The woman was extraordinarily beautiful, tall and slender, with skin whiter than snow. Her eyes sparkled like two black pearls, and her face was stunningly gorgeous. She wore a long black robe and a black hood that covered most of her face, revealing only her bright eyes.
In her hand, she held a black cane topped with a grotesque carved head, emanating a chilling aura.
"Who are you? Why do you want to destroy my sacred tree?" the king demanded loudly.
"Hahaha, your Lilliput has always prided itself on being the spirit of the world, possessing the finest things in existence. Today, I intend to destroy your spiritual root, so you will never again receive the protection of the sacred tree," the mysterious woman laughed.
"You... you demon," the king cursed angrily.
"Hahaha, I want to turn you into demons, to let you sink forever into darkness," the mysterious woman continued to laugh.
She raised her cane and began to chant a spell.
In an instant, a fierce wind arose, sand and stones flying everywhere as dark clouds gathered in the sky, blocking out the sun. A massive black worm crawled out from the woman's sleeve and quickly burrowed underground, heading towards the Exotic Fragrance Woods.
In less than half a day, the entire Exotic Fragrance Woods was devoured by the worm; Exotic Fragrance Trees collapsed one after another, their leaves and fruits falling to the ground.
"No... no..." the king wailed skyward.
He watched helplessly as the worm consumed the sacred tree. Kneeling on the ground, he began to weep, his tears soaking his clothes.
From that day on, the people of Lilliput lost their sense of smell; no one could detect any fragrance anymore.
"For a thousand years, I have lived in pain and regret every single day. I hate myself for not having the ability to protect the sacred tree, which led to today's situation," the king said through his tears.
He sighed and continued, "I have been searching for a way to lift this curse but have never found it. I never expected that today you would obtain the sheepskin map; this truly surprises me."
That evening, the king summoned Xiao's Mother and A'Meng's Parents to tell them about the history of Exotic Fragrance Fruit and his dream from a Divine Being, hoping they would support their children in exploring to cure their nation's affliction.
Although all three families were somewhat worried, they ultimately agreed.
The king was overjoyed and granted generous compensation to these families to ease their concerns.
The next morning, the king took them to a hidden cave that served as the royal treasury. The cave was not deep but quite spacious; it was naturally illuminated without lamps and furnished with stone tables and chairs, covered with various treasures.
"This is our royal treasury; you three are my honored guests and benefactors of Lilliput. Today, I will give each of you a gift," said the king with a smile.
He walked up to a stone table, lifted the red cloth covering it, revealing a knife, a slingshot, and a long spear.
"These three weapons were crafted by skilled artisans at the request of my father, using ancient divine materials. They are razor-sharp and incredibly powerful. Today, I present them to you," the king said.
He picked up the knife and gently caressed the sheath, saying, "This knife is called the Black Gold Blade. It was forged from a meteorite that fell from the heavens. It may appear ordinary, but in reality, it is extraordinarily sharp and can cut through anything."
As he spoke, he drew the blade from its sheath and swung it down toward a nearby stone table.
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