Chapter 495 Greedy Rewards
Lying lazily on the soft grass beds, Chu Xun enjoyed his time idling about inside the Divine Tree’s spiritual domain. It really was a very comfortable and soothing respite after what was a gritting and fierce battle.
The Spirit of the Divine Tree, now in its female fairy form, hovered in mid-air now far away.
“The Elf race owes you a great thanks for averting this crisis,” said the Spirit in a chirping female voice.
“I wouldn’t mind a reward for the help I’ve put in,” chuckled Chu Xun.
For seconds, the Spirit said nothing as if it really was contemplating a reward. Chu Xun simpered and said, “I was only joking.”
The Divine Tree must be a powerful entity of untold age. It might be powerful than even Emperor Ao himself, and for this reason, Chu Xun knew he needed to tread carefully in her – or his – presence.
But being a creature of peace and virtue, the Tree could still take a joke or two.
The Spirit waved a hand and a heap of fruits, each sparkling with an exquisite gold gloss.
Magical fruits – a whole mound of several hundreds of them and enough to flabbergast Chu Xun.
“I seem to remember that you humans were fighting for these magical fruits outside the entrance that leads to this place,” said the Divine Tree.
“I seem to remember that you humans were fighting for these magical fruits outside the entrance that leads to this place,” said the Divine Tree.
“You know about these fruits?” uttered an astounded Chu Xun.
“All of the Elf race is under my protection. The trees have begun to mutate here, but only recently – a little more than ten years ago – and since then, these magical fruits too began to appear,” said the Tree.
“Surely you know that consuming magical fruits affords its users substantial enhancement in their powers by leaps and bounds, but at the cost of one’s life force. The more you gain, the more you lose too,” said Chu Xun making no attempt to take the fruits now laden before his feet.
The price of consuming these fruits was just too costly for the good that they bestow.
“That’s because you have not been consuming it correctly,” the Spirit chuckled suddenly, “The price of sacrificing your life force can be circumvented by consuming the pollen and the fruits together.”
“What?!” gasped Chu Xun before he remembered something. He took out a little jade vial. It contained a powder he collected from a strange golden flower before coming here. He showed the vial to the Spirit, “Is this pollen too?”
The Spirit unstoppered the vial and peered inside and she nodded, “It is. The flowers that bear magical fruits bear pollen, hence they are pollen and they are magical fruits too, one way or another.”
Chu Xun nodded. She was right; the powder originated from a flower he plucked outside.
That would explain how Jiu You’s powers had increased after she had been fed this pollen during her unconsciousness.
“What happens if I consume the pollen a few years after I consumed a magical fruit?” asked Chu Xun. He needed to know the answer because of Jiu You.
But the Spirit shook her head. “I’m afraid I cannot say. These fruits have only begun to grow recently and hence I have not studied them enough.”
Chu Xun could only nod quietly with resignation.
“Can you give me some pollen too?” asked Chu Xun. If consuming the magical fruits with pollen could avoid its cost, Chu Xun quickly drew every single fruit before him into his Ring.
The Spirit waved a hand and conjured several magical flowers and Chu Xun quickly tucked them into his Ring too.
“Do you have more? I need more,” said Chu Xun. Just seven really was too few.
“That’s all I have for now. Flowers with pollen mature very quickly. In just one day, they’ll grow into fruits,” said the Spirit.
That was true, as Chu Xun well knew as he quickly tossed out more than dozens of jade vials and chests. Then he asked for the Divine Tree’s favor to save him some pollen whenever she could.
“You humans really are greedy,” remarked the Divine Tree, this time in a male voice that made Chu Xun’s hair stand.
Chu Xun just had to ask, “Are you actually male or female?”
“Both,” replied the Spirit as a matter-of-factly.
“Hermaphrodite?!” gasped Chu Xun.
“Just because you saved the Elves doesn’t mean I’ll tolerate any impertinence from you, Devil.”
Chu Xun waved a hand and said, “I mean no disrespect. It’s just… For one moment, you’re a he, then after then, you’re a she… So… You know…”
The Spirit fell into silent contemplation before she finally said, “I’m female, although I use a male voice sometimes to sound powerful and commanding.”
“Surely you don’t have to pretend to be male to be commanding. You only need to show a thing or two with that great powers of yours and no one would dare raise his voice at you,” commented Chu Xun.
“I know nothing about that. The Elves are not a race with psychic abilities and hence none of them had been able to communicate directly with me,” muttered the Spirit. “It was my master who planted me here and he bade me to keep the Elves safe. I can still remember his soft and soothing voice, that’s why I always tried to mimic him.”
That was news enough for Chu Xun. For one to plant and nurture a magical tree that would become as strong and powerful as this Divine Tree would take at least the stage of Tribulation Transcendence or even someone with the rank of Immortal Emperor.
He himself has had enough experience of growing such plants in his own domain when he was still an Immortal Emperor.
Yet now, he began to wonder if Emperor Ao was true. The Earth must have had many immensely powerful entities that not even ten Worlds of Cultivation put together could hardly hope to compete.
“So how did Di Yanjing manage to gain control of you?” That was a question that puzzled Chu Xun. The Divine Tree wielded enough powers to dwarf even the actual Fifth Fiend Lord himself. Yet how did a simple sliver of its soul managed to get the better of it?
The Spirit’s face blushed a bright pink patch before she bashfully admitted, “I was sleeping. I was drifting between consciousness and complete sleep when I was caught unawares. In fact, I’m not sure if I’m fully awake now too.”
“All right. How long have you been asleep?”
The Spirit paused to think. Then she said, “A little more than a decade?”
It was all Chu Xun could do to prevent himself from flashing her a thumbs-up. The duration of the Tree’s sleep could see a baby’s growth into an adult.
“It’s boring being alone here and sleeping’s pretty much the only thing I can do to spend time,” grumbled the Spirit.
Chu Xun peered at her quietly. The Divine Tree might possibly be one of the strongest and most powerful entities on Earth, but she also led a pitiful and lonely life. For thousands and millions of years, she endured alone. That she was not yet insane was already a marvel in its own right. The Fifth Fiend Lord’s soul must have been able to make use of her own desolation and gloom to overpower her before.
“I have an idea that would help,” said Chu Xun suddenly.
“What idea is that?” cried the Spirit, her face lighting up with exhilaration and hope.
“Not yet. But it won’t be long, I promise you,” said Chu Xun.
From the way the spirit talked and behaved, Chu Xun could tell that although she had lived for tens of millions of years, she had never communicated with anyone. She was as simple-minded as a child, and her way of speaking was probably learned from the elveFrom the disposition of the Spirit, Chu Xun could tell that she had never made contact with anyone before for thousands and thousands of years. The purity of her mind and her manner of speech must be things that she had learned from her long years of watching over the Elves. s outside.
She could have chosen to desert the Elves and strike out on her own. With her powers, she could have done well. But she faithfully held on to her oath to keep the Elves safe.
Chu Xun talked to her at length, discussing much about the ancient times on Earth. But the Divine Tree could remember little as she was still very young then.
Finally, Chu Xun promised that he would come back to visit her if he could find the time. That seemed to cheer up the Spirit like a little child.
Peace and order returned to the Elf race before long even though their might was weakened with the Di Yanjing’s treachery. But the Elves remained safe with the protection of the Divine Tree that no amount of Di Yanjings could equate.
To thank Chu Xun and his companions for their help, the Sacred Maiden ordered a banquet.
During the feast, Su Wei’er looked as if she has something to say.
Chu Xun noticed it but he ignored her, for he knew what she wished to speak to him about.
Su Lianyi never stopped giving her strange looks and the Sacred Maiden could not quite summon the courage to speak up.
No one could ever miss it. Not even Gao Mohan and the others.Finally, an exasperated Su Lianyi stood up. She strode to Chu Xun and bent down in an unequivocal one-knee kneel – the highest form of respect that Elves could ever show.
Finally, an exasperated Su Lianyi stood up. She strode to Chu Xun and bent down in an unequivocal one-knee kneel – the highest form of respect that Elves could ever show.
“What is going on, Elder Su?” said Chu Xun, although he made no attempt to lift Su Lianyi up. Su Lianyi’s gesture of respect for him was one that he gladly accepted.
“Please, Chu Xun. We implore your assistance to help Her Grace the Queen,” begged Su Lianyi.
Chu Xun knew this was coming. It was no secret that the Queen of Elves was now incarcerated in a magical enchantment and the magic of enchantments was coincidentally the bread and butter of Chu Xun’s craft.
Su Wei’er knew better than to remain idle when her aunt was kneeling. She rushed out of her seat and kneeled before Chu Xun too.
“We implore for your help, Chu Xun, to help free Her Grace the Queen.”
Every Elf around them all fell to their knees at once.
Gao Mohan and the others went speechless. It did not take a genius to know that if the Queen of Elves was incarcerated somewhere, then her prison must be an enchantment so powerful that a being of immense power like her could not defeat. Even Chu Xun knew as much.
Chu Xun said not a word as he mulled his options.
But the irascible Flaming Qilin could wait no longer. “Come on, Devil!” cried the Sacred Beast, “You saved the Elf race, so what’s another Queen?”
Chu Xun suppressed the urge to give him another beating. “Go save her yourself then, if it’s as easy as you say,” Chu Xun scowled at him with narrowed eyes.
“Ah, I—” stammered the Flaming Qilin. He had, from this adventure, learned how powerful the Devil was firsthand.
Looking at the angry Fire Kylin, Chu Xun suddenly smiled.But Chu Xun broke into giggles, amused to see the Flaming Qilin turn quiet.
“All right, Qilin,” said Chu Xun at last with a devious look at the Qilin, “I can save the Queen, but I’ll need a show of sincerity – from you.” The bumbling oaf just liked to blurt out anything with hardly any subtleness and decorum and Chu Xun thought this might be a good time for a lesson.
“All right. What sort of display do you want to see? Name your price and if it’s within my power, I’ll do it!” the Qilin smacked his chest confidently.
Chu Xun simpered and communicated telepathically, “You told me once that you are endowed with the ancient knowledge of your lineage. So here’s my condition: a drop of your True Blood and a peek into the knowledge of your forebears. Gift these to me and I’ll save the Queen at once.”
Chu Xun simpered and communicated telepathically, “You told me once that you are endowed with the ancient knowledge of your lineage. So here’s my condition: a drop of your True Blood and a peek into the knowledge of your forebears. Gift these to me and I’ll save the Queen at once.”
The Flaming Qilin was not at all pleased to hear Chu Xun’s offer. “How dare you, Devil! What a monster you are! I’ll never agree to such terms!”
The Flaming Qilin blurted those words aloud that everyone stared at him strangely. What had Chu Xun said to make him so angry?
“Your Eminence the Sacred Maiden, Elder Su, please get up,” Chu Xun helped them up before going back to sipping his drink casually. With not so much as a look at the Flaming Qilin, Chu Xun said to Su Wei’er, “I have a question, Sacred Maiden.”
Su Wei’er nodded her head.
“Are Sacred Maidens allowed to marry? I mean can Sacred Maidens like you take a husband?” asked Chu Xun.
“Ah?’ Su Wei’er’s cheeks blazed a bright pink patch as her gaze trembled.
Gao Mohan and the others all stared at Chu Xun with suspicion. What is this?! Is he holding the wellbeing of the Elvish Queen as ransom to have Su Wei’er marry him?
The Flaming Qilin’s glare at Chu Xun had never been any more venomous. He was thinking exactly the same and he knew that Su Wei’er would do anything, including giving up herself if it meant saving the Queen.
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