Chapter 1089, He is of the Human Race

Translator: Silavin

 

If it had been anyone else making such a demand, even a Supreme Expert of a Foreign Race, Irene would have refused without a moment’s hesitation.

 

Yet faced with the young man before her, she found herself harbouring a strange, inexplicable feeling. Rather than declining outright, she sank into quiet thought.

 

“Sir Qin, you are a perceptive man. You should already know the consequences.” The Elf Queen’s eyes swept across Qin Yichen, as though she were trying to discern what calculations lay hidden behind his composed expression.

 

At last, she offered a faint smile and said, “If you are willing to bear those consequences, I don’t mind letting you have a look.”

 

Gazing upon the Elf Queen’s face, still radiant with a warmth that seemed to make the very air feel like a spring breeze, Qin Yichen felt a sudden tremor stir deep within his chest.

 

The ruler of a mighty Race would never be a creature of indecision. Now that he had discovered this secret, his chances of leaving from the Elf Forest would be slim to none.

 

Observing his expression, the Elf Queen said nothing further.

 

Had the latter not stumbled upon this secret, his achievement in curing the Blood Beastmen’s Blood Devouring Poison would have been more than enough to earn him the status of honoured guest among the Elf Race. Were it not for the sake of her people, the Elf Queen would not have wished to make things difficult for Qin Yichen.

 

*Swoosh…*

 

Then, without further words, the Elf Queen gave the faintest squeeze of her slender palm. A streak of vivid green light shot forth from the Life Scepter.

 

In mere moments, as threads of green light wove together, a green gate of light materialised before the great Tree of Life.

 

The Elf Queen then stepped gracefully forward, walking directly towards it, her figure vanishing within the luminous gate.

 

“There’s no choice now.” Seeing this, Qin Yichen bit down on his teeth and could only steel himself, bringing Little Ling’er along as he followed after her.

 

Passing through the gate of light, what appeared before Qin Yichen’s eyes was an enormous cavern. Along its walls, ancient glowing Runes flowed in ceaseless motion.

 

Runes were linked together like a great barrier, sealing off the entire interior of the cavern.

 

Upon entering, Qin Yichen swept his gaze across the space, and his brow furrowed.

 

He knew this had to be the interior of the Tree of Life. The Power of Life pervaded every corner, vigorous and resplendent. However, he could perceive, beneath that vitality, a subtle and concealed note of withering frailty.

 

“What is that?”

 

When Qin Yichen’s gaze fell upon the very centre of the formation of Runes, his pupils contracted sharply. There, visible through the flowing Runes, he could make out what appeared to be a hollow void.

 

That hollow looked entirely out of place with its surroundings, yet within it, a soft and shimmering radiance still stirred.

 

“Is something missing from here?” Qin Yichen murmured inwardly, and then, without warning, a tremor ran through his body. From within his Space Ring, he detected an unmistakable and peculiar stirring.

 

“Hmm?” His awareness shifted, and he discovered that the spirit tree he had obtained from the Ancient Jade Pavilion’s crystal cutting was, at this very moment, trembling, as though something were calling out to it.

 

“This thing…” Qin Yichen’s lips twitched. He suddenly recalled that this ancient tree bore a striking resemblance in function to the Tree of Life. Its fruits were capable of extending a person’s lifespan by a hundred years. [Could it be that this tree was once a part of the Tree of Life?]

 

Naturally, he would be unwilling to surrender such a treasure.

 

An object with the miraculous power to extend one’s life by a century was a priceless treasure beyond measure.

 

Furthermore, given the right conditions for cultivation, this spirit tree might bear countless more fruits, representing a wealth too vast to even contemplate.

 

“Sir Qin has likely noticed as well. The truth is, it is not that I have any selfish motive in refusing to let this child comprehend things here. It is simply that our Life Scripture can now only be understood within the palace our Ancestors have left behind.”

 

At that moment, the Elf Queen’s measured and calm voice drifted over.

 

There was no longer any guardedness within her voice. Clearly, by bringing Qin Yichen to this place, she had never intended to allow him to leave the Elf Forest.

 

When the time came, willing or not, Qin Yichen would have no choice but to remain here. Perhaps, in consideration of his role in curing the poison, the Elf Race would not be too excessive, but this amounted nonetheless to a form of house arrest.

 

“Maybe, I am able to help you…” Qin Yichen quietly said, his expression becoming somewhat unusually grave.

 

Were it only his own situation at stake, he might have been able to endure and wait for an opportunity to escape the Elf Forest. However, this matter concerned Little Ling’er’s cultivation of the Life Scripture. For that reason alone, he could not find it in himself to be selfish anymore, despite his true unwillingness to do this…

 

If the spirit tree he had obtained truly was the missing part of the Tree of Life, then returning it to its rightful place would be the right thing to do.

 

And cultivating goodwill with the Elf Race would likewise be an excellent development for the Human Race.

 

“Help? Sir Qin, you must be joking…” Hearing these words, the Elf Queen could not suppress a soft laugh.

 

Every Elf Queen across the ages had been a Supreme Expert. Yet, they had exhausted every conceivable means and still found no solution. What method could a mere youth of the Human Race possibly possess?

 

Faced with the Elf Queen’s scepticism, Qin Yichen offered no elaborate explanation. He simply began walking directly towards the centre of those Runes.

 

Seeing his movement, the Elf Queen’s delicate brows furrowed slightly.

 

This was the interior of the Tree of Life, already extraordinarily close to its very core. If a member of a Foreign Race were to act recklessly here, it could very possibly cause damage to the Tree of Life itself.

 

Any harm to the Tree of Life would be a catastrophe the Elf Race could not hope to withstand.

 

“Stop!”

 

Suddenly, an aged and gravelly voice thundered through the space. In a flash of green radiance, an elderly figure appeared directly in Qin Yichen’s path.

 

From this aged figure emanated a vast and surging fluctuation, turbulent as the open sea, leaving no doubt that this seemingly frail Elder possessed terrifying power.

 

He must be the Guardian of the Tree of Life.

 

“Irene, why have you brought an outsider in here?”

 

After halting Qin Yichen, the Elder turned to address the Elf Queen. Not only did he forgo any honorific, he was even rebuking the Elf Queen.

 

“Jade Elder, he is of the Human Race.” The Elf Queen did not grow angry at his lack of deference. Instead, she explained calmly.

 

“The Human Race?” At these words, the Elder’s expression shifted slightly, a flicker of surprise crossing his eyes.

 

In truth, it was not as though the Elf Race and the Human Race shared any particularly warm bond. The reason Avril had treated Qin Yichen with such trust and courtesy earlier stemmed from a more significant cause.

 

Some years prior, the most ancient existence within the Elf Race had issued a directive: that the Human Race harboured a celestial phenomenon unrivalled under Heaven, and that any member of the Human Race who came to their domain was to be received with full courtesy and respect.

 

It was precisely because of this that the Elf Queen had taken the risk of bringing Qin Yichen here.

 

“The Human Race…”

 

The Elder’s brow creased. As a Guardian, he had once posed a question to that ancient existence, who had told him only that the Human Race might very well produce once more a figure in the mould of the Demon Subduing Great Saint…

 

The domineering and devastating presence the Demon Subduing Great Saint had displayed in battle seemed still vivid before his eyes. And so that existence had specifically instructed that, unless absolutely necessary, they must never make an enemy of the Human Race.