The green train raced through the clouds at incredible speed.
Feng Qi sat by the window, his eyes glancing down at the glimpses of the Central Region's land through gaps in the clouds.
He wasn't surprised that the vine tracks were built above the clouds. After all, the world had changed, and the outside was filled with all kinds of domain creatures.
If the tracks were on the ground, they'd be easily destroyed.
He even thought being above the clouds wasn't entirely safe either. There were so many flying domain creatures, and damaging these plant-based tracks wouldn't be hard.
Feng Qi was curious about how the humans of the Central Region dealt with this.
His question was quickly answered.
A sharp screech echoed from above. Feng Qi immediately looked up, and through the gaps in the leaves, he saw a strange bird covered in brown feathers, its wings stretching five meters wide. Its sharp claws gleamed in the sunlight as it dove toward the green train at high speed.
Seeing this, Feng Qi's eyes turned cold.
The magic blade floating beside him was instantly in his hand.
But just as he was about to act, the green train suddenly started to dismantle itself.
Except for the platform beneath their feet, the entire frame of the train pulled apart, its branches twisting like ropes, turning into several vines that instantly wrapped around the strange bird.
The bird struggled violently, screeching harshly.
But it was useless. The vines tightened quickly, sharp tips piercing into the bird's body, drawing out blood.
Like straws, the vines sucked out all the blood from the bird.
Once drained, the dead bird was flung down through the clouds, and the vines quickly loosened, twisting back to form the train's frame again.
Only now, a faint red hue flowed through the branches and leaves that made up the train.
As the green train sped on, the red slowly faded away, and white flowers bloomed inside the carriage, releasing a gentle fragrance.
After this small incident, Feng Qi finally understood how this cloud-based green track could exist safely.
He suspected it wasn't just this green train—perhaps the entire track had the ability to fight back.
No need for guards or patrols, the whole transport system was armed, with no fear of domain creatures attacking.
This made Feng Qi even more curious about the development of civilization in the Central Region.
What kind of unique civilization could be born from combining plant abilities with human intelligence?
The green train continued speeding forward, the wind pouring through the gaps in the carriage, making it feel like they were flying freely through the clouds.
During this time, Feng Qi warned Xiao You and the others to stay close to him and not wander off.
One thing was clear—the elves, now integrated with human civilization, had evolved the ability to recognize humans.
As long as Xiao You and the others stayed within his aura, they wouldn't be attacked by the elves. But if they strayed more than ten meters away, they'd be treated just like that strange bird and attacked by the elves.
They were high in the sky now.
Fighting here would be a huge problem, and more importantly, they wouldn't just be facing the green train, but the power of the entire track.
The journey lasted most of the day.
When the sun set and the starry sky appeared, the green train started to dive downward.
A strong sense of weightlessness hit them, like falling from the clouds.
But this pressure meant nothing to Feng Qi. His expression didn't even change.
The train pierced through the thick clouds, and what came into view looked like a fairyland.
Looking down, at the end of his sight was a grand city covered in greenery.
Under the night sky, this city glowed softly with green light. Above, a misty, cloud-like layer spread out, and the closer they got, the more the spiritual energy in the air grew dense.
The train flew over the city gate, diving toward the platform where it would stop.
Sitting by the window, Feng Qi's eyes swept over the cityscape.
The streets were clean, and the streetlights were made from strange-looking trees. Every eight meters, one grew, with fruit hanging down that glowed softly at night, lighting up the roads.
The ground was covered in moss of various colors.
These mosses seemed to absorb spiritual energy, constantly drawing in the free-floating energy of the world, raising both the quality and quantity of spiritual energy in the city.
Above the city, green tracks crisscrossed in the sky.
There were no modern vehicles, only plant-woven carriages moving along these tracks.
After five hundred years since the Cataclysm, this place seemed to have lost all the metallic feel of technology, replaced by a different kind of thriving life.
More accurately, the humans of the Central Region had mastered a new kind of plant-based technology.
Every corner of the city showed how this new tech had changed their civilization.
Under his perception, this green city seemed to be covered by a spirit-gathering formation.
This wasn't a domain field, but the spiritual energy here was no worse than in some domain fields.
If he hadn't heard the old man speak about the hidden dangers of the elf seeds, he would've thought the people here had found a power system even stronger than cultivation.
But knowing the truth, he understood that all this prosperity was an illusion, and it didn't truly belong to humans.
All of it belonged to the Elf King.
When the Elf King chose to abandon humanity, everything built with its power would collapse, and humans wouldn't stand a chance.
This symbiotic relationship had lost its foundation of cooperation and felt more like dependence.
As he admired the prosperity of this green city, Feng Qi also saw the hidden disaster buried beneath the surface of this civilization.
The green train passed through the city, arriving at the central area of the southern district, stopping at a silent, deserted platform.
Getting off the train, the platform lights glowed softly, and the surrounding walls were covered with slogans of tribute.
Looking up to the left side of the platform, he saw a staircase leading down.
Above the stairs hung a glowing green sign, with words printed on it:
Southern District Frontline: Departure Station – Successor Station.
It was clear, this was a terminal station solely for old soldiers.
Reaching this place meant one's life was nearing its end, about to be fully assimilated by the elves.
Once you stepped onto the frontline, there would be no return.
Your final moments wouldn't be about returning home, but instead, your life would be dedicated to the frontline, becoming part of the wall that stood against the invasion.
He didn't dwell on this thought. Leading Xiao You and the others, he headed to the staircase.
The stairs were made of plants.
The moment he stepped on them, they seemed to come alive, starting to squirm downward. He didn't need to walk—the steps themselves carried him to the next level.
Following the signs, they exited the platform area.
What unfolded before them looked like something out of a fantasy world.
Flowers bloomed along the path, and the lantern-like fruits hanging from the trees made Xiao You gasp in awe. If Po Jia hadn't grabbed her foot to stop her, she might've pounced and taken a big bite.
They continued down the road for a bit.
Ahead, many green carriages were parked.
These carriages connected to the vine-woven tracks and served as the city's main mode of transport.
But before he could get on one and head to the crowded parts of the city, the fruits hanging overhead changed color.
One large fruit split open, turning into a horn-like shape. After stretching toward the sky, it let out a sharp, piercing sound.
Feng Qi frowned, confused.
But he quickly figured it out.
A squad dressed in green vine armor approached swiftly, riding on floating plants shaped like clouds.
When they got close, they leapt off the floating plants.
Their eyes met, and Feng Qi could see confusion in the soldiers' eyes. The leader of the group stepped forward, questioning sharply:
"Were you taken hostage by domain creatures?"
Hearing this, Feng Qi instinctively glanced at the clueless Xiao You, then at Lei Ting, who was scratching his crotch, and finally at Taihang by his feet.
Feng Qi: …
He looked back at the leading officer and shook his head.
"Don't get it wrong. They're my teammates. I'm a warrior from the Eastern Region on an expedition—Feng Qi!"
"Eastern Region?"
His answer clearly surprised these enforcers. After a moment of shock, the leader waved his hand.
"Don't resist, come with us first."
"Alright!"
Feng Qi nodded without hesitation.
The officer stepped forward, placing green vine rings on their wrists and ankles.
Even Taihang wasn't spared.
As soon as the vine rings locked on, Feng Qi could feel his sense of spiritual energy dull. The rings kept releasing a mysterious radiation, trying to cut him off from the spiritual energy around.
"Hand over your weapon!"
After handling that, the officer looked at the magic blade in Feng Qi's hand.
"You really don't want to do that. You won't be able to carry it," Feng Qi said honestly.
"Give it to me!" The man's tone left no room for argument, as he reached for the blade's hilt.
Feng Qi smiled, let go, then grabbed the blade again before it hit the ground.
The blade's weight dragged the officer forward, his face filled with disbelief.
If Feng Qi hadn't caught it again, that officer would've fallen flat, probably crushed by the blade.
"That… this blade's so heavy."
"I told you, you can't handle it. Trust me, I'll cooperate."
Feng Qi knew their caution was about protecting the city.
Just like if someone from the Central Region brought domain creatures into Star City, the enforcers there would've reacted the same way—not giving special treatment just because he was human.
The officer's face shifted.
There was a rule—they had to confiscate the detainee's weapons.
But after feeling the weight of the blade, he knew he couldn't lift it.
After a short hesitation, he nodded.
"Follow us."
Feng Qi led Xiao You and the others to the floating plants.
Xiao You and the others floated up first, but as Feng Qi was about to step on, the officer quickly called out:
"Wait, the cloud cotton can't hold your weight."
"Relax, it'll be fine." Feng Qi activated his Body Control Technique, carrying the blade as he stepped onto the cloud cotton.
With the technique, the blade's weight rested fully on him, and his body was half-suspended, so the cloud cotton didn't collapse like the officer expected.
The officer didn't understand how, but didn't ask. A green tendril grew from his left foot, linking to the cloud cotton below. The cloud cotton rose, carrying them into the sky.
After some time, Feng Qi arrived at a hall covered in greenery.
There were many people moving around inside, and some of them also wore green rings, their faces gloomy.
This was clearly one of the law enforcement areas of the city.
Following the law enforcement officer into a spacious room at the back of the hall, Feng Qi and the others were asked to sit down. Then the officer said:
"I'll report your situation to my superiors. Stay here and wait a bit. I'll have someone bring you food."
"Thanks," Feng Qi nodded politely.
"Thanks!" Xiao You mimicked Feng Qi's gesture, nodding seriously.
After the officer left, Feng Qi began thinking about what would happen next.
They would investigate his background, then ask about the current situation in the Eastern Region—that was inevitable.
And just as inevitable was the question:
Why did you come?
How to answer that needed careful thought.
While waiting, a tall, beautiful woman arrived carrying a food box.
Feng Qi could tell she was very curious about them, but she didn't ask anything. After putting the box down, she couldn't help but rub the adorable Xiao You's head, then quickly left.
"Ew, this tastes awful."
Xiao You suddenly spoke, breaking Feng Qi's train of thought. He turned to see her gnawing on the outer packaging of the food box, a layer of green hard shell.
"You can't eat that, open the box and eat what's inside."
Seeing her disgusted expression, Feng Qi couldn't help but laugh.
Xiao You had only ever eaten things that could be consumed directly and had no concept of packaging. When the woman said it was food, she instinctively thought she could just bite into it.
Following his words, Xiao You looked confused, then tried opening the box.
Feng Qi also lifted the lid at this moment.
Inside were three types of food. On the left were red fruits about the size of a finger, in the middle were thin slices of meat, and on the right was what seemed to be a purple drink, contained in a semi-transparent green film.
He picked up one of the fruits and popped it into his mouth. A rich aroma burst forth as he chewed.
The spiritual energy content of the fruit wasn't high, but it tasted excellent.
Seeing Feng Qi and Xiao You start eating, Po Jia, Lei Ting, and Taihang also opened their boxes and began eating.
The food was quickly finished.
Though they weren't full, the meal was very satisfying.
Especially Xiao You, who kept saying she wanted more.
After a long wait, the door opened, and a middle-aged man with a thick beard entered the room.
He wore a white robe, with a green spiritual mark on his forehead, radiating strong spiritual energy.
The man walked to the other side of the table, leaned forward, extended his right hand to Feng Qi, and smiled:
"Hello, I'm Xie Yuanli, head of the law enforcement department in the southern district of Elf City."
Feng Qi stood up, shook Xie Yuanli's hand, and nodded:
"I'm Feng Qi, from Star City in the Eastern Region, an expedition warrior."
After sitting down, Xie Yuanli looked puzzled:
"May I ask, which city in the Eastern Region was renamed Star City? I've read some pre-cataclysm history and know a bit about the Eastern Region, but I've never heard of Star City."
Feng Qi shook his head:
"Star City only came into existence after the cataclysm. It's a large city formed by merging several smaller ones. Now, no city in the Eastern Region uses its old name, just like Elf City here clearly wasn't called that before."
"I understand. What I'm curious about is, why did you, as a human from the Eastern Region, come here? What does this 'expedition' mean?"
"We in the Eastern Region have always been curious about what the world outside has become, and whether human civilization still exists elsewhere. That's how the expedition plan came about, and I'm one of the warriors exploring the outside world. I came to Elf City to learn about the current situation of humans here."
Feng Qi already had an answer ready for this question.
No matter what, he couldn't reveal any intention to change the current state of things here.
Such a move would clearly be a provocation to the Elf King. Without understanding the social structure of the Central Region, he knew he shouldn't act recklessly.
Otherwise, he'd likely become an enemy of all humans in the Central Region.
And judging by how far the Central Region had developed, the Elf King was probably stronger than he was now.
As for the idea of setting up a spatial transmission array between the Eastern and Central Regions, he felt now wasn't the time.
Before fully understanding the situation, everything needed to be handled cautiously.
Through the back-and-forth, Xie Yuanli gradually learned about the Eastern Region. When he heard they had developed a cultivation technique-based growth system, he was very curious.
After asking in detail and learning that the cultivation system was still incomplete and had many hidden dangers—
For example, that flawed techniques could shorten life spans or cause organ failure—he looked regretful.
To Feng Qi, though, these weren't problems at all.
After all, the Eastern Region already had many perfected techniques.
But now wasn't the time to say that. If the Elf King found out that humans had a better choice, it would surely eliminate any instability to keep control over its civilization.
Pointing out flaws would actually help him blend in better with this Central Region society.
Time passed, and Xiao You was already dozing off, but Feng Qi and Xie Yuanli were still talking.
When Xie Yuanli spoke of the hardships faced during the development of their civilization, Feng Qi felt a deep connection.
Though the Eastern Region hadn't started out as desperate as the Central Region, in the early days of the cataclysm, before the Five Cities were established, countless warriors died every day.
These scars of history hadn't faded even after hundreds of years.
Remaining vigilant in peaceful times was something modern humans, no matter the region, would always think about in a stable society.
After chatting for a long while, Xie Yuanli glanced at Xiao You, who was now sleeping on the table, then looked over at Lei Ting, Po Jia, and Taihang with a curious expression:
"They're your companions from your time exploring domain fields?"
"That's right. They've been with me for decades. Without them, I probably would've died out there."
Hearing this, Xie Yuanli naturally nodded in understanding.
From this, it was clear that humans in the Central Region didn't find cooperation with domain creatures surprising or offensive.
After all, the post-cataclysm culture of the Central Region was born from cooperation with the domain plants—the Elf Race.
Compared to humans from the Eastern Region, the people here clearly found it more acceptable to work with domain creatures.
Different cultures and customs meant different ways of thinking.
This applied not only to the relationship between humans and domain forces but also to humans from different regions.
Feng Qi now understood why Old Mist had said that time would make two human factions from different regions develop entirely different cultures and civilizations, eventually becoming two completely different racial forces.
Luckily, only 500 years had passed. The humans in the Central Region still felt a strong sense of human identity and hadn't been fully assimilated by the Elf Race.
Although their path of civilization development had diverged, their sense of racial identity was still the same.
While they chatted, Xie Yuanli's gaze drifted to the magic blade floating beside Feng Qi.
"What's that weapon?"
"The magic blade. It's my weapon. It used to be a living being and turned itself into a weapon by forging its flesh and blood…"
Hearing Feng Qi's explanation, Xie Yuanli looked utterly shocked.
Clearly, this idea of forging flesh into a blade was beyond his understanding.
After they finished talking about the magic blade, Xie Yuanli continued:
"You've survived for decades in areas dense with domain fields and made it through safely. You must be really strong. Where would your strength rank among humans in the Eastern Region?"
"If we're not counting domain forces, just looking at humans—I'm among the strongest."
Hearing this, Xie Yuanli nodded with a "just as I thought" expression.
Feng Qi then gradually shifted the conversation toward the Elf King.
When he asked, Xie Yuanli began explaining the details about the Elf King.
According to him, the Elf King was one of the very few intelligent beings among the Elf Race, and ever since the tribe's existence, it had been their only ruler.
The Elf King was different from human leaders, who would die from limited lifespans and be replaced over time.
The Elf King was originally a special spiritual plant, an independent being from the moment it gained consciousness, with no kin of its own.
The Elf Race came into being entirely through the Elf King's own creation as it grew.
As for the Elf King's lifespan, even the Elf King didn't know its limit.
By human time standards, the Elf King claimed to have lived for at least 3,000 years.
In the domain world, the Elf Race had a hard time developing at first. Progress was slow.
It wasn't until they came to the human world and allied with humans that their real rise began.
Now, the Elf City beneath their feet had many parts made from the Elf King's body, rooted in the city's central district.
Feng Qi also asked about the Elf King's strength.
It was a sensitive topic, but after a brief pause, Xie Yuanli still answered.
He explained that after coming to the human world, the Elf King's growth sped up far beyond anything possible in the domain world.
Back in the domain world, the Elf King only dared to grow in its own little space, never stretching out, because it knew it was weak and that greed would bring destruction.
But after arriving in the human world, without domain fields holding it back, the Elf King changed.
During its time cooperating with humans, the Elf King's roots spread along with the expanding human territory, drawing in more spiritual energy through its branching body.
Besides that, the Elf King had a green furnace inside it.
The rune crystals humans obtained from killing domain creatures were thrown into this furnace, burning and transforming into part of the Elf King's power.
As for how strong the Elf King, sustained by all of humanity, truly was, Xie Yuanli said he couldn't give an exact answer.
The Elf King had intervened in battle a few times during its alliance with humanity.
But those times were mostly early on, when humans were still exploring how to use the power of elf species and were relatively weak, and the Elf King wasn't that strong either. But it was still the strongest force of both races.
In times of war, the Elf King had to step up and had even been seriously injured.
As humans gradually unlocked more uses for the elf species and their power skyrocketed, the Elf King intervened less and less.
The last time it fought was over a hundred years ago.
That time, humanity faced an unprecedented invasion from a foreign race, and when the Elf King stepped in, people saw a power completely different from what the history books described.
The whole city shook with its might. Countless vines stretched across the sky, forming an unbreakable shield.
Under this shield, humans survived a barrage of foreign magical attacks.
When clarity returned, the battle was already over.
Outside, there were only the corpses of the invaders, pierced by vines and drained of blood.
This battle made humans realize that the Elf King's power had already reached an unimaginable level.
As for how strong the Elf King was now, Xie Yuanli admitted he didn't know.
But one thing was certain—the Elf King was still growing.
This wasn't just a random guess. The most obvious sign was that the spiritual energy in the city's air was steadily increasing over time, and the elf seeds the Elf King gave to humans were getting stronger.
Elf seeds were the Elf King's seeds of power. You could also say they were its children.
The stronger the potential of the born elf seeds, the more it showed that the main body, the Elf King, was becoming more powerful.
Hearing this, Feng Qi felt a bit uneasy.
Just from Xie Yuanli's description, the Elf King's strength was beyond what he had imagined.
He had thought his arrival might be a kind of overwhelming force, but now it seemed the Elf King was terrifying, even strong enough to single-handedly repel an entire invading race.
As the strongest force, the Elf King was like a giant umbrella, standing tall in this land.
After so many years of growth, Feng Qi guessed that the Elf King might even be stronger than Jian Ji.
The Elf King's development path was quite similar to that of the Sword Clan.
Both had exclusive access to resources.
But the Elf King's talent was something Jian Ji couldn't match.
The seeds the Elf King created were sources of power, and while it grew stronger, it also boosted the growth potential of the allied human race.
Even scarier, as the Elf King expanded its territory, the range of spiritual energy it could draw in would grow too.
If the Elf King really intended to protect humanity forever, it would mean that humans would have an endlessly growing, immortal powerhouse by their side.
But what Xie Yuanli said next shattered Feng Qi's guess.
Xie Yuanli looked worried and said:
"I've always feared one thing—what if one day the Elf King abandons humanity?"
Hearing that, Feng Qi realized his earlier worry had been unnecessary.
Clearly, many people in the Central Region had already thought of this issue. They weren't all under the Elf King's control or brainwashed, like he had imagined.
"You mean the Elf King might abandon humanity?"
Facing his question, Xie Yuanli nodded with a troubled look:
"The Elf King's power keeps growing. The elf seeds it gives us are getting stronger too, but human physical strength hasn't improved much. This means our lifespans have been getting shorter as we bond more deeply with the elves."
"Our ancestors in the early days of the alliance could live over a hundred years after bonding with elf seeds. Nowadays, though we breathe rich spiritual energy daily, and our bodies are twice as strong thanks to it, our average lifespan has dropped to about 70 years. If the Elf King keeps growing, our bodies will eventually be unable to bear the elf seeds."
At this, Xie Yuanli sighed:
"Do you know what that means?"
Feng Qi thought for a moment, then said:
"Two possibilities. One, the Elf King, out of respect for the years spent growing together, chooses to protect humanity forever. Even if humans can't bear the elf seeds anymore, they can still survive as its protected people."
"Or two, we're abandoned, driven away, even killed. But whatever form the second choice takes, it would mean humanity's extinction. Without elf seeds, humans can't survive out there."
Xie Yuanli nodded:
"Our future is no longer in our hands. The Elf King's choice will lead humanity down one of two roads."
"Have you ever talked to the Elf King about this?"
"We have. The Elf King said it would protect human civilization forever. That's its promise to the warriors who once fought alongside it."
"Do you believe it?" Feng Qi asked.
"What else can we do but believe?" Xie Yuanli replied.
In Xie Yuanli's eyes, Feng Qi saw helplessness. He could understand the pain of having your fate in someone else's hands, unable to decide for yourself.
Whether the Elf King would ultimately keep that promise, Feng Qi had no way of knowing.
Every time he entered a future dream, he ended up somewhere in the Star City area, far from the Central Region where the Elf King resided.
And there was no way the Star City Database could have records about the Central Region's cities.
He did want to find the answer in the future.
But Lord Hei wasn't just for show—there was no way he'd get decades in the future dream to wander around searching for answers.
Thinking it over, his gaze fell on Xiao You, who was dozing off.
A sudden idea popped into his head.
Could he give this task to Xiao You, and have her bring the answer to his future self 1,500 years from now?
Maybe sensing his gaze, Xiao You blinked open her eyes in confusion:
"Boss, what's up?"
"Keep sleeping."
"Oh." Xiao You obediently shut her eyes again.
Feng Qi hadn't decided whether to give Xiao You this mission.
After all, Xiao You wasn't exactly reliable.
She was truly lazy through and through.
He decided he'd try to approach the Elf King himself soon. In the meantime, he could stay here and learn more about the development of human civilization in the Central Region, and the distribution of races in this area.
All this intel was extremely important to him.
Whether the Elf King was lying or not, unity between the Central and Eastern Regions was the path humanity had to take.
No one could stop that.
Anyone who tried—he'd kill them!