Chapter 101

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After lunch, the queen led everyone on a winding path until they arrived at an extremely dense forest. The branches in front of them intertwined, and the leaves were intertwined and overlapped so tightly that there was no way through.

There is no way out.

A few people were obedient and didn't ask any questions. Sure enough, after a few breaths, they saw the branches in front of the queen in the front began to move.

They slowly moved and moved aside, revealing an intersection that could accommodate two people passing through.

The queen lifted her skirt and walked in calmly, and several people hurriedly followed.

The road was narrow at the beginning, but after a dozen steps, you will see a wide open space.

The first thing that caught my eye was a huge tree that was so big that ten people could hardly hug it. It looked no younger than the Elf Queen.

This big tree is lush and leafy. Every leaf that Lian Yun sees is perfect, with just the right shade of green, gorgeous yet soft, so ordinary yet so strange that one can't take their eyes off it.

They seem to never turn yellow or fade.

The lush branches and leaves reach straight to the sky, keeping a distance from the surrounding trees. Looking up, you can see the sky half inlaid with green.

The closer you get, the more you can feel the gifts from nature that come to you and linger around you - the extremely fresh air, the refreshing fragrance of plants, and it feels like a baptism of the soul when you breathe in and out.

The Queen introduced that this was the "Tree of Life" in the Elf Forest.

"My husband, in exchange for half his core, sought help from the Tree of Life."

As a result, his vitality was severely damaged and he lost the ability to maintain his youthfulness.

The remaining life is even much less than that of ordinary elves.

Several people listened silently, and Lian Yun also understood what the queen meant.

She had been badly betrayed by the human race and had lost her beloved. It was futile for anyone to hope that she would trust humans again...

It's too difficult.

The queen looked at Lian Yun indifferently. She knew that the girl in front of her was a smart person.

"As a thank you for giving me Lina in exchange, I'm willing to answer your questions."

This is a thank you gift.

But Lian Yun wants much more than that, but now she can only seize the only opportunity.

Lina was also very anxious, but she couldn't say it.

Even though she was a member of the elves and even a descendant of the royal family, she had lived and grown up with humans since she was born. Especially after hearing about the harm her grandfather had suffered, she wanted to plead for mercy, but she had no right to do so.

Lian Yun had several questions forming in her mind. Lina saw her walk around the sturdy Tree of Life, then lowered her head in thought before asking, "Why does the king need to ask the Tree of Life for help? Doesn't the Tree of Life protect the elves on its own?"

Hearing this, it seemed to bring back some memories for the Queen.

But she still remembered the promise she had just made, and quickly organized her words and replied, "Originally, yes."

"It's still related to the so-called Son of God. Before he appeared, the Tree of Life had always been able to communicate with the rulers of the royal family."

Every ruler will come to the Tree of Life at a fixed time every year to listen to the "Revelation".

The Queen paused, then continued, "It can answer any question, from small details like how to treat pests and diseases to big things like what we should plant this year."

Almost every request is granted.

"Until the second 'Son of God' came into being, the Tree of Life never communicated with us again."

Because a long time ago, the elven royal family had a ruler who was incurable and dying, and it was the Tree of Life that saved him.

Because of the special nature of the elven royal family, if the current ruler is lost without the emergence of the next heir, it will be a near-destructive blow to the elven race.

The situation faced by the Elf King at that time was also a risk of genocide.

So the king, with a desperate attitude, used up half of his core in exchange for the awakening of the Tree of Life.

"What's the result?" Lian Yunping concentrated his attention.

The queen's gaze seemed to penetrate the layers of branches and gaze into the distance: "Mist."

This was the gift from the Tree of Life, but they were not sure whether it could be considered a "helping hand."

Since the day the fog formed, no one other than the elves could enter the forest. Naturally, they were unaware of one thing—

This fog not only prevents outsiders from entering, but also hinders the elves from leaving.

The enclosure is a fence, and whether inside or outside the fence, it is a cage.

If it weren't for the abundant forest land, the elves would have died out long ago.

Because it is the power of the Tree of Life, the elves who have lived by worshipping it for generations call that area "Mist".

Although their freedom is restricted, their lives are saved and food is provided.

Especially when Lian Yun described the gradual decline of the outside world over the years, for a moment, he didn't know whether the isolation of the fog was a good thing or a bad thing.

Lian Yun then asked, "Didn't the Second Son of God pass away long ago? Since his death, has there still been no way to establish contact with the Tree of Life?"

The queen pondered for a few moments.

Before she could say anything, she saw several branches around her stretch out and quickly weave into vine swings.

The next second, the queen silently lifted her skirt and sat down with an expressionless face.

Lian Yun: “…”

Queen: "I'm tired of standing. You guys should sit down too."

Lina was the first to jump and smile towards the swing next to the Queen, but she was grabbed by the Queen halfway and pulled onto the swing she had widened.

Lina pursed her lips sheepishly, quickly accepted the contact with her grandmother, and lay in her grandmother's arms.

It’s cool, but very friendly.

Seeing this, Lian Yun and the others also sat down. Only Luo, who had not recovered yet, sat sullenly on the fixed wicker chair.

"Actually, I understand what you mean." The queen said slowly.

As she controlled the vines to sway gently, she looked down at Lina, who was smiling happily in her arms, and her tone softened.

"So many years have passed. No matter how much hatred I have, it should have faded. As for me, Lina isn't pure-blooded elves. If I accept her, I won't be able to completely break away from the other races. And as for the entire continent... you said, the land outside is beginning to decline. It's really difficult to restore normal production in a short period of time relying solely on human efforts. Monsters are beginning to evolve once again."

"It's hard to save this by relying on one race, or one small town."

The queen glanced at Lian Yun, who was listening quietly. "Every race has a new batch of blood. According to what you said, they all have more or less the desire to save this continent together."

"For the elves, being isolated for a long time will cause us to overlook a lot and lose a lot of experience."

In short, unification is an inevitable trend.

“…”

Lian Yun fell silent again.

Everything I wanted to say and didn't say was said by the Queen.

Weighing the pros and cons, the Queen knows much more than her.

"You know everything." Lian Yun felt a little depressed. It was her first time facing the Elf Queen who was hundreds of years old. She would be lying if she didn't feel nervous. She finally adjusted her mood and planned to make a final move, but the Queen knew everything without her having to say anything.

Lian Yun pulled himself together and asked a final question: "Since you know all this, you must have your own reasons for not doing this."

What is the reason?

The Queen looked towards the Tree of Life and said, "That's it."

"The origin of the elves has been passed down orally to this generation, and everyone knows it—the elves originated from this Tree of Life."

"Even the elven royal family must visit it regularly each year to listen to its guidance. So, do you understand?" The queen sighed almost imperceptibly. "Although the Tree of Life cannot be moved and currently cannot even communicate, its voice carries more weight than the elven royal family."

"Generations have worshipped and believed in it. Even though it can no longer provide us with any clues, it has become the backbone of the elves."

Especially since there has been no contact with the outside world for hundreds of years, several generations of elves have lived in the forest.

People of other races have changed to become smarter and freer.

And the elves...

Lian Yun thought of the "closed-door policy" that had existed in his own world, so why was it always said that isolation was unacceptable?

They are still on the same continent, but separated by fog. Various changes have occurred between the two sides in the past hundred years.

"I believe in the rule even more, especially when it's ruled by a supernatural power. It's hard not to believe in it."

What's more, this supernatural thing actually exists.

Lanna, who had been silent for a long time, finally said calmly: "But you are the Queen of Elves."

The queen turned her head and looked at the man who spoke for the first time.

This person was very dangerous, she could tell from the first sight. Although he was said to be the girl's bodyguard, she didn't look like a bodyguard at all.

In addition to following closely, he also looked around Lian Yun vigilantly, fearing that the girl might be in any danger.

Like a bird of prey that never lets its guard down, it always stands on the treetops, guarding its treasures.

That’s not all.

Perhaps it was the intuition given to her by nature, like when it came to Lina, she could instantly tell that her bloodline was impure, but she inherited the good qualities of her parents.

And this taciturn man seems to have an even more complicated bloodline...

The unknown bloodline that she couldn't see through, and the combat ability that he had trained for a long time, she had lived too long, so it was easy for her to see that although he was only in his twenties, he must have learned these things since childhood to be so proficient in them as if they were engraved in his bones.

Such training is bound to be extremely difficult, and the person who teaches him is naturally different from others.

It was also his constant companionship with the young lady lord that made her take the girl more seriously.

"You're right, I'm the queen, and my every move affects the entire elf race, but the key is."

The queen scanned the crowd with cold eyes.

“I believe in it, too.”