Elune didn't look at him for the rest of the meal, keeping her head down and mechanically flipping through the pages of her book.
But Jiang Lin noticed that the bread on the plate in front of her had barely been touched.
After breakfast, the caravan set off once again.
This time, Elune didn't read.
She sat in the innermost part of the carriage, her gaze fixed out the window, her pale purple eyes reflecting the scenery flying by.
But Jiang Lin could feel her gaze occasionally drifting over to him before quickly darting away.
The carriage continued forward.
The scenery outside changed from rolling hills to vast plains.
Inside the carriage, Jiang Lin still sat near the door with Little Black curled up on his lap, its amber cat eyes half-closed in a drowsy state.
He learned from the way Elune addressed the other female elf that her name was Alice.
At the moment, Alice was using a soft cotton cloth to wipe the tea set, her movements gentle and meticulous.
Elune's gaze continued to wander between the pages and the window, occasionally catching a fleeting glimpse of Jiang Lin before quickly retracting.
Jiang Lin took all of this in, his face remaining impassive.
He picked up the teacup Alice had handed him and took a small sip.
The tea had an elegant fragrance with a faint honey-like sweetness, better than any tea he had ever tasted before.
Setting the cup down, he spoke.
“May I ask, what place is this?”
He spoke slowly, making sure every word was clear.
Elune's hand paused briefly as she turned a page.
She was silent for a moment before setting her book down and lifting her pale purple eyes to look at Jiang Lin.
Using that stiff Human Common Tongue, she spoke one word at a time:
“This... is... Alderon.”
“Alderon?”
Jiang Lin repeated the name, searching his memory.
He had no impression of it.
On the maps he had purchased before, the eastern part of the continent was the human Saintas Kingdom and its surrounding nations. To the west were the Ash Mountains and the demon territory, and further west was the Endless Sea.
Beyond that sea, the map was a total blank.
“Is Alderon... a continent? Or a kingdom?”
Elune tilted her head slightly, seemingly considering his question.
After a moment, she answered in her unpracticed Human Common Tongue:
“Continent. Alderon... is what... we call... this land.”
Hearing this, Jiang Lin looked up at the ceiling.
How could this be?
Hadn't he been traveling west the whole time?
Could it be that he hadn't fallen into the Endless Sea to the east of the demon territory, but rather the Sea of Mace to the west of the human territory?!
Is that why he ended up on this continent?!
He had learned from books that there was another continent across the sea, but those records were very sparse.
Because the distance between the two was simply too great, it was impossible to travel there via long-distance teleportation arrays.
A normal voyage would take nearly a year or even several years to arrive.
Furthermore, the sea was filled with terrifyingly powerful sea beasts, so even though people knew of this continent's existence, there was very little interaction between the two landmasses.
“Then, is this a kingdom of elves?”
Elune nodded.
“Alderon... has many... kingdoms. We... are from... the Silver Moon Kingdom.”
“The Silver Moon Kingdom...”
Jiang Lin committed the name to memory.
He asked again:
“Are there other races here? Humans, beastkin, demons?”
Elune was silent for a moment, seemingly considering the meaning of his words.
Then, she answered in her unpracticed Human Common Tongue:
“There are. But... not many. Humans... in Alderon... do not have high status.”
She spoke euphemistically, but the meaning was clear.
On this continent ruled by elves, humans were second-class citizens, or perhaps something even lower.
Jiang Lin nodded, showing no dissatisfaction or surprise.
After all, judging by the expressions they had when they first saw him, he could have guessed that the status of humans here wouldn't be very high.
Jiang Lin didn't press further on this issue, simply keeping the name "Silver Moon Kingdom" in mind.
“Is there a long-distance teleportation array here?”
Elune tilted her head slightly, seemingly trying to understand the term "long-distance teleportation array."
After a moment, she nodded and answered in stiff Human Common Tongue:
“There is. The Royal Capital... has a teleportation array. But... only to... other elf kingdoms.”
“Do you know of a way to get to the other side of the sea?”
Elune shook her head.
“We... have no... exchange... with that continent.”
Jiang Lin didn't ask anything else.
He leaned back against the carriage wall, his golden eyes watching the plains scenery fly past the window.
It was over.
He was truly finished.
There was absolutely no way back now.
How did it come to this?
If he had known, he would have chosen a different life-saving item...
With all those items he had obtained in Emerald City, using any other one wouldn't have led to this...
The teleportation point randomized by the ultra-long-distance random teleportation scroll was simply too far away.
Sensing the change in his mood, Little Black transmitted:
“What do you plan to do? Stay here forever?”
“First, I'll figure out the situation on this continent. And then...”
He paused, his tone filled with melancholy.
“I'll find a way to go back.”
The carriage continued forward.
The plains outside gradually turned into rolling hills covered in vast stretches of vineyards.
Deep purple grapes shimmered with an enticing luster under the sun. Occasionally, a few elves could be seen working in the gardens, their forms elegant and their movements skilled.
“Those are... our family's... vineyards.”
Elune suddenly spoke. Her voice was still stiff, but it was a bit more fluent than before.
Jiang Lin followed her gaze. The vineyards were endless, with neat rows of trellises like soldiers in formation, extending all the way to the foot of the distant mountains.
“It's quite large,” he commented.
It seemed this Elune was likely the eldest daughter of some noble family.
The tips of Elune's ears flushed with a faint red again.
“Yes. Our family... has lived here... for a long time.”
“How long?”
“One thousand... two hundred years.”
Jiang Lin was silent for a moment.
Twelve hundred years.
In the human kingdoms, a family that lasted for a millennium could definitely be called ancient.
But on this continent ruled by elves, twelve hundred years might only be a single spray of water in the long river of their history.
The carriage drove into a manor.
The manor was even more grand than Jiang Lin had imagined.
The main house was a three-story stone and wood structure, built entirely of pale gold stone that shimmered with a warm glow in the sunlight. The architectural style was simple and elegant, without excessive decoration, yet every detail exuded a sense of meticulous craftsmanship.
Surrounding the manor were carefully manicured gardens and lawns. Flowers of various colors competed for beauty under the sun, and the air was filled with a faint floral fragrance. Several ancient trees stood in the center of the courtyard, their canopies providing vast patches of shade.
The carriage stopped in front of the main house.
Alice was the first to get out, then she helped Elune down. Jiang Lin was the last to exit, with Little Black perched on his shoulder, its amber eyes taking in everything.
“Her family is really rich,” Little Black transmitted.
At the entrance of the main house, an elderly elf with white hair was waiting. He wore a well-tailored dark robe and held a respectful posture. Seeing Elune disembark, he immediately stepped forward.
“My Lady, you've returned. Was the journey smooth?”
Elune nodded slightly.
“Smooth. This is... Matthew. Arrange... a room... for him.”
The elderly butler glanced at Jiang Lin, his gaze lingering for a moment on the clean elven clothing he wore. He then looked at the black cat on his shoulder, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes.
However, he didn't ask any questions and simply nodded respectfully.
“Yes, My Lady.”
Elune glanced at Jiang Lin again, seemingly wanting to say something, but in the end, she only pursed her lips and turned to enter the house.
Alice smiled slightly and made a "please follow me" gesture to Jiang Lin.
Jiang Lin followed her through the spacious hall of the main house, up the stairs covered in a dark carpet, and arrived on the second floor.
The butler pushed open a door and stepped aside.
The room was at least three times larger than the one at the inn. There was a wide bed with exquisite patterns carved into the headboard, and the light blue sheets gave off a fresh scent as if they had been dried in the sun.
By the window was a desk and a chair, with paper, pens, and a crystal lamp neatly arranged on the desk. In the corner was a large wardrobe with its doors open, revealing several sets of clean clothes hanging inside.
What surprised Jiang Lin the most was that a soft cushion had already been placed on the windowsill.
Clearly, it was prepared for Little Black.
“This butler... is quite attentive,” Little Black transmitted.
Little Black jumped down from Jiang Lin's shoulder, landed on the cushion, and curled into a comfortable ball.
The butler stood at the door and said a few things to Jiang Lin in Elvish, his tone respectful and gentle.
Though he couldn't understand the words, Jiang Lin could read the general meaning from his tone and expression:
“If you need anything, please let me know at any time.”
Jiang Lin nodded slightly in thanks.
The butler bowed again, then gently closed the door, his footsteps gradually fading into the distance.
Only Jiang Lin and Little Black remained in the room.
Jiang Lin walked to the window and pushed it open.
The manor outside looked exceptionally peaceful in the sunset. In the garden, several elves were pruning flowers and trees, their movements gentle and focused. Further away were the rolling vineyards, stretching all the way to the foot of the mountains shrouded in twilight.
“This place is indeed quite nice,” Little Black said while lying on the windowsill, its amber eyes watching the scenery.
“The air is good, the scenery is beautiful, and the people are... alright. At least it's much better than the demon territory.”
“What do you plan to do next?” Little Black asked.
“First, I'll learn Elvish.”
Jiang Lin turned around and sat at the desk.
He paused, then lifted his right hand, palm up.
A wisp of golden holy light emerged at his fingertips, warm and pure.
“Before that, I need to break through to the 4th rank.”
After his time on the Endless Sea, Jiang Lin was now just one step away from the 4th rank.
Though it was his first time attempting to break through his life shackles on his own, he truly felt that it was within reach.
As long as he had a little more time, he could complete the breakthrough.
And so, he sat cross-legged on the bed and began to run the Paladin Breathing Technique with all his might.
Morning light filtered through the gaps in the curtains, casting long, thin golden bands on the floor.
Holy Light magic, ice soul power, and blood-colored energy surged, intertwined, and collided within his body, like three turbulent rivers converging in one place.
Time quickly slipped away.
In the blink of an eye, three days had passed.
During these three days, he didn't take a single step out of the room.
On the day they arrived, Elune had visited once. Seeing Jiang Lin sitting cross-legged on the bed in cultivation, she was quite surprised.
She had originally wanted to say something to him, but after thinking it over, she decided not to disturb him.
Afterward, Alice brought his three meals on time every day.
However, Jiang Lin spent most of his time focusing on breaking through his bottleneck.
Thus, Alice would place the meal tray on the small table in the room and leave silently.
As for Little Black, it often slipped out to wander around the manor, exchanging its findings with Jiang Lin when it returned.
“That old butler has a long-haired white cat. The breed is called a ‘Silver Moon cat,’ and it's said to be a noble breed among elves. It's quite good-looking, but it has a terrible temper—it hisses whenever it sees me.”
“There's a young female elf in the kitchen who makes exceptionally delicious berry pies.”
“There's a small grove behind the manor with a treehouse inside. It's probably where that Elune girl played when she was a kid. I slipped inside to take a look; it's full of books.”
Jiang Lin, however, turned a deaf ear to all of this.
His entire mind was immersed in the Demon Lord Seed that had completed its qualitative change within his body.
After the Demon Lord Trial ended, the seed had expanded from the size of a fist to that of an infant's head. Its surface was densely packed with runes, and a dark red light flowed within it like a living thing.
More importantly, it had caused a crack to appear in Jiang Lin's previously unbreakable bottleneck.
After a period of constant striking, this crack had become quite obvious.
If Master could do it, so can I!
Jiang Lin took a deep breath and mobilized the three powers within his body simultaneously.
Holy Light magic surged from his dantian, turning into a warm golden torrent that climbed up his meridians.
Ice soul power spread from the depths of his soul, its deep blue chill intertwining with the holy light to form a strange, golden-blue aura.
Blood-colored energy poured out from the Demon Lord Seed at his heart, its dark red blood-qi merging between the first two powers like a bonding agent, tightly connecting them.
Under Jiang Lin's guidance, the three forces converged into a pillar of three-colored light condensed to the extreme, crashing toward that invisible shackle.
Boom!
A dull, thunderous sound echoed within his body.
Jiang Lin's entire body shook, and waves of intense pain radiated from his meridians.
The shackle remained motionless; the crack was still just a crack, not widening in the slightest.
“Not enough.”
He gritted his teeth and mobilized his power once more.
A second strike.
A third.
A fourth.
With every strike, a tearing pain shot through his meridians.
With every failure, the feedback from the shackle became even more fierce, like an enraged beast lashing back in a frenzy.
But Jiang Lin didn't stop.
Back in the isolation room, although many of his concepts of time had been erased, he had retained that sense of perseverance—even a certain ruthless persistence.
A fifth strike.
A sixth.
A seventh.
When the ninth strike landed, the crack on the shackle expanded once again.
It went from a hairline fracture to a spiderweb pattern, and from a spiderweb pattern to a dense network of cracks.
...
Rate on N.U.
