"It Was Alive the Last Time I Saw It..."

Taking a step back, even if high elves were to reappear, they should come to the Elven Kingdom, not show up in the Golden Oasis. This left the Elven City Lord and Ella feeling quite perplexed.

At this moment, the natural elf, whom the city lord referred to as "Your Highness," spoke up. "We can't be sure if they are truly high elves yet. However, I've recorded their information using a magic stone. We can show it to Mother when we return."

Hao Tian's earlier assumption had been spot on. Reality was just as fantastical as fiction. The natural elf in the green gown and floral crown was indeed the Elven Princess, and her mother was the Elf Queen.

The Elven Princess, reflecting on this, murmured, "If those three are confirmed to be high elves, then the blessing of the Goddess upon that human lord would be irrefutable."

"Your Highness speaks wisely," the Elven City Lord and Ella agreed.

The Elven Princess smiled. "Let's hurry back to the kingdom. I can't wait to see Mother's reaction."

The city lord and Ella exchanged glances. Their princess was different from the Queen in her younger years—more innocent, playful, and spontaneous. Otherwise, she wouldn't have ventured out of the kingdom alone to investigate the Golden Oasis. They had encountered her by chance en route to the oasis and, for her safety, insisted she accompany them.

The Elven Princess's status was crucial to the natural elves. Born from the Elf Mother Tree, both the Queen and the Princess were designated by this sacred tree. While the princess called the Queen her mother, it was merely a title, not a blood relation like in other races. When the Queen stepped down, the princess would take her place, which made her too valuable to remain in a place like the Golden Oasis.

"Upon returning to the kingdom, Your Highness should focus on cultivation," the city lord urged. "You mustn't sneak out again; the Queen and the entire kingdom worry about you."

"I understand, beautiful but nagging Monica!" the princess teased with a playful smile. She patted her unicorn companion and swiftly flew towards the Forest of Life, with the city lord and Ella following closely.

...

Shortly after entering the Forest of Life, the three elves abruptly stopped, riding their snow-white unicorns high above the forest. Below lay a vast expanse of mountains and dense woods, with a serpentine road winding through, scattered with merchant caravans.

"There's a strong undead presence here—at least saint-level," the city lord said with a grim expression. It was a dereliction of duty for such a powerful undead to infiltrate Forest City's jurisdiction.

"We must eliminate it quickly to protect the nearby tribes," Ella urged, drawing a powerful elven longsword from her spatial equipment. The presence of Forest City had prompted most elven tribes to relocate, though some remained. A saint-level undead posed a serious threat to these tribes.

The Elven Princess also drew her bow, and before the city lord could stop her, she pursued the undead's aura.

"Wait for us, Your Highness!" the city lord called out, hastening after her with Ella.

In about half an hour, they precisely located the source of the undead presence—a colossal undead dragon. Their efficiency was not due to heightened senses but thanks to the forest's plants relaying information. Natural elves could communicate with plants, from towering trees to tiny blades of grass, gaining vital intel. If they became druids, they could even talk to animals.

"Hold on!" Ella suddenly said, a strange look on her face. "I recognize this undead dragon."

"Do you know it?" the city lord asked.

"When I last saw it, it was alive. It's called Charles, a dark dragon once residing in the Forest of Life," Ella explained.

Among the three brothers, only the undead dragon still resembled the dark dragon Charles, apart from the decayed flesh. If it had been the skeletal dragon or the spectral dragon, Ella wouldn't have recognized it due to their different appearances.

After Ella described the dark dragon Charles, the city lord grew furious, glaring at the distant undead dragon, which was spewing poisonous green breath on a human encampment below.

The camp was large, filled with human professionals who had no means to resist the dragon's toxic breath, turning into skeletons in droves.

"That damned dragon!" the city lord cursed. "It slaughtered our elven tribes while alive and now wreaks havoc as an undead in the Forest of Life..."

"It's only mid-saint-level. I can severely wound it with one arrow," the Elven Princess declared, pulling her bowstring taut, ready to shoot.

At that moment, the undead dragon's telepathic voice echoed, "Hold your fire! My master is the lord of the Golden Oasis!"

The Elven Princess hesitated. Was this undead dragon a subordinate of that human lord?