Tiyelu has the ability to send messages using soul avatars, and at the very least, she can pull people into the mountain sacred place known as the 【Sanctuary】, which Violet had seen firsthand. However, after dispatching Minchen to fulfill the agreement with the priestess, Tiyelu had not shown herself even once.
Aside from intentionally avoiding Violet, the only reason the priestess could think of was that something major had happened inside the Illusionary Realm. That pesky butterfly was too busy handling and responding to the situation to spare any attention elsewhere.
Violet had already asked Minchen and Chief Vanessa about this. They explained that Tiyelu was indeed dealing with some issues inside the Gate and had notified the outside world in advance.
To better manage the trouble, she had temporarily retracted the soul threads she had scattered outside, so they would have to wait for Tiyelu to contact the outside proactively.
It sounded like a dire situation, but the Gatekeeper assured Violet confidently, “Don’t worry, Miss Violet. This isn’t the first time something like this has happened. That butterfly might seem unreliable, but she’s actually quite cunning.”
“If she encountered an enemy she couldn’t handle, she’d have come running for help long ago. She’s been guarding the 【Sanctuary】 for over a thousand years and knows the Illusionary Realm better than anyone. It won’t be that easy for something to go wrong.”
Given Minchen’s close relationship with Tiyelu and his role as the Gatekeeper, Violet couldn’t press further even though she was still concerned. She had conveyed Sethlin’s warning to Minchen in a more tactful manner, but whether he took it to heart was beyond her control. However, judging by his hurried return to the 【Sanctuary】, he probably did take it seriously.
Minchen had clearly told Violet that there was indeed a gate to the Illusionary Realm in the core area of the Ten Thousand Demons Mountains, but Tiyelu had sealed it using some method.
The door cannot and must not be opened easily. Therefore, until Tiyelu, who is inside, actively seeks help, all they can do is wait and, based on the information the priestess received from the mountain wolves and the doll clan, investigate for any anomalous elements among the magical creatures.
What they need now is an opportunity and a lead.
Although the true disaster has begun to show its fangs, Violet hasn’t gathered enough information yet. She still cannot determine who is opening the passage between the two realms, where it is happening, how it is being done, or what the purpose is.
So, when Lulu, also from the Spirit Butterfly Tribe, appeared and mentioned that she couldn’t return to her clan’s territory for the time being, Violet immediately thought of Tiyelu, who is closely connected to this clan.
Sure enough, Lulu scratched her face awkwardly and revealed a shocking piece of information.
“Ahaha... actually, our Spirit Butterfly Tribe’s territory is temporarily sealed off for some reason. I tried to return once before, but I couldn’t get in. After knocking and getting no response, I had no choice but to leave...”
Seeing the priestess particularly interested in this matter, Little Blue quickly added more details.
“Lulu is right. I accompanied her when she tried to go back. The Spirit Butterfly Tribe’s territory is on a mountain called Spirit Butterfly Peak. I heard that it’s usually shrouded in clouds and fog, making it hard to see what’s inside. When we went there last time, the fog was even thicker. Once you enter the mountain, you can’t see anything.”
“Um... actually, that fog is something we Spirit Butterflies create. I can’t explain the specifics right now, but once it gets that dense, no outside creatures can get in. No matter how you try, you’ll always end up back where you started. Even I couldn’t get in.”
“Spirit Butterfly Peak... a high mountain... shrouded in clouds and fog...?”
The priestess furrowed her brow.
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Why does this sound so familiar? Strange...
“This must be Spirit Butterfly Peak... Heh, as expected, they were well-prepared. As expected of the Ancestor, sharp and decisive.”
Below the mist-shrouded peak, a slender figure with gray long hair, wearing a mask engraved with strange patterns, looked up at the lush, verdant ancient peak, a faint smile playing at the corners of their lips.
“If Tiyelu were still here, I would naturally have to retreat. But now that she is firmly tied up and unable to act, you butterflies and your descendants are hardly a threat...
“Siel (Silvester Bullwer), everything is ready.”
From a distance, a girl with similarly gray but short hair, barely reaching her shoulders, approached quickly from the other side of the mountain with a few figures who, though varied in appearance, all exuded a powerful aura. She handed over a peculiar charm, neither gold nor jade.
“Thank you, Eileen, for doing this with me.”
The masked figure, Siel, reached out and gently caressed the girl’s cheek. As a child from the slums, her skin naturally wasn’t as delicate as those well-kept noble girls, but the young girl’s face wasn’t overly rough either. It was full of the taste of life and reality.
Not avoiding his closeness, Eileen just slightly lowered her head, a complex expression flashing in her eyes.
“It’s not really a hardship. All our efforts so far have been in preparation for this moment. For a truly beautiful future, these are necessary sacrifices... But I’m still a bit worried. We originally planned to provoke conflict between the Human United Kingdom and the Ten Thousand Demons Mountains, making the monsters too busy dealing with human attacks to interfere here. But now the plan has failed, and the two sides seem to be cooperating. Could it be that...”
Placing a slender, white finger on Eileen’s lips, Siel interrupted the girl’s worries.
“It’s alright, these are manageable variables. Capturing Novia Moon Shadow was indeed for the purpose you mentioned, but more importantly, it was to use her to pinpoint the location of the true Source of Magic power. Everything else is just incidental.”
“But if we launch such a high-profile attack on Spirit Butterfly Peak and get discovered by the magical creatures...”
Siel smiled slightly.
“And what if we are discovered? Even if they notice us in time to intervene, I’ve been lying in wait for this day for many years, silently gathering strength, preparing plans, and traveling the world... Now that the conditions are ripe, who in the Ten Thousand Demons Mountain could stop us, aside from the Ancestor Tiyelu and the great Gatekeeper? The so-called three pillars?”
“Siel, I still think it’s best to be cautious. No one knows what powerful beings may be lurking in the shadows of this world. Even though we’ve done our research, we can’t be certain. Didn’t you encounter that mysterious expert in Clovis Town before?”
Hearing Eileen mention this, the expression under Siel’s mask gradually became more serious.
“You’re right, caution is indeed wise. Besides that mysterious expert, we also need to watch out for the 【Reaper’s Scythe】 from Demon Suppression City. Individually, they’re not worth mentioning, but if those four join forces, they’d be quite troublesome. However, both groups belong to the Human United Kingdom’s faction, so they likely won’t appear in the depths of Ten Thousand Demons Mountains anytime soon. We just need to act quickly.”
“Alright, I’ll follow your lead... Let’s hope everything goes smoothly.”