Chapter Seventy-Nine: Perhaps It's Best to Cooperate

Atop the high tower, the fierce battle had reduced the summit to ruins. Lin Wen’s figure darted through the shattered walls and broken stones like a ghost, while scorching arrows flew toward the elven man from every direction, forcing him to defend himself and rendering him unable to launch a continuous assault.

The elven man muttered the incantation for a binding spell, but as soon as he raised his staff, Lin Wen’s arrow of dispelling magic shot forth, shattering his attempt.

“What a formidable Windwalker,” thought the Wheel of Twin Moons, secretly astonished. Every critical moment, Lin Wen seemed able to see through his intentions, and despite half an hour of fighting, he had yet to catch him. Though this body was not the true form of the Wheel of Twin Moons, it had been nourished by five centuries of energy, making its strength equal to a demigod’s. Yet this young forest elf held his ground without faltering. What had the forest elves done in these five hundred years to allow their youths to grow so rapidly?

“To have reached this level relying solely on his own strength is truly admirable.” Standing amid the rubble, the elven man offered praise, though his hands continued to unleash fireballs.

“Is this guy immortal?” Lin Wen hid himself within the wind, agilely evading every fireball, never taking his eyes off his opponent. Although Lin Wen maintained the initiative throughout the fight, repeatedly breaking the elven man’s key spells with his arrows, he could do nothing more.

On several occasions, Lin Wen’s arrows struck the elven man’s body. Even when his heart was shattered, his flesh would regenerate. As the healing artifact, the Wheel of Twin Moons controlled a body with astonishing recovery powers, and it felt no pain. After being wounded a few times, the elven man’s flesh even floated around him, forming defensive spells, making it increasingly difficult for Lin Wen to break through.

“Explosive Arrow!” Seizing an opportunity, Lin Wen fired, the arrow wreathed in crimson flames piercing the elven man’s defenses and striking him, setting him alight with a strange, bewitching fire.

“Flames are useless. As long as my true self remains, this body cannot die no matter what.” The elven man extinguished the flames with water magic, unharmed. “Besides, I feel no pain. This body is nothing more than a puppet to me.”

“Disgusting…” Lin Wen spat, his heart growing heavier. He couldn’t match the Wheel of Twin Moons in endurance; at this rate, he’d be worn down in the end.

Should he summon the Star-Chasing Bow? Lin Wen considered it. It wasn’t that he was unwilling, but that entity was a madman, always causing havoc whenever he appeared, and even Lin Wen himself would risk losing control.

“Better wait and see how things develop…” Lin Wen decided to keep testing the Wheel of Twin Moons. It couldn’t possibly be without a weakness. No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than the tower beneath him began to tremble violently.

“What’s happening?” Lin Wen nearly stumbled, but saw that the elven man was similarly thrown off balance.

“The tower!” The elven man’s expression changed as the structure swayed furiously beneath his feet.

The shaking continued for several minutes before a leopard dashed up the stairwell. “Cease your battle, I have something to say!”

Lin Wen didn’t pause. “What are you doing here? Don’t expect me to save you.”

“I’m here to inform you.” The leopard looked at the elven man. “You’ve noticed it too, haven’t you? The young master is digging for treasure below.”

The elven man immediately halted his magic. “Digging for treasure? What kind?”

“Valuables,” replied the leopard, seeing Lin Wen finally stop as well. “The young master loves digging for treasure wherever he goes. He’s nearly hollowed out the ground beneath—if he keeps going, this tower will collapse!”

“Make him stop at once!” The elven man’s face was ashen.

“Just as the young master predicted…” The leopard thought to itself. Treasure hunting was Lin Lei’s spontaneous idea. To dig so thoroughly, he’d even targeted the tower’s supports; once those were destroyed, the entire tower would collapse—and the Wheel of Twin Moons clearly cared a great deal about the tower’s function.

“If the young master continues, this tower’s purpose will be lost.” The leopard turned to the elven man. “That won’t benefit you either. The young master sent me to propose a deal.”

The elven man sneered, “If the tower falls, so be it. I can always build another. Why should I bargain?”

“Even at your fastest, constructing a new tower will take two days, right?” said the leopard. “In two days, that’s enough time for someone to track down your location. What the young master wants is trivial to you. This trade is to your advantage.”

“What does he want?”

“To lift the spell of the Requiem,” the leopard replied. Lin Lei had said those elves meant less to the Wheel of Twin Moons than the tower did, but the leopard remained skeptical, so it added, “As long as you end the enchantment, the young master will stop digging, and we’ll leave with you.”

The elven man’s expression shifted. “…Fine, agreed. But you must leave first.”

As much as he wanted to kill Lin Wen and Lin Lei, it was more important that the duel between the two masters proceed. Without a chosen master, the true power of the Wheel of Twin Moons could not be realized. He would not allow any mishap in this process. Once the master was chosen, killing these forest elves would be child’s play.

As for the night elves under the Requiem’s effect, they were slaves to begin with; no matter how much trouble they caused, they could never truly rebel.

The Wheel of Twin Moons and the leopard reached an agreement: the leopard and Lin Lei would leave first, and Lin Wen would supervise the unbinding of the spell.

Soon enough, Lin Wen saw the leopard and Lin Lei streak away in a flash of white light, leaving the tower.

“It’s time to lift the enchantment,” Lin Wen said to the Wheel of Twin Moons.

The Wheel of Twin Moons began chanting in a low voice, and a wave of magic radiated outward from the tower.

“It’s done.” He looked at Lin Wen. “Now you should leave as well.”

Lin Wen turned and flew away. The Wheel of Twin Moons relaxed—only to see Lin Wen suddenly turn back, raise his longbow, and fire an arrow toward the base of the tower.

The arrow, blazing with heat, struck the tower’s foundation. A thunderous explosion shattered the ground, and the elven man’s face changed. The tower began to collapse to the left, walls crumbling in succession, broken stones thundering down, sending up clouds of thick smoke.

“What are you doing?!”

The elven man leaped into the air before the spire collapsed.

“So that’s how it is…” Lin Wen’s lips curled in a smile. The foundation had already been undermined by Lin Lei, and with that final arrow, the tower’s collapse was inevitable.

“I didn’t expect forest elves to break their word.” The elven man’s face was dark with rage.

“He promised not to dig, but he never said I couldn’t,” Lin Wen replied lightly. When the leopard had spoken to him, it had given him a subtle signal, and while bargaining, it had specifically said Lin Lei would put down his shovel—not that the tower’s destruction would cease. Lin Wen had guessed then that the cunning Lin Lei hoped he would deliver the final blow.

“You’ve been plotting against me!” The Wheel of Twin Moons realized the deception and glared at Lin Wen in fury.

Lin Wen only smiled in silence. He would take the blame. Let the Wheel of Twin Moons be angry—now, leaving would not be so easy. His younger brother had even calculated him into the scheme, but after all, he was still his brother. Since he understood his intent, he might as well play along.