Chapter 121: The Depletion of Life Essence

"Hesel, how are you feeling?" Inside the great hall, Muria, holding a book, cheerfully greets the silver moon elf who just entered. This elf, who has lived for over a hundred years, resembles a young human girl just beginning to develop, with barely noticeable curves and hardly any allure.

"Hmph, what a waste." Her once flowing silver hair now clumped together and wet, resting on the seemingly fragile shoulders of Hesel, who smells freshly of natural plant and flower fragrances, she huffs lightly.

"It's indeed luxurious, but not exactly a waste," Muria argues, then teases the elf with a smile, "But even if it's extravagant, you enjoyed it too, didn't you?"

"It's not just extravagant; it's extremely so." Seeing Muria's triumphant grin, the elf girl shows a pained expression. "How many Life Trees' sap does it take to fill such a huge pool of life?"

"I don't know about that," Muria shrugs. "My life pool has always been like this, never running dry."

"You're truly despicable." Hesel mutters, then suddenly thinks of something and looks directly at Muria, "You Titans always exploit..."

"Who's exploiting you? We always compensate you properly," Muria retorts, then gives Hesel a teasing look, "Besides, you also bathed in the life pool."

"It was you who insisted I go in." Hesel's protest comes with less conviction, her cheeks flushing a bit afterward.

"You..."

"Let's not talk about this anymore." Seeing Muria about to mock her, Hesel quickly interrupts, "Muria, when exactly are you planning to start learning archery from me?"

"Do you have something urgent?"

"Not really."

"Neither do I," Muria puts aside his book and spreads his hands, "So, we have plenty of time. There's no rush to learn archery."

"When exactly do you want to learn then?" The elf girl frowns in query.

"After satisfying my curiosity, I'll be ready to learn from you." Muria strokes his chin thoughtfully.

"What curiosity?"

"I've heard that on your eternal island, there exists a real World Tree. Is that true?"

"Of course," Hesel says proudly, "I grew up on the World Tree."

"Really?" Muria's eyes light up with excitement. "Since I heard about the World Tree in the titan's inheritance memories, I've been curious to see it with my own eyes. Can you take me there?"

"You want to see the World Tree?" Hesel hesitates briefly but then readily agrees, "No problem, I can take you there now."

"Now?" Muria is surprised and delighted. To witness the World Tree, a legend among the dragon's heritage, is a dream come true. His motives, however, are not entirely pure.

The easy consent from Hesel was unexpected, practically effortless on his part. Muria anticipates quickly achieving his goal of meeting the Sword Saint, given the access to the core area of the elves, the World Tree, and by extension, the Eternal Tree of Life.

"Kassio," Muria calls his spirit, a figure with the body of a mature woman and the face of a child materializes beside him, embodying grace and gentleness.

"Give Kassio the coordinates," Muria instructs Hesel, "With the location, Kassio can instantly create a portal to that spot."

"Just within this world and its attached planes, Muria," the spirit Kassio reminds him. She's not omnipotent and her services are one-way.

...

In a verdant sea stretching to the horizon, where the sky is clear and clouds drift lazily, two small figures leave long trails in their wake.

"Indeed, the World Tree is no longer visible," Muria looks back, seeing nothing but endless clouds. As Hesel mentioned, the still-young World Tree conceals itself by warping its surrounding space as a form of self-preservation.

"The Eternal Island hasn't seen anything interesting recently, except for an unpleasant event involving us elves." Hesel glares at Muria as she speaks.

"What happened?" Muria pretends to be clueless, playing dumb.

"Just two days ago, the legendary titan Asherbone sent us a nearly dead human Sword Saint, demanding we heal him within the heart of an Eternal Tree."

As Hesel speaks, her eyes narrow in disdain towards Muria, implying he should be aware of the situation as a Titan.

"Indeed," Muria admits, having witnessed the human's arrival and the ensuing demands.

"Hmph!" Hesel's expression sours, questioning why the elves should deplete their Eternal Tree's essence for a human acknowledged by a Titan.

"Was your request denied then?" Muria probes further.

"Deny a legendary titan? We elves wouldn't dare. But I heard we made some additional demands," Hesel reveals.

"Such as?"

"I'm not privy to the details. The elders and Asherbone discussed it privately," Hesel clarifies, her status as an unripe elf princess limiting her knowledge.

"Did you end up treating the human?"

"We did. He's been taken to the heart of an Eternal Tree."

"Which one?" Muria inquires, his interest piqued.

"Why do you ask?"

"I wish to see him."

"To seek out the Sword Saint for what purpose? Despite Asherbone's recognition, what business do you have with him?"

"Ah, besides Asherbone, I'm probably the closest to the Sword Saint within our race," Muria shares, hinting at his initial encounter with the human.

"So you're here to visit him?"

"Not quite. He left a legendary sea monster's corpse at my place, and I'm here to inquire if the Sword Saint still wants it," Muria clarifies, revealing his true intention amidst Hesel's scorn.

"Is that so?" Elder Salvado's gaze turns speculative, assessing Muria's slightly embarrassed demeanor.

"Yes," Muria confirms reluctantly under the scrutinizing eyes of the two elves, realizing they've seen through his ruse.

"You're fortunate," the handsome elf elder remarks, "The human Sword Saint has just awakened. Would you like to inquire now?"

"Where is he?"

The elder, with hair as golden as the sun, raises his staff, initiating a familiar spatial fluctuation. The scenery shifts, revealing a boundless green expanse stretching to the horizon, distinguished by several extraordinary trees towering hundreds of meters high, their branches gleaming like jade sculptures.

Muria, now on the canopy of the Eternal Tree of Life, marvels at the view, noting the tree's robustness, enabling him to walk freely even in his current smaller form.

"How's the recovery going?" The elder, having transported not just Muria but also himself and Hesel to the canopy, immediately addresses a man seated there.

"Fully recovered," the seated man responds, indicating his injuries are healed and he feels better than ever.

"Are you Sword Saint Ron?" Muria, puzzled by the man's youthful appearance, questions the identity of the man who seems entirely different from the middle-aged man he previously knew.

"Yes," the Sword Saint acknowledges, seeing through Muria's disguise despite his transformed appearance.

"How did you end up

 like this?" Muria inquires curiously.

"This is his true form," Elder Salvado interjects, "His previous appearance was a manifestation of his life essence nearing depletion."

"Life essence depletion!" Muria is shocked, realizing this means the Sword Saint's life was nearly at an end.

Elder Salvado faces the Sword Saint, "I've examined your body, and it's full of hidden injuries. Honestly, for a being with a legendary physique, it's hard to imagine how you could have sustained such damage. How many battles have you been through?"

"Too many to remember!"

"I never thought I'd meet a human like you in my lifetime," the elder comments, intrigued by the Sword Saint's response, "Can you tell me how old you are? Just a rough number."

"Two hundred and thirty-six," the Sword Saint chuckles, "I remember my birthdate."

"Over two hundred years, you really..." The elder's expression confirms his suspicions, having estimated the Sword Saint's age.

"Legends have a lifespan of a thousand years at minimum, yet your life force is less than that of a dying legend. How many times have you burned through your life essence?"

"Too many times to count," the Sword Saint laughs lightly.

"So, you came to challenge the Titans ultimately for our Eternal Tree of Life?" The elder probes, "You've used many artifacts to replenish your life essence before, and now, only a few can still affect you, but the Eternal Tree of Life is exactly what you need, isn't it?"

"I came for the Titans, to challenge them, to earn the right to observe Titan swordsmanship, aiming to learn how to break through to legend," the young man states openly, "I didn't know there were elves living in Titan territory or that such a world treasure as the Eternal Tree of Life existed here."

"Seeking a breakthrough to legend here with the Titans?" The elder smirks, "Human, you should choose ascension; it's the best option for you. You have no chance of embarking on an epic path. I've never heard of any human melee fighters achieving legend status, though a few mages have."

"Just because it hasn't happened before doesn't mean it can't happen now," the Sword Saint responds coolly, unaffected by the elder's attitude.

"With your current strength, no one in the human realms can match you, not even gods in the material world can stop you," the elder continues, "Establishing a church, cultivating followers; for you, it's just a matter of time."

"With your physical condition restored and having entered the heart of the Eternal Tree of Life, you can now live for over two thousand years. Time is plentiful for you."

ree.