He almost forgot... Before leaving, he needed to prepare some Ancient Tree Hearts, just in case, as it was not certain that ancient trees, or even any trees, could be found elsewhere.
Taking a step forward, he cast the Ancient Tree Heart towards the circle of taller ancient trees surrounding the Sacrificial Ancient Tree.
Soon, nine Ancient Tree Hearts appeared in Colin's hand.
These Ancient Tree Hearts, pale red in color, faintly revealed a hint of green at the center, and were much larger than any he had previously obtained.
"These trees with tree holes are indeed not ordinary... Even though they are barely surviving, they can still produce such high-quality Ancient Tree Hearts," he thought.
Looking at the neatly arranged Ancient Tree Hearts in his hand, Colin couldn't help but marvel.
"Are these all for me, kind giant?" Nasi stared eagerly at the Ancient Tree Hearts in his palm, the anticipation in her eyes almost taking a tangible form, before she finally could not help but ask.
"Not necessarily," Colin replied as he closed his hand, and when he reopened it, most of the Ancient Tree Hearts had already been stored in the Storage Ring, leaving only the smallest one behind.
He handed this Ancient Tree Heart to Nasi and said, "This one is a reward for being willing to come with me to the mountains. As for the rest, when you are hungry or perform well, I will give you one."
"Uh-huh!" Nasi, the little elf, nodded repeatedly, dazed by the sudden happiness, but she still clearly heard Colin's further conditions.
Once the excitement subsided, her eyes shifted cunningly, and suddenly she flew out from her delicate little bed and came to Colin's side, asking, "Kind giant, are you tired or thirsty?"
"No," Colin shook his head.
At this moment, he stood before the most magnificent and towering ancient tree in the Tree Hole Forest—the Sacrificial Ancient Tree.
Looking up at this extraordinary tall ancient tree, Colin suddenly developed a new curiosity.
For Tree Elves, trees are not only homes but also relatives and friends.
Even when relocating, they should ideally take the trees with them—Tree Elves can make trees regress into seeds, and then take them to a new place to root and sprout.
If the trees are left behind and there are no Tree Elves around, at best, the extraordinary nature is lost, turning them into ordinary trees; at worst, they gradually wither and die.
But recalling the scene he saw from the air earlier, judging by the density, this vast Tree Hole Forest... or rather, the entire Dark Red Forest, seemed to have none of its trees relocated.
The Elf Clan had left, although where they went was unknown, but looking at the situation here, it seemed highly unlikely that they would return... yet their trees were still here.
"Could it be because the evacuation was too hasty... or because these trees were contaminated and couldn't be taken?" Colin silently speculated, leaning more towards the latter.
After all, whether it was the Sacrificial Tree Hole or the surrounding circle of other tree holes, all were emptied, almost everything taken away.
"But then, why haven't these trees faded into the ordinary or died off, as recorded in the documents?"
Colin couldn't help frowning again.
"Could it be because there's still one elf here—Nasi?"
A thought struck Colin, and he glanced at the little elf Nasi who was deep in thought.
If Nasi truly was a vegetation elf, then technically, she would also be considered a type of Tree Elf.
The nine major elves are just the main branches of elves; aside from them, there are many other elves without titles or recognition.
Small elves can be born anywhere; as a special kind among elves, their types are as numerous as the stars.
Very few of them are officially recognized by the Elf Clan, and generally, most do not hold high positions.
However, vegetation elves are one of the types recognized by Tree Elves, and their status is relatively higher.
"This makes sense," Colin nodded to himself.
As long as Tree Elves exist, so will the trees... This forest, it is likely due to the existence of the little elf Nasi!
Colin looked at Nasi, then glanced at the Sacrificial Ancient Tree in front of him, hesitated for a moment, and then placed his palm on it.
Then, with a thought, he cast Ancient Tree Heart.
"It's recycling, I suppose," he thought to himself.
Now, under the mysterious contamination, the Sacrificial Ancient Tree wouldn't survive much longer.
He might as well leave behind an Ancient Tree Heart as part of his future research, and also as a precaution for the little elf.
With the Ancient Tree Heart obtained from the Sacrificial Ancient Tree, Nasi would hardly ever face hunger.
Should they encounter a situation requiring massive energy expenditure in the future, they would likely no longer worry about replenishing energy.
Exhaling a murky breath softly, Colin looked at his palm, where the Ancient Tree Heart Witchcraft was coming to an end.
There, a wispy light green glow emerged.
Moments later, an Ancient Tree Heart almost the size of an adult's fist slowly took shape.
Unlike the Ancient Tree Hearts obtained from other trees before, this one had a very thin red surface, like a thin mist covering it, barely concealing the original vibrant green of the Ancient Tree Heart.
"Such a pity, even in its last breath, it produced such high-quality Ancient Tree Heart; if it were in a healthy state... this could indeed be a great choice for planting a Life Heart," Colin sighed to himself.