The morning mist had not yet cleared, and Lin Xing's skirt was already soaked through with dew.She clutched the yellowed sheepskin map in her hand, her fingertips scratching over the small, faded line in the corner of the map - "Misty Forest, Elf Habitat".In the letter my father had sent before he disappeared, this line was circled and circled by a red pen, the ink almost seeping through the back of the paper.
As she crossed the last thorn bush, the sight in front of her made her breath catch.The sky-high cedars were like emerald pillars reaching up to the sky, with fluorescent blue vines of light twisting between their canopies, like crushed rivers of stars falling to earth.Even more amazing were the dandelion-like creatures suspended in mid-air, each one glittering with a pearly luster, gently swaying with the breeze as if the entire forest was breathing.
"Human, you shouldn't be here."
A clear, cold voice came from above his head, and Lin Xing jerked his head up, only to see a silver-haired man leaning against a cedar branch.His robes were woven from vines and flower petals, his pale complexion was nearly transparent in the morning light, and the tips of his ears were as slender as willow leaves - a legendary elf.
She subconsciously took half a step back, and the silver chain around her waist suddenly emitted a shimmering light.It was a necklace left behind by her father, and the pendant was a strangely shaped maple leaf with an imperceptible luminescence around the edges.
The elf's pupils suddenly contracted, and his fingertips glowed with a greenish-colored halo: "Humans are really here for the holy relics."Before the words fell, countless vines suddenly sprang up from the ground, wrapping around her like living creatures.
"Wait!I'm not-"Lin Xing dodged in a panic, her feet tripped over a tree root, and the map slipped out of her arms.The elf's figure flashed and had landed in front of her, the tip of his boot stepping on the corner of the map just in time.
The moment he lowered his head, his eyes skimmed over the dense notes on the map: "Coordinates of the Elven Sacred Tree", "Tidal patterns of Lake Tear of the Moon", and "Star Trail Ritual".He ran his finger across the doodle in the lower right corner of the map, which was a small figure wearing a maple leaf necklace, and next to it was written, "Xing, wait for daddy to come home".
The vines retreated quietly, and the elf's tone softened slightly, "Human, explain yourself."
Lin Xing took the opportunity to climb up and look directly into his amber eyes, "My name is Lin Xing, my father is the human scholar Lin Xiuyuan.He disappeared three months ago after entering the Misty Forest, and I ..." Her voice suddenly choked as she gripped her necklace tightly, "I found an elf's account in his notes, so I wanted to come and find him."
The elf's expression moved slightly, his gaze falling on her necklace, "Maple leaf silver pendant...So you are Lin Xiuyuan's daughter." He raised his hand, a ball of fluorescent light condensed from his fingertips, outlining a glowing symbol in the air, "Come with me, the Elder wants to see you."
Through the layers of light vines, a village suspended between the tree canopies gradually emerged.Wooden suspension bridges connected huge tree houses, the roofs were covered with glowing moss, and in the distance came the sound of gurgling water, which actually sounded like someone whispering.
"Silverleaf, you brought humans back?" the elf maiden guarding the entrance of the village exclaimed, the bow and arrow in her hand unconsciously aimed at Lin Xing.
The elf known as Silverleaf raised his hand to signal her to put down her weapon: "She is Lin Xiuyuan's daughter, and the elders have had a meeting with that person." He turned his head to look at Lin Xing, "Remember, don't touch any of the plants here at will, and don't look directly into someone's eyes more than ten times - eye contact for elves is a very solemn matter."
Under the giant tree in the center of the village, an elf elder with white hair hanging to the ground was sitting on the roots of the tree with his eyes closed.Hearing footsteps, he slowly opened his eyes, his gaze lingering on Lin Xing's necklace for a long time: ''Sure enough, the same aura as back then...''My child, your father did come here three months ago, and he asked us about the 'Star Leaf Contract'."
"Star Leaf Pact?" Lin Xing pursued, "What is that?Is it related to father's disappearance?"
The Elder sighed, "That was a peace pact signed between humans and elves a thousand years ago, using the bloodlines of the royal families of both sides as a guide, sealed in the core of the sacred tree.But then the human king reneged on the pact, war broke out, the pact shattered, and the sacred tree was damaged as a result.Your father seems to be looking for a way to repair the pact..."
Before the words fell, the ground suddenly shook violently.A loud bang came from the sky, and smoke rose from the distant sky, accompanied by the ear-piercing sound of metal hacking.Silverleaf's face suddenly changed, ''Human logging teams!They actually found the entrance to the boundary!"
Lin Xing looked in the direction where the smoke rose and her heart tightened violently - that was exactly the location of the Sacred Tree marked on the map.She grabbed Silverleaf's wrist, "My father might be there!We have to go and take a look!"
Gazing into her anxious eyes, Silverleaf suddenly turned around and beckoned a steed woven from light vines, "Ride it and follow the fluorescent guide.Remember, no matter what happens, don't leave the Starlight Boundary around the Sacred Tree."
The horse's hooves shattered the morning mist, and Lin Xing gripped the reins tightly over the bumps.The sight ahead alarmed her: patches of cedars were falling, and amidst the roar of machinery, a few soldiers wearing royal insignia were holding up enchanted axes to chop down the thickest cedar in the center.On the trunk, countless spots of light were sliding down like tears, it was actually the holy tree bleeding.
"Father!" she suddenly saw the familiar figure under the tree, desperately holding a heavy tome to stop the soldiers.Lin Xiuyuan looked up, surprise and panic flashing in his eyes, "Xing, quickly go!They're coming for the holy relics-"
Before the words left his mouth, a soldier swung an axe at his back.Lin Xing screamed and rushed over, but he was suddenly hugged by Silverleaf and his entire body was carried into the air.Only to see Silverleaf's fingertips slice out a green blade of light, knocking the axe away, "Human, don't you want to die?"
Right at this moment, the Sacred Tree suddenly emitted a blinding light, and ancient runes surfaced on its trunk.The tome in Lin Xiuyuan's hand was windless, and the pages clattered and flipped to the last page, revealing a yellowed parchment with the same maple leaf pattern as Lin Xing's necklace painted on it.
"The key to the Star Leaf Contract...It turns out that it is in your possession." The Elder's voice suddenly resounded in his mind, "Child, attach the necklace to the rune of the sacred tree, only the royal bloodline can activate it!"
Lin Xing looked towards Silver Leaf, who nodded in greeting.She gritted her teeth and took off the necklace and rushed towards the sacred tree.The soldiers noticed her movements and turned to close in.Silverleaf opened her arms and a green barrier rose around her, clashing fiercely with the soldiers' magical swords.
The moment the Maple Leaf Silver Pendant touched the Sacred Tree, the entire forest suddenly fell silent.The runes emitted a soft glow that spread down the necklace to Lin Xing's arm, tracing the pattern of star leaves on her skin.A low resonance came from the depths of the Sacred Tree, like a heartbeat that had been sleeping for a thousand years had finally resounded.
"Xing!" Lin Xiuyuan took the opportunity to pounce over and protect her, "Listen, back then, mom was actually a princess of the elf race, and you have the blood of both humans and elves flowing through your body, which is why you were able to activate the contract-"
His words were interrupted by a loud bang as the oldest soldier leader raised his wand and a purple beam shot straight at the sacred tree.Silverleaf's barrier shattered in response, and he staggered to his knees, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.
"No!" Lin Xing watched as the beam of light was about to hit the holy tree, and suddenly blessed with the spirit, she opened her arms to block the beam.The star leaf pattern lit up in front of her chest, forming a light shield that bounced the purple beam back.
The leader of the soldiers screamed miserably and fell to the ground, and the rest of the soldiers retreated at the sight.Lin Xiuyuan took the opportunity to pick up the tome and pulled his daughter to run to Silverleaf's side: ''While we're at it, let the Sacred Tree activate the boundary!Xing, concentrate and use your heart to feel the power of the Sacred Tree."
Lin Xing closed her eyes, the eyes of Silverleaf when they first met, the gentleness of the elders when they spoke, and those beautiful light vines and starbursts in the forest came to mind.She reached out and pressed her hand against the Sacred Tree and whispered, "Please protect this place and all those I care about."
The Sacred Tree emitted a dazzling light, and countless light vines rose up into the sky, weaving a huge barrier over the forest.The lumbering team's machinery suddenly malfunctioned, and the soldiers looked at each other in dismay, eventually retreating in disarray amidst their leader's curses.
With the crisis lifted, Lin Xing leaned back against the sacred tree in a state of weakness.Silverleaf struggled to climb over, her fingertips gently touching the unfaded star leaf mark on her arm, "So...You really are the one from the prophecy."
"Prophecy?" Lin Xiuyuan froze, "Could it be the legend about the 'Son of Starleaf'?The legendary hybrid offspring of a human and an elf that will renew the contract and bring peace?"
The Elder came to their side at some point and nodded, "That's right.When the pact was broken a thousand years ago, the Sacred Tree left a prophecy that when a child with the Star Leaf bloodline appeared, it would be the opportunity for the two races to return to peace.And you," he looked at Lin Xing, "the 'star' in your name echoes the starburst of the Sacred Tree, and the Maple Leaf Silver Pendant around your neck is like the Star Leaf Pact was never truly broken."
The moonlight gradually rose and the forest returned to tranquility.Lin Xing watched as Silverleaf treated the injured elf, his focused look reminding her of her father when he was studying the ancient books.Suddenly, Silverleaf looked up, and their gazes met in the air, neither one moving away this time.
"In the Elves," Silverleaf said softly, "long eye contact means...I want to know you, the kind that goes to the marrow of your bones.Like a star leaf needs sunlight and dew, I seem to be beginning to need your presence."
Lin Xing felt her cheeks burning and scrambled to look down, only to find the Star Leaf Seal glowing faintly in the moonlight.She suddenly realized that from the moment she stepped into the Forest of Misty Hidden Forest, the name "Lin Xing" was no longer just a symbol - it was the intertwining of stars and leaves, the bond between humans and elves, and the first blossoming of a thousand-year-old prophecy in the morning light.
In the distance, the branches and leaves of the sacred tree rustled as if humming an ancient song.About the star leaves, about the contract, about the love across races, everything has just begun.