Five Element Sect, Wood Peak, Beast Tamer League base.

"There's still no news?" Nick asked Ricky who's currently frowning very deeply at his seat.

The latter shake his head signifying his answer.

After he breakthrough to Core Formation-Stage more than nine months ago, he immediately heard from his Master that his big brother, Cole, was on his mission at the Flowerhead Forest. However, few months had already pass yet he still didn't go back.

Now, he's full of worry about him that he wanted to charge through to the forest if he's not blocked by his Master strongly.

The said Flowehead Forest was perilous that even his big brother is clearly having a hard time, with his current abilities, both him and his Master are aware that he won't be any help.

Instead, his Master said that if he wanted to help his brother, he have to do it another way, like managing his league that he left behind. Ricky thought that it made sense and started to live at the league base and just occasionally return to the Water Peak.

Master Dew didn't agree to that set-up at first. Although Ricky was very talented and his growth are very fast compare to others, staying on the Wood Peak was still bad for him. After all, Wood Peak were rich with both Wood-Energy and Light-Energy, Water-Energy on the other hand are thin. His disciples' cultivation will greatly decrease.

However, he seem to forget that his disciple won't listen everything he said if it concern certain someone! Although not listening to one's Master are bad, but his disciple are different! Not to mention he have a very powerful and rare Martial Spirit, his talent are superb and definitely one of the kind that only born for every hundred years. Even if he don't accept him, there's many who'll scramble and fight to accept as disciple.

And so, just like everytime, he compromise once again. He'll agree to his stay in the league base if he perform very satisfactory in the competition.

Then, in the competition, using everything on his arsenal, despite with his First-Level of Core Formation-Stage cultivation, he defeated a Seventh-Level Core Formation-Stage cultivator from the Middle Lands...

∞

Tree of Life [Divine-Rank] The sacred tree of Woodland Elf Clan of Elven Race. Its body contains a great amount of vitality in which it will extract to Water of Life. Status :: On the process of breaking through to Tier-7 (Void Mastery-Stage), unable to becuase of lack of energy.

"I know that the Tree of Life have its consciousness, it didn't try to communicate with you?" Cole ask the Matriarch of Elves after he read the given description of the tree. Its problem was very simple and its was easy to solve but why they didn't know this?

The Matriarch shake her head, "No," she answered, "It was because the Tree of Life is one of special existence in the whole universe. The reason are unknown but eventhough they have a consciousness and very intelligent, there is some kind of rule that restrict them to communicate with other creatures."

Intelligent but can't communicate... It seems that the Messiah Tree also fall in this category. At first he wonder why the said tree didn't try to communicate with him but after he heard what the Elf Matriarch said, although he's not really convince, at least he now have the idea why.

Cole didn't ask any further, however, this incite confusion among the elves.

Cole felt the questioning gaze of the elves. And so, to avoid answering it, he told them the situation of the Tree of Life;

"The Tree of Life are trying to make a breakthrough but the energy is not enough."

Grand Elder Rose was about to ask Cole but its immediately toss aside after she heard him said that.

"Trying to breakthrough?!" She exclaimed, anxiety apparent on her old face. She look at the others and also saw the uneasiness on their expression.

Breakingthrough should be a joyous occasion, specially for the Tree of Life since the moment it did, the strength of the whole clan will rise. However, the Energy of Heaven and Earth in their place are very thin! It was already a miracle that the Tree of Life reach Tier-6!

"Grand Elder Daisy, take all the available Spirit Stone inside the treasury and bring it here. Instruct also all the elves that beside the warrior on duty, all of the others are required to mine the Spiritual Mines!" The Matriarch of Elves instructed the other elder elf that was with them. She then handed some kind of wooden token, probably the one which temporarily stop the different formations from working.

Grand Elder Daisy nodded her head, floats for a second, fly and immediately vanish from their sight.

Meanwhile, Cole watch the anxious elves with a deep frown. The problem of having a thin Energy of Heaven and Earth from this situation are more apparent. It's much more serious than he thought!

Then, why the elves chose to live in the low lands instead of middle lands or the said Saint lands? He can't help but ask this from the Matriarch.

"Almost everything in the existence will face decline. Power, life, wealth... and it includes planes, planet or realms like the place where we are now. At this planes' golden age, the Energy of Heaven and Earth are so thick that cultivation are easy, producing countless powerhouse. Also, before there's no low land, middle land or Saint land, there's only four Divine Beast Territory, Western Territory, Eastern Continent and Central Continent. However, along with the passage of time, after producing countless experts, this realm finally started to decline." She pause,

"Before, when this realm is at its peak, also us elves wanted to live here to cultivate and prosper, and this territory is the best for us, the territory of Divine Beast, Master Azure Dragon. Of course, with declining realm, countless race look for another world to cultivate. And... our ancestor chose to remain."

After the Elf Matriach said that to Cole, she once again look at the Tree of Life worriedly.

Just like what have been said before, the Tree of Life are conscious and intelligent. It must have known its current situation, which is also why among the countless possibilities, the foolish and dumb action of attempting a breakthrough was the last they could think of.

However, despite all the dangers and consequences, the Tree of Life still choose this silly choice, probably because it perceive the fear of all the elves. Fear because of helplessness and being powerless. Fear that maybe one day, a group of bad people will appear in their house and capture all their love ones, families or friends and face the future that was no different from a bad nightmare.

The Tree of Life, their Mother chose to gamble it all, it's only either reach the top or fall to hell.

Seeing the troubled elves, Cole feel his heart soften. This scene is very familiar to him. And since he have the ability to help, then he must.

"I can help." He stated, breaking the heavy atmosphere.

The frown at elves face soften visibly.

"Really?" The Elven Matriach inquired hopefully.

"Yes, I could—"

"But you know that there's no such thing as free lunch in this world, right?" Celia cutted his Master's sentence. She can't help but shake her head; knowing her Master, he's about to help without interest. How could he do that? Don't he know that this world is a world of equivalent exchange?

In her dictionary, it's alright if she received something for free but the others don't from her!

"What do you want then?" Grand Elder Rose ask, looking at Celia who currently look like a rotten merchant in that moment.

Celia smile sweetly before she ask, "Tell me, how many Spiritual Mine you possess should this Tree of Life will consume before it will succeed on its breakthrough?"

The Matriach of Elves frown in contemplation in a moment. She then look at the Grand Elders with her before she answered, "We estimates that our Tree of Life will use deposits of two of our Tier-5 Spiritual Mine."

Celia tap her chin as she thought before she respond, "Good, that's possible since I knew that those two mines are already exploited are reserves are already low."

In her estimation, one Tier-5 Spiritual Mine reserves are already enough for the Tree of Life to create a breakthrough. However, on the premise that it was exploited to some extent, it was understandable that it needed two Tier-5 Spiritual Mine.

The Spiritual Mine they find at the Flowerhead Forest was a Tier-4 Spiritual Mine as it only have the ability to produce Tier-4 Spiritual Stones but with its Spiritual Stones and Spiritual Ponds, it was already enough to support breakthrough of Tier-7 like the Tree of Life.

"Mining and transporting Spiritual Stones takes time, and by the status of things, you elves are already tight with it. So our proposition is we will provide the energy needed for the Tree of Life to breakthrough, in exchange, you will transfer the ownership of that two Tier-5 Spiritual Mine to us!"

Just like what Celia said, the elves are already racing against time, because the moment the Tree of Life failed its breakthrough, it will greatly impact the whole clan. There's even a high chance to degrade!

Without seeing any problem with Celia's proposition, the elves already reach consensus.

"We agreed." The Matriach of Elves said.

Although losing the two Tier-5 Spiritual Mine will impact the clan, it's nothing compare to the consequences of failed breakthrough.

Celia nodded, "Good. We don't need to sign a contract. I greatly believe in the elves' credibility, specially the Woodland Elf Clans." She then look at Cole and smile sweetly, waiting for his praise.

Cole just ruffle her head. Although what she did is not bad and perfectly normal, he's an earthling who believe on saying of doing good things without waiting for interest[1].

Guess someone can't recieve or expect a favor from a Dragon that easily.

After they agreed to one another, Cole immediately summon his [Summoning Grimoire] and chanted, "[Gate]."

A portal then appear at the top of the Tree of Life.

A shock expression appear on the elves face when they saw the [Gate]. Spatial technique, and opening a passage at that!

However, when the portal gradually fall down and the crown of the Tree of Life enter the portal, the elves visibly tenses and their fist closed tightly. If they don't trust this two, they might have already pounce at them.

When the half of the Tree of Life enter the spatial passage, the leaves rustle as if it was excited. It then madly absorb the rich energy of the place.

In a second, the leaves that was on the verge of drying and falling recover.

Seeing this, the tense elves visibly relax. The two don't have the intention of stealing their precious holy tree, instead, the spatial passage they created actually brought the Tree of Life to a place where Energy of Heaven and Earth are rich.

Without a doubt, that place is the [Inner World]. Although the richness of Energy of Heaven and Earth inside are not enough for the current Tree of Life to support its breakthrough, it did have a Spiritual Pond they found at the Spiritual Mine they exploit from Flowerhead Forest. Its energy are rich enough for the Tree of Life to have a smooth breakthrough to Tier-7.

However, while the Tree of Life are making a breakthrough, ten inconspicuous leaves flutter in the air. Without feeling a threat, the elves thought of it as normal leaves blown by the air. But seconds later, the leaves melted to the Tree of Life's body, their mouth open widely and look at Cole in shock.

∞

1. “Gumawa ng mabuting bagay ng walang hinihintay na kabayaran.” I'm not sure if I express this in English correctly. Remind me if I'm wrong.