Chapter 929 – Child of the Tree of Life

“It’s the ‘Life Cocoon’ at the top of the tree! It’s matured!”

“Look! It’s… it’s about to fall!”

Cries of astonishment rippled through the tranquil tribe like waves across still water. The elves lifted their heads in unison, their gazes converging upon the crown of the Tree of Life, where seven or eight “Life Cocoons” hung, each radiating a soft green glow.

Whenever an elf couple decided to bear offspring, they would come to the base of the tree and perform the sacred “Life Bonding Ceremony,” entrusting their fused soul energy to the Tree of Life, which would use its power to coalesce a unique Life Cocoon on their behalf.

After decades or even centuries, the Life Cocoon would mature and fall, and the elves could then quickly incubate their child.

Among all the hanging cocoons, one was very special.

It had not been conceived by any elf. Rather, on an unremarkable dawn, accompanied by the first ray of sunlight piercing through the forest mist, the Tree of Life had naturally coalesced it on its own. It was a child of the Tree of Life.

It hung from the highest branch, emanating a deeper green glow than any of the other Life Cocoons, and its growth had been far slower than the rest.

Now, this Life Cocoon seemed to have finally absorbed enough energy. Cradled by the Tree of Life’s gentle forces of nature, it drifted serenely free from its branch.

Every elf held their breath, their eyes following the slowly descending Life Cocoon, hearts brimming with anticipation.

Under the gaze of countless watching eyes, the emerald-green cocoon of light settled soundlessly onto the thickest, softest patch of moss beneath the tree.

The instant it touched the ground, the cocoon walls unfurled outward, layer by layer.

Life energy of extraordinary richness transformed into a pale green luminous mist, drifting outward like gossamer veils. The air was instantly filled with a refreshing fragrance—invigorating and sublime—like a rain-washed forest mingled with a hundred blooming flowers.

The mist gradually dispersed, revealing the figure within the cocoon.

A newborn elf infant lay quietly in the center of the blossoming “cocoon bed.”

She had the typical pointed ears of a nature Elf, and her pale golden skin seemed steeped in forest sunlight and honeydew.

A head of soft, pale green curls—like newly sprouted vines—framed her small, delicate face.

Then she opened her eyes.

What eyes they were!

Like the finest jade, clear and bright, yet deep within them lay a stillness and knowing that utterly belied the infant body they belonged to.

The moment Mo Lan opened her eyes, she found her vision filled with unfamiliar faces.

They all had pointed ears. Their skin was luminously fair, and their hair colors read like a forest palette—silver-white, emerald green, deep brown, and even fiery red like autumn leaves. They wore garments fashioned from leaves, vines, and soft fabrics, and they exuded the fresh scent of sunlight, vegetation, and clean earth.

Tall adult elves, lithe young elves, and even an elf toddler held in someone’s arms, equally wide-eyed and peering curiously—all gazed at her now with an almost uniform, undisguised expression of wonder.

Mo Lan understood. These elves watching her with wonder and delight must be the “kin” of her current identity. She just didn’t know which of them were her parents.

According to the inherited memories, elves passively received a portion of foundational inherited memories while still inside their Life Cocoon.

Therefore, although a newborn elf’s body was small, their consciousness was no blank slate. They possessed at least a basic understanding of their own race—nothing like the utter ignorance of a human infant. So Mo Lan saw no need to feign cluelessness.

Still, being stared at unblinkingly by so many pairs of eyes did make her feel a subtle twinge of embarrassment.

Instinctively wanting to break the silence, Mo Lan parted her lips slightly, attempting to produce some sound—or perhaps utter a simple greeting.

However—

“Ee… yah…”

A string of soft, muddled, entirely meaningless syllables tumbled uncontrollably from her mouth.

“!!!”

Mo Lan herself froze first.

What happened?

She quickly identified the problem.

Inherited memories could grant a young elf knowledge, but they couldn’t instantly alter an elf’s physiology. Her vocal cords hadn’t fully developed yet—she was incapable of producing complex sounds.

A miscalculation… Even with inherited memories, the hardware couldn’t keep up!

A surge of mingled helplessness and amusement welled up inside her.

A flicker of unmistakable vexation passed through her emerald eyes, and her tiny brows furrowed slightly.

This expression, however, was interpreted quite differently by the elves who had been watching her closely.

“Look! She’s trying to speak!”

“What a brilliant child! She’s already trying to communicate with us right after being born!”

“Those eyes, so full of spirit! As expected of a child of the Tree of Life!”

Even gentler gazes converged upon her, interpreting her babbling entirely as a sign of extraordinary giftedness.

Mo Lan: “…”

Well, it seemed that misunderstandings were just part of fitting in.

She abandoned the idea of attempting verbal communication right away, resuming her posture of quiet observation. In her mind, however, she silently moved “gain control of this body as soon as possible—at minimum, learn to speak” to the very top of her agenda.

But a child of the Tree of Life?

Surely it wasn’t what she thought it was!

The inherited memories did mention that the Mother Tree and the Trees of Life grown from its branches all possessed the ability to directly coalesce Life Cocoons.

The very first high Elves had been birthed directly by the Mother Tree.

Over time, however, such elves had become exceedingly rare. Whenever one did appear, they were invariably possessed of extraordinary talent—their bloodline far more powerful than that of elves born through the Tree of Life’s assistance to elf couples.

Just then, an elder elf with entirely white hair and beard, draped in an ancient robe of moss, approached carrying a green blanket woven from leaves of the Tree of Life. With gentle movements, she swaddled Mo Lan’s tiny body.

Where the leaves touched her skin, they brought a wondrous sense of comfort and security, as though she were still nestled inside her Life Cocoon.

Then the elder’s steady, warm arms carefully lifted her up, cradling her securely.

Her vantage point rose abruptly, and Mo Lan could now see more clearly a corner of the vibrant elf tribe sheltered beneath the enormous canopy.

Then she heard the elf holding her speak:

“Welcome, child of the Tree of Life. May the blessings of the forest be with you!”

Unable to respond with words, Mo Lan could only tilt her small face upward, gazing earnestly at the old elf with those clear, jade-green eyes, trying to convey her goodwill through her gaze alone.

The elder seemed to receive her silent message. The kind smile on her face deepened slightly. She gently adjusted her arms so that Mo Lan could rest more comfortably in the crook of her elbow, then turned to the gathered elves. Her voice was gentle yet carried clearly to all:

“From this day forward, she is a member of our Emerald Green Tribe!”

The elves responded in unison: “Yes! Chieftain Matil!”