296: Chapter 743 Welcoming Guests

"That's right." The Elf Captain let out a soft sigh, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness and compassion. "Among the four major races, only our Elf Race remains aloof from the world, guards the southern border, and never actively provokes conflicts. As for the other three major races, all of them have violent temperaments, advocate force, and are extremely ambitious. They have been waging endless wars against each other year after year, annexing one another, plundering mineral resources, and fighting for territorial domains. For ten thousand years, the flames of war have almost never ceased."

"The dwarves of the Eastern Domain and the orcs of the Western Domain vie year-round for wasteland mineral resources and mountain treasures, resulting in constant friction and endless battles. The demons of the Northern Domain have even more monstrous ambitions, heading south year after year to harass the borders of various races, plunder living resources, and encroach upon territorial lands. Across the entire Wanling Great World, aside from our Southern Border's Wanling Domain, which is peaceful, stable, and free from the ravages of war, smoke and conflicts are everywhere in all other regions."

Yuan Luo nodded in understanding.

"It's just that I have a doubt in my mind." Yuan Luo seized the Opportunity to follow up, pointing straight to the core key, "Your esteemed Elf Race has the smallest territory and the fewest people, and has always disliked war and loathed slaughter. Logically speaking, in times of chaos, you should be the easiest to bully and annex. Why have the other three warlike races never launched a large-scale invasion of the Wanling Domain in the southern border to seize your precious land?"

This was the greatest doubt in his heart, as well as the most crucial piece of information. In times of chaos, the Law of the jungle was the supreme principle of the Heavenly Dao. The Elf Race sat upon the precious land of the southern border with the densest Spiritual Qi, yet they could steadily survive for ten thousand years without anyone daring to offend them. There must be an absolute backing behind this.

Upon hearing this, a trace of faint confidence and racial pride instantly flashed across the Elf Captain's eyes, and he answered calmly, "Young Master might not know this, but although our Elf Race is a peaceful race, we are definitely not weak and easily bullied!"

"Our clansmen are naturally close to the Great Dao of heaven and earth, possess extraordinary comprehension, outstanding talents, and exquisite secret techniques. A single person's combat power far exceeds that of foreign Cultivators of the same Rank, and the ethnic group as a whole has a profound Foundation and tyrannical combat power. Usually, we uphold goodness, avoid wars, and do not contend with others. That is merely due to our nature, not because we are incapable of fighting."

"If we are driven to a desperate situation and encounter external enemies invading, our tribe can draw upon the power of the entire southern Spirit Domain, gather the might of thousands of vegetation and living beings, and urge the secret technique of Spirit Wood Return to One and Heaven and Earth Symbiosis. The mountains, rivers, vegetation, and trees of the entire southern border can all become combatants, possessing infinite power to deter all living beings."

"Although the Dwarven Tribe, Orc Tribe, and Demonic Tribe are warlike, violent, and ambitious, they also deeply understand the pros and cons and know their limits. They are clear that forcibly invading the southern Spirit Domain would only result in a heavy price with losses outweighing gains, and it would fundamentally fail to shake our tribe's Foundation. Therefore, for ten thousand years, no one has dared to easily launch a large-scale invasion of the southern border, and no one has dared to easily provoke our Elf Race."

Yuan Luo nodded in sudden realization, his heart completely enlightened.

Gentleness and peace have never meant weakness and incompetence.

The Elf Race is "capable of fighting yet chooses not to fight," rather than being "incapable of waging war."

Wielding peerless combat power sufficient to deter all living beings, yet still strictly adhering to one's original intent, upholding goodness, avoiding war, neither bullying the weak nor coveting others' territory, and strictly forbidding foreign races from humiliating oneself—this backbone and mindset were extremely rare.

"So that's how it is." Yuan Luo smiled and sighed with heartfelt admiration, "Possessing peerless power yet maintaining a peaceful heart, neither bullying the weak nor bloodthirsty for conquest, guarding a pure land and protecting the peace of all living beings—this breadth of mind and backbone far surpasses the other warlike races."

Praised sincerely, the Elf Captain felt a warmth blossoming in his heart, and his smile became even more genuine and pure, "Young Master flatters me too much. In turbulent times, only when one is strong enough does one have the qualification to speak of peace, stability, and survival. Without the power of self-preservation, so-called aloofness from the world is nothing more than an illusion of being at the mercy of others."

"Well said." Yuan Luo deeply agreed and nodded slightly.

In order to fully figure out the combat power tiers of this world and avoid subsequent risks in his actions, Yuan Luo smoothly inquired again, pointing directly to the core of cultivation, "I wonder how the cultivation Realms of your esteemed world are divided into tiers? My sister and I come from a foreign Realm, and our cultivation system is completely different from this world's. We wish to understand it in detail so that we can accurately judge the combat power tiers and avoid unnecessary misunderstandings and dangers."

This was the most crucial core information. Only by figuring out the Realm divisions and combat power benchmarks could one know the standards of the powerhouses in this world and properly control the measure of advance and retreat.

The Elf Captain did not hide anything at all, explaining frankly and in detail with clear logic, "The cultivation Realms of our Wanling Domain are divided simply, straightforwardly, and comprehensibly. They are uniformly divided into levels one to nine. The higher the level, the deeper the cultivation, the thicker the Foundation, the stronger the combat power, and the higher the status within the ethnic group."

"Level One is the initiation into cultivation, where one preliminarily guides Qi into the body and steps onto the path of cultivation. It is the most basic cultivation tier. Levels Two and Three are bottom-layer Cultivators; they are the most numerous and form the most common basic combat power of all races, responsible for daily labor and territorial patrols. Levels Four and Five are the stalwart powerhouses, possessing a profound Foundation and outstanding combat power, capable of leading combat teams, guarding a regional territory, and managing tribal affairs. Levels Six and Seven are the tribal higher-ups and top combat power, serving as the core pillars and deterrent forces of each race. Levels Eight and Nine are Domain Lord mighty figures, overlooking all living beings, wielding the authority of heaven and earth, and deterring the races in all directions."

"Then I wonder what cultivation levels the Captain and all the team members are?" Yuan Luo smoothly asked, wanting to accurately figure out the combat power standards of the guard unit before him.

The Elf Captain answered frankly and truthfully, "I am personally the captain of this forest patrol guard unit, with a Level Four cultivation. I am considered a stalwart combat power of the tribe, responsible for leading the guard unit, guarding this forest territory, and dealing with unusual movements from foreign races. The rest of the team members all have Level Three cultivation, with solid strength and sufficient experience, which is already enough to deal with ordinary Yao Beast rebellions and small-scale harassment from foreign races."

Yuan Luo nodded slightly, completely clear in his heart.

A Level Four cultivation roughly corresponded to the Peak Foundation Establishment standard of the Canglan Domain. In this world, it was already a decent stalwart combat power, sufficient to guard the peace of a patch of forest. However, compared to the Level Five top-tier Foundation of himself and Yuan Yun, there was still a clear tier gap.

Yuan Luo listened quietly, rapidly comparing his own cultivation in his mind and quickly converting the tiers.

Both he and Yuan Yun were at the Peak Nascent Soul Great Perfection cultivation, with perfect Dao Foundations, pure Spiritual Qi, and flawless roots. Furthermore, they carried the Origin Bloodline of Top-tier Divine Beasts, possessing tyrannical physical bodies, heaven-defying secret techniques, and vast Divine Souls. Their Foundation far surpassed Cultivators of the same Rank in this world.

After a little deduction and conversion, the two of them firmly corresponded to the "Level Five powerhouse" tier of this world, belonging to the top-tier stalwart standard, enough to crush the vast majority of ordinary Cultivators, and more than enough for self-preservation.

"Aside from the four main backbone races, are there any other fragmented tribes in this world?" Yuan Luo continued to chat and inquire, striving to fully figure out the layout of the Wanling Domain.

"Yes, there are." The Elf Captain nodded and replied, "In addition to the four main powerhouse races, there are many fragmented minor tribes between heaven and earth, such as the forest Yao Race, stream water race, mountain stone race, floating spirit race, and so on. These tribes are weak, have meager influences, and possess small populations. Having no independently partitioned territories, they can only survive by attaching themselves to the four main backbone races. They cannot amount to much and cannot influence the overall layout of Wanling."

Chatting along the way, viewing the scenery along the way, and inquiring along the way, Yuan Luo progressed step-by-step and covered everything comprehensively, completely figuring out the racial layout, power division, cultivation system, root causes of war, and combat power tiers of the Wanling Great World.

The layout of this world was simple, straightforward, and distinct in strength. The four races partitioned the land, three races suffered from warfare, and one race maintained tranquility. Conflicts never ceased, and only the Southern Border Elf Domain was the sole pure land amidst the troubled times—stable, pure, and far away from the smoke of war.

The scenery along the way became increasingly peerless and beautiful. Towering ancient trees blocked out the sun, spiritual flowers bloomed everywhere with overflowing fragrance, streams gurgled, and spiritual springs chimed. The air was permeated with sweet and gentle vegetation Spiritual Qi. Inhaling it into the lungs nourished the Divine Soul and calmed the mind, allowing one to completely forget the tension of slaughter on the Canglan Battlefield and the scheming disputes of the myriad Realms' war situation.

Walking to the end of the forest and passing through a sea of colorful flowers covering the mountains and plains, an Elf Race nestled against the mountains and rivers, hidden among spiritual mountains and verdant forests, slowly came into view before everyone's eyes.

Exquisite and lively wooden tree houses were built against the mountains in a staggered and orderly fashion. Vines and spiritual patterns wrapped around the bodies of the houses, and fine spiritual light slowly flowed, presenting an ancient, elegant, and Immortal Qi-imbued appearance. The outer periphery of the tribe was surrounded by a faint layer of natural spirit wood barrier, with a shimmering light flowing, warm and auspicious, isolating the external disputes and violent aura, firmly guarding a patch of peace.

"Ahead is our tribe!" Nuomi pointed forward excitedly, turned back, and smiled sweetly at Yuan Yun, "Big Sister, take a look. Isn't our Qingyang Tribe exceptionally beautiful and quiet!"

"It's very beautiful." Yuan Yun nodded gently, her eyes filled with heartfelt praise, "Nestled against mountains and rivers, surrounded by Spiritual Qi, tranquil and auspicious, unstained by worldly hubbub—it's just like a utopian paradise and a pure land in the mortal world. It is simply too rare."

The Elf Captain spoke at the appropriate time to introduce in detail, "Our Qingyang Tribe is just one of the thousands of small and medium-sized tribes of the Elf Race, and cannot be considered a major clan. The total population in the tribe is about one hundred thousand. For generations, we have lived and worked in peace here, multiplied and thrived, cultivated with a concentrated mind, lived stable days, and stayed far away from the wars and disputes of all directions."

"One hundred thousand clansmen—this is already quite a considerable scale." Yuan Luo nodded slightly and sighed with emotion.

The moment the group was about to step into the tribe's barrier, several warm and graceful spiritual figures had already swept through the air. With light and swift postures, they landed steadily in front of the tribe's mountain gate, quietly waiting for everyone's return.

The leading person was a middle-aged elf wearing a green-patterned Elder's robe. His temperament was steady and refined, his gaze was deep and distant, and his whole body was surrounded by a heavy and lingering spirit wood Dao rhyme. His cultivation was profound, and his bearing was extraordinary, naturally carrying the majesty and breadth of a Clan Chief. He was steady yet not sharp, solemn yet not cold.

He was none other than the Clan Chief of the Qingyang Tribe, Elder Qingyang.

As early as the first moment when the forest guard unit discovered the foreign visitors and triggered the warning arrow rain, the tribe's message-transmitting spirit butterfly had already transmitted back all the news.

Elder Qingyang had long learned that two unfamiliar foreign Cultivators had accidentally strayed into the territory, possessed pure Heart-Natures, and had zero malice. Therefore, he personally led a team to welcome them at the mountain gate.

Elder Qingyang's gaze was peaceful and distant, and from afar he carefully sized up the siblings Yuan Yun and Yuan Luo who were walking slowly. There was a trace of unavoidable prudence and faint vigilance in the depths of his eyes, but not the slightest hostility or violent aura.

In troubled times and amidst disputes, people's hearts were unpredictable. Foreign visitors naturally needed to be treated with caution, let alone foreign living beings they had never heard of or contacted before. Appropriate vigilance and defense were the duty and responsibility of a Clan Chief to protect the one hundred thousand clansmen, which was beyond reproach.

"Elder." The Elf Captain stepped forward quickly, bowed respectfully, and reported briefly and concisely, "These two are Cultivators from the exotic Canglan Domain, accidentally sucked into this world by a spatial rift and mistakenly entering our tribe's territory. Their words and actions are open and honest, their Heart-Nature is pure and kind, and their temperament is gentle. They harbor not an ounce of malice, and are definitely not provocative enemies or vicious villains."

Elder Qingyang nodded slightly, his gaze falling back onto Yuan Yun and Yuan Luo. He spoke gently, his tone dignified, courteous, neither humble nor pushy, "The two distinguished guests from beyond the Realm have come from afar and accidentally stumbled upon this place by an Opportunity. This old man is Qingyang, the Clan Chief of the Qingyang Tribe here. Just now, I heard that unusual guests were visiting the forest, so I personally came to welcome you. I hope the two of you will forgive any neglect along the way."

Yuan Luo and Yuan Yun hurriedly nodded in return, their postures upright, bearing transcendent, and etiquette comprehensive, fully displaying the steady cultivation and scholarly demeanor of top-tier Prodigies from the Canglan Domain.

"You are too polite, Clan Chief." Yuan Luo smiled calmly, his tone gentle and open, "My sister and I accidentally stumbled into your esteemed land, causelessly disturbing the peace of the tribe. We should have been the ones to apologize and express our thanks, yet we troubled the Clan Chief to personally come out to welcome us. We truly feel unworthy of such an honor."

"Indeed." Yuan Yun softly chimed in, her voice gentle, sweet, and her etiquette proper, "We presumptuously barged into the noble tribe's territory and disturbed the cultivation peace of the clansmen. Thank you, Clan Chief, for your tolerance and acceptance."

Seeing that the two possessed refined appearances, transcendent temperaments, open words and actions, humility, courtesy, and knew how to advance and retreat appropriately, Elder Qingyang's final trace of vigilance in the depths of his eyes gradually dissipated. His tone grew increasingly gentle and enthusiastic, "Heaven and Earth are vast, and the universe is boundless; opportunities are numerous, and encounters are unpredictable. Accidentally entering an exotic domain is itself a rare karmic affinity of Heaven and Earth, and it cannot be considered a disturbance or offense."

"The two of you shuttled through the Void Realm all the way and endured a long-distance bumpy journey; your bodies and minds must be exhausted. The Spiritual Qi atmosphere and the charm of Heaven and Earth inside and outside the barrier are vastly different. Why not enter the tribe to sit down, drink a cup of spiritual spring immortal tea, taste a few fresh spiritual immortal fruits, and rest to recover slightly? Later, this old man will carefully listen to the two of you talk about the local customs and cultivation layout of the extraterritorial world. I wonder what the two think of this?"

"We will respectfully follow the Clan Chief's grand invitation." Yuan Luo agreed with a smile.

The group slowly stepped into the tribe's barrier.

Inside the barrier, the Spiritual Qi became even more mellow and rich. Spiritual Plants and immortal flowers bloomed wantonly everywhere, overflowing with a faint fragrance. Streams wound around tree houses, and clear springs passed through the woods. The clansmen came and went gently and orderly; Elders sat quietly under the trees to rest their minds, young elves practiced martial arts and techniques, and young children laughed and played—a peaceful scene of years flowing quietly and free from worldly disputes.

Such a stable, peaceful, and leisurely tribal atmosphere was truly an extremely rare pure land in the war-torn and endlessly disputed Wanling Domain.

The crowd walked to the millennium spirit tree grand hall in the center of the tribe and took their seats in order. Inside the hall, it was crafted from millennium spirit wood, naturally nurturing the Dao charm of vegetation. It was quiet, secluded, and lingered with Spiritual Qi.

Elf maids served the sweet and warm spiritual spring immortal tea and the plump, juicy fresh spiritual immortal fruits. The tea fragrance curled upwards, and the fruit fragrance overflowed. Upon entering the mouth, the Spiritual Qi was mellow, warm, and sweet; it melted instantly upon passing the throat, nourishing the Divine Soul and relieving the fatigue of shuttling through the Void Realm.

Once everyone was seated and the atmosphere settled, Elder Qingyang took the lead to speak. His tone was peaceful, calm, and full of curiosity, initiating an honest conversation: "This old man has lived for nearly ten thousand years. Since childhood, I have heard ancient legends that outside the heaven and earth there are other universes, and outside the domain there are other heavens, but I have never had the fortune to see extraterritorial beings or hear extraterritorial stories. Today, having the fortune to meet the two of you is truly an Opportunity that is hard to encounter in ten thousand years."

"I wonder how the local customs, cultivation layout, and tribal styles of the Canglan Domain where the two of you reside differ from our Wanling Domain? Could you clear up the confusion for this old man and all the clansmen?"

Yuan Luo smiled calmly, slowly opening his mouth to elaborate in detail, clear and methodical: "You are too polite, Clan Chief. Some extraterritorial insights can naturally be shared."

"Our Canglan Cultivation World is completely different from your world's layout. This Wanling Domain is dominated by the division of territory among the four major races, with ethnic groups coexisting and contending. Each race forms its own system and wages wars against each other. Meanwhile, our Canglan world takes Cultivator Sects, ancient aristocratic families, and lineage Legacies as its core. Ten thousand Sects stand in great numbers, and a hundred schools contend. Countless Cultivators wholeheartedly comprehend the Dao, seek true cultivation, and take protecting the plane and transcending the Heavenly Dao as their lifelong Dao."

"Our cultivation system takes Realm ascension, Dao Foundation polishing, Divine Soul enlightenment, and Law comprehension as its core, advancing layer by layer and seeking truth step by step. It is completely different from your simple hierarchical division of levels one to nine. Each has the profundity of the Dao, the Foundation of the world, and its own unique cultivation brilliance."

Elder Qingyang listened with relish, his eyes full of novelty and emotion, nodding repeatedly: "I see. The Major Thousand Worlds are full of wonders, and every universe and world has its own merits. The beings of our Wanling Domain guard their native land for life and follow the rules; they never thought that the extraterritorial world would have such a layout and style. This truly opens one's eyes."

Yuan Yun chimed in softly at the appropriate moment, asking politely and voicing the final core doubt in her heart: "Clan Chief, this Junior still has a matter that she does not understand and wishes to presumptuously ask for guidance."

"Young lady, feel free to speak without restraint." Elder Qingyang nodded gently, with a magnanimous bearing.

"As I just crossed Realms and passed through the void crack between the two Realms, I discovered a giant spatial rift connecting the Canglan Domain and the Wanling Domain." Yuan Yun asked earnestly with sincere eyes, "This world is adjacent to our Canglan plane, and the passage has taken shape for a long time. Why has your tribe lived here for generations yet never noticed the existence of the rift, nor ever made any cross-border interactions or extraterritorial exploration moves?"

This was the biggest doubt in the minds of the sister and brother, and also the most critical crux of the entire heavens war situation.

Upon hearing this, Elder Qingyang was enlightened instantly, smiling as he slowly explained: "So the two of you were puzzled by that void rift. This old man knows about this matter; that cross-border rift has not taken shape for very long, and it is located in the barren void zone at the boundary of the two Realms."

"That region is sparsely populated, with impure Spiritual Qi, rampant void turbulence, and extreme desolation and danger. Since ancient times, no race has inhabited or settled there, and no one is willing to set foot or stay there. Our Elf Race has lived peacefully in the hinterland of the southern border for generations, concentrating on cultivation and guarding vegetation. We never set foot in the remote and desolate boundary of the Void Realm, so naturally, we had no way of noticing the anomaly of the rift."

"As for the other three major races, they are deeply mired in infighting day in and day out, conquering each other, and fighting for territory and resources. Their vision is short-sighted, looking only at immediate interests, and they only care about mutual slaughter and annexation. They have no heart and no extra energy to investigate the distant boundary void anomalies, so naturally, they are even more completely unaware."

"Furthermore, the beings of all races in our Wanling Domain have guarded their native land for generations with limited cognition. They have never had the ambition and thoughts of cross-border conquest or extraterritorial expansion, so naturally, they would not deliberately investigate void anomalies or explore extraterritorial worlds."

This thorough and detailed explanation completely unlocked all the mysteries in the hearts of the sister and brother.

Yuan Luo and Yuan Yun looked at each other, their hearts completely clear and thorough.

"I see." Yuan Luo smiled with relief.

Seeing the relieved expressions of the two, Elder Qingyang asked with slight curiosity: "Listening to what the two of you said, the Canglan Domain seems to have also encountered disputes and turmoil recently?"

"That's right." Yuan Luo nodded openly, saying concisely and truthfully: "Our Canglan recently encountered the collective covetousness of the heavens' Cultivation World. Major forces such as Wuxhen, Soul Domain, Chihuang, and Tianxing gathered a large army and opened up cross-border passages, attempting to cross borders to invade, plunder the plane Origin, and level the Canglan territory. The flames of war are coming and the situation is turbulent; the entire world is extremely tense."

"It is only through our cross-border exploration this time that we completely learned that the neighboring Wanling Domain has not the slightest intention of invasion or covetousness."

Upon hearing this, Elder Qingyang sighed softly, his eyes full of compassion and clarity, his tone distant and lingering: "Disputes in troubled times all arise from greed; ultimately, those who suffer are the living beings of heaven and earth and the common people of the plane."

"Our Wanling Domain has had endless wars for ten thousand years, with various races slaughtering and plundering without a single day of peace. We have long seen through the suffering of conquest and the disadvantages of war. Peaceful stability and quiet years are the greatest blessings for the living beings of heaven and earth. Pity that the heavens are vast and ambitions are endless; most ethnic groups are enveloped by greed, bloodthirsty for conquest, and never satisfied, ultimately finding it hard to escape the Reincarnation of troubled times."

This sentiment was full of the precipitation and reflection of ten thousand years, transparent, open-minded, and thought-provoking.

An honest and sincere conversation completely melted away all estrangement, doubts, and guards, with both host and guests enjoying themselves and the atmosphere being harmonious.

Elder Qingyang completely put aside all worries, leaving only the goodwill of hospitality in the depths of his eyes. He smiled and said gently: "The two of you have come from afar; this Opportunity is rare, and you have suffered through the long journey. Today, please rest and recuperate in our Qingyang Tribe with peace of mind, and fully experience the landscape scenery and vegetation Dao charm of the Wanling Domain."

"If the two of you need to explore the return path of the rift, investigate the Void Realm situation, or have any needs in the future, please feel free to speak up, and our tribe will definitely do our utmost to help."

"Thank you, Elder, for your generous hospitality." The sister and brother stood up at the same time, expressing their thanks politely with modest bearings.

Elder Qingyang smiled, raised his hand to signal them to sit down, and looked with a warm and distant gaze at the two extraterritorial Prodigies with transcendent temperaments and pure characters before him.

Perhaps befriending these two would also be an Opportunity for the Elf Race.

After all, the spatial rift already existed. Even if the Wanling Cultivation World hadn't discovered it, the forces on the Canglan side might come over after some time.

After all, this kind of matter was never unilateral.

Moreover, Yuan Luo and the other could arrive at the Wanling Cultivation World first at this time, coupled with their extraordinary bearing; at a glance, their backgrounds were not simple.

Since he didn't sense any malice from the two of them, he might as well befriend them in advance to deal with the future situation.

Their Elf Race had always valued harmony and did not want to fight external wars. When the time came, as long as those people spared the Elf Race out of regard for Yuan Luo and the others' backgrounds, that would be enough.

Elder Qingyang's gaze flickered. Since that was the case, he couldn't let Yuan Luo and the other leave directly.

It was best to stall and let someone from the royal palace come. After all, his status was not high enough, and his words didn't count. Only by letting the decision-maker of the royal palace establish a connection with Yuan Luo and the others could it represent the will of the Elf Race.

"Someone come, quickly go and send a message to the royal palace..."