Chapter 179: Invitation from the Night Elf Clan

After the rain cleared, the wilderness air was exceptionally fresh, yet danger lurked everywhere.

Depressions with standing water might harbor aquatic weird creatures; rain‑washed caves could have become new nests, and the muddy ground left more chaotic scents, interfering with judgment.

Li Qingxuan restrained his aura, his body moving like lightning as he shuttled between trees and ruined walls.

His spiritual power spread like an invisible radar, sensing everything around him.

The main purpose of this trip was reconnaissance—to understand the distribution of nearby forces, especially to find clues about Grey Shadow and last night's attackers, and incidentally look for usable resources.

After leaving the fortress by about tens of kilometers, he saw a relatively dense ancient forest; Li Qingxuan felt puzzled, for he clearly remembered this place had been a plain, and he suspected it was where a tribe of one of the four great powers had descended.

Li Qingxuan entered the ancient forest; the trees were extraordinarily tall, their canopies blocking the sky, so even in daylight the light inside was dim, the ground covered with thick fallen leaves and moss, and the post‑rain moisture condensed into a thin mist here.

As Li Qingxuan cautiously moved through, his spiritual power sharply detected, behind a huge ancient tree to his front‑side, a faint life fluctuation and weak energy response—not the chaotic aura of a weird creature, but carrying a natural rhythm yet concealing sharpness.

He did not startle the snake, but instead, like a ghost, silently circled to the other side of that ancient tree.

All he saw was a slender figure half‑crouched by the tree roots, apparently gathering some kind of mushroom that emitted a faint light.

She had wheat‑toned healthy skin, long pointed ears protruding from her dark‑green hair, wore a close‑fitting leather armor stitched from unknown vines and beast hide that outlined an alluring curve, and on her back she carried an elegantly shaped longbow.

That night elf also seemed to notice something; she suddenly lifted her head, revealing a face of exquisite beauty tinged with wildness, her jade‑green eyes like the finest emerald, warily looking toward Li Qingxuan, her hand already gripping a green‑tinged arrow.

Their eyes met, and the atmosphere instantly froze.

Li Qingxuan could feel that this night elf's strength was not weak—roughly equivalent to a human awakened one whose spirit and constitution both exceeded 200—and her movements were light, clearly making her a skilled forest fighter.

"Human?" the night elf spoke first, her voice clear as a forest spring, yet with a hint of vigilance: "This is my tribe's hunting ground; you've trespassed."

Li Qingxuan's face remained calm, showing no hostility and not lowering his guard: "Just passing by; I meant no offense."

His gaze swept over her: "Elf? It seems this area is livelier than I imagined."

The night elf carefully examined Li Qingxuan, a flicker of surprise crossing her eyes.

She found she could not see through this human's depth at all; he stood there as if merged with the surroundings, his aura deep as an abyss.

This sense of oppression was probably far greater than that of the tribe's strongest elders.

"You're no ordinary survivor." The night elf lowered her arrow, but her guard did not drop: "Who are you?"

"Li Qingxuan."

Just those three words made the night elf's pupils contract slightly, her face instantly showing surprise, curiosity, and even… a hint of indescribable heat.

"Li Qingxuan? The one ranked first on the Personal Strength Ranking, lord of Guangtan Fortress?" Her tone carried confirmation, her eyes growing bolder as she scanned him up and down, as if admiring a precious prize, the corner of her mouth curling into a tempting arc: "I never imagined the famed strongest human would be… so young and handsome."

Li Qingxuan frowned slightly; her gaze made him somewhat uncomfortable, its aggression and lust barely concealed.

He had long known from myths that the night elf clan among elves was open‑minded, even described in some tales as "naturally lascivious"; seeing her today, it seemed far from baseless.

"Just a false reputation." Li Qingxuan said lightly, "Are you a member of the Dark Night Elf Tribe?"

"I'm Xila," the night elf rose, walking over with relaxed confidence, her body exuding a fresh scent of mixed plants and wildflowers, yet tinged with a seductive allure, "I'm a patrol ranger of the Shadow Moon Tribe; our tribe lies deep in this forest."

Her jade‑green eyes glimmered as she looked at Li Qingxuan with a full smile: "Great Lord Li Qingxuan, since we're fortunate to meet here, why not come to my tribe as a guest? Our night elves most admire the strong, especially someone like you… an unparalleled powerhouse."

Her voice carried a strange magic, full of temptation: "The tribe has many novel things and fine wine; it will surely not disappoint you. Moreover…"

She deliberately paused, her eyes like water: "The sisters of our tribe have long yearned for a hero like you."

Li Qingxuan's thoughts raced: night elves are one of the four great races, versed in natural magic and archery, born scouts and jungle warriors.

If we could establish contact with them—and perhaps even bring them under our command—for Guangtan Fortress, which severely lacks external intelligence and long‑range support, it would undoubtedly be a huge boon.

Moreover, the Dark Night Elf Tribe itself could be an important source of information.

This Xila before him, though her motives were not pure, carrying obvious lust and recruitment—or rather a desire to "capture" a strong one—might nevertheless be an opportunity.

Risk naturally exists; venturing into an unknown tribe of another race, with the other side's attitude unclear, it is very likely a trap.

But with his current strength, as long as he isn't caught in a great army encirclement or a specially targeted deadly situation, he is confident he can defend himself and even break out of encirclement.

Weighing the pros and cons, Li Qingxuan made a decision.

A faint, just‑right smile appeared on his face, as if his interest had been piqued: "Oh? I've long heard of the night elves' enthusiasm. Since Miss Xila warmly invites me, I'll impose."

Seeing his agreement, Xila's smile widened, a flash of triumphant scheming gleaming in her eyes.

"Splendid! Please follow me, my lord; I guarantee you won't regret this trip." She turned and stepped forward with a light, alluring gait, leading the way.

Li Qingxuan followed behind Xila, keeping a certain distance, his spiritual power highly focused as he carefully sensed everything around him.

He calmly reckoned: this foray into the Dark Night Elf Tribe might not only solve the scouting problem but also gather more intel on surrounding forces, and perhaps even learn news of Shadow Hall.

Sunlight filtered through the dense leaves, casting dappled shadows in the forest.

One ahead, one behind, two figures disappeared into the forest depths, heading toward the unknown night‑elf tribe.

A contest of desire, power, and calculation quietly unfolded.

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