Five days later, they finally reached their destination—the elven capital, Ampfel, at noon. In Elvish, the name meant “Sacred Land.”

Zhang Sanfeng was stunned. The elven capital, Ampfel, was unlike anything he had ever seen before.

The city spanned several dozen miles, forming a vast, circular shape. What struck him most was the absence of stone or metal in the construction; the buildings were made entirely of living trees, not wood. The city walls were formed by a unique type of tree that had no branches, only thick, round trunks. Each tree was over a meter in diameter, and they were arranged in ten rows, their tops cut off about ten meters above the ground, forming a platform. Elven warriors patrolled along the platform. The outer side of the walls was covered in thick vines, with one-inch-long thorns, a bright green color that clearly indicated they were highly poisonous. Beyond the walls, there was a wide open space of about five hundred meters, with no trees—only grass and a few paths. Clearly, the grass wasn’t ordinary, as it had been carefully cultivated for a specific purpose. After all, Ampfel had no gates. If there were no gates, why were there roads? Naturally, the grass must have been magical in some way.

Their arrival quickly stirred the entire city. Elves lined the walls and roads, eager to welcome their princess. Zhang Sanfeng and his group were cheerfully ushered into the city, floating over the walls with the aid of a levitation spell. Inside the city, every structure was a tree house—towering ancient trees, each with a trunk the size of a house. These trees were hollowed out and used as living spaces by the elves. The tree canopies were so close together that the entire city felt as though it was covered by a massive, natural roof. However, there were enough gaps to let sunlight filter through to the ground. In the center of the city stood an enormous tree house, its diameter an impressive five hundred meters, and its height almost equal—undoubtedly the royal palace.

As they made their way through the city, Zhang Sanfeng noticed how his mother greeted every elf with enthusiasm. She waved and nodded excitedly as though she knew every one of them. They were eventually led through the crowd right to the palace gates.

Upon closer inspection, the palace didn’t compare in scale or grandeur to a human king's palace. Instead, it possessed a unique, ancient elegance. The doors, windows, stairs, and railings were all crafted from living trees, naturally shaped and only lightly refined, creating an imposing yet graceful atmosphere. Zhang Sanfeng marveled at the design, but before he could admire it further, his mother suddenly leapt forward and embraced two well-dressed elves standing by the gates, bursting into tears. The entire area fell silent, with many of the elves wiping away tears of their own. After a long emotional reunion, his mother introduced Zhang Sanfeng to the two elves.

“This is my youngest son!” she exclaimed, holding Zhang Sanfeng up for them to see. “Go ahead, call her ‘Grandmother’ and ‘Auntie.’”

Zhang Sanfeng, still a little confused, asked innocently, “But... which one is Grandmother, and which one is Auntie?”

The elves around them all burst into laughter. It was understandable; with the elves' lifespan of over five hundred years, the age difference between Auntie, who was around 120, and Grandmother, who was over 300, was difficult to distinguish. To make it even more confusing, Grandmother was a highly powerful figure—one of the continent's five strongest, so she looked just as young as Auntie.

“This is Grandmother,” his mother said, still chuckling, pointing to the elf with a crown.

“Hello, Grandmother!” Zhang Sanfeng greeted her with a polite bow.

“Good boy, my grandson!” Grandmother smiled warmly.

“And Auntie, hello!” Zhang Sanfeng said, turning to the other elf.

“You’re such a cute little one!” Auntie said, pulling him into her arms for a big hug and planting a playful kiss on his cheek.

Zhang Sanfeng’s face flushed bright red. The sudden kiss was more than a little overwhelming—too exciting for him! He secretly wished she would do it again, though.

“Alright, alright, let’s head inside. No need to stand around outside,” Grandmother said, taking charge.

Auntie carried Zhang Sanfeng upstairs to the guest hall, where only a few elder elves and their family were allowed to stay. As they settled down, Zhang Sanfeng took in the lavish surroundings. The chandeliers were made of magical crystals, and the windows were fitted with the finest glass—a luxury comparable to silver in weight and value. The floors were covered with the pelts of magical beasts, and the furniture was made from genuine leather. Everything in the room exuded wealth and luxury, even surpassing what he had seen in human royal palaces.

As his mother began recounting their journey, the elves listened intently. Zhang Sanfeng, meanwhile, couldn’t help but admire the room’s opulence. When she finally finished telling her “tragic” story, Auntie immediately jumped up, ready to lead an attack on the Archbishop. However, after some persuasion, she reluctantly sat back down. Zhang Sanfeng couldn’t help but feel a surge of gratitude—it was the first time someone else had spoken up on his behalf!

“Child, come here and let your Grandmother have a look at you,” Grandmother called.

Zhang Sanfeng eagerly rushed over—this was his last chance.

Grandmother took his hand, sending a pulse of magical energy through him. She examined him carefully for a moment before turning to the elders. After some discussion, she looked back at his mother.

“This is a tricky situation,” Grandmother said thoughtfully. “You’ll need to stay here for now while we gather more information. If things don’t work out, I’ll consult with the Elven Queen. She’ll surely have the answer.”

His mother looked uneasy. “Do we really need to involve the Queen?”

“It might be necessary,” Grandmother nodded. “Alright, everyone take a break for now. I’ll host a welcome party tonight!”

The elves cheered and began to leave the room, but before they could all exit, Grandmother stopped Auntie. “Write to the Archbishop. Tell him I’m extremely displeased with this situation and demand an explanation. If I don’t get one, I’ll take matters into my own hands!”

As she spoke, a powerful aura emanated from her—Zhang Sanfeng realized that this was the true presence of one of the five strongest beings in the land.

After having some light snacks, Zhang Sanfeng and his mother went to her old chambers to rest.

“Mother, who is the Elven Queen?” Zhang Sanfeng asked, his curiosity piqued.

“She is the queen of the elemental elves,” his mother replied, settling into a chair. “Though our two races are closely intertwined, we don’t live together. The elemental elves reside deep in the Elven Forest, while our people, the high elves, are entrusted with guarding the portals.”

“Is she more powerful than Grandmother?” Zhang Sanfeng asked, his eyes wide with interest.

“Of course. The Elven Queen is nearly a divine being, a supermage capable of casting magic at the 15th level!” his mother explained.

“But… I thought 12th-level magic was considered forbidden magic?” he asked, puzzled. “How can there be magic above that?”

His mother chuckled softly. “She’s not human, she’s an elemental elf. Just like the dragons, she’s not included in the human rankings. If she were, the thousands of dragons on Dragon Island would all be more powerful than the Five Greats! As for magic levels, we categorize them based on the amount of magical energy required to cast them. For humans, the highest is 12th-level magic, and any mage who can cast it is called a Divine Mage. Historically, there have been twelve Divine Mages, but none remain today. There was, however, a Dragon Mage who once cast 13th-level magic—she had a rare opportunity, so she’s an exception. As for the Pontiffs of the Church, their great prophecy magic is around 13th-level as well, but they borrow power from the gods, paying with their life force. They rarely use it unless absolutely necessary. The elders of the dragon clans can also cast 13th-level Dragon Tongue magic, but the black and white dragons are exceptions. The black dragon elders can only cast up to 2nd-level magic, while the white dragons can cast up to 14th-level magic. The elemental elves are the most powerful, though. The Elven Queen can cast a 15th-level Forbidden Spell, while the Elf Kings can cast a maximum of 12th-level Forbidden Magic. I made a pact with a Fire Elf King, so I can borrow his power when needed. Understand?”

Zhang Sanfeng’s eyes widened in awe. “So Grandmother is a ‘Divine Mage’ too?”

“Technically, yes,” his mother nodded. “She has the ability, but all of our Elven Queens have this power, so we don’t use the human title for it.”

“Oh, I understand now!” Zhang Sanfeng said, feeling a bit enlightened.

“Good. Now, you must be tired. Get some rest. There’s more excitement to come tonight!” his mother said, patting him on the shoulder. “I’ll go take care of some things. You rest for now.”

But Zhang Sanfeng wasn’t feeling tired at all. As soon as his mother left, he turned his attention to his companion, the little creature named Gai.

“Hey, Gai, what kind of creatures are there in your family?” he asked curiously.

“My family? Us Earth Bears don’t need that sort of thing. Since I was kicked out by my mother two hundred years ago, I’ve been wandering alone,” Gai responded with a rumbling voice.

“Aw, that’s so sad! Do you have any friends?” Zhang Sanfeng asked, feeling sympathy for the little creature.

“Raaaargh, I have one!” Gai said, his tone brightening.

“Really? I didn’t think you’d have any!” Zhang Sanfeng was surprised.

“Of course we have friends!” Gai huffed.

“Is it another bear?”

“No, it’s a young green dragon! We became friends through a fight.”

“A dragon? Did you go to Dragon Island?”

“No, we met at the edge of the Elven Forest, up in the Snow Mountains. That’s where its nest was.”

“Don’t dragons live on Dragon Island?” Zhang Sanfeng asked, confused.

“Most of them do, but some prefer solitude and live on the mainland,” Gai explained.

“How did you two meet?” Zhang Sanfeng pressed.

“Ha, it’s simple,” Gai chuckled. “I was wandering the Snow Mountains, and it thought I was there to steal something, so it attacked me. We were both still young, so neither of us could land a blow. It was flying, and I couldn’t hit it, and it couldn’t get through my defense. We just sat down to talk, and slowly became friends.”

“That’s quite a unique experience!” Zhang Sanfeng said, wide-eyed with wonder.

Before they knew it, evening had fallen. Zhang Sanfeng was called to join the evening celebration, so he quickly hopped onto Gai’s back and followed the messenger to his mother.

The elven capital was buzzing with life. The streets were lit with glowing orbs of light, conjured by magical spells, making the entire city feel like daylight. Elves were singing and dancing everywhere, their laughter and joy filling the air. At the palace square, Zhang Sanfeng found his mother and grandmother, who were happily dancing and singing with the common elves, without any hint of royal pride. When his mother saw him, she immediately ran over and pulled him down from Gai’s back, insisting he join the dance.

Caught up in the infectious joy of the moment, Zhang Sanfeng couldn’t resist. He joined in, dancing and singing with everyone until dawn. It had been years since he had felt this carefree. For the first time in a long while, he felt hope for this strange new world. It was truly a magical night.