Encounter Under the Tree

“We have to move quickly. We still don’t know how many other places are currently under attack.”

Moen was the first to break the silence. Though she was still worried about Angela’s safety, her tone carried an unquestionable firmness.

“Where to first? Little Crescent, we’ll follow your lead!” Po Kong glanced back at the monster still struggling in its cage and gritted his teeth.

“To the Council Chambers!” Moen and Xia Duo answered almost in unison, having clearly already reached a consensus.

“No matter how dire the situation is elsewhere, we must reach the Council Chambers first to relay information and coordinate the defense and rescue operations for the entire race.”

“Fine! But this guy... is it really okay to just leave it here?” Starlight looked silently at the magic formation imprisoning the monster. He could clearly sense that the cage, constructed from Angela’s Power of Nature, was gradually being eroded by the thick death energy within the monster. It might not be long before it managed to break free.

However, he had no effective way to stop it. Since his Radiant Elemental Body’s elemental affinity did not include life or death, he could not directly intervene in the clash between the two powers.

“Starlight, I understand your concern,” Moen sighed, her gaze also falling on the formation being eroded by death energy.

“But our primary mission right now is to ensure the transmission of information and the safety of the entire race. Besides, we have to trust Aunt Angela!”

“Alright... In that case, I’ll do what I can to help.”

Starlight whispered as his figure shifted slightly. With a flick of his fingers, the mana within him surged out like a tide, rapidly constructing his own magic formations on the ground beneath them.

While he couldn't directly interfere in the conflict between the powers of life and death, setting up several extra layers of defense was no problem. This was where the results of his studies at the Spiritual Arts Academy immediately showed their worth.

In the blink of an eye, several intersecting magic formations formed beneath them, wrapping the square space layer by layer like a tightly bound bundle.

After Starlight finished, the group left the imprisoned monster behind and sped off toward the Council Chambers.

In reality, the Council Chambers were located quite a distance from the core of the Tree King Palace. Even with everyone rushing at full speed, it would still take over ten minutes.

For Angela, as a guardian closely linked to the World Tree, her movements were often subject to many restrictions.

Therefore, in the handling of daily clan affairs, she mostly participated in meetings and discussions in the form of a projection to maintain her continuous monitoring and sensing of the World Tree. She only chose to appear in person for major decisions or celebrations.

As far as the group knew, an important meeting happened to be taking place in the Council Chambers today, which was exactly why Lian and the others had come.

“I hope everything is going well on Lian’s end...” Starlight thought to himself, his pace quickening unconsciously.

However, fate did not seem inclined to give them a moment’s peace.

Just as the four of them charged out of the World Tree’s root system, the silhouette of the elven city ahead gradually became clear, but what met their eyes was a heart-stopping sight.

Plumes of black smoke tore at the sky like demonic claws, shrouding the originally peaceful and harmonious city in a layer of gloom.

Sure enough, just as Angela had said, the monsters had launched an assault on the entire elven race while simultaneously attacking the World Tree.

Hundreds and thousands of monsters had emerged as if from the gates of hell, descending upon the city center without warning. They shattered the city’s peace and caught the elven people—who had been immersed in their leisurely lives just a moment before—completely off guard.

Faced with this sudden attack, the Third Ranger Squad on duty in the city immediately reacted and began rescue operations for the civilians.

However, the number of monsters and the ferocity of their assault far exceeded their expectations. In the face of the tide of enemies, even the elites of the Ranger Force felt overwhelmed and quickly fell into a disadvantageous position.

These monsters not only possessed resilient bodies and immense strength, but the death energy swirling around them perfectly suppressed the elves’ power, making the battle exceptionally difficult.

The members of the Ranger Force could be seen weaving through the monster swarms, their sharp swords and arrows falling on the monsters like rain. However, every strike seemed only to temporarily slow the monsters’ advance rather than fundamentally turning the tide of the battle.

The shortage of manpower, the depletion of physical strength, and the mounting casualties made their situation increasingly dire.

It was only when the powerful figures within the elven race began to join the fray that the situation gradually improved. Even so, the entire city was already engulfed in chaos and panic.

...

“Where on earth did these monsters come from! Dammit!”

Xia Duo let out a sharp cry of alarm. At the same time, she rapidly threw her short blade like a bolt of lightning, accurately piercing the head of a monster that had suddenly lunged at her, halting its attack.

During the four-man team’s urgent crossing of the city, they had suddenly encountered dozens of hideous, terrifying monsters of various forms. These creatures, which looked as if they had crawled out of the abyss, had completely blocked their path forward.

Just a few hundred meters ahead, another ranger squad was valiantly fighting the monsters, but they were clearly outnumbered.

They had originally been passing through the area to escort a group of civilians to a safe zone, only to be intercepted by a large swarm of monsters pouring out of an alley.

The number and strength of the monsters were far beyond their imagination. In the blink of an eye, the rangers’ defensive line was torn open by the surging monsters.

Wails and screams immediately erupted one after another, eventually leaving behind nothing but debris and bloodstains on the ground.

Seeing her own colleagues swallowed by the surging grey-black tide before her eyes, a roar of fury escaped Xia Duo’s throat.

“Flame Moon Slash!”

Xia Duo barked the command, cleaving an attacking monster into two pieces. At that moment, she was completely ignited by the anger and grief in her heart, and the reins of reason in her mind were ruthlessly snapped.

By now, Xia Duo had completely forgotten that she didn't have her familiar bow and arrows. Her entire body glowed with a dazzling red light as she brandished her short sword, plunging headlong into the surging black tide like a meteor.

“Little Shadow! Come back!”

Po Kong was horrified by the sight. Although the four of them were much stronger than the squad that had just been swallowed, Xia Duo’s current impulsiveness would undoubtedly land them in an even more dangerous position.

He tried to reach out and stop her, but it was too late. Xia Duo’s figure was already obscured by a mass of black, nearly disappearing from sight.

“Little Star, cover me! I’m going to pull her back!”

Po Kong gritted his teeth. After shouting to Starlight and Moen behind him, he also charged out like a cannonball.

In this moment, Po Kong demonstrated his extraordinary strength as a top-tier Grand Swordmaster.

The sword and shield he usually used as a vanguard underwent a transformation in an instant, turning into a massive double-edged sword. With the momentum of a thunderbolt, he forcibly tore a gap in the monster swarm, carving out a path for himself.

Starlight’s reaction was swift and decisive. He knew that against these monsters that were difficult to kill easily, simple attacks often yielded little result, while controlling their movements was of paramount importance.

Thus, he quickly waved his hand, casting powerful ice magic to freeze the surrounding monsters into solid blocks of ice one by one.

These frozen monsters temporarily lost their ability to move, not only obstructing the movements of the swarm but also buying precious time for Po Kong.