From the Abyss Invasion to the Blasting Star.

Chapter 445 Trainee Rank
“Hello, Mr. Lu Heng. My name is Joyce, and I am Mr. Lawrence Phoenix’s personal assistant. This is my business card. Mr. Lawrence would like to speak with you and hopes you can spare a little time.”

The man named Joyce politely handed over his business card, briefly explained his purpose, and was very courteous.

It's always hard to refuse a polite and kind person.

Even if it's an opponent, if they are polite enough, it's easy to sit down and have a calm discussion.

Lawrence Phoenix is ​​the current head of the Phoenix family, who dominates the oil empire on Earth and once held a monopoly in the oil market.

This family once wielded immense power in the Middle East, even going so far as to instigate wars to obtain oil.

Lu Heng was also curious about what the ruler of this oil empire wanted to say.

After receiving Lu Heng's permission, Joyce respectfully opened the door of the limousine and invited Lu Heng to get in.

Lawrence Phoenix was not in the car.

Because this is a coastal area, the ruler of this oil empire is unlikely to take this risk.

After Joyce invited Lu Heng to sit down, she turned on a laptop on the coffee table, and an online meeting was displayed on the screen.

In the video, an elderly white man is sitting in front of the camera; he is Lawrence Phoenix.

Judging from the room's furnishings, it should be an office or a study.

Lawrence Phoenix sat in a leather chair, dressed in a suit, his hair neatly combed, with an entire wall of bookshelves behind him.

The bookshelves are filled with a wide range of books, from "Das Kapital" to "One Hundred Years of Solitude," from "Space Migrants" to "The Dutch Epic."

In addition, there is another book that is quite special because it is a Chinese book called the Tao Te Ching.

Lu Heng briefly observed the other person's surroundings before turning his gaze back to him.

The two stared at each other for a long time before Lawrence Phoenix slowly spoke: "Mr. Lu Heng, I have heard many stories about you, but I am still quite surprised when we meet in person."

Lu Heng didn't want to waste time on pleasantries and went straight to the point: "Let's get down to business. I don't like beating around the bush."

Lawrence Phoenix chuckled and said, "I don't like wasting time on meaningless topics either, because I really don't have much time left."

He paused, then got to the point: "You were the one who took the Tree of Life vine, weren't you? You don't need to deny it; I don't mean to accuse you."

Lu Heng raised his hand to interrupt him: "I'll correct you on two points. First, it's not 'take away,' it's 'take back.' Second, you have no right to interrogate me."

"The only ones qualified to question us are the Quel'dorei elves."

The Tree of Life was stolen from the Elf World by a raiding party organized by the Creator.

In this era where order is on the verge of collapse, what you get is yours, but when you lose something you've stolen, don't act like a victim of robbery.

Lawrence Phoenix's expression remained unchanged as he continued, "Yes, that's true, but I still hope to make a deal with you."

"If you are willing to donate a portion of the Tree of Life vines, just a small portion as an experimental sample, I am willing to pay a reasonable price for it."

"Don't rush to refuse. The price I'm referring to is one that will satisfy you. Even if the price you offer is beyond what's reasonable, I will still agree."

Lu Heng smiled and asked, "Does that include moving to Daxia to settle down?"

If he really dares to come, then the entire oil empire will belong to Great Xia.

Lawrence Phoenix fell silent. Both sides knew very well that there was no basis for negotiation regarding the condition proposed by Lu Heng.

Lu Heng was just joking; both sides knew perfectly well that the request was impossible to fulfill.

Lawrence Phoenix didn't continue the discussion on this topic, and instead said, "We can talk about something else, like skill slot cores, shares in a group worth hundreds of billions, or other powers. There's something for everyone."

Lu Heng smiled mockingly and said, "You have a book of Chinese characters behind you. I thought you would have some understanding of the culture of the Great Xia."

"You still don't understand. The ownership of the Tree of Life vine has never been decided by me."

"My civilized upbringing tells me that a gentleman loves money, but he acquires it in a proper way."

"I will strive for what I want myself, and the Tree of Life belongs to the elves, so only the elves have the right to make that decision."

"Actually, you don't need to waste time on this matter, because the Tree of Life has already been sent back to the Elf World."

"If you have the ability, you can consider raiding the Elven territory again."

Yesterday.

Su Muyu has already teleported to the Quel'dorei continent with the Tree of Life vine, and judging by the time, she should be back soon.

Therefore, the Tree of Life Vine is no longer in Lu Heng's hands.

Upon hearing this answer, Lawrence Phoenix's eyes revealed a deep sense of despair.

Because this was his last straw.

What he said at the beginning was true; his time really didn't come.

His aging body had begun to damage his memory, spirit, and vitality.

In an effort to prolong his life, he even underwent organ transplants.

If the abyss hadn't descended, he would most likely have died little by little, struggling against the limitations of cutting-edge medicine.

However, the appearance of the abyss brought even more possibilities.

The appearance of the Tree of Life vine gave him hope of regaining his life.

At first, the Tree of Life vine did not attract his attention.

It was the Berg family who first conducted research on the Tree of Life vine and genetics. He obtained some of the research data and discovered the feasibility of this research.

After that, he took half of the Tree of Life from the Berg family and sent it to the Prudence Island laboratory for human experimentation.

After the Berg family’s genetics lab in Leiden City caught fire, he demanded that Will Berg give him all the remaining Life Vines.

The Tree of Life originally belonged to the Creator's organization, not to the Berg family.

The Phoenix family pledged to share the research findings, and other members of the Creator Organization also agreed that he should be in charge of the research.

Based on the research data already obtained, this study has a high chance of success.

Therefore, Lawrence Phoenix took this research more and more seriously, but unexpectedly the Tree of Life vine was suddenly stolen.

……

This conversation confirmed two things for Lawrence Phoenix.

It was indeed Lu Heng who stole the Tree of Life, and the Tree of Life is no longer on Earth, but has been sent back to the Elf World.

As for going back to the Spirit World to steal the Tree of Life Vine, that idea is no longer feasible.

Putting aside the fact that the elves would definitely be more vigilant, the Phoenix family no longer has the ability to take anything from the elves.

If they could combine the strength of all the core member families of the Creator Organization to form a super team, there might still be a glimmer of hope. However, since the last raiding party was wiped out, the Creator Organization has suffered a severe blow.

The supernatural organizations controlled by the Creator Organization are now hiding as much as possible to avoid being purged.

Therefore, it is virtually impossible to rebuild a strong team in a short period of time.

More importantly, even if a team is formed, they still need to wait to be recruited before they can enter the Pokémon world.

If no summons appears in the world of spirits, you will have to keep waiting.

Others can wait, but Lawrence Phoenix doesn't have time to wait.

Therefore, this plan is simply not feasible.

Lawrence Phoenix sighed and said one last thing: "Thank you for the meeting. One last thing, be wary of Will Berg; he's a madman."

After saying this, the communication was cut off.

Joyce bowed respectfully and said again, "Thank you for taking the time to meet with the boss. I'll see you out of the car. If you need anything else, I'd be happy to help."

Lu Heng glanced at him and said, "You'd better leave the country through normal channels. If you suddenly disappear, something very interesting will happen."

Joyce lowered her head and agreed, "Yes, I will."

……

After getting off the car, Lu Heng returned to the Qionghua Tianluhu residential area.

By evening, Su Muyu had been teleported back.

"How is it?" Lu Heng asked proactively.

"It went smoothly. Elder Serion and I helped Orianna remove the necromantic aura, and the effect was quite good."

Su Muyu patted her chest, exhaled a long breath, and then said, "Fortunately, we were fast enough that the news that Orianna was tainted with the aura of the dead has already leaked out."

"When I teleported there, the elves were in a state of panic, and there were even rumors that Alleana had been controlled by an evil god."

"The Arcane Council has also held several meetings, demanding that Alleanna's body be examined in person to ensure the safety of the elves."

"If Tyrese hadn't been so opposed, this matter might have gotten out of control."

"When I arrived, the Arcane Council was on the verge of rebellion."

Even just hearing about this from Su Muyu, Lu Heng could feel the tension.

Su Muyu was referring to the Arcane Council as being on the verge of "rebellion," a statement that carried a sarcastic tone.

In fact, from the perspective of the Elven race, the actions of the Arcane Council cannot be said to be wrong.

Because Queen Orianna does indeed possess an aura of the undead, it suggests that the queen may have fallen and become a banshee.

If the Elven queen were to truly become a banshee, one can imagine the annihilation of her race.

To ensure the safety of their people, the Arcane Council demanded that the Queen's health be examined in person.

This request is actually reasonable.

However, what will happen next if Orianna is confirmed to be tainted with necromancy?
The Queen will inevitably be impeached, and the Elven race will need to elect a new Elven King.

The Elven race has already endured numerous calamities, and if a new king is appointed, the race is likely to split.

The faction that supports Alleanna and the faction that supports the new Elf King are bound to have a disagreement.

The already troubled Elf Kingdom, how long can it withstand the invasion of the Abyss after this?

Therefore, Tyrese insisted on opposing the Arcane Council's decision and preventing anyone from contacting the Queen.

Tyrese is currently the strongest of the elves, so he has the power, but if this matter continues to stalemate, it will inevitably create even bigger problems.

At that time, the Elven race was facing a life-or-death crisis.

Fortunately, Su Muyu sent the Tree of Life back at the most critical moment, helping Queen Oriana to clear the necromantic aura from her body.

Su Muyu sighed, "After removing the necromantic aura, Orianna summoned the Arcane Council and all the High Elves of Kolos City, appearing in person to dispel their concerns and completely quell the turmoil."

Lu Heng then asked, "So, did you gain anything from this trip to the Elf World?"

Su Muyu immediately showed an excited expression and nodded, saying, "Yes, after helping Aureanna remove the aura of the dead, the Ancient Tree of Knowledge used a portion of the Tree of Life vines to help me unlock the Apprentice rank."

"I now have an additional fourth-tier apprentice class, which allows me to learn nature magic, but it's very difficult."

"I came back to ask which nature magic is better to learn? It depends on the difficulty; it's impossible to learn multiple types in a short period of time."

Upon hearing her words, Lu Heng knew what type of fourth-tier job she had obtained.

Among the fourth job advancements, there are indeed a few special job advancements that grant the qualification to learn certain abilities.

This class is called the trainee class. The class itself does not provide combat power, but it can grant the qualification to learn.

For example, learning nature magic.

Not just any creature can learn magic. The reason why elves can learn magic is because of the existence of the Moon Well.

Therefore, only by obtaining this special class can a human be qualified to learn magic.

This apprentice class has great potential for later development, but it cannot be effective if one does not learn nature magic in the early stages.

Su Muyu continued, "I might be going to the Elf World often in the future, so I need to learn nature magic as soon as possible."

Lu Heng clenched his fist to encourage her: "I believe you can do it, keep going."

Su Muyu nodded seriously: "I will do my best. The Ancient Tree of Knowledge gave me two suggestions, letting me choose one of the two natural magic spells."

"The first one is [Forest Whisperer], which allows you to hear the words of plants and obtain information that the plants know. Of course, this is just a more understandable way of putting it; in reality, it's about sensing the state of plants to obtain information."

"The second is [Summoning Enhancement], which can enhance combat power by up to 30% and can be applied to the Azure Phoenix, the Tree of Life, and the Tree Trap."

"These two nature spells are different types. The first is a perception spell, and the second is a summoning spell. I'm not sure which one to learn first, so I came back to ask you."

Lu Heng didn't answer immediately, but instead asked her what she thought: "What's your own thought?"

Su Muyu pursed her lips and said, "Actually, I'm very curious about the [Forest Whisperer]. It's a very magical ability to sense the state of plants."

"But I'm worried that this nature magic will only provide so little help. [Summoning Enhancement] increases combat power by a higher class, and learning it will be a real boost."

Lu Heng said with a smile, "Actually, you've already made up your mind. Since you like the [Forest Speaker], then you can learn this first. Anyway, you can learn more nature magic later, so take your time."

With support in mind, Su Muyu immediately made a decision: "Okay, then I'll learn [Forest Speaker] first and see what this nature magic is like."

From that day on, Su Muyu would often sit on the balcony and talk to the potted plants, as if she really wanted to have a conversation with them.

(End of this chapter)