Although he had already understood the truth behind the matter, Chen Yu still lacked one critical piece of evidence that could completely refute the Ancient Tree Council.
This evidence couldn't be oral history, nor could it be Viola's memories. It had to be something that would plunge every conservative elf into self-doubt the moment they laid eyes on it.
It had to fundamentally disprove the Doctrine of Pure Blood's Sacredness.
As long as the Doctrine of Pure Blood's Sacredness no longer held, the entire governance system of the Ancient Tree Council—excluding half-elves, cursing mixed-bloods, and sealing borders—would lose its legitimacy at the very foundation, crumbling without a fight.
He still couldn't think of what form this evidence should take. For now, he could only hope to support half-elf organizations like the Leaf of No Distinction, applying enough pressure on the Council from the outside, tearing open a few cracks in the outer city-states of the Emerald Crown first.
Oh, right.
He remembered the two things Count Bran and Arthur had brought back from the Shadow Mountains.
He flexed his gel and spit out the Silver Resin and Purification Potion from the demiplane.
The moment Viola saw these two items, her gaze was captivated.
She approached the stone table, bent down to lean in close to the jar, and examined it carefully for a long time. A rare expression of surprise appeared on her little girl's face.
"This Silver Resin... where did you obtain it? This isn't just ordinary resin oozing from any old oak tree during the rainy season."
"With this, perhaps we could forge a Silver War Legion belonging to the Empire."
"Gahaha, how did you know it was this Count who brought it back?"
Count Bran immediately stepped forward, spreading his wings and puffing out the feathers on his chest as if he were a general returning in triumph from a blizzard. He strutted across the stone table with his head held high for an entire lap.
He was extremely proud. "It was all thanks to this Count's exceptional eloquence, using unparalleled sincerity and wisdom to persuade that Silver-leaf Oak hiding in the dark border to entrust this Count with this last remaining jar of resin to bring back to the Empire."
Viola looked at the smug black-feathered face on Count Bran, her green eyes seeming to see right through him.
But she didn't expose the little crow's glorious achievements. Instead, she murmured to herself in a soft voice, "A legendary Silver-leaf Oak hiding in the shadow border... interesting. Perhaps I know who it is."
She stroked her chin, deep in thought. "Even a Silver-leaf Oak has gone into hiding and entrusted its resin to you. It seems there have been some changes within the Ancient Tree Council that we don't know about."
But she seemed unwilling to delve deeper into the topic. She reached out, levitating the Purification Potion from the stone table in front of her, gently spinning the bottle with her fingertips, feeling the faint fluctuations emanating from the slow flow of the pale golden liquid inside through the glass.
After a moment, she nodded slightly, her tone carrying genuine admiration. "It's indeed the scent of Sacred Oak Water. The refining technique is the old moonlight distillation method. This technique has been replaced by the new cold extraction process in most academies in the Emerald Crown. Not many people know how to use it."
"It seems Eserin's alchemy hasn't regressed."
She pondered for a moment, then placed the potion bottle back on the stone table. She clasped her hands behind her back, like a senior who, while taking a walk in the snow, suddenly remembered an interesting old tale. She turned her head to look at Chen Yu.
Her tone became much lighter. "Perhaps I have a way to help you refute the Doctrine of Pure Blood's Sacredness."
Here we go again.
I hadn't said a word, but my inner thoughts had been seen through again.
Arthur couldn't help but wonder once more if Viola really had mind-reading abilities.
If she could really read minds, then all the evil plans he had ever conceived in his head—including but not limited to smuggling small advertisements into the Emerald Crown and having Casimir go door-to-door to proselytize—would all have been exposed to her.
Viola's lips curved into a smile. "What are you thinking, Your Majesty? I can only slightly perceive changes in people's emotions. It's considered a basic skill for a Great Sage, but far from mind-reading."
"Oh dear, I could only feel that the deep entanglement wafting from that clump of your gel suddenly turned a bit guilty, but as for exactly what you were thinking, I couldn't hear a single word."
"Alright." She changed the subject. "Bring Little Aileen over first. You'll soon know what my plan is."
Before long, the news that Arthur and Count Bran had returned to the Dryad domain with the Purification Potion spread through the Gel Network to the swamp shipyard.
At the construction site of the swamp shipyard, artisans were working overtime on the keel welding of the new Floating Fortress. The entire shipyard was flickering with light and shadow from the burning runes.
Ever since the Floating Fortress's performance on the battlefield had been relayed back to the Empire via battle reports, building Floating Fortresses had become a sacred aspiration for nearly every dwarf artisan.
And the legendary dwarf master who had forged the crown for His Majesty had become the object of admiration among the dwarves.
Every dwarf artisan who could enter the shipyard to work believed that this master was diligent, hardworking, and irreproachable in character when it came to his work.
Of course, except for his conduct when drinking.
But today, this artisan, who had dedicated almost everything to the Floating Fortress, didn't say a word. He abandoned his tools, rushed out of the shipyard in a hurry, dashed into the stable, and led out a stout, sturdy pony.
Then he swung himself onto the horse's back and galloped off toward the Dryad domain.
The artisans looked at each other in bewilderment. In the months they had been working with Anvil, they had never seen this master leave the shipyard during work hours. Even during lunch breaks, he would squat beside the keel with his bowl, eating while inspecting.
What could make him abandon all of this?
Nilly also received the news at the same time. She finally found a reason to take leave and volunteered to take Little Aileen out of the academy and return to the Dryad domain.
By the time Anvil finally tumbled off his horse, panting heavily, and ran to the center of the Dryad square, everyone was waiting for him.
Seeing the gathering, Anvil was startled for a moment. Then his gaze involuntarily shifted toward the small figure standing beside Arthur.
Ever since the Empire established the Armaments Department and officially issued the plan for building a new Floating Fortress, Anvil had been so busy he could barely find time. He appeared at the shipyard before dawn every day and only returned to his dormitory late at night to collapse into bed.
Over the past month, the number of times he could squeeze in a visit to see Little Aileen at Slime City Academy could be counted on one hand.
This reunion came after nearly half a month apart.
"Father." When Little Aileen saw him approaching, her eyes lit up.
She wanted to run over and give him a hug, but as soon as she took two steps, her legs suddenly gave way without warning, and she stumbled forward into the snow.
Chen Yu's Divine Sense moved faster than she could fall. A gentle force caught her shoulders and knees, supporting her lightly and preventing her from actually falling into the snow.
"How is it? Are you okay?"
Anvil rushed over like a sturdy wine barrel, crouching down to carefully check if she was injured.
Little Aileen seemed not to have realized what had just happened. She was only puzzled about why her legs had suddenly refused to obey her.
Everyone else also gathered around.
Viola walked up to Little Aileen, bent down, looked closely for a moment, then examined her wrist before reaching a conclusion.
"The Withering Curse has a deeper effect on her than on any half-elf. The curse has already begun to affect her body."
Anvil asked nervously, "What can we still do now?"
Even though he didn't consider himself to be the father of an elf, no one could refuse the sense of responsibility that came with being called "Father."
Anvil had already embraced the mindset of a doting dad.
"Fortunately, we didn't fail our mission. We've brought back the Purification Potion."
Arthur knelt on one knee, opening his skeletal palm to reveal the Purification Potion resting in his hand.
Anvil reached out with both hands to take the potion, his mouth trembling with shame. "I'm truly sorry. Because of this matter, Lady Eserin couldn't return."
"Save the apologies for Eserin herself later." Viola crossed her arms over her chest. "Don't let the heroes' hard-won potion go to waste."
Anvil nodded earnestly. He gripped the potion bottle in his rough palm, turned to face Little Aileen, and said, "Listen up, little one. What comes next is very important. You need to drink this entire bottle of potion, every last drop."
"When you finish it all obediently, your legs won't go weak anymore."
Little Aileen held the potion bottle in both hands, looked down at it for a moment, her thoughts unknown.
Then she looked up at Anvil.
"Father, I think there are half-elves who need this potion more than I do. They're sicker than me. They must be suffering even more."
Anvil was stunned. "Who told you that?"
Little Aileen said seriously, "Teacher Tam is a conscientious and responsible good teacher, and Aileen is also a good student who studies hard."
"Everyone likes me very much. I'm very happy, so I can't be so greedy as to keep everything for myself."
Viola crouched down, resting her chin on her hands like she was coaxing a child. "But what if I told you that drinking this potion isn't just for yourself? It could also save many half-elves?"
After hearing this, Little Aileen blinked in confusion. She instinctively looked at the slime that wasn't much bigger than Count Bran.
In her simple and steadfast world, His Majesty was the guardian of the Empire, the most authoritative and reliable presence in her heart.
"Your Majesty, is that true?"
Chen Yu had guessed Viola's intention. His little eyes looked seriously at Little Aileen as he jiggled his gel.
"That's right, Little Aileen. So, are you willing to step forward for those suffering compatriots?"
"I am willing."
She nodded joyfully, without a shred of doubt in Chen Yu's words.
Anvil helped her open the bottle cap. The wax seal popped open with a *pop*.
She brought the bottle to her lips, carefully tilted it, and drank the pale golden liquid inside one gulp at a time until it was completely empty.
After finishing, she even shook the bottle upside down to make sure there was no residue. Then she licked her lips, a little unsatisfied.
"Sweet. Delicious."
The moment she finished speaking, her body was suddenly enveloped in a soft layer of light. Even the surrounding snow was tinged with a gentle silver-green radiance.
Chen Yu stood in the snow beside Viola, watching Little Aileen wrapped in light. He asked Viola, "I remember the Forest Sage from the Forest Sage Council told me that this child has many different kinds of elven auras within her. Her other half's bloodline isn't just ordinary High Elf, is it?"
"Nothing escapes Your Majesty." Viola still had her hands clasped behind her back, her tone filled with approval. "This child's blood relative is indeed not a High Elf."
"Even the most pure-blooded ancient lineage among the High Elves wouldn't possess such powerful enchanting power."
She looked at Little Aileen, whose skin was glowing, and lowered her voice, as if afraid to disturb a life breaking out of its cocoon.
"This is... the power of the Original Elves."
Even though Chen Yu had already guessed this answer, the moment Viola admitted it, he still felt his gel contract slightly.
This at least explained two things.
First, Original Elves still existed in Zeyarila.
This ancient race, believed to have long disappeared from history, had not completely merged into the bloodline of later elves, as the official chronicles of the Ancient Tree Council claimed.
Second, the Original Elves had been able to set aside their bloodline pride and unite with humans. They had voluntarily chosen humans as partners and borne offspring.
Either of these facts, in the eyes of the conservative faction of the Ancient Tree Council, would be tantamount to an earthquake in their faith.
If a half-elf with Original Elf bloodline could return to the Emerald Crown, it was hard to imagine the uproar it would cause within the Ancient Tree Council.
She wouldn't need to speak a single word. Just standing there would make the arguments of those conservative elves look ridiculous.
In the eyes of the elves, the bloodline of the Original Elves was the ultimate symbol of nobility and sacredness—the purest origin to which all lineage systems of the entire race could trace back.
The conservatives believed that elf bloodline was sacred, and the bloodline of the Original Elves was the very premise that granted them that sacred definition.
It was the Original Elves who chose the Sacred Oak. It was the Original Elves who entrusted their bloodline and faith to the Sacred Oak, making this demigod tree the deity worshipped by all elves.
The Original Elves were the sole interpretation of sacredness—the most fundamental starting point of the logical chain of the "Doctrine of Pure Blood's Sacredness."
But it was precisely this bloodline, revered as the embodiment of sacredness, that could peacefully merge with human bloodline and produce healthy offspring.
This meant that the so-called "defilement of sacredness through mixed blood" was invalid at the very foundation of logic.
If even the source of sacredness did not reject union with humans, then what were the conservatives, who claimed to guard sacredness, actually guarding? Were they guarding the sacred, or were they guarding the prejudices they had fabricated?
Any elf who worshipped the Doctrine of Pure Blood's Sacredness, upon seeing Little Aileen, would be forced to confront this question they could never answer.
Her very existence was the ultimate proof of the error in the conservative elves' path.
And such an existence was, incredibly, a registered official citizen of the Slime United Empire.
This was no different from the Empire possessing an ultimate weapon with a special attack bonus against the Ancient Tree Council.
In Chen Yu's hometown dialect, it meant,
The nuclear bomb is ready.