The Elven Mother Tree stood tall and majestic, every single silver leaf shimmering with the faint glow of life.
Ning Busan stood before the Mother Tree and asked softly, “Mother, do you want to become a god?”
“As long as you wield the authority of life, you can save the Elven Valley.”
The Elven Mother Tree's branches drooped down, resting on Ning Busan's shoulder and forming a heart shape.
Ning Busan smiled. “As long as you agree, leave the rest to me.”
Although the Book of Sages possessed multiple authorities, it only had the right to use them and could not fully control them.
The god Ning Busan wanted to create was not a flashy yet superficial pseudo-god like the Book of Sages, but a god who completely mastered the authority of life and could slowly cultivate a godhead.
Only in this way could the Elven Clan's plague be resolved.
Of course, creating a god was not something that could succeed easily. Otherwise, why would deities be so scarce in this world?
Ning Busan could handle the magic ritual by himself, but the power of faith required the help of the Elven Clan.
...
Greenwild Royal Court.
The elders of the Elven Clan gathered here. They were all infected with the plague, a faint gray mist shrouding their silver-white hair.
Elvin sat on the throne that originally belonged to Salos, his fists clenched, his mood equally downcast.
They had just gone through an argument.
Elvin felt that the elves had the right to know the truth. Even if they had to leave the Elven Valley, they should make their final farewells to their families.
But the elders believed that a well-intentioned lie was the better choice.
Just as they were locked in dispute, Ning Busan burst into the council hall and directly dropped a bombshell:
“Even if the Elven Clan leaves the Elven Valley, they will still be infected with the plague.”
Elvin went pale with shock. “Are you sure?”
Ning Busan said, “This plague is targeted at the Elven Clan. Whether you leave the Elven Valley or not, the only difference is whether you die sooner or later.”
“But I have a way right now that might save the Elven Clan. Are you willing to try?”
The elders looked at one another.
With Salos dead and Silvin fallen to darkness, theoretically, the Mother Tree should have bestowed a guardian spirit upon Elvin, making him the next King.
Thus, Ning Busan's presence became unique and awkward.
The elders did not know whether they should believe Ning Busan's words.
Lislene said without hesitation, “Do as he says.”
The elders looked at Lislene in surprise, not expecting her to be the first to support Ning Busan.
Lislene's voice was cold. “Before His Majesty departed, he entrusted the future of the Elven Clan to him, so I believe him.”
She looked at Ning Busan. “Tell us, what is your plan?”
Ning Busan smiled and said, “Let me ask you a question first. If the Elven Mother Tree and the God of Light fell into the water at the same time, and you could only save one, which one would you choose to save?”
The simple elves were stunned in unison.
What a... what a malicious question!
The cleverer elves quickly reacted: “There is no need for us to choose at all; they can both save themselves!”
Ning Busan said with a smile, “Alright, then let me rephrase. If one of them had to die, the Elven Mother Tree or the God of Light, which one would you choose to die?”
Total silence fell over the room.
Elvin asked in confusion, “What on earth are you trying to say?”
“I just wanted to know how important the Mother Tree is to you,” Ning Busan said. “Since you still haven't made a choice, it shows that in your hearts, the Mother Tree and the God of Light are equally important.”
Elvin asked, “And so?”
Ning Busan said, “I want to hold an ancient god-making ritual to help the Mother Tree become a pseudo-god wielding the authority of life. Once successful, it can resolve the crisis of this plague for the Elven Clan.”
“This kind of ritual carries a massive risk. If anything goes wrong, the Mother Tree will perish. Now, the Mother Tree needs your power of faith. Are you willing to offer your faith?”
The elves erupted into an uproar.
Creating a god?
As believers of the God of Light, how could they create another god?
But the Mother Tree was willing to risk becoming a god just to save them. How could they abandon her?
What was more, the Elven Mother Tree was their shared mother!
Seeing the elves' expressions gradually waver, Ning Busan knew they would definitely agree in the end.
An evil god trying to steal the Elven Clan's faith from the God of Light was an invasion, which the Elven Clan naturally could not tolerate.
But if the Elven Mother Tree was competing with the God of Light for faith, then it was just a family dispute.
Ning Busan said, “If there are no issues, I will start preparing the ritual. You will be responsible for informing the rest of the Elven Clan.”
An elder asked, “Do we need to tell them the truth about the plague?”
Ning Busan thought for a moment and said, “No need to tell them the truth, and no need to lie to them either. Just say this—”
“‘The Mother Tree is dying. Only by offering our most devout faith can we save her.’”
...
The night of the full moon.
The most important power of faith had been secured. The subsequent magic ritual was now Ning Busan's job.
Ning Busan stood before the Mother Tree and took out the materials he had prepared beforehand.
Eternal Spring Water. Unlike Heaven's holy water, it was not filled with rich light energy, but it contained the purest life energy.
Elven Tear Crystals. Six Elven Tear Crystals, condensed from the tears of a hundred thousand elves, materialized the Elven Clan's deep attachment to the Mother Tree as anchors of faith.
Star Cores. Essence refined from fallen meteors, capable of stabilizing the energy flow within the magic ritual to prevent it from spiraling out of control.
The Elven Clan's resources were limited, and these were the only magical materials Ning Busan could find for the ritual.
Following the instructions of the Book of Sages, Ning Busan drew complex runes with the Spring of Life, Elven Tear Crystals, and Star Cores, centered around the Elven Mother Tree, forming a massive hexagram array.
As for the sacrifice to summon the authority of life, it was the Elven Mother Tree herself.
Ning Busan stood in the center of the magic array, chanting ancient incantations in a low voice.
Meanwhile, the elves knelt around the Mother Tree, devoutly reciting prayers.
As a hundred thousand strands of faith converged into a river of light and poured into the cracks of the tree's heart, the decayed bark peeled away inch by inch, revealing a silver-white, translucent, newborn trunk.
The authority of life broke free from the tree's heart like a butterfly from a cocoon, and emerald light surged outward like a tsunami.
Ning Busan's brow finally relaxed.
It was a success!
At the same time, in the confinement room.
The dying elves curled up in the corners opened their eyes one after another. Emerald light enveloped them, gently expelling the plague from their bodies.
Crystalline tears rolled down the corners of Silvin's eyes. He clasped his hands together and choked out, “Praise the Mother Tree...”
The plague of the Elven Valley had vanished.
Ning Busan touched the Mother Tree's newly grown branch, and fluorescent patterns synchronized with the tree's pulse immediately appeared on his palm.
Ning Busan let out a low chuckle. “Mother, congratulations. You have become a god.”
He heard the Mother Tree's whispered response deep within his consciousness:
“La la la la la la la la la...”
Ning Busan was stunned.
The singing was very cheerful, and she sounded in high spirits.
But wasn't there something slightly off about the vibe?
Why did she suddenly start singing?
Rate on N.U.
