Alfheim: the realm of the elves.
These elves were not the Dark Elves of Svartalfheim.
The Dark Elves were merely one branch of the elven race.
Compared to the true elves, they were nothing more than poor relatives from some remote and barren land.
The true elves had always looked down on the Dark Elves led by Malekith, believing they had tainted the noble bloodline of the elven race.
The grudge between the two branches had lasted for thousands of years.
Even now, they still found each other displeasing.
And this was also a major reason why the elves maintained good relations with Asgard.
The news that Odin’s biological younger brother was coming to Alfheim had already stirred up a storm throughout the realm.
The elves were all eagerly waiting for Leon, and some beautiful female elves had even dressed themselves up early.
The elven race had been friendly with Asgard for generations, and Asgardian nobles also liked marrying elven women.
Elven women were famous throughout the Nine Realms for their delicate bodies, soft figures, and beauty.
In addition, elves aged far more slowly than ordinary people, so many elven women were extremely popular across the Nine Realms.
As Leon was Odin’s biological younger brother and held an extraordinary position in Asgard, the moment news of his mission to Alfheim spread, many elven women had already begun to form certain thoughts.
Boom!
A dazzling pillar of light shot straight down from the sky.
Before long, several heavily armored soldiers walked out from the pillar of light.
“So this is Alfheim?” The brave soldiers split into two lines on the left and right.
Immediately after, a handsome young man also walked out from the Bifrost.
“Cough, cough!” Leon’s stomach churned violently.
He coughed heavily, then looked up at the sky and cursed in a low voice, “Heimdall, you brute.
Couldn’t you go a little slower?” “Uh…” Many elves looked at one another, seemingly not expecting this kind of situation.
Among them, the leading elven man called out to Leon, “Are you His Highness Wells?” Although Leon was no longer Asgard’s little prince, he was still a first-rank prince of Asgard.
In the eyes of the elves, he was still an important figure of Asgard.
Leon quickly withdrew his gaze.
He followed the voice and looked over, only to discover that the area in front of him was already filled with “people.” In Alfheim’s prophecy, the elven race was a sacred race of heaven and earth, blessed by the Goddess of Nature.
Therefore, every elf was handsome or beautiful.
There were almost no ugly people among them.
Just as Leon was sweeping his gaze over the elves’ appearances, the elven man who had spoken had already walked to Leon’s side.
Looking at the dignified Leon, the man smiled and said, “Your Highness, I didn’t expect you to have already grown into an adult.
Back then, I even attended your birth celebration banquet!” Hearing the man’s words, Leon withdrew his gaze.
“You… are the Grand Elder of the elven race?” Back when Leon was born, King Bor had specially held a grand banquet in Asgard.
Some powerful figures from the Nine Realms who were friendly with Asgard had all been invited, and among them was the Grand Elder of the elven race.
In Leon’s understanding, the elven race could be considered an oddity among the Nine Realms.
It had existed for a very long time, and its history could even be traced back hundreds of thousands of years.
But strangely, even now, it had not developed any centralized civilization.
The power of the elven race was jointly held by ten elders, and the person before Leon was the Grand Elder of the elven brothers.
Leon had originally thought that the Grand Elder of the elven race would be a strong middle-aged man with mature charm.
But he never expected that this person, who looked only a few years older than him, would be the Grand Elder of the elven race, an old monster who had lived for thousands of years.
His fair skin set off his faintly peach-colored lips.
His handsome and prominent features, perfect face shape, and especially the diamond earring on his left ear that flashed with dazzling light added a trace of unruliness to his sunny handsomeness.
Did the elven race choose its leaders based on looks?
At this moment, a strange emotion rose in Leon’s heart.
“Your Highness!” The Grand Elder warmly took Leon’s hand.
“Asgard has finally sent someone over.
I feel that for this matter, no one but you people can handle it!” “All right, all right…” Leon was made somewhat confused by the elven Grand Elder.
He nodded repeatedly.
But after the Grand Elder finished speaking, Leon also sensed that something was wrong.
He carefully said, “Didn’t I just come to casually visit Alfheim?” At this moment, Leon had already cursed the advisory group under his elder brother countless times in his heart.
He had originally thought this trip to Alfheim was merely an ordinary diplomatic visit related to the transition of Asgard’s new king.
He never expected that there was actually a mission behind it.
“Damn it!” Leon cursed angrily in his heart.
Although his strength was extraordinary, when it came to schemes and political tricks, he still could not outplay the politicians under his elder brother.
“Hm?” The Grand Elder looked at Leon strangely.
“Your Highness, you don’t know?
Something has gone wrong with our Tree of Life.
Long ago… we sent a request for help to Asgard.
When King Bor was still in power, he personally promised me that he would help us resolve this matter.
Your Highness… did you not come because of this?” The Grand Elder looked at Leon suspiciously, and a trace of doubt appeared in his gaze.
“Hahaha…” Leon laughed dryly, then said loudly, “Of course.
Of course I came for this matter.
My royal brother personally told me about it…” Leon awkwardly rubbed his nose, while in his heart, he cursed Odin’s advisory group countless more times.
Hearing Leon’s words, the Grand Elder nodded with relief.
“Good, good.
Then let us head to the Tree of Life immediately…” Leon originally wanted to refuse, but seeing the excitement on the Grand Elder’s face, he felt somewhat too embarrassed to speak.
He could only allow the Grand Elder to hold his hand while the group began walking toward the depths of Alfheim.
Everyone stopped before the entrance of a forest.
Seeing the lush green forest ahead, the elves looked as if they had seen a demon.
They stared at the forest entrance with incomparable fear.
“Your Highness!” The Grand Elder released Leon’s hand, which he had been holding.
He gestured for Leon to walk forward, while he himself quickly retreated.
“Your Highness, I already told you the details of the problem on the way here.
The rest will depend on you!” After saying that, the Grand Elder led the elves and fled the place in panic.
“Your Highness…” The many soldiers who had followed Leon to Alfheim also looked at him with confused faces.
Even now, they still had not understood what was going on.
Leon straightened his clothes, then gave the soldiers an order.
“Guard this place.
Do not let anyone enter.
I… will go in and take a look.” On the way here just now, the Grand Elder had already roughly explained the situation to Leon.
This matter was very strange.
He did not want these Asgardian soldiers to lose their lives for nothing.
The cavalrymen said anxiously, “Your Highness…” Leon waved his hand and stopped the soldiers from speaking.
“No need to say more.
Just remain stationed here…” After saying that, Leon did not say anything else.
He turned and walked into the forest.
The Tree of Life was the foundation upon which the elven race depended for survival.
Whenever every elf was born, their parents would go beneath the Tree of Life and pray.
And elves who received the blessing of the Tree of Life would be specially cared for by the elders of the elven race.
In the future, they would rise to glory and become part of the elven race’s upper ranks, even reaching the level of elder.
“The time here seems different from outside…” The moment Leon walked into the forest, he noticed the changes around him.
Time here seemed different from outside.
Leon had only taken two steps, yet it felt as if a very long time had passed.
“One to one hundred, or one to one thousand…” When they came here earlier, the Grand Elder of the elven race had told Leon about this matter.
Some elves living in the forest had actually begun to slowly show signs of aging.
To the elven race, aging was a nightmare even more terrifying than death.
This phenomenon had started decades ago.
At first, the elves did not take it seriously, because in their hearts, the Tree of Life was omnipotent.
It possessed the ability to regulate itself, and there should be no difficulty it could not eliminate.
However, things did not develop as the elves had expected.
When the first clansman began to die, the elders of the elven race also realized the seriousness of the situation.
Death had actually appeared beneath the Tree of Life.
Then could the Tree of Life still continue to protect the elven race?
Asgard had always been on good terms with Alfheim.
In the hearts of many elves, Asgard was like an elder brother.
Therefore, the Grand Elder had told Bor about this matter, hoping that Asgard could lend a hand to this little brother.
Unfortunately, this matter ultimately fell into Leon’s hands.
“Sigh.
If it were someone else, they might truly have no way to deal with this.
But that… does not include me!” As he spoke, he once again clenched the Reality Stone in his hand.
Boom— The surroundings appeared silent, as if nothing had changed at all.
But in the dark, the air seemed to stop, becoming incomparably light.
“Heh…” Leon chuckled softly, then strolled forward.
Before long, Leon reached the very center of the forest.
There stood an incomparably magnificent giant tree.
Its body was several hundred zhang wide, and its trunk shot straight into the clouds, its end impossible to see at a glance.
Leon stared at the scene before him, tongue-tied.
Suddenly, he seemed to remember something.
“The Tree of Life?
Is this… the World Tree?” “I did not expect that there would still be someone in the Nine Realms today who knows of the World Tree’s existence!” At that moment, an ancient voice suddenly rang beside Leon.
It seemed to have come from the distant past.
From that voice, Leon sensed an extremely ancient aura.
The voice continued, “How surprising.
I did not expect you to carry the aura of some old friends.”