Shock lingered in Xixi and Lulu’s eyes. Even though they had been in hiding on the continent for over 100 years, they were magic casters themselves, so they had heard of all of the most renowned figures in the magic world. In particular, they were quite familiar with the infamous fight between fire and ice.
Now, the legendary Lord of Ice was sitting right in front of them.
They had experienced Urien’s terrifying ice magic the night prior, but neither of them made the connection between him and that legendary magic caster.
However, they didn’t have time to marvel at Urien’s identity, as their attention had been drawn to the small green box in his hand. Xixi hesitated momentarily before striding forward and accepting the box, upon which tears immediately welled up in her eyes.
The box was a little antiquated, and there was a string of peculiar symbols lining its surface. The symbols appeared a little jumbled and haphazardous, but they struck Xixi and Lulu with a strong sense of nostalgia.That was the language of the dryads. Those were symbols that were unique to them, and they had never seen those symbols ever since they had left the Night Forest over a century ago.
Xixi gently ran her finger over the signature on the lower right corner of her box. She was excited yet grief-stricken as she said, “It really is the Great Dryad.”
“He gave it to me over 100 years ago. There should be a special dryad seal on it; I’ve never opened the box,” Urien said.
Xixi nodded, and quickly scanned the text on the box with her eyes. She turned her left palm upward, and a small seedling with only a single green leaf at its tip appeared in her hand. The seedling slowly flew toward the box in her right hand, and that green leaf came into contact with the box.
It was as if a stone had been tossed into a calm lake. The symbols on the antiquated green box lit up one after another, and the box itself rose slowly into the air. Bursts of rainbow light erupted from it, illuminating the flowing sand particles that were swirling on the surface of the box, creating a very spectacular sight.
Xixi’s hand flew to her mouth, and she exclaimed, “That’s… the Great Dryad’s Flowing Sand World!”
“It really is the Flowing Sand World.” Lulu was also extremely excited, and his lips trembled as he was struck by the urge to kneel before the box.“Flowing Sand World? That old bloke sure is daring. Wasn’t he afraid that I would take it for myself?” Urien sat bolt upright in his lounge chair, and there was also a hint of surprise in his eyes as he stared at the shimmering little box that was hanging in midair. He then got up and closed the door to his shop.
The Flowing Sand World was an independent small world.
The dryads nurtured the World Tree, which was renowned for its ability to create a true small world. The Flowing Sand World was the small world that had been created by the previous World Tree, and it was placed under the care of the Great Dryad.
After that, the dryads fell, and the World Tree was toppled, so no one knew where the Flowing Sand World had gone.
Only the Great Dryad knew of its location, while his other brethren didn’t even know in what form it existed in this world. They could only see it when offering sacrifices to their ancestors, and it was constantly being presented to them in different forms even then.
The only constants were the rainbow light and the swirling sand.
Upon coming into contact with that rainbow light, Xixi’s World Tree also appeared to be very excited. It wiggled its branches and bathed within the light. Soon, the green leaf at the tip of the tree grew larger in size, and appeared to be filled with vitality.
Right at that moment, the light from the box flashed, and the projection of a humanoid figure appeared. It showed an old man with white hair, wearing a set of green magician robes. His features appeared very benevolent, and he appraised Xixi and Lulu with a warm smile as he said, “Xixi, Lulu, you’re all grown up now.”
“Great Dryad.” Both Xixi and Lulu stepped back, and extended a respectful salute. Both looked at the projection of the old man and tried their hardest to repress their sorrow.
“Don’t be said, children. You two are the only ones who can carry on our legacy. I’m very happy to see you two again, and the new World Tree as well. That tells me that I entrusted the heart of the World Tree to the right people.” Freuden was quite elated as he looked at the tiny World Tree seedling.
Xixi also looked at the little seedling, and said self-critically, “But… Great Dryad, Xixi hasn’t done a good job in protecting the World Tree. It’s almost completely wilted, and I couldn’t make it thrive and prosper.”
Freuden shook his head, and praised, “No, you’ve already completed the mission I assigned to you by hatching the World Tree. The werewolves have been hunting the two of you, and the elves have also been searching for you, so you must have suffered a lot during these years. You two are already the heroes of the dryads for being able to accomplish what you have so far.
“Now, I’m entrusting the Flowing Sand World to you. During that battle all those years ago, the Flowing Sand World was almost destroyed. I used up the last shreds of nature power I had to hold it together, but the world is in a very unstable state, so no one can enter.” The little box in front of Freuden hovered toward Xixi. His eyes shimmered with a faint light as he said, “Plant the World Tree here, and use its power of laws to reform the Flowing Sand World. Build a new world upon the ruins of the Flowing Sand World. If this world has renounced us dryads, then we’ll just have to create a new one, and stage a resurgence. All of that will fall upon your shoulders.”
Xixi gently caught the shimmering little box, and smooth flowing sand covered her right hand before swirling along her arm. It encompassed her entire body practically in the blink of an eye, leaving only her neck, head, and hands exposed. It was as if a rainbow dress had draped itself over her body.
Xixi closed her eyes, and could sense a certain connection forming between herself and the Flowing Sand World. The World Tree slowly hovered toward the box before taking root on it. Those roots grew at a rate that was perceptible to the naked eye, and they gripped the box tightly as if they were tentacles.
The wilted seedling took root on the antiquated green box, and rainbow sand swirled around it, creating a peculiar scene that was also somehow very harmonious.
Lulu stared at Xixi with a nervous expression, but he repressed the urge to speak.
She was receiving an important inheritance—the Great Dryad’s inheritance.
She was inheriting a world. That was an inheritance unique to the dryads, one that only the regal Great Dryad could bestow.
The process lasted about half an hour.
Xixi slowly opened her eyes, and countless symbols flashed through her golden pupils. The flowing sand swirling around her rose from her body, creating what appeared to be a barrier.
