She certainly wasn't like the Water Ball people described, with pointed ears and a love for cleanliness; she was even seen as somewhat too clean.

The Elf Race girl before Jiang Cheng was quite elegant, with ears that didn't look much different from ordinary Water Ball people. Her slender body exuded a sense of power and beauty, dressed in green clothes that were rough and stained, if Jiang Cheng didn't mistake it, with fresh colors of blood,

soil, and various grass juices, hardly resembling the cleanliness described in Water Ball legends.

Faced with the girl's gaze and drawn bow, Jiang Cheng tried to communicate with her in universal cosmic language.

Of course, Jiang Cheng didn't understand the language of the Elf Race, nor did he expect this girl to know universal cosmic language; he just instinctively spoke a sentence in it.

To his surprise, the Elf Race girl responded to him.

Jiang Cheng said, this little bird is very cute, isn't it?

And the Elf Race girl replied, stay away from it, don't touch it. As long as communication could be established, everything became simpler. Jiang Cheng smiled slightly, moving away from the cute little bird, though the girl's bow remained pointed at him.

This made Jiang Cheng feel somewhat displeased.

He had done as she instructed, yet she still showed hostility towards him.

Isn't trust the most important thing between people?

The girl clearly didn't see it that way; she aimed her bow at him, repeatedly pushing him to retreat until he was far enough away.

Jiang Cheng's face turned cold; he disliked being treated like this by the girl in front of him, yet he didn't want to start a conflict with her. Obviously, the girl was merely pointing the bow at him, without any actual attack.

The Elf Race girl didn't approach the cute little bird either, seemingly not afraid that Jiang Cheng would claim the bird.

Just as Jiang Cheng wanted to ask, "Why?" a sudden change occurred.

With a "cluck" cry from the sky, a massive fireball launched towards him, and the girl screamed: "Run fast."

Then she rushed over, grabbing Jiang Cheng's hand, dragging him into a frantic run through the forest.

In past confrontations, Jiang Cheng would never think of running away, but being dragged to run was another matter.

The "swish" sounds behind them made him turn back, realizing that the place he and the girl just stood had turned into a sea of fire.

Above them, a giant bird, covered in red feathers, chased relentlessly, spewing large fireballs from its mouth at them.

The girl obviously knew the environment well; she led Jiang Cheng through the forest, dodging the great bird's attacks.

But she didn't notice, above them was a transparent shield protecting them. If not for the light shining on it, revealing a colorful glow, it would be nearly impossible to detect.

In the forest, Jiang Cheng discovered a cute little bird. As he was about to play with it, a girl appeared, pointing an arrow at him. Just as Jiang Cheng felt bewildered, a giant bird suddenly attacked them, dragging them to flee through the forest.

After driving them out of its territory, the giant bird ceased its attack; it gave two victorious cries in the air and flew back.

Beside a clear creek, the girl bent down, washing the sweat and grime off her face with the cold water, breathing deeply before smiling at Jiang Cheng standing nearby, "Don't you want to wash a bit?" Her voice was clear and pleasant.

Jiang Cheng turned away: "No, thank you."

The girl scrutinized him: "I've never seen anyone like you—a '983' person. Are you human?"

Jiang Cheng smiled and nodded: "Are you from the Elf Race then?"

The girl's expression turned puzzled as she asked Jiang Cheng, "Elf Race? What is that?"

"Well..." Jiang Cheng was momentarily speechless, as though the name Elf Race was given by humans to the girl's kind, how they referred to themselves, no one knew.

Jiang Cheng chose not to continue this topic.

He changed the subject.

"What kind of bird was that? Quite powerful."

The girl stepped away from the creek, wiping the water off her face.

"I don't know its real name, but we call it the Flaming Firebird."

The name was quite fitting; during the escape, Jiang Cheng saw clearly that the Flaming Firebird not only spewed large fireballs from its mouth, but also sparks emitted every time its wings flapped. But that was not Jiang Cheng's concern. Though the giant bird was formidable, in his eyes, it was not a great challenge. If the girl hadn't dragged him away, he would've taught that bird a lesson.

Yet he didn't plan to kill it; the giant bird must be the cute little bird's mother, or perhaps its father. He didn't want the little bird to lose its parent while still in the nest. Jiang Cheng's heart was not as cold as his indifferent exterior; like most kind-hearted people, he was filled with affection for all beautiful things.

What caught his attention was the girl's remark.

"We?" Did she mean others like her? Jiang Cheng asked.

The girl's expression turned somber, clearly touched by Jiang Cheng's words deep inside. After a moment of pause, she said, "I've been out for quite a while. If I don't return, my companions will worry."

She glanced at Jiang Cheng: "I don't know where you're from, but I think it's not safe for you here. Come with me."

This was exactly what Jiang Cheng hoped for; he didn't like staying alone in a place filled with monsters, and having someone to talk to was always nice. Moreover, he held some curiosity towards the girl and her companions.

Before nightfall, they reached the girl's dwelling place.

On a mountain's midsection, there was a cave, and the girl led him inside.

The cave was undoubtedly a safe place, its entrance small; Jiang Cheng had to be careful not to scrape against the rocky walls while squeezing through. After walking a dozen steps, the cave's interior suddenly widened, presenting to Jiang Cheng a spacious cavern. Inside, a warm fire was burning, and over ten people sat around it.

Seeing the girl bring in a stranger—a human—everyone stood up in surprise. For many years, not only humans, but any new creatures had not been seen.

Shi Su remarked that the girl and her companions conversed in an unfamiliar language; seemingly her companions did not speak universal cosmic language.

The girl invited Jiang Cheng to sit by the fire with them. An elderly man handed him a piece of dried meat and a bowl of clear water. Jiang Cheng noticed that the girl's companions were all older than her, if compared to humans from Water Ball, then these companions were akin to her grandparents' generation.