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Upon entering the elven kingdom, Tang San discovered that elves were not exclusively female; there were also males. However, their appearance was just as delicate and refined as the female elves, making it almost impossible to distinguish between the two genders with the naked eye.
It was evident that the elven race was a matriarchal society.
Within the elven kingdom, Mèng Mèng and Niàn Niàn seemed to hold some status. Every elf they encountered greeted them warmly, but the social hierarchy was not as rigid as in human society. Their interactions seemed more like casual conversations between friends.
This was a very positive aspect.
It implied that the elves did not oppress those of lower strength or status, perhaps due to the kingdom's near-limitless resources.
Tang San also learned from Mèng Mèng that the elven population exceeded one hundred million, and that the true elven kingdom spanned the entire forest. The city they were in was merely the central city of the kingdom.
Mèng Mèng and Niàn Niàn held the positions of priestesses, second only to the Elven Queen in rank. Earlier, when they went into the forest to settle matters, it was to avoid disturbing the queen.
"Can I meet the queen directly?" Tang San couldn't help but ask as they approached the thousand-meter-tall Tree of Elves.
Mèng Mèng nodded. "Of course."
Niàn Niàn looked puzzled. "Why do you ask?"
"In human society, if an outsider wants to meet a king, they usually need to go through many formal procedures..." Tang San explained in detail.
"Oh, the human world is so complicated," Niàn Niàn said after a moment of surprise. "But in our elven kingdom, we don't have so many rules. While we do have different ranks, every elf is allowed to meet the Elven Queen."
Tang San nodded slightly in understanding. "She must be a kind queen."
However, deep down, Tang San thought to himself: The elves are so pure, with hearts like those of innocent children. Apart from the mischievous moonlit elves, the others likely wouldn't harbor thoughts of betrayal unless it involved matters of faith, as with Mèng Mèng and Niàn Niàn.
But this purity was also due to their rich environment and abundant resources. In a harsher place, where natural forces couldn't quickly reshape the land, even the purest elves would become calculating.
The relationship between people and nature is a mutually influential process.
At that moment, it was as if Tang San had gained a new understanding. His soul power strengthened slightly, and his mental energy became more refined.
"My mental energy has practically reached the level of divine consciousness," Tang San thought to himself, continuing to follow the two priestesses toward the Tree of Elves.
Along the way, Tang San observed some peculiar things, such as artistic paintings.
Mèng Mèng and Niàn Niàn were indifferent to them.
After all, these artworks hadn't changed in over a hundred thousand years and had become something of a common sight.
When they arrived in front of the Tree of Elves, Tang San finally grasped the immense size of the towering tree. Its trunk alone had a diameter of over two hundred meters. Massive roots sprawled across the ground, and a staircase made of golden stone led up to a massive door, more than twenty meters tall. On either side of the entrance stood over a dozen elves—males on the left, females on the right—each holding a short spear resembling a sealed stinger. They carried longbows slung over their shoulders and quivers with green-leafed arrows strapped to their backs.
When they saw Mèng Mèng and Niàn Niàn, all the elves placed a hand over their chest: males using their right hands, females their left. Bowing slightly, they greeted in unison, "Greetings, Priestess Mèng and Priestess Niàn."
"Locke, Ariel, Yoda…"
"Frank, Aura, Grota…"
Mèng Mèng and Niàn Niàn called out the names of the guards, greeting them warmly and engaging in casual conversation for a while. This further allowed Tang San to truly witness that the elves did not maintain any rigid hierarchy. The Elven Kingdom was indeed a dreamlike realm, not only in its scenery but also in its humanistic culture.
However, in this environment of abundance, the elves' spiritual lives were somewhat lacking. Aside from the necessary tools for daily living and the crafting of weapons, their primary focus seemed to be on their faith.
Art?
It existed, but as Tang San observed along the way, their artistic creations were either styles from one hundred thousand years ago, or even two hundred thousand or three hundred thousand years ago.
Their development was extremely slow.
The primary requirement of civilization is survival, but in this plane, the elves' survival needs were fully met, so they had no urge to progress. As a result, their development had stagnated.
If they could live here forever without outside disturbance, it wouldn't be a problem. But the universe is vast, and eventually, other races would explore the stars…
Perhaps he was worrying too much, but from a broader perspective, if the Eternal Realm remained unchanged for billions of years, it would inevitably become a stagnant pool.
No matter how beautiful it once was, to higher-dimensional beings, it would become a place of stench and decay.
The elves here were spiritually unfulfilled. Their devotion to gods was likely one of the few ways they could satisfy their spiritual cravings.
Tang San had some evidence for this belief. After Mèng Mèng and Niàn Niàn's fierce duel earlier, besides their frustration with each other, there was also a subtle sense of satisfaction.
"Has the Elven Kingdom received a guest?"
A young girl suddenly appeared, skipping out of a treehouse after a guard announced their arrival. In comparison to the other elves, she was also dressed primarily in green, but her outfit was adorned with golden stripes. On her head, she wore a lotus-shaped crown, small enough to fit in one hand, tilted slightly to the right instead of being centered.
"Greetings, Queen Ellys!" Mèng Mèng and Niàn Niàn knelt on one knee in respect, and Tang San followed their lead, bowing to the small elven queen, who stood at only about 1.3 meters tall.
"Hehe, so you're a human?" Ellys hopped over to the now-standing Tang San, giving him a once-over before circling him twice. She giggled, "Your life energy is even stronger than ours."
"I wouldn't say that. Compared to you, Your Majesty, I still fall short," Tang San replied humbly.
"Haha, that's right, I'm the Elven Queen!" Ellys proudly planted her hand on her hip, pointing at the sky with the other as she tilted her head back, puffing out her flat chest, and laughed heartily.
Her personality was a bit too lively and overconfident.
Mèng Mèng coughed lightly and whispered to Tang San, "Our Elven Queen has always been the same person—Ellys. But every million years, she must undergo rebirth, washing away all memories except for [the use of her abilities, the recognition of her status as queen, and her royal duties]."
Niàn Niàn added, "We suspect that the queen's situation is similar to that of the 'Renjing' (human-elf hybrid), except that to prevent mental collapse, she erases all memories except for the essential inheritance right before the final moment."
"Each time Queen Ellys is reborn, she knows about this through the stories told by others. However, she doesn't have any personal recollection of it, so she doesn't perceive it as suicide."
"You heard that right," Niàn Niàn continued. "In the eyes of us elves, the queen's actions are considered a form of suicide…"
(End of Chapter)