Chapter 128: Clues to the Water Spirit.

Shu Li quickly shook his head, swept his bangs back to expose his smooth forehead, and leaned closer to the mirror for a careful look.

After a long while, he let his hair fall again and wiped a hand over his face.

What an idiot!

His face was still plump with baby fat. How did he resemble that other Fairy at all?

An illusion was ultimately just an illusion. Everything had come from his own imagination.

Today had been rough. That illusion had nearly made him paranoid.

He pinched his cheek and only released it when he felt the pain.

“Shu Li, stop letting your imagination run wild. Calm down, study hard, and work on growing up.”

He sternly admonished himself in Chinese.

It had been so long since he had spoken his native language that his pronunciation sounded a little strange, almost like a foreigner speaking Chinese.

Shu Li hurriedly said a few more sentences and only stopped once he had found the correct pronunciation again.

It seemed he would have to speak his native language more often in private, lest he forget it.

He took a hot bath, changed into comfortable clothes, and dried his hair with wind magic. After shrinking back down, he brought out his miniature table and chair, picked up the notebook he had borrowed from the quiet top student, and settled down to study.

After two and a half hours of reading and writing, he stopped studying and began writing in his diary.

[Dear Dad, Mom, Eldest Brother, Second Brother, and Third Brother, today was another day when I missed you all.

[Today, I’m continuing the story of my journey outside! So, Ilio and I rode into Daoto City in a traveling performance troupe’s carriage...

He filled two entire pages in a single burst, writing about how he had passed the Mage Apprentice badge examination, returned to the inn, and been asked by Mary to perform as a musician at a wealthy family’s banquet.

That banquet was the highlight of the story, but he was a little tired today, so he decided to write about it tomorrow.

[Tomorrow’s story will be even more exciting. Tune in next time!

[Love, Shu Li.

After writing the final word, Shu Li reread the entry from the beginning, then closed the diary in satisfaction.

He stretched and glanced at the hourglass. There was still half an hour until midnight, so he might as well read for a while.

He had only finished one or two of the pile of books about elemental spirits that the Elven King had specially found for him last time.

Shu Li put away his miniature table and chair, fluttered onto the bed, and took the books—each as thick as a dictionary—from his storage ring. Selecting one at random, he used magic to turn the pages and hovered cross-legged above it as he began reading carefully.

It was a book about the Elven King traveling among the major races and persuading them to unite against the Dark God.

Shu Li immediately grew interested.

Books about the Elven King were his favorites.

The Mother Goddess Isfu had created the Austin Continent and brought seven principal gods into being. She assigned them duties according to their attributes and placed each of them in charge of a different domain.

The heavenly realm belonged to the Light God, while hell belonged to the Dark God.

Because the resources of their respective domains differed, the twin brothers developed a profound disagreement. The Dark God, in particular, believed that the domains should not have been divided according to their attributes. Power should have decided everything.

The strong commanded respect, and the victor became king.

He believed his strength was no less than the Light God’s. Why, then, should he be imprisoned in a sunless hell?

All the other gods could freely enter and leave the heavenly realm, receive the reverence of all creation, and live in comfort.

The Dark God became consumed with jealousy. He resolved to overturn everything and make the Mother Goddess understand that her original decision had been wrong.

Thus began the war between the Light God and the Dark God.

The Dark God launched a ferocious assault, throwing open the gates of hell. Countless monsters and undead poured forth, ravaging the continent and slaughtering at will. Dark power spread everywhere, invading and corrupting everything in its path, leaving devastation and unbearable suffering in its wake.

Every major race on the continent suffered greatly. Meanwhile, necromancers who had already committed countless atrocities pledged themselves to the Dark God and turned their blades against their own kind.

Humans, the most numerous yet weakest race, bore the brunt of the devastation. They appealed to the other races for help, only to be met with merciless ridicule.

The other races possessed greater vitality and natural advantages. They guarded their own territories and concerned themselves only with their own affairs.

As the Son of Light and the Light God’s representative in the Human World, the Elven King could not bear to watch the continent suffer beneath the persecution of the dark forces. He therefore traveled among the other races, urging them to unite against the Dark God.

At first, no one paid him any attention.

Shu Li puffed out his cheeks when he reached that part.

How could those other races be so selfish? Didn’t they understand that once their neighbors fell, they would be next?

The Dark God was nothing like the open-minded Light God. He would never allow the beings of the continent to develop freely. If he came to rule them, every race would become his slave and lose all dignity.

Leading the Elves and Fairies, the Elven King traveled across the continent and paid sincere visits to every race. With his overwhelming strength and unique charisma, he persuaded many of them to join him.

The dragons and merfolk were the first to enter the forces of light.

The orcs and goblins viciously drove the Elven King away, then turned around and joined the forces of darkness.

Humanity split into two factions.

One was led by practitioners of white magic, while the other was led by practitioners of dark magic. They revered the Light God and the Dark God respectively.

Shu Li rapidly turned the pages, feeling that the Elven King’s efforts had been terribly undeserved.

Every one of those troublesome races harbored its own schemes. They could not even manage to work together.

What angered him even more was that an Elf had actually betrayed the Elven King.

Ang Orakiri, the present Dark Elven King.

He had once been the Elven King’s capable right hand, helping him persuade the other races and playing a vital role in the War of the Gods.

It could be said that he had been the strongest Elven warrior of that era, second only to the Elven King himself.

Yet an Elf that powerful had been swayed by the Dark God and had become the first to accept the corruption of dark power.

It was simply inconceivable. Why had he done it?

[The despicable traitor Ang Orakiri attacked the great Elven King from behind...

“Ah!”

Shu Li’s eyes widened, and he hurriedly read on.

The book described only the act of betrayal, not the reason behind it.

Fortunately, the Elven King had not been seriously injured by the surprise attack. Relying on his absolute power, he led the united armies of the major races and defeated the forces of darkness.

The five great elemental spirits distinguished themselves brilliantly during the War of the Gods.

Having finally reached a record concerning the elemental spirits, Shu Li slowed down.

The Elven King and the water elemental spirit had once fought the God of the Netherworld in the continent’s northern reaches. The God of the Netherworld was defeated, costing hell one of its great commanders.

Shu Li propped his delicate chin on one hand and pondered.

The northern part of the continent probably referred to the Kingdom of Snow.

Judging by the circumstances in which the wood elemental spirit had appeared, he suspected that the water elemental spirit was very likely somewhere in the Kingdom of Snow.

Shu Li took a box from his storage ring. Inside lay a map—the treasure map of the Snow Mountain Labyrinth in the Kingdom of Snow.

Could it be a coincidence?

He had barely begun to feel sleepy when someone delivered a pillow straight to him.

Thank you, Queen of the Dalia Empire!

Shu Li made up his mind. Once he came of age and set out on his travels, the first place he would explore was the Snow Mountain Labyrinth.

He put away the box and book, yawned, and glanced at the hourglass. Then he extinguished the magical lampstone and flew out through the window.

It was time to purify the mother tree and Fruit Number Two again.

Oh, there was a Fruit Number Three now as well.

Dark Elf fruits took fifty years to mature. Fruit Number Three was already more than forty years old, which meant that a new cub would be born in only a few years. Could he truly purify it successfully?

Although Shu Li had little confidence, he still conscientiously cast a concentrated high-level purification spell on Fruit Number Three.

As the saying went, doing something did not guarantee success, but doing nothing guaranteed failure.

Rather than hesitate endlessly, he might as well give it his best shot.

Once the purification work was done, Shu Li wished the mother tree good night, returned to his room, and fell fast asleep.

The next morning, he left his room feeling thoroughly refreshed.

Sure enough, a good night’s sleep had cleared his head. He no longer dwelled on all that nonsense. After breakfast, he went to the library for his lesson with the Elven King, neither guilty nor embarrassed.

“Good morning, Your Majesty.”

Having enlarged himself, Shu Li sat naturally across from the Elven King, took out pen and paper, and prepared for the day’s new lesson.

The Elven King set aside the book in his hand and regarded his energetic young student warmly.

“Good morning, Sperien.”

As Shu Li gazed at the gentle-eyed, kindly Elven King, he decided that yesterday’s illusion really had distorted his perceptions.

How could a king so noble, elegant, and powerful possibly give off an air of loneliness?

He licked his lips, took an exquisite golden box from his storage ring, and blinked his sparkling eyes as he slowly pushed it toward the Elven King.

“Your Majesty...” Shu Li sweetened his voice and said ingratiatingly, “There’s something I’d like your help with.”

The Elven King looked at the box, then at the little fellow’s gleaming eyes, and asked in amusement, “What is it?”

“It’s this. This...” Shu Li pointed at the box, feeling the tiniest bit apprehensive that the Elven King might refuse.

The Elven King picked up the box with his slender fingers and opened the lid, revealing the dazzling sunstone within.

“All right,” he agreed.

Shu Li froze.

He had not even explained what he wanted yet, but the Elven King had agreed without hesitation.

The Elven King placed the box in his storage ring, opened a book concerning dark magic, and calmly began the lesson.

Shu Li did not dare let his mind wander. He swiftly composed himself and concentrated on studying.

Time rushed by, and in the blink of an eye, another five years had passed.

In the depths of the lush forest, four Little Fairies crouched in a row along a high branch. All four propped their chins in their hands in perfect unison, watching in boredom as the adventurers beneath the tree slaughtered one another.

“How tragic!” remarked the white-haired Angel, though not a trace of sympathy appeared in his amber eyes.

“Tch. Any outsider who enters the Faerie Forest without permission deserves to die,” the red-haired Disio said contemptuously.

He had once witnessed an orc adventurer brutally cut open the belly of a female magical beast he had killed and pull out her unborn cub.

Had the patrolling Elves not appeared and stopped the orc’s atrocity, the cub would probably have been taken out of the Faerie Forest.

As for the orc, he ultimately died by his companion’s sword.

“Why do they keep entering the Faerie Forest when they know its mist can cloud their minds?” sighed Budno, whose brown hair was tied into a ponytail.

If even the threat of death could not deter them, then they deserved what they got.

“Because greed is the root of all evil,” Shu Li said, striking at the heart of the matter.

At fifteen years old, he had lost some of the baby fat in his cheeks and was beginning to show the features of a young man. His body had grown more slender, and he was now two inches taller, though he still looked somewhat delicate and thin. His golden hair, radiant as sunlight, had been woven into a long braid that hung casually down his back. As always, his little flower crown had transformed into a silver circlet inlaid with emeralds, adding an extra touch of elegance to his appearance.

After five years of diligent study, he had reached the level of Senior Mage. One more advancement would make him an Archmage.

His three companions had also attained the level of Senior Mage and gained the ability to restore their original essence.

In truth, the Little Fairies born in the same generation as him were not merely extraordinarily gifted. They were fiercely competitive overachievers, each more formidable than the last. Over those five years, they had advanced to Senior Mage one after another.

In the eyes of their Fairy teachers, this generation consisted of the most diligent and studious Little Fairies they had ever taught.