Soaking in a Hot Spring

Chu Zeming's expression froze.

Although this person had elf ears and was dressed in an extremely forest-like style, based on Chu Zeming's experience facing fake Yue Lian again and again in illusions and dreams, this person was definitely Yue Lian himself!

Chu Zeming felt that he had developed a bit of Yue Lian phobia by now.

Why was Yue Lian everywhere? He could never escape him.

Fu Hongchen did not know Yue Lian.

Yue Lian had only entered the sect less than half a year ago and was not some dazzling top genius worthy of the attention of a heaven's favored son at Fu Hongchen's level. But he remembered what his master had told him—elves were a race that loved peace and maintained a friendly attitude toward human cultivators.

Fu Hongchen released the hand around Chu Zeming's throat, rose from him, and slightly straightened his rumpled clothes. He then courteously bowed to the surrounding elves and said with elegant grace, "I am Fu Hongchen. I had no intention of disturbing Elfkind. I hope you will forgive the intrusion..."

Before Fu Hongchen could finish, the elf holy son's staff suddenly pointed at him.

Yue Lian said, "Fork this man up for me."

Fu Hongchen: ???

Immediately afterward, countless tough vines wrapped around Fu Hongchen's body, binding him tightly hand and foot. Then an elf hoisted him upside down on a trident.

Chu Zeming burst out laughing on the spot.

"Hahahaha, Young Master Fu, serves you right."

Fu Hongchen took a deep breath and smiled at Chu Zeming. "Idiot, perhaps this is simply Elfkind's way of welcoming guests. My master said elves are a race that loves peace and is extremely friendly toward human cultivators. My master has never lied to me."

The moment he finished speaking, the elf holy son added, "Bind him in the highest tree cage."

Tree cages—the place where Elfkind imprisoned criminals, the equivalent of a dungeon.

Chu Zeming laughed even louder.

Fu Hongchen's face turned ashen. "Don't gloat. You won't get away either."

Elves were exceedingly formidable and superb archers. Even if Chu Zeming flew as fast as he could, a single arrow would still shoot him through the guts and tear his belly apart!

Yue Lian slowly stepped forward, took the hand of Chu Zeming, who had been "humiliated" by Fu Hongchen until his clothes were half stripped and his body covered in red marks, then raised his staff and told the elves, "This—is your holy maiden."

The elves were first stunned, then expressions of wild joy appeared on their faces.

"Holy maiden!"

"Our clan's holy maiden has finally appeared!"

"The Elf Tree can be saved!"

The old elf set down his cane, clasped his trembling hands together, and knelt on the ground, crystalline tears spilling from the corners of his eyes.

"Wonderful, the Elf God has blessed us, the Elf God has blessed us..."

Fu Hongchen's eyes widened on the spot. Twisting on the trident, he roared, "Are you blind? What elf holy maiden? This is clearly a human—and a man at that!"

The burly elf holding the trident rebuked him in a low voice, "Silence! Do not disrespect the holy maiden!"

After saying that, the burly elf also dropped to one knee and muttered excitedly under his breath.

Fu Hongchen was beside himself with rage. He twisted his body, trying to get down, but the vines seemed alive, wrapping him even tighter.

Fu Hongchen felt terrible all over.

These powerful elves probably had something wrong with their brains. They did not love peace, were blind, and were pointing at a man while calling him a holy maiden.

What kind of goddamn nonsense was this!

Although Chu Zeming was delighted to see Fu Hongchen suffer, that did not stop him from feeling that this was also utterly ridiculous.

The elves lived in the trees, in delicate and beautiful little houses grown from the trees themselves, lush and emerald-green.

Chu Zeming and Yue Lian sat facing each other on carpets in a treehouse, and the atmosphere was exceptionally grave.

Chu Zeming did not want to know how Yue Lian had climbed to the fourth level so quickly and even become the holy son. As the protagonist, he could do anything. Chu Zeming only wanted to ask: why had Yue Lian told them he was the holy maiden?

Chu Zeming's mood was extremely low.

After pondering for a moment, Yue Lian finally raised his eyes and asked, "Senior Brother, aren't you happy to be protected by powerful Elfkind?"

Chu Zeming said, "...I can't be happy about it. Would you be happy if you were dressed like this?"

There was a wreath of flowers on his head, flowers all over his body, and flowers on his wrists and ankles too... fucking flowers.

Yue Lian thought about it very seriously, then told Chu Zeming, "I would be happy."

As expected, the moment those words fell, Chu Zeming punched him.

Yue Lian covered one red-purple eye and looked resentfully at Chu Zeming. "I am the holy son of Elfkind now. Hitting me violates elf law."

Chu Zeming withdrew his fist. "Cut the crap. Tell me why you told them I was the holy maiden."

Yue Lian smoothly replied, "Because holy son and holy maiden sound like a perfect match."

Chu Zeming's fists itched again. He slammed his hand hard against the little table between them, looming over Yue Lian with a gaze of extreme danger. "Believe me when I say I'll beat you until you can't take care of yourself?"

Yue Lian: ...

So fierce.

Under Chu Zeming's glare, Yue Lian finally told him the truth.

It turned out that he knew a way to bypass the other levels and directly enter the summit of the Divine Wood Secret Realm—that was to have the Spirit of the Divine Wood supporting the secret realm send them upward.

And the Spirit of the Divine Wood was the divine tree of Elfkind on the fourth level.

But several hundred years ago, the Elf Tree had fallen ill, and the spirit of the divine tree had sunk into slumber. Forget cultivators—even ordinary elves were not permitted to approach it lightly. That was why Yue Lian had made up the lie about being Elfkind's holy son.

Of course.

Where there was a holy son, there naturally had to be a holy maiden.

Yue Lian had fooled Elfkind into believing that if the holy son and holy maiden who had wandered outside performed a ritual together, the Elf Tree would regain its vitality.

Elfkinds believed him.

Chu Zeming suppressed his urge to beat Yue Lian up and asked quietly, "What should we do next?"

Chu Zeming had long since concluded through practical experience that his luck could not contend with the protagonist's halo, so he decided to temporarily follow Yue Lian's arrangements—after all, reaching the tenth level first was the real priority.

Yue Lian said softly, "Rest well tonight. Tomorrow, the restoration ritual for the Elf Tree will be held. When the time comes, you and I will act according to circumstances." With that, the noble elf holy son left Chu Zeming's room, sporting one blackened panda eye.

Within Elfkind's forest habitat, the elves were jubilant, with lights blazing as they prepared for the next day's restoration ritual.

At the same time, the third level of the Divine Wood Realm finally became lively as well.

Various small groups met head-on at the Ancient Battlefield. Amid the terrifying smoke of the ancient battlefield, they fought to the death over treasures.

Xuan Mo, Ling Tian, and Junior Brother Wu had already joined up. The three did not join the fighting; instead, they concealed their auras and watched from the side—they all remembered Chu Zeming's teachings: do not act unless necessary, and pay the smallest price for the greatest number of secret treasures.

In the intervals between observing the battlefield, Ling Tian also kept an eye out for cultivators dressed in black. Yet none of them was Chu Zeming, and a trace of worry inevitably appeared on his face.

Xuan Mo noticed Ling Tian's abnormality and asked suspiciously, "Are you looking for Eldest Senior Brother?"

Ling Tian said, "...No."

A dead duck with a hard beak.

Xuan Mo shot Ling Tian a cold glance and said flatly, "Weaklings shouldn't worry about Eldest Senior Brother. He might already have run several levels higher. Spend your time thinking about how to snatch treasures later."

Ling Tian's face darkened. "Who are you calling a weakling?"

Xuan Mo said, "Whoever answers is the one."

Ling Tian clenched and loosened his fists, then clenched and loosened them again. In the end, he still did not start fighting Xuan Mo on the spot.

There were two reasons. First, the timing was wrong—they still had to present a united front against outsiders. Second, Xuan Mo was now as strong as he was; if they fought, Ling Tian might not necessarily win...

Xuan Mo glanced at Ling Tian, then arrogantly withdrew his gaze.

Did Ling Tian think he did not know what kind of crooked thoughts he had? A toad lusting after swan meat.

Eldest Senior Brother possessed heavenly beauty. Eldest Senior Brother ought to be beautiful all by himself.

All those Second Senior Brothers and Junior Brothers, those damned gays, should stay far away from Eldest Senior Brother.

The night grew deeper and deeper.

On the fourth level of the Divine Wood Realm, countless cages holding elves hung from a colossal ancient tree that towered into the clouds. In one of the cramped tree cages at the very top sat a human cultivator.

"Brother, what crime did you commit? My Elfkind generally doesn't attack outsiders lightly," the elf prisoner in the neighboring tree cage asked in a low voice.

Fu Hongchen looked at him. After a long silence, he slowly said, "I don't know."

The moment they met, he had been forked up by Elfkind's holy son.

The elf gave Fu Hongchen a suspicious look and said, "I don't believe you. You must have committed rape. All the elves on this level were arrested for rape."

"Yes, you definitely committed rape."

"Bullshit, I didn't." Fu Hongchen turned his head after saying that.

He hugged his knees and sat inside, neither able to reach heaven above nor earth below, feeling that his heart was a desolate wasteland.

Locked up by these damned elves, without a jade talisman to leave the Divine Wood Realm, a heaven's favored son like him would have to spend the rest of his life in this cage... beside a group of nosy rapists.

"Damn you, Chu Zeming, for crushing my jade talisman. Fu Hongchen and you are irreconcilable..." Suddenly, his eyes stung. Fu Hongchen raised his head to look at the sky, trying hard not to let his tears fall.

Chu Zeming's ears grew hot.

He abruptly opened his eyes.

After casting a spell to cool himself down, Chu Zeming resumed meditating.

Spiritual energy circulated around him. Only after the wounds scratched open by Fu Hongchen's nails had healed did Chu Zeming begin cultivating. By the time he opened his eyes again, it was already the next morning.

An elf attendant had long been waiting outside the room.

Hearing Chu Zeming rise and move about, the elf outside said softly, "Holy maiden, are you awake? The hour will soon arrive. The holy son instructed me to take you to bathe first."

Chu Zeming opened the door and gave a sound of assent.

Chu Zeming knew that for grand sacrificial ceremonies like this, the officiants generally needed to bathe and burn incense.

"This is Elfkind's Sacred Spring. It contains the essence of heaven and earth and is extremely beneficial to the body. Holy maiden, please be sure to cleanse all impurity from your body with the purest waters of the Sacred Spring, lest you desecrate the Elf Tree." Having said this beside the hot spring that steamed with rising vapor, the elf withdrew.

Chu Zeming took Xiao Hei from his shoulder and set him on the bank. He untied the flower-made clothes on his body and stepped into the Sacred Spring. Soaked in the steaming water, Chu Zeming felt his whole body relax. He had only closed his eyes to enjoy it for a while when he suddenly heard the sound of water by his ear.

Someone else had entered the hot spring.

Chu Zeming abruptly opened his eyes and saw Yue Lian standing before him.

Looking at the great beauty in the pool, naked as the day he was born, Yue Lian said sincerely, "Senior Brother, it is all for the Elf Tree."

Yue Lian's words were so righteous, sincere, and calm, yet his body's reaction was shockingly intense. Even the thick, swirling mist could not conceal his excited, agitated rod.

The fist Chu Zeming had hidden beneath the spring water hardened at once.

With a dark face, Chu Zeming retreated two steps and gritted out, "If you take one more step forward, I'll smash your family jewels."

The moment Chu Zeming finished speaking, a group of elves who had been gathered nearby to peep at the Sacred Spring jumped out.

There were more than twenty of them, startling both Chu Zeming and Yue Lian.

The shameless old elf at the front was the first to kneel and shout, "Holy maiden, you mustn't! If you resist the holy son like this and cannot receive the holy son's blessing, how can you return to elf form? And how can our clan's Elf Tree be saved!"