Slime Immortal.

Chapter 157 The King's Trial

After hearing Calvin's account of the truth, the fire in Arthur's eyes flickered violently.

At that moment, it was as if a switch had been flipped in his subconscious. Amidst the piercing pain in his soul, the hazy memories that had been obscuring his mind scattered like startled crows, revealing images—

A rainy night, an overturned carriage, silent knights silently surrounding them, and the shock and rage revealed beneath the masks when they roughly ripped off the carriage's tarpaulin and found it empty...

The chaotic thoughts gradually came together and became clear.

He slowly raised his head and looked at Calvin: "I remember now, they did kill me, but I did not hand over the holy relic to them."

Calvin frowned: "You didn't give it to me? Where did it go?"

“Berry Brooks…”

Arthur slowly uttered the name, "Do you remember that little girl from Ironboot Town? The one who always pestered us, saying she wanted to be a knight someday... I secretly entrusted the sacred relic to her for safekeeping."

"If everything had gone well, she should have already returned to her parents' hometown of Allenbridge."

"That noisy little brat?"

Calvin's brow furrowed even deeper, his face filled with distrust.

"Arthur, are you crazy?"

"To entrust such an important thing to a little girl who is not even ten years old, how many years have passed, more than ten years! Maybe she has already been found by the border guards, and both she and the things are gone."

Arthur paused for a moment, then, seeing the questioning look on his master's face, he took the initiative to explain:
"That sacred relic is called the 'Crown of Ignis.' Legend has it that it was forged in the Eternal Forge by Ignis, the sun god, from the last embers he collected from the core of the fallen sun, mixed with the power of the sun god and the gold of oaths. But how it actually came to be is now impossible to verify."

"People only knew it as a symbol of supreme power, a gift from the sun Ignis to a king, which could grant the wearer legitimacy and authority to rule. Later, it was taken back by the Church of the Sun and kept in the cathedral until it was stolen by the border knights."

He paused, his tone becoming even more solemn: "It is said that in that distant era, if a lord wanted to become a widely recognized king, he had to undergo the ancient 'Trial of the King'."

"And obtaining a 'crown' with legendary origins and great power is a very important part of the trial."

"'The Crown of Ignis' is such a powerful relic with 'orthodox' significance, especially in harmony with the power of fire."

"And 'Lord of the Furnace' Kassarik, that greedy great demon, desires this crown, likely because he wants to steal the legitimacy of the throne through the Trial of Kings, thereby establishing a 'legitimate' demon kingdom on the Material Plane."

"The King's Trial? The Crown?" Chen Yu became interested.

Arthur nodded, his skeletal body standing ramrod straight, the soul fire burning steadily.

"In my view, the true crown should belong to a truly respected king who can lead the kingdom to prosperity, rather than fall into the hands of evil and become a tool for desecration and destruction."

He knelt on one knee, the sound of his armor striking the stone bricks ringing out, and pleaded in a voice filled with determination:
"Your Majesty, please allow me to temporarily leave my territory, return to the Kingdom of White Horse, retrieve the 'Crown of Ignis,' and crown you."

"A knight who is willing to obtain the trial certificate for you and witness your coronation is himself part of the tradition of the King's Trial."

Calvin snorted and muttered under his breath, "Hmph... It's been over a decade, and your flattery and loyalty-promotion skills have certainly improved quite a bit."

Chen Yu ignored his words.

Although Arthur may seem dull most of the time, he takes things more seriously than anyone else when it comes to crucial moments.

He probably really wants to get the crown back.

He neither immediately agreed nor refused, but felt that the matter needed to be considered in the long run.

"Let's wait for Earl Bran to return; he might have a more prudent suggestion."

Arthur continued, "Your Majesty, the Earl has been away from the territory for several days, and we don't know when he will return. The crown is very important, and this delay will only worsen..."

Before he could finish speaking, a familiar voice came from the entrance of the tree hall.

"Gah! Which fellow is talking badly about me behind my back?"

"Was it you, Arthur? You spineless wretch! I, the Earl, have only been out enjoying myself... no, searching for treasures for His Majesty for a few days, and you're already talking behind my back."

Count Bran flew in, carrying a small bag on his back. His feathers were slightly ruffled, but he looked very energetic.

Upon seeing it, Arthur felt instantly at ease, and his soul fire stabilized somewhat.

As he hesitated about how to explain the situation, Count Bran gracefully landed beside Chen Yu, mysteriously covering his beak with his wings, and excitedly whispered:

"Your Majesty, great news! Incredible good news!"

"The Lady of Rebellion has indeed been favoring her most loyal servants. This Earl has found an extraordinary treasure outside."

Chen Yu's gel-like body swayed slightly, looking somewhat suspicious.

baby?

He had a feeling that Count Bran was referring to those shiny stones again.

These stones are indeed quite beautiful, but to be honest, they're not very useful.

Count Bran saw through his thoughts and jumped up as if someone had stepped on his tail feathers.

"Your Majesty, how can you view your most loyal, most refined, and most learned treasurer in such a way? Do you think I, the Earl, am such a vulgar bird?!"

"So... what exactly is it?" Chen Yu's curiosity was piqued.

"Hehe, this thing is amazing, it has an extraordinary origin."

Count Bran raised his head smugly, but instead of immediately taking out the item, he kept glancing at the unfamiliar Calvin beside him.

Only after Arthur understood and took Calvin away did it nod in satisfaction and begin rummaging through the small bag on its back with its beak. Soon, it carefully picked out something.

A seed with a strange wood-like texture on its surface.

Chen Yu was stunned.

"The third seed?"

Count Bran noticed Chen Yu's reaction, and a look of doubt flashed in his small eyes: "Huh? Your Majesty, your expression... do you recognize this thing?"

Chen Yu did not answer immediately. Instead, he moved the gel slightly, moving aside the magical leaves inside his body that were used to conceal the strange phenomenon, revealing the emerald green seedling floating in the center of the gel body, radiating a hazy glow of life.

"Gah——!!!"

Count Bran was taken aback at first, then nearly jumped up from the spot in fright, his feathers popping out completely.

It flapped its wings in a panic and rushed to Chen Yu, desperately using its wings to cover the strange phenomenon of the seedlings that had been leaked out, while looking around like a thief and lowering its screams.

"Put it away, put it away quickly."

"Your Majesty, my ancestors, are you trying to scare this Earl to death so you can inherit my beautiful pebbles and my unpaid gambling debts?"

"If those old fogies see this, even if you're a dragon, let alone a slime, those madmen can slice you into dragon meat and throw you into an alchemical cauldron to boil you into gelatin."

"Even I, the Earl, have to suffer; my feathers have to be plucked one by one to be used as divination tools."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yu used the magic leaves to completely cover the seedling.

Only when that strange life force completely disappeared did Count Bran breathe a long sigh of relief, as if he had collapsed: "You scared me to death... Your Majesty, you were so careless."

Chen Yu asked curiously, "What exactly is this? Why are you and Viola so nervous?"

Count Bran nervously pulled Chen Yu to the most secluded corner of the tree hall. After confirming once again that no one else was around, he spoke in an extremely stern voice:

"Just as Your Majesty guessed, the seeds you swallowed, and this one that I found, all originated from the same... alchemical artifact that should not exist in this world."

"Although I don't know how you acquired and activated their power by eating them... well, you'd better keep this a secret."

Its voice was filled with awe and lingering fear.

“If those legendary mages, secret cults, or even… the apostles of the gods detect the slightest sign, they will absolutely spare no effort to find you and turn you and all your people into materials for crafting that item.”

Chen Yu realized the seriousness of the situation and became even more curious about the alchemical items that were about to be made.

"So what is it?"

Count Bran took a deep breath.

"This thing has many ancient names, such as the Hishuron Twig Magic Bottle, the Embryo of Creation, the Primordial Seed... but in the most widely circulated records, it is called—the World Tree in a Bottle."

"The World Tree in a Bottle?"

Chen Yu was slightly surprised, "A tree the size of the world growing in a bottle?"

"Gah! That's right, that bottle is a world in itself, even if it's a bit small, it's still an undeniable world within a bottle."

"I've also heard that the alchemist who created it created such an incredible miracle that all records about him were destroyed by some mysterious entity. A very small number of people still know the secrets of the Tree of Hishuron and him." "There are even rumors that he is not a native human of Zearella, and that his appearance is different from that of ordinary people."

"Fortunately, I am very knowledgeable and have found some clues in some ancient scrolls."

As it spoke, it proudly puffed out its chest, “Those ancient texts all seem to emphasize that the alchemist’s most distinctive feature was that he possessed a ‘sphere made entirely of gold’ within his body.”

"It burns eternally, is flawless, and is the core of all the alchemist's power and knowledge."

"A sphere made of gold... burning eternally... flawless..."

Chen Yu was slightly taken aback.

This description...

Hmm, why does this sound so much like the outlandish appearance of the Earth Immortal Golden Core that cultivators of the Void Profound Heaven dream of...?

He even wildly imagined that perhaps a senior cultivator had once visited Zearella and left behind his own legend.

hiss……

Isn't he a typical example?

Perhaps the connection between the seemingly completely different worlds of Xuxuantian and Zearella is not as isolated and accidental as he initially imagined.

Thinking about it this way, what seems like nonsense might actually be true.

Count Bran continued cautiously.

"The World Tree in a Bottle, this thing is actually a fake tree growing inside an alchemical bottle."

"It's an illusion to us, but inside this bottle, all the power over the World Tree can be realized."

"If I had to describe it, He would be a creator god trapped in a bottle."

"..."

In other words, he accidentally ate a creator god...

Uh, Chen Yu suddenly felt that eating random things might be a bad habit.

Count Bran continued in a low voice, "Because its power is so terrible, even touching the authority of 'creation,' it has brought about unimaginable disasters."

"It is said that the gods were shaken, and in a fierce battle, the magic bottle was finally shattered."

"After the Tree of Hishuron touched reality, it burst like a bubble, leaving only some fragments containing rules that turned into seeds."

As it spoke, it subconsciously glanced at Chen Yu's stomach again and swallowed hard: "You absolutely mustn't let anyone see this."

"Especially those spellcasting organizations with ancient traditions and a penchant for seeking the root of knowledge, if they knew that a seedling of Hishuron was being nurtured within your body... I have no idea what crazy things they might do."

Chen Yu's body twitched slightly, and he solemnly said, "I understand."

Earl Bran relaxed slightly, and then an indescribable excitement and anticipation replaced his fear. He jumped around Chen Yu and clucked softly.

"This is astonishing, truly astonishing, Your Majesty. If you obtained this power through devouring..."

It suddenly stopped, its gaze fixed intently on Chen Yu, then looked at the jet-black seed it had brought, filled with anticipation.

"Your Majesty, don't you want to know what changes will occur after you eat it?"

Chen Yu also wanted to know what kind of talent could be nurtured by collecting the last seed. Since he had already eaten it, he couldn't go back on his word, so he might as well eat more.

At most, it just makes you more desirable to those who already exist.

Thinking about it this way, he seemed to become much more optimistic, and swallowed the seeds that Count Bran had brought back into his gelatinous stomach.

After a period of digestive activity, a burst of vibrant energy suddenly spread out and merged into the seedling. The seedling sprouted green buds, grew taller, and began to resemble a small tree.

[Devour and Digest Lv.7 triggered - Fully recorded? ? ? Partial characteristics, gained talent: Hishuron Lv.1]

Count Bran observed intently: "How is it? Do you feel anything special? A comprehension of the laws? A surge of powerful energy?"

"No."

Chen Yu gave an honest response, "It just feels a bit more vibrant now."

"Gah?"

Count Bran was stunned, tilting his head slightly, seemingly not expecting such a mundane result.

"That's it...that's all? It just adds a bit of life, nothing else, like hearing plants talk or anything."

"No, not at all," Chen Yu confirmed.

Count Bran seemed to have been doused with a bucket of cold water, his excitement waning considerably. He scratched his head with his wing.

"Uh... well, it seems that the power contained in this seed is not as abundant as I imagined. Perhaps more seeds will be needed to see the effect."

It wasn't appropriate to test his talent directly here, so Chen Yu temporarily put aside the matter of the Tree of Hishulon and his earlier speculation about the alchemist's identity, and said to Count Bran, "Arthur plans to return to the White Horse Kingdom to find a very important crown, which seems to be related to some kind of 'King's Trial'."

"A crown? The King's Trial?"

Count Bran's attention was immediately drawn to it, and he tilted his head and thought for a moment.

"Oh, it's that trial necessary for establishing a kingdom, right? It requires symbols, territory, and all that. It's quite troublesome... However, if it's something useful to Your Majesty, then it's certainly worth getting your hands on."

It flapped its wings and took flight, seemingly eager to try: "Does that blockhead Arthur even know the way? Does he need this well-traveled ambassador to accompany him? I guarantee I'll help you retrieve the crown safely."

Chen Yu thought for a moment and realized that with the strangely lucky Earl Bran going along, Arthur's quest for the crown might actually go more smoothly.

However, just as he feared, it would be extremely difficult for an undead knight to cross the border and infiltrate the heart of the human kingdom, and his identity would be easily exposed.

Arthur needs some additional help, such as new talents that allow him to better disguise himself or deal with crises.

"Okay, you can go together, but we'll have to wait a few days before we set off. I need some time to prepare."

"Hehehe!! This Earl will go tell that idiot first!"

After hearing this, Count Bran flew out excitedly, ready to tell Arthur the good news and boast about his importance.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, she abruptly stopped and flew back furtively to Chen Yu's side, asking in a low voice, "Your Majesty, those pointy-eared elves should all be gone by now?"

"They've all left," Chen Yu confirmed.

"Besides, I feel that Lord Viola is quite kind. Maybe she doesn't even care about your old grudges."

"Kindness? Your Majesty, please don't be fooled by the appearance of those immortal beings!"

Earl Bran shook his feathers and lowered his voice even further, “Haven’t you heard that the older a fellow is, the more petty he becomes, and tree spirits are among the best of them all?”

"Even if only a hundred years have passed, I, the Earl, feel we cannot be careless."

"Who knows if she's all smiles on the surface but secretly keeping a close watch on things, just waiting for the day she catches Earl Ben and turns him into a raven specimen to hang in her treehouse."

The more it talked, the more likely it seemed, and it nervously preened the feathers on its chest.

"Since I'm going back to the White Horse Kingdom anyway, I might as well take this opportunity to temporarily escape her and go on vacation. Hehe, this is perfect!"

It comforted itself, quickly became pleased with itself again, and flapped its wings and flew away.

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Chen Yu quietly stayed in the corner, digesting the large amount of information he had just learned—the World Tree in the bottle, and the alchemist who was suspected to be a senior cultivator.

After a while, he slowly moved away the magical leaves that were used to cover his body.

In the center of the round, gel-like body, a vibrant green seedling floats quietly, its tender leaves unfurling and radiating a soft, life-filled glow.

"The seedling of the World Tree in the Bottle..." Chen Yu's gaze focused on this little thing.

“Bran and Viola were so nervous, saying it contained some kind of rule… but apart from providing a little bit of life, it didn’t seem to have changed much after it devoured the seed last time.”

To be honest, he was still a little skeptical about whether this thing was really as powerful as they said.

After all, the sapling was quite well-behaved inside his stomach and didn't seem to show any special effects.

It can't just be a pretty potted plant, can it?

I have to give it a try.

(End of this chapter)