"Yes, Your Majesty," said Ao Diao, bowing his head. After finishing speaking, he and the other three great spirit messengers flew out with six spirit messengers. In recent days, there have been continuous disappearances of their clansmen, and they all had a burning anger in their hearts. The enemy's repeated invasion made them extremely indignant.
The fairy queen floated out of the ancient tree, landing on the top of the canopy, feeling wave after wave of powerful attacks from her enemy. She took a deep breath and emitted a faint green glow all over her body. A string of fairy incantations kept floating out of her mouth, constantly pouring into the defensive magic array through the ancient tree. Two masters of the continent's magical arts were exchanging blows through the fairy tribe's magic array as an intermediary. For a time, the entire fairy forest was filled with surging magical energy everywhere.
Xuanye was constantly attacking, his goal being to create an opening in the magic array so that he could lead his subordinates inside to find his daughter. Just as the magic array was about to be overwhelmed by his attacks, a green glow suddenly surged forth, completely blocking out the force that had almost broken through, and it seemed as if the magic array had regained its vitality. The opponent's powerful resistance stirred up Xuanye's competitive spirit. As the youngest Red Robed Archbishop, he enjoyed a high status on the continent, and he had never been kept outside like this before. He loudly chanted: "Heavenly God's Wrath, lend me your divine power, infuse my heart, eliminate evil." A golden light floated out from behind Xuanye, which was his artifact, Heavenly God's Wrath. Heavenly God's Wrath was also a divine artifact, a low-grade one. It had been bestowed upon Xuanye by the Pope when he was appointed as a Red Robed Archbishop, and it was only the size of a palm. Its appearance was that of a treasure pagoda, with thirteen layers of golden umbrella-shaped tiles extending downwards, and at its tip was a transparent circular gemstone the size of a pigeon egg. Normally, Xuanye did not use it lightly. This time, because he was worried about his daughter and also due to his competitive spirit, he actually brought it out. The originally radiant white light instantly turned golden with the addition of Heavenly God's Wrath, and its power greatly increased. The green barrier formed by the Elf tribe's magic array once again shook open.
The fairy queen on the top of the ancient tree was shocked all over her body under the traction of the air machine, and she secretly felt a sense of horror. The person who came was indeed very powerful! It seems to have already surpassed the category of magic guides. In order to protect the territory of the elf tribe from being invaded, she resolutely sacrificed her own Elf's Heart, which is a skill that only the Elf King possesses, and it is also the ability for the Elf King to save his life. As the fairy queen continued to chant the elf spell, a small green elf flew out from between her eyebrows, almost identical in appearance to herself, transparent throughout, lightly falling on her shoulder, layer upon layer of green ripples constantly spreading out with the small green elf as the center, the entire Elf City was completely enveloped in a green glow.
The fluctuating boundary calmed down again, and Xuan Ye was greatly surprised. He didn't expect the Elf tribe to have such a high-ranking expert who could counter his Divine Fury. In fact, with Xuan Ye's strength plus Divine Fury, even if the Elf Queen used her Elf Heart, she would still be slightly inferior. However, since this was the Elves' world, the natural energy naturally leaned towards the Elf Queen's side, and with the assistance of the Elf magic array, they were able to fight to a draw.
Just as Genya hesitated to launch his strongest attack, Ode and the other four Great Spirit Masters arrived. The barrier of the Spirit Magic Array had no effect on them. The four Great Spirit Masters and six Spirit Masters floated out and landed in front of Genya, glaring at him with anger in their eyes.
The twelve senior priests who came with He Xuan Ye hurried forward, ready to assist He Xuan Ye at any time.
Xuanye saw the arrival of the Spirit Clan and only then did he come to his senses, realizing why he had been so impulsive. He hastily retracted the Heavenly God's Wrath and dispersed the magical energy in the air. The prolonged attack made Xuanye feel somewhat weak as well, his body swaying slightly, a strand of fresh blood flowing from the corner of his mouth.
In the city of spirits, the spirit queen was no better than Bi Xuan Ye. The enemy's attack suddenly disappeared, and she sat down on the tree crown, her shoulders' spirit heart exhausted and merged back into her body. She spat out a mouthful of blood, only then feeling much more comfortable.
Xuanye held up the Heavenly God's wrath and nodded at the gathering of spirits, saying: "Hello, friends of the Spirit Clan."
"Who is your friend, and why are you attacking the boundary of our spirit tribe?" he said in a cold voice. He was secretly shocked in his heart, as he had previously thought that the invading enemy would be numerous, but upon arriving here, he discovered that the powerful magic was actually cast by a human. The red-robed magician in front of him gave him an unprecedented sense of pressure, and the indescribable majesty made him almost breathless.
Xuanye said calmly: "We didn't come with malicious intentions, I'm here looking for my daughter."
"Ode hummed and said: 'We don't have your daughter here. If you don't have malicious intentions, please leave our spirit tribe's territory immediately.'"
Xuanye furrowed his brow, and he also vaguely felt that the several spirits in front of him were not easy to deal with, especially the four in front. They all had a strong energy within them. It seemed that the spirit tribe's capable individuals were indeed numerous! However, he would not give up searching for his daughter just because the opponent was powerful. He also knew that attacking the spirit tribe's boundary was somewhat reckless. His tone slightly softened as he said: "My subordinate told me that my daughter and her friends entered your spirit forest a few days ago and still haven't come out. I have something very important to find her, please forgive my recklessness earlier."
The fairy tribe itself is a kind race, seeing that the other party had calmed down, Ao Di asked: "What's your daughter's name?"
Xuanye said: "My daughter is called Xuanyue, and with her, there's also a young man named Ahdai. I don't know if they're still in the noble territory."
Aodi was shocked, he didn't expect the powerful human in front of him to be Xuan Yue's father. He let out a sigh of relief and said: "It seems it was indeed a misunderstanding, your daughter did come to our Spirit Clan, she is a friend of our Spirit Clan."
Xuanye's heart was filled with joy upon receiving news of his daughter, and his mood improved greatly. "This spirit friend, I'm truly sorry about earlier. My anxiety to find my daughter got the better of me, and I offended you all. Please forgive me."
Ao Di looked at him deeply and said, "Since it's a misunderstanding, let's just forget about it. Your beloved has been of great help to our spirit tribe, I didn't expect your cultivation to be so profound. Where did you cultivate in secret?"
Kokuya smiled faintly and said, "I dare not. The nobility also has a magician with profound attainments, whose powers are no less than mine. I am Kokuya, the Red-Robed Priest of the Church."
Aodi was shocked and exclaimed: "What? You are a cardinal of the Vatican."
Xuanye nodded and said, "That's right. Spirit friend, do you know where my daughter is now? I heard from my subordinates that she intends to go to the Mountains of Death, and I must hurry to stop her."
Ou Di's expression changed slightly when he learned that the powerful magician was a Red Priest of the Church, and he added a few more respectful words. "Please be assured, your beloved will not go to the Mountains of Death. Under our persuasion, she has given up on this idea. Please follow me to the City of Elves, where we will certainly give you a satisfactory answer." As he spoke, he turned around and touched the boundary of the elven magic array, making a welcoming gesture to Zhong Yuanye.
Xuanye nodded and said, "Please."
Under the escort of Ode and others, Xuanye and his party entered the depths of the Elf Forest. When he saw the moving scenery of the Elf City, he was also deeply shocked.
"Ode to the Great Spirit, this spirit city is truly a paradise on earth! When I have some free time, I must come and stay here for a few days. I don't know if you would welcome me." On the road, Xuan Ye and Ode chatted happily, the two had already become friends, and he had also roughly learned of his daughter's whereabouts. As long as she wasn't going to the Mountains of Death, he was confident that he could bring Xuan Yue back by his side. As one of the Red Robe Priests of the Church, he wasn't afraid of offending any nobles. When Ode told him about Xuan Yue and the others' actions among the Spirit Tribe, he couldn't help but admire the boldness of these young people, especially when he learned that several Great Spirit Makers of the Spirit Tribe had used the magic of the Spirit's Fountain on his daughter. He couldn't help but increase his goodwill towards these kind spirits, knowing clearly that with the help of the Spirit's Fountain, Xuan Yue's future path to cultivation would be even smoother, and there was even a possibility of surpassing himself.
"Of course, welcome! With the presence of the Red Robe Archbishop, our Elf tribe is indeed radiant! Archbishop Xuan Ye, please let your friends wait here for a moment. We will take you to the Ancient Tree of the Elves to meet Her Majesty the Queen. The one who indirectly fought with you just now was her."
"Your Majesty is indeed well-cultivated, I, Xuanye, admire and respect you. Please."
Aodi flapped her wings and took to the air, intending to use her spirit magic to lift Xuan Ye's body. However, she discovered that his entire body was emitting a white glow and had also floated up. Xuan Ye wasn't using wind magic, but light magic. He used magic to cancel out his body weight, then relied on magical force to rebound off the ground and propel himself upwards, allowing him to control his floating body to go wherever he wanted. This magic was extremely draining of magical energy, and normally he wouldn't use it lightly. This time, having just arrived at the Spirit Tribe, in order to display the Church's power, he had used it. Indeed, Aodi saw that he had simply floated up, and couldn't help but be astonished. Without saying anything else, she flapped her wings along with several other Great Spirit Mages to lead the way forward.
Parting the massive canopy, Odie led Genya into the ancient tree of the elves. "Your Majesty, we're back. The earlier attack was a misunderstanding; we've brought a friend."
The fairy queen had just returned to the tree house and was resting when she heard Odie's words, her heart filled with joy. "Please come in, noble guest."
Okoto nodded and the two walked into the tree house together. The other three great spirits, seeing that Genya wouldn't bring danger to the spirit tribe, also returned to their own tree houses.
Entering the treehouse, Genya saw the beautiful fairy queen and was stunned for a moment before saying, "So this is Her Majesty the Fairy Queen."
The fairy queen nodded slightly, casting an inquiring glance at Ode, who hastily explained: "This is the Red Archbishop of the Sacred Church, Lord Genya. He's come this time to find his daughter. I didn't know that Gengetsu was so tight-lipped about her family; it turns out her father is such a big shot."
The fairy queen's expression changed slightly as she said, "So you're the Cardinal. No wonder Xuan Yue used light magic; I didn't expect her to be your daughter."
Xuanye said helplessly, "That little girl is really too mischievous, I can't even manage her. Since she was young, she didn't like to cultivate and always caused trouble, making the entire sect a mess. Even the Pope doted on her. This time, she's causing you all trouble, I'm truly sorry."
The fairy queen smiled slightly and said, "This time they have helped us a lot. Although Xuanyue's cultivation is not strong, she has a very strong sense of justice, and with Ah Dai's kind child by her side, you should be at ease."
Xuanye shook his head and said, "How can I rest assured? If it weren't for you stopping her, this ignorant little girl would have probably run to the Mountains of Death to seek death. As for Ahdai, that child, when I first met him, I thought he was kind-hearted too, but now I realize his mind is so deep and sinister."
The fairy queen said with a start, "How can that be? Ah-Dai is indeed a very kind child! You don't have to worry."
"Your Majesty, you don't know yet, do you? Ah-Dai is carrying the world's most evil sword, the Meng Wang Sword. He might be a disciple of the original killer 'Meng Wang' from the Killer's Guild. But he has been hiding his true identity all along. How can I not worry? Therefore, I must hurry and chase after that little girl, Xuan Yue."
"The Fairy Queen was shocked, 'What? The Nether King Sword is in Ah-Dai's hand, this, this can't be possible.'"
" 'No, it's very likely. Your Majesty, you forgot that when the great spirit Yagami reported earlier, he said that for some reason, those powerful thieves were scared away by Abo. I think it's very possible that Abo used the Myoujin sword to achieve such a result.' "
The Elf Queen said blankly, "Could it be that Ah-Dai is here to deceive our Elf tribe? No, absolutely not. His pure kindness comes from the heart and is not intentional. You must have misunderstood him. If he had evil intentions, he would not have repeatedly wanted to refuse the gifts I gave him." She looked up at Xuan Ye and said, "Your Excellency, Ah-Dai is absolutely not evil, I can be sure of that. Even if he has the Ming Wang sword, it doesn't necessarily mean he's a bad person."
Xuanye furrowed his brow, recalling the situation Yin Yi had reported to him. He nodded slightly and said, "Whether he's good or bad, we can't make a judgment yet. Let me find my daughter first." He asked, "Can you tell me which direction they went in and what route they took?" He had already secretly decided that regardless of whether Ah Dai was truly an evil person, he would take Xuanyue away from him and retrieve the Ming Wang sword from his possession. After all, the Ming Wang sword circulating on the continent was too dangerous. The great calamity of the millennium was approaching, and he didn't want to add any more variables.
The fairy queen thought for a moment and rushed to Odi: "You go find Tianying, he escorted A Diao and others away, maybe he knows the route they left."
Aodi responded with a sound and flew out. Only Xuan Ye and the Elf Queen were left in the tree house.
"Your Majesty's cultivation is truly admirable," said Xuan Ye with a smile. "I've almost used my full strength, yet I still can't break through the noble's magic array."
The Fairy Queen recalled her previous encounter with Genya and couldn't help but admire this middle-aged human who was only around 40 years old. "Your Eminence is joking, I'm no match for you. If we were outside the fairy forest, I would have lost long ago. And just now, I've already used up all my strength. Next time you come, just use voice magic to call out to our tribe and there's no need to make such a big fuss. I'm afraid I won't be able to keep up!"
Xuanye laughed and said: "It won't happen again, is Her Majesty the Queen still angry with me?"
The fairy queen shook her head and said, "How could that be? We fairies never get angry with friends. Archbishop, Ah-Dai is really a good kid, I hope you won't hurt him. I can see that your love seems to have a good impression of Ah-Dai too. Although Ah-Dai looks silly, his kindness, simplicity and sense of justice completely make up for this shortcoming."
Although the Elf Queen spoke in a veiled manner, Xuan Ye still understood her meaning and said decisively: "It's impossible. They absolutely cannot be together. Even if Ah Dai is indeed a kind person, my daughter absolutely cannot interact with a commoner. Your Majesty, there's no need to say more."
The fairy queen sighed and said faintly: "Sometimes, the affairs between children are not something that we as parents can decide."
Xuanye felt a sense of annoyance in his heart, and changed the subject: "Your Majesty the Queen, I heard from Audie that your elf tribe was ambushed by thieves and many of your people were taken away. This is really too much for them to do. Once I find my daughter, I will definitely help you get justice. These thieves should be dealt with."
The Fairy Queen's heart was filled with joy, the authority of the Holy See on the mainland she knew all too well. With these words from You Ye, it was more reassuring than Ah-Dai and the others' actions. "Then I'll first represent my people in thanking Archbishop, ah——, my mischievous daughter! Speaking of which, she's even more disobedient than You Yue. This time being caught, who knows if she can return safely or not."
Xuanye sighed and said: "Don't worry, as long as she is still alive, I will do my best to help you find her."
At this time, Ao Dai had already brought Tianying back to the tree house. Tianying saluted the Elf Queen and respectfully said: "I don't know what Your Majesty has ordered me to come for."
The Fairy Queen pointed to the mysterious night beside her and said, "This is Cardinal Hsien Ye of the Sacred See, who is also the father of Hsien Yueh. Tell him where Hsien Yueh might have gone."
Tianying was startled and hastily said, "I previously sent Ahdai and Xuanyue out of the Spirit Clan's territory. From what they said, it seems like they wanted to cross the Tianya Mountains and then head to the Luori Empire to search for our clan members' whereabouts. Ahdai and Yanshi seem to have some connections with the Tiange Sword Sect, so they should go there first."
Xuanye's expression changed, "The Tianxia Sword Sect, it would be easier to go there. Your Majesty the Queen, I won't stay long, I need to hurry up and catch up with that girl, otherwise, if we lose her trail, it will be difficult to find her again. Once again, I apologize for what happened earlier, next time I have the chance, Xuanye will bring Yuanyue to visit you and apologize." He said, bowing deeply to the Elf Queen.
The fairy queen returned the courtesy: "You're too polite, I should be thanking you for your help instead."
"Don't worry, I'll definitely keep my promise."
The Fairy Queen said: "You mustn't bully that silly child! If you find out where our people are, please trouble yourself to send them back."
Xuanye responded with a sound, left the ancient tree of elves under the escort of Aodi, brought his own men, and hurriedly went in the direction of the Tianxia Mountains of the Hua Sheng Empire.
After Ah Diao and others left the Elf Forest, they spent more than half a day crossing a hilly area to enter the Ya Qi tribe. During this time, they did not encounter other alien tribes within the Tian Yuan tribe.
Finally returned to the flat mainland, everyone's speed increased a lot. When crossing the hills, Xuan Yue used her physical strength as an excuse and insisted on letting Ah Dai carry her. With her weight, it was nothing to Ah Dai, but with her on his back, he always had a feeling of thorns on his back. The fragrance emitted from Xuan Yue's delicate body made Ah Dai at a loss several times, and the physical contact made him feel even more embarrassed. Yan Li also offered to replace him in carrying Xuan Yue, but for some reason, he himself did not agree, seemingly feeling that if Yan Li carried Xuan Yue, he would be at a disadvantage.
"It's already a flat road every month, why don't you just come down and walk?" This was already the nth time Ah Dai suggested that Xuan Yue come down.
Xuan Yue chuckled and shook her head, "No, I want you to carry me. You all walk so fast, and I'm just a girl who doesn't know martial arts, how can I keep up?" Almost having Ah Dai carry her for the whole day, Xuan Yue had gotten quite used to it, especially sleeping on Ah Dai's broad back, it was truly a wonderful thing.
The silly fool shook his head helplessly and continued walking forward.
Yan Li burst out laughing and said: "I'm telling you, brother, just admit it, anyway one of you is willing to hit and the other is willing to take it."
"Ah-Dai smiled wryly and said: 'Yan Li big brother, don't tease me anymore.'"
Looking at Ah Diao's "painful" appearance, the rock couldn't help but smile and said: "After walking for so long, I'm a bit tired. Let's find a place to rest for a while."
Xuan Yue Dao said: "Alright, alright! Let's just do it here. This Ya Kun tribe is really something, not even a single tree, everywhere is just a vast grassland."
When Xuan Yue agreed to rest, Ah Dai quickly put her down. Xuan Yue glared at him discontentedly and sat on the grass, covering her eyes from the scorching sunlight with her hand. Yan Shi and Yan Li also stopped in their tracks, and the two of them lay comfortably on the ground. Yan Shi said, "The Ya Qiong tribe is like this; they are all nomadic people who usually live in thick tents. The light cavalry of the Ya Qiong tribe is very famous on the mainland, and they are also the largest ethnic group in the Suo Domain Federation. When we meet a Ya Qiong tribe village, let's buy a few horses from them and hurry up on our way; it will be much faster."
Xuan Yue Dao said, "Buy a horse? Do you have money on you? Ah Diao and I have already spent most of our necessary expenses." Indeed, the luxury carriage they bought earlier had taken up most of their urgent needs, not to mention that they still needed to eat and live in the future. If they bought a horse, they would be left with no money.
A rock suddenly spoke up and asked Rock Li, "Brother, did you bring any money?"
Yanli shook his head and said, "When have we ever spent money in our clan? I've never used that thing."
"Looks like we'll have to walk from now on. If we can find a city, maybe I and Yuèyuè can still get some monthly allowance from the Mages' Guild. Then we'll have money to spend." To be honest, he didn't want to ride horses at all. The painful experience of riding a horse for the first time was still deeply etched in his memory.
Yanli HaHa smiled and said, "No need to worry, when we get to the mountain, there will be a way. We may not have money, but we have strength. Let's see if we can help with some work in the Ya Ke tribe's village and earn some money to spend! Without horses, how can we hurry on the road? That would be too slow."
Yan Shi smiled and said: "I didn't think I'd sink to the point where I have to sell my labor."
Xuan Yue chuckled and said, "You really want to go sell your labor? It's so much fun, I really want to see what you look like when you're selling your labor. Actually, we should spend a few more days in the Tianyuan tribe's territory, we haven't seen other tribes yet. Yan Li big brother, do you think dwarves will be shorter than you?"
Yanli Cong flipped over and sat up, saying proudly: "Of course I'm taller than you, in the eyes of a dwarf, I must be a giant." His words instantly made everyone burst out laughing.
The fruit brought from the Elf tribe has been eaten long ago, and everyone can only eat some steamed buns stored in the Phoenix's Blood to fill their hunger. The storage capacity of the Phoenix's Blood is indeed good, it has been some days, but the steamed buns have not dried out or gone bad at all.
Yanli said somewhat slowly: "Eating only mantou is too boring, it would be better if there was meat." When he was with the Pu Yan tribe, he was someone who wouldn't be happy without meat every day.
Yan Shi glared at him and said, "Don't be so troublesome, let's go, we'll continue on our journey. Once we find a tribe of the Ya Qiong people, we can take a good rest."
Everyone stood up, Xuan Yue took out a cloak from the Phoenix's blood and put it on her head to block the scorching sun. She said to Ah Dai: "Ah Dai, come quickly and carry me on your back. I'll help you block the sun, how about that? It's mutually beneficial."
Ah-Dai muttered something, and finally knelt down in front of Xuan Yue with a sigh. Xuan Yue smiled slightly, leaned against Ah-Dai's back, her soft chest just beginning to develop pressed against Ah-Dai's firm muscles, Ah-Dai's face flushed hot, hooked his legs around Xuan Yue's calves, and quickly chased after the Rock Brothers.
After the four of them identified the direction, they headed southwest until sunset, and finally found an oasis on the grassland. It was a small lake, only tens of square kilometers in size, surrounded by a large number of dark-skinned humans. Unlike the elves, their appearance was generally ugly, with rough skin, but the men were relatively robust.
Hundreds of tents were set up around the oasis, and hundreds of thousands of cattle and sheep were being driven by the people of the Yakut tribe to enjoy the natural pastures that God had given them.
Xuan Yue said in surprise: "It's so lively here! So many cows and sheep. Do they come over?"
Yan Shi smiled and said, "Of course, they can make do. The Ya Qun tribe has always been a nomadic people, although they are the largest ethnic group in the Suo Domain Federation, they are also one of the poorest nations. They can barely be self-sufficient. They often exchange their own livestock and other necessities with other tribes. An oasis like this is the best place for the Ya Qun tribe to settle. Only next to an oasis can they not worry about water problems. You know, on the vast grasslands, without water, it's equivalent to having no life."
"Ah-Dai said: "Rocky brother, you seem to be very familiar with the Ya Ke tribe!"
Yanli burst out laughing and said: "We, the Puyan tribe, have a small piece of land that borders with the Yaqi tribe. In the Suoyuan Federation, only the Yaqi people's generosity and the Tianyuan tribe have some contact with us. These Yaqi people occasionally come to our territory to exchange cattle and sheep for food and various items, so we're familiar with them. Come on, let's go over there and buy some milk tea and beef from them, I don't want to eat dry rations anymore." After finishing speaking, he strode briskly towards the nearby oasis.
Xuan Yue pulled Ah Dai and said: "Come on, let's go too. Those tents look interesting. Let's rent one to live in."
Ah-Dai scratched his head and said: "Didn't you say that our family is not wealthy? Let's save some money then."
Xuan Yue pouted, scolding: "I've never been short of money to spend, humph, can't even play with things I like, disgusting." After finishing speaking, she lifted her head and chased after Yan Li.
He looked at Xuan Yue's pouting face and felt a sense of injustice on her behalf, subconsciously saying: "If you want to stay, just stay. We'll figure out the money problem later."
The rock smiled and glanced at them, thinking of his deceased wife, and his heart couldn't help but feel a pang of sourness.
Xuan Yue's heart warmed up as she looked at Ah Diao's silly face and smiled: "Let's see how things go."
Before long, the four of them arrived beside an oasis. Although the lake water here couldn't compare to the Elf Lake, it was still quite clear. As soon as they saw the water, everyone quickly ran to the lakeside and simultaneously stretched out their hands into the water. The cool lake water washed away the fatigue on their bodies, and under the stimulation of the clear water, all four of them felt invigorated.
After washing up, Yan Li sat comfortably by the lake and looked around. The Ya Qie tribe people who were not few in number just now didn't know where they all ran to. He said: "It's really strange, how can there be no one at all? This oasis is too quiet."
"He pointed at the large flock of cattle and sheep in the distance and said, 'Will they all go out to pasture?'"
Yanshi shook his head and said, "It shouldn't be, usually herding is done by adults, the elderly and children will stay at home. But you feel it too, it's so quiet here, as if there's no one in the surrounding tents. Just before we came over, we saw many Yazhou people, how did they all disappear? What's going on, I don't understand either."
At this time, a sturdy Yaksha man ran out of nowhere, excitedly running towards the northeast, and when he saw the four people, he couldn't help but pause, stopping in his tracks to ask: "What kind of people are you?"