Elf Festival day.
Soft music drifted into the room from outside, waking Feng Qi from his sleep.
Opening his eyes, he got up and walked to the balcony.
What he saw was golden rain gently falling from the sky, and looking down, he could see countless figures moving in groups through the streets under the golden rain.
On this special day, the people in the parade were dressed very differently.
Many had golden symbols painted on their arms and faces. Some in the parade held totem models high, their faces filled with fervor.
These people were known as the "Elf God Sect" in the encyclopedia.
Xie Yuanli had also explained this to him in detail before.
According to Xie Yuanli, even within Elf City, there was social division and rifts.
But this wasn't like the wealth gap of the pre-cataclysm society, where the rich controlled almost all resources and the poor were left with barely anything, trapped in endless cycles.
The unique social structure of humans in the Central Region made it impossible for individuals to dominate resources.
After all, all resources belonged solely to the Elf King.
The rift among the humans in the Central Region came from differences in belief.
Over hundreds of years, the Elf King had always been a firm ally of humanity. At its core, this was an alliance based on equality, without hierarchy or subordination.
But due to the Elf King's influence, human culture had been deeply affected, and over time, the Elf God Sect emerged.
They saw the Elf King as a divine being worthy of worship.
But not everyone agreed with this. Some still believed they were allies with the Elf King, but that it had nothing to do with faith.
This led to a divide in belief within society.
Naturally, different belief groups formed, causing some disagreements about how to view the Elf King.
But the Elf King never paid attention to these matters.
Among humans, it was just differences in opinion—not real societal problems.
There had been human leaders who tried to resolve this, but their efforts only made things worse, leading to chaos and loss of control.
Now, society had reached a consensus on freedom of belief.
No one interfered with anyone else.
Looking down, Feng Qi could clearly tell that those with golden symbols on their faces and totems on their backs were members of the Elf God Sect.
Clearly, the Elf Festival had already begun, and there was no way he was going to miss it.
He went back inside and woke Xiao You and the others.
After a while, they came downstairs, where a dense crowd was slowly making its way toward the Elf King's location.
Feng Qi led Xiao You and the others into the crowd, moving along with the parade.
At this time, all the greenery in the central district was in full bloom, with flowers blossoming in every corner of the city.
A quiet and ethereal melody filled the sky above, as if bards were softly singing by his ear. There was also the gentle sound of something like a harp, its lingering notes soothing.
Images of moonlit fountains bubbling forth appeared in his mind, filling him with a poetic, dream-like feeling.
Soft as a rainbow, full of poetic charm—the festival atmosphere was thick.
The music seemed to cleanse the soul, gradually calming the restlessness in Feng Qi's heart.
This wasn't the first time he had noticed this.
He realized that staying in Elf City meant being enveloped by some strange power that could soothe emotions.
Walking to the end of the street, what appeared before him was a crystal-clear statue of the Elf King, bright and jade-like, with clear liquid flowing inside it.
Following the crowd along the central street, the scenery ahead was mesmerizing.
This city perfectly blended vibrant natural life with modern urban prosperity. Everywhere he looked was filled with a magical, otherworldly beauty.
At the next intersection, another parade group appeared.
Everyone in this group was riding on a huge plant carriage, and they were all very young. Each one wore a festival envoy medal on their chest.
They were one of the main stars of this year's Elf Festival.
Now that they were ten years old, they would complete the elf ritual under the Elf King tree, implanting elf seeds in their bodies to begin living in symbiosis with them—becoming the fertile soil for the elves.
Feng Qi had read about elf seeds in books, and he clearly understood that elf seeds were, in essence, beneficial symbiotes for the human body.
Elf seeds could enhance physical qualities, cleanse impurities and toxins, and more.
There hadn't been a single cancer patient in Elf City for hundreds of years, which was one of the changes elf seeds brought.
But the problem was, the human body would eventually fail to keep up with the growth speed of the elf seeds.
This issue of being assimilated had no solution to this day.
Feng Qi didn't think too much about it and led Xiao You and the others to continue moving forward with the parade.
After passing through several intersections, the parade gradually grew larger.
There were more and more green plants in sight, all facing the direction of the Elf King, blooming brightly, like devout believers bowing down before a god.
As the parade passed through the bustling streets, there was no longer anything blocking the view ahead.
The Elf King stood tall at the end of their line of sight, like an ancient deity, his majestic form swaying in the wind, scattering countless golden raindrops.
Soft music echoed in their ears, and a sacred aura washed over them.
When the parade reached the central square where the Elf King stood, the crowd began to circle around him.
Many people gazed at the Elf King with reverence and performed ritual gestures for the festival.
Over hundreds of years of alliance, human society had developed festival customs centered around the Elf King. Circling around the Elf King was part of the Elf Festival tradition.
It symbolized receiving the Elf King's protection, staying free of sickness.
In fact, after having elf seeds implanted, the residents of Elf City didn't get sick at all.
In the month Feng Qi had lived here, he hadn't seen a single hospital or clinic.
The elf seeds implanted in their bodies could devour all viruses harmful to humans and repair physical injuries, keeping their bodies in a constant state of health.
So this custom was more symbolic than practical.
Feng Qi focused his gaze on the Elf King. Observing up close, he noticed that at the center of the Elf King's body was a burning, flame-filled hollow.
He could see fierce flames dancing inside, and a surging vitality seemed ready to burst forth.
This must be the Life Furnace Xie Yuanli had mentioned.
All resources gathered by humans were offered to the Elf King, who refined and absorbed them using the Life Furnace inside his body.
While Feng Qi was observing the Life Furnace, the voice of the Demon Blade rang in his mind:
"A Miracle item's aura!"
"Really a Miracle?"
"No doubt. That burning furnace inside him holds the unique, ancient, and transcendent aura of a Miracle item. It's definitely a Miracle."
Hearing the Demon Blade's explanation, Feng Qi wasn't surprised.
The more he learned about the Elf King, the more he felt certain that the Elf King possessed a Miracle item.
He didn't believe that just evolving from a spiritual plant alone could allow the Elf King to reach his current level in just a few hundred years.
In terms of talent, the Elf King even surpassed most flesh-and-blood life forms.
This evolution completely defied the natural progression of life.
The Domain World might seem bizarre, but it still followed basic evolutionary rules.
For example, if a race wanted to have strong bloodline potential, they had to work hard generation after generation, continuously strengthening their bloodline, so that the next generation would start at a higher point.
But from what Xie Yuanli had told him, the Elf King had started as just a spiritual plant with limited potential.
Without a stroke of luck, it was impossible to grow into what he was now.
And among all possible strokes of luck, Miracle items were the strongest—getting one meant having a vast future ahead.
Besides this, Feng Qi had another guess in his heart.
Maybe the Elf King was similar to Sanwei, a special form of life.
In essence, he might not be a Domain plant at all, but a consciousness born from a Miracle item—a derivative of a Miracle.
Two possibilities, but as for the real answer, he didn't know yet.
After circling the Elf King a few times, it was now afternoon. As the sky darkened, colorful energy clusters suddenly rose above the city.
These energy clusters looked like colorful eggs flying into the sky, trailing long tails behind them.
As they reached the sky, they exploded like fireworks.
In an instant, cheers, whistles, and shouts filled the air.
Feng Qi looked up.
The sky was like a canvas splashed with colorful ink, the brilliant hues spreading endlessly, making a stunning scene.
The Elf Festival had reached its climax.
As the colors in the sky began to fall like shooting stars, weaving into crossing bands of color, fluttering in the wind,
at the same time, eyes and facial features appeared on the golden trunk of the Elf King.
The ten-year-old elf envoys stepped onto the golden stairs, ascending to the golden platform formed by the Elf King's power.
The first group of envoys began their elf ritual.
As the Elf King's body trembled slightly, countless glowing energy clusters flew out from the burning Life Furnace.
They looked like natural elves born from heaven and earth, flying through the air with the music, dancing around the children.
From Feng Qi's perspective, these elf seeds looked like musical notes, pulsing with vibrant life.
Their appearances varied—some elf seeds were surrounded by lightning, their bodies a pale purple; others flowed with transparent liquid, their bodies a light blue... Different colors represented different attributes of the elf seeds.
During the elf implantation, Feng Qi could see that the children participating in the ceremony were very nervous.
This was a ceremony where children chose their elf, but also where the elf chose its host.
Their future talent would be determined after this ritual.
If they could receive a superior elf seed, it meant their future would hold more choices and possibilities.
The dance of the elves lasted for about half an hour, then some elf seeds began to merge with the children.
During this process, it was clear that the children were in great pain.
After all, this was an external force merging into them, and their bodies trembled under the intense pain.
When all the children entered the fusion state with the elf seeds, the Elf King began to scatter crystal-like green particles. These particles entered the children's bodies upon contact.
The painful expressions on their faces eased. Feng Qi could see the elf seeds moving in and out of their bodies, and he could clearly sense that the flesh and blood of those children who completed the parasitism were growing stronger.
When the elf ritual ended, smiles broke across the children's faces.
After the first group, the second group followed.
By midnight, under the cover of night, the final group of children completed the elf implantation ritual.
Energy bursts rose into the sky again, as if offering blessings to these children who had completed the ritual. The festival entered its final moments.
Watching the cheering crowd, dancing to the rhythm of the music, Feng Qi couldn't help but smile.
Just then, a presence quickly approached.
An old voice echoed in his ear:
"Guest from afar, may we talk?"
"You are... the Elf King?"
As he spoke, Feng Qi looked up at the towering golden tree in front of him.
"It's me, guest from afar. Perhaps you have many questions, and I, too, have many about you."
The Elf King's aged voice echoed in his mind. As the massive golden tree trembled, golden light particles in the air gathered, forming a golden energy staircase before him, leading directly to the Elf King.
Seeing this, the people around him looked curious.
Some even showed envy.
To be received by the Elf King was considered the greatest honor in life by many believers.
Feng Qi didn't refuse the invitation. He led Xiao You and the others onto the golden stairs, heading toward the Elf King.
At the top of the stairs was a platform made of golden energy.
As his foot touched the golden platform, the golden rain around him vanished, the figures in his sight disappeared, and everything before him was bathed in gold.
He realized he had been pulled into a golden illusion.
Not far away, an elderly man with a kind expression was smiling at him.
"Guest, welcome to Elf City."
As he spoke, the old man waved his hand, and a stone stool and tea table appeared before him.
The old man then stepped forward and poured him a cup of tea.
Accepting the gesture, Feng Qi stepped up, sat on the stone stool, and looked at the human form projected by the Elf King, wondering what his purpose was.
"You must already know where I come from, right?"
Facing his question, the old man kindly nodded:
"Nothing in this city escapes my sight. From the moment you entered Elf City, I noticed you... Later, with reports from the Southern District, I gained a clearer understanding of your background, knowing you came from the Eastern Region of the human world."
As he spoke, the old man glanced at the Demon Blade floating in the illusion, a look of curiosity in his eyes:
"The weapon at your side is quite extraordinary. Its symbiosis with you is very similar to the fusion between humans and elf seeds."
"Not the same. I don't kill my host," the Demon Blade said disdainfully.
Hearing the Demon Blade suddenly speak, the Elf King was momentarily surprised, then nodded kindly without arguing.
"You're my guest, so you may ask first," the Elf King said with a smile, refilling Feng Qi's teacup.
Feng Qi was full of questions. After a brief thought, he asked directly:
"Elf King, you possess a Miracle item, don't you?"
At this question, the Elf King's expression turned serious. He stared at Feng Qi for a while, then his expression softened, and he nodded calmly:
"Your guess is correct. There is indeed a Miracle item inside me, though I didn't know it was a Miracle when I first acquired it."
Receiving the Elf King's confirmation didn't surprise Feng Qi. What he was curious about was the function of this Miracle item.
Thinking of this, he asked again:
"Can you tell me, what does this Miracle item do?"