Knight Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence.

Chapter 455 The Amber of Life and Old Jasper's Smug Face

"Uhhhhh-!"

A roar, a mixture of pain and defiance, burst forth from the depths of Thranville's throat! It was not a desperate lament, but the flames of war ignited! In the depths of her icy blue eyes, two extremely cold flames seemed to burn, instantly freezing and dispelling the corrosive pain and chaos!
Om-!
The Frost Runestone burst forth with an unprecedentedly brilliant blue light from her chest! The light carried an ancient majesty that seemed to freeze time and space and reshape the laws of nature! The cracked rune ice armor on her body instantly healed and thickened, and countless more intricate and mysterious elven runes flowed and lit up on the surface of the armor, as if echoing the runes naturally engraved on the trunk of the sacred tree!

She didn't even bother to pick up the spear in the distance. In the face of life and death, the ancient elven fighting skills, imprinted deep within her bones by the Phoenix Crystal, awakened like an instinct!
Just as that terrifying rock monster, radiating destructive chaotic pressure, shattered the ground, and was about to unleash a second, even more ferocious, rocky fist—

Thranville moved!

She endured the excruciating pain, using the massive tree root she had struck as a fulcrum, her body springing out like a spring compressed to its limit! Her movements were no longer simply graceful and elegant, but carried a wild, ferocious, and primal fighting spirit! Her figure transformed into a streak of icy blue light hurtling along the ground, narrowly missing the destructive force of the punch!

"Boom!"

The giant rock fist slammed into the roots of the giant tree she had just been leaning against. The hard, glowing roots emitted a teeth-grinding cracking sound, and rubble and...
Chaotic air currents splashed everywhere!

She dodged it! But Thranville had no chance to catch her breath! The rock monster seemed to have no momentum; its massive body twisted at a speed that defied the laws of physics, and its other giant rock claw, wreathed in crimson soulfire, lashed out at her waist with a piercing shriek that tore through space! It was faster and covered a wider area, sealing off all her angles of evasion!

There is no way to avoid it!

Seranville's eyes flashed with a cold light, and instead of retreating, she advanced! Just as the giant claw was about to touch her body, the ice crystal domain around her, which had been condensed to its extreme, suddenly collapsed inward, not as a defense, but as an extreme driving force!
"Freeze it!"

She roared, unleashing both palms simultaneously, not at the rock creature itself, but slamming them into the space surrounding its outstretched claws! The power of the Frost Runestone was poured out without reservation!

Snap! Snap!

Centered on Thranville's palms, the space visibly solidified and froze! It wasn't ordinary ice; it possessed a deep blue hue, like ancient, mysterious ice, with countless fine elven runes shimmering within! A terrifyingly low temperature instantly spread, freezing even the air into ice crystal dust!
The rock monster's determined claw strike was frozen solid within the suddenly formed, extremely solid spacetime ice crystal less than half a foot from Thranville's waist! The chaotic energy and soul fire wrapped around the claw tip collided and annihilated violently with the extreme cold runes, emitting a piercing sizzling sound!
The monster roared in fury, trying to break free from the sudden confinement! The frozen ice crystals trembled violently, and cracks spread rapidly! Clearly, this could only hold it captive for a moment!
But for Thranville, that moment was enough!

This was the opportunity she had been waiting for! She clearly "saw" it—in the instant the rock monster was momentarily unbalanced due to its frozen arm, and its power flow stagnated, a tiny, yet incredibly faint, crimson soul fire containing its chaotic core power was exposed in the center of its rock-covered chest, where its heart should have been! That was the source of its power, and also the most vulnerable point in its spacetime distortion form!
"It's now!!"

At this moment, all the power within Thranville burned to its limit! The bloodline of the Ice Valkyrie roared, the Dragon Blood Amber Heart pounded wildly, and the light of the Frost Runestone was blinding! She even felt the threshold of the Chosen Realm become clearer than ever before in the life-or-death struggle! She had no weapon; her body was the sharpest spear!

She transformed into a blue comet embodying extreme cold and penetrating will, ignoring the pain all over her body, and poured all her strength, all her will, and all her desire for victory into the fingertips of her right hand!

At his fingertips, a glint of ice, brighter than the stars and colder than the polar regions, suddenly shone! It was not a simple ice spike, but rather a divine ice spear compressed to its limit and engraved with destructive runes!

laugh--!
The shrill sound of the air being torn apart even drowned out the roar of the rock monster!
Thranville's figure merged with that deadly glint of light, piercing the exposed crimson soulfire core of the rock monster's chest with unparalleled speed and precision!
Time seemed to stand still at this moment.

There were no earth-shattering explosions.

Only one sound... a crisp sound like shattering glass, came from the Rockman monster's body.

The raging chaotic energy surging across its massive body suddenly halted, and the crimson soul flame flickered and dimmed violently like a candle in the wind. The light of madness and destruction in its blood-flame-burning eye sockets quickly extinguished, replaced by... emptiness, a kind of bewilderment as if it had been liberated.

Its massive body, composed of shattered rock and resentment, rapidly spread with spiderweb-like, eerie blue cracks from the core where Thranville's fingertip had pierced it. The cracks no longer spewed forth chaos, but instead emitted specks of pure, stardust-like silver light, carrying a faint, purified elven aura.

“Uh…” The rock monster stiffly lowered its head, as if trying to see its shattered chest. Its giant rock claws were still frozen in mid-air, but the material that made it up was disintegrating and weathering at a visible speed.

There were no resentful roars, no final struggles. Its massive body, like a sand sculpture weathered by millennia, silently collapsed and disintegrated under the gentle light of the sacred tree, turning into a patch of shimmering gray dust. The lingering resentment and madness also vanished with it.

The dust has settled.

Thranville remained in her thrusting stance, kneeling amidst the dust. Her right index and middle fingers were bleeding profusely, the bones likely shattered, but the deadly glint at their tips had vanished. She gasped for breath, each breath pulling at her broken ribs, bringing excruciating pain. Her ice-crystal rune armor dimmed, cracked, and her power receded rapidly, the intense weakness nearly causing her to faint.

That last attack had exhausted all of her strength.

"Thranville!" Hilder rushed to her side immediately, golden divine light carrying warm life force flowing into her body, helping to stabilize her injuries and dispel the remaining chaos erosion.

"I...I'm fine..." Thranville raised her head with difficulty, her icy blue eyes tired but still bright, carrying the relief of surviving a disaster and the afterglow of victory.

At this moment, another change occurred!
The sacred tree of Aetherarian, radiating boundless vitality, suddenly burst forth with light from its branches and leaves! One of the most powerful artifacts, the size of a fist and resembling a crystal formed from the purest moonlight, which was closest to Thranville, seemed to be drawn by some intense force and broke free from the constraints of the branches and leaves!
It transformed into a soft, silvery-green stream of light, as if it possessed a spirit, ignoring the distance in space, and flew precisely and gently toward Thranville, who was kneeling on the ground!
Amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, the [Life Amber], imbued with the aura of a vast life force, slowly floated above Seranville's blood-stained chest, radiating a warm and powerful healing glow, like a gentle embrace enveloping her entirely.

Pure life energy, like a gentle stream, flowed spontaneously into Thranville's battered body without guidance. Broken bones healed rapidly, damaged internal organs were nourished and repaired, and depleted strength was replenished like rain falling on a parched riverbed. Even the wounds on her fingertips and the cracks in her ice armor healed at a visible speed under the radiance of life.

This is not plunder, but more like... the recognition and gift of the sacred tree.

It was the reward she deserved after she erupted in despair and purified the distorted creations caused by the spacetime anomaly.

Bathed in this warm and powerful radiance of life, Seranville's fatigue vanished, her injuries healed, and she even felt her power was purer and more refined than before. Her icy blue eyes gazed at the [Life Amber] floating before her chest, sensing the vast vitality it contained. Her heart was filled with awe; she had actually obtained a real Life Amber from an image that transcended time?!

This was beyond everyone's imagination. Thranville crashing into the roots of the giant tree was bizarre enough, but that could at least be explained by the fact that the withered trunk of the giant tree was still there. It might have become stronger through some kind of enhancement, but it was incredible that it withstood such a strong impact without shattering.

But now, they've actually obtained a piece of "Life Amber" from the remaining footage!
Other species are unknown to ordinary people, but Chosen-level green dragons and Chosen-level treants, such as Ariria and Galegon, can be cultivated with just 2 [Life Amber]!
Even if a champion knight is already a wood-attribute knight, a Life Amber can grant him abundant life force, allowing him to break through to the God-chosen level!

Hilder carefully helped Thranville to her feet, examining her internal organs closely. However, the moment her examination touched her, the worry on her face was instantly replaced by an unbelievable, ecstatic joy!

"Thranville!" Hilder's voice trembled with barely suppressed excitement. "Your aura...this power...you...you've broken through?!"

Thranville straightened up and gently clenched her fist. The weakness from her previous serious injuries had vanished without a trace, replaced by an unprecedented sense of fullness and strength.

The power flowing within her body was no longer a raging torrent, but a vast, deep, and condensed ocean! The light of the Frost Runestone was restrained and constant, and the majesty of the Ice Valkyrie bloodline was like a sleeping glacier awakening. With every gesture, an invisible pressure naturally flowed out.

She felt the incredibly solid barrier within her, the one that stood like a world-defining wall, had been completely shattered! "Yes, Steward Hilder." Thranville's icy blue eyes flashed with a sharp, blade-like light, her voice calm yet containing immense power, "Just now, in the face of life and death, that threshold... I crossed it. I have advanced to the realm of the Chosen One!"

"Chosen One!" An uncontrollable exclamation and cheers erupted from the ranks! A new Chosen One-level powerhouse had been born! This was a momentous event for the Black Forest Territory, capable of changing the entire landscape! Especially considering that Seranville was so young and possessed boundless potential!

Seranville's gaze fell upon the [Life Amber] floating before her chest, radiating a soft yet boundless life force, and she gently cradled it in her palm. The warm, jade-like touch and the vast vitality flowing within it sent a shiver down her spine.

"And we also have this." Her voice carried a dreamlike感慨, "A true [Life Amber]! With it, our territory... can at least create another Chosen One!"

Hilde's eyes gleamed, as if she could already see the future prosperity of Blackwood. She patted Thranville's shoulder forcefully and laughed loudly, "Good! Excellent! Thranville, you are the pride of Blackwood! This thing... is simply a gift from heaven!"

Everyone turned around excitedly, gazing at the sacred tree of Aetherarian, which still radiated divine light despite the temporal distortion. The [Life Amber] among its branches and leaves was as alluring as stars.

“Unbelievable…” an elderly mage murmured, his voice filled with awe. “In the ancient elven kingdom, such a sacred tree was one of the foundations of its strength! It was a strategic weapon that could support a kingdom’s unyielding existence! And yet… we have obtained a real fruit from the images it left behind!”

“Yes,” Hilde said with deep emotion, her tone tinged with pride, “With such a foundation, coupled with Thranville’s breakthrough, our Black Forest Territory’s Chosen-level combat power will truly take shape! Given time, we may very well be able to rival a complete elven kingdom, or even… grow into a powerful force like the Grey Mountain Dwarf Kingdom!”

Excitement and anticipation filled the group. The rewards of this bizarre and perilous journey to the Valley of Memories far exceeded everyone's wildest imagination.

However, at the very peak of this victory and joy—

"Crack...crack...crack..."

A slow, clear applause, filled with undisguised admiration and a chilling undertone, suddenly rang out from the edge of the churning, inky fog they had come from.

The applause, like a cold, venomous snake, instantly coiled around everyone's heartstrings, bringing all the cheers and joy to an abrupt halt! A chill, even deeper and more sinister than when facing the Rock People monster, instantly enveloped the entire Sacred Tree space!

Everyone turned around abruptly, their weapons instantly unsheathed, and magic power instantly condensed!

From the edge of the thick fog, a figure slowly emerged. He wore an old yet spotless black mage's robe, the hem embroidered with obscure necromantic runes. His face was aged, deeply wrinkled, but his eyes gleamed with an eerie light like will-o'-the-wisps, carrying an all-knowing indifference and...greed.

It was none other than the legendary necromancer, Jasper the Elder!

"Brilliant... Absolutely brilliant!" Old Jasper stopped, his withered hands still clapping, a chilling smile playing on his lips, his voice hoarse like sandpaper scraping, "This elven bloodline, your performance has far exceeded my expectations. Breaking through a desperate situation, advancing to the Chosen One, and even purifying the Rock People of that chaotic spacetime in one fell swoop... Tsk tsk, the bloodline of the Ice Valkyrie truly lives up to its name."

His gaze, like that of the most greedy vulture, was fixed on the [Life Amber] in Thranville's hand, which radiated a pure life light. The desire in his eyes almost devoured it.

"Jasper!" Hilde's golden solar flames erupted, shielding the group behind her and dispelling the dense death aura emanating from the other party. "You've been following us?!"

“Following you? Ha…” Old Jasper let out a dry laugh, full of sarcasm. “I’m just an old man who knew the ‘truth’ about this place a little earlier than you.

He slowly raised his withered finger and pointed to the sacred tree. "Are you still wondering why this image can bear real fruit? Are you still fantasizing about how to obtain more?"

His smile suddenly turned sinister and arrogant: "Stop dreaming! You bunch of ignorant lucky ones have only managed to activate this 'dead tree' for a final burst of life by sheer chance!"

"The truth?" Thranville unleashed her chosen-god-level pressure, pressing down on her opponent without flinching. "What do you know?"

“Of course I know!” Old Jasper said proudly, his eyes flickering with ghostly green flames. “All of this is thanks to that stubborn and foolish bone merchant, Nayadarin Frostwood! Some idiots stole her relics, and I turned them into Night Wanderers, who then presented me with a batch of ancient relics deep in the Gray Mountains… some ‘junk’ that even she herself didn’t know the value of.”

He scoffed, "Inside lies the true secret of this sacred tree, recorded when the elves withdrew!"

He surveyed the astonished crowd, his voice brimming with an air of absolute control: "The elves couldn't take it away or revive it back then. But they were unwilling to give up! Those legendary mages and holy archmages used their last strength to seal the final life force and images of the sacred tree before it withered, along with those immature 'Life Amber' prototypes, into the core of the temporal turbulence of this Valley of Memory! They hope that when they launch their counterattack in the future, their descendants, possessing the pure bloodline of legendary elves, can reactivate these images and take away these mature 'fruits'!"

His gaze refocused on Thranville, filled with naked possessiveness: "Only on the night of the double crescent moon will this sacred tree manifest under the powerful magic of the Witch Moon. But that is usually the most dangerous time of night in the Valley of Memories and even the Old World. Mortals rarely dare to venture out on the night of the double crescent moon; they all hide in fortified fortresses, barely clinging to life!"

So that's the truth! No wonder even the elves, including the Bone Merchant, were unaware of these opportunities in the Valley of Memories.

"In your Black Forest Territory, only you, a half-elf, possess a faint trace of the Ice and Snow Valkyrie bloodline, barely meeting the minimum requirements for activation. Each person can only activate it once; this is all the luck you have! You cannot obtain a second [Life Amber] from here!"

“But!” Old Jasper’s voice suddenly rose, becoming fanatical and distorted, “Great death magic is possible! I don’t need the illusions of elves! I see something even greater!”

His withered hand suddenly opened, and a thick, impenetrable gray aura, carrying endless death and resentment, surged in his palm, emanating a chill that could freeze one's soul!

“As long as I transform you, this half-elf bloodline, into my perfect ‘Death Messenger’…” He greedily licked his lips, “using your blood, mixed with the restless corpses and spirits in the elven collective graveyard… I can continuously ‘blend’ the ‘pseudo-elf bloodline’ needed to activate this image! Once, twice, ten times, a hundred times!”

His eyes gleamed with a mad light as he pointed at the alluring [Life Amber] on the branches of the sacred tree: "Then, these treasures, containing the vast essence of life, will no longer be the hope for the revival of the elves! They will be completely transformed by my power of death! Transformed into the purest and most powerful 'Shish Steel' (Shish, the embodiment of the winds of death)! That is the supreme material for forging necromancer artifacts and endowing the undead with eternal power! Mighty bone dragons, chosen blood knights, and countless chosen spellcasters, they will forge my... Necropolis, belonging to old Jasper!"

"This is one of the most important reasons why I came here even if it meant abandoning my main legion! As long as I can gather a few dozen Chosen Ones, I can create as many undead legions as I want. The Nightwalkers will no longer need to hide. We can create a powerful undead kingdom that can rival any dwarven kingdom or imperial electorate!"

"However, you are all going to die soon! Telling you these secrets is just to make you die with resentment, to make you serve me forever with regret, hatred, and malice!"

"Give me the Amber of Life!" Old Jasper's voice was like a decree from the deepest abyss, carrying an undeniable greed and pressure. His withered hand suddenly grabbed at Seranville, and the gray death energy surging in his palm transformed into a huge death claw wrapped with countless wailing and resentful souls, tearing through space and aiming straight for the Amber of Life in her hand and for her herself!

"And you! Thranville! Become my messenger!"

The shadow of death instantly swallowed the glory of victory!

Old Jasper's words were like poisoned ice picks, piercing the hearts of Hilde and Thranville, instantly freezing and shattering their newly risen joy and pride!
"Dozens of Chosen Ones?!" The joy on Hilde's face vanished instantly, replaced by uncontrollable horror! Her golden eyes narrowed sharply, reflecting the crazed yet resolute expression on Old Jasper's withered face. She instantly understood what this meant—a continuous stream of Chosen Ones! They were no longer top-tier combatants requiring years of cultivation, but terrifying beings that could be "manufactured" like mass-produced war machines!
Thranville's hand clenched tightly around the [Amber of Life], its warm touch now carrying a chilling cold. The power and abundance she had just gained from breaking through to the Chosen Realm seemed so small and fragile before the terrifying blueprint the other party had drawn. Looking at the alluring, star-like fruits on the sacred tree, her stomach churned. These treasures, symbols of life and hope, would, in old Jasper's hands, be transformed into the foundation stones to nourish death and forge an undead empire!

“Drain the value of the Sacred Tree…” Thranville murmured to herself, her icy blue eyes fixed on the orbs of light. If old Jasper’s plan succeeded, this final gift left behind by the Sacred Tree of Aetherarion would be utterly defiled and completely exploited! The efforts of the elven sages to preserve hope would become accomplices in the destruction of their descendants!
(End of this chapter)