Secret Of Long Lifespan

Raymond could swear he saw the anger manifesting in the form of angry rabbits over everyone else's head when Elder Snowfang refused to take action.

"Elder Snowfang! You're supposed to lead us by example. We sleep peacefully at night knowing there are people like you protecting us. What are we supposed to do if you abandon us like this?"

A female elf raised her fist and asked with indignation.

"Calm down, young lady!" Elder Snowfang rebuked. "I am not abandoning anyone. I am just trying to save your lives!"

"What do you mean, Elder?" another tall elf, holding a bow and arrow, bawled. "Your inaction against the man who strolled in here and killed one of our Elders is nothing short of abandoning us when you were needed the most!"

"Precisely," Elder Snowfang deadpanned. "This man strolled in here and killed one of the Elders who is supposed to be the apex of power around here. And he did that alone without anyone's help!

"Do you seriously think you can gang up on him and he will let you do it? When did you all become so stupid?"

The elves started to look at things from a different angle once they heard Elder Snowfang's reasons.

Indeed, if a guy could act so brazenly in a hostile territory, what did it mean?

It meant one of two things, either the guy was extremely stupid and arrogant or he was extremely strong and arrogant.

"Elder Snowfang, what do you want us to do?" the female elf found her strength and asked. "You're not suggesting that we should leave him alone, right?"

"The Elven Council is going to punish him, right?" she asked and her face darkened when Elder Snowfang averted his eyes. "Right?"

"Stop trying to put words into my mouth, young lady! Like I said before, he is beyond our ability to punish!" Elder Snowfang shouted back. These upstarts were going to get him killed.

He had just begun his beautiful life, he did not want to die in vain.

"Young man, you said your name was Ray?" asked Elder Snowfang.

Raymond, who was munching on some tasty leaves while enjoying their arguments, blinked.

"Ahh, yes. My name is Ray."

"Since you have explained everything and Elder Barhawk still decided to harm you first, we will consider this as self-defence and will spare you this time."

"The fuck are you talking about old man? I was the one who told him to attack! That was no self-defence!"

What the hell? There were still few elders to loot. If this guy just accepted defeat, then he would be in the wrong if he pillaged them.

Raymond Clover does not rob innocents!

Elder Snowfang shot him a quizzical look.

What the hell? He was giving this brat a way out and the brat was refusing to accept it.

Elder Snowfang could not believe his ears.

Was he hearing right?

"Cough! This young man, you shouldn't joke in a serious situation like this," Elder Snowfang coughed and stealthily signalled for Raymond to shut the fuck up.

"I am not joking. I killed his son and offered him a chance to avenge his death," Raymond chose to ignore the gestures made by Elder Snowfang and continued. "Naturally, he failed to do so and I killed him in retaliation. I can't have him scheming behind my back by sparing him now, can I?"

"You tyrant! Did you kill Lord Elion? How dare you?"

Elion must have been friends with these youths. Revelation about his death ticked them off.

They were already furious with Ray for trespassing and killing one of their Elders. How could they stomach it if a young man from their age group was killed off by him?

"Yes, yes, I killed him. He was mad and mad dogs must be put to rest!" Raymond quickly realised that badmouthing Elion was the best way to piss them off.

"Argh! Kill him!"

And so it began as the hot-blooded youths charged at Raymond with every intention to give him an agonising end.

Or so they hoped.

-Ice Wall-

Before they could get closer to Raymond, a gigantic wall made of ice suddenly rose from the ground and they ran face first into the wall.

"Gah!"

"Argh!"

"Wha—"

"Elder! This is unfair!"

"Yeah, if you're not going to do anything then step back and let us avenge our brother!"

"You ungrateful pigs! Stop whining! I just saved your lives!" Elder Snowfang roared furiously.

This was the worst day of his life. Why did he decide to visit the World Tree today? If he had just stayed in his house and cultivated, he wouldn't have had to deal with this messy situation.

He should've just accepted the invitation from Elder Greenwood and attended his tea ceremony at the least.

Tasting his shitty experimental brew was far better than this.

"What do you mean, Elder?"

One of the ungrateful pigs raised his voice. As if on cue, a crack resounded in the forest as a visible fissure appeared on the huge wall, and before their very eyes, it shattered into millions of pieces, sending bits of ice everywhere.

Raymond flicked his finger against the wall and destroyed it easily.

As soon as Raymond stepped out from the destroyed wall, a heavy silence descended on the spot.

The people gathered stared at him fearfully and slowly started to back off.

Elder Snowfang secretly let out a breath he was holding. If a bunch of people died on his watch, it would weigh heavy on his conscience for the rest of his life.

Fortunately, these kids seemed to have come to their senses.

"Young man, stop goading them! What is your intention? You've already dealt with Lord Barhawk. So, please leave."

Elder Snowfang was almost pleading at this point. If not for maintaining his dignity in front of his fellow tribesmen, he would've already kowtowed.

'So, that's why the elves lived longer than humans!' Raymond had a flash of realisation.

If they had a smart guy like Elder Snowfang, it would explain their low mortality rate.

"Hmph. Where is your arrogance? Where is your dignity? Are you really not going to avenge your fellow elf?" Raymond asked, just in case they changed their mind.

""No, we're good!""

"Tch, cowards!" Raymond spat indignantly.

***

"Elder Silvershade, is it safe outside?" asked Celestia as she tried to spread her senses outside the house.

If someone was planning an ambush, they already missed a good chance.

Celestia could not comprehend why they were delaying their sneak attack.

"First Lady, there is nothing wrong outside!" Elder Silvershade said, perplexed.

"So, it is not an ambush then?" she asked.

"Yeah, First Lady. It seems so."

Elder Silvershade opened the door fully and stepped outside after making sure that there was no one nearby.

"Elder Greenwood and Elder Clearmoon, please provide cover to the First Lady. We will move in a triangular formation with the First Lady in the middle."

Elder Clearmoon nodded grimly and gestured for Elder Greenwood to take position with her behind Celestia as she followed Elder Silvershade outside.

"This seems familiar…" Celestia mused as she observed the fog covering the house.

Instead of feeling apprehensive about the ambush, there was a sense of familiarity and peacefulness rising inside her chest.

Almost as if she was being cradled in her mother's arms—

"Wait a minute!" Celestia stopped in her tracks and the rest of the Elders did the same.

"My Lady, what is the problem?" Elder Greenwood asked.

"Nothing, there is no one waiting in ambush!" Celestia quickly came to the conclusion that it was all the World Tree's doing.

Why would the World Tree cut off her connection with the outside?

"We need to hurry. There is something I must verify!" Celestia ordered and a pair of golden wings sprouted from her back, lighting the place in an instant.

"Head to the World Tree!" she shouted before taking off in a particular direction.

For some unexplainable, bizarre reasons her heart started hammering against her ribcage as she neared the World Tree.

Her hands became clammy and her teeth started clattering without her control.

Celestia couldn't wait to reach the World Tree and she extended her perception range as a result.

"What is happening?" Celestia questioned herself as she noticed her unwarranted nervousness and landed on a nearby tree to calm down and take a breather.

"Tch, cowards!"

"That voice!" Celestia lost her footing and desperately flapped her wings to regain her flight just before she smashed into the ground.

Thankfully, she avoided the accident and started flying.

"My Lord~" Celestia cooed. "You're here."

As if in a trance, her wings stretched out and Celestia glided towards the World Tree in a stunned stupor.

When and how did her dear lord end up here?

Celestia chuckled. This was good. She could finally meet him.

There was no need to hide when he came knocking on her door. Ronan could die and go to hell if he had something to say about this.

No one was going to stop her from seeing her lord

"Fufu~ I am coming, My Lord!"