Chapter 84: To purify the mother tree, hide a small fruit.

“Good evening, Eunomysis.”

Shu Li greeted the Elven mother tree.

“Good evening, Sperien of the Faerie Forest.”

A gentle voice sounded in Shu Li’s mind. Then the trunk blossomed with soft light, and a pale green figure appeared.

Shu Li gazed at the figure before him, overcome with emotion.

After deciding to help the mother tree, he had returned to the Elven Kingdom and braved the night wind to find her. When he told her that he was willing to accompany her to the Dark Elves’ territory and purify her offshoot, the mother tree’s trunk had suddenly lit up and produced a pale green apparition.

Honestly, it had given him quite a fright.

It had been practically the same as seeing a ghost in the middle of the night.

The figure back then had looked completely different from the one before him now.

Her sparse hair had been dry and yellow, half her face had been shattered beyond recognition, and black threads had coiled around her entire body. She had looked like the vengeful ghost of a murdered woman from a television drama.

Shu Li had nearly screamed. His wings had gone rigid, and he had only calmed down after hearing the mother tree’s gentle voice.

He had never imagined that when he first purified the mother tree’s offshoot, he had pulled her consciousness out of the dark abyss and restored her true awareness.

It turned out that the ethereal voice that so often disturbed him in the middle of the night had been the last remnant of the mother tree’s consciousness after she lost her sentience.

In other words, if the mother tree was not purified soon, even that remnant would disappear, and she would become a true tree of darkness that aided evil.

The roots of her offshoot had grown unchecked and spread across the entire Austin Continent. After ten thousand years of growth, they had invaded the ground beneath both the Faerie Forest and the Elven Kingdom. If they were not brought under control, the God of Darkness would seize the opportunity to return to the Human World and unleash a terrible bloodbath.

The passage to the heavenly realm had been severed. Without the gods’ aid, the Elven King could not hold out alone.

At that moment, Shu Li had truly grasped the crisis facing the other world.

Beneath its peaceful surface, dark currents had long been surging.

“Little Sperien, I’ve been waiting for you...”

The mother tree gazed at him gently, igniting a blazing fire in Shu Li’s heart.

It only strengthened his conviction that he was the chosen hero, summoned here to resolve the crisis threatening the other world.

Once he resolved the crisis, his return home would surely be close at hand.

And so, without hesitation, he ventured into the Dark Elves’ territory to purify the mother tree’s offshoot.

Thus far, everything had gone extremely smoothly.

After five years, leaves finally covered a third of the mother tree’s main trunk, creating favorable conditions for stealing fruit... No, for welcoming new fruit.

Shu Li was filled with a sense of accomplishment as he looked at the mother tree’s now-whole face.

“Eunomysis, I’ll be counting on you again tonight.”

“Of course.”

The mother tree inclined her head and extended a hand toward the Little Fairy.

Shu Li flew over without hesitation. The moment he touched her finger, green light enveloped his body, and he vanished into the massive trunk.

The apparition glanced toward a corner of the courtyard before gradually fading away.

In the cubs’ room opposite the mother tree, the Elven King and Ilio stood before the window, silently watching the Little Fairy enter the trunk with cheerful enthusiasm.

After a while, Ilio remarked, “Our little friend certainly is working hard!”

Sperien believed he was secretly helping the mother tree purify herself without anyone knowing. Little did he realize that every time the mother tree sent him into the Dark Elves’ territory, the king stood in this room and waited for his safe return.

The Elven King did not respond. His eyes drifted shut as moonlight streamed through the window and fell across him.

Seeing this, Ilio tactfully bowed and quietly withdrew from the room.

Every journey through the mother tree’s spatial passage amazed Shu Li.

The first time she transported him, he had been completely bewildered. After making the journey repeatedly, however, his sharpened senses allowed him to “see” countless threads of light crossing and interweaving into a dense, intricate “transportation network.”

Without the mother tree to guide him, he would probably become lost in the maze-like spatial passage if he tried to enter alone.

Night in the Elven Kingdom was daytime in Vanaku.

Shu Li emerged on the mother tree’s offshoot, and his surroundings immediately brightened as the scorching sunlight struck him.

He had to admit that the Dark Elves lived in a truly brutal environment.

The weather was sweltering throughout the year, the sun was merciless, and the air was always permeated by a foul, rotting stench.

Perhaps this was the result of the land’s corruption by dark power.

Shu Li expertly hid behind an enormous leaf, took out his magic staff, and raced against time to cast silent magic.

He and the mother tree had agreed that he would perform fifteen purifications on each visit so he could return to bed as early as possible.

His adolescent body was still developing. He needed plenty of sleep if he wanted to grow tall.

Now that he was an Intermediate Mage, he could cast spells twice as quickly as before. Every attempt succeeded, and he no longer had a single failure on record.

That was precisely how he had discovered the advantages of silent magic.

For example, chanting a particular incantation aloud took roughly five seconds, while reciting it silently in his mind took only two.

That saved three whole seconds.

Three seconds might not sound like much, but in actual combat, they could be the key to victory.

While an enemy mage was still “loading” their spell by chanting the incantation, his silent magic would already have struck first.

The ancestors had said it best: no martial art was invincible, except speed.

Speed was therefore the key to determining victory or defeat.

One, two, three... fourteen, fifteen...

Mission accomplished!

It had taken him only half a minute to complete that day’s task.

Of course, it had also consumed a considerable amount of stamina and magical power.

As the level of his purification spell increased, so did the amount of light elements it required. If he summoned the free-floating light elements in the air on a large scale, he would probably attract the Dark Elves’ attention.

There was no other choice. He had to meditate in advance, store the elements within his body, and convert them into magical power.

Even after completing fifteen purifications, Shu Li did not return immediately.

At the end of the previous month, he and the mother tree had discussed how they might transfer one of the fruits.

The Dark Elves were a cautious people.

At regular intervals, they came beneath the tree and counted its fruit. Stealing one right under their noses would not be easy.

They could not touch any of the existing fruit, which left them only one option: stealing a newly formed fruit before the Dark Elves discovered it.

Even then, they could not simply take the fruit whenever they pleased. They had to prepare for every possibility.

First, they had to restore the mother tree’s main trunk so it would regain the strength required to bear fruit.

Second, they had to conceal one fruit and purify it for ten days to half a month, removing the aura of darkness that had contaminated it.

Finally, once the perfect opportunity arose, the mother tree would use her own power to perform a grand spatial transfer and successfully steal the fruit.

Fortunately, three new fruits had formed the previous month. One little fruit had grown in an isolated spot, so the mother tree immediately concealed it beneath layer after layer of leaves. When the Dark Elves came to count the fruit, they overlooked it, allowing Shu Li to purify it in secret.

After three days of purification, he had been forced to pause because it was time for him to return to the Faerie Forest.

He had plenty of time during this visit to the Elven Kingdom, so he could continue purifying the fruit.

Keeping close to the trunk, he flew cautiously upward, ducking from cover to cover until he found the little fruit wrapped in leaves.

It was still only the size of an apricot. Unlike the other grayish-green fruits, it was fresh green, round, plump, and brimming with vitality.

After half a month without purification, a few black threads had appeared near its stem.

Shu Li quickly cast purification on it and cleansed away the black threads.

After three purification spells, the black threads vanished. Even the stem had turned a vivid green.

Excellent!

Shu Li stroked the little fruit with satisfaction, pressed close to it, and whispered, “Grow well. Wait just a few more days, and I’ll send you home.”

Yes, home.

The Elven Kingdom was where Elves truly belonged.

This soil, saturated with the aura of darkness, was not suitable for an Elf’s growth.

Shu Li had no idea whether such a tiny fruit had developed consciousness yet. He hid it behind the leaves and prepared to leave.

Suddenly, he heard movement beneath the tree.

Shu Li remained calm. He concealed his body behind a leaf, then cautiously poked out his head to see what was happening below.

A Dark Elf had come to count the fruit.

Shu Li had seen this Dark Elf five years ago.

At the time, he had come to count the fruit with another Dark Elf. During their conversation, they had mentioned Roald—the necromancer who had invaded the Faerie Forest.

This Dark Elf, named Effit, had been swindled out of money by Roald and had yet to recover it.

He did not know that Roald had died five years ago.

His money was like meat thrown to a dog—once gone, it would never return.

After observing him for five years, Shu Li had noticed that he was somewhat different from the other Dark Elves.

He did not carry the same overpowering stench of blood. He was mild-tempered and unhurried in his speech, remaining perfectly composed even when the other Dark Elves mocked him openly or covertly.

He approached everything with rigid precision. After counting the fruit, he recorded the exact number in a notebook before retracing his steps and leaving.

Shu Li waited patiently until he was far away, then secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Precisely because this Dark Elf was so meticulous, Shu Li and the mother tree had been unable to hide any fruit from him for a long time.

This fruit had escaped his notice only because it had grown in a secluded spot and the mother tree had concealed it with leaves in advance.

Once all movement beneath the tree had ceased, Shu Li slipped into the mother tree’s branch and seized the opportunity to return.

When he had first learned that he had formed a contract with the mother tree, he had had no idea what purpose it served. Now that he could freely enter and leave the spatial passages formed by her roots, he finally understood.

It was a blood contract.

It could also be called a blood alliance.

Simply put, they had sworn an alliance in blood.

He and the mother tree had become partners with shared interests. They would save each other’s lives, stand together through hardship, and offer one another mutual aid. It was an advanced contract between equals.

Upon returning to the cubs’ courtyard, Shu Li emerged from the mother tree and stretched. Yawning as he flew toward his room’s window, he squeezed through a narrow gap. He was so exhausted that he could not be bothered to wash up. He plunged onto his soft bed and immediately fell fast asleep.

Standing before the window of another room, the Elven King watched until he was certain Shu Li had returned safely, then finally looked away.

Shu Li slept soundly until morning.

Eager to find clues about the elemental spirits, he hurried through breakfast and rushed to the library.

Unsurprisingly, the Elven King was already seated at his desk, reading.

Shu Li fluttered over and greeted him respectfully. “Good morning, Your Majesty.”

“Good morning.” The Elven King lowered his book, revealing his handsome face.

Golden morning sunlight illuminated his features, sharpening the interplay of light and shadow and defining their sculpted contours. It made his noble bearing even more striking.

Shu Li felt as though the Elven King’s handsomeness struck him squarely in the face every single day.

He could hardly wait to grow up and possess such a flawless appearance himself.

With a light tap of his toes, he landed on the desk and took an exquisite miniature table and chair from his storage ring.

The Elven King had given him this set of study furniture on the first day of lessons. Even after five years of use, it still looked brand new.

Shu Li pulled out the chair and sat down, then took out his pen and paper. Like the model student he was, he folded his hands neatly on the table and waited for the Elven King to begin the new lesson.

He was about to start learning dark magic.

At first, he had felt some resistance toward dark magic. The necromancer and the Dark Elves had simply left too terrible an impression on him.

But after the Elven King analyzed and explained the matter to him, his misgivings gradually faded.

“Magic is neither good nor evil in itself. Everything depends on how the mage uses it. A wicked person can still use white magic to harm and kill others. By the same token, even if a virtuous person learns dark magic, they will use it for righteous ends.”

The explanation opened Shu Li’s eyes.

Dark magic was like a blade. A good person could use it to eliminate evil, while a bad person could use it to slaughter the innocent.

He could not shun dark magic like a venomous serpent merely because it could have harmful effects.

Besides, if he knew both himself and his enemy, he could fight a hundred battles without defeat.

He had to learn to use magic to defeat magic.

Once his resistance disappeared, Shu Li took to studying dark magic with ease.

The Elven King smiled faintly at the Little Fairy sitting properly before him, then gently pushed a stack of books at his side across the desk.

“These books all contain information about the elemental essences. You may take them with you and read them at your leisure.”

“Huh?”

Shu Li froze. He stared at the stack of books, which towered several times higher than he did, utterly dumbfounded.

There were this many?

Fifteen books, each as thick as an unabridged dictionary. How many years would it take him to finish them all?

He swallowed and looked up questioningly at the Elven King, who nodded to him.

“These are only a small portion of them. Once you finish reading them all, I’ll find you several more.”

“Th-thank you.”

With tears in his eyes, Shu Li accepted the enormous stack of books.

The king had been considerate enough to find these relevant books for him. No matter how numerous or thick they were, Shu Li would have to grit his teeth and work his way through them. Otherwise, he would be letting the king’s thoughtfulness go to waste.

Shu Li could not help shedding a bitter tear for himself.

The sea of learning had no shore. There was no end to knowledge, and one must never tire of learning...

For the sake of silent magic, he would give it everything he had!