The crying continued, and Jin Bao'er was starting to worry about the little girl's throat!
The Elf King could no longer stand it. He casually handed her to a nearby attendant, his patience completely exhausted!
"You handle her!"
However, as soon as the attendant held the little girl, she cried even more fiercely, punching him directly in the face and leaving him with matching black eyes!
Helpless, the Elf King had to take her back. If force didn't work, he'd try gentleness! Just as he was about to comfort her softly, the little girl seized the opportunity and bit down on his arm. Her sharp baby teeth sank into his flesh, causing the Elf King to gasp in pain!
"That's enough! Cry again and I'll lock you up!"
Perhaps hearing a familiar phrase, the little girl froze. She looked up at him with wide, fearful eyes, her face streaked with tears and terror. Her face instantly turned pale, making her look exceptionally pitiful and heart-wrenching!
What was meant as a threat surprisingly worked. The Elf King finally breathed a sigh of relief. Looking into the little girl's frightened eyes, he felt a pang of regret.
Seeing the little girl's unusual reaction, Jin Bao'er instantly understood. Since the baby had gained consciousness, she had been imprisoned in a lifeless cage by the Ghost King Salen for an unknown number of years...
Having finally escaped, she naturally feared the loneliness and solitude she had endured. A scare like this would surely bring back memories of her past.
With that thought, her eyes chilled. Her people would never be bullied like this!
"Baby..."
A familiar, gentle voice reached her ears. The little girl tilted her head slightly and met those familiar eyes and that familiar presence. The fear and terror in her eyes were instantly replaced by grievance and helplessness. She pushed the Elf King away forcefully and rushed into Jin Bao'er's arms...
"Waa... woo woo... Big sister, baby is scared, baby doesn't want to be locked up! Woo woo... Don't leave me! Baby won't cry anymore, baby will be good from now on, hic... Big sister, don't go..."
As she spoke, the little girl suppressed the urge to cry and looked up, her tear-filled eyes filled with pleading!
Clearly, she thought that when Jin Bao'er didn't catch her after they landed on the Elf Continent, it was because she no longer wanted her. She also remembered that her big sister didn't like her crying, so she was trying very hard to hold back her tears. Her pathetic little appearance made even the cold-hearted Jin Bao'er unable to help but feel pity.
"Good girl, big sister isn't leaving you! From now on, cry whenever you want to cry! You don't have to hold back! Big sister isn't leaving! I promise!"
Even she was surprised. Could this gentle, delicate voice really be hers?
Perhaps reassured by the trustworthy promise, the little girl clung tightly to her clothes and slowly fell asleep in her arms, tears still clinging to her long eyelashes, making her look exceptionally pathetic and fragile.
The Elf King, who had witnessed everything, was also astonished! This little girl, whom more than thirty elves couldn't comfort, was put to sleep by this human cultivator with just a few words?
Recalling the time the little girl had appeared, understanding flashed in the Elf King's eyes! It seemed this woman had brought her back. It was no wonder... how could a mere Nascent Soul stage cultivator possess such immense power to traverse the barrier...
After Jin Bao'er confirmed the little girl was fast asleep, she let go and intended to send her into her immortal mansion, only to find it locked!
Instantly, she knew who had done it! Long Li Xing!! Was it her immortal mansion or Long Li Xing's? She, the owner, couldn't even open it!
Helpless, she held the little girl and looked up to see a large group of elves staring at her with disbelief.
The Elf King, however, smiled. His already impossibly beautiful face exuded a faint, radiant glow. His exquisite features were flawless, and even the spiritual energy in the air seemed to ripple.
"Haha, you human have many peculiar aspects, it seems. You've actually gained the reliance of Mother!"
She didn't pay much attention to the first half of the sentence, but the latter half... Jin Bao'er was bewildered... Mother? Who?
Perhaps sensing her confusion, the Elf King pointed cautiously at the little girl in her arms, then looked resigned.
"You don't know, do you? We elves are born from the Elf Tree. To us, the tree is our mother! A long time ago, the Elf Tree bloomed its first flower..."
The general gist was that the Elf Tree, which gave birth to life, bloomed, and a tiny figure could vaguely be seen within! In their joy, all the elves guarded it day and night. When the flower finally matured and opened, the Phoenix clan, who lived alongside them on the Elf Continent, seized the opportunity, flew over the mountains, and destroyed half of their homeland.
After everything settled down, the flower fully opened, but it was empty! The little figure had vanished. At the same time, the Elf Tree, as if losing a child, began to wither.
This led to the escalation of the conflict between the Elf clan and the Phoenix clan, and they completely fell out.
For the past few centuries, they had been in constant conflict, despising each other!
Today, the little girl suddenly fell from the sky and landed directly on the Elf Tree, instantly revitalizing the entire trunk with vitality and emitting an extremely powerful life aura, attracting the attention of many elves.
Jin Bao'er lowered her gaze, looking at the little girl in her arms with a complex expression. Was this why she was called Mother? It made sense, yet she looked like a mere five or six-year-old child, prone to crying and innocent, yet her status was so noble.
Not the Heart of the Elves, but the Mother of the Elves!
"So... could you please return her? The farther the Elf Tree is from her, the weaker its aura becomes. If this continues, the entire Elf Continent may lose its vitality, and neither the Phoenix clan nor the Elf clan will be able to survive."
His tone was incredibly sincere, completely different from before! Jin Bao'er was half-believing, half-doubting. She couldn't just believe him after hearing his story.
"She's not letting go now. I'll take her there."
Whether it was true or false, she would know once she brought the baby closer.
Upon hearing this, the elves' expressions changed, and they began to whisper amongst themselves.
"Will it be dangerous to let an outsider approach the Elf Tree?"
"Even if Mother approves of her, what if she's good at pretending and harms the Elf Tree?"
"Besides, she carries the aura of the Bird and Flower clan. She could be a spy sent by them!"
Many voices of opposition arose, but Jin Bao'er stood expressionless, her gaze fixed on the Elf King, silently persisting.
"I think we can take her there!"
A childish voice came from behind her, and then all eyes turned to the small boy! Lina was startled and quickly grabbed the boy, trying to stop him from speaking...
However, the boy who had been hiding behind Lina now seemed exceptionally determined. Suddenly noticed by everyone, he appeared somewhat flustered, but he still tried his best to overcome his nervousness and not hide behind others.