Chapter 262: Artificial Human Achou

It was the ninety-seventh year of the Yumian Empire.

Solar Elves emerged like a sudden, formidable force. A special new unit entered Silvermoon City, the Elven Royal Capital, sending shockwaves throughout the entire Yumian Elven Empire.

“Flying Hippogryph Archers?”

“Elven Knights riding unique magical beasts?”

In the royal capital's streets, people gasped as they watched two powerful elves, distinctively dressed, enter the Elven Royal Palace to pay their respects. Could they be Elven heroes? And two of them?

Countless elves stared wide-eyed, convinced that the Solar Elves were on the rise!

But the next moment, something even more astonishing occurred. As the two special "Elven heroes" received their permits, an elite "Elven hero" army slowly and orderly marched into the city. Moonriders and Hippogryph Archers appeared in large numbers among the crowd.

An entire army of Elven heroes?

For elves who had never witnessed such a spectacle, their minds went blank.

Gradually, elves from the Royal Palace in the crowd began to whisper, “Those are just regular Solar Elves, at the forefront of the strongest. The true Solar Elf hero is Druid Mikina.”

“Really, like Emperor Yumian?” The elves were astonished, their curiosity immensely piqued.

“They say it’s different. They don’t have a Heroic Altar, so they can’t revive once they die. However, it's rumored that a true Solar Elf hero has appeared in the Solar Elf tribe, capable of revival from a Heroic Altar. He is called the Alchemist, and all these powerful elves before you, including Druid Mikina, were created by him.”

“An Alchemist? A hero who can create Elven heroes?”

“My heavens! Can he turn me into a hero?”

The entire Silvermoon City erupted in excitement.

Feeling their worldview shattered, they gazed at the Solar Elves with envy. The Solar Elves, full of pride, strode forward with heads held high, declaring, “We are strong because of 'Krypton Gold'!”

“What is 'Krypton Gold'?” other innocent elves inquired.

Over the next few days, it gradually became clear that they had come to join the war and assist in the human round-up.

With such a powerful new force joining, wouldn't the entire Elven Empire become at least three times stronger?

After all, the Elven race before relied solely on Yumian for support, with the rest being ordinary elves. Their advantage was not significant, especially compared to humans, whose growth period, reproduction rate, and maturation speed far surpassed elves, who only reached adulthood at eighty.

In the Elven Royal Hall.

“Solar Elves, the new Elven hero... Alchemist Koya.” Emperor Yumian of the Elves slightly frowned, then said coldly, “She is waiting outside for an audience? Then let her enter and greet me!”

Moments later, Alchemist Koya strode into the Royal Hall. He was now truly seeing the Elven Emperor with his own eyes.

He looked up, and an overwhelming aura of dominance washed over him. “This Yumian is the true Yumian! I can feel her terrifying power, her powerful charismatic presence, and her decisive, resolute will!”

This felt more like the genuine article. In contrast, someone who relied on external forces seemed like the impostor Elven Emperor.

With a sudden clang, a pair of exquisite black long boots with noble gold patterns dropped to the floor.

The next second, Elven Emperor Yumian suddenly appeared before him, her exquisitely jade-like pale legs striking out. Without a word, she immediately engaged in a test of strength, having clearly sensed the terrifying murderous intent from the other side.

“If I don't resist, I will die!”

A chilling thought flashed through Koya's mind, but he had no ability to resist. He was instantly kicked to the ground, a foot pressed against his face, and a terrifyingly pungent smell assailed him.

“Nice smell,” Koya said, lying on the ground, his nose twitching as he sniffed. “Your feet as a side dish would probably go well with a meal.”

Yumian’s expression turned cold.

Her legs moved like blurs, kicking him away. “You don't fear my might?!”

“No,” Koya laughed.

However, his face was pale, clearly not feeling well. To get close to this legendary, most powerful Elven Emperor, he had secretly acquired her personal clothing and collected skin flakes before arriving.

“I don’t fear you because... I already have a figurine of you!” He took out a spatial ring made from a Life Fruit, from which a bronze-colored Yumian slowly emerged, staring mechanically at her.

This was a replicated life he had created with all his savings, further improved by integrating other creatures. As he said: just like Emperor Qi, copy and paste, then innovate!

“Audacious! How dare you replicate me, Yumian,” Yumian exclaimed, moving swiftly to attack the replica.

Both possessed terrifying auras and identical abilities.

The replica's combat power included some additional special abilities, and its pure strength even surpassed the original in some respects. Koya had expected at least a draw, but to his utter disbelief, this replicated Yumian had no power to fight back from beginning to end.

Thump, thump, thump! Her leg techniques were like a tempest, combined with the Wheel of Poison, executed with unimaginable precision.

In fewer than ten exchanges, the replica was instantly defeated.

“She is a terrifying combat genius!” He watched his alchemical puppet fall, his mind somewhat blank. “She has forged her own path over these years. If that Demon Hunter from back then appeared before her now, she would probably be instantly beaten to death, then captured alive, with no need for my help whatsoever.”

Indeed, his artificial creation, though perfectly replicated, lacked combat intelligence.

“Elven Emperor, please spare my life! I surrender!”

A moment later, Koya surrendered, capable of both bending and straightening.

“Remember, there will only be one Emperor Yumian from now on. You are not permitted to replicate me again,” Yumian said coldly, returning to her Elven throne.

“Is there truly only one?” Koya asked.

Yumian paused, then looked at him meaningfully. “It seems you are indeed not as malicious as the previous traitor. You have earned the trust of the Ancient Elven Tree, which has revealed the truth to you. Therefore, I can also trust you. The Yumian of the past lost her honor and betrayed the Elven race; that was our greatest disgrace. She is dead. I am the only Elven King in this world, Yumian, the Elven God, eternally guarding the honor of our elven kind.”

Koya looked at the Elven Emperor, as if seeing a powerful Elven monarch, the true rise of an Elven era.

“Perhaps the times don't need my interference; they will follow their destined course.”

Meanwhile, the Demon Hunter was still observing the woodcutter.

This woodcutter boy had a pointed mouth, sunken cheeks, an underbite, and a fierce appearance. Two fangs protruded from his lips like tusks.

He had secretly observed him for several days, finding him curled up in a thatched hut outside the mountain near the elven town.

To the beauty-loving elves, he was extremely ugly. Moreover, as the offspring of an elven traitor and a human, the elves would throw him an axe and tell him to go to the mountains to chop wood in exchange for food.

The boy bore no resentment. He knew the pain humans had inflicted on elves and considered it incredibly kind that the beautiful elves would feed him and allow him to live there in there in exchange for firewood.

One day, he went up the mountain again.

Thump, thump, thump! After chopping firewood, the deformed boy frantically swung his axe, striking a huge black stone. His axe-wielding arms twitched slightly, and his palms began to bleed from the impact.

He had a peculiar habit of chopping stones, swinging his axe thousands of times every day.

Swing!

Swing!

Blood seeped from his arms, and pain tore through his body, yet facing death in this way felt good. As long as he swung wildly, he could forget his race, status, gender, origin, appearance... He didn't need to care about anything. Just the pure act of swinging—that feeling was truly wonderful.

After dark, he returned to his room, handed the firewood to the elves, and continued to curl up, quietly waiting for the next day.

Over these past few days, Ilfarn had continuously observed the boy with his peculiar lifestyle, discovering an astonishing atavistic phenomenon in his physique, showing signs of an Ancestral Witch. “He’s practically insane! I’ve never seen anyone so reckless, deriving pleasure from self-harm, with his hands bleeding like that... He's clearly disliked and carries a grudge, yet he shows no resentment whatsoever. He’s so straightforward it’s almost foolish; is he putting all his skill points into his physique? And he's still alive after such self-abuse.”

This was simply unbelievable.

His demon true form was constructed by imitating the Ancestral Witch's true form, yet this boy's bloodline seemed even more aligned with it, as if a subtle mutation had occurred from the fusion of elven, demonic, and human bloodlines.

“His physical talent is at its limit, and he’s a madman, but he seems a bit dim-witted.” Those of them capable of evolving potential species were not truly fighters; they still had to rely on native geniuses.

With that thought, he quickly descended, looking at the boy.

The boy, who was chopping at the giant stone, was slightly startled and looked up.

“You are a human powerhouse? The legendary Ancestor Arthur?” The ugly boy dropped his blood-soaked axe, completely awestruck.

Arthur was the first human in the world, the progenitor of all humanity, and the only Sixth-Tier powerhouse capable of flight.

“You could say that,” Ilfarn said, tempting him. “What is your name?”

“I have no name. My parents loved each other but were imprisoned in the Tree Realm. I live in the town, and the elves call me the ugly human... Achou.” The ugly boy felt somewhat ashamed of the name and was reticent.

“Do you desire power, fame, strength, everything you could possibly want?” Ilfarn used a common demonic tactic.

“I don’t want any of that,” the boy shook his head. “The elf sisters are very kind to me. Even though I am the child of their enemies, they haven't driven me out of town, and even when the patrol comes, they pretend not to know I'm here.”

“You don’t want anything?” Ilfarn was stunned.

It was the first time he encountered a child with no desires. Was his monotonous, pure joy and pleasure simply found in swinging at stones?

Was this person a masochist?!

He felt exhilarated and happy just by swinging?

“What I want?” Achou paused. “I want to see my parents, but I cannot cultivate magic.”

Ilfarn was startled and immediately sensed his body, realizing he indeed had a flaw preventing him from pursuing the path of magic cultivation.

It was due to atavism in his physique, making him closer to the terrifying Ancestral Witch physique.

It was a pity, however, that this beast-like ugly boy could not cultivate the Nine Revolutions Profound Art; his intelligence was too low.

“Then let’s stop the war, and let elves and humans live in harmony. I have no profound cultivation methods, only simple body cultivation techniques.” He thought for a moment and still handed him the Nine Revolutions Profound Art. “If you can’t learn it, you can just practice the body-strengthening parts, right?”

“Okay,” the boy remained reticent.

Meanwhile, deep underground, Emperor Qi, covered by a thick crust, slowly opened his eyes. “Interesting... a life alchemy factory? Very good, but it's mine now.”

“I studied countless times before understanding its principles. Then, I simulated this strange replicated life with Daoist techniques, learning its methods of creation. I captured three races and experimented countless times to artificially crossbreed an ugly boy with mixed bloodlines... It's a pity he is very imperfect, with low combat power and intelligence, but every intelligent life is unique. Achou... I hope you can surprise me.”