"Your Majesty, could you call those few elves over here?" Zhong Shenxiu gestured toward the elves ahead, who were clutching jars and gradually moving away.

The Elven Queen froze, taking a moment before asking, "What do you need them for?" "They can control plants, right? I'm very curious about that!" Zhong Shenxiu answered quite directly. The Elven Queen chuckled softly, covering her mouth, then her tone shifted, suddenly becoming rather mysterious: "Are you referring to this?"

As she spoke, she extended a hand—a hand as white as jade. Yet, incredibly, a bright red apple materialized out of thin air in the center of her palm!

Now it was Zhong Shenxiu's turn to be stunned. He hadn't expected the Elven Queen to possess the ability to manipulate plants. To ordinary eyes, the apple seemed to have popped into existence from nothing, but it could not escape Zhong Shenxiu's discerning gaze. He clearly saw the apple emerge directly from the center of the Elven Queen's palm! How magical, truly marvelous! A barely concealed, excited light flashed once more in Zhong Shenxiu's eyes!

Zhong Shenxiu's astonishment seemed to bring the Elven Queen immense satisfaction. With a gentle smile, she offered the apple in her hand toward him, saying softly, "Care for a taste?"

Allison, watching from the side, was utterly surprised. She felt Her Majesty was much more cheerful than usual today, even proactively demonstrating such a skill to a human. Was this due to the averted crisis? Or did this youth possess some kind of magic?

Undeniably, Allison felt a profound curiosity toward Zhong Shenxiu at this moment. The longer they interacted, the more she realized this young man was far from simple. Whether in his conversation or his demeanor, he carried an air not typically found in humans his age. Even more surprising was the fact that at such a young age, he commanded the 'Ethereal Mercenary Group'!

Zhong Shenxiu looked up into the Elven Queen's clear eyes and finally extended his hand—but instead of taking the apple, he grasped the Elven Queen’s hand!

This time, it was the Elven Queen's turn to be shocked. Watching Zhong Shenxiu intently examining her hand, she momentarily forgot to withdraw it! This scene caused every other elf present to gasp in astonishment! "Heavens! He... how dare he..."

After a brief silence, Allison was the first to react, shouting fiercely, "Insolence!" and moving to rush forward!

This was the difference between elven and human culture. In their eyes, Zhong Shenxiu’s action was tantamount to publicly propositioning their Queen! In the elves' view, male humans, regardless of age, were all essentially viewed alike. This explained why Luo Jie’er had blushed fiercely when she saw Zhong Shenxiu's bare little bottom at the 'Moonlight Spring' back then! Cultural divergence determined divergent worldviews! "It's nothing!" The Elven Queen waved her hand, stopping the advancing Allison.

She could clearly feel that Zhong Shenxiu's grip on her hand held no improper intention; his focused gaze was clearly studying something utterly novel! Truthfully, the Elven Queen herself found it strange; ever since meeting these outsiders, she felt an inexplicable sense of closeness, a feeling that went beyond merely thanking them for eradicating the Demon Worms.

It was as if these people carried a special aura that deeply attracted her, and Zhong Shenxiu possessed this aura most distinctly among them!

Allison dared not disobey the Elven Queen and reluctantly retreated, though her eyes remained fixed sharply on Zhong Shenxiu. It was less simple anger she felt and more a sense of imbalance; she hadn't even held the Elven Queen's hand herself yet!

Just as the atmosphere grew slightly awkward, Zhong Shenxiu’s voice broke the silence again: "Could you demonstrate that again?" As he spoke, his eyes were fixed intently on the Elven Queen's palm!

The Elven Queen was very accommodating, a smile reappearing on her lips. Without any visible effort, fine vines sprouted from her fingertips, growing up Zhong Shenxiu's arm like a coiling serpent!

Zhong Shenxiu fell silent again. This ability was less an acquired skill and more an instinct, like birds growing wings or fish developing gills—something others could not simply learn!

Although this conclusion caused Zhong Shenxiu some disappointment, it did not dampen his enthusiasm for the new phenomenon. After a moment of contemplation, he posed another question: "Can any plant grow from your body?"

The Elven Queen had been pondering why Zhong Shenxiu showed no fear of the vines wrapping around his arm. She paused upon hearing the question, formulated her reply, and then said, "Theoretically, yes, but some plants require the aid of formations or the Soul Tree!"

This statement instantly excited Zhong Shenxiu again. He pulled out a thousand-year-old Ginseng from his 'Medium Bag' and asked the Elven Queen, "Can you grow this?" Heavens! Did he really think the Elven Queen was an all-purpose growth machine? The Elven Queen stared at Zhong Shenxiu, aghast. At first, she had only intended to humor him and see what he was after, but she hadn't anticipated him becoming increasingly serious!

She recognized the type of plant in Zhong Shenxiu's hand. This was different from an apple or a vine; this plant demanded an immense drain on her energy. To successfully generate such a mature ginseng, she would absolutely require the power of an array!

The Elven Queen’s lips tightened, and it took her a while before she managed, "It is possible, but growing something like that is significantly more complex!"

This was exactly what Zhong Shenxiu needed to hear. He hadn't produced the millennium ginseng to actually make the Elven Queen perform a demonstration; it was to verify a hypothesis in his mind! Subsequently, Zhong Shenxiu asked several more questions.

Based on his recent observations and the Elven Queen's answers to his inquiries, Zhong Shenxiu had drawn a conclusion: For any plant possessing vast spiritual energy, the Elven Queen needed the supplementary energy of a formation to complete the process. If the plant's internal structure was exceptionally complex, the 'Soul Tree' was required for assistance! This ability was simply astounding—she could almost be called a 'Creator'!

If he had someone like the Elven Queen by his side, Zhong Shenxiu would never again have to scour the world for rare herbs; all he would need to do was set up an energy array, and the Elven Queen could handle the rest!

If someone with the Elven Queen's talent managed his 'Plantation Base,' productivity would surely multiply twofold!

At this point, Zhong Shenxiu could only conclude that the elves (specifically those who could control plants) were the absolute darlings of the plant kingdom! "Young Master, if you have any questions, just ask me directly!" Luo Jie’er suddenly interjected.

Noticing the lethal looks from her companions, she felt extremely uneasy. Moreover, she wanted to relieve the Elven Queen's situation, as she knew that once Zhong Shenxiu lost interest, he wouldn't drop the subject easily!

Zhong Shenxiu glanced back at Luo Jie’er and finally released the Elven Queen's hand, but addressed Luo Jie’er instead: "Let's get down to business. Will you speak, or shall I?"

Luo Jie’er’s body trembled slightly. She glanced at the Elven Queen, then stated firmly, "Young Master, I will speak!"

The Elven Queen found the exchange between the two extremely peculiar—not only because of the 'business' they mentioned but also why Luo Jie’er addressed Zhong Shenxiu as 'Young Master'?

Luo Jie’er stepped forward, but as she approached the Elven Queen, she became somewhat nervous.

"Luo Jie’er, is there something you wish to say?" The Elven Queen's voice remained infinitely gentle.

"Your Majesty, if there were a place free from conflict, yet perfectly suited for our kin to live, would you...?" Luo Jie’er spoke while closely watching the Elven Queen's expression.

"Luo Jie’er, why do you suddenly ask this? Have you found such a place?" The Elven Queen looked at Luo Jie’er with a smile.

Luo Jie’er nodded, then added, "The Young Master says he has found such a place!"

At these words, there was an immediate uproar!

In the past, the elves would never consider relocation so casually, as moving to an unknown territory carried immense risk! However, now, the Elven race desperately needed a place like that!

They had already been forced from their former dwelling and had to be ready to move to a new location at any moment—a life they had grown weary of and one unsuitable for the development of the Elven race. The Elven Queen had constantly worried about this, yet Luo Jie’er had brought it up!

"Where is this place you speak of? How far is it from here?" the Elven Queen pressed.

The reason she didn't first inquire about the environment of the location was that the single biggest constraint on the elves' migration was distance! While the elves themselves could endure the rigors of travel, the 'Soul Tree' could not; its mobility was limited and could not withstand long-distance treks!

Luo Jie’er looked toward Zhong Shenxiu. This question was best answered by him, as his response would serve as the official statement! Zhong Shenxiu merely smiled and stated, "Far away in the heavens, yet right before our eyes!" "Far away in the heavens, yet right before our eyes?"

Not just the Elven Queen, but all the elves surrounding them were completely bewildered, looking at Zhong Shenxiu, hoping he would clarify.

Zhong Shenxiu, who generally disliked verbose explanations, stated directly, "Although it isn't completely built yet, I can take you to see it!"

No vivid description could be as persuasive as seeing it firsthand!

The Elven Queen grew even more perplexed, unable to help but ask, "Take us where?"

Zhong Shenxiu did not answer, instead flashing a cunning smile. Then, with a mere thought, he brought the Elven Queen and the few elves standing near her into the 'Medium Bag'....