Chapter 566 - 549: Golden Field
Inside the Elf King’s palace.
Li Wei stood alone before the king of the Elf Race.
The Elf King, with his blond hair, green eyes, and a crown upon his head, sat casually on his throne.
He lowered his head slightly, quietly watching Li Wei as he walked in.
His expression was one of complete control.
It had to be said, the Elf King was likely the most handsome Elf in the entire Elf Race.
Neither male nor female could compare to him in terms of looks.
He seemed to be the most perfect form in the world.
The Elf King had lived for over a thousand years, yet his face remained youthful.
The two locked eyes, their gazes seeming to strike sparks in the air.
The Elf King was, however, just a little surprised.
Li Wei’s reaction upon seeing him was far too calm.
But this was to be expected. Li Wei had met the Beast King before and had felt his tyrannical aura.
He had already built up a considerable immunity to so-called kingly auras.
Besides, the Elf King’s aura was completely different from the Beast King’s.
The former was restrained, while the latter was brazen and unrestrained.
However, Li Wei wouldn’t underestimate the Elf King because of this.
The Elf King was an expert on the same level as the Beast King.
Li Wei had witnessed the Beast King’s might.
Naturally, he had his own assessment of the Elf King’s strength.
’In a direct confrontation, my chances of winning are minuscule.’
’Infinitesimally close to zero.’
Li Wei bowed and said, "I am Li Wei. It is an honor to meet the Elf King."
The Elf King stared at him and said flatly, "Did the Beast King give you the keepsake?"
"And where is the inheritor of the Holy Dragon Race?"
The Elf King was more concerned with Saint Xi than with Li Wei.
After all, Saint Xi was the true descendant of the Holy Dragons.
Li Wei thought for a moment, then said, "Pardon my forwardness."
Right in front of the Elf King, he performed a Magic spell.
A spatial gate opened, and Saint Xi walked out from it.
The Elf King looked at Saint Xi, sensing the aura of the Holy Dragon Race on her.
He shook his head and said, "Your power is too weak. Go back."
"I will not give you the keepsake."
The Elf King didn’t beat around the bush and said it directly.
Li Wei looked at the Elf King and said, "As the Guardian of the keepsake, shouldn’t you be helping the descendants of the Holy Dragon Race?"
The Elf King let out a laugh. "Indeed. According to the ancient pact, I should hand the keepsake over to the Holy Dragon Race."
"But... you are too weak. Giving you the keepsake would be useless. It would only send you to your deaths for nothing."
"How will we know if we don’t try?" Li Wei said.
The Elf King’s smile gradually faded. "Human, do not push your luck."
Saint Xi took a step forward, looked the Elf King in the eye, and said, "Your Majesty the Elf King, the Dragon Race and the Elf Race signed a covenant in ancient times. The Dragon Race made immense sacrifices to ensure the Elf Forest could be preserved intact."
The Elf King looked at Saint Xi, his expression calm and his thoughts unreadable.
"It seems you have awakened some of your memories," the Elf King said.
Perhaps it was a matter of saving face.
The Elf King relented, "Very well, then. I will give you one chance."
"Whether you can obtain the keepsake will depend on your own abilities."
Saint Xi said, "Thank you, Elf King, for granting us this opportunity."
"Heh, don’t celebrate too soon."
The Elf King opened a passage to the Golden Field.
He led the way, and Li Wei and Saint Xi followed him inside.
They entered the Golden Field, once the Divine Kingdom of the Elf God.
When Li Wei saw the scene inside, his expression filled with astonishment.
The Golden Field was in a state of utter ruin.
’The Divine Kingdom of the Elf God should symbolize life and nature.’
But now, within the Golden Field, the earth was cracked, the trees were dead, the rivers were dry, and the sky was shattered...
The entire world seemed to be dying.
At the end of the world, a colossal tree connected the earth and the heavens.
That was the World Tree.
Now, barely a few leaves could be seen on the World Tree.
Its countless intertwined branches looked like a pile of withered bones.
The sight instilled a sense of sorrow in one’s heart.
Both Li Wei and Saint Xi were stunned by the sight of the Golden Field.
The Elf King was already used to it.
He said, "What you are looking for is at the top of the World Tree."
"A word of warning: though this world is dying, the creatures within are not so easy to deal with."
Li Wei was silent for a moment before looking at the Elf King and asking, "Why did this place become like this?"
From the traces of withered grass on the ground, one could tell that the Golden Field was once a land of prairies and forests long ago.
Just as its name suggested.
It shouldn’t have been such a desolate landscape.
The Elf King said faintly, "After the Elf God disappeared, the Divine Kingdom lost its source of Power and gradually withered away."
Li Wei was not surprised to hear this.
He had already guessed as much.
The Elf King glanced into the distance and said, "I will give you one day. If you cannot retrieve the keepsake by then, you must leave."
With that, he turned and left the Golden Field.
Just as the Elf King left, a tremendous rumbling sound came from the distance.
Yellow sand billowed like smoke, rapidly approaching them.
As it drew closer, Li Wei could see clearly that the newcomers were a group of Stone Golems covered in withered yellow vines.
The strength of these Stone Golems was not to be underestimated.
As the former Guardians of the Golden Field, the Stone Golems had all reached the Level of Tier Six.
Li Wei had no intention of getting entangled with these Stone Golems.
The Elf King had given him limited time; he had to get the keepsake within a day.
"Saint Xi."
Li Wei called out.
Saint Xi immediately understood. She transformed into a Giant Dragon and, carrying Li Wei, flew rapidly toward the World Tree.
In the blink of an eye, the vine-covered Stone Golems were left far behind.
Along the way, Li Wei saw many monsters within the Golden Field.
The Tree-man Guards, once filled with the breath of life, had now become bizarre Withered Wood Monsters.
Their bodies were filled with an aura of decay, as if they had been dead for a long time.