Chapter 149: The Sacred Tree at the Heart of the Fairy Lake

“Mandy?” Hearing the sound of a carriage door opening, Ye Ran’s expression turned strange. Stepping down from the carriage, he saw a little fairy stretching her wings, looking groggy and half-asleep. She was standing with her hands on her hips, gazing at the shimmering lake ahead.

Ye Ran followed her gaze through the dense forest and saw vibrant blooms of chrysanthemum, wild roses, hyacinths, and irises, with butterflies fluttering among the flowers. The lush blossoms encircled the sparkling lake, and it wasn’t just his imagination—Ye Ran seemed to see tiny glimmers of light rising from the water and the flowers, spreading into the air and painting a dreamlike scene.

Though there were signs of past damage around, most had been repaired. At that moment, a dwarf was replanting a few clusters of irises back into the earth. Ye Ran knew the destruction had been caused by mercenaries brought by Andre and Andoru long ago, and a pang of discomfort stirred in his heart.

A few trolls passed by at a distance, glanced briefly at the Fairy Lake, then moved on. The wrinkled dwarf turned back, saw the little fairy Mandy, smiled knowingly, and then left.

“Ye Ran, I’ll take you to my home,” Mandy said. Seeing her homeland again, the little fairy’s mood brightened noticeably.

“Uh, did I hear that right?” Ye Ran was somewhat surprised. This fairy, known for her terrible temper and laziness—often quick to fly into a rage—had made his life difficult back at the Tauren camp.

“Hmph, if you don’t want to go, fine. I don’t care anyway,” Mandy snapped, her temper flaring again.

Ye Ran hurried to say, “I didn’t say I didn’t want to go.”

“Lois, Freya, Charlene, Elder Qianlong, come take a walk,” he called to a few companions and followed Mandy into the woods.

After passing through the thick trees, Ye Ran saw a magnificent tree glowing with radiant divine light in the center of Fairy Lake.

“That is...” The tree stood about fifty meters tall, its branches lush and full. Every branch and leaf shimmered with crystal clarity and vibrant green hues.

In the trunk was a hollow—it must be Mandy’s home.

From a distance, the tree did not look like a mere tree but rather a small island.

Ye Ran had never seen such a fantastical and magnificent sight in his life. Lois, Qianlong, and the others had heard about the tree but were seeing it for the first time.

Freya, joyful like a cat spotting dried fish, ran to the lake’s edge and excitedly waved at Ye Ran.

As they walked forward, Charlene explained, “Fairy Lake, the Immortal Sacred Tree, the home of the fairies. I never thought the legend was true.”

Her eyes were filled with nostalgia and longing as she looked at the sacred tree.

Qianlong smiled, “Many seemingly absurd legends are not baseless. Didn’t the gods also exist only in legend a thousand years ago? This Immortal Sacred Tree is said to be a branch of the World Tree, representing life and hope after the Twilight of the Gods—a tree of inheritance for the fairy lineage. It very well might be true.”

Drawing closer, they found the lake was not very deep. The Immortal Sacred Tree was rooted in the muddy lakebed, and fish happily swam around its base.

Mandy spread her wings and flew across the lake, entering the hollow.

“Uh, shall we... swim across?” Ye Ran stared dumbfounded at the sacred tree over a hundred meters from the shore. He had no flying skills, only the technique of a long leap, which was useless for crossing such a distance.

Charlene couldn’t help but laugh. “You little fool, I’ll take you there.” Without any visible movement, an invisible force gently wrapped around the three of them, slowly floating towards the Immortal Sacred Tree.

Qianlong skillfully walked across the water’s surface using his water control.

Inside the hollow, the space was exquisitely arranged. Besides Mandy’s little bed, dressing mirror, wardrobe, snacks, and an indoor swing, the most abundant items were books.

Thick volumes were neatly stacked in the bookcase, some already yellowed with age.

Mandy flew proudly in the air. “I’m a little fairy who loves to study!”

Ye Ran glanced around and noticed a door hidden behind the swing. It had a half-length sword embedded in it, though he couldn’t tell if it was carved onto the door or actually stuck in it.

Curious, he walked over and looked closely. There was no gap between the sword and the wooden door.

Ye Ran gripped the sword’s hilt. A cold sensation spread through his palm and up his arm. A flash of white light flickered before his eyes, and his hand felt as if it was burning. He hurriedly released the sword.

Looking down, he saw a faint scorch mark on his palm.

“Foolish human, that is the sword of Tyr, the God of War. It has chosen its master. No one but Tyr himself can pull this broken sword free,” Mandy explained.

“God of War Tyr?”

“Didn’t he die during the Twilight of the Gods?”

During the Twilight, the God of War Tyr perished along with the hellhound Garm.

Unlike the eternal glory of Athena and other gods, Thor, the God of Thunder, and Tyr belonged to another divine realm—one whose gods were long dead, having perished in the Twilight thousands of years ago.

Many years had passed; only Thor had been resurrected at the dawn of hope. The rest of the gods’ returns remained uncertain and far off.

Looking again at the door, Ye Ran suddenly felt as if it was not a door to a mere room but rather a gateway to another world.

“Frost giants, the fiery realm, the underworld, the heavens of the gods—those who have died shall all rise again,” Mandy intoned like a mystic, pulling a book from the shelf and reading aloud.

Ye Ran and the others exchanged glances.

Only Charlene asked, “How can the gods who died in the Twilight be resurrected? With the seeds of the Tree of Life?”

Mandy shook her head and looked at Ye Ran. “Maybe if he dies, the gods can be reborn.”

The once noisy hollow suddenly fell silent.

Freya, sitting on the swing and swaying, suddenly jumped down angrily, glaring at Mandy. She pulled out an eraser from her pocket and threw it at Mandy, then grabbed Ye Ran’s arm and stormed out of the hollow.

Mandy dodged the eraser, which arced through the air and returned to Freya’s pocket.

“Hmph, nonsense,” Lois said as she also left the hollow.

Qianlong waved his hand and followed them out, but Charlene’s expression darkened. She stayed behind and spoke with Mandy for about fifteen minutes before leaving the hollow and returning to the shore.

“We should get going, Charlene,” Ye Ran said, lowering the curtain.

Charlene forced a smile.

Just as she was about to board the carriage, a cold wind blew. Suddenly, the leaves ahead rustled violently. A large tree snapped in half from the middle. Before the five-meter-long, nearly one-meter-thick trunk could fall, a pale hand caught it and dragged it aside, then suddenly charged toward Ye Ran’s carriage.

“Whoosh!”

“Roar!”

The wind howled fiercely, and behind the trunk appeared a terrifying dark green figure radiating murderous intent.

“Demonic Stone Fan,” Qianlong gasped, shuddering at the presence.