark Forest laughed darkly, with a tone of pride and cunning, "I've been laying the groundwork for you for some time."

It excitedly informed Jiang Che, "The Black Crow sent people over not for other schemes; I tricked the Black Crow into sending them to feed you, to help you grow."

Jiang Che was stunned; he didn't expect the Black Crow to be one of the targets being manipulated, "Won't the other Dark Forests inform the Black Crow of these reasons?"

He couldn't help but doubt if the plan of the Dark Forest could truly proceed so smoothly.

The Dark Forest disdainfully spoke, "They each have their motives and certainly won't inform."

"Moreover, I secretly contacted the Black Crow." The tone was full of contempt.

Jiang Che stood silent, feeling complex emotions in his eyes.

He couldn't trust the Dark Mother Plant now, as these things were always scheming, which filled him with vigilance.

He recalled every exchange with the Dark Mother Plant, where each word seemed to bear hidden meanings, each action possibly a meticulously planned plot.

He even struggled to differentiate whether the information he thought he uncovered was intended by the other side or genuinely revealed by himself.

This uncertainty was like a fog, shrouding his heart, causing immense bewilderment.

The Black Crow surely thought the information it knew was self-discovered, but the truth was the news came from the Dark Mother Plant.

"Is the certification for obtaining ten dungeons true?" Jiang Che asked.

"Yes!" After a brief silence, the Dark Mother Plant responded emphatically, and its slender branches seemed to tremble slightly, emphasizing the certainty of this answer.

"Some information can't deceive the Lord, we can only speak the truth."

Jiang Che nodded, as he too sensed this was the truth.

His thoughts spun rapidly, analyzing the implications behind this information.

If the truth weren't spoken, the Black Crow wouldn't be deceived so easily.

This Mother Plant hadn't lied to him, this much he knew.

But these Mother Plants undoubtedly wouldn't take this path, "Does the path above the throne not consist of just one?"

Jiang Che continued to inquire, with eyes gleaming with contemplative light.

This time, the Dark Mother Plant didn't respond evasively or speak nonsense.

Its voice was calm, continuing to speak, "Yes, so we can all strive towards the throne from different paths."

"Because the paths each of us takes are those most suited to ourselves." The Dark Mother Plant further explained, its tone revealing a certain tenacity toward its choices.

It had no way of traversing Jiang Che and his team's full dungeon clearing path; they had their own ways.

Jiang Che fell into deep contemplation, starting to ponder the words of the Dark Mother Plant.

"Each throne has a master; to seize a position, that preceding Lord must die." The Dark Mother Plant spoke, its branches swaying.

A branch pointed towards Jiang Che's brow; Jiang Che didn't move, contemplating its words.

"Next, I will make the Black Crow send more people to die, all to be devoured, and ultimately devour the Black Crow." The Dark Mother Plant spoke coldly, with a tone full of ambition and calculation.

Jiang Che recalled the Gray Crow under the Black Crow repeatedly recording data in his domain.

He vividly remembered the Gray Crow attempting to clear the dungeon; the fervor and madness filled that human wearing a crow headgear.

Its eyes burned with intense longing, and every move overflowed with determination and courage.

"What if I don't kill the Black Crow and succeed in clearing ten dungeons instead?" Jiang Che wondered.

This method seemingly didn't require claiming the throne to elevate further.

His heart was filled with questions; he wanted to know the consequence if he chose another path.

"Then you ascend to the top; once it understands your dungeon rules, it can clear them successfully and replace you thereafter," the Dark Mother Plant replied without hesitation.

Its words bore a familiarity and mastery of the rules.

Jiang Che realized abruptly that the Dark Mother Plant wasn't lying.

"Above the throne, how many positions are there?"

To this question, the Dark Mother Plant merely paused, "Can't say until the end; dying en route makes these questions meaningless."

It covertly communicated with the Black Crow once more.

"Have your subordinates try to clear the dungeon; release energy within Jiang Che's dungeon. Only in this way, will his clearing and subsequent demise make devouring easier later for you."