Terra Continent.
After nearly three hours of flying, Lin Mo and his companions finally reached their destination.
When a vast silhouette that blotted out the sky appeared on the distant horizon, Lin Mo stopped breathing.
It was a tree.
An unimaginably enormous tree, a hundred times larger than the world tree in Lothia.
Its trunk was as thick as a pillar holding up the heavens, and countless massive branches stretched in every direction, forming lush green continents suspended in the air.
Sunlight filtered through its luxuriant canopy, scattering billions of specks of light.
Countless crystal-clear, elegant buildings dotted the branches, leaves, and platforms.
Some had even grown straight out of the enormous branches, as though nature itself had shaped them.
Suspended bridges woven from vines connected the different districts.
Countless elves rode griffins, hippogriffs, and other flying mounts between the city's districts.
There was even a waterfall cascading from an exceptionally high branch, its drifting mist forming an everlasting rainbow in the sunlight.
The entire Tree Kingdom embodied the harmonious beauty of life and nature, a spectacle so magnificent it left him speechless.
"Holy shit..."
Lin Mo muttered to himself as a thought sprang into his mind.
If this place got a five-A tourist attraction rating, wouldn't they charge eighty-eight thousand a ticket?
As they approached, two squads of silver-armored elven guards riding hippogriffs flew up from below and formed escort lines on either side of them, their movements perfectly synchronized.
The captain leading them saluted Fendona, then turned his gaze to Lin Mo. After studying him briefly, he gave a slight nod of acknowledgment.
The party passed through an archway formed from enormous flowers.
They slowly descended onto a central plaza at the top of the world tree.
The instant the griffins landed, the fresh scent of greenery mingled with the sweet fragrance of unfamiliar flowers filled their nostrils.
The plaza was paved with polished white jade, its center engraved with intricate, graceful life runes that glowed faintly.
Directly ahead, a grand honor guard had already been waiting for some time.
Two rows of elven nobles in lavish attire stood on either side, their expressions solemn as they curiously examined the stranger dismounting from his griffin.
At the end of the honor guard stood a female elf wearing an exquisite silver-white robe and a dazzling crystal crown.
She stood quietly, yet even without moving, she exuded regal grace and the commanding presence of a sovereign.
Her features bore some resemblance to Fendona's, but were more mature and refined, while her pale blue eyes held the wisdom of ages.
Her sumptuous robe perfectly accentuated her figure, a beauty enriched by the passing years.
Mature, voluptuous, and fatally alluring.
This was the Elf Queen, Ellari.
Not sure whether she's everyone's type.
Lin Mo hurriedly jumped off his griffin, tidied his windblown bird's nest of hair, and stood tall with his chest out.
But the instant his eyes met the Elf Queen's, only one thought remained in his mind.
This is the Elf Queen who's lived for over two thousand years?
With that face, that figure, and that poise, anyone would believe she was a gorgeous woman in her thirties.
Even if I went back dozens of generations in my family tree, my ancestors might still be younger than her.
Those beauty-tech giants on Blue Star would drop to their knees on the spot and beg her to teach them.
If Fendona was a crisp, refreshing green apple, then Her Majesty was a fully ripened peach.
"Oh, hear me, people of Aivinol!"
A loud chant interrupted Lin Mo's wandering thoughts.
Beside the Queen, an elven elder whose beard nearly trailed along the ground held an unfurled roll of ancient parchment.
In a lilting, operatic cadence, he continued his proclamation:
"The wondrous winds of fate have brought us a guest from another world!"
Lin Mo's heart stirred. What's going on?
Why all this pomp?
He quickly straightened up, letting his hands hang naturally at his sides as he assumed a humble, courteous pose.
The elder's voice echoed across the plaza.
"With his mortal body, he has brought us divine wisdom! He has improved our bows and crossbows, allowing our arrows to catch the trailing tails of shooting stars!"
A low murmur of amazement rose from the surrounding elven nobles, who regarded Lin Mo with curiosity and scrutiny.
Standing at the rear of the group, Kelan looked even more displeased at this praise, his fists clenching unconsciously.
The elder's voice rose higher, brimming with passion.
"Upon the walls of Lothia City, when the shadow of the Demon Clan shrouded the land, he fought valiantly and reduced our wicked enemies to ashes!"
"He also possesses the mercy of the Goddess of Life, helping us heal our gravely wounded kin!"
Now even the previously reserved older elves were visibly moved.
Lin Mo felt his face burning.
He had never heard such outrageous flattery in his life, and now he was being publicly embarrassed in front of hundreds of elves.
All I did was provide a blueprint and toss them a Life Fruit. How did that turn into divine wisdom and a goddess's mercy?
Did these elves learn language from bards?
For a moment, praise rang out throughout the plaza, and the eyes of many young elves were already sparkling with admiration.
"Oh, look! Is that Lord Lin Mo from another world? His hair is black, and so are his eyes. How unusual!"
A young female elf whispered to her companion.
"He's more than unusual! Didn't you hear the elder? The compound bow he improved has far greater range and power than our longbows!"
A male elf wearing a Ranger Badge lowered his voice, his tone full of disbelief.
"My heavens, that's the craft we elves take the most pride in!"
"Craft? I'm more interested in how he drove back the Demon Clan! I read the battle report from Lothia. Apparently, he stopped an entire Demon Clan squad all by himself!"
"And there's that thing called a mold! My uncle is in Lothia. He sent word that making arrows will be easy from now on, and they can even be recovered and reused again and again!"
"Really? That's wonderful! May the Goddess of Nature bless him!"
Listening to the elves' chatter, Lin Mo waved somewhat bashfully at the crowds on both sides.
These elves were far too enthusiastic. All their praise was making him rather embarrassed.
"Welcome home, Princess Fendona, and welcome to our honored guest who has traveled so far."
The Queen's voice rang out, rich and pleasing like aged wine, yet imbued with an innate authority.
The plaza instantly fell silent.
Fendona stepped forward and offered the Queen a formal elven salute.
"Your Majesty."
Ellari smiled and nodded, extending a hand in a gentle gesture for her to rise.
"Fendona, my dear child, thank you for all your hard work these past days."
There was a barely perceptible tenderness in her voice.
"Your parents' spirits in heaven would surely be proud of you."
Fendona lowered her eyes and bowed.
"Protecting the people of Lothia is my duty."
After speaking, she turned and extended a hand toward Lin Mo to introduce him.
"Your Majesty, this is the traveler from another world whom I mentioned to you, Lord Lin Mo."
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