This wildly growing magic vine, as it approached the Gondola, suddenly bifurcated at the top, transforming into three huge green vines swaying in mid-air.
At first glance, they looked like three gruesome giant snakes, twisting and struggling.
Undoubtedly, this must be a mature Wood Creature. Angel was originally planning to search for a Wood Creature, and now that one appeared, he wasn’t in a hurry to leave.
Angel initially thought about communicating with this magic vine, but when the vine split at the top into three, he felt a subtle trace of hostility from those twisting vines.
Could it be that this magic vine intends to battle him?
While he was thinking so, rose-like thorns suddenly grew on the three vines, their sharp spikes glinting coldly.
After the thorns shone, the magic vine unhesitatingly waved its three vines, lashing towards the Gondola with lightning speed.
Judging by the direction of the vines, one was aimed at Angel, another at the Gondola itself, and another rushed towards the sandy prison.
Angel noticed that the momentum of the first two vines was relentless, but the vine towards the sandy prison had a moderating intent.
Seeing this, Angel could almost confirm that the main objective of this magic vine was to take away the sandy prison. Considering the intimate relationship between the Green Plains and the White Cloud Village, and seeing Arnott, who looked pitiful and trapped inside the sandy prison, how could Angel not understand? This magic vine likely mistook them as criminals who kidnapped Arnott.
"You misunderstood, we’re on the same side as Arnott!" said Dangross. It was quite savvy, usually not apparent, but it seemed quick-witted during such a crisis, understanding the magic vine’s intent.
However, Dangross’s words did not make the magic vine pause for even a moment.
After all, in the eyes of the magic vine, Arnott was the most important. And Arnott, at this time, was startled by the unexpected incident, tears involuntarily welling up in the corners of its eyes in fear.
Arnott’s pitiful appearance, seemingly having undergone all sorts of hardships, made it impossible for the magic vine to believe the words of Dangross, a flame being.
"Say something!" Dangross shouted at Arnott.
Arnott was entirely scared, its mouth opened, but it failed to utter a word, though a teardrop fell instead.
This scene made the magic vine’s hostility even more intense, its offensive turning extremely terrifying.
In its view, this blow was enough to flip over the strange Flying Boat and bind the human-form creature that appeared to lack any elemental aura.
However, the result imagined by the magic vine did not occur.
Just as the vine charged towards the Gondola, a black Ghostly Shadow rose slowly from the dark side of the Gondola, and a Blue Lantern Flower, bubbling, appeared at the bow.
The Blue Lantern Flower swayed in the wind, and the black shadow transformed into a cyan leopard shadow. A purer essence of nature than even the magic vine’s aura emanated from the cyan leopard shadow.
"A fellow kind?" The magic vine spoke for the first time.
The cyan leopard shadow, however, did not respond, but instead leapt from the side of the Gondola, with clusters of blossoms and vines growing from both its flanks. These plants consolidated at a speed visible to the naked eye, finally forming a pair of flower-and-grass wings big enough to obscure the sky.
The flower-and-grass wings gently closed, shielding the Gondola, blocking the three incoming vines outside.
The sound of vines striking against the flower-and-grass wings produced a crisp metallic clang, indicating the high defensive level of the flower-and-grass wings.
"Who are you, and why have I never seen you before?" the magic vine questioned again.
The cyan leopard shadow still did not reply, instead opening the flower-and-grass wings slightly, revealing eyes that were indifferent and unfeeling.
In its bewilderment, the cyan leopard shadow flapped its wings and swooped down towards it...
This cyan leopard shadow was indeed Earl Mi. While Earl Mi battled the magic vine, Dangross let out a long breath, knowing Earl Mi’s strength, it understood they were temporarily safe.
"Absolutely useless! Just frightened by the aura, you actually cried." Dangross grumbled at Arnott, stuck inside the sandy prison. "If you had spoken just now, none of this would have happened."
Arnott sobbed for a while before saying in a faint voice, "I... I don’t understand."
"What’s there not to understand?"
"Why if I, I speak, none of this happens?" Arnott asked timidly.
"You’re not Kelonkcro, don’t stutter," Dangross scolded, seeing Arnott shrink back, and explained begrudgingly, "This magic vine saw you trapped inside this prison, and surely misunderstood us as your captors. So, had you explained it, the problem would be solved. But you didn’t say a word, and it really drives me crazy!"
Understanding now that his actions might have led to the magic vine’s misunderstanding, guilt showed in Arnott’s eyes. "Then, what should we do now? Should I explain right now?"
Dangross glanced at the heated battlefield nearby: "What’s the use of explaining now, they’re probably fired up for a fight."
Angel chimed in, "Dangross is right, wait until Earl Mi suppresses the magic vine’s hostility, then explain."
Arnott nodded, not thinking about whether Earl Mi could defeat the magic vine, and started rehearsing in his mind how to explain later to make the magic vine believe he wasn’t coerced.
Elsewhere, the longer the magic vine fought, the more alarmed it became, though it seemed they were stalemated. It couldn’t figure out why the aura of the leopard shadow was remarkably serene, while it felt its power gradually being suppressed. If not for the abundance of natural energy in the Green Plains, the magic vine believed it might already be at a disadvantage.
Moreover, what the magic vine found most unacceptable was that its opponent appeared to be a Wood Creature too.
Why was it helping those who kidnapped the Wind Elemental Spirit?
The magic vine asked many times during the battle’s pauses, yet its opponent never replied, leaving it puzzled and frustrated.
"Calmed down yet?" rang a voice from the other side, the speaker being that human-form creature the magic vine saw before.
The magic vine did not respond.
"Seems, still not," the calm voice continued, "Earl Mi, let it cool off some more."
Before the magic vine could understand what was meant, the aura of the leopard shadow it faced suddenly intensified, a terrifying aura from a completely different level pinned down the magic vine’s still-flailing vines.
Simultaneously, the ground shook as a faint green fine vine rose from it, wrapping the magic vine’s underground roots and pulling it entirely into mid-air.
"Impossible! When did you do this?" the uprooted magic vine looked at the leopard shadow in horror, utterly unaware that its opponent had silently extended tendrils into the ground!
Earl Mi remained silent, utilizing much greater natural energy to bind it mid-air, rendering it immobile.
The magic vine understood it had hereby hit an iron wall. However, it wasn’t discouraged; this was, after all, the Green Plains. Though temporarily trapped, as long as it could notify other companions nearby, it believed rescue was possible!