Chapter 172 Research Commission

On the fourth level of the maze, deep in the misty forest, a night elf was taking a nap leisurely on a tree branch.

Her figure was petite, like a willow branch resting on a tree branch, and her wheat-colored skin blended in with the color of the tree trunk. If you didn't look carefully, you would never notice that there was a person hiding here.

Ever since the dome on the fourth floor of the maze regained its light, the entire withered forest has regained its vitality, and the warm light always makes people unable to help but twitch their eyelids.

At first, Shirley was standing guard seriously, but the surroundings were so quiet that she couldn't help but dozing off.

Anyway, nothing major has happened in the maze recently, and adventurers don't dare to cause trouble on the fourth floor of the maze.

Although there was a group of annoying goblins, the dwarves didn't dare to get close to here.

And the most important thing is that "Little Gray" woke up recently, and the whole forest has regained its vitality.

Every movement of every blade of grass and tree here cannot escape its eyes. If anything really happens, it will definitely remind her.

Just when Shirley was sleeping soundly, a breeze suddenly blew, and a butterfly flew from somewhere and landed on the tip of her nose.

The pollen falling from the wings irritated her nasal cavity, and she couldn't help sneezing. With a sneeze, she fell directly from the tree.

“Ouch!”

She fell on her butt and let out a short cry, but fortunately the dead leaves on the ground were piled thick enough so she was not hurt.

Just as she was rubbing her lower back and muttering "What bad luck" as she stood up from the ground, she suddenly saw a majestic figure standing in the shadow of the bushes not far away.

Seeing that angular and intimidating face, Shirley suddenly showed an expression of surprise and subconsciously cried out.

"Master Demon?! Why are you here?!"

Previously, her father arranged for her and her sister to serve as guards for the Demon King. However, since the Demon King had been staying in his own territory recently and had no need to travel, he sent the two sisters back home.

Anyway, this place is not too far from the surface, and if anything happens they can respond to the call and rush over at any time.

But to be honest, she still prefers to stay by the side of the Demon King rather than standing guard at the door of her house.

It's not just because the Demon King has a pleasing appearance, but also because the food there is different every day.

Unlike the vegetarian elves, the fallen night elves had no dietary restrictions. When she thought of the taste of the barbecue, she couldn't help swallowing.

Although there are barbecues in Misty Town, their father forbids them to go near there without reason. He will only send special people there when they need to purchase daily necessities.

"I have something to ask your father..." Luo Yan looked at Shirley, who was covered in fallen leaves, and asked with a slightly hesitant tone, "Are you okay?"

He just saw with his own eyes that this guy fell from a height of more than two meters.

If it was to welcome me, there was no need to be so polite.

"It's okay, it's okay, it's just a little accident, hehe..."

Shirley smiled shyly, not wanting to say that she had fallen asleep, and quickly brushed off the fallen leaves on her body.

Then she jumped to his side like a lark and spoke in a clear and pleasant voice.

"I'll lead the way for you, please follow me!"

"Thank you very much." Luo Yan nodded and flicked the dead leaves out of her hair.

A barely perceptible blush appeared on that sunny and cheerful face, and then blew away like a gust of wind.

Looking at the girl's brisk steps, Luo Yan followed the slender figure, passed through a lush forest, and soon arrived at the edge of the Grey Wind Tribe's camp.

Unlike when I first saw it, the thick tree trunks rose from the ground and intertwined to form solid walls.

There was a gap in the middle of the wall that was only wide enough for one person to pass through, which seemed to be the gate of the fortress.

Perhaps they sensed the two people's arrival, the thick tree trunks seemed to be alive, and expanded the gap that was originally only wide enough for one person to pass through into a five-meter-wide gate.

Luo Yan looked at the scene in surprise.

Especially when he saw the lush tree houses standing behind the gate, the expression on his face became even more incredible.

Ever since the moonlight from the dome enveloped the forest, the changes that have taken place here can only be described as earth-shaking.

Noticing the expression on the Demon King's face, Shirley's lips curled up slightly into a smug smile, and she unconsciously straightened her chest and spoke in that clear and pleasant voice.

"...We lived in the tree house a long time ago. Later, the light of the maze dome went out and Little Gray became weaker and weaker. Then we moved out of the tree house and lived in a tent made of animal skins. Now everything has changed, both the light of the dome and Little Gray, so we moved back to the original place..."

When she said this, Shirley paused for a moment and turned to look at Luo Yan.

Those bright eyes seemed to be able to speak, writing the heartfelt gratitude and admiration without any extra motives in the wind blowing through her hair.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome," Luo Yan smiled and nodded, saying in a gentle tone, "You are the people of the Great Cemetery. Protecting you is one of my duties as the Demon King."

"Hehe, I knew you would say that." Shirley winked playfully and hooked her index finger behind her back.

Just at this moment, her sister Helen appeared at the city gate not far away.

Seeing the Demon King following behind her sister, she knelt on one knee and saluted, performing the highest etiquette of the Night Elf Tribe to Luo Yan.

"Supreme Demon King, Lord of the Great Cemetery, please forgive me for not being able to come and greet you in person. He is preparing for the ceremony in the meeting hall..."

Her gentle and elegant temperament formed a sharp contrast with the quirky Shirley.

Including the broad mind and far-sighted vision.

If they didn't both have the same lavender hair and emerald green pupils, Luo Yan would never have imagined that they were sisters.

"Please get up. I told him to do the ritual. Just take me there."

Helen stood up respectfully and nodded.

"Thank you for your understanding. Please follow me."

After saying this, she looked at her sister and signaled her with her eyes to go back and stand guard, and she would take care of the rest.

Shirley looked at her sister pitifully, trying to get away with the fact that she was on guard duty, but seeing that her sister was unmoved, she could only make a "tsk" sound, bury her head in a depressed mood, and turn around to go back the way she came.

Watching her sister leave, a trace of sadness appeared on Helen's face. She looked at Luo Yan with a little worry and said.

"… Shirley is usually a bit free and undisciplined. We will strengthen her discipline in the future. If she has offended you in any way, please forgive her for her young age."

By elf standards, Shirley was indeed young, although by human standards, they were both old enough to be grandmothers.

"How can it be offensive?" Luo Yan smiled and said jokingly, "Instead of teaching her, I think you should learn from her and not be so tense all the time. It makes me nervous sometimes."

Helen was slightly stunned and looked at him in surprise, as if she saw another side of him that she had never seen before.

"Do you... feel nervous too?"

"Of course," Luo Yan smiled and nodded, and said in a gentle tone, "So I hope you can relax a little. Public occasions are a different matter, but you don't have to treat me as an outsider at other times."

"Yes...if that's what you expect." Helen took a deep breath and relaxed her shoulders.

However, perhaps she was not used to this feeling, and her expression became unnatural.

Realizing that his comfort had backfired, Luo Yan smiled helplessly and decided not to say anything more. He just quietly followed her through the gate and stepped into the city of the Grey Wind Tribe.

The round stone slabs float on the crisp grass, forming a stone road, like lotus leaves in a pond, winding towards the tree house in the center of the city.

Noticing the sudden visitor, curious heads popped out from under the lush leaves.

When the night elves sitting in the tree house found out that the guest following Helen was the Demon King, they all showed surprised expressions.

Some elves sat on the tree branches, while others jumped down and gathered on both sides of the road curiously, wanting to see more clearly. They did not have the usual aloofness and aloofness towards outsiders at all.

A handsome young man sitting on the tree house took out a six-string guitar and played an exciting and cheerful tune with his slender fingers like a bard in a tavern.

Accompanied by the melodious music, a young girl started singing first, and soon someone else followed suit.

The sound was like the song of a nightingale, forming a winding stream under the mottled shadows of the trees, trickling into the ears. Even the birds on the treetops stopped singing and immersed themselves in the intoxicating song.

Instead of flowers and red carpets, they used melodious music to pave the way for the two of them.

Feeling the enthusiasm of the Grey Wind Tribe from the welcoming songs lining the road, Luo Yan smiled and waved to them.

Unlike humans who express their welcome in this way, elves are better at expressing their emotions through art, incorporating their passionate feelings into expressions that are more subtle than cheers and whistles.

These include but are not limited to painting and gardening, as well as playing music and singing, which almost everyone can do.

He could feel from the singing the people here were grateful and welcoming to him.

Looking at the tribesmen who gathered on both sides of the road to express their welcome spontaneously, Helen couldn't help but smile and unconsciously relaxed her tense nerves.

At this time, a girl younger than Shirley walked out of the crowd, holding a bouquet of colorful flowers, stood in front of the two men, and looked at him with her watery eyes blinking.

Luo Yan cast an inquiring look at Helen, and the latter curled the corners of her lips and spoke in a soft voice.

"That should be a flower she cultivated herself. Usually we only give it to the most respected or important people."

Luo Yan said with a smile.

"It seems like if I say no, someone will be sad."

"That's not the case..."

Helen said in a low voice, and Luo Yan, who was walking beside her, stopped and took the bouquet from the girl's hand.

"Thank you for the flowers, I love them."

Luo Yan showed a friendly smile and expressed his gratitude. However, the girl did not move away from the middle of the road, but just looked at him shyly, as if she had something to say.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" Luo Yan leaned down and looked at her at eye level in a friendly manner.

He was not shy about showing his friendly side to his loyal subjects, especially to the Grey Wind Tribe who always stood firmly by his side.

However, what he didn't expect was that when he bent down, the girl suddenly leaned close to him and kissed him on the cheek.

Everyone was stunned.

Even the young man sitting on the roof playing the guitar stopped what he was doing involuntarily, and the night elf girl who was singing also subconsciously stopped singing.

Before everyone could react, the naughty guy had already slipped away like a gust of wind with a red face.

"Just now... uh, not... that..."

Helen, who had come to her senses, was horrified and looked at Luo Yan in panic, trying to defend her tribesmen's frivolous behavior.

However, the latter just touched his cheek, smiled and waved his hand, magnanimously putting the matter aside.

"It's okay, continue to lead the way, don't keep Mr. Tyrell waiting for too long."

"yes……"

Helen still looked at him nervously, and when she saw that he really didn't take it to heart, she breathed a sigh of relief.

She thought the girl was expressing respect, but she didn't expect it was admiration.

But she could understand it.

After all, defeating Chaos invasions twice in a row was a legendary experience that was enough to become an epic in the eyes of bards. Not to mention that he also prevented the maze from falling apart and brought back the bright moonlight to the Grey Wind Tribe.

It is normal for some people to admire him.

Especially since most of her compatriots are like her sister, with passionate and unrestrained personalities by nature, and are worst at suppressing their emotions.

Otherwise, they would not be called the Fallen by the elves living under the Iged Tree...

Looking at the Demon King being welcomed by his tribesmen, Helen convinced herself and felt sincerely happy for him.

But for some reason, she was not completely happy in her heart, there was also a hint of other emotions.

The melodious music was played again at the scene.

What was different from the last time was that the improvisation this time was no longer just a passionate and cheerful minor tune, but also had a youthful and hazy feeling, like rum with lemon slices.

These natural born artists are so talented that they don’t even need to make a draft when arranging music.

Perhaps because he gladly accepted the bouquet of flowers, Luo Yan could clearly feel that his relationship with the night elves around him had become much closer.

At this moment, they truly regarded him as one of their own, rather than a distinguished guest from afar.

He quite enjoyed this feeling.

It's actually very tiring to put on airs, especially since he is not the kind of person who likes to put on airs by nature.

Most of the time, his majesty was actually just acting.

“…Actually, you can dodge it, right?” Looking at the devil whose mouth was almost curled up into a fishhook, Youyou who was floating beside him said in a low voice.

"It was just a touch on my face, it won't cause any flesh to fall off, and if I had dodged it, it would have been too hurtful." Luo Yan replied in his heart with a smile.

Youyou looked at him in surprise.

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"Huh?! Is that what you think?"

Luo Yan said without thinking.

"Is there any other explanation?"

Youyou pondered for a moment and said with admiration.

"As expected of the Demon King, you are so good at taking advantage of me and not even blushing at all..."

After smelling the bouquet of gorgeous flowers in his hand, Luo Yan glanced in Youyou's direction with slight dissatisfaction.

"…How did I get such an advantage?"

Youyou didn't answer.

But sometimes silence is also an answer.

…

In the central meeting hall of the tribe, Luo Yan met Tyrael, the leader of the Grey Wind Tribe.

At this moment, Tyrael was holding a dead wooden cane and sitting upright on a chair made of countless vines.

The soul grafting ceremony has been completed.

His expression was solemn and dignified, and his open eyes were filled with emerald green light, like glowing jade.

When Tyrael learned that Luo Yan wanted to talk to Grey Wind, he generously lent his body to the latter.

At this moment, Luo Yan, who was sitting opposite him, could clearly feel that a soul with a presence far greater than Tyrael's had replaced the latter's position.

Although he did not sense the aura of godhood from that soul, the huge and pure energy was better than that of a god! Grandmaster?

Demigod?

Or perhaps, the standards used to measure ordinary souls are no longer applicable to measure this old monster who has lived for who knows how many years.

Especially since it is not an isolated individual.

Every tree in this forest is a growth ring engraved deep in his soul.

“…Respected Demon King, it is an honor to see you again. May your glory shine forever like the vast starry sky.”

Facing the master of the entire maze, Grey Wind, who was living in Tyrael, took the initiative to pay the highest respect.

Looking at the Tree of Life that took the initiative to show goodwill, Luo Yan smiled casually and made an opening remark in a chatty tone.

"Thank you for your blessing, and may your glory shine as brightly as the sun and the moon. By the way, how are you feeling? Are you feeling better?"

Ever since the war with Chaos, Grey Wind has been in a semi-dormant state, and only recently awakened completely.

Although it helped him solve the problem of paper money raw materials some time ago, this was the first time he had face-to-face communication with it in recent times.

A smile appeared on Gray Wind's face, and his kind and soothing voice was like the rustling of leaves.

"I feel great. I have never felt more powerful than I have in the last century."

Luo Yan said with a smile.

"It seems that you have already digested the energy of Kalmandes's clone."

Gray Wind nodded slightly.

"Yes, thanks for your help."

Luo Yan said modestly.

"That's not the case. It's more accurate to say that we are helping each other. After all, if it weren't for you, I really wouldn't have any better way to deal with that guy."

Gray Wind shook his head slightly, looked into his eyes seriously, and continued in a serious tone.

"No, I'm not referring to the opportunity you created for me that day, but the conversation you had with my children earlier."

The earlier conversation? Seeing the confusion on Luo Yan's face, Hui Feng smiled warmly and continued in a gentle tone.

"Remember the theory about photosynthesis you mentioned to my children? My child talked to me about it later... Although her original intention was to seek answers from me, to be honest, I got much more from communicating with her than she did from me. And not long after that, I learned that the theories she mentioned were all told to her by you."

After a pause, Gray Wind continued.

“It is no exaggeration to say that the reason why I was able to devour Kalmandes’ clone was because I gained inspiration from it.”

Although Huifeng did not mention who the child was, Luo Yan could probably guess that it should be one of Helen and Shirley.

After all, they were the only two to whom he had shared that theory.

Including the concept of so-called cells.

"I'm glad I could help you...but that's just a theory. Is it really that magical?" Luo Yan looked at Huifeng in surprise, with a hint of confusion in his voice.

Gray Wind nodded slowly and spoke honestly.

"Although it's just a theory, it helped me re-examine myself and gave me a new understanding of my own power. To be honest, I'm surprised. I've lived through thousands of years, but this is the first time I've heard such an interesting theory... I even have a feeling that you are not from this world."

This guy's sense is terrifyingly accurate.

However, Luo Yan did not think there was anything sensitive about this and just looked at it with interest.

"You don't seem surprised?"

Gray Wind said with a kind smile.

"This is nothing to be surprised about. We realized a long time ago that there are many worlds in this universe that are the same as or similar to ours. Even ourselves...Are we really the natives of this world? I have always been reserved about this. Maybe we actually come from a more distant world, but our seeds happened to fall on this land for some reason, and then took root and sprouted here."

With the technology in this world, it is quite amazing to have such a vision.

Luo Yan couldn't help but praise.

"Impressive point, maybe you're right."

That punning answer was both an affirmation of the point it made and a hint of its previous speculation.

However, Gray Wind did not dwell on this unimportant issue.

In its philosophy and worldview, whether the devil belongs to this world or even comes from hell is irrelevant to it.

It only cares about the world around it; it does not care about those distant disputes and worldly interests.

certainly.

That being said, it is not completely indifferent to the world outside the forest.

In order to maintain the stability of the world beneath its feet, most of the time it would be even more far-sighted than the secular tyrants, and would not hesitate to take the initiative to isolate the distant wildfires from its sight.

In a sense, its support for the current Demon King is also based on this reason.

"…That's just my opinion. You don't need to take it to heart."

When it said this, it changed its tone and continued in a gentle voice.

"Come to think of it, I haven't asked you why you came yet. I wonder if I can be of any honor to help you this time."

Seeing that Huifeng took the initiative to bring up this matter, Luo Yan did not beat around the bush and went straight to the point.

"I want you to help me look at something."

Gray Wind said with interest.

"What?"

Luo Yan didn't say anything, but waved his right hand with the storage ring on it.

A dark green crack appeared along the path of his fingertips, just like a zipper being opened, shaking a withered tree trunk to the ground.

To be precise, it was not a tree trunk, but a mushroom that was scattered all over the planet Chao.

They spread across the entire planet like a virus and constitute the entirety of that world.

Looking at the "dried mushrooms" lying on the ground, Huifeng's expression of interest became more and more intense.

It split a slender and soft vine from the seat under Tyrael's feet, stretched out like a tentacle, picked up the dried mushroom that fell on the ground and examined it carefully.

After a long while, it thought and said.

"This thing is somewhat similar to the plant on the fifth floor of the maze... but not quite."

Luo Yan spoke.

"This is the fungus on the planet Kao... You can think of it as a chaotic world. The Kao people were hatched from this thing. I don't know how they did it, but my men saw it with their own eyes."

"I see... No wonder I could smell a familiar scent from it." Hui Feng put down the dried mushrooms in his hand, looked at Luo Yan, and continued in a respectful tone, "So what do you want me to do? Just take a look?"

Luo Yan shook his head slightly.

"Of course it's not just a simple matter of looking at it. I want you to help me study it and make some improvements to it if possible."

Gray Wind nodded slightly.

"I can help you, but you have to be aware of the possible risks behind this... After all, it comes from a chaotic world, and there are too many things we don't understand about their world."

"Knowing too much is never more dangerous than knowing nothing, especially when they know so much about us that they have even reached into our world."

Looking at Huifeng who was lost in thought, Luo Yan continued speaking in a serious tone.

"The storm in the dimensional desert is getting closer and closer to us. If we want to defeat them completely, we can't just bury our heads in the sand like an ostrich. We must face their threat head-on."

"I understand. I will do my best to cooperate with your research." Gray Wind nodded in understanding and continued in a slow voice, "I only have one request. Do not conduct experiments on it in the Misty Forest... I am worried that it will affect my children."

Seeing Huifeng nod, Luo Yan felt relieved and a happy smile appeared on his face.

"Don't worry about this. My idea is the same as yours. And compared to doing this in the Misty Forest, the fifth floor of the maze is obviously a more suitable choice. The environment there is closest to the planet Kao and has the least impact on the entire maze."

Especially since the range covered by his Demon Lord Territory's core has expanded to that area.

If a serious crisis really happens, he will be able to deal with it in time.

Hearing Luo Yan's promise, Huifeng gradually relaxed his expression and revealed a warm smile.

"Since you have already thought of a plan, let's do as you said."

(End of this chapter)