After they laughed, the two again fell into silence.
"Colin, the path ahead might still be dangerous, and now that both of us have the credentials to leave, you can choose to leave first..." Lillian pondered for a moment before she spoke.
"Lillian senior..." But before she could finish, Colin shook his head, interrupting her.
Lillian watched Colin's resolute face, her heart skipped a beat, and she pursed her lips,
"Thank you, Colin junior."
His sudden gratitude made Colin pause in what he was doing; he smiled and shook his head.
"The teacher is injured, and as his student, it's only natural that I should contribute."
Then he picked up the withered branch in his hand and continued, "Besides, if there is more danger ahead, even if I choose to leave now, at least I should leave this branch to senior."
This was Colin's heartfelt thought; since Lillian completely put herself in his shoes, he naturally wanted to return the favor.
Moreover, regarding the withered brown branch, he really didn't have many thoughts about it.
As he said this, Colin's mind moved, and he suddenly took out the branch.
"I haven't tried how to use this branch yet, it's better to get familiar with it in advance," he said to Lillian, shifting the topic.
"Mm," Lillian responded, not continuing the previous topic, but her heart was somewhat complicated.
'Give a smile to others, and others will return a smile.'
This was Rudolph family's motto, a proverb left behind by the ancestors to restrain the pride rooted in the High Level Elves' bloodline...
Her grandfather had always adhered to the first half of the family motto, and he taught her the same.
But the latter half often did not pan out as expected...
"Lillian senior, this branch... it's a bit strange," Colin suddenly spoke again.
He frowned slightly while looking at the branch in his right hand, perplexed.
"This branch seems to be the same as the leaf credential from earlier, it has no response to my spiritual power or Magic Power."
"Let me see," Lillian said upon hearing this, her eyebrows also furrowing.
She held the withered branch in her hand, attempting to use it.
But after a while, the withered brown branch still did not react at all, as if it really were just the most ordinary branch.
"It might require the bloodline of a Tree Elf to use," Colin speculated when he saw this, "I even think it might require the specific bloodline of a mixed Tree Elf family to use it."
The Elf Clan places great importance on bloodline.
"Maybe so," Lillian sighed, and handed the branch back to Colin.
They had defeated Parde, who held the withered branch, but that did not mean the branch was not powerful... It's just a pity that it can't be used now.
Colin took the branch with a hint of regret, scanning the ground for the spoils of war that had not been picked up, seemingly struck by an idea, he spoke again:
"I remember that the mixed Tree Elf also said a phrase—"
"Let's go, there's no need to stay here any longer. We should figure out a way to enter the Treasure Vault as soon as possible. It's really strange, we have the token, so why can't we get in?"
He repeated the words from the mixed Tree Elf verbatim.
Prompted by Colin's reminder, Lillian suddenly remembered as well, taking a deep breath she said:
"Among these items, the ones on those two, there might be a token to enter the Treasure Vault!"
"That's right." Colin reached out and took a small wooden box from the pile of items, continuing to check as he spoke:
"And, senior, since those two already made it to the Treasure Vault's entrance, it's likely that most obstacles along the way have been cleared. Our journey ahead will probably be as smooth as it just was."
Lillian nodded in agreement and continued to examine the remaining items in front of her.
But half an hour later, after checking everything once, they did not find the so-called "Treasure Vault Token."
"Perhaps those tokens are inconspicuous and cannot be tested," Colin slowly stood up, stowing away the Storage Ring.
Parde and Lites had Storage Rings that were not large and the contents were sparse, yet also a chaotic assortment of items whose effect could not be discerned.
"It should be so, if all their belongings are here, and if the Tree Elf half-blood spoke the truth, then it must be that we have not discovered them," Lillian also stood up, looking ahead at the corridor and continuing:
"Let's go, when we get to the Treasure Vault, we'll try those unidentifiable items one by one."
A mild breeze whisked lightly through the deep and mottled long corridor.
Beneath the concealment of the Concealing Moon Cloth, Colin and Lillian continued to advance cautiously.
However, much as Colin deduced, the journey onward was smooth, with the road scattered with namelessly ferocious creatures and statues, which turned out to be nothing more than corpses and remains.
Knowing the locations in advance thanks to Anando's Dice, Colin subtly guided them in the right direction, avoiding detours and delays, and it didn't take long before they reached the main entrance of the Treasure Vault located in a palace.
"This is the fabled Elf Treasure Vault..." Lillian murmured softly.
Upon arriving here, at the true entrance of the Treasure Vault, perhaps because of the previous incident, she lost her impatience and grew more composed.
"A thousand years ago, the Elf Clan probably hosted their guests in such places, held banquets, and then in this very hall, during those feasts, they generously gifted precious treasures."
"Proud, affluent race," Colin commented in agreement.
Standing at the entrance of the Treasure Vault, his heart inevitably stirred.
He didn't particularly care for the withered branch; after all, it was just a weapon that could emit a green light pillar... maybe more powerful, but not necessarily suitable for him.
But if he could enter the Elf Treasure Vault, if he could choose, then perhaps he would acquire true treasures suited for himself!
'Maybe, pick something that improves the efficiency of training? Hmm... something that helps strengthen the foundation of the body wouldn't be bad either...'
Colin pondered aimlessly, turning his head and surveying the surroundings.
This was a square-shaped palace hall.
Delicate long tables and chairs were arranged in a U-shape along the three outer sides of the hall, and at the very back, on the steps, there were three regal thrones arranged in an inverted triangle.
To the left and right were thrones of pale gold, while the middle throne had a brown base mixed with golden threads, and its main body faintly revealed a golden emerald hue.
It was just a pity that all three thrones were stained with specks of dark red.
As for the door to the Treasure Vault, it was located at the center of the hall, in front of and below the middle throne, standing as a solitary arch without support.
Unlike the thrones, the glow it emitted was faded, but it ultimately showed no signs of contamination.
The archway wasn't very tall, only a little over two meters, and its material was indecipherable, yet it exuded grandeur.
The base color was pale gold, adorned with a multitude of colorful reliefs.
Some were mysterious fruits emitting light, some were odd but aesthetically pleasing powerful artifacts, others were potions twinkling with bright starlight...
It had to be said that, the Liya'er they encountered earlier, although he had only hastily constructed a trap, by appearance alone, it wasn't too different from the real Treasure Vault door.
However, compared to the true door of the Treasure Vault, it still seemed to lack a sense of solidity.
But just then, Colin's peripheral vision caught something; he slowly turned his head, shifting his gaze to the area below the middle throne.
There, the ground was slightly cracked.
Through the fissures, one could vaguely glimpse what seemed like a grand tree's extensive and thick roots beneath the base of the throne, twisted and sprawling, with no end in sight...
Colin tried to determine the direction in which the roots ultimately stretched... toward the back?
He was somewhat unsure as he moved his gaze behind the throne.
There was no pathway, just a wall, a wall carved with the majestic Ancient Tree of Life.
"Colin, I've checked the surroundings; there should be no danger."
"Let's not delay any further and start trying to enter the Treasure Vault."
"Alright." Withdrawing his gaze, Colin refocused on the door to the Treasure Vault.