The Silver watched the corpse before him, sensing the familiar aura emanating from it and the unwilling belief. His eyes instantly welled up.
Centuries ago, among the Wind Elves, two kings, unmatched in talent throughout history, were born.
One was named Hilbert, and the other was Hiljones.
Hilbert, Hiljones' father, was also one of the greatest elves in the history of the entire Wind Elf race. He was revered as the King of Kings for aiding his people in resisting foreign enemies and resolving internal strife.
Hiljones, on the other hand, was the most talented elf the Wind Elf race had ever seen. Naturally close to the Great Dao, he could hunt in the heavens when others couldn't even walk. He was understanding, knew when to advance and when to retreat, and had done much for the development of his race during that era of recovery.
The entire Wind Elf race believed Hiljones would be their next king. As for his younger brother, Hilfer, though equally outstanding, he always fell slightly short.
Hilfer found no issue with this assessment, as he truly had no comparison to his brother. Moreover, Hiljones treated him exceptionally well, truly acting as a father figure. What other thoughts could he have?
Better to be a well-fed, worry-free brother of a king than a king burdened by administrative duties.
One must remember that the Elf race was not as prosperous then as it was now. They had just experienced war, and poverty was one of the most difficult problems to solve. Becoming king meant facing these issues head-on.
Hilfer had always felt unsuited for such tasks, and it happened that his brother enjoyed them. So, he was content to let him handle them.
However, Hilfer never expected that he would ultimately be the one to undertake these responsibilities, and he successfully led the Elves to prosperity.
And those two men, who in his eyes were as powerful as gods, were both lost in the Sea of Realms.
"Brother, is this the last gift you told me about?"
Hilfer stared intently at Hiljones' corpse, sensing the lingering will. The unyielding obsession drilled into his mind, bringing with it centuries of loneliness and despair. It also brought his thoughts and observations of this space, as if he were a walking corpse, during the many years since his death.
That powerful man, even in death, could use the Great Dao to forcefully seal a sliver of his obsession and continue to ponder. Upon Hilfer's arrival, he unconditionally gifted these millennia of contemplation to his younger brother.
Thus, Hilfer learned the method to escape this endless tunnel of reincarnation.
"The secret to leaving here is to observe the patterns and directions of the schools of fish swimming on the seabed, the number of bubbles they exhale, and the distribution of seaweed and sand..." Hilfer absorbed the memories, his expression filled with shock.
The way out was to be found within this place. But what a vast and complex undertaking that was! The mere thought of it gave him splitting headaches, and even his brother had not fully deciphered it.
Hmm... something felt off.
Hilfer suddenly realized something and turned his head sharply towards Qiongqi, his expression icy cold.
If the method to escape the tunnel was to observe those things, then what was that white tiger doing, repeatedly entering and exiting the space, resisting the turbulent currents, and studying the Great Dao?
Was it deliberately draining their strength?
"Almost fooled by you," Hilfer cursed inwardly. Recalling the events of the past few days and the physical exertion consumed by repeatedly entering and exiting the space, his anger was almost uncontrollable.
But anger was anger, and he couldn't erupt. He had to suppress it, for everything was for the sake of the sacred relic.
"They want to take advantage of our weakness and escape themselves at the critical moment. Such cunning humans!" Hilfer's expression was calm as he glanced at Xu Mu and Qiongqi one by one, his mind racing. Now that he knew the truth, he would keep a close eye on Xu Mu and not let him escape.
The sacred relic would be his!
"These undead seem to retain a sliver of obsession. Do they still have consciousness?" Hyman said, his black hair transforming into myriad sea serpents as he warily eyed the group of corpses ahead. Each one of them might have been a powerful existence that once shook the Elf race. Their strength after death, naturally, could not be underestimated.
Hearing Hyman's words, a look of shock suddenly flashed in Hilfer's eyes.
He wasn't afraid of his brother's secret being discovered, as Hiljones' will had already vanished. But the problem was, with so many skeletal remains present, how could he know if other elves had left similar wills?
If they had, then he might not be the only one who realized Xu Mu and Qiongqi were deceiving them. In that case, his chances of contending for the sacred relic would be greatly reduced!
With this thought, Hilfer decided to strike first.
Buzz!
Heaven and earth spiritual energy and magic converged at the arrowhead. With a calm and solemn expression, Hilfer drew his longbow.
On the arrow capable of piercing everything, a terrifying hurricane accompanied by magical energy was constantly compressed. The fearsome fluctuations it carried startled all the elves present, and they quickly retreated to the sides, daring not to block the arrow.
Bang!
Rumble rumble rumble rumble!!!
The moment Hilfer released the bowstring, it vibrated tens of thousands of times per second, each vibration like thunder.
The arrow that shot out stirred up a terrifying gale, like a tsunami from the Sea of Realms. The spatial turbulence at the tail of the arrow was over ten meters long!
Such a terrifying arrow naturally tore through the group of white bone corpses like a destructive force. In the instant of the explosion, dozens of beings, who were immensely powerful both past and present, were killed.
After the arrow was shot, Hilfer's complexion turned truly pale, clearly having expended great energy.
Thus, all the elves began to regard him with confused glances, including Xu Mu.
They were perplexed. While fighting desperately at this critical juncture was understandable, everyone knew that the ultimate enemies would not be the corpses, but each other.
Under such circumstances, no one dared to go all out; they were all weighing their options. For instance, Nonna had feigned weakness earlier to conserve her strength.
But why did Hilfer not only strike first but also exert his full power?
"The undead are terrifying. They were all once overlord elves. If they truly possessed consciousness, they might possess us. I have no fear, but my guards have expended much energy and are likely in danger. Therefore, we must eliminate them quickly."
Facing the questioning gazes, Hilfer calmly explained. The other elves then seemed to understand and accepted his explanation. His guard, in particular, was deeply moved. If the occasion had been different, they might have immediately shouted "Long live our king!"
As for those who were less convinced, like Xu Mu and Nonna, the former relied on his intuition, while the latter, based on her understanding of Hilfer's character, knew he was a deeply cunning strategist who would never do such things for his subordinates.
But they couldn't guess his true motive. And the undead did seem to pose a threat for now, so they could only follow suit and fight.
Thus, with the combined efforts and terrifying bombardment of all the elves, they finally eliminated all the undead remains at a great cost.
Only then did Hilfer sigh with relief.
This action was noticed by Xu Mu, and his brow furrowed even tighter.
"What's going on?" he wondered, unable to figure it out. He quickly transmitted a message to Qiongqi, "Delay breeds complications. Don't let them rest. Enter the space immediately!"
Upon hearing this, Qiongqi also stood up, feigning weakness, and said in a faltering voice, "Delay breeds complications. If we drag this out, other dangers might arise. I apologize, but we cannot rest. Everyone, please continue to explore the way out with me."
"There's no need to apologize, it's what we should do," Nonna replied weakly, opening her eyes. The other elves also harbored no resentment, for in their hearts, Qiongqi was already the most exhausted. They had no right to complain.
Only Hilfer chuckled coldly inwardly, for he was the one who truly knew all the secrets.
"Let's see how long you can keep up this act," Hilfer muttered, getting up and leading his tired guards to Qiongqi's side, preparing to enter the space.
"Harass him a few more times," Xu Mu instructed at this moment.
Qiongqi glanced back at Hilfer, showing an innocent smile:
"The progress this time is likely to be even slower than before, so I want to stay for as long as possible. Everyone, please be mentally prepared."
"Damn it," Hilfer cursed inwardly upon hearing this, but on the surface, he acted as if he knew nothing and replied with a smile, "I will do my best."
"Alright, let's go," Qiongqi said, raising his forelegs again and parting the space to enter. Hilfer and the other elves followed closely behind.
This time, they stayed inside for a full eleven seconds before emerging. Hilfer and his guard team had exerted their utmost, intercepting the spatial turbulence for four and a half seconds.
The price was the sacrifice of three Elf Domain Lords. Due to the extremely tight timing, they were unable to exit the void.
"Alas, don't be too sad. There's nothing that can be done," Qiongqi comforted Hilfer. Hilfer's facial muscles twitched violently as he suppressed the anger in his heart and calmly replied, "It's fine."
"Once I obtain the sacred relic, I will dismember both of you!" he roared inwardly.
At this moment, Qiongqi also felt a slight pang of guilt due to the deaths of those elves.
"Good fellow, they all trusted me so much. Isn't it too inhumane to kill them like this?"
Xu Mu rolled his eyes and replied, "You weren't human to begin with."
"Besides, their so-called trust was in your ability to help them survive, and in your lack of ability to compete with them for the sacred relic. Don't forget Hilfer's actions along the way. If they were to obtain the sacred relic, they might even kill us to silence us."
"Alright, then I am at ease," Qiongqi exhaled and his gaze became firm as he looked back at the elves. "Let's continue, without resting."
In the ravaged tunnel, Qiongqi's eyes blazed as he looked at Konggelif, "Come on, King of the Fire Elves."
"Next, it's you!"
"Hmph, bring it on!" Konggelif swallowed a pill and, with his subordinates looking fearful, stood behind Qiongqi. Then, they plunged into the familiar spatial rift, and after a barrage of explosions, they quickly emerged. The entire process took less than five seconds.
"How come you didn't even last three seconds this time? Are you even a man!" Qiongqi cursed Konggelif rudely. If he hadn't been cautious and hadn't ventured too deep, he would have almost not returned, as Konggelif and his subordinates couldn't even last three seconds!
"Three seconds, tsk tsk." Seeing Konggelif's ashen face, Ouweixisi couldn't help but mockingly sneer, provoking him to explode, "Damn it, my ability is not suited for blocking those damn turbulent currents. Come and try me if you dare!"
"Yes, yes, yes, you Konggelif are the real man. Three seconds, of course, none of us can compare." Ouweixisi continued to mock, and at the same time, he led his subordinates to forcefully pass through the middle of Konggelif's team, his expression arrogant, "Let me cut in line and show you what strength looks like."
"Talking big, be careful not to bite your tongue," Konggelif snorted coldly.
Ouweixisi said nothing, waiting for Qiongqi to begin before entering.
This time, they stayed an unusually long time. Accompanied by a biting frost, they stayed inside for fifteen seconds.
Upon emerging, although Ouweixisi's face was even paler, he didn't care, merely stating lazily, "Fifteen seconds, almost equivalent to five Konggelifs."
"Is that all? Next time I'll last twenty seconds!" Konggelif roared, his eyes wide as saucers. He still had his trump cards, and twenty seconds was not a problem!
"Fine, if you can't last twenty seconds next time, you're not a man," Ouweixisi continued to mock.
"Whoever can't last twenty seconds is a dwarf!" Konggelif continued to shout angrily, causing the expressions of the other elves present, especially Hilfer's, to become extremely grim.
"These two fools, sold and don't even know it," Hilfer spat inwardly, then cleared his throat. "Ahem, you two, please exercise some restraint. Such serious matters, why treat them so childishly."
At this moment, the two were at loggerheads, both somewhat cornered. Hearing this, just as he was about to step down, Hilfer continued, his expression earnest, "However, if you really want to make a bet, it's fine. I used too many arrows just now and injured my vital energy, so I won't participate."
"We are both women, it has nothing to do with real men," Hyman and Nonna shrugged.
"I'm not participating either, I'm only nineteen," Xu Mu raised his hand awkwardly, but his heart was already bursting with joy. These two fools were acting in a way most beneficial to him. It was a shame about that old fox Hilfer, who didn't fall for it...
"Since you can both last twenty seconds, I believe we will be able to get out of here soon," Qiongqi said with a smile, then took Nonna into the void again. They returned eleven seconds later.
Then it was Hilfer's turn. Although he didn't want Xu Mu to benefit from their struggles, for the sake of his dignity as the Wind King, he had to brace himself and unleash his nearly strongest arrow attack, lasting ten seconds.
Then, it was Konggelif's turn.
This time, he had gathered his momentum outside beforehand. Then, with several shouts, his subordinates from the Fire Elf tribe simultaneously ignited, converging and passing through space, setting fire to the bone powder on the ground throughout the tunnel.
Ouweixisi's smile froze on his face because this fire was extremely powerful, even threatening his life. And Konggelif had successfully stayed inside for over twenty seconds.
At twenty-one seconds, he retreated with his subordinates.
"Your turn." The intense dizziness almost made Konggelif collapse on the spot, but he still forced himself to remain calm and said to Ouweixisi, "It's your turn."
Ouweixisi responded without hesitation and also entered with his subordinates.
And after a shockwave of extreme cold spread, Ouweixisi finally lasted over twenty seconds inside.
His complexion was as pale as ice.
At this point, Qiongqi also felt it was time, so he announced that the mysteries of this place had been deciphered and then led the elves to the sixth section.
Thus, they were only three sections away from successfully exiting this tunnel.
The intense cycles of entering and exiting were beginning to take a toll even on Qiongqi's body. He was somewhat weak, but he knew the elves were now hundreds of times weaker than him, so he couldn't rest yet.
Strike while the iron is hot.
Xu Mu and Qiongqi exchanged glances. Then, Xu Mu took out a pill from his bosom, which he had specially sprinkled with golden-dark Dao origin, making it appear even more precious.
"This is a Life-Saving King-level immortal pill from my master. If you take it, your condition will improve significantly."
Qiongqi nodded, then "with all his might," he opened his mouth and swallowed the pill. The aura of weakness on his body indeed gradually recovered.
This scene made many elves exchange glances. At this point, they no longer wished for Qiongqi's condition to improve, because they couldn't hold on any longer!
But this was exactly the effect Qiongqi desired. So, he once again pretended to be at the end of his rope, stood up, and said in a weak yet firm voice, "For the peace between the Elf race and the human and monster races in the future, I will burn my essence blood if necessary to lead you out as quickly as possible."
"Come on, next, let's continue!"
As Qiongqi spoke, he glanced at Hilfer. Hilfer's expression suddenly froze, and then he could only grudgingly force a bitter smile and lead people to follow Qiongqi into the space.
When he emerged, it was Nonna and Hyman's turn.
Then, it was Konggelif's turn again. This time, he didn't last twenty seconds, but he did pass ten seconds. Ouweixisi was the same, their faces pale and their bodies seemingly hollowed out.
And Qiongqi was staggering, about to fall. Just as all the elves thought he was about to collapse, Xu Mu took out another "immortal grade" pill and fed it to him.
And so, it continued.
Round after round of entering, the tragic deaths of one subordinate after another, Konggelif and Ouweixisi were almost completely depleted, their Dharma forms beginning to flicker. Even Hilfer, who had been holding back, was not much better; he was also struggling to hold on.
Nonna and Hyman cooperated well and never pushed themselves, so their condition seemed the best. But even they were gradually unable to endure under Qiongqi's relentless torment.
At this point, all the elves reached the seventh section.
The void space around them had disappeared, replaced by visible sand.
The sand made Xu Mu think of the desert of Alfheim. Could the exit be Alfheim?
The truth was unknown, as the Fu Xi fragments did not record what lay beyond the exit; the descriptions only went as far as the sacred relic.
Looking at the surrounding scenery, the other elves were also filled with doubt. But before they could voice their questions, Xu Mu stood up again and fed Qiongqi a string of seemingly immortal pills, which were merely ordinary restorative elixirs.
Then, he successfully attracted the hateful gazes of countless elves.
Following this, after a soul-stirring "speech," Qiongqi, like a lone brave warrior, opened the space once more.
All the elves suffered again.
When they entered the eighth section, Konggelif's fire had even disappeared, and he no longer had the strength to curse.
At this point, Xu Mu actually handed Qiongqi another pill. After taking it, Qiongqi turned to look at the elves.
No one dared to meet his gaze, including Nonna and Hyman.
Therefore, Xu Mu and Qiongqi knew that their opportunity to escape these elves had arrived.
"Let's continue, don't stop. I have a premonition that this underwater tunnel is nearing its end," Qiongqi then said to the elves, but the response was silence.
After a moment of silence, Qiongqi couldn't help but feel joy inwardly. It seemed they had truly reached their limit.
"Lord Hilfer, according to the order, it should be your turn now," Qiongqi said, turning to look at Hilfer.
The latter coughed twice and spoke with a dry, cracked lip, forcing a bitter smile, "This... I have indeed suffered significant depletion. Perhaps we should rest for a while. There's no rush."
"But I always feel that delaying will bring unknown dangers," Qiongqi said with a heavy voice and a serious expression. "And the air and spiritual energy here are both very thin. Xu Mu and I are healing and recuperating here, and our condition is deteriorating day by day. If we delay any further, all our previous efforts might be in vain!"
Hilfer didn't believe a word of this, as he knew Qiongqi was acting. But the other elves couldn't sit still, as Qiongqi's words made perfect sense.
Humans, elves, and beast-demons could draw energy from heaven and earth differently. This was their elven kingdom, and it was at the bottom of the Sea of Realms. They themselves found cultivation difficult, so it was normal for beast-demons to have difficulty absorbing the necessary energy here.
"Then what should we do? It's really too difficult. If we continue, I fear we will be swept away by the spatial turbulence before we even see the sacred relic," Hilfer said expressionlessly.
"No, even if we risk our lives, we must continue. Otherwise, if something happens to him, none of us will be able to leave!" Nonna struggled to stand up, turned to look around at the elves, and said solemnly, "Let's all go in together. This way, the pressure will be less."
"This..." Hearing this, Hilfer's expression became even stiffer. The idea of them all going in seemed like a good solution, but what if Xu Mu and Qiongqi took the opportunity to betray them and escape?
"Everyone going in is also a good idea," Qiongqi and Xu Mu exchanged glances, then said with suppressed smiles. This was much more convenient. He could escape when they were caught off guard and close the spatial gate. None of these elves would be able to escape.
But was this too brutal?
Just as Qiongqi was pondering this question, Hyman also thought of it and softly said, "Everyone going in is impossible. At least half of each tribe must stay behind."
As she spoke, she subtly cast a glance at Xu Mu.
Qiongqi and Xu Mu exchanged glances, then nodded, deciding to proceed with the original plan.
"Then let's do this. You decide amongst yourselves who will come in with me. The longer you last, the more rounds we can have, and we'll be out soon," Qiongqi said weakly.
The four great elf tribes deliberated for a long time and then roughly divided themselves into two groups.
Qiongqi led the first group into the space and returned after twenty-five seconds. Then, without any pause, he immediately led the second group into the space.
This cycle repeated a full four times, and even some Domain Lords were so exhausted they spat blood. Finally, the elves could no longer bear it.
But Qiongqi still didn't let them off, forcing each elf to enter the space one last time.
Finally, amidst a thunderous roar, countless elves scrambled out of the space and collapsed on the ground. The kings of the elf tribes also lay on the ground to rest, disregarding their dignity.
It was at this moment that Xu Mu made his move.
He feigned concern and approached, helping the staggering Qiongqi who had just escaped the space, while repeatedly muttering with feigned worry, "Oh dear, you were so careless. Come and sit down and rest."
"Hey, hey, hey, where are you going? Come and sit down and rest. Are you stupid!"
Xu Mu said loudly, attracting the attention of all the elves, as they noticed Qiongqi was dragging his heavy body, staggering unsteadily in the middle of the tunnel, refusing to sit down.
"There's something wrong," Hilfer's eyes sharpened, and he secretly gathered his strength, ready to act at any moment.
At this moment, Nonna and Hyman also sensed something was amiss. Just as they were about to speak, they heard Qiongqi's eyes roll back, and as if by instinct, he stammered, "I... I need to enter the space. I need to take them out... Don't stop me, I need to con... continue..."
Hearing this, all the elves froze. Qiongqi's image in their hearts had successfully been sculpted into a towering mountain, majestic and awe-inspiring.
It was at this moment that Xu Mu and Qiongqi felt the time was ripe.
Following a seemingly chaotic but actually spatial-patterned gait, their figures suddenly appeared a hundred meters away.
This scene stunned countless elves.
"What... what is happening?"
Konggelif scratched his head, as Qiongqi's act was too convincing. He hadn't realized what had happened.
The fastest to react was Hilfer.
He memorized all of Xu Mu and Qiongqi's movements, then stepped forward and rapidly imitated them, instantly reaching the ninth section.
At this point, Xu Mu and Qiongqi had completed the final leap and vanished directly in the ninth section!
Hilfer had been paying close attention and, of course, remembered everything. He began to imitate them.
Watching the retreating figures and Hilfer's constant imitation of their poses and triumphant laughter, even the slowest elves could understand what had happened.
"They... ran away?!"