Zhang Nu, accompanied by his three subordinates, entered a nearby cave. The cave's environment was complex and maze-like, filled with numerous traps, many of which were destroyed, indicating the presence of previous intruders.This intruder was likely the great adventurer, the Undying Phoenix, Hubert, who later became the Hero Yan Qianjun. He apparently had a map and found a way to enter, thus being able to destroy the traps along the way and navigate through the maze.
Soon, the four of them made their way through the maze. They came upon a spacious cavernous area with several ancient building ruins and a large gate that connected to the outside world.
Nancilia immediately remarked, "This seems like Elven architecture!"
Zhang Nu nodded in agreement, "This should be a remnant of the ancient Elven Empire."
Zhang San and Li Si searched the ruins but didn't find any valuable items. However, they discovered a perfectly preserved, crystal-clear skeleton and some fragments of broken eggshells.
Zhang San reported, "My Lord, someone has been here and has taken away the valuable items."
Hearing this, Nancilia immediately became worried. Such a concealed elven ruin had already been discovered by someone else, wouldn't that mean the Demon King's trip would be in vain?
However, Zhang Nu responded, "I was aware of this situation before coming here. The one who explored this place before us was none other than the adventurer, the Undying Phoenix, Hubert."
"It's him?!" Nancilia remembered the great adventurer, having almost suffered a defeat at his hands when she was only at Level 5.
Pointing to the fragments of eggshells, Zhang Nu explained, "This is likely the egg of an undying Phoenix. The adventurer Hubert broke the egg and claimed the phoenix fire from it, granting him the ability of resurrection, thus earning the reputation of the Undying Phoenix."
Nancilia commented with a tone of regret, "Such a rare ancient mythical beast. Eggs of such divine birds are hard to find across the entire continent. It's such a shame to have it destroyed like this... And what about this skeleton?"
Zhang Nu answered, "He must have been an ancient elven warrior guarding this ruin. Hubert took the epic equipment, the Heart of Space, from his body."
So, it turned out that the adventurer's resurrection and spatial abilities were all obtained from this adventure. Zhang Nu, looking at the gate ahead, continued, "This gate leads to the passage to the ruin. However, for some reason, Hubert couldn't enter. Be cautious, there might be dangers ahead."
"Understood!"
"Let's go!"
Zhang Nu led the trio through the gate, where a dense fog immediately enveloped them. Nancilia found herself completely losing her vision, with even her perception abilities being blocked, leaving her in a world shrouded in fog, unable to distinguish any direction.
Li Si spoke in a deep voice, "My lord, I sense a strong presence of spatial energy. This place seems to be formed by the power of space. If one couldn't find a way to open the exit, outsiders who enter could easily get lost and end up trapped here forever."
Zhang Nu nodded in agreement. This was, in a way, a security mechanism. The foggy space was actually a small spatial maze. Although not large in scale, its nature as a spatial maze made it potentially infinite, with no end in sight using ordinary means. The entrance to the relic was located within this maze. Only specific magic could summon the exit of the maze, but the guardian had long since turned to bones, causing the method to open the maze to be lost forever.
So, that was why the Undying Phoenix Hubert couldn't continue to explore the ruin. He couldn't find a way to dispel the spatial fog. Venturing recklessly could lead to being permanently trapped, so without any certainty, he had no choice but to give up.
However, such traps might deter or trap others but were ineffective against Zhang Nu. He activated his Spatio-Temporal Dragon form, his scales turning into a dreamlike silver-white, with the terrifying and surging power of time and space flowing from his body like an unbridled river. In the blink of an eye, it covered the entire space.
Nancilia was astounded, "Such formidable power over time and space, this isn't ordinary spatial magic, but direct manipulation and dominion over the laws of space and time!"
Both Nancilia and Li Si had decent abilities in spatial magic, but they could only utilize conventional spatial spells. What Zhang Nu was employing was not magic but manipulation of space at the most fundamental level of laws, a method far beyond their reach.
Soon, the spatial fog was affected and began to evaporate and disappear bit by bit, revealing a long canyon. After forcefully dispelling the spatial fog, Zhang Nu led his three subordinates through the canyon. Zhang San and Li Si pushed open the stone gate at the end of the canyon, revealing a barrier of space that rippled like water. They had found it. This was the entrance to the subspace. Zhang Nu led the way in, and upon passing through the rippling spatial barrier, the originally narrow canyon space suddenly opened up.
"This... What is this...?" Nancilia looked around in astonishment. Unlike the barren landscape of the Ashen Mountains that stretched for hundreds of miles without a blade of grass, this place was like a paradise from a fairy tale, filled with all kinds of rare and exotic beasts and precious medicinal herbs.
Zhang Nu glanced around and noticed:
[Nine-Star Purple Gold Ginseng] A high-quality purple grade material.
[Thousand-Year Thunder Bamboo] A high-quality purple grade material.
[Phoenix Blood Grass of the Nine Cycles] A low-quality orange grade material.
Not just Nancilia, even Zhang Nu was taken aback to see so many purple and even orange grade materials before him, feeling as though he had found a treasure trove. Any of these materials could sell for tens to hundreds of millions of standard gold coins. The valley was filled with countless such precious materials, slowly nurtured over tens of thousands of years. Their use value and economic value were immeasurable! So, to call it a ruin was perhaps a vast understatement; it was more like a treasure trove.
However, at this moment, they all felt a series of powerful auras assaulting them from the nearby forest. Nancilia immediately became alert: "There are attacks initiated by nature magic!"
Nature magic, also known as life magic, was the opposite of necromancy, which was associated with the undead. The ground beneath Zhang Nu's feet began to shake. In an instant, countless huge roots covered with thorns and emitting a green glow burst forth, attacking the four with astonishing speed. Fast and powerful! These roots and vines summoned by natural magic were completely different from ordinary ones in nature. They contained very powerful strength, capable of easily shattering the toughest black iron and absorbing various magical attacks. The attackers were at least Level 6 lords!
"How dare you!" Zhang San released a surge of dragon combat Qi, the Qi instantly taking the form of a wyrm, skillfully dodging his companions and circling around them. In the blink of an eye, all the roots and vines were destroyed.
Zhang Nu nodded in satisfaction upon seeing this. After Zhang San advanced to a pseudo-mythic class unit, his strength had improved by more than just a bit. His ability to manifest his Qiinto a form exhibited the characteristics of an S-rank Qi, possessing terrifyingly destructive power.
At the same time, Li Si raised his staff and pointed it towards the forest. Countless blades of space materialized from the air and swiftly sliced through the forest, instantly demolishing it and revealing the attackers hiding within. They were not monsters, nor were they any known intelligent species. They were humanoid trees, towering at least ten to twenty meters tall, with the tallest reaching forty to fifty meters.
"Ah, treants!" Nancilia was greatly surprised upon seeing them. The dozen or so treants, facing the powerful spatial attacks summoned by Li Si's magic, had no means to resist and could only watch as the spatial attacks covered their bodies, knowing they would be sliced into hundreds or thousands of pieces in the next second.
"Dispel!" Nancilia raised her staff and swung it forcefully. A more potent magical force enveloped the space where the treants were, effectively nullifying Li Si's spatial slicing.
"Why did you stop me, Elven King?" Li Si asked, puzzled.
Nancilia quickly explained, "The treants are not malevolent beings. Let me communicate with them."
Zhang San and Li Si looked towards their lord. Zhang Nu nodded, "Let her try to communicate."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Nancilia immediately teleported to appear in front of the treants. "Respected guardians of the forest, please cease your attacks. We are not enemies."
"The Elven King?"
"No, not just any Elven King!"
The treants sensed the aura of an elven royalty emanating from Nancilia. Since ancient times, treants and elves have been allies, especially during the era of the Elven Empire, when the two races shared a close relationship, often living together and assisting each other.
However, since the fall of the Elven Empire, most treants have faded into obscurity. It was unexpected to encounter some here. Among Nancilia's innate abilities was the "Elven King's Nature Pact," which allowed her to easily control treants. At this moment, under her command, all the treants present ceased their aggression.
"This is the power of the Elven King's Nature pact!"
"This Elven King... possesses the nature pact!"
"She is a born Elven Emperor, the chosen of the Goddess of Nature!"
The treants looked at each other, and eventually, all of them withdrew their hostility. They respectfully bowed, "Great Elven Emperor, we thank you for understanding our rashness and ignorance. We apologize for our actions just now to you and your friends!"
It seemed that a fight was no longer on the cards. Zhang Nu, along with his two subordinates, approached.
He surveyed the treants before him.
[Millennium End] Level 6 lord unit
Description: Originally cultivated by the Elven Empire, having lived for tens of thousands of years, they possess vast and extensive knowledge. Despite their love for peace, they have a strong sense of territoriality and will attack any invaders who trespass into their territory.
[Ent Elder] Level 6 overlord unit
Description: Highly respected beings within the ent community, they possess even greater strength and more profound knowledge.
These treants were known as ents. Treants and ents were similar species. The difference laid in the fact that treants were naturally formed tree spirits, while ents were created by the elven race or original ents through ritual magic from the forest. Compared to the original treants, ents had a closer relationship with Elves. Nancilia, with her Nature Pact and being a destined leader, inherently represented the entire elven race and could uphold the pact made with the ents during the era of the Elven Empire.
This was why these ents are so respectful towards Nancilia. It seemed that on this venture into the elven ruins, there was no need to battle numerous monsters; instead, they could recruit a large group of powerful and supportive ents."