Volume 3 Chapter 183
by Need_More_SleepVolume 3 + Chapter 183: The Little World Tree
Xia Yi looked at the treant in front of her with some disbelief.
An image surfaced in her mind—it was a scene she had seen in the Ancestral Temple.
Could it be… the Human King?
She found it simply inconceivable.
In the human world today, there are almost no legends about the Human King.
Even among the superior races such as the Dragon Clan, there are few records of the Mythic Era, let alone among the current human race.
The weak do not even have the qualification to pass down history.
Xia Yi only learned about the Human King of the Mythic Era through the Ancestral Temple.
That was something that existed in the Mythic Era.
In that time, the human race was different from now—they were a superior race.
The Human King was the absolute sovereign who ruled over humanity during its period as a superior race.
However, the Ancestral Temple contained only fragmented descriptions of the Human King, since it mainly recorded the deeds of the Dragon Kings from the Mythic Era.
Therefore, Xia Yi did not know much about the Human King—only that he was a mighty being, capable of standing against the Dragon Kings of the Mythic Era, and that he wielded both the Holy Sword and the Holy Spear as his weapons.
At that time, the Holy Sword Gram reacted to this piece of history, which also proved its credibility.
Beyond that, there was nothing else.
The Human King was truly shrouded in countless mysteries.
For example, why were humans a superior race, and what was their connection to the Human King?
How did the Human King fall?
And after his fall, why did humanity cease to be a superior race?
In this era, none of these questions have answers.
Therefore, for the image of the Human King to suddenly appear in such a place—how could Xia Yi not be shocked?
The Laurel Academy actually held such a secret.
Clearly, the students who left this place before all said they saw nothing, but that was obviously impossible. Once anyone approached the laurel tree, they would be attacked.
“You are… the real Human King?”
Xia Yi questioned the treant before her.
The treant remained silent and chose to attack directly.
Although the opponent was a treant, the weapon it wielded—similar in shape to the Holy Sword Gram—was made of wood and vines, yet it exuded the same oppressive force as a true holy sword.
The treant launched fierce attacks one after another.
It gave no explanation, only intending to drive Xia Yi away from this place.
“Your swordsmanship is strong, but why are you nothing more than a mindless shell?”
Xia Yi locked swords with the opponent, the two clashed in close quarters for a brief moment. Staring into the opponent’s faceplate, she gradually realized something.
This so-called “Human King” was most likely not the real one.
In the absolute realm of swordsmanship, when swords cross, a swordsman can sense the opponent’s sword heart. Yet from this treant, she felt none.
No intellect, no thoughts, no response to external communication—only instinctively following a certain set of behavioral rules.
This pattern of action was like that of a machine simulation.
Clang!
The treant’s sword aura burst forth, knocking Xia Yi back, then followed with an upward slash, splitting the ground and lunging toward her.
The angle of attack was extremely tricky, sealing off all routes of retreat, leaving Xia Yi with no choice but to take the blow head-on.
“Ugh…!”
Xia Yi’s hands trembled slightly, and her vision blurred; her mind was strangely affected.
Portions of the battle with the treant had gone missing from her memory.
No matter how she tried to recall them, she couldn’t—almost as if they had been stolen.
“So this is your purpose!”
Xia Yi understood.
No wonder the students who had entered the Laurel Academy before returned claiming they found nothing.
They must have been like her—after discovering the enormous laurel tree, they approached out of curiosity. The moment they stepped under its shade, the treant appeared.
The treant would expel any outsiders approaching the laurel tree—this was the mechanism.
At the same time, during the battle, the treant would use its swordsmanship to affect the opponent’s mind, creating mental confusion. If defeated, not only would they be expelled, but even their cognition would be altered—they would completely forget what happened inside.
“You want to stop me, drive me out of here? That won’t do—I still have things I haven’t gotten yet.”
Xia Yi narrowed her eyes.
She felt it—
A tremor.
She couldn’t remember how long it had been since she met such an opponent.
Even if this wasn’t the true Human King, only a treant guardian borrowing his form and swordsmanship,
Purely in terms of swordsmanship, this level surpassed countless others.
A worthy opponent to defeat!
As a swordsman, Xia Yi longed to overcome such an enemy!
“Gram! Let’s fight side by side!”
She called out to her holy sword.
The patterns on the holy sword glowed in response.
The silver-haired girl’s silver eyes lit up as she activated the bloodline of the Silver Dragon royal family—her strength and speed surged dramatically.
Boom!
Suddenly, the ground erupted with a deafening sound as Xia Yi’s figure vanished, leaving only a shockwave sweeping in all directions.
An ordinary person couldn’t react, but the treant had already raised its sword.
The next moment, Xia Yi’s blade slashed down, though blocked, the immense force caused a shockwave that plowed the treant backward more than ten meters.
“Show me your true skill!” Xia Yi said seriously.
The Heart Like Still Water!
She swung the holy sword, unleashing countless sword shadows in the air.
The treant countered every single one—and even more than she created.
The opponent’s attack finally landed on Xia Yi, tearing her skin.
But instead of frightening her, it made her even more excited—
Like a dose of adrenaline.
The silver-haired girl’s fighting spirit soared.
“You’ve made me bleed. That’s a strong attack. In that case… I must respond!”
Xia Yi’s pupils contracted.
She pushed her sword shadows to a superior level, breaking through her limits. Her heart’s power ignited the dragon blood in her body, making it burn hot.
The treant kept countering, but now its sword aura could barely hold off the shadows in the air—it could no longer harm Xia Yi.
The tide was turning.
“It’s time to end this!”
The light of the holy sword in Xia Yi’s hands blazed brighter than ever.
She broke her limits once again!
The number of sword shadows was uncountable, and the treant had reached its limit—trying to dispel the sword shadows with the Human King’s swordsmanship only caused its body to collapse under the strain. Defeat was inevitable.
The final strike!
Xia Yi’s sword aura tore through the treant’s body, shattering the guardian of this place.
She watched the treant crumble and felt a hint of regret.
As expected, with such a body, it could never truly bear the essence of a king from the Mythic Era.
If it had been the real Human King, he would surely have endured that attack—or even defeated her…
The battle was over. Xia Yi had claimed victory.
The Holy Sword Gram seemed overjoyed, pulsing with light as if acknowledging its wielder.
“Heh-heh-heh, Gram, we’re going to become the strongest together—that was our promise from the start! An enemy like this is nothing to worry about!” Xia Yi said with confidence.
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
Gram floated into the air, pointing toward the laurel tree.
“So, you really want me to go see something!”
Xia Yi moved forward in the direction indicated by Gram.
Her curiosity deepened.
What was Xia Lulu’s goal in sending her here to the laurel tree?
If it was truly a gift, it could have been given before she set out for the human world—why all this secrecy and trouble?
So mysterious, so concealed.
It made no sense at all.
But the answer was about to be revealed.
“Gram, it’s here, isn’t it?”
Xia Yi stood beneath the towering laurel tree, its enormity and grandeur undiminished up close.
She could sense the vitality surrounding the laurel tree, the surge of magical power.
This seemed related to the ley lines beneath the tree.
Biden had mentioned before that the laurel tree’s roots penetrated deep into the earth, drawing magic from the underground ley lines, creating an endless supply.
The sacred tree of the elves worked the same way, right?
Truly impressive.
It was just a pity that humans now couldn’t make good use of the laurel tree’s advantage—the Infinite Rainbow Magic Circle was its limit.
Honestly, that array… forget Xia Lulu, it might struggle to withstand Lucia’s royal maid squad. Its upper limit really wasn’t high.
If this sacred tree were in the Dragon Kingdom, and Xia Lulu could harness it for infinite magic…
That thought alone was terrifying!
Buzz, buzz, buzz.
Gram flickered before the laurel tree.
“What is this…?”
Xia Yi stood before the massive trunk, deeply puzzled.
“Although this sacred tree is indeed magnificent, there’s nothing strange about it… what do you want me to see?”
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
Gram kept glowing, unmoving, staying right there.
“Could it be… right here?”
Xia Yi placed her small hand on the trunk.
She waited a long time, but nothing happened.
She almost wanted to complain, but then looked back—Gram’s flickering had changed, as if affirming her action.
That meant this was the correct way.
But why was there still nothing? Could a step be missing…?
“Hm?”
Xia Yi lifted her head, gazing at the sunlight filtering through the leaves, and seemed to realize something.
She gathered her magic and infused it into the laurel tree—like a key turning in a lock.
Her consciousness linked with the laurel tree!
Then, an image surged into her mind.
It was the battle scene beneath the laurel tree earlier—her fight with the treant king, and her victory after the clash.
The laurel tree had recorded it all.
Xia Yi closed her eyes, sinking her awareness deeper into the tree.
She saw new images.
They were of previous Laurel Academy members who had entered the central area—teachers and students alike.
Without exception, they had marveled at the laurel tree’s grandeur, approached it, then been defeated by the simulated king’s treant—and lost all memory of that battle before leaving.
“Could it be…!!”
Xia Yi’s silver eyes trembled, she staggered back several steps, staring at the lush laurel tree, slowly understanding something.
The laurel tree records the history that happens here!
When studying at the Dragon Palace, she had learned of a legend.
That on this land exists a plant called the World Tree—a divine tree above all sacred trees.
Its roots stretch to every corner of the land.
From the birth of the World Tree onward, everything that has ever happened in the world was recorded within it.
Could this laurel tree… be a miniature World Tree!!
“How long has the laurel tree existed?” Xia Yi muttered.
There were no records of its origin; even the existence of Laurel Academy itself had become untraceable—lost in ancient times.
A bold guess formed in Xia Yi’s heart.
Perhaps the laurel tree had existed since the Mythic Era.
Its ability to record was why it preserved the history of the Mythic Era—thus allowing the recreation of a treant wielding the Human King’s swordsmanship as a guardian.
If so, the laurel tree might hold the truth about the Human King’s fall—and why humanity declined from being a superior race!
Could it be…
Xia Lulu sent her here deliberately to reveal this?
Xia Yi placed her hand back on the trunk and linked her consciousness with the laurel tree again.
The closer the history, the nearer the surface, the older, the deeper it sank.
To uncover the Human King’s history, the little princess had to sink her awareness deeper and deeper.
It was extremely dangerous.
If her mind went too deep, she might never return—forever trapped in the laurel tree.
But how could she give up now?
She had come this far—no matter what, today she would learn this sealed truth.
Finally, due to Xia Yi’s daring, she plunged into the Mythic Era’s history. There, she saw a king clad in golden armor—
The Human King, ruler of humanity as a superior race.
She witnessed the memory of the Mythic Era—the Human King battling the Dragon King, holy sword in hand, holy spear in his grasp—exactly as the Ancestral Temple described!
This was it!
Xia Yi hastily searched for all historical records concerning the Human King—but at just a glance, she was utterly shaken, even her convictions wavered.
She saw the truth behind the hatred between dragons and humans.
“Why… why is it like this?”