I, the wizard, the foolish Buddha

Nothing much happened along the way. The team arrived near the ruins without any issues.

To call them ruins is really just to say they were a vast and ancient wasteland. It seemed there had once been a city here.

The ancient city ruins were divided into two levels, above ground and below ground. The above-ground ruins had already turned into wasteland, but the underground ruins were still intact.

The destination for everyone was the underground ruins. Instructor Reinard had previously scouted the path and, following the route given by the Baron, had found the entrance—a large, dry well beneath a giant tree.

Reinard had said this when he returned after checking the situation there: “It's very safe there. The dry well is next to a giant banyan tree. There are also elves guarding the entrance. The elves hope we can help them as soon as possible to eliminate the evil spirits in the underground ruins.”

Before long, everyone saw the giant banyan tree.

It was a forest formed of a single tree, its massive canopy covering the sky like a curtain. Many aerial roots hung down from the canopy, connecting the canopy to the ground.

The canopy covered at least the area of a small neighborhood. If this were a normal tree, it would certainly be very beautiful.

However, its leaves were covered with fuzzy, rotten blood threads, and the trunk and aerial roots were covered with layers of rotten flesh. The flesh was slowly wriggling, as if it were alive.

After the team arrived under the tree, humanoid monsters slowly crawled out of the fleshy trunk.

They had no skin and were covered in tumors. Their lower bodies were fused with the flesh on the tree trunk, and their upper bodies writhed on the tree like leeches.

The team stopped immediately, and the atmosphere became tense in an instant.

“Relax,” Instructor Reinard said to everyone, “This is elven territory, the safest area in the entire forest.”

“Elves?” Roland's expression became strange. “If there are elves, why don't they purify these monsters? Is it because they can't be purified?”

Roland quietly observed the surrounding apprentices and found that although they were nervous, they were very calm.

Roland felt a little strange: ‘Instructor Reinard didn't specifically mention these monsters when he came back before… Could it be that these monsters are a very common type of monster in the wizarding world?’

Roland couldn't help but look at Instructor Reinard, and found that his expression was very calm.

Roland also looked at Baron Hall. The Baron stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the monsters on the tree trunk, his expression also very calm.

Roland was very clear about Baron Hall's strength. Seeing the Baron so calm, Roland felt much more at ease.

Roland thought to himself: ‘Baron Hall often comes to this place, and Instructor Reinard has also been here just now… Neither of them had any excessive reactions, so it seems that these monsters may indeed be harmless… Well, it seems that these monsters should be sealed monsters, and the people who sealed the monsters are the elves.’

“This is indeed the place, Reinard,” Baron Hall said with a smile. “Don't be nervous, everyone. I know some Elvish. I'll communicate with the elves.”

With that, Baron Hall left the team. He walked to the tree trunk, bowed slightly to the 'leech people,' and began to speak.

The 'leech people' made gurgling noises in their mouths, like drowning people on the verge of death—it was simply painful groaning, not communication.

Their arms were constantly waving, scratching, and grabbing at the Baron. If they were close enough, they would have torn the Baron to pieces.

The Baron remained calm and composed, maintaining the demeanor of an elegant nobleman, as if the things in front of him were not monsters, but a group of people who could speak and communicate.

Instructor Reinard, watching Baron Hall's back, showed a look of astonishment. He said, “I didn't expect Baron Hall to be so proficient in Elvish.”

Those leech people were obviously not responding to the Baron in Elvish—they only wanted to tear the Baron apart!

Roland's expression became even stranger.

The blonde freshman suddenly patted Roland on the shoulder and said with a smile, “Roland, have you seen elves before?”

“I have not seen elves,” Roland said, wiping away cold sweat. “But I hope the elves responsible for guarding this place come quickly… Because it seems that the Baron's mental state is a little off.”

The two freshmen were stunned for a moment when they heard this, and then couldn't help but laugh: “It seems that Roland hasn't seen the ancient elves yet!”

He really is a bumpkin. Although he has some talent, he has never stepped into the real wizarding world and has no knowledge. He can't compare to a pure-blood wizard like me.

The red-haired freshman raised his head and said to Roland, “You haven't systematically studied 'Humanoid Studies.' So you don't know what real elves look like—in fact, they are somewhat different from the image portrayed in adventurers' stories.”

The blonde freshman laughed: “That's right. Most of the elves who mingle in the mundane world are half-elves, and there is a big difference between them and pure-blood elves—Roland, today, we will give you a lesson.”

With that, the blonde freshman pointed to the leech people on the tree trunk and said, “They are elves.”

The red-haired freshman added with a smile: “To be precise, they are ancient elves.”

The blonde freshman nodded, looking at those things that were more than a meter long and shriveled like leeches, and said: “That's right, you see, although they are as handsome as the images in the stories, their bodies are not thin, but tall and strong.”

“Indeed.” The red-haired freshman pointed to the tumors on the leech people's bodies and interjected: “Did you notice, Roland, their skin is light blue and has tattoo-like patterns on it.”

The two freshmen took turns speaking, patiently giving Roland a lesson.

The more Roland listened, the more ugly his face became: “You mean, these monsters are elves?”

The blonde freshman smiled in astonishment: “Monsters? Haha, Roland, don't say such things in front of the elves later, otherwise, they will treat us all as ignorant wild wizards.”

The red-haired freshman said: “Haha, it's normal for Roland to say such a thing, after all, he hasn't seen real elves. The first time I saw ancient elves, I also made a fool of myself and even regarded them as monsters—but, the height of ancient elves exceeding three meters is normal.”

Roland's face turned pale. He nodded deeply and stopped talking.

Those fleshy leech people were only a little over a meter long. But the blonde freshman believed that they were ancient elves more than three meters tall!

The leech people seemed unable to stay outside the tree for too long. After scratching in mid-air for a while, their bodies gradually dried up and died.

The Baron walked back with a smile and said to everyone: “The elves have left. They will follow us to explore the ruins and provide us with help along the way.”

'The Baron has gone mad.' Roland looked despairingly at Instructor Catherine, who had been silent all along.

The instructor's calmness reassured Roland somewhat.

The instructor had remained calm, watching the Baron's actions with a cold eye, and had also been observing the fleshy sacred tree.

At this moment, she seemed to have discovered something on the tree, and a look of solemnity appeared on her face.

She said to Roland: “Roland, this tree is obviously not a banyan tree. It seems to be a beautiful and sacred Tree of Life.”

Roland: “Ah? A beautiful, sacred Tree of Life?!”

The instructor nodded slowly and said: “I can't be wrong. Go and check it out. If it really is a Tree of Life, we can take some sap to drink before entering the ruins.”

Roland's face turned pale.

Just then, the blonde freshman volunteered to stand up.

He bowed elegantly to Catherine and said: “Madam, Roland may not know much about the Tree of Life. My father once brought back a branch of the Tree of Life, and I have done a lot of research on it.”

Catherine nodded with satisfaction: “Very well.”

He walked to the twisted tree of flesh and blood, checked it for a while, and suddenly drew his long sword and slashed out a sword. Then, the very tough ancient tree was easily cut open with a wound more than a foot deep.

The depth and position of this wound were just right, not harming the ancient tree, but also allowing the withered it to just be able to flow out the sap.

The blonde freshman used his finger to stick some, licked it, and showed a look of ecstasy.

“As sweet as honey, and this rich life force… Madam Catherine! You don't have to doubt it anymore, this is really the Tree of Life!”

When Instructor Reinard heard this, he hurried over. He pushed aside the annoying blonde freshman and tasted the pus, and then a look of ecstasy also appeared on his face.

Because he was too excited, Reinard's voice began to tremble: “It really is! No wonder! So that's how it is… I understand!”

Many apprentices were in an uproar, and Catherine blurted out: “It really is the Tree of Life?!”

This is the Tree of Life that only grows in the most core area of the world!

Although it looks like it hasn't grown up yet, it still possesses unimaginable value!

For a time, many apprentices had different thoughts, secretly took a few steps back, and looked at their companions vigilantly.

Even Baron Hall secretly observed Catherine out of the corner of his eye—Catherine was also quietly observing the Baron with a wary gaze.

It's over, these madmen are going to fight!

“Relax, relax, mentors and senior brothers.”

Roland, beads of cold sweat trickling down his face, walked out and deliberately reassured them to prevent a sudden fight, "Such a large tree is enough for all of you. Besides, this kind of treasure is everywhere—look at those aerial roots; they're also flowing with sap. There's no need to fight over it!"

"There's plenty more?" Everyone looked at the surrounding massive flesh-like aerial roots, their eyes turning red with excitement. "Indeed, there's plenty."

Overjoyed, the crowd hastily gathered around the base of the large tree, collecting sap and branches.

Some even began consuming the sap on the spot.

Even Instructor Catherine elegantly produced a small magic bottle and collected some of the viscous liquid flowing from the flesh-tree.

Only Roland stood motionless, rooted to the spot.

He watched the crowd's actions, his face ashen.

"Madness... utter madness! Everyone's gone mad!"