Chapter 39

Chapter 39

Lou Guanyue's actions immediately drew a wave of furious glares. Eunice let out a sharp, startled gasp, and several thick vines shot out like agile serpents, ready to ensnare and strangle him the next moment.

Izavel didn't speak, but a gleaming, sharp dagger had somehow appeared in his hand. It was clear he, too, was seething with rage at Lou Guanyue's actions.

Pelan stepped forward, magic staff in hand, to stand beside Lou Guanyue. In the blink of an eye, a solid barrier of white bones materialized before the two of them, blocking the aggressively advancing vines.

This was practically instant-cast magic.

Seeing this, Eunice was utterly shocked.

In the space of a single breath, this usually silent, seemingly ordinary youth had actually used two high-level spells!

There were elders within the elven race capable of such casting speed, but they were all Magic Saints who had cultivated for over a thousand years.

How old was this youth? Among elves, he would likely still be considered a child!

A flicker of killing intent arose in Eunice's heart. Such talent, combined with being a necromancer, was truly terrifying.

"Eunice, stop."

The Elven Queen's voice, though not loud, resonated with authority within the palace. She looked at Eunice, who was visibly struggling to hide her reluctance, and said gravely, "Would you go back on the promise you just made?"

Eunice took a deep breath, pausing for a few seconds before saying, "My apologies, Your Majesty."

The Queen then glanced at Izavel, who was standing stock-still. Izavel gave a slight bow towards Pelan and swiftly sheathed his weapon.

Meanwhile, the banner trembled violently, and the colossal ancient tree vanished entirely from the great hall.

Sipo pressed his lips together tightly. He felt his connection to the Mother Tree snap, and an immense panic instinctively welled up within him.

He didn't trust Lou Guanyue. The first time he saw him in the Nightglow Forest, his diviner's intuition had screamed warnings that the man before him was filled with danger.

Sure enough, although he had been on his best behavior on the journey away from the Tree Court, the evil object he had just wielded didn't look like something a normal warrior could use at all.

Sipo pursed his lips, casting a worried glance at Pelan.

He hoped Lou Guanyue wouldn't betray Pelan's trust.

In a place unseen by the elves, within the myriad soul banner, Lou Guanyue's split consciousness stood in the air, gazing down coldly at what lay below.

The pollution forcibly stripped from the wood transformed into streams of demonic energy brimming with coldness, savagery, and destructive desire, struggling as they were dragged into the vortex at the banner's center.

Lou Guanyue could clearly sense the joyous emotion emanating from the myriad soul banner.

He casually broke off a twig. Although tainted by demonic energy, as a divine tree, its branches and leaves were still a rare and precious heavenly treasure.

At this rate, once all the dark energy was absorbed, this casually refined magical treasure wouldn't be far from advancing to the next stage.

Lou Guanyue seemed to think of something. Despite the banner's palpable reluctance, he halted the continued devouring. With a thought, he commanded the soul banner to "spit out" the Elven Mother Tree.

The tree canopy pierced the clouds, instantly obscuring the dome. The life energy within the palace became abundant once more.

The next moment, the Queen appeared before the Mother Tree's main trunk.

A faint, refreshing woody fragrance wafted into Sipo's nose. His tension eased, and he quickly fluttered his wings to approach the Mother Tree.

After a large amount of dark energy was extracted, the unsettling aura of decay dissipated. The shadows entwined around the branches visibly receded. The previously yellowed leaves unfurled anew, taking on a healthy, jade-like luster.

A life force far richer and purer than before, like a warm tide, rippled outwards from the purified area, instantly filling the entire palace. Every elf present clearly felt this change, their faces revealing expressions of disbelief, ecstatic joy, and gratitude.

"Her divine grace finally shines here once more." The Queen's voice held a slight tremor as she placed her hand on the trunk that had been most severely eroded, feeling the once-stagnant life energy within become active again.

Pelan quickly stepped forward, supporting the pale-faced Lou Guanyue, his eyes filled with concern.

"Yue, are you alright?"

Lou Guanyue shook his head. After drinking the stamina-restoring potion Pelan handed him, his complexion improved slightly.

He looked up at the Queen, whose face was etched with worry, and said, "My abilities are limited. I cannot purify all the pollution within the Mother Tree's body at once."

"No, you have already accomplished what we failed to achieve over countless ages." The Queen said, both overjoyed and grateful. She gently raised her hand, summoning a healing light beam that fell upon Lou Guanyue.

Meeting the Queen's expectant gaze, Lou Guanyue raised his hand and pointed towards a more distant part of the trunk, where dark energy still clung dimly. "Your Majesty, what I cleared was only the portion closest to the main trunk, the most shallowly eroded part. More dark energy is deeply rooted within the Mother Tree's root system."

The Queen looked at the still alarming dark energy on the Mother Tree and slowly nodded, asking the question all elves were most concerned about: "Then, at this rate, how much longer will it take to completely purify the pollution?"

"At the fastest, three days. If slower, perhaps seven days." Lou Guanyue pondered briefly before answering.

Pelan listened quietly nearby. A week wasn't long for him. He could use this opportunity to borrow books related to magic runes from the elves, seeking inspiration to modify the flesh puppet he brought back from Austin's ruins.

As for whether the elves' library contained relevant books, Pelan wasn't worried.

As a long-lived race, elves had an innate love for exploring knowledge and had collected nearly the most comprehensive collection of magic and theoretical knowledge on the continent.

The Elven Queen turned to Izavel, who stood in attendance nearby. Her tone regained the authority and concern of a monarch. "Escort our esteemed guests to the guesthouse to rest. Treat them with the finest wines and fruits. They are benefactors of our race; do not neglect them."

"As you command, my Queen."

Lou Guanyue did not decline. Along with Arnold, the group left the palace where the Mother Tree resided.

Under the tranquil night sky, faintly glowing fireflies illuminated the path ahead.

Arnold could finally no longer contain his surging curiosity. He leaned closer to Pelan, glanced at Izavel walking at the front, and lowered his voice to ask, "Where did you two go adventuring during the day? And how did you manage to purify the Mother Tree? That's the Elven Mother Tree! Even the Queen and the elders were helpless against that pollution. What kind of purification magic did you use?"

Lou Guanyue's steps didn't falter. Hearing the half-elf's rapid-fire questions to Pelan, he tilted his head slightly, glanced at Arnold with his deep eyes, and softly uttered two words.

"Secret."

Arnold was immediately speechless. Looking at Lou Guanyue's profile, which clearly indicated he didn't wish to elaborate, he could only huff and touch his own nose, muttering, "Alright, alright... secret."

Having traveled together for a while, they were barely half-companions. With his own background laid bare, Arnold didn't know them all that well.

The secrets these two held were more numerous than the branching paths of an underground labyrinth...

Returning to his room, Lou Guanyue had just taken off his coat when the door was knocked upon very lightly.

The corner of his eye lifted slightly. He didn't need to guess who was outside.

Pelan withdrew his hand, patted his own cheek, and silently apologized in his heart.

Purifying the pollution must have been extremely draining for Yue. No matter how curious he was about that magical artifact, he couldn't disturb Yue's rest at this time.

He'd just come find Yue tomorrow...

Thinking this, Pelan was about to turn away when he saw the door being pushed open a crack.

Lou Guanyue was evidently preparing to bathe. He wore only a thin shirt on his upper body, his waist-length ink-black hair cascading like satin. His eyes, brimming with amusement, looked at him warmly.

"Teacher? Did you need me?"

Pelan snapped out of his thoughts, guiltily averting his gaze as he nodded, then shook his head. "It's nothing urgent. You should get some rest first."

"Did you want to see that banner?" Lou Guanyue asked, unsurprised to see his hurried teacher pause. He smiled slightly. "It's still early. Would you like to come to my room for a closer look?"

Five minutes later, Pelan was sitting cross-legged on the soft sofa. While Lou Guanyue was in the shower, he examined the myriad soul banner in his hands with fascination, his eyes sparkling.

*Does this magical artifact absorb dark energy? Hmm... It doesn't react to my mental energy. Injecting mana doesn't get a response either...*

*That's strange. How does Yue make it grow larger?*

Lou Guanyue finished his shower and stepped into the bedroom. His gaze immediately fell upon the black-haired youth without any disguise. With a serious expression, the boy was struggling to toss the banner—now nearly as tall as himself—into the air, muttering incantations under his breath.

Lou Guanyue raised an eyebrow. Was he imitating how I used the myriad soul banner?

The corner of his mouth twitched, but he managed to suppress a laugh. He moved silently closer to Pelan and sat down on the sofa.

Pelan, sensing someone nearby, turned his head in a fluster, meeting Lou Guanyue's gentle, amused gaze.

Pelan flushed crimson. He wished he could magic himself out of the room instantly. He hurriedly sat back down. He had been trying to figure out how to use the magical artifact while Yue was showering, and had been so focused he hadn't noticed his approach.

Stealing a couple of guilty glances at the man, Pelan cleared his throat, putting on a composed front.

*Yue probably... didn't see what I was just doing, right?*

Lou Guanyue's eyes settled on the nearest ear, now bright red. Watching the youth who seemed about to steam with embarrassment, he reached over and took the myriad soul banner from Pelan's tightly clenched hand.

"Teacher, your posture just now wasn't quite right. It should be like this..."

Before he could finish, the youth in his arms bolted from the room like a startled rabbit, the departing breeze feeling almost scalding.

"I... you should rest! Good night!"

*

Lou Guanyue sat by the Elven Mother Tree. To facilitate the purification process, the Elven Queen had temporarily reassigned the guards normally stationed to watch over the tree. The entire palace now held only the Queen; even Izavel had been dispatched elsewhere by Her Majesty.

What exactly transpired within the palace housing the Elven Mother Tree remained unknown to anyone.

Though curious, the elves continued to follow the Queen's directives. In just a few short days, the Council of Elders convened three meetings concerning the Mother Tree. They ultimately decided that once the Mother Tree was fully recovered, they would inform all elves about its past affliction.

Simultaneously, they would announce that Lou Guanyue and Pelan had cured the Mother Tree, declaring them saviors of the elven race.

Due to the "incident" on the first night, Pelan had practically sequestered himself in his room every day since, immersed in studying magic runes.

Thinking of the youth who had fled, red-faced and flustered, that night, Lou Guanyue happily snapped off a couple of twigs and tossed them into his storage space.

He wondered just how long his teacher, whose face was thinner than gossamer, would keep avoiding him this time.

A week passed in the blink of an eye. Just as everyone was joyfully settling into the belief that peaceful days would continue...

The Elven Mother Tree underwent an unbelievable, bizarre transformation!

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Author's Note: Pelan: Slightly deceased, do not seek. ε＝ε＝ε＝(#>д<)？？