Chapter 2: New Century (Epilogue)
Chapter 323: The Life Spring on the Verge of Withering
“And then what?”
Xi Wei accepted a cup of flower wine from a fairy, took a sip, and his mouth was filled with sweet fragrance, moisturizing his somewhat dry lips. He continued to ask, “How did she become like this?”
“When she returned, her whole body was covered in wounds due to long-term consumption of those filthy medicines, her body was completely ruined.”
The Elven Empress’s emerald green eyes held a trace of reminiscence, as if the image of Edna Seatingway fleeing back to the Emerald Forest appeared before her. Her eyes gradually filled with anger and heartache.
“She was almost naked, wearing only a few dirty rags. Human medicine had corrupted her body, making it difficult for her to walk.”
“Her once tender skin was covered in whip marks, from her neck all the way to her toes, whose fingernails had been pulled out. The fresh wounds were still oozing pus and blood. There was a gaping bloody hole in her abdomen, with organs visible through the mangled flesh, as if she’d been struck by a blunt object during her escape. A portion of her right breast had been deliberately removed and then seared with a hot iron. Only her face remained intact.”
“When she returned, she was on the verge of death, barely clinging to life. The elves’ tenacious vitality and self-healing abilities saved her.”
The Elven Empress stopped walking. She turned her head, her emerald green eyes scrutinizing Xi Wei.
“Edna Seatingway told me that she encountered two waves of human armies during her escape. One general, with a hypocritical demeanor, promised her help, but after toying with her, he cut off her right breast.”
“Another wave of soldiers captured her and held her captive with their army for over a month. There, she endured all sorts of abuse and beatings… Do you know what saved her?”
“What?” Xi Wei licked his lips, as if a fire was scorching his soul, making his mouth dry.
“It was a Pig-faced Orc,” the Elven Empress shook her head, her tone filled with a sigh.
She pointed her magic staff forward.
The dense bushes on both sides parted, creating a path.
“In the Orc Royal Court, Pig-faced Orcs are typically treated as laborers and reserves for the Orc army. In the human empire, as you know, Pig-faced Orcs are merely the basest of slaves.”
“As for us elves, Pig-faced Orcs are regarded as dirty, inferior creatures, unworthy of associating with elves.”
“Edna Seatingway is my supporter. After returning to the Emerald Forest, she exhausted her life force to engrave ancient elven battle patterns on herself. Her current strength is entirely built up by her life force. In fact, her hair used to be the color of the sun, golden yellow.”
As they walked, the river of fireflies became wider and wider, spreading everywhere, illuminating the dim jungle like a path leading into the depths of the galaxy.
“Rustle—”
A gentle breeze swept through the dense forest, bringing a fresh scent.
Xi Wei felt invigorated, and every cell in his body became active.
He was very familiar with this scent.
After all, he used to have a lot of Life Spring water, and the clear aroma in the environment now was even purer.
We must be close, Xi Wei thought to himself.
“What happened to that Pig-faced Orc? Did he return to the Emerald Forest with Edna Seatingway?”
Connie, like a child addicted to listening to stories, impatiently asked for other interesting information. Although the elf’s story was tragic, it meant little to a carefree Black Dragon. She only needed Xi Wei.
“No, he died.”
“He died under the arrows of the human pursuers. He blocked a fatal arrow for Edna Seatingway.”
At this moment, they had arrived before a grand, ancient stone gate. Carved on it was a majestic empress wearing a golden crown of roses, holding a scepter of nature, and clad in a starry, moon-colored silk gown. Around her sat a group of birds and beasts, obediently seated on the grass like students diligently attending a lecture.
Xi Wei guessed that this must be the first Elven Empress, the elf king who built the Moonlight Sacred Well, and the core of the emotional entanglement between the Gold Dragon and the Emperor of Humanity.
Due to the overwhelming requests from readers, we are now introducing a VIP ad-free membership feature.
Click to view.
The Elven Empress Alice took out a finely detailed mechanism stone from her Space Ring and placed it on an inconspicuous stone pillar next to the stone gate.
“Click—”
The mechanism was triggered, and the stone gate opened with a rumbling sound.
“Edna Seatingway tearfully told me,” the Elven Empress led Xi Wei and the others through the gate, continuing to answer Connie’s previous question. “She said that the Pig-faced Orc collapsed on the ground, coughing up blood. He let out a few pained wails, then weakly said to Edna Seatingway, ‘The Creator is unfair. I was born with only flesh and fat, and only flesh and fat. But thankfully, I didn’t become food. In the last moment of my life, I saved an elf.'”
“If he hadn’t died, I think I would have made him a druid, given him a tree house in the Emerald Forest, and let him live here peacefully.”
The Elven Empress sighed again.
She gently clapped her hands.
All the fireflies scattered, and the surroundings became brighter, illuminating a pool of spring water lying quietly in the glow.
It was surrounded by jade-white pebbles, like a full moon embraced by a myriad of stars.
“We’ve arrived. This is the Life Spring.”
The Elven Empress pointed to the spring, which was barely larger than a washbasin, her voice tinged with sadness.
“This… this is the Life Spring? But I remember books describing the Life Spring as being as large as a lake.”
Xi Wei looked at the spring water in disbelief.
With such a small amount of Life Water, Connie could easily drink it all in a couple of gulps.
“Heh, when was that?”
The Elven Empress gave a self-deprecating laugh.
She tapped the ground lightly with her staff, and a gentle breeze rippled outwards, blowing away the surrounding moss and fallen leaves, revealing the black earth. The traces of a riverbed could still be vaguely seen.
This time, Xi Wei believed her.
It seemed the Life Spring had truly dried up, and judging by its appearance, it was not far from extinction.
“The Life Spring is a product of the Life Tree. If the Life Tree is dying, the Life Spring will naturally be on the verge of depletion… The reason I cannot lend you the Star Dew Sacred Judgment Sword is that the Life Tree is currently relying on the Star Dew Sacred Judgment Sword’s ability to absorb life energy to prolong its existence, but in reality, it’s only delaying the inevitable.”
As the Elven Empress Alice spoke, she walked behind the Life Spring.
She carefully pushed aside the bushes blocking her path with her hand, as if afraid of disturbing something, revealing a tree stump shimmering with golden light.
Xi Wei saw that the tree stump was already covered in dry cracks. Only one branch remained, on which stubbornly grew a green leaf no larger than a peanut.
The Star Dew Sacred Judgment Sword lay flat on the golden tree stump. It was a magnificent beam of light, carved with constellations and the sun. Stars flowed along the palm-wide blade, and a blazing sun burned on the hilt.
As the Elven Empress’s fingertips lightly touched the sword.
A golden circular spell array, three layers high, intricately carved with constellations and the twelve directions, unrolled beneath the Star Dew Sacred Judgment Sword.
