Chapter Seventy-Two: Sowing the Seed

"Wow, it's enormous!"

Xiao E could hardly believe that such an exclamation came from the Azure Queen herself. As she watched the Queen's astonished expression, Xiao E sighed inwardly. "It seems this hulking variant will become her latest favored stud. Until she tires of him, no one else will have a chance."

By now, the Azure Queen had regained her composure. Smacking her lips appreciatively, she said, "Excellent, truly excellent. No wonder you quarreled so fiercely with the elves from the Elven Court over this one. What a specimen—just look at the size alone, at least seven or eight feet tall. He's nearly as large as those northern giants."

Xiao E quickly put on a flattering smile. "Yes, Your Majesty, he stands seven feet and one inch. With your careful training, he'll surely surpass those giant elves, for his body is already formidable. He withstood the Seven-Star Cloudstrike without harm. If he cultivates our Azure Elves' arts, he could become one of the continent's supreme beings."

The Queen nodded slightly and waved her hand with languid grace. "Take him to the royal pool in my bedchamber. Restore his strength and teach him some basic elven speech. Once he has recovered, I shall instruct him personally."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Without further ado, Xiao E produced a dark blue olive from her robes. From within, she drew a fresh green plantain leaf. Whispering a spell, the leaf swelled rapidly, transforming into a slender boat that hovered before her. With a gesture, the seven-foot figure on the ground was drawn into the boat. Xiao E bowed to the Queen, then leapt into the vessel, which turned into a streak of blue light and soared into the sky.

None of them noticed that, as the man was drawn in, his eyes flickered slightly beneath closed lids, and the corners of his mouth curved upward in the faintest of smiles—a smile that revealed a small tiger tooth slipping slyly over his lip.

After about half an hour of flight, Xiao E brought the plantain boat to a stop, alighting beneath a vast green canopy. Two great doors fashioned of yellow bark stood open, above which hung a wooden plaque inscribed with the words: Royal Pool.

Now Xiao E raised her voice, no longer the subservient attendant before the Queen. "Which sister is on duty? Come out and collect the goods!"

Before the words had faded, a beam of light shot from within the gates, resolving into a petite, almond-eyed maiden who bowed slightly to Xiao E. "Sister E, out hunting again? I wager your catch is bountiful this time."

Xiao E smiled. "Indeed, the harvest is grand. I’ve brought back a once-in-a-millennium variant for the Queen. Tend him well, and teach him our language. The Queen is eager to enjoy her prize."

The petite maiden glanced at the seven-foot figure, stuck out her tongue, and replied, "Rest assured, Sister E, I’ll see he’s plump and healthy in no time." Xiao E nodded, her dark blue eyes narrowing as she cast one last look at the man, then mounted her plantain vessel and departed.

The petite maiden called, "Come, help me carry him in!" Immediately, four young women, none taller than three feet, struggled to lift the seven-foot man and bore him into a second courtyard, laying him on a bed in one of the rooms. The petite maiden followed, gazing down at him and shaking her head. "Rather ordinary looks," she murmured, "though even so, I wager plenty of elves would compete for him."

"With that face, I’d still bet many elves would vie for me," came a sudden voice.

The petite maiden started, staring at the man who now grinned, baring a small tiger tooth. She hadn’t noticed when he’d awakened, nor how he’d learned their language. Switching to the human tongue, she asked, "You… you understand our speech?"

He shook his head mildly. "I’m just guessing at your meaning from your gestures and expressions. But what intrigues me more is—how do you know the human language?"

She laughed. "I’m one of the elves’ language teachers, so I know many tongues. You’re clever, though, to grasp so much from words you don’t know. You’ll learn Elvish quickly, I’m sure. What’s your name?"

"Lei Xiang."

He was the very Lei Xiang who had broken through the dimensional rift. The moment he emerged, he’d felt acutely unwell, as though suffering from severe acclimation sickness. Then he’d been ambushed by the palace-women, struck unconscious by the Seven-Star Cloudstrike, and hadn’t come to until the Azure Queen arrived. "And you, beautiful lady—what’s your name?"

To his surprise, the maiden blushed before answering, "I’m Mu Qingchun. You can call me Teacher Mu. Tomorrow, we’ll begin your Elvish lessons."

"Qingchun," Lei Xiang repeated. "That’s a lovely name. I’ll just call you Qingchun. ‘Teacher Mu’ sounds too formal."

Mu Qingchun looked bashful. "Very well. Starting tomorrow, you’ll study in the morning and bathe in the Royal Pool in the afternoon. I’ll have someone bring your meal now." With that, she avoided his gaze and hurried off.

Left alone, Lei Xiang’s smile quickly faded. He was keenly aware of his peril. In this unknown elven world, the Azure Queen clearly had designs on him. Worst of all, since arriving, his spiritual power had been sealed, unable to absorb even a trickle of energy from the world around him. He couldn’t even open his storage pouch. His only remaining asset was the Dragon Elephant Divine Art he’d trained in at the Lei family fortress.

He had one more secret: the Palm-Sized Immortal-Slaying Gun. For convenience, he hadn’t stored it away, but kept it tucked in his belt. The crystal bullet, however, was in his pouch—of which he had just one left. His years as a sniper had instilled in him one habit: always keep a single bullet in reserve, both for the enemy and for himself—a last recourse to avoid capture. Now, that one crystal bullet was his only insurance. Lei Xiang was certain that, if caught off guard, even the Azure Queen couldn’t withstand its power.

As he recited the secret phrase, a weary sigh echoed in his mind. Zhu Chi, his companion, spoke, "Lei Xiang, don’t ask me. I don’t know why you’ve lost your spiritual power, either. I warned you before—the rift was terribly unstable. We’re lucky to be alive; if it had collapsed or caved in, we’d have died inside."

Lei Xiang didn’t move, but sent a mental message, delighted to find that his mind’s eye was still intact. "I have only my spiritual sense left. I can do nothing else, not even defend myself. What should I do?"

"You still have your spirit sense? That’s wonderful! I’ll teach you the advanced method of Spirit Thunder Slash. With it, you’ll at least have some means of self-defense…"

"Shh!" Lei Xiang interrupted. "We can discuss cultivation later. Someone’s coming."

Zhu Chi was startled. Lei Xiang’s spirit sense was so sharp he’d detected an approach before Zhu Chi himself had noticed.

A short while later, soft footsteps could be heard outside—light and unsteady, betraying weak footing. The visitor didn’t knock, but pushed the door open directly. A young male elf entered, only five feet tall, his head pointed like a green olive, his body little more than skin and bones, hands like chicken claws. He carried a green wooden tray with a meal of rice, vegetables, and soup.

He dropped the tray on the table, gestured at the food and at Lei Xiang, but said nothing. Lei Xiang understood the tacit meaning, though he wondered why this was the first male elf he’d seen, and why he looked so frail.

Lei Xiang ate in silence. The food was plain, but after so long fasting, he devoured it eagerly, as if returned to the mundane world.

The elf didn’t leave, merely stood there blankly, his face void of expression. When Lei Xiang finished, the elf lazily cleaned up and motioned for Lei Xiang to follow.

Lei Xiang’s heart leapt with suspicion. Where were they taking him at this hour? He instinctively touched the Immortal-Slaying Gun at his waist, then rose to follow quietly.