297: Chapter 744 Meeting the Queen

"You may treat the Qingyang Tribe as your own home, settle down in peace, and roam freely. I will instruct my clansmen to fully cooperate, taking you to tour the scenery of the Southern Border Spirit Domain, taste local spiritual meals and immortal fruits, experience our clan's vegetation Dao intent, and properly relax and recuperate."

Yuan Luo and Yuan Yun exchanged a glance, both seeing a sense of relief in each other's eyes, then slightly nodded and politely thanked him: "Since the Elder has cordially invited us, we siblings will not decline and will impose upon you for a few days."

"Not an imposition at all, not an imposition at all." Elder Qingyang stroked his beard with a smile, filled with joy. "It is the honor of the Qingyang Tribe that the two of you are stopping by our clan."

From then on, Yuan Luo and Yuan Yun settled down securely in the Qingyang Tribe.

In the following days, there was no grim tension of the Canglan Battlefield, no calculated maneuvering of the heavens' war strategies, and no bitter seeking on the path of cultivation, only endless breezes and seas of flowers, spiritual springs and ancient trees, and Elder Ping He's worldly warmth.

Nuomi stuck by their sides almost every day, becoming their most attentive and exclusive guide.

In the early morning, she led the siblings to the peak of the spiritual mountain to watch the newborn sea of clouds and morning sun in the Wanling Domain, seeing the rosy glow blanket a thousand miles of forest and listening to the chorus of birds in the woods;

In the afternoon, they walked through the seas of flowers covering the mountains, picking the freshest colorful spiritual fruits and crystal-clear nectar, and tasting the spirit leaf immortal tea passed down by the Elf Race for ten thousand years;

In the evening, they sat quietly beneath millennium-old spiritual trees, feeling the flow of vegetation Dao intent and listening to the clan's Elders recount ancient secrets of the Wanling Domain and past conflicts among the four races.

The elf clansmen in the tribe, regardless of age, were extremely friendly to the two foreign distinguished guests.

Knowing that the two harbored no malicious intent and had gentle personalities, all the clansmen completely put down their guard. Children gathered around the two to laugh and play, adult elves proactively stepped forward to explain local customs and interesting cultivation anecdotes, and Elders frequently chatted to impart Dao and share the experiences of their years, making the entire tribe exceptionally warm and peaceful.

Taking advantage of the leisure time over these past few days, Yuan Luo and Yuan Yun also completely calmed their hearts, organizing intelligence and deducing the situation to thoroughly grasp the overall pattern of the Wanling Great World.

On a stone platform in the forest during their free time, the siblings sat side by side quietly. A gentle breeze brushed past their hair tips, stirring the fallen blossoms across the ground, and the atmosphere was leisurely and relaxed.

Yuan Luo gazed at the endless expanse of green forest in the distance and slowly spoke in a soft voice: "Sister, after meticulously organizing all the intelligence and observing the surrounding patterns over these past few days, I can completely confirm that the Wanling Domain poses absolutely no threat to our Canglan Realm."

Yuan Yun nodded slightly, her cold gaze clear and transparent, and softly chimed in: "Mm, I've also figured it out."

"The Elf Race resides in the Southern Border, possesses a gentle temperament, upholds goodness, and avoids war. They have no intention of crossing boundaries, waging conquests, or plundering, seeking only to firmly guard their homeland and survive steadily. They are a purely peaceful ethnic group."

"The other three major races—the Dwarves, Orcs, and Demons—although violent by nature, fond of valor and brawling, and engaged in year-round warfare, have narrow perspectives and short-sighted visions. For ten thousand years, they have remained trapped in internal strife within their homeland, only fighting each other for territory and resources, and have never had the idea or vision of cross-border exploration or extraterritorial conquest."

Yuan Luo took over the conversation and continued his analysis logically: "Most importantly, the overall cultivation system tier of their races is too low. Their highest level 9 powerhouses correspond to the Mahayana Stage tier of our Canglan Realm, and their overall Foundation falls far short of the mainstream Cultivation Worlds of the heavens."

"Furthermore, the four races suffer from year-round internal friction, mutual restraint, and continuous casualties, completely unable to spare the effort or assemble troops for a cross-border expedition. Let alone invading Canglan, even if they were made aware of the existence of a top-tier plane beyond their borders, they would have no time to attend to it and no power to plot for it."

"The cross-border crisis and enemies of the heavens heavily hyped up by the various Cultivation Worlds across the heavens previously have no need to include the Wanling Domain into the category of threats. This heaven and earth is simply a secluded, uncontentious extraterritorial pure land that poses not the slightest bit of threat to our Canglan Realm."

Yuan Yun's gaze flickered slightly, and she softly summarized: "In other words, it's a good thing they have no ambition; otherwise, going out with this bit of strength would basically result in total annihilation."

"That's right." Yuan Luo smiled calmly and spoke with a sense of relief: "A few Tribulation-scattered experts would be invincible existences over here."

Yuan Yun gently raised her gaze, looking toward the Void Realm direction of the two realms' rift, her tone being that of Elder Ping He and resolute: "Since the situation here has been thoroughly figured out, the Wanling Domain is not worth worrying about and holds no potential threats, so there is no need for us to continue staying."

"The situation of the Canglan Battlefield is yet undecided, and the heavenly armies are still lurking and awaiting orders in the Void Realm outside the rift. Having been out for many days, we should return to our homeland as soon as possible, transmit the intelligence, return to our posts to guard the realm, continue to oversee the war situation, and protect our territory."

Yuan Luo deeply agreed and nodded heavily: "Sister is right. Proper business comes first, and sightseeing comes second. Although this place is good, it is ultimately a foreign land, and with the war situation in our homeland undecided, we cannot stay long. Having finished our rest and recuperation, we will bid farewell to Elder Qingyang today and prepare for our return journey."

With their minds in sync and their thoughts aligned, the two instantly finalized the decision to leave.

Right at this moment, a gentle and steady sound of footsteps slowly drifted over. Elder Qingyang, dressed in a green-patterned long robe, walked leisurely with a smile from the forest trail, just in time to hear the siblings' final conversation.

"Are the two esteemed nephews planning to return and leave?" Elder Qingyang asked with a smile, his tone being that of Elder Ping He and insightful.

Hearing this, Yuan Luo and Yuan Yun stood up and nodded politely: "Elder. Our sibling pair has crossed realms for a long time, and now that the war situation in our homeland is undecided, it is inconvenient for us to stay long. We were just preparing to bid farewell to the Elder and return to the Canglan Domain."

Hearing this, Elder Qingyang did not show the slightest bit of surprise or eagerness to urge them to stay. Instead, a confident and gentle smile appeared on his face as he slowly raised his hand and said in a calm tone: "No rush, the two esteemed nephews should calm down and not be impatient for now."

"Old man understands your desire to leave. However, the secret message that old man submitted to the royal palace earlier has finally transmitted back a royal decree today—Her Majesty the Elf Queen has personally issued an edict, specially inviting the two foreign distinguished guests to the Elf Royal Palace for a chat, to be guests in the imperial city and discuss the Heaven and Earth Dao together."

"Old man was just preparing to come and notify the two of you, just in time to run into your discussion about the return journey. This trip's royal palace invitation is the highest courtesy of the entire Elf Race, and I hope the two esteemed nephews will give us face and accept."

The moment his voice fell, several glowing white beams of light suddenly swept across the distant horizon, piercing through the air with graceful postures, carrying a dense royal Spiritual Qi, and landing steadily in front of the mountain gate of the Qingyang Tribe.

All the elf clansmen instinctively turned their heads to look, their eyes filled with awe and reverence in their hearts.

The arrivals were the royal envoys exclusive to the royal palace, five in total. Leading them was an Elf Royal Family member with a poised and lustrously jade-like temperament, wearing a snow-white gold-inlaid royal long robe. With a tall, upright posture and handsome features, his demeanor was dignified, scholarly, gentle, and courteous, without the slightest bit of royal arrogance and coldness, treating others with utmost modesty and gentleness.

The remaining four accompanying guards all had upright postures, steady auras, exquisite cultivation, and measured advances and retreats. Surrounded by pure royal spiritual light, they possessed strict discipline and extraordinary bearing.

The moment they landed, the leading royal palace envoy's gaze instantly locked onto the siblings Yuan Luo and Yuan Yun in the arena. A flash of amazement and solemnity instantly swept across the depths of his eyes, and then he strode forward with a respectful posture, enthusiastic tone, and well-mannered speech: "I am Bailan, the palace communication envoy. Under the imperial decree of Her Majesty the Elf Queen, I have come specially to the Qingyang Tribe to respectfully welcome the two distinguished guests of the Canglan Domain to move to the imperial city's royal palace!"

"Hearing that the two originate from the heavens' great world, possess outstanding character and transcendent talent, and coincidentally descended upon our Wanling Southern Border, Her Majesty is extremely curious and full of expectations. She has specially set up a grand banquet, prepared generous gifts, and sincerely invites the two distinguished guests into the palace for a chat. We hope the two distinguished guests will honor us with your presence!"

This envoy named Bailan had an excellent personality, treated others gently, and was humble and polite. His words showed the utmost respect, without a shred of condescending royal airs. Everything was heartfelt sincerity and enthusiasm, vividly displaying the etiquette and demeanor of royal hospitality.

Elder Qingyang added with a smile on the side: "Envoy Bailan is a veteran and important minister of the royal palace, with a mild temperament, upright conduct, and prudent handling of affairs, deeply trusted by Her Majesty the Queen. Coming personally to welcome you this time is sufficient to show Her Majesty the Queen's extreme regard for the two esteemed nephews."

For a time, all gazes fell entirely upon Yuan Luo and Yuan Yun, quietly awaiting the two's decision.

Yuan Luo and Yuan Yun exchanged a glance with full tacit understanding, both stepping back half a step to quickly discuss in low voices.

Yuan Luo took the lead to speak in a soft voice, his tone steady and cautious: "Sister, what do you think? Should we go to the royal palace to attend the appointment?"

Yuan Yun's gaze was calm as she quickly sorted through the pros and cons, replying in a low voice: "The pros and cons are very clear. First, the Elf Race harbors no malice toward us at all, treating us with kindness and courtesy throughout. The Queen taking the initiative to invite us is a purely friendly association; it shouldn't be a Feast at Hongmen and lacks dangerous schemes."

"Secondly, our crossing of realms this time was originally to investigate the extraterritorial situation and figure out the details of the Wanling Domain. The Elf Queen is the highest ruler of the entire Wanling Elf Domain, holding the clan's Luck, well-versed in the secret lore of the entire domain, and knowing the patterns of all four directions."

"Being able to meet the Queen will inevitably allow us to learn more secret intelligence from her that we cannot investigate otherwise, which will be of great benefit for us to thoroughly understand the Wanling Domain and improve our intelligence."

Yuan Luo nodded slightly, expressing deep agreement: "What you said is right. There is no danger at all, and on the contrary, the Opportunity is immense."

"Moreover, Elder Qingyang is utterly sincere, and the royal family has personally sent envoys to welcome us with full sincerity. If we directly refuse, it would be far too abrupt and fail to live up to the goodwill and courtesy of the entire Elf Race."

"We only need to steady our original minds, be cautious in our words and deeds, and go along with the appointment. Anyway, with Father's Formation, nothing will happen to Canglan."

Yuan Yun's gaze flickered slightly, and she nodded gently: "Mm, let's settle it like this. Go along with the appointment, go quickly and return quickly. After meeting the Queen and concluding this Opportunity, we will immediately return to the Canglan Domain without delaying the serious business of the war situation."

In just a few whispered sentences, the siblings had completely finalized their decision.

After finishing their discussion, Yuan Luo stepped forward with an upright posture and a modest bearing, cupping his hands with a smile toward Envoy Bailan, and responded in a clear voice: "Thank you for Her Majesty the Queen's deep affection, and sorry to trouble the envoy for making a special trip. We two siblings accept the invitation and will accompany you all to the royal palace."

"That's wonderful!" Hearing this, Bailan's eyes instantly lit up with a smile, his expression growing even more enthusiastic and respectful. "It is the honor of our Elf Royal Family that the two distinguished guests are willing to grace us with your presence and attend the appointment! The journey is far, but we have long prepared spirit mounts for travel and path-guarding routes, so we can set off immediately!"

Seeing this, Elder Qingyang was filled with relief, smiled, and opportunely spoke to arrange the subsequent matters: "Since the two worthy nephews have decided to head to the imperial city, the journey is far and there are many otherworldly wildernesses, requiring clansmen to accompany them in guiding the way and taking care of their daily lives."

He turned his head to look at Nuomi by his side, who was full of anticipation, and Wen Rou instructed: "Nuomi, you have spent the longest time with the two distinguished guests recently and are the most familiar with them, and your disposition is lively and well-behaved. Let you accompany the two distinguished guests to the royal palace together, accompany and guide them along the way, guard the distinguished guests' daily lives throughout the journey, and do not be negligent."

"Yes! Clan Chief!" Nuomi's eyes instantly lit up, and she nodded repeatedly with excitement. Her pointy elf ears swayed happily, and her face was full of bounding joy. "I will definitely accompany Sister and Brother well, guide the way properly, and never be negligent!"

These past few days, she had long since completely stuck to Yuan Yun and Yuan Luo, and her heart was filled with reluctance to part and closeness. Being able to follow the two of them to the royal city, witness the royal scenery, and continue to accompany her close friends was a heavenly surprise for her.

With all matters properly arranged, everyone delayed no further and set off immediately.

The Bailan envoy was meticulous and comprehensive throughout the entire journey, showing the utmost courtesy. The royal guards escorted them front and back, clearing the road and avoiding the places where Yao Beasts infested the otherworldly wilderness, eliminating all dangers along the way.

The group traveled at an extremely fast speed, yet steadily and without haste, allowing the brother and sister to leisurely admire the magnificent rivers and mountains of the Wanling Domain along the way.

Heading all the way south, the terrain became increasingly towering and picturesque, the sea of forests grew more lush and verdant, and the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi became increasingly mellow and pure.

Originally, the scenery of the Southern Border Spirit Domain was already a breathtaking pure land, but the closer they got to the Elven Royal City, the more heart-shaking the landscape of rivers and mountains became.

Thousands of peaks competed in beauty, ten thousand ravines held mist, spiritual waterfalls cascaded down from the Nine Heavens, and streams coiled around green mountains. Exotic flowers, rare herbs, and thousand-year-old spiritual trees were everywhere. The Heaven and Earth Dao rhythm was rich to the extreme, and every inch of land exuded the holy and peaceful royal aura.

Traveling continuously for several hours, crossing layers of spiritual mountains, sea of clouds, and tens of thousands of acres of flower seas, an unrivaled spectacle standing at the pinnacle of heaven and earth and piercing through the sea of clouds and firmament suddenly came into everyone's view.

At that moment, even Yuan Luo and Yuan Yun, who were accustomed to the Canglan Holy Land, heavens' Secret Realms, and supreme immortal mountains, instantly stopped in a trance, uncontainable shock welling up in the depths of their eyes.

In the distant end of heaven and earth, an unimaginably colossal heaven-reaching tree rose from the ground, rooted in the earth, and pierced straight through the firmament!

The giant tree's trunk was boundlessly thick, stretching for tens of thousands of li. Its branches were endlessly lush, spreading across the heavens. Its verdant leaves blocked out the sky and sun, shrouding the sea of clouds. Innumerable flowing light spiritual patterns intertwined around the trunk, and hundreds of millions of glossy white spiritual lights slowly flowed, connecting with the Heaven and Earth Dao rhythm and exhaling the essence of the sun and moon, resembling divine wood immortal roots supporting the entire heaven and earth!

The entire Elven Royal Palace was not ordinary brick-and-tile halls or pavilions, but was directly constructed inside this heaven-reaching giant tree!

The interior of the tree body was naturally hollow, forming its own grotto-heaven. Layer upon layer of jade-step corridors, floating halls, spiritual crystal palaces, and suspended flower terraces were scattered and distributed, following the tree trunk's grain layer by layer upward, leading straight to the pinnacle of the sea of clouds.

Countless crystal-clear spiritual crystal patterns were embedded in the tree body, circulating brilliant Immortal Qi day and night, illuminating the entire giant tree royal palace into a misty, peerlessly holy realm of Immortal Qi, resembling an immortal palace of the Nine Heavens falling into the mortal world. Magnificent, vast, breathtakingly beautiful, and shocking, it far surpassed all artificially carved halls and Holy Lands in the world.

"That... is the Elven Royal City?" Yuan Luo couldn't help speaking softly, his tone carrying uncontainable amazement.

Having seen top-tier immortal palaces, divine temples, Secret Realm dojos of the heavens, he had never seen such a supreme royal city that was entirely natural, integrated with heaven and earth, and self-contained with Dao rhythm.

No matter how magnificent man-made halls were, they ultimately bore traces of carving; whereas this royal palace inside the tree was born relying on the heaven and earth divine wood, uniting with nature and coexisting with the Dao rhythm. Naturally formed with endless Spiritual Qi, its layout and Concept far surpassed ordinary mortal immortal palaces.

Yuan Yun's cold pupils also rippled with obvious waves, and she sighed softly: "One city, one tree; one tree, one city. Using the heaven and earth divine wood as a palace, natural Dao rhythm as a Foundation, and borrowing the Spiritual Qi of mountains and rivers to nurture the royal family's Luck—such a layout and such a stroke of genius truly crown all spirits and are unique."

"Ordinary Sects and Holy Lands pursue man-made magnificence, while the Elven Royal Family follows the trend and builds their royal city using the power of heaven and earth. Their state of mind and layout are indeed extraordinary."

Nuomi at the side was full of pride, looking up at the heaven-reaching giant tree. Her lively eyes were filled with reverence and pride as she chattered away in introduction: "That is our Elf Race's Sacred Tree Heavenly Palace! It is the Wanling Domain's oldest heaven-reaching spiritual wood, having survived for tens of millions of years and accompanying the birth and survival of our Elf Race. It is the Foundation of our clan's Luck and the root of our Holy Land!"

"The entire royal palace is built entirely inside the sacred tree. From the roots to the treetops, there are layers of heavenly palaces and steps of immortal pavilions. The heavenly palace at the very top is Her Majesty the Queen's residence, where the Spiritual Qi is the most flourishing and the Dao rhythm is the purest. It is the Luck core of the entire Wanling Domain!"

The Bailan envoy timely and mildly added: "The sacred tree is spiritual and rooted in heaven and earth, carrying the rise and fall of our Elf Race for hundreds of thousands of years, nourishing the royal Bloodline and nurturing the vegetation Dao rhythm. Our race does not cultivate slaughter or refine supreme power; taking the sacred tree as our root and nature as our Dao, we can securely reside in the Southern Border and exist immortally in troubled times."

The group slowly approached the Sacred Tree Heavenly Palace. The closer they got, the more intense the sense of shock became.

Countless elf clansmen shuttled back and forth, each performing their own duties. There were royal guards patrolling the palace paths, civil servant Cultivators managing clan affairs, clansmen sitting quietly in enlightenment, and young children playing in the forest.

All the elves were handsome and beautiful with ethereal temperaments, their clothes fluttering and spiritual light circulating. Walking among the palaces within the tree, they resembled immortals filling the sky, aesthetic, holy, and with an ultimate sense of atmosphere.

The moment Yuan Luo and Yuan Yun—these two completely unfamiliar, transcendent-tempered, black-haired and clear-eyed exotic faces—appeared on the royal city streets, the entire palace path fell quiet for an instant.

Countless passing elf clansmen stopped in their tracks, subconsciously turning their heads to appraise and look sideways. Fragmented whispers rose and fell, soft yet clear, slowly echoing among the forest palace paths.

"Who are those two? I've never seen them before. Their appearance and temperament are completely different from ours!"

"Black hair and clear eyes, composed temperament, elegant posture, and transcendent bearing—they are so special! Our Wanling Domain has never had living beings with this kind of appearance!"

"I heard from the royal palace's transmission that they are otherworldly distinguished guests coming from afar! They are top Prodigies from the heavens' great worlds, and big figures specially reported by the Elders and personally invited by Her Majesty the Queen!"

"No wonder their temperament is so outstanding! Different from the ethereal softness of our native elves, there is a steady, profound, and worldly-wise backbone about them. Young as they are, their Dao Heart is stable and their Foundation is vast. They are too extraordinary!"

"So young, looking no more than ten-plus years old, yet they can be personally banqueted by Her Majesty the Queen. Their talent must be peerless and their background immense!"

The fragmented discussions were full of curiosity and goodwill, without suspicion or hostility, only freshness and awe towards the exotic visitors.

Countless elves had Wen Rou and pure gazes, quietly appraising the two otherworldly Prodigies, their eyes filled with admiration and curiosity.

The entire long street inside the tree, due to the arrival of the two, gained a bit of distinct exotic style.

The Bailan envoy led the way forward the whole journey, his attitude always respectful and enthusiastic, bringing the two to the welcoming main hall at the core of the royal palace—the Wanling Holy Hall.

Along the way, all palace gate guards and royal officials bowed in salute and sidestepped to make way, performing the highest-spec welcoming ceremony. The courtesy throughout was ultimate, and the respect was ultimate.

The moment they stepped into the Wanling Holy Hall, what was prepared for the brother and sister was the highest-specification courtesy of the Elven Royal Family for guests.

Inside the holy hall, spiritual crystals paved the floor and divine wood served as beams. The ceiling was adorned with floating spiritual flowers and draped with flowing light immortal gauze. Thousand-year-old spiritual wood jade pillars stood around, engraved with eternal vegetation Dao patterns. Spiritual light circulated, and Immortal Qi drifted densely.

Inside the hall, an extremely sumptuous spiritual meal banquet, hundred-year spiritual tea, and thousand-year immortal fruits had long been prepared. The seats were in the center, peerlessly noble, reserved exclusively for the two.

On both sides of the hall, royal ministers and holy hall Elders sat in rows waiting, their postures upright and expressions solemn, quietly awaiting the arrival of the distinguished guests.

Such a battle array was already the ceiling of how the Elf Race treated otherworldly visitors—ultimate grandeur and ultimate respect.

"Please wait a moment, two distinguished guests. Her Majesty the Queen will arrive in person immediately." The Bailan envoy reported softly while bowing, then bowed and retreated to the side, quietly waiting for the royal carriage.

Not long after, a light, ethereal, celestial-like female voice slowly came from the deepest part of the holy hall, ethereal and melodious, warm and penetrating the heart, naturally carrying the majesty of a heaven and earth overlord, yet like Wen Rou as water, untainted by sharpness.

"The two Canglan distinguished guests have come from afar, and Gu has waited for a long time."

The moment the voice fell, the spiritual gauze in the depths of the holy hall slowly parted.

An exquisitely beautiful figure slowly stepped out on Spiritual Qi.

At that moment, the spiritual light of the entire holy hall seemed to gather entirely upon her body; all things lost color and all living beings fell silent.

The woman was dressed in a moon-white and silver-inlaid flowing cloud royal long skirt, the hem embroidered with hundreds of millions of spiritual pattern holy seals, gently flowing with her steps and shining brilliantly.

Her figure was slender and graceful with perfect proportions. Her skin was white and crystal-clear, resembling congealed fat without the slightest flaw. Her eyebrows and eyes were exquisite and transcendent, ethereal and holy; her bridge of the nose was uptight and pretty, and her lip color was warm and moist. Her facial features were exquisite just right, leaving not the slightest flaw to be found.

Her long hair was like a waterfall, lightly hanging over her shoulders. The elven pointy ears by her ears were crystal-clear like jade, naturally carrying a royal holy aura.

A pair of eyes clear and distant, encompassing heaven and earth; when Wen Rou, it was like spring breeze transforming into rain, and when majestic, it could suppress the chaos of all races. Her temperament of ethereal and nobility coexisted, and Wen Rou and domineering symbiosed.

Even Yuan Luo and Yuan Yun, who were accustomed to the peerless beauties of the heavens, immortal gate goddesses, and aristocratic family Prodigies, couldn't help trembling in their hearts and losing their minds in secret at this moment.

They had seen countless peerless beauties, each with their own demeanor and peerless looks, but they had never seen such a flawless woman with a peerless aura.

Ordinary beauties were beautiful in their skin bags and in their carving, whereas this Elven Queen was beautiful in her Dao rhythm, temperament, and backbone. She was the ultimate peerless beauty nurtured by heaven and earth nature—naturally formed and impeccable. A single glance made people feel awe and admiration in their hearts.

The brother and sister subconsciously restrained all aura around their bodies, straightened their postures, and their hearts were filled with heartfelt amazement.