The Heartbeat of the Cruel Elves

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After the two sides reached an agreement, the Dinitia family quickly released the captured Borginia family soldiers under the order of Dufia.

Afterwards, the two sides discussed the distribution of the spoils obtained in the ruins in the future. It was initially determined that the Denitia family would receive 60% of the spoils, and the Borgia family would receive the remaining 40%. This distribution was made based on the strength comparison of the existing forces of the two sides. Under the current circumstances, this was the most appropriate method. Therefore, Cassia neither refused nor objected - even if she really disagreed with this plan, she would not be so foolish as to show it in person in the face of the naked comparison of strength.

However, she was wise enough to add a supplementary clause to the contract, which was that this distribution plan was only a benchmark, and the final distribution ratio of the spoils would be adjusted based on the ratio of casualties between the two parties in the subsequent exploration.

The intention of this additional clause was obvious - to prevent the Dinitia family from taking advantage of their power and deliberately making the soldiers of the Borgia family become victims.

After the negotiation, in order to show her sincerity in cooperation and to apologize to the Dinitya family for their "rash" behavior due to her personal suspicion, Du Feiya took the initiative to use her path-finding scroll.

In this way, she unconsciously handed the initiative of returning safely to Cassia.

This is a strategy to ease the atmosphere, Du Feiya explained to Li Yin in her heart. If the Deniteya family has the advantage in numbers and the path to safe return is in their own hands, it is hard not to make Cassia wary and suspicious of their true intentions of cooperation and worry about her own safety. In such a panic-stricken atmosphere, even if she originally did not intend to betray the covenant, she might take risks for her own safety.

In short, Du Feiya's move is to give her more hope that this cooperation can be completed peacefully and achieve mutual benefit and win-win results for both parties.

However, such concessions cannot be too many, Du Feiya said carefully in his heart, otherwise once the Borginia family thinks that he is weak and can be bullied at will, it will also increase the risk of the alliance breaking down.

In addition, Du Feiya also asked Li Yin to make use of his "good relationship" with his mistress to explore her mind as much as possible, try to improve her cognition in an indirect way, ease her strategy, and minimize the probability of the two families fighting against each other.

"It's so annoying," Du Feiya asked angrily, "As a psychic, don't you have any other more powerful spells?"

"For example... give her a control spell? Just force her to stop messing around!"

Li Yin shook his head and smiled bitterly, carefully comforting Du Feiya.

He knew very well how much thought this kind-hearted dark elf princess had put into bringing the two families out of the maze safely, and the most infuriating part was that the person she wanted to rescue with all her heart was also the person she had to guard against with all her might.

Therefore, it is normal for her to feel impatient and have some bad temper.

It was precisely because he sensed her intentions and difficulties that Li Yin couldn't help but feel a little more fond of and grateful towards her.

At the same time, he silently felt a little sorry. In fact, Du Feiya had no need to get involved in this series of troubles. It was all because of him. He didn't want to leave Princess Cassia behind. Otherwise, she might have already embarked on the journey home safely.

However, when thinking of this, Li Yin was also very grateful from the bottom of his heart - fortunately he did not abandon Princess Cassia directly, only the Spider Goddess knew that the female dark elf had kept the most crucial trick, and she had always mastered the method of safe escape. If he had just left her and followed Du Feiya back to the city, if he ran into her head-on on the streets of Nevre one day in the future, it would be a big deal!

After the two troops regrouped and finished their purge, Du Feiya came to the head of the team. She grabbed the magic scroll floating in the air, untied the black ribbon that tied it, and after a few short spells and gestures, the scroll was gently lifted and thrown back into the air.

The magic scroll unfolded above Du Feiya's head, and the dark purple magic light instantly enveloped her whole body, flickering light and dark, like a dream. During this process, her eyes were slightly closed, and her snow-white face changed from the usual flying and elegant, showing a rare solemn expression. Against the backdrop of the dark light, she looked deep and solemn, like a god standing in the black mist.

After a moment, the dark purple light gradually faded and disappeared from her skin bit by bit like flowing water, as if it was absorbed by her body.

Then, she opened her eyes, and her originally light purple pupils suddenly became deep and rich, shining brightly, as if the faint light that originally enveloped her body had been absorbed into these mysterious eyes.

Then, she chanted the spell, her hands fluttered like butterflies, and she made a series of complicated gestures again. As the gestures fell, the sound of the chanting stopped, and a pale blue arcane light suddenly appeared under her feet. A palm-thick stream of blue light suddenly shot out from her toes, crawling forward like a living thing, until it was about 30 meters in front of Du Feiya, then it stood still, but the brightness of the light band was still changing almost imperceptibly, like a subtle breath.

Du Feiya raised her foot and took a step forward. The light band that had been standing still at first immediately extended a distance forward.

She gave a clear shout and waved her hand back, and then the scouts of the Dinitya family passed her figure and walked forward along the light stream that was slightly changing in brightness, looking left and right as they walked, carefully exploring the surroundings.

This is an independent spell specifically used to indicate direction, just a small trick. At the same time, Du Feiya patiently explained in Li Yin's mind that the path revealed by the pathfinding spell only exists in the caster's mind and cannot be directly known to others. Therefore, I use this spell to cooperate with the pathfinding spell.

Li Yin gave her an understanding response in his heart.

Even though she could find the way with the path-finding technique, the dangers along the way were unpredictable. Therefore, Du Feiya could not walk in front of the team as a guide, but should be surrounded and protected as a core figure in the center of the team. In this case, a magic trick for indication could replace words and gestures, and it was very convenient to point out the direction for the reconnaissance team ahead.

The reconnaissance team took up position in front, and after confirming that there was nothing unusual, the main force also began to move. The coalition forces of the Denitia and Borgia families resumed their journey to explore the labyrinth.

Chapter 142 Dead End

The troops traveled through the huge and complex maze, passing through familiar tunnels and crossroads that seemed like they were carved out of the same mold.

Everything seemed to be exactly the same as what had happened in the past few days, but the difference was that this time their steps were no longer slow and heavy, and their expressions were no longer tired and confused. Instead, they walked briskly and their faces were filled with bright light.

The eyes of many dark elves were fixed on the stream of light extending from Dufia's feet. Occasionally, they would use sign language or whisper in a low voice, but what was different from before was that there was no panic in their voices, but excitement and curiosity about the magical scene before them.

The starting point of this arcane light stream that pointed the way for the elves was Princess Dufia, who was at the front of the main force, to the right of Princess Cassia. To the left of Cassia was Rein, who had rejoined the team.

The two princesses walked side by side, but spoke very little. What was the reason?

At present, Cassia's main interest is on Li Yin, who has just returned from the exploration. She comforted him, saying that he had done a good job this time and brought them back the hope in the prophecy - when she said this, she looked at Du Feiya with a smile in her eyes, and Du Feiya smiled in response - and asked him about their encounters and experiences during this exploration.

As for Princess Dufiya, her interest was not in Cassia - she was communicating closely with Li Yin using the mental link.

"So you are from the earthly world?"

"Which country?"

"Can you tell me about the customs and practices over there?"

"How did you get to us?"

"..."

"..."

Similar questions came to him one after another like bullets. At this moment, Li Yin somewhat agreed with the earthly elves' very "slow and leisurely" view of life and their concept of adulthood, because Du Feiya looked like a curious baby, and her excitement and restlessness could not be suppressed in his heart - although on the surface, she was still the elegant, detached, and arrogant Princess Dinitya.

He wanted to explain her doubts as detailed as possible, but on the other hand, he couldn't ignore Cassia's caring condolences. Although the larvae of the mind flayer enhanced his brain power and gave him powerful psychic abilities, they didn't teach him how to split his attention. Therefore, he was always trying to please both sides, and it was inevitable that he would be caught in a dilemma from time to time.

"It seems that this operation has had a great impact on you," Cassia said sincerely after Li Yin got stuck again, "But you have proven your bravery and loyalty, which are the most valuable qualities."

She tilted her eyes slightly, and glanced at Du Feiya beside her meaningfully, "As for those miscellaneous adverse effects, don't worry, I will clean them up for you after this expedition is successfully completed."

Du Feiya was completely unaware of Cassia's gaze. She stared ahead with her "sharp" eyes, but in her heart she was actually concentrating on listening to Li Yin telling her about a unique custom in his hometown...

Time passed by in this "leisurely" yet "busy" rhythm. After an unknown amount of time, Li Yin was still chatting with the two princesses in both the spiritual and material worlds. As time went by, the frequency of their conversations had greatly decreased, allowing Li Yin to basically handle it freely. Suddenly, the scouts in front stopped, and then the main force also stopped moving.

The entire army fell into a slight commotion, but it was not serious. After all, the dark blue arcane light under Du Feiya's feet was still indicating the way forward like a living thing.

After a while, a dark elf soldier suddenly ran back quickly from the reconnaissance team in the front.

"Your Highness..." The soldier from the Denitya family looked at Du Feiya with a hesitant look, "Something is...not right."

"What's wrong?" Du Feiya asked patiently without any surprise.

"We... seem to have..." the soldier from the Denitya family said with increasing hesitation, "We have walked into... a dead end."

"What?" Du Feiya frowned, slightly suspicious, "Why do you say that?"

Many dark elves also looked at the soldier in disbelief, and then looked at the blue light stream on the ground that guided the path - since the light stream was still there, it meant there was no problem.

Moreover, that was path-finding, a powerful divine art of the sixth ring - how could there be any mistake in the Spider Goddess' will?

"Because," the soldier swallowed, "we found out ahead..."

"A wall."

………………

A moment later, the large force arrived at the location where the reconnaissance team was stationed, the bottom of the tunnel - it was called the bottom because there really was a stone wall standing here as the previous reconnaissance soldier had said.

This stone wall completely blocks the way forward, with no visible gaps, meaning that this passage has come to an end.

But... Li Yin looked around, trying to find a way out in other directions, but all he could see were solid stone walls - this had already been confirmed on their way here, this was a one-way tunnel, and there were no other forks.

Besides... Li Yin looked down at the ground again, looking at the blue light stream originating from Du Feiya's toes. The dark blue arcane light was still slightly leaping forward, directly against the stone wall in front of him, as if announcing without hesitation that this was the only way out, this was the will of the goddess!

"Did you make a mistake?" Li Yin knew a little more than the others. He knew that the effect of pathfinding would only take place in the mind of the caster. This blue light was just a trick that Du Feiya used to guide the path, and it could not be directly equated with pathfinding. So he asked Du Feiya with a little hesitation in his heart.

Du Feiya's voice was heavy and cold: "No, no..."

"Pathfinding is telling us to go this way..."

Li Yin's mood suddenly became heavy.

Isn't this divine magic? Why... is this happening? Even the gods can make mistakes?

Although he was an unbeliever, if even gods could get lost in this maze, he did not have enough confidence that he could find a way out.

"...Did we make a mistake?" A hesitant voice came again. However, this time it did not come from Li Yin's heart, but from the already panicked dark elf troops. Because it was deliberately suppressed and vague, it was mixed with the increasingly noisy discussions, making it difficult to distinguish its exact location.

"Impossible!" A personal guard beside Princess Du Feiya immediately turned around and scolded the soldiers without any direction.

"The results of the path-finding technique do not come from the princess herself, but directly from the inspiration of the gods. Do you dare to say that the Spider Goddess made a mistake?"

The voice was instantly frightened away.

But soon, another voice floated out faintly.

"But she is not a priestess of the Spider Goddess..."

As soon as these words came out, the whispers among the elves became louder and louder. If the previous voices were just a drizzle, then now it was like a dense rainstorm like soybeans.

"The Faithless," a voice said.

"Blasphemer." Another voice was bolder.

Similar voices were heard one after another in the army.

Li Yin saw that Du Feiya's red lips were slightly pursed.

"What's going on?" he asked worriedly in his heart.

"My father asked me to stay in the family and learn arcane magic from him instead of going to the Spider Academy to receive enlightenment from the goddess. As a noble woman, this is very rare..."

"Therefore, it is inevitable that there are some rumors about my beliefs..."

The guards around Du Feiya put their hands on the hilts of their swords and looked around with vigilance. Although their expressions were stern, they were not panicked. It seemed that they had many experiences in dealing with similar situations.

"Quiet." A personal guard shouted.

Her scolding silenced the noise of the troops for a moment, but only for a moment, and then the dense whispers of the elves returned like the tide hitting the rocks.

"Our princess has only temporarily postponed her training at the Spider Academy in order to study arcane magic. But no matter what, both arcane and divine magic are for the purpose of better serving the goddess." Another guard tried to explain.

Judging from her fluent speech and dignified attitude, it was obvious that these words were not a last-minute thought, but something she had rehearsed in her mind and had even said in reality.

"Putting the study of arcane arts before the study of divine arts is the greatest disrespect to the gods." Unexpectedly, an impassioned and righteous voice suddenly followed up.

Du Feiya pursed her lips and remained silent, pretending not to hear or see the fanatical dark elf who dared to speak out so openly. After a moment, she finally opened her lips and said loudly:

"I think faith is a very serious matter. It cannot be proved by words but by actual actions."

"However, since everyone is so concerned about my beliefs, why not wait until we return to Nevre to verify them carefully. Because our most important task now is not to prove my beliefs, but to lead everyone to a way out."

"Since you don't trust me enough, we still have a real priest of the Spider Goddess here," she paused, tilted her neck slightly, looked to the side, and smiled slightly without any panic, "-Princess Cassia. She is a well-known student in the academy. Why don't we ask her opinion?"

Cassia tilted her eyes slightly, looked at Dufia, and smiled back. Then she turned her head and looked at the elves. Her expression suddenly became generous and awe-inspiring, and her voice was full of energy:

"Princess Dufiya is the most devout believer of my Lord Spider Goddess. As a priestess of the goddess, I can sense this."

She first clearly concluded the discussion of the elves. Then, as the discussion of the elves suddenly decreased, she cleared her throat and continued:

"As this lady said," she looked at the dark elf warrior who had explained to Dufiya earlier, "both arcane magic and divine magic can be used as tools to serve the goddess. Considering the scarcity of resources like arcane magic in the church system, I think Princess Dufiya's willingness to endure criticism and serve the goddess in an unusual way is particularly valuable."

"Here, please allow me to pay you my highest respects. But let me say one more thing. As a priest of the Spider Academy, I still hope that you will finish your arcane training as soon as possible, join the academy, and become one of us." Cassia's eyes flickered, and she looked at Du Feiya meaningfully.

"You are too kind." Du Feiya smiled slightly and bowed her head humbly. "As for joining the academy, I am also eagerly looking forward to that day. I will speed up my arcane training as soon as possible... I look forward to the day when we can sit at the same table and study together."

Cassia nodded and smiled, then looked at the elves again, her face becoming cold and serious again, "In short, pathfinding is a gift from the gods. I don't allow you to question Princess Dufia or her magic. Because questioning her is equivalent to questioning our noble goddess, and this is an unforgivable crime - I don't want it to happen next time!"

"Moreover," her expression softened a little, "Have you forgotten? Our reunion with Princess Dufia is also the result of my consultation with the goddess. Even if you don't believe me, the judgment of a Spider Goddess priest, isn't this revelation directly from the goddess enough to prove that she is a devout believer?"

Many dark elves looked at each other and fell silent. Some dark elves showed deep agreement on their faces, and some even looked ashamed, as if they regretted their previous doubts.

Li Yin, who saw all this, could not help but be stunned.

"Is that really the case?" He sighed in disbelief.

Du Feiya, who still maintained a spiritual connection with him, immediately heard his inner voice, and Dingling's clear laughter echoed in his heart.

"It has to be this way." Du Feiya explained in his heart.

"Your mistress has no other choice."

"The situation is unclear now. It is not a good time for us to fight each other. In order to maintain the stability of the army, she must establish my authority in front of the elves."

"Now..." Li Yin's mind suddenly became clear, "Not only can you let Princess Cassia help you solve the current problem, but also use her own authority to protect your 'belief'. In this way, even if she has plans for you in the future, it will not be convenient for her to use the issue of faith to challenge you again?"

"After all, the words that you are a devout believer came from her own mouth."

"Smart." Du Feiya praised happily.

"But," she said in a low voice, "this is just a precaution, and we are facing a bigger problem now..."

"How can we find the right way out of this strange maze?"

She raised her head and looked again at the rock wall in front of her that seemed to block all hope, full of worry.

Chapter 143 Mysterious Existence

"Are you really okay?" Li Yin's voice suddenly rang in her mind again, revealing an unusual cautiousness.