Chapter 018: Noble Guest

He had no kinship with the Goddess of Nature, and the so-called notion of her sending an envoy was utterly absurd. If others didn’t know, how could Du Fan not? Even if he wanted to be an envoy, he wouldn’t have the chance.
After much thought, only the mysterious and cunning Chenchen could have done such a thing—using a forbidden spell of spatial transfer. Her power must have reached its limit; perhaps that’s why she pretended to be the Goddess of Nature, sending a message to the elven sage to tell them not to harm her.
Unreasonably, Du Fan felt a hint of emotion once again.
Yet… Du Fan still had a question. When he tried to establish a mental connection with Chenchen, there was still no response. The bond in his mind remained, but he couldn’t reach her. Now, he could only sense that Chenchen was safe, but he couldn’t make direct contact with her.
Chenchen, what on earth are you up to? Why haven’t you gotten in touch with me after all this time? Lan Ling bowed to Du Fan and said, “Noble guest, if you release Tasha, as the great elven sage of the Kai tribe, I promise that you will be treated as a distinguished guest until you leave.”
“If you respect me, I’ll respect you. If we all respect and be friendly to each other, that’s exactly what I desire.”
Smiling, Du Fan placed the elven archer on the ground and stepped back a few steps to show he wasn’t using her as a hostage.
One must be wary, for in such a dangerous environment, one wrong move could cost one’s life. Thus, Du Fan remained tense, ready to counteract any sudden move from Lan Ling or Nai Xiu at the slightest sign.
Fortunately, Du Fan’s worries seemed unfounded. Nai Xiu, with a pale face, had already slung her long bow over her back. The great sage Lan Ling stepped forward without hesitation and placed her snow-white hand on the unconscious archer’s forehead.
In a short while, the archer woke up. After going through some normal reactions and hearing Lan Ling’s explanation, her expression became as confused and bewildered as Nai Xiu’s.
Everything was going as Lan Ling had planned. Nai Xiu and the archer left to convey the Goddess of Nature’s orders to the elves outside.
The elves could rebel against their parents and brothers, but they had never dared to defy the goddess’s will. In their eyes, the Goddess of Nature held an incomparably noble status. So, though each elf was dissatisfied inwardly, they couldn’t say anything openly and ultimately accepted it silently.

From an enemy relationship to a “friendly guest” – Du Fan was both amused and puzzled. Well, at least this resolved the crisis perfectly; otherwise, if he really had to fight against the entire elf tribe, whether he could survive was uncertain.
The hostility between humans and elves had lasted for thousands of years, but now, this situation was changed by a respected elf guest, Du Fan Green. He became the only guest in thousands of years since the elves and humans broke apart, and most importantly, he was a guest recognized by the Goddess of Nature.
Although every elf wanted to kill this noble human guest right away, none dared to do so. Killing a noble guest might not be a big deal, but going against the will of the great Goddess of Nature was an unforgivable sin. Even if Du Fan begged them to kill him, no elf would dare to do so.
The punishment from the Goddess of Nature was something they couldn’t bear.
Thus, a guest who was more of an enemy than a friend suddenly appeared.
At first, Du Fan was quite unaccustomed to this change in status, and of course, the elves were even less so. But as Lan Ling took Du Fan to get to know the Kayi tribe, this strangeness gradually faded away.
Before he knew it, three days had passed. During these three days, Du Fan spent his time getting familiar with the elf tribe. Lan Ling, the wise elf, was his only guide. Aside from her, no other elf in the tribe seemed willing to spend time with him.
Of course, whether this wise Lan really liked spending time with him was also uncertain…
But anyway, no one here dared to harm Du Fan.
Originally, Du Fan wanted to leave the Kayi tribe as soon as possible and have the elves escort him out of the Dusk Mountains. But due to the matter involving the Goddess of Nature, he had to change his plans.
Perhaps Chenchen was nearby in the Dusk Mountains; he just couldn’t get in touch with her. If he left right away, what would happen to her?
It was better to search the Dusk Mountains first rather than leaving now.
With the noble guest’s request and Lan Ling’s help, there were no problems. Soon, the elves of the Kayi tribe set out to search their territory for the strange cat mentioned by the guest…
While the elves helped search, Du Fan wasn’t idle either. He spent each day getting to know the Dusk Mountains better, gathering useful information from Lan Ling and Nai Xiu.

The Dusk Mountains cover a vast area, and the deeper one goes, the more terrifying the dangers become. At the very heart of the Dusk Mountains, there are rumors that a true god is buried there, along with a divine relic. When Du Fan heard this news, he was immediately intrigued. If not for his concerns about Chenchen and the extremely long journey to the divine relic, he would have gone there long ago. He had never forgotten the benefits he gained from the divine relic at the Abyss Gate last time; though, if not for a bit of luck, he might have lost his life. Benefits often come with dangers. Although Du Fan always tried to avoid danger, if the rewards behind it were great enough, he would never fear it. If facing danger could greatly enhance his strength, no matter how dangerous it was, he would move forward. Time and time again, Du Fan realized that things had reached this point solely because of his insufficient strength. He had never desired power as much as now. To become a strong person, someone who could protect those around him—after losing so many times, he had had enough. The thought of Chenchen filled Du Fan’s heart with inexplicable sorrow. “Honorable guest, the snow-white kitten you were looking for has been found,” Jono rushed in excitedly while Du Fan and Lan Ling were chatting in the room. “It was Nanali and her brother who found it. Ahah, they’re coming.” Hearing Jono’s words, Du Fan became excited. Unable to hold back any longer, he rushed out before Nanali and her brother even entered. As soon as he stepped outside, he saw Nanali holding a cute snow-white kitten and running toward him with a smile. But the moment Du Fan saw the kitten in Nanali’s arms, the excitement he had felt vanished instantly. Because this cat wasn’t Chenchen—it was just an ordinary white cat… “Reaching the divine relic at the deepest part of the Dusk Mountains isn’t easy. This is the Kayi Tribe, still some distance away from the heart of the Dusk Mountains. Among the many factions in the Dusk Mountains, the Kayi Tribe isn’t even considered a second-rate force.” In the Dusk Mountains, there are two equally powerful factions that essentially maintain the region’s reputation: the dwarf king who guards the heart of the mountains and a mysterious king who can command magical beasts in battle.

Dwarves, synonymous with ferocity, are not considered a top-tier force in the Twilight Mountains. The reason lies in the fact that the elf tribes operate independently; aside from holding grand festivals, they rarely interact with one another, resulting in their weakness as a group.

But dwarves are different. They are a highly united race—skilled and, most importantly, extremely cohesive. Millions of dwarves live in the heart of the Twilight Mountains. To reach its depths, one must pass through their territory. Although each dwarf’s individual strength is slightly inferior to that of elves, their unity is unmatched. When faced with danger, they unite as one, fearless in battle. Even those stronger than them often perish at the hands of their mighty axes. In the depths of the Twilight Mountains, these army-like dwarves, armed to the teeth, are practically invincible.

Moreover, among these millions of dwarves, there is a supremely terrifying ruler—the Dwarf King Barbaroa, a powerful being who has transcended the sacred realm and reached legendary status. Such strength is extremely rare even among humans; perhaps only the legendary Pope of the Light Church could compare to him. Maybe…

With their large numbers and a peerless warrior at their head, who could possibly stand against them? Thus, in the Twilight Mountains, the dwarves have always ruled supreme, while other races either submit or stay at a distance. In short, whether enemies or friends, few ever dare to confront them head-on.

The terror of Dwarf King Barbaroa spreads throughout the Twilight Mountains, and even in the human world, his name is well-known. Another mysterious ruler who can command magical beasts is also the only one in the Twilight Mountains capable of challenging the Dwarf King. It is said that this mysterious ruler once secretly challenged Dwarf King Barbaroa to a duel, which lasted six days and six nights before ending in a draw.

Their strengths are nearly equal, with each having its own advantages. The Dwarf King commands an invincible army of dwarves, while the mysterious ruler wields powerful magical beasts in battle. For a long time, despite constant tensions between these two formidable forces, no large-scale wars have erupted—probably because the two legendary rulers behind them keep things under control.

Lan Ling shook her head and said, “Dwarves are different from us elves. They are born killers, and their reaction to humans is even more extreme than ours. With your current strength, it’s basically impossible to make it through the heart of the Dusk Mountains.”