The Heartbeat of the Cruel Elves

"It seems we have the same idea, Princess Dufiya."

"The secret ink craftsmanship of our tribe is indeed very sophisticated," she turned her head and looked at the dark elves, "but your thinking is too limited to what you are familiar with. Don't forget that there are always some methods that can surpass the scope of these techniques, and even completely beyond the imagination of ordinary elves."

"And one of these methods is what we call magic."

"Princess Dufiya," Cassia looked at Dufiya again, her eyes sparkling, "I didn't pray to the goddess for this spell today, so could you please demonstrate it to them?"

Du Feiya nodded and smiled. "It seems that at least this time, our luck is pretty good. I just prepared this spell today."

Under the doubtful gazes of many dark elves, Du Feiya turned around and faced the stone wall again. She first took out a slender feather-like object from her waist bag. With Turner's memory, Li Yin recognized that it was the magic marker specially made by the dark elves of Nevile.

Du Feiya used the magic pen to draw a mark on the stone wall. It was the emblem of the Deniteya family. After the work was completed, she put the pen back into her waist bag. Then she muttered something and kept changing her gestures. After a while, her white and soft hands began to emit a blue arcane light.

She placed a hand over the mark and paused.

When she took her hand away, the mark had not changed—or rather, the mark itself had not changed, but it had disappeared from its original position. A new square pit had now appeared in that position. And the emblem of the Denitya family, along with the surrounding parts, had fallen off the rock wall and was held in the form of a square stone block in Dufia's hand.

Under the astonished gazes of many dark elves, Du Feiya first stretched out her other hand and wiped the mark. The depression at the original location disappeared and became as flat as the surrounding wall. Then she pressed the stone in her palm against another location on the rock wall. As her hand exerted a little force, the stone blended perfectly into that place like melted wax. When she moved her hand away, the mark appeared in a new place, and it was integrated with the surroundings without any traces of artificial drilling.

"Stone Shaping," Li Yin exclaimed in his mind.

"Stone Shaping." At the same time, Du Feiya explained to the dark elves in a clear voice, "As the name suggests, it allows the caster to freely shape the rock."

"Of course, this is just one possible method. We cannot rule out the possibility that another method actually affected us. After all, magic itself is ever-changing."

"In short, it proves to us that even if you are not a dark elf, you can modify the emblem we left behind without any flaws. To be more precise, transfer the emblem."

"Stoneshaping..." a female dark elf murmured thoughtfully, "Freely changing the stone body..."

She raised her head suddenly. "Could it be that the other party also used this spell to change the path of the maze?"

"In that case," her eyes lit up, "Your Highnesses, can you use this spell to restore this place to its original state and open up the correct passage?"

Upon hearing this, many dark elves' eyes lit up with hope.

"I'm sorry." Du Feiya shook her head.

She turned her head to look at the tall rock wall. "Ordinary stone shaping can't accomplish such a huge scale of stone. It must be a higher-level version of this spell - advanced stone shaping."

"As for this spell, I'm afraid that neither I nor Princess Cassia—" Dufiya looked at Cassia and saw her nodding at her, "have mastered it."

"This is a magic that is beyond our ability to cast."

"Surpassing... the spellcasting abilities of your two highnesses?" a female dark elf asked in a dry voice.

"Is this... our enemy?"

Her voice was filled with anxiety and confusion, dragging many dark elves back into the huge fear they had felt before:

"Are they really those huge guys?"

"Those guys..."

"Are they really... still alive?"

The expressions of all the dark elves became extremely grim.

Because they suddenly realized that reality might be worse than they had imagined before. Such huge, organized, large-scale intelligent creatures were already very difficult for them to deal with, and now they knew that those guys might have mastered magic that surpassed them.

Suddenly, they felt very clearly the cold fact that the lost ruins deep in the maze had been destroyed. The fear of destruction that had shrouded the dark elves in the past seemed to have come upon them.

How can we defeat such a powerful and terrifying enemy and avoid being destroyed?

"It's not that bad." Du Feiya smiled slightly.

"Not necessarily 'them', or even necessarily 'the enemy'."

"Just now, Princess Cassia and I used the magic of detecting life, but we did not detect any traces of other life forms around us." Du Feiya continued to explain.

As she spoke, she looked at Cassia, who nodded slightly, as if agreeing with her.

"Therefore, this change is most likely the work of the dark elves back then. Just like those huge traps, it was used to deal with those unknown giant creatures."

"I guess this is most likely a huge magic circle based on the principle of stone shaping. It allows the maze to switch flexibly to deal with external enemies."

After hearing her say this, the elves' expressions eased a little.

Li Yin also slightly let go of the fear in his heart. However, out of habit and caution, he once again released telepathy with himself as the center.

He had done this more than once since he discovered that the markings did not match the route map, because he suspected that an enemy was secretly following him and had tampered with the markings.

However, every time, just like before, he found nothing. All he could sense were the various shallow mental activities of the dark elves and slaves at the scene. Apart from that, there was nothing else.

As the telepathic field unfolded, once again, the noisy voices of the surrounding dark elves and slave soldiers flooded into his consciousness. They were basically the same, all expressing fear about the current situation, uneasiness about the future, and sincere relief after hearing that the one interfering with their actions might be a remnant of the magic circle rather than some kind of giant creature that has survived from ancient times and possesses powerful magic...

"what--"

At this moment, a cold, clear voice suddenly echoed in Li Yin's mind.

Li Yin was petrified instantly.

That is definitely not the voice that a normal creature can express!

That "eh" was extremely loud, like a resounding sound coming from the huge throat of a giant creature! It came from an extremely huge spiritual entity! Although it was just a cold and lonely "eh", it was like a huge storm in an instant, suppressing all other noisy voices present!

Immediately afterwards, a creepy feeling crept up Li Yin's spine.

He felt it... Although the sound was no longer coming, in the field of his mind, there seemed to be a pair of huge "eyes" staring at his back. That kind of gaze, just that huge "gaze", was enough to oppress him to the point of suffocation!

The next moment, the pressure suddenly receded like a tide. The gaze seemed to have disappeared. Li Yin instinctively urged his brain to concentrate on strengthening his telepathy. But in the field of his mind, there was only the noisy voices of the dark elves and slaves that were no different from before. There was no longer any abnormal sound, no longer any creepy cold "eh", and no longer the kind of mental gaze that made people feel like a huge rock pressing down on their heads.

Li Yin opened his eyes, and everything seemed like a dream, which happened in an instant and passed away in a flash. But his almost wet back told him that everything that happened just now was real!

He opened his eyes wide and looked around, trying to catch a trace of the "giant creature" that had just appeared in the material world. However, all around him were still dark elves and slaves of all shapes and sizes, and in the distance was a darkness that seemed to have solidified for eternity.

He was very suspicious that there were some unprecedented giants lurking in the darkness, but the clear vision granted by darkvision told him that it was just his false imagination caused by fear.

But the factor that causes fear - that huge mental entity - is real!

He continued to look around with lingering fear, his eyes constantly wandering around various areas of the deep tunnel.

But no matter how he searched, even when he opened the telepathic field again, there was no longer anything unusual around him.

The huge mental entity seemed to have fled far away, or perhaps Li Yin used his mental connection ability to reconnect with Du Feiya:

"Is there another possibility?"

"You used the magic of detecting life but were unable to detect other lives, so you thought it might be the lifeless maze itself that was changing under the influence of the magic circle."

"But, what if - the other party has mastered some advanced magic that can avoid detection?"

Chapter 145: Rolling Stones!

Considering that the opponent has mastered the "Advanced Stone Shaping Technique" and its spellcasting ability is even better than Cassia and Dufia, it is reasonable for it to use detection-avoiding magic to completely avoid detection from both sides.

This meant that the other party might not have gone far away. That huge gaze was still lurking nearby, silently staring at them and manipulating them without anyone noticing!

Li Yin immediately told Du Feiya what he had just discovered and his guess.

Du Feiya was silent for a while, but when she responded, Li Yin found that she was not as surprised as he had imagined.

"You have good insight and keen perception," she said.

Hearing her calm tone, Li Yin was slightly surprised: "Have you ever thought of this possibility?"

Du Feiya hummed softly: "Of course, but there is no need to say it."

"Unless we have a way to discover them, or they can't help but show up, we shouldn't let these unknown beings cause panic among the soldiers."

"Especially since, before you just confirmed it to me, it was just one of those speculations and not certain."

Li Yin sent her a slight message of affirmation in his heart, and then fell into a state of worry and panic as she said.

Those guys...are they still alive?

With a body as huge as a mountain, Li Yin looked up at this tall and wide cave. It had immeasurable brute strength, but at the same time, it also possessed amazing wisdom and superb magic?

If such a being is determined to deal with me, how can I survive?

Can't survive... There is no way to survive, Li Yin came to this conclusion after thinking hard. Wasn't that how the dark elf city-state in the depths of this maze perished? And now, these two tiny expeditionary forces are nothing compared to the prosperous dark elf city-state in the past. How can they resist the terrifying enemy that once destroyed them?

"What's wrong?" Just as Li Yin was feeling anxious, Cassia's concerned voice suddenly came from the front of him.

Cassia had been watching her servant for a long time, and saw him suddenly turn his head for no apparent reason, looking around as if there was something terrifying around him. When he turned back, he lowered his head and fell into silence, and his originally lovely little face became paler and uglier.

"I, I..." Li Yin's body shuddered when she called him like that. He stammered, not knowing how to continue for a moment.

Logically speaking, even though the fact that there are powerful unknown creatures around should not be told to ordinary soldiers, it should not be concealed from Cassia, who is the leader and decision-maker and holds the lives of everyone in her hands. Moreover, Li Yin trusts her calmness and believes that she will not be easily frightened by the horrifying news like ordinary soldiers.

But the question is, how should he tell her and remind her?

Tell her directly that he can telepathize? This is not a good idea. Before he can figure out what the unknown creature is, he will probably be treated as another "unknown creature" by them...

"Your Highness," he said stutteringly after holding it in for a long time, "maybe it's an illusion."

"But, just now, I seemed to hear an inexplicable, very strange voice, and it said 'eh' in my ear."

"That sound is not something a human—an elf can make."

"You are spreading rumors to confuse the people!" a female dark elf warrior immediately scolded.

Cassia was slightly stunned at first, then smiled: "Maybe you are scared."

"Just rest and relax. We will find a way out." She said calmly.

Immediately, she raised her chin, talked and laughed to the dark elves, and said: "I heard that many creatures in the aboveground world suffer from a disease called claustrophobia. When they are in a closed space, they will feel fear and anxiety. Li Yin may have developed some false fantasies because he has lived in the underground world for a long time and was affected by a similar disease."

There was a burst of cheerful laughter from the dark elf army, and the laughter contained undisguised sarcasm.

"Your Highness, Princess?" Li Yin raised his head, opened his eyes slightly, and looked at Cassia with some confusion and embarrassment.

In his impression, Cassia was not a careless woman, on the contrary, she was unusually sharp and perceptive. She ignored his reminder so easily, which really puzzled Li Yin.

Or... Li Yin asked himself, is it that his excuses were really too bad?

"Don't worry," at this moment, Du Feiya's comforting voice suddenly came from the bottom of her heart.

"She should have noticed it."

"Have you forgotten that she said before that there might be 'someone else' who caused this maze to come alive?"

"This shows that she had thought of another possibility at the beginning, just like me. But out of consideration for stabilizing the morale of the troops, she later agreed with my statement about the magic ritual formation."

"As for the reason why she deliberately ignored your reminder at this moment, it should be the same as before."

After hearing her explanation, Li Yin's doubts were cleared up.

"By the way," Du Feiya seemed to have sensed Li Yin's inner anxiety and changed her tone, saying comfortingly, "You don't have to be too afraid of the unknown creatures you sensed."

"Although the opponent's magical skills in controlling stones and avoiding detection are obviously superior to ours, spellcasters are always specialized in their fields. It, or they, may not be so good at other things."

"I guess their direct combat capability is probably insufficient. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been misleading and tracking us in such a treacherous way until now. If we can find a way to fight them head-on, it's unclear who will win."

Du Feiya's voice was calm and clear, which made Li Yin's panic fade a little. But it was only a little, and his mood was still very solemn. Because that look and that voice left a deep impression on him. Du Feiya had never faced that soul directly, so she could not empathize.

Li Yin admitted that Du Feiya's analysis made sense.

, but despite this, he had to admit that many things in reality were simply unreasonable.

It's like if you saw a giant thirty feet tall, with a mighty gesture that could control the wind and clouds. No matter how clear and detailed the reasons are, no matter how hard someone tells you that its threat is not as serious as you think, it's hard for you to completely put your mind at ease. For Li Yin, the things he has come into contact with in the spiritual realm are as certain as what he has witnessed with his own eyes.

"Princess Cassia," Du Feiya spoke again. This time, he was no longer communicating with Li Yin through a telepathic link. Instead, he faced Cassia directly and spoke in a clear and solid voice. "Since this is a matter of magic, I think only you and I can hope to solve it."

"Therefore, we might as well discuss in more depth each other's views on the current situation and the means we each have. Let's see if we can find some way out by combining our strengths."

"I agree." Cassia smiled slightly and took the first step towards Du Feiya.

The two princesses gathered together again in the middle of the stone wall and talked in low voices under the close watch of many dark elves.

As soon as they met, Du Feiya curled the corners of her lips and said to Cassia with a hint of sarcasm: "Congratulations, Princess Cassia."

"The son of a witch has an outstanding magical talent, and his spiritual perception is incomparable to ordinary people. What your servant just felt may be a sign of the awakening of his magical talent."

"Oh?" Cassia smiled and responded calmly. Then she faded her smile and did not dwell on any topic related to Li Yin. Instead, she went straight to the other information revealed in Du Feiya's words:

"Did you notice that, too?"

"At first it was just a guess, another possibility besides the magic ritual. But since your servant said so, then this guess is probably going to be confirmed."

Cassia hesitated for a moment: "But that might really just be an illusion."

"You just don't believe it..." Du Feiya joked. She paused strangely and then continued, "What does it think?"

"No," Cassia's lips curved slightly, her eyes deep, "quite the opposite. But I'm curious why you trust my servant's judgment so much."

"It's just a little bit of wizard's intuition." Du Feiya said frankly, without disguising his true feelings. "To be honest, I have always been concerned about your servant."