Chapter 871: The Map of Sacred Relics
"Cough cough—!"
Before Eliza could recover from the shock of being instantly killed by four level 60 powerhouses, she shuddered violently and spat out a mouthful of black blood.
As she spat out the blood, her already pale face turned ashen.
In Zhou Huai's view, the health bar above Eliza's head, representing her life points, was dropping at a visible rate, already less than one-fifth, and was flashing a dazzling red light.
Clearly, the incredible strength she displayed while clinging to Zhou Huai's leg was merely a final burst of energy before death. She's now practically on the verge of annihilation.
Eliza collapsed helplessly onto the asphalt, her eyes gradually dimming. She knew her internal organs had been shattered by the one-eyed man's fighting spirit; it was a miracle she had survived this long.
She struggled to lift her head, her eyes clouded with a deathly gray.
"Thank you... thank you so much..."
Eliza's voice was faint and intermittent, "Although I don't know who you are... I thank you for killing him and avenging me..."
"Unfortunately... in my current state, I'm afraid I'm unable to repay your kindness..."
She gasped for breath, each word accompanied by spurts of blood.
“I...I come from the Arigo family of the Free Federation...”
"If you could... could you take my body back to the family territory..."
"My family... will surely repay you handsomely..."
"Please..."
However, Zhou Huai didn't hear her give her last words at all.
He was slightly frowning as he sensed the immense vitality within his body belonging to the SSS-level World Tree clone, "Rahil."
Zhou Huai's mind raced.
The next second, a bright green fruit appeared out of thin air in his hand. As soon as the fruit appeared, the withered weeds on the surrounding wasteland instantly came back to life, quickly turning lush and upright.
The fruit was only the size of a baby's fist, its skin translucent, through which one could vaguely see the golden liquid flowing inside. A rich aura of life force emanated from it, forming a green halo that rippled outwards.
Eliza was still there, weakly giving her last instructions: "In my family's treasury... there is..."
"What nonsense are you rambling on about?"
Zhou Huai interrupted her without any politeness.
He looked down at the dying bird-woman girl, his eyes devoid of any pity.
"Eat this."
Without giving Eliza a chance to react, Zhou Huai squatted down, grabbed her chin, forced her to open her mouth, and roughly shoved the fruit into her mouth.
"Ugh! Waaah—!"
Eliza was startled by this action and let out a whimper. She instinctively tried to struggle and vomit.
The next second, the fruit melted in his mouth.
A powerful, vibrant current surged into her body, washing over her limbs and bones.
Eliza's injuries began to heal rapidly. Her shattered internal organs healed quickly, and her broken bones automatically reformed with a "crackling" sound. The deep wounds on her skin that exposed bone even grew granulation tissue, and within a few breaths, the scabs fell off, revealing smooth skin.
In Zhou Huai's view, Eliza's health bar, which was flashing red, instantly returned to full.
Not only were her injuries healed, but her previously depleted mana was also completely restored to its peak within those few seconds.
Eliza was completely stunned.
She sat there, stunned, feeling the surge of power within her. She subconsciously touched her chest. There had once been a fatal, penetrating wound there, but now it was completely smooth, without even a scar.
"This...how is this possible?"
Eliza suddenly looked up at the blond, blue-eyed young man in front of her.
"What...did you give me to eat?"
Her voice trembled, “In all my years, even the highest level of Holy Light Healing from the Holy See could never bring someone back from the dead. I have never seen such miraculous healing results.”
Zhou Huai didn't even lift an eyelid in the face of Eliza's shock.
"Next, I'll ask questions, and you'll answer."
Zhou Huai's voice was cold and calm, "If you dare to utter a single word of nonsense, or dare to lie to me, I guarantee that the death you just experienced will be repeated again."
Feeling the oppressive aura emanating from Zhou Huai, Eliza trembled and instantly regained her senses.
She realized that the young man in front of her, who could easily kill four level 60 experts and produce such a heaven-defying divine fruit, must have an extremely terrifying identity and strength.
She quickly scrambled to her feet, knelt respectfully before Zhou Huai with her knees together. Her wings obediently folded away, and she lowered her head, placing her hands on her knees.
"Sir, is that what you're asking?"
Eliza's voice was soft and submissive.
Zhou Huai nodded in satisfaction.
"What's this about the sacred tree you were talking about earlier?"
Zhou Huai stared at Eliza's face.
His main purpose in venturing into the heart of the Free Federation was to find his mother.
His mother was the very embodiment of the Origin Tree of the First World. Upon hearing the one-eyed dragon mention the "Sacred Tree," Zhou Huai's nerves instantly tightened; he needed to confirm whether the Sacred Tree this girl spoke of was related to the Origin Tree.
Upon hearing the words "Sacred Tree," Eliza's body visibly stiffened.
She lowered her head, a hint of struggle flashing in her eyes. After all, this was the family's most closely guarded secret, the very secret that had led to the family's annihilation.
But under Zhou Huai's icy gaze, Eliza still stammered, "Sir... actually, the sacred tree we're talking about isn't a real tree."
"That's a painting."
Eliza took a deep breath and continued, "It's called 'The Sacred Relic Map'."
"It is said to be a painting created in the later years of a Free Federation SSS-level artist."
"That painter had personally witnessed the relics of the divine era and infused that ineffable divine charm into the painting. The reason this painting is called'Sacred Tree' is because... one can communicate with the real Sacred Tree through the special laws inherent in the painting itself."
At this point, a hint of longing appeared in Eliza's eyes.
"As long as you can communicate with the Sacred Tree, you can receive its blessing. You will possess incredible abilities, and may even be able to comprehend the laws of higher dimensions of life!"
Eliza gave a bitter smile, her eyes turning sorrowful.
"And then that bastard Buck..."
"That's the one-eyed man you just killed."
Eliza gritted her teeth and said, "He must have heard some rumors and is convinced that the painting has recently fallen into our family's hands."
"He went completely mad in his pursuit of this painting. He not only exploited my father's trust to carry out a massacre within our family, but he also killed my father, his good brother!"
Eliza's eyes were slightly red.
"I fought desperately to break through, but he chased me like a mad dog all the way here."
"Thanks to your help, sir, otherwise I would have been tortured to death long ago, and I would never have been able to avenge my family."
After listening to Eliza's story, Zhou Huai remained outwardly calm, but his mind began to race.
A painting that can communicate with the true will of the sacred tree?
Zhou Huai nodded slightly. If he could find that painting, would he be able to communicate directly with his mother?