The Elf Queen

To be honest, Xia Lun couldn't muster the slightest bit of interest in who the next Elf Queen would be.

However, if the rumors were true and the queen's authority was ordained by the omniscient Divine Tree of Life, it probably couldn't be Aina, or him...

Although Xia Lun didn't understand why such an absurd illusion flashed through his mind, that something as bizarre as him being chosen as the Elf Queen could happen, an outsider had unprecedentedly been made the Elf Queen before. Breaking the rules again to let a man become the "Queen" didn't seem entirely impossible this time.

As for why it wouldn't be them... it was because the Divine Tree of Life wouldn't dare.

An eternally enduring existence like the Divine Tree of Life definitely possessed consciousness. Although its form of consciousness might differ from that of Xia Lun and the others, making normal communication impossible, seeking advantage and avoiding harm was surely a biological instinct.

Therefore, if the elven astrologers truly confirmed the identity of the next Elf Queen by establishing a connection with the Divine Tree of Life, then the divine tree would undoubtedly make the most "wise" choice, one that... absolutely would not bring trouble upon itself.

A figure, their face hidden beneath a hood, quietly approached Xia Lun from behind.

Even though the other party had concealed their aura very well, Xia Lun immediately noticed their presence... That person's target was clearly him.

An assassin? Or...

"Xia Lun!"

Liyana lunged over with a face full of excitement. If Aina weren't there, she might have thrown her arms around Xia Lun's neck and spun him around... but right now, she only dared to pat his shoulder vigorously.

"Sigh, how boring, you already noticed." Seeing Xia Lun's lack of reaction, Liyana shook her head in dull disappointment and shrugged. She had originally wanted to give him a jump scare.

"What if I hadn't noticed and treated you as an enemy?" Xia Lun shot Liyana an exasperated look. "You're this old, yet you still don't know how to restrain your temper."

Liyana: Mumble mumble...

She obviously hadn't considered the consequences of that at all.

"Where did you go earlier?" Xia Lun's tone sounded like a parent asking a child where they went for a spring field trip.

"I went down into the labyrinth! I almost died!" Liyana patted her chest, still harboring lingering fear. "I ran into such a terrifying monster. That guy..."

Liyana described the characteristics of the monster she had encountered, then asked, "Xia Lun, do you know what kind of monster that was?"

Xia Lun pondered for a moment before looking at Aina.

"A Void Dragon," Aina said indifferently. "It can bend space to alter light and hide itself; it can also grip space to move freely in the air... It's a dragon species from beyond this world. To think it would actually appear inside the labyrinth."

"That guy was a dragon? It didn't have wings, I thought it was just a big lizard." Liyana was greatly surprised.

Aina asked in return, "That guy can use space itself as a foothold, so why would it need wings? Its wings would only get in the way, so they have already degenerated."

"So, how did you escape?" Xia Lun asked Liyana.

"Heh heh, Xia Lun, you underestimate me way too much." Liyana wagged a finger, looking extremely smug. "Is it possible that I actually finished that guy off?"

"Oh?"

"Well... I'm not entirely sure if I was the one who killed it. That guy chased me for a long time, and later I shot an arrow at it, and it just inexplicably died." Liyana recalled the events of that time.

Xia Lun and Aina exchanged a glance; they seemed to know exactly what had happened.

When they were leaving the Spirit Realm, the monster that Aina had casually swatted to death must have been that Void Dragon...

So that ball of soul light hovering around Xia Lun back then was actually Liyana... No wonder Xia Lun had felt a burst of familiarity at the time.

"Who knows, maybe that guy had some fatal weakness that I managed to see through!" Liyana was still feeling quite pleased with herself.

Looking at Liyana's excited expression, Xia Lun decided it was best not to tell her the truth.

"By the way, what's going on here?" Liyana looked at the crowd gathered in front of the council hall. "Is there some kind of event?"

Xia Lun shot Liyana a suspicious look. "You're an elf, and you don't know?"

"Am I supposed to know?" Liyana scratched her head, looking as endearingly clueless as always. "I saw a lot of people here, so I came over to join the fun. Then I saw you two lovebirds having a secret rendezvous in the corner, so I figured I'd come over and say hi... So, what is everyone doing here?"

"Announcing the candidate for the next Elf Queen," Aina said while eating the colorful shaved ice in her hands.

A vampire's body temperature was naturally lower, so even if she ate two portions, she wouldn't get an upset stomach...

"The Elf Queen? They're changing her out again so soon?" Liyana muttered to herself, counting on her fingers. "To think a hundred years have already passed..."

"Maybe the next one will be you," Xia Lun joked.

"Eh? I don't want to be the queen." Liyana shook her head vigorously. "I still want to go adventuring with you guys. If I become the Elf Queen, wouldn't I have to stay here? Xia Lun, we've stayed with the elves long enough, haven't we? When are we leaving?"

Xia Lun pinched his chin. It really was about time they set off again.

"They're coming out!"

Someone in the very front row of the crowd gathered before the council hall suddenly shouted.

A group of elves, their faces obscured by the hoods of their deep blue robes, slowly walked out of the council hall. The robes were embedded with specks of light, seemingly woven from parts of luminescent plants... giving them the appearance of wearing the starry sky itself.

The person at the front raised a staff that emitted a faint glow, and the surroundings instantly quieted down.

"Following the revelations of the Divine Tree... the identity of the next Elf Queen has been made clear." The leader was a woman, her voice ethereal and distant.

Everyone around held their breath.

Liyana continued chatting with Xia Lun, still completely unbothered.

There were so many people in the elven race; how could it possibly be such a coincidence that they would choose her?

Liyana knew very well in her heart that with her restless nature, becoming the Elf Queen would be entirely inappropriate.

"The next Elf Queen is... the follower of the legendary Hero, a one-in-a-million archer, the pride of the elves—Liyana!" the astrologer in the starry robe proclaimed loudly.

"It's actually Lady Liyana!"

"Has she returned to the elves?"

"With her reputation, she really is the most suitable candidate!"

The crowd broke into fervent discussion.

"Gah—" Liyana instantly petrified right in front of Xia Lun.

Although it was somewhat surprising, it also seemed not that surprising after all.

Xia Lun also hadn't expected his casual joke to actually come true.

Aina covered her mouth in astonishment. "Liyana... you've become the next Elf Queen."

Then, Aina added another sentence: "Looks like the elven race is doomed."