The Path to Another World

The Ancestral God's protective shield covers a vast area, almost enveloping the entire core of the Divine Language Forest. The most important place for the elves is the largest Tree of Life at the very center of the shield. This is a great tree that grew alongside the Ancestral God, a living fossil with no verifiable history. No one knows when it took root here, but it witnessed the Ancestral God's journey from an unknown ordinary person to an unparalleled powerhouse on the Mayan continent. From birth, the Ancestral God never left the great tree that provided him with the comfort of parents. When tired, he would lie down and sleep in the tree's embrace; when hungry, he would eat the fruit it bore. Because the Ancestral God spent many years cultivating enlightenment on the tree, the originally ordinary tree gained much spirituality, shedding its mortal form and becoming the sacred tree of the later spirit race. Legend has it that the sacred fruit takes a hundred years to flower, a hundred years to grow, and three hundred years to mature, possessing the miraculous power to cleanse the marrow and transform one's talents. Another legend says that every hundred years, the sacred tree overflows with a sacred elixir, possessing the miraculous power to bring the dead back to life. Every drop is priceless in the human world, with no market available. This has only happened two or three times in history, each time breaking a new record. The entire tree soars into the clouds, its canopy spanning tens of kilometers in circumference. From a distance, it resembles a green castle. Its offspring are even more terrifying, with the core consisting mainly of saplings growing from its roots. The reach of its roots extends into the area protected by the ancestral god, demonstrating the depth of the ancestral god's affection for it.

Now, as the guardian deity of the elves, the sacred tree's thick branches are densely covered with small, beautiful green houses built from wood and branches, just as the elves themselves enjoy. Groups of elves come and go, bathed in the sacred tree's aura, some playing, some engaged in business, all in perfect harmony. At the very top of the canopy stands a single, unusual wooden house, resembling a giant basketball court. Its roof is covered by the sacred tree's hanging green tendrils, like a thick green blanket. The interior is equally extraordinary; the walls are adorned with ancient paintings and calligraphy, priceless treasures; the balcony is overflowing with all kinds of flowers. A gentle breeze blows, and one can't help but close their eyes in blissful intoxication, savoring nature's bounty...

A middle-aged elf, his hair meticulously combed and his face serious yet charismatic, reclined in a chaise lounge, engrossed in ancient texts. Occasionally, he would sip a cup of celestial wine made from a hundred flowers, his eyes half-closed, exuding a serene contentment. Though his white hair betrayed his advanced age, one could still discern from his features that he had once been a captivatingly handsome man, likely winning the hearts of many in his youth. A casual touch to his meticulously trimmed beard caused the two female guards at the gate to feel their hearts race, their blood surge, and two blushes rise to their cheeks. "I never imagined the clan leader, so old, would still possess such charm. No wonder he was the clan's undisputed heartthrob back then; even after all these years, he remains as dashing as ever. I'm afraid I'll dream of him again tonight!" "You little brat, at your age, still so flirtatious?" "No way! I'm only 18!" "You were only eighteen a hundred years ago..." The two beautiful guards whispered and giggled amongst themselves.

Hearing the two still whispering about him, the old chieftain Karl couldn't help but reminisce about his youth. He coughed lightly twice to indicate that he had overheard their conversation. The two guards who had been playing around blushed at the chieftain's cough and quickly regained their serious expressions, standing ramrod straight at the door like perfectly qualified soldiers.

Seeing the two of them looking shy, Karl couldn't help but pretend to be angry and said, "Where is this place? Mind your manners and be quiet!" Only then did he turn back to continue admiring the ancient book. Seeing the angry chieftain, the two guards couldn't help but stick their tongues out at each other and make faces.

Just as Karl was getting into the zone, a tall male elf, without even bothering to greet him or heed the two beautiful women's attempts to dissuade him, hurriedly pushed open the door and shouted, "Chieftain, something terrible has happened! The High Priest sent me to fetch you! Something very important has occurred!"

Carl, who had just gotten into the book, was abruptly interrupted. He frowned and said with displeasure, "Look at the state you're in! Where has all the decorum of an elf gone? What kind of behavior is this!"

The elf who burst through the door ignored the chieftain's reprimand, his face flushed and he was extremely excited. He stammered, "The high priest said that they sensed the aura of the former goddess of nature, Geqiusha, and the aura of the protection of her personal artifact, the goddess of fate!"

Upon hearing the elf's words, Karl's expression changed drastically. He threw down the book in his hand, ignoring the spilled celestial wine on the table, and excitedly stood up. He grabbed the elf's shoulders and shook her violently, seemingly unable to believe his ears, and roared, "What did you just say? Say it again? The goddess has returned...!"

The male elf wasn't intimidated by the chieftain's emotions, because he understood his feelings. He had witnessed the same thing during the high priest's routine prayers, and had been even more frantic than the chieftain. The high priest had experienced the last Holy War, witnessing the fall of the Goddess of Nature, and now he sensed her return. The once-in-a-millennium Holy War was about to begin again—what a powerful boost this was for the elf race! The high priest was nearly driven mad, which was why he ordered the male elf to summon the chieftain as quickly as possible, because this matter was of paramount importance. His face flushed, he excitedly said, "Your Highness, you sensed the Goddess's presence! She's still in the priest's hall!"

Before he could finish his next sentence, old Karl's figure had already disappeared from his sight, turning into a gust of wind and leaving the room. The two guards and the male elf hurriedly followed behind, heading towards the priest's hall not far away. For them, this was also exciting news. Most of the old people from back then had already passed away, and the current generation consisted of newcomers born after the Holy War. They had never seen the ranks of the elf race, but had only heard of the horrors of the Holy War and the legends of the goddess. They were all filled with surging emotions and wished they could have been born in those days to show their prowess. Now that they heard of the goddess's return, they naturally wanted to come and find out.

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