Chapter 882: Chapter 34 The Egg of the Giant Dragon
The Elf Queen’s eyes conveyed a tender look as she took Ah Dai’s hand and said, "You were too impulsive back then. Don’t you know how I feel about you? Even if your cultivation is not high, I would still choose you. Thinking about it now, it still terrifies me."
With a sigh, Ah Dai replied, "Fei Fei, how could I not know your feelings for me? But as a man, if I can’t become the strongest warrior in the Elf Clan, how could I have the face to ask for your hand in marriage? That’s why I chose to train in the Death Mountain Range. When I first crossed through Tian Yuan Clan Territory and reached the Death Mountain Range, I realized how insignificant my abilities were. The Death Mountain Range was like a hell on earth, filled with the stench of death. At first, it didn’t seem like much, but once you ventured deeper, you’d find all kinds of monsters, zombies, and even fearsome bone dragons. Often, just as I had used magic to slay a few monsters, more would pounce on me, leaving no path for retreat, completely surrounded by monsters. Maybe my life was not meant to end there, for just when I was about to be devoured by monsters, I fell into a deep pit. The entrance to this pit was very small; large monsters couldn’t enter. Only zombies, skeletons, or smaller monsters could get through. I used all my strength to cast an illusion technique and sealed the entrance, saving my life. We Elves never eat meat, but to survive, I had to eat the foul-smelling raw flesh of those monsters; the memory is still vivid in my mind. Every day I would continue practicing my magic, repeatedly trying to break through the siege, but there were just too many monsters, and some of the more powerful ones were beyond my ability to handle. Had it not been for that sturdy cave, I would have already been a feast for the monsters. Do you know? I lived in that cave for an entire year, then one day, for some reason, the number of monsters drastically decreased, and those powerful ones vanished. It was only then that I saw a chance to dash out and return to Elf Forest. For three consecutive years afterward, I would be startled awake by nightmares every morning; even now, thinking back on those days makes my heart tremble. Before I entered the Death Mountain Range, my magical power had already surpassed that of so-called great magicians on the continent, and I was also one of the few warriors among the Elves. You all combined might have been able to hold your ground against me back then. But inside the Death Mountain Range, unless you’re lucky enough to find a cave to hide in, I’m afraid..."
Hearing Ah Dai’s account of the Death Mountain Range, Moon Scar and the others felt a chill run down their spines. Even Xuan Yue, the instigator of the trip to the Death Mountain Range, turned pale as if countless magical beasts were about to pounce on her. Miao Fei said with a strained voice, "Is it really that terrifying?"
Ah Dai gave a wry smile and said, "I have no reason to lie to you. My speaking skills are poor; the situation in the Death Mountain Range is only more terrifying than what I described. The place I entered was just about three miles inside the range, merely the outskirts. I can’t even dare to imagine what lies further inside. Perhaps you still have some doubts, let me show you something." With that, he recited an Elf spell, and the space in front of him began to twist. A sharp light shot from Ah Dai’s eyes as he gently swept his hand across the distorted space, and a tiny crack appeared. With the incantation’s urging, a string of variously colored objects flew out.
Ah Dai stretched out his hands, and those objects gently landed in his palm. On closer inspection, they turned out to be seven or eight raw, uncut gemstones of different colors, with uneven surfaces, but the faint energy fluctuations showed the gemstones’ value. "These ore stones," Ah Dai said, "are what I dug out from that cave. They must be the top-grade magic crystals you’re looking for. There are no alchemists in the Elf Clan, and we are adept at the magic of nature; keeping these stones doesn’t serve much purpose for us, so I will give them to you." With that, he stuffed the gemstones into Ah Dai’s hands.
Xuan Yue took a gemstone from Ah Dai’s hand, examined it closely, and channelled her magic power into it. The gemstone instantly shone brilliantly. Nodding, Xuan Yue said, "Good, this is indeed a top-grade magic crystal. So many pieces would probably be worth hundreds of thousands of Gold Coins on the continent."
Ah Dai startled at Xuan Yue’s words, quickly turning to Ah Dai and said, "Uncle, these things are too precious; we can’t accept them."
Ah Dai smiled faintly and said, "Keep them. In our eyes, every member of our clan is far more important than these items. You have saved more than a dozen of our people; giving you some gifts in return is only proper. With these gems, your mercenary mission is complete, and you no longer need to venture into the Death Mountain Range."
The Elf Queen took Ah Dai’s hand and said, "Kind child, please accept them as a meeting gift from aunty. I truly hope you can help me find our missing tribe members and daughter. I won’t let you take the risk; as long as you can find the traces of our people, I am confident you can rescue them. Child, can you tell me your name?"
