Chapter 125: Earned 50,000 gold coins in the illusionary realm of the temple.

This time, the mother tree was in an extraordinary hurry.

She did not even manifest her phantom. She simply drew Shu Li into her roots, carried him through the space within her root system, and transported him to the branch growing in Vanaku.

One moment, Shu Li was still waving hello. The next, he was somewhere else entirely.

Night became day. The silver moon was replaced by the blazing sun, and a wave of scorching heat struck him head-on.

He blinked, lowered his raised hand, and quickly ducked beneath a dark green leaf. Crouching down and folding his wings, he reached out and poked the bark of the mother tree’s branch.

Hadn’t he already told her there was no hurry? Yet she had transferred him without so much as a warning.

“Eunomysis, what happened?” Shu Li asked nervously.

“The light elements I stored are nearly depleted,” the mother tree replied solemnly. “You’ll need to cast purification magic on me several more times today.”

“Oh—” Shu Li breathed a sigh of relief.

So that was all. He had thought something had gone terribly wrong. What a scare.

When he had first begun purifying the mother tree, he had asked why he had to purify the branch in Vanaku. Wouldn’t it be safer and more convenient to purify her main trunk directly?

The mother tree had told him that purifying the main trunk would treat only the symptoms, not the cause.

In other words, the branch was the source of the infection. Unless it was contained, the dark power would continue to spread without limit, surging back toward the main trunk in an endless stream. No matter how thoroughly the main trunk was purified, it could not withstand the constant erosion of the dark power.

Only by cutting it off at the source could they truly eradicate it.

Shu Li cast purification magic on the branch, while the mother tree stored the light elements, sealed the opening from which the dark power erupted, and then slowly sorted through and purified her roots little by little.

It was an enormous undertaking, but the results were undeniable.

After five years of effort, the mother tree had not only regained consciousness but had also brought the spread of the dark power under control.

If she had transported him here in such a hurry, her stored light elements must have been close to running out, leaving the sealed opening on the verge of collapsing.

Shu Li took out his high-level magic staff and, concealed by the leaves, swiftly cast silent purification magic.

One specially condensed orb of light after another shot into the trunk of the mother tree’s branch.

After he had cast purification magic fifteen times in succession, the mother tree told him it was enough. She now had sufficient power to seal the opening securely.

Shu Li lowered his magic staff.

“I’m going to check on Fruit Number Two.”

He first surveyed his surroundings with great care. Once he had confirmed that no Dark Elves were nearby, he beat his wings and flew upward close to the trunk. Reaching one of the branches, he found Fruit Number Two.

Fruit Number Two had begun growing at the same time as Fruit Number One.

With the Dark Elf Efit covering for him, Shu Li could now choose whichever fruit he wished to purify.

Pressing himself against Fruit Number Two, Shu Li asked softly, “Little Fruit, did you miss me? I’m sorry I’ve been away and couldn’t come purify you. You aren’t angry with me, are you?”

The fruit was still small, so naturally it could not answer him.

Shu Li did not need an answer. He simply wanted to interact with it more, begin its prenatal education early, and cultivate a bond between them.

After more than twenty days without purification, the fruit’s skin had darkened considerably.

It was a sign that the dark power was corroding it.

Without hesitation, Shu Li raised his magic staff and cast purification magic on Fruit Number Two.

After four spells, the color of its skin faded back to a tender green.

Shu Li put away his magic staff, stroked Fruit Number Two, and declared today’s task complete.

Now all that remained was to wait for Efit.

He found a leaf to conceal himself beneath and sat cross-legged, keeping a close watch on the activity below the tree.

Efit’s schedule never varied. When he arrived beneath the tree, he took out his record book and patiently began counting the fruits yet again.

Once he had finished, Shu Li tossed a gold coin at him.

Spotting the familiar glint, Efit reached out and caught the coin with perfect accuracy.

That bold Little Fairy had come!

Clutching the gold coin, Efit’s blood-red eyes flashed with excitement. He leaped onto one of the mother tree’s branches, climbed more than twenty meters, and found the Little Fairy.

Beneath a dark green leaf, the blond Little Fairy sat cross-legged with a friendly smile on his delicate face. He raised one small hand and waved enthusiastically.

“Good afternoon, Efit.”

“...Good afternoon.” Efit tried to smile, but years of keeping a stern expression had left his facial muscles stiff, making the attempt look somewhat forced.

“I’m sorry I’m several days late,” Shu Li apologized readily.

“It’s all right,” Efit said.

Several days ago, when the appointed time had arrived, the Little Fairy had failed to appear. Instead, the mother tree’s phantom had come, giving Efit quite a shock.

Since the mother tree’s branch had been planted in this land ten thousand years ago, no Dark Elf had ever seen her phantom.

The Dark Elves had always assumed that the mother tree’s branch was merely a birthing tree without sentience. They showed it no respect. Some Dark Elves even resented it for producing fruit too quickly and increasing the pressure upon them.

Vanaku had scarce resources. Every additional Dark Elf meant another competitor.

Consequently, the adult Dark Elves were always finding ways to torment the cubs. They called it survival of the fittest, but in reality, they were reducing the number of future competitors by indirect means.

Efit despised such behavior.

He believed every cub was precious—a continuation of their people—and none of them deserved to be treated cruelly.

It was only when a Little Fairy from the Faerie Forest suddenly appeared before him that he learned the mother tree’s branch and main trunk shared the same consciousness. The Dark Elves could not sense her presence merely because she was unwilling to reveal herself.

That day, the mother tree’s phantom had suddenly appeared and told him that the Little Fairy had been delayed by other matters and could not come at the appointed time. Efit had stared blankly at her beautiful figure, his eyes involuntarily growing moist as a powerful sense of attachment welled within him.

No matter how heartless the Dark Elves might seem, deep down, they still yearned for the mother tree’s love.

Shu Li knew nothing of the Dark Elf’s complicated emotions. With time running short, he briskly took a large cloth sack filled with herbs from his storage ring.

The sack was more than ten times his size. When he placed it on the branch, it teetered dangerously, but Efit reacted quickly and grabbed it.

“All the herbs you wanted are in there. Check them quickly and see if anything’s missing.” Shu Li glanced around warily, afraid that another Dark Elf might be nearby.

Efit put the sack into his storage pouch. “There’s no need to check.”

Shu Li was astonished. “What if there aren’t enough?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Efit replied.

He held out a storage pouch filled with gold coins and placed it before the Little Fairy. “This is the remaining payment. Fifty thousand gold coins in total.”

Shu Li stared at the storage pouch in shock.

How much?

Fifty thousand gold coins?

Had he heard that correctly?

Some of the herbs had merely been gathered from the Faerie Forest, while the rest had been purchased from an herb shop in the commercial district. The total cost had been less than a thousand gold coins. Even charging five thousand had already seemed expensive to him.

Shu Li waved his hands. “That’s far too much! After deducting the five-hundred-coin deposit you already paid, you only owe me another four thousand five hundred.”

Efit silently regarded the innocent Little Fairy.

The Faerie Forest was rich in resources and produced rare herbs that were nearly impossible to obtain elsewhere. Yet the Little Fairy, having lived in the forest for so long, had no idea how precious they were.

A single stalk of moonlight grass could sell for as much as ten thousand gold coins at a human auction.

Even by paying fifty thousand gold coins for such a large sack, Efit was taking tremendous advantage of him.

It was not that he wanted to cheat the Little Fairy. Fifty thousand gold coins were simply almost all the savings he possessed.

That was how poor the Dark Elves were.

As an alchemist, Efit needed to purchase vast quantities of materials for his research, which consumed an enormous amount of money. He would often earn a little one day only for it to be gone by °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° the next.

To purchase the Little Fairy’s herbs, he had saved gold coins for more than twenty days and brought everything he had.

Yet the Little Fairy thought it was too much and wanted only four thousand five hundred gold coins.

Had Efit harbored the slightest malicious intent, the Little Fairy would have been cheated terribly.

“The price is based on what they’re worth outside the forest,” Efit said.

Seeing how firmly he insisted, Shu Li had no choice but to place the storage pouch in his storage ring. Beaming, he said, “If you need anything else next time, just place another order with me!”

He had earned a fortune through his own labor. It felt incredible.

He was now a Little Fairy who could make money!

As Efit watched the Little Fairy radiating delight from head to toe, his gaze softened involuntarily.

Looking up at the tree laden with fruit, he asked, “Can you purify only the newly formed fruits?”

“Huh?” Shu Li looked at him in confusion. “What else would I purify?”

Newly formed fruits had been exposed to the dark contamination for only a short time, so they could be purified quickly and were easier to steal.

The other fruits, which had been growing for more than five years, had been corroded too deeply by the darkness. Whether they could be purified completely remained unknown.

Therefore, after discussing it with the mother tree, Shu Li had decided to target the newly formed fruits first.

Efit lowered his eyes and asked gravely, “Would you agree to one condition?”

Shu Li immediately grew serious. “What condition?”

“I hope every cub can be born in the Elven Kingdom, where they will receive a proper education and be loved and protected. So... please don’t abandon any of the fruits.”

Shu Li froze.

On the Dark Elf’s blue-gray face, he saw genuine heartache.

No wonder the mother tree regarded Efit differently.

He truly cherished every Dark Elf cub and could not bear to see them abused or harmed.

“I... I’ll try!” Shu Li said earnestly. “I’ll do everything I can to purify every fruit.”

The Dark Elves might not treasure their cubs, but the Elves certainly did. If not for their current limitations, Shu Li and the mother tree would gladly have stolen every last fruit.

The more, the better!

Then the Elves would be busy cuddling the Elven cubs and would stop watching the Fairy cubs every day.

No sooner said than done. Under Efit’s guidance, Shu Li selected an old fruit that had supposedly been growing for more than forty years. Right in front of Efit, he fired ten silent purification spells at it in rapid succession.

As expected, the old fruit had been severely corroded by the darkness. Even after ten purification spells, its skin did not change in the slightest.

Shu Li was not discouraged. He resolved to keep trying the next time he came.

After bidding farewell to Efit, he slipped into the mother tree’s trunk and returned to the Elven courtyard.

Watching the Little Fairy disappear, Efit jumped down from the branch and hurried back to his room. He entered his potion laboratory and removed the large sack of herbs from his storage pouch.

The instant he loosened the opening, a refreshing fragrance filled the room. Pulling it wider, he found stalk after stalk of fresh, tender herbs inside.

Efit’s pupils contracted slightly.

These were the freshest herbs he had ever received. Some still had a layer of damp soil clinging to their roots, and green juice seeped from their leaves at the slightest pinch.

Herbs from the Faerie Forest were treasures one could encounter only by extraordinary luck.

For ten thousand years, countless adventuring parties and mercenaries had braved the perilous Faerie Forest to gather its rare resources.

Magical beasts, herbs, ores, trees, fruits... all were their targets. Capturing a lone Little Fairy would be an even greater prize.

Humans and other races clamored for anything originating from the Faerie Forest. Such treasures never reached the poor.

Efit had attended several auctions but had always left empty-handed. Everything was too expensive. He could not afford any of it.

Now that he had taken five Dark Elf cubs as his apprentices, the pressure on him was immense. He had to work hard to earn enough money to raise them.

This sack of precious herbs from the Little Fairy had solved his most urgent problem.

Shu Li emerged from the mother tree’s trunk and gave an enormous yawn.

Casting more than twenty high-level purification spells in succession had consumed a great deal of his magic and stamina. He pressed himself affectionately against Fruit Number One, wished the mother tree good night, and then flew unsteadily back to his room.

The mother tree’s phantom appeared. She watched the light come on in the Little Fairy’s room, then go dark again a short while later.

“...Freyus, he always exceeds our expectations.”

The mother tree turned toward the Elven King, who had appeared before the tree at some unknown point.

“He began purifying a fruit that has been growing for more than forty years ahead of schedule.”

A look of deep emotion crossed the mother tree’s exquisite face.

“Did he?” The Elven King looked up at the newly formed fruits among the branches and murmured, “Eunomysis... this time will be different, won’t it?”

The mother tree smiled. “Have faith in yourself, Freyus. You are the Child of Light whom the Light God left in the Human World—the only blade capable of piercing the darkness.”

The Elven King raised his hands. Beneath the moonlight, they appeared extraordinarily pale and translucent.

“If I cannot protect him, then the title of Child of Light is meaningless...”

“Freyus...”

The mother tree gazed at him worriedly.

The Elven King lowered his hands. In an instant, he reined in the emotions he had revealed and regained his usual elegance and composure.

“Good night, Eunomysis.”

“Good night, my king.” The mother tree watched his lonely figure until he disappeared from sight.

After laboring all night, Shu Li slept deeply and had to be awakened by Sayah the following morning.

Today, they were going to Miradi Palace to pray to the gods for their blessing. All the Elves and Fairies had risen early to prepare for the journey.

The Little Fairies and cubs did not need to work. They merely had to wear their finest clothes, eat and drink their fill, and wait until it was time to depart.

Shu Li deliberately assumed his larger form and successfully secured a gentle white deer as his mount.

The white deer stood two meters tall and measured four meters from head to tail. The two antlers on its head resembled intertwined coral trees, clear and crystalline. Its four legs were strong and powerful, with a pair of small wings growing from each one.

Shu Li fell in love with the white deer at first sight.

He approached and spoke with it for a while. Once he had obtained its permission, he leaped lightly onto its back.

“Wow, your fur is so soft.” Shu Li stroked its long coat, unable to keep his hands off it. He wanted nothing more than to bury himself in it and rub his face against it.

The white deer gave a soft cry of pleasure in response.

Seeing that it did not object, Shu Li buried his face in its fine, soft fur and rubbed against it vigorously.

“Sperien, let us ride the white deer with you!” Disio rushed over and began circling the animal excitedly.

“Come on up.” Shu Li waved grandly, beckoning his little friends over.

The white deer was so large that it could easily carry all the Little Fairies.

“Wow! This is wonderful!”

A group of Little Fairies flew over. Some sat on the white deer’s antlers, others on its head, and still others on its back. Every one of them found a place.

“Sperien, what about us? What about us?”

Eight chubby Fairy cubs gazed at him with sparkling eyes.

“You can sit here.” Shu Li pointed to the empty space in front of him.

“Yay!” Misina leaned close and planted a smacking kiss on Shu Li’s cheek. Then he sat down gleefully and immediately sank into the white deer’s thick, fine fur.

The other seven cubs followed his example. After giving Shu Li a succession of noisy kisses, they sat down around Misina one after another.

Shu Li wiped the saliva from his face.

The cubs of this generation certainly were affectionate.

Seeing all the Little Fairies and cubs gathered on Shu Li’s white deer filled the Elves and Fairies with envy.

They had thought they might each get to carry one of the little ones, but Sperien had claimed them all.

Riding his sacred unicorn, the Elven King approached the white deer and invited Shu Li to travel beside him.

“Ah, is that all right?” Shu Li asked in surprise.

In previous years, the Elven King’s unicorn had always led the way, while the other Elves and Fairies followed behind in an orderly procession toward Lake Shengze’an, where Miradi Palace was located.

If Shu Li traveled beside the Elven King this time, wouldn’t it disrupt the formation?

“It is.” A trace of amusement appeared in the Elven King’s green eyes. “Shall we?”

“All right!” Shu Li moved his legs, urging the white deer forward until it was traveling beside the unicorn.

However, the white deer did not dare overtake the unicorn and always remained one step behind.

The Elven King gently patted the unicorn’s neck. The unicorn swished its tail and reluctantly suppressed its regal aura.

Once the pressure vanished, the white deer gradually grew bolder and began walking alongside it.

The magnificent procession crossed a vibrant plain and arrived safely at Lake Shengze’an.

The Elven King raised his scepter and chanted an incantation. The lake parted in two, revealing an enormous stone road along the lakebed that led to Gester Island.

The Fairy cubs visiting for the first time cried out in wonder, waving their arms and legs excitedly.

Shu Li and the other Little Fairies visited Gester Island every year during the Midsummer Festival. They were already accustomed to this extraordinary sight.

After crossing the long stone road and setting foot on Dagerst Island, the Elven King lifted the seal and revealed the island’s true appearance.

Today was not the Midsummer Festival, so there was no need to prepare the square or altar. They proceeded directly up the steps toward Miradi Palace at the summit.

Shu Li followed beside the Elven King, climbing one step at a time. The closer they came to Miradi Palace, the more solemn the atmosphere became. Even the usually boisterous Little Fairies fell silent. The innocent Fairy cubs were especially well behaved, beating their wings with all their strength as they flew behind Shu Li.

No matter how many times one visited the temple, the six enormous stone pillars towering before its entrance never failed to inspire awe.

The Elven King chanted an incantation. The temple doors slowly opened and moved apart, revealing a magnificent, cavernous hall.

Once again confronted by the lifelike statues of the gods, Shu Li could not take his eyes off them.

The Elven King walked to the statue of the Light God, raised his arms, and crossed them over his chest. With elegant solemnity, he offered the statue the highest form of reverence.

“Great Light God Reinert Freys, I am your faithful follower. Thank you for granting the Elves a bright future.”

The solemn hall was densely packed with Elves and Fairies. As one, they bowed to the Light God.

Once the opening words of the blessing ceremony had been recited, the prayers began.

As always, Shu Li prayed to the Light God.

Great Light God Reinert Freys, I am Sperien of the Faerie Forest, your faithful follower! Please bless me so I can grow up quickly, master my abilities, become the greatest hero of all, defeat the Dark God, and return to my original world to reunite with my family. I will praise and follow you forever!

Ten years had passed. Every time Shu Li came here during the Midsummer Festival to pray, he made the same wish.

Yet as time went by, his ties to this other world grew deeper, and he gradually became reluctant to leave.

If the day came when he could return to his original world, would he truly be able to depart without regrets?

Would he be unable to bear leaving the friends who had accompanied him every day? The Fairies and Elves who had taught him? The Elven King who protected him, loved him, and regarded him as his own student?

Yet remaining here forever was equally unrealistic.

He had not seen his parents or brothers in ten years.

Even though he could see every smile and every expression of theirs while meditating, those were ultimately nothing more than memories of the past.

He did not know how time flowed between the two worlds. If he returned one day only to discover that his loved ones were already gone, how utterly devastated would he be?

Whenever he thought about it, he became listless and depressed, unable to muster any enthusiasm for anything.

That was why he often ignored the issue, refusing to confront it and telling himself to remain optimistic and positive.

Different dimensions had different flows of time. As long as he became powerful enough, he would surely be able to return to the correct point in time.

Light God, please bless me!

Shu Li prayed to the Light God with all his heart.

Perhaps he had become too lost in thought, but his body suddenly felt weightless, and his consciousness entered a mysterious state.

In a daze, he discovered that he was standing inside a ruined palace.

Huh?

Shu Li was completely disoriented. His foot struck something beneath him, producing a harsh scraping sound that made him jump.

It was a misshapen shield covered in blood.

He rubbed his eyes. When he finally saw his surroundings clearly, he drew a sharp breath.

There were corpses everywhere!

Most of them belonged to Elves and Fairies!

Dear God!

How could this have happened?

What in the world had occurred? Why had he suddenly appeared on... a battlefield?

Yes, this place had just endured a terrible war. Blood flowed like rivers. The ground was covered not only with the corpses of Elves and Fairies but also with the bodies of other races.

He saw winged people whose wings had been severed, merfolk torn into pieces, and Dark Elves whose eyes remained open in death. There were piles of skeletons and necromancers, hideous monsters, ferocious magical beasts, and... a giant dragon riddled with so many weapons that it resembled a pincushion.

Shu Li covered his mouth in horror. Tears of fear and grief streamed down his face, and he could not stop them.

Spreading his wings, he flew into the air. Surrounded by the overpowering stench of blood, he searched his surroundings in bewilderment.

Was there... not a single living creature left?

The sky was dark, and the world was deathly silent, devoid of all life.

Had the tattered banners not been fluttering faintly, he might have believed the entire scene was merely an enormous, tragic painting.

He had clearly been praying to the gods inside the temple. How had he entered an illusion?

Yes, he believed this was an illusion.

Just as listening to the Elven poem had done before, something must have suddenly triggered it.

But this illusion was entirely unlike the ones he had experienced in the past. It was so horrifying that chills crawled over his skin.

Shu Li’s stomach churned, and he felt as though he might vomit.

He flew to another part of the palace. Finding fewer corpses there, he landed and braced himself against a broken stone pillar, retching several times.

Unfortunately, he seemed to be in a spiritual form, so nothing came out.

The smell of blood was weaker here. Once he recovered slightly, he surveyed his surroundings and noticed a familiar figure leaning against a pillar ahead.

His golden hair was disheveled. His magnificent purple robes were drenched in crimson blood, and his cloak had been torn to shreds. He sat on the ground in a wretched state, gripping a strangely shaped sword in his right hand. Its blade was embedded in the floor, supporting his body. In his arms, he held another golden-haired “person.” That “person’s” hands hung limply at his sides, and blood had dyed his white robes red.

Shu Li’s mouth fell open in shock.

He approached them one slow step at a time. Just as he was about to draw near, the golden-haired Elf leaning against the pillar abruptly wrenched his sword free and pointed it at him.

“Who are you?”

The icy voice made Shu Li’s heart tremble.

Eyes wide, he stared in disbelief at the vicious expression on the Elven King’s face.

Those eyes, which should have been emerald green, were now as red as blood.