C1313 What Should Come Would Eventually Come!
Three colossal altars, brimming with the severed heads of various tribal members, emerged from beneath the Lissom Realm.
These ancient altars, overgrown with withered grass, exuded a thick, sinister aura that oppressed the spirit.
As countless heads came into view, the faces of many onlookers in the sky contorted with revulsion.
Beru, Leo, and Denise looked on with fury, unable to turn a blind eye to Diggs's atrocities any longer.
Among the heads, it was clear that many belonged to their kin from the Star Race, including young men and even children.
Yu Yuan's face grew somber. He had been aware of the Hannya Divine Tree's malevolence, but the sight of so many heads was still a shock.
He could only imagine the tens of millions of bodies that must be buried beneath the Lissom Realm.
After all, heads did not exist without bodies, and those unseen bodies were likely interred below.
Just in the Lissom Realm alone, there were three massive altars, each spanning a hundred acres, adorned with a staggering number of heads.
Rumors suggested that similar sacrificial rites had taken place in the Deep Starfield, not confined to the Lissom Realm alone.
Diggs's loyal followers had conducted the same grim ceremonies across other realms and stars.
How many souls had been extinguished?
With these thoughts, Yu Yuan's mood grew darker, and his gaze towards the Hannya Divine Tree was filled with loathing.
It was no wonder he felt compelled to shatter it with the Dragon Slash Platform, to utterly pulverize its branches and roots.
His face set in a grim line, he reflected.
"Is this the sacrifice required for the Hannya Divine Tree to make itself known?"
The young "Son of Stars," Leo, was incensed by the sight of the Star Race heads below. "Diggs, deceived by the Origin Realm God, sought to resurrect their ancestral tree. But why must our people be the ones to die? Why should our Star Race be his offering?!"
Beru remained silent.
"Great Sage, regardless of your past with him, Diggs must be brought to justice!" Leo declared, his face a portrait of righteous indignation. "No matter what unfolds in the Deep Starfield, I will not back down! Even if it costs me my life, I, Leo, will fight to avenge our fallen clansmen and seek the justice they deserve!"
Beru's face was etched with sorrow, and he found himself without words.
Denise's eyes, gazing upon Leo in that moment, shimmered like stars in the night sky.
Truly, Leo is the future of our Star Race, our collective pride!
She praised him silently in her heart.
Brie rose slowly from his crouched position, gripping his wooden scepter tightly. He pointed it towards the silent Diggs and challenged him, "Your kin have already evacuated the Deep Starfield. If you're so intent on sacrifice, why not offer your own children and grandchildren to the ancestral tree?"
The words were heavy with sorrow and anger from the current chieftain of the Dark Elfkind.
Yu Yuan, too, cast a peculiar look towards Beru.
Beru had earned Diggs's respect for a significant reason: after Diggs's misfortune, numerous influential families of the Dark Elfkind had relentlessly pursued his descendants. Perhaps they were aware that among those Dark Elfkind who had been sacrificed were their own relatives.
As a great sage of the Star Race, Beru had covertly taken in Diggs's descendants, providing them sanctuary within his own Starfield, ensuring that Diggs's lineage would not be extinguished.
In gratitude, Diggs, on the brink of unleashing this catastrophe, had persistently urged Beru to leave, even allowing him to take his kin, Leo and Denise, with him.
"They are merely returning to the ancestral tree's embrace. My family and clansmen have long worshipped the ancestral tree and will continue their service. There's no need for a hurried return."
Diggs showed no remorse for Brie's rebuke or the materialization of the three altars.
He wore his entitlement plainly on his face.
His rationale was clear: if all Dark Elfkind owed their existence to the grace of the ancestral tree, then it was only natural for them to die for its resurgence.
The deaths of other races' clansmen were of no concern to him.
Deep within Diggs's psyche was the indelible mark of the Hannya Divine Tree. Every action he took was in service of the ancestral tree's robust growth, his own quest for immortality, and the enduring might of the Dark Elfkind.
To him, Brie, the current occupant of the patriarchal throne, was nothing more than an obstacle to both him and the ancestral tree.
"Enough with the prattle."
Suspended in the void, Chen Qinghuang's eyes remained impassive, betraying no hint of emotion.
The squabble between Brie and Diggs on the altar seemed meaningless and valueless to her. Her sole focus was to expedite the battle's progression.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The ashen lightning that had been sapping Brie's strength vanished in an instant following her command.
She retracted all her destructive and deadly powers.
"Now, you can fight without any reservations."
Impatience was evident in her tone as she pressed Brie to cut the chatter.
"I've realized something. You will never obliterate the Dark Elfkind's Starfield. Your earlier threats were just that—empty threats."
Brie looked up, his weathered yet handsome face breaking into an enigmatic smile.
"The Starfields of our Dark Elfkind and the Winged Race have always been adjacent. The Winged Race dwell in lush forests, constructing homes atop the towering trees. And we, the Dark Elfkind, draw the essence from flora to fortify our bloodlines."
Brie's soft chuckle trailed off.
He left his statement deliberately incomplete, merely hinting at the depth of his meaning.
Yet, those who heard him began to ponder the intriguing connection between the Dark Elfkind and the Winged Race, realizing there might indeed be some truth to it.
Yu Yuan's gaze instinctively shifted to Chen Qinghuang.
The stunningly beautiful queen, though devoid of expression, subtly curled her lips. "The wisdom passed down to you from your forebears suggests that the Dark Elfkind has been the protector of the Winged Race. Your elders have led you to believe the Winged Race is subservient to the Dark Elfkind, reliant on your support for their existence."
"Is that not the case?" Brie asked, taken aback.
Beru, Diggs, Old Moore, Wai Zhuo, and the others also showed astonishment at Chen Qinghuang's revelation.
To all observers in the Outland Star River, the Dark Elfkind is regarded as the pinnacle of intelligent life—the first echelon.
The Winged Race, in contrast, couldn't even measure up to the second echelon's Rock Clan, Silver Scale Clan, or the Demoness.
At best, they were considered part of the third echelon of intelligent beings within the Outland Star River.
The Winged Race was perceived as a dependent group under the Dark Elfkind, surviving only with their assistance against invasions from other races.
"Ten thousand years ago, it was the other way around," Chen Qinghuang stated icily.
A single stone can cause a thousand ripples!
The Secular Bird perished a hundred thousand years ago, beaten to death in the Oblivion Starfield.
According to her account, before her demise, the Dark Elfkind were the vassals, dependent on the Winged Race for their very survival!
"You're aware that the Winged Race lives atop the ancient trees, constructing their homes among the branches. And you have always dwelled beneath them. Even though the roles have now reversed, the ingrained traditions and habits remain unchanged," Her Majesty said, her eyes brimming with scorn.
The gray goose beneath her lifted its head proudly, its call resonating with arrogance.
The pride of the gray goose mirrored her own haughtiness.
The Dark Elfkind lived below the trees, while the Winged Race has always made their homes above. That has never changed!
The gray goose's call clearly conveyed this message.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The massive Cold Domain Bear pounded its chest as wide as a mountain, sending snow flying in all directions.
It seemed to join the gray goose in mocking Brie, Diggs, all of the Dark Elfkind, and the increasingly majestic Hannya Divine Tree.
It was laughing at their collective delusion of grandeur!
Beneath the divine tree, Diggs looked up, bewildered, at the towering Hannya Divine Tree. He wondered if the Secular Bird's words were true. Had the Dark Elfkind from a hundred thousand years ago really relied on the now-insignificant Winged Race for existence?
The tragic bloodline balance constrained the highest bloodlines of the Dark Elfkind, with none able to live beyond a hundred thousand years.
The truth had long since faded into history, and aside from the ancestral tree before him, who could reveal the facts?
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Perhaps provoked by Chen Qinghuang, the Hannya Divine Tree's sharp branches launched a vicious assault after a fresh surge of growth.
Indeed, the empress was not kept waiting long.
Some branches, etched with the laws of nature, lunged at Brie, while others surged towards the Cold Domain Bear, as if intent on delivering a harsh reprimand.
Colorful ripples shimmered as if thousands of vibrant butterflies were dancing and converging from every direction.
The half-conscious Void Spirit Succubus finally ventured beyond the Lissom Realm to coordinate with the Hannya Divine Tree's efforts, exerting pressure on the Cold Domain Bear.
In a flash, the massive Ninth Level Snow Bear noticed its fluffy, snow-white fur teeming with the colorful butterflies.
With pleading, ingratiating eyes, it gazed longingly at Yu Yuan.
Simultaneously, the Red Demon Bell, bearing Yuan Lianyao and Faang Yao of the Red Devil Sect, swooped in with a sudden roar.
The wild flames in the eyes of Yuan Lianyao and Faang Yao mirrored the same fervor seen in the eyes of the previously lured non-humans and Zhu Huan, aligning with Yu Yuan's own intensity.
