The Elven Kingdom

Inside the Space Castle, over eight hundred years had passed since Lu Zhiyu created the Elves and departed. The flow of time had gradually slowed to four thousand times that of the outside world; to the external observer, less than two months had elapsed, but for humanity, this period had seen the rise and fall of several dynasties. Even for the long-lived Elves, it meant their first generation had already entered their twilight years.

Fifteen hundred years had passed since the birth of the Beastmen Race, and twelve hundred since the emergence of humanity. Over a millennium of development, fueled by extensive trade, religion, and the rise of Blood Knights, wealth gaps and class stratification had intensified. Human and Beastman civilizations had gradually transitioned from an era of scattered primitive city-states into an age of nations. Large and small kingdoms began to appear across the Alan Continent, and through constant cycles of conflict and unification, the territories of both races steadily expanded.

From the central regions of the Alan Continent, they spread across the entire landmass, leaving human and Beastman footprints in every corner. As they transitioned from city-states to kingdoms, their smelting technology advanced in tandem. Finally, iron began to replace bronze; both sides commenced large-scale mining operations and established their own iron smelting centers.

Weapons evolved into iron swords and armor, while agriculture adopted iron hoes, shovels, and heavy plows. Various powerful military units emerged, setting out to conquer the wilderness and the land. These slave-holding states drove vast numbers of laborers to mine iron, marking a definitive transition from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age.

With the expansion of arable land and irrigation, improvements in farming techniques, the flourishing of handicrafts, and the mass issuance of metal coinage, Lu Zhiyu watched the current state of the Alan Continent from the Universe Scroll. He found it truly miraculous; the civilization on the Alan Continent had reached the level of Earth's fifth or sixth century BCE.

The widespread emergence of Blood Knights was particularly notable. The genetic inheritance abilities Lu Zhiyu had bestowed upon them were being activated in large numbers, forming religious factions and numerous noble bloodline families. It was not just the abilities Lu Zhiyu had originally set; a myriad of sword techniques and hybrid abilities—born from genetic intermingling—sprang up one after another. Many powerhouses even managed to encode their own techniques into their genes, passing them down to their descendants.

What surprised Lu Zhiyu even more was that the Beastmen Race had also produced Blood Knights. Over the past millennium, as both sides captured each other as slaves and engaged in constant slaughter, they had also been in a state of constant integration, leading to many instances of interbreeding between the two races.

This allowed the Beastmen Race to produce a large number of knights capable of awakening bloodline abilities. They even awakened the genetic traits of the ancient beasts within them. Since the Beastmen Race were inherently stronger than humans, their Blood Knights appeared even more formidable on the battlefield.

Wearing a cloak, Lu Zhiyu walked across the Alan Continent, observing the changes throughout the land. Everyone was now able to wear clothing, and the styles had begun to form various distinct fashions. Different ethnic groups were emerging in different regions, food culture was diversifying, and among the populace, artists, architects, sculptors, painters, and musicians began to appear, along with unique musical instruments.

The Beastmen Race's cultural development was relatively inferior, as they were more adept at combat, smelting, and craftsmanship. Lu Zhiyu finally reached the seashore, where traces of humans and Beastmen Race had already begun to appear. They had started building simple sampans to fish in the coastal waters. The various fish fry, corals, starfish, jellyfish, and other aquatic organisms Lu Zhiyu had collected long ago could now be seen in the shallows.

The only regret was the lack of large creatures. In such a vast and boundless ocean, the absence of massive lifeforms felt unworthy of the sea's name. Without giant beasts or sea monsters, it lacked the feeling of an otherworldly realm.

Lu Zhiyu walked along the beach, watching the fishermen in the distance. "Humans and Beastmen Race have begun to touch the ocean. Perhaps in a few hundred or a thousand years, they will begin their journey to conquer the seas!"

Lu Zhiyu looked out at the distant ocean and frowned. "The ocean feels too monotonous. There is absolutely no difficulty or passion in conquering it!"

Having finished observing the changes on the Alan Continent, Lu Zhiyu immediately passed through the Dimensional Gate and arrived once again on the Yala Continent. The nameless wetland forest of the past now had a name: the Forest of Life.

The Elves could be considered Lu Zhiyu's most favored children. Compared to humans and the Beastmen Race, they were more blessed by nature, born with long lifespans, beautiful appearances, and superhuman intelligence. Lu Zhiyu had even granted them the genetic inheritance unique to humans. In every sense, the Elves could be called perfect lifeforms, save for the difficulty they faced in reproduction.

Nearly one hundred thousand Elves lived in the Forest of Life on the Yala Continent. All of them resided in this forest without a care in the world. Their transcendent wisdom and comfortable living environment allowed them to create a culture distinct from that of humans and the Beastmen Race.

The Elves created the elegant Elven Script and the unique Zither-Harp. Music permeated the entire Elven kingdom. They had their own master sculptors and painters, and were capable of crafting exquisite Elven longswords and bows. From every aspect of their lives, it was evident that this was a race that revered and loved art.

However, this harmony had recently begun to change, and panic was spreading throughout the Elven race. Their Divine Tree of Life had begun to show signs of withering. This tree, which had nurtured countless Elves and served as the repository for their faith and heritage, was entering its twilight years alongside the first generation of Elves. For several years, the Divine Tree of Life had been unable to nurture new Elves. This decline was a situation the Elves could neither stop nor reverse.

The Council of Elven Elders continuously debated the cause of the Divine Tree of Life's withering and sought ways to save it. They had tried countless methods and prayed to the God of Natural Order time and again, but to no avail. Although the Divine Tree of Life remained lush, every Elf could sense that it was slowly dying.

The Council of Elven Elders erupted into fierce arguments time after time. Having lost the Divine Tree of Life, all the Elves seemed to have lost their spiritual anchor. The Elves had originally been divided into two factions: one believed they should remain in the Forest of Life forever to guard the tree, while the other advocated for expansion and exploring the outside world. The conservative faction had originally suppressed the radicals, but the current decline of the tree had caused the dispute between the two sides to become irreconcilable once more.

Lu Zhiyu walked into the forest. In many places, one could see Elven treehouses and the graceful posture of Elves hunting in the jungle with bows in hand. They coexisted with this forest, living within it while depending on one another.

Passing through vast areas of wooden houses and several Elven villages, Lu Zhiyu finally saw the royal capital of the Elven kingdom—Sylph City. This former great valley had become a massive forest, and the Elves had built their city around the sacred lake and the Divine Tree.

Along the cliffs of the forest and the sea of trees, a magnificent stone city had emerged. It had no city walls; instead, numerous entrances were carved into the cliffs. A multitude of buildings and vegetation relied on one another, and Lu Zhiyu could see colorful bridges, fountains, and spiral staircases. Within the city stood distinctive high towers and exquisite architecture, where a great number of beautiful Elves resided.

They played the Zither-Harp, sang songs, and did what they loved, living a relaxed and comfortable life. Their long lifespans and quiet existence gave them ample time to fulfill their aspirations.