Chapter 117: Crossing the Red Sea

“Exactly, the Dark Forest is a haven for demons and monsters; where is there a suitable place to settle? Along the way here, we barely escaped death several times from monstrous beasts. The Dark Elf King sent us—can we really trust him?”

Aduo answered immediately, “The Dark Elf King has his reasons for sending us. We just need to choose to believe in him.”

These days of guiding the journey had instilled a certain faith within her: this migration was long and significant, and the Dark Elf clan was destined to rise.

Someone remarked, “Moving from the Western Territory to the Eastern Territory is also to avoid the great purge before the Life Tree blooms. As for a home, in such a wild land, it’s useless to hold onto hope…”

“Alas, we no longer have a home. No matter where we go, it’s all the same.”

They shook their heads and sighed, feeling pessimistic about the destination ahead.

An elderly Dark Elf, leaning on a cane, approached the shore and, upon boarding the ship, said, “The Red Sea’s surface is fraught with danger. Legend has it that an ancient demon—a one-eyed giant troll—dwells here. Let’s hope we don’t encounter it, or we’re all doomed.”

Aduo clutched the crescent-shaped pendant at her chest tightly, unease stirring within her as she silently prayed, “May the light of stars and moon be with us and our king. Great Dark Elf King, please bless our safe crossing.”

As Aduo watched another small boat being gently pushed into the water, three imperial mages clad in white robes, patrolling the nearby forest, happened upon the scene from a distant hilltop. Spotting the Dark Elves, they shouted loudly, “Halt! What are you doing?”

Startled, Aduo and a few strong Dark Elf warriors had not yet boarded. Turning back, they saw the three white-robed figures running down the slope. Aduo hurriedly shouted to the boat just leaving the shore, “Row quickly! You go first, don’t worry about us!”

The oars dipped left and right, parting the foam as the boat pushed away. The dozen or so Dark Elves on the shore grabbed their weapons, readying for battle.

The white-robed mages reached the shore, their tone dripping with contempt: “Dark Elves? What sneaky business are you up to? Get off the boat immediately! You’re coming with us for investigation!”

“We haven’t broken any laws! Why should you arrest us?” Aduo spread her arms, blocking their approach.

The lead mage exchanged a look with his companions. “Dark Elves are nothing but disposable lives. Capture them as prisoners, refine their souls, and we can fetch a good price.”

The two accompanying mages smiled knowingly, their eyes cold and ruthless as they stepped forward. Though the Dark Elves were strong and sturdy, they were no match for the mages. A fierce struggle ensued.

Weapons couldn’t even touch the mages’ bodies. They unleashed bolts of lightning, and within moments, the Dark Elves were knocked to the ground, disarmed. Aduo was kicked down as well.

“Sister! Sister!” Little Lan wailed on the boat, desperate to jump into the water but was held back by those behind.

“Little Lan, don’t be impulsive. We’re no match for the mages!”

“Don’t stop me! I have to save Sister!” His voice cracked, tears streaming down his face.

“Little Lan! You must leave! Don’t worry about me!”

Aduo clung to the legs of the mages, preventing them from reaching the small boat. Suddenly, one raised his staff, casting a bolt of lightning onto the boat just departing. The waves surged violently, capsizing it instantly.

“Let them go! They’re still children!” Aduo cried out.

“Get lost!” She was kicked aside. “As long as Dark Elves gather together, even without crimes, they are pollution to the environment! Your very existence is a sin!”

“Kill this woman first!” One stepped forward, pressing a sword cold against Aduo’s throat.

Tears of fear welled up as she knelt, clutching the crescent pendant at her chest, closing her eyes. Bitter tears traced down her cheeks.

In her heart, she prayed relentlessly, “Light of stars and moon, great Dark Elf King, please protect us…”

From the overturned boat, the other Dark Elves swam ashore, burning with rage. They raised their weapons and charged.

“Come at you all!”

The three white-robed mages sneered, “A bunch of filthy rats, die!”

They raised their staffs together, lightning gathering at the tips, ready to strike. At that moment, a thunderous roar erupted from across the Red Sea.

The roar surged across the water, whipping up towering waves that smashed the small boats on the shore, shattering them against the rocks. A chilling wind swept in with overwhelming force.

“Roar! —”

The sudden blast of sound forced everyone back, waves crashing over them, soaking them through.

The roar carried an immense, unfathomable power, like an ancient slumbering beast awakening. The howling wind, sharp as blades, charged toward the mages, violently throwing their bodies into the towering rocks behind.

The other Dark Elves staggered but seized the opportunity to rescue Aduo. They hurried behind a nearby shack by the shore to shelter from the sudden gale.

The lead mage’s cloak was whipped against his face by the wind. When he pulled it away, he saw on the opposite shore a colossal black beast crouching in the forest like a mountain, its head lost in the clouds.

The group gaped in disbelief. Mist curled through the treetops, obscuring only up to the beast’s knees. Its belly was a gaping maw capable of swallowing the heavens and earth.

“A Taotie! An ancient sacred beast, the Taotie!” one mage cried in terror.

The Taotie unleashed another earth-shaking roar.

“Roar! —”

A powerful cyclone struck the three mages like cannonballs, pinning them helplessly against the rocks. Blood mixed with shattered entrails sprayed from their mouths as unbearable pain tore through their bodies. The hurricane’s core was like countless blades, slicing through their flesh.

The shack where the Dark Elves hid was smashed to pieces but only suffered from the aftershocks. The roar swept over the sea, beach, and forest before gradually fading.

The three severely disfigured mages were utterly terrified. Their last sight before death was a grand voice echoing from the misty forest across the sea, resonating through the heavens and earth, shaking the eardrums of all present.

The voice declared, “Those who wrong the Dark Elves shall die!”

The cliff, cracked by the roar, suddenly collapsed, rocks tumbling down to bury the three white-robed mages’ bodies beneath.