You've found the Gusha-hime Knight, so put your hair up in a bun!

These giant trees are covered with magical or prayer runes, and have all sorts of defensive and offensive methods. They are also extremely vigilant, and virtually no one can sneak into their territory while remaining completely hidden.

However, such city walls also have very obvious drawbacks.

"You must have many city walls, and you used magic arrays, right?"

Serene nodded and said, "Yes, what's wrong?"

Shiloh told Serene his earlier conjecture, then said seriously, "If they use elves for blood sacrifices to simulate an identical aura, will your city walls still be effective?"

Serene froze upon hearing this, and after a moment's thought, her expression turned extremely ugly.

For millions of years, no one has been able to completely control spirits with their minds, so they have never worried about this.

In fact, mind-controlling elves is indeed very difficult, but they can use blood sacrifices to allow those mind-controlled demi-humans to acquire the aura of elves, thus secretly passing through these giant trees and infiltrating the world of elves...

If those strong, savage demi-humans were to launch a fierce attack when the elves were caught off guard, the elves, whose bodies were relatively more fragile, would probably be torn to pieces in an instant!

Serene's hands trembled, and her breathing became rapid.

I thought I was only investigating a case of missing elven fellow countrymen, but as the investigation deepened, I was horrified to discover that an invisible net had been closing in on the elven kingdom from all directions.

What should we do now?

Serene's mind was a complete mess, and her bewildered amber eyes instinctively looked in Shiro's direction.

When Serena saw Shilos resting his chin in his hand, lost in thought, her anxious heart suddenly calmed down, and she felt a strange sense of peace.

Biting her lip, the mature elven woman felt ashamed that she could draw a sense of security from a human boy, but she still carefully released a noise-isolating shield so that nothing would disturb Shilo's thoughts.

Time passed slowly amidst Serene's anxiety. Finally, Shiloh snapped out of his reverie and said softly:

"They...they are waiting for an opportunity."

"At what time?"

"I do not know either."

Upon hearing this, Serene's eyes widened in surprise for a moment.

Chapter 103 The Gluttonous Mother Stone of Wansen (6k, three chapters combined)

"Although we don't know what they're waiting for, this opportunity is absolutely necessary."

Looking back at the intelligence gathered since arriving in Clorenza, Silo had a vague feeling that they were in a hurry.

If the assumption is true, and Truman was the one who planned the invasion of the Great Forest, then he must have been working for a mastermind hidden within the royal family.

From Maple Leaf Territory to the Water City of Hifiel, the hidden networks controlled by the mastermind were severed one by one by Shiloh and Cecilia.

As the saying goes, "a single hair can move the whole body," and it is very likely that because of their actions, the plans here in Clorenza have also been changed accordingly.

They couldn't wait and wanted to get something done faster.

"You mean we should just wait and see?"

Xi Luo nodded and said, "That's the only way."

This feeling of not being able to take the initiative was somewhat unpleasant, but Shiro had a premonition that the so-called "opportunity" must arise in the vicinity of the area where he had Arya stationed.

Although they dare not act rashly at the moment, the dark magician's stronghold is probably in that vicinity. If anything happens, Shiloh can return at any time via the spatial teleportation device.

Just as Shiloh was about to tell Serena his judgment, a subtle change appeared in her expression. Then, she pointed her jade hand and created a protective barrier around herself.

"Wait here for me a moment. I've sensed the aura of a divine gift and I must go take a look."

"A gift from God? Wait—!"

As soon as Shiloh reached out his hand, Serene's figure vanished from the spot.

"Tsk, this stupid woman."

Xi Luo rubbed her temples and laughed in exasperation.

They had just said they were waiting for a certain "opportunity," and then the aura of a "divine gift" appeared. Don't you think that's too much of a coincidence?

Of course, Serene probably felt that nothing could threaten a master like herself at the [Erosion Rank] level.

However... this might be a good opportunity.

Instead of using the spatial teleportation device, Shiloh pondered the matter carefully on the spot.

The "divine gift" that Serene mentioned is probably the [Wansen Mother Stone] that he came to find on this trip.

As one of Aaron's destinies, Shiloh had no reason not to cut it off.

If the [Wansen Mother Stone] is bait to lure Serene, then I can take it when she reaches the trap.

After all, the higher the grade of a divinely bestowed item, the more difficult it is for humans to control, and it can only be sealed away.

The main objective is to capture Pokémon, and the information that the [Wansen Mother Stone] would appear near Clorensa was probably spread by these people in order to attract Serene's attention and bring her here to investigate.

After all, no elf used for sacrifice could be more pure than High Priestess Serene.

Realizing this, Shiloh was somewhat amazed by these people's ambition, but he also knew that they would not act rashly without absolute certainty.

This situation means that Serene is in danger.

After pressing the button on the spatial teleportation device, regular spatial fluctuations rippled around Shilo, and then he sank into them.

A dignified and conservative female elf like Serene must have taken the debt of saving her life very seriously.

So, the cliché yet classic plot of a hero rescuing a damsel in distress is about to unfold.

Ha ha……

On the other side, guided by the aura emanating from the depths of her soul, Serene arrived near an area that felt somewhat familiar to her.

"Hmm? Are Shiloh and his men stationed around here?"

Serene, standing in the void, looked around and murmured.

"Sigh, if I had known this would happen, I would have just brought him here."

Shaking her head to clear her mind, Serene's amber eyes narrowed slightly, and a bright green light shone from the depths of her pupils.

There.

After locating the divine gift, Serene's immense will swept down and instantly found a fluorite filled with a high-level aura.

Serene was overjoyed. Just as she bent down to reach out and grab the [Mother Stone of Wansen], the surrounding area suddenly collapsed, the hard ground was torn apart, and the dazzling magic circle light shot straight into the sky!

Serene's pupils contracted, realizing she had been tricked, but the reaction speed of the [Erosion Realm Step] allowed her to stretch out her jade hand, and huge vines surged out from her hand like a waterfall, aiming straight at the core of the magic circle below!

But at that moment, a strange fluctuation came from the magic circle, which struck Serene's mind like lightning. Her arm trembled violently, and the sharp, thick vines collapsed in that instant.

Serene floated down from the sky, her flaxen hair dancing wildly in the wind, obscuring her expression. All that could be felt was the increasingly intense and surging killing intent emanating from her!

"You... all deserve to die."

Serene raised her chilling eyes, looked towards a place shrouded in shadow, and said in a cold voice.

"Ha, you should think about how to escape from here first, High Priest."

A hoarse chuckle came from the shadows; it was the dark mage manipulating the massive magic circle.

Upon hearing this, Serene's amber eyes turned bloodshot, and her anger reached its peak.

The instant the black magic circle was activated, along with that inexplicable fluctuation came a scene that filled Serene with extreme grief and indignation.

There, one could see her long-lost compatriots, their blood and gore being crushed and incorporated into the magic circle by these cruel black sorcerers using evil magic.

As Shiloh said, after the black magic circle devoured the elves, it seemed to possess a special suppressive power over them.

The one who controlled this magic circle, like her, was at the [Erosion Realm Rank], but his aura was not as powerful as hers; he was only barely at that level.

In a normal combat situation, Serene could definitely end the fight within ten seconds.

But at this moment, she felt a sense of powerlessness, as if she had no way to use her strength, and she couldn't even expand her own "domain".

"Damn it..."

Serene closed her eyes, resisting the magic that kept invading her mind, and clenched her fists.

At this moment, she felt a pang of regret for not listening to Xi Luo and instead blindly believing in her own abilities, which led to her suffering.

Unexpectedly, the arrogance and haughtiness of those elven brethren that he usually frowned at were actually reflected in himself.

Serene twitched the corners of her mouth, revealing a self-deprecating smile.

In the distance, the leader of the dark mages, who was manipulating the magic circle, stared at Serene, who was under his control, his expression solemn yet with a hint of relief.

"She's already fallen into our plan, and before long, she'll become a piece of the magic circle. Hehehe..."

The leader felt a surge of elven joy and pleasure at the thought that the elven high priest would soon be absorbed into his dark magic circle.

"The spirits of the [Erosion Realm] will absolutely elevate my magic circle to a higher level! At that point, controlling mere demi-humans will be far from sufficient! We will be able to control spirits, control demons, and even—"

The leader's voice abruptly stopped as he forcibly suppressed the fervor in his eyes and licked his dry lips.

Currently, he is indeed cooperating with Truman, and the power behind Truman's master makes him tremble.

However, a dark sorcerer is still a dark sorcerer, and negative words such as madness, twistedness, and betrayal are tailor-made for them.

Truman's master wanted to control a demi-human legion through his dark magic circle, and the leader naturally wouldn't refuse the temptation of holding power.

The leader felt he would find it difficult to disobey Truman because of the hidden power of his master. However, once his dark magic circle was complete and he had control over all the elves and demi-humans in the great forest, what would he have to fear?

Perhaps, by feigning compliance, he could continue to exert mind control over these humans of the Odrecia Empire, turning them one by one into his slaves…

When that time comes, I might just be able to build my own empire, just like the original chosen hero!

The leader breathed heavily with excitement, his desire for the future he envisioned reaching its peak.

But at that moment, a bright green light shone in the darkness, causing the leader to squint.

Seeing the magic circle's runes begin to tremble, and Serene showing signs of breaking free from control, the leader clicked his tongue inwardly, thinking that this elven high priest was indeed not easy to deal with. He then shifted his gaze to the three of his students at the [Star Rank] who were channeling energy into the magic circle.

"teacher--"

Sensing the leader's gaze, the three dark mages felt a sense of foreboding. They only had time to utter a single word, a cry of longing to awaken the bond between master and disciple, before they were suddenly pierced by the leader's shadowy tentacles and thrown into the magic circle without even a scream.

Whoosh—!

Moments after the three were thrown into the magic circle, they instantly melted and decomposed into wisps of white smoke that were barely visible to the naked eye, merging into it.

"My disciples, don't blame your teacher. You should be grateful to me for being a part of this masterpiece."

The leader rubbed his dry, withered hands together and let out a low, sinister laugh.

With three [Star Rank] transcendents as fuel, the effect was quite obvious. The emerald green light on Serene's body flickered on and off, as if it would disappear at any moment.

Glancing at the [Wansen Mother Stone] still hovering at the other end of the magic circle, the leader smiled, feeling that he himself was truly resourceful in setting up this formation.

Using the [Mother Stone of Wansen] to lure the Elf High Priest, this black magic circle with its powerful mind control ability is completely completed. Due to the characteristics of this divinely bestowed object, it will subconsciously move closer to any individual that matches its attributes when it senses their presence.

This means that as long as Serene remains within her magic circle, the [Mother Stone of the Vance] will not leave. All he needs to do is manipulate the black magic circle to conceal most of Serene's aura, preventing her from strongly resonating with the divine gift.

In this way, after Serene is completely refined by the magic circle, he will be able to use the upgraded magic circle to reseal this divine gift and slowly process it until he completely possesses it.

Just as the leader was envisioning this delightful future, an unexpected change occurred!

The [Wansen Mother Stone], which had been slowly searching for Serene's aura within the magic circle, suddenly trembled. Then, as if it had seen a lover, it released a dazzling and intense emerald green light and flew away like a bullet, disappearing into the night.

The grand magic array, meticulously set up by the leader, proved as fragile as paper before the divine gift unleashing its full power. In an instant, a hole was pierced through it, and part of the array patterns that filled the sky were broken.

"Damn it—!"

The array pattern shattered, and the magic circle briefly showed a weak point. Although the leader reacted very quickly and patched the hole in the next moment, the fierce killing intent rising from the other side made him break out in a cold sweat.

"Damn it..."

Gazing at Serene, who stood expressionless amidst the emerald green surroundings, the leader felt his heart pounding at its limit due to her immense pressure. He felt as if he were a stranded person at the bottom of the ocean, with all his blood vessels and organs about to burst under the pressure.

The glorious future was visibly slipping away from him, and now, all the leader could do was desperately try to escape.

Just before Serene fell into the trap, Shiloh, having considered his options, pressed the teleportation button and returned to the camp.

As soon as he landed, Aria, who had been waiting nearby, quickly walked over and helped Shiloh to his feet to check him over. She breathed a sigh of relief after finding that there was nothing wrong with him.

Shiloh smiled and patted Arya's head, then looked past her to Ffulo, who was sitting on the makeshift wooden bed behind her, and asked, "Ffulo, how have you been feeling lately? Have you been feeling unwell?"

Upon hearing this, Fufu shook her head and laughed, "No, I'm perfectly fine! Maybe I've already adapted to adulthood ailments!"

Hearing Fufuro's carefree words, Xiluo stepped forward and tapped her on the head with a "thud" and "ouch" sound.

"What nonsense are you talking about... After tonight's events are over, I'll have the high priest from the elven race take a look at the situation for you."

"Huh? The High Priest of the Elves?!"