Winter nights always seem to come early. Although flying saved a lot of time, by the time Violet and her two companions reached the vicinity of Spirit Butterfly Peak, the sky had already begun to darken.
It was hard to tell how large an area the snow had covered, but at least the mountains here were also wrapped tightly in a blanket of white, making visibility poor.
The three girls descended from the sky, their footsteps making soft crunching sounds in the thick snow. Violet looked up at the mist-shrouded peaks ahead, a knowing glint in her silver-blue eyes.
“As I thought... it looks very similar.”
“Lady Violet, what looks similar?” Little Blue asked curiously.
Violet smiled and shook her head without offering a detailed explanation. Instead, she turned to the little butterfly on her other side.
“Nothing much. Lulu, you said you couldn’t enter Spirit Butterfly Peak because of the mist surrounding the mountain?”
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“Yes, Lady Violet. This is the defensive magic array set by the Holy Ancestor at Spirit Butterfly Peak. While it doesn’t have direct offensive capabilities, once activated, it suppresses all intruders, causing them to get lost in the mountains and inexplicably return to their starting point. It’s really amazing!”
Seeing Lulu’s proud and smug expression, as if she were the designer of the magic array herself, Violet couldn’t help but laugh.
“Yes, it is indeed amazing. So amazing that even you, a genuine Spirit Butterfly, are locked out.”
“Ugh...! Lady Violet, that’s mean.”
Lulu’s antennae, which had just perked up, drooped down dejectedly.
“Haha, just joking.”
Returning to the serious matter at hand, it’s natural that the Spirit Butterfly Tribe wouldn’t activate Tiyelu’s defensive magic array without reason. Their actions indicate that they must have sensed something, perhaps even received a warning or command directly from the Holy Ancestor.
In other words, there’s an enemy about to, or already invading Spirit Butterfly Peak.
However, this raises another question: Why didn’t the Spirit Butterfly Tribe directly seek help from other magical races and the Three Pillars, choosing instead to silently close their doors and defend themselves?
The situation of the Spirit Butterfly Tribe is completely different from that of the Mountain Wolves back then.
Not to mention the fact that they have Tiyelu as a super powerful backer, the Spirit Butterflies themselves are a mysterious and powerful race within the Ten Thousand Demons Mountain. If they asked for help, there would definitely be no shortage of races willing to lend a hand.
But they didn’t do that. Why? Was it a lack of trust in other races, or did they believe others weren’t qualified to participate?
Or perhaps, both?
Considering the familiar feeling this place brings to Violet, it seems that this matter is even more complex and absurd than imagined... Interesting.
However, it was precisely because she had anticipated these possibilities that Priestess didn’t fully disclose the true purpose of this trip to Chief Vanessa, choosing instead to bring only a few companions and rush here as quickly as possible to find out the truth.
“Lady Violet, it seems that some creatures have been here before. Look, their footprints are still visible,” said Little Blue as she carefully removed the prototype flying wing from her back and handed it back to Violet. She also immediately noticed the unusual marks in the surrounding snow.
“Hmm, it looks like there were quite a few,” replied Violet, placing the completed prototype back into her backpack and surveying the area. She already had some speculations in mind.
With the snow falling so heavily, if there were only a few tracks, they would have been completely buried by the blizzard in no time.
But here, there were conspicuous footprints everywhere, along with some obvious giant footprints or drag marks, indicating not only a recent departure but also considerable commotion.
It seems they’ve stumbled upon something significant this time. Such a conspicuous attack indicates a substantial motive. If it weren’t for the snow blocking communication to some extent, even if the Spirit Butterfly Tribe hadn’t asked for help, the actions here would likely have been noticed by other magical races.
“Lady Violet, I’m afraid there are at least over a thousand, if not more... Last time we were here, it was peaceful. I didn’t expect to be right,” said Little Blue, examining the tracks around them, her expression grave. And with her shallower experience and being a member of the Spirit Butterfly Tribe, Lulu seemed even more anxious.
“So many enemies have broken in?! Lady Violet, we, we need to hurry and help!” exclaimed Lulu, her urgency palpable.
“Lady Violet, what should we do now? Should we report the situation here to the Moon Shadow Clan first?” asked Little Blue.
“...Let’s not rush into things,” Violet replied.
Now that they were sure Spirit Butterfly Peak was under a large-scale invasion, it was indeed necessary to inform Chief Vanessa. Not that they expected help from her, but to keep the Three Pillars vigilant, remind them that the enemy had begun to move, and to handle any necessary aftermath.
After all, one must always prepare for the worst-case scenario, and under normal circumstances, it would take at least 2-3 days to rush over from the Moon Shadow Clan. By then, regardless of the situation here, it would have already been resolved.
After some thought, Violet decided to first contact Xiao Guang through their contract and have her roughly relay the situation here to the Moon Shadow Clan leadership.
Contract communication only required a single thought, but... after the information was sent out, for some reason, there was no response from the other side.
What’s going on?
A slight jump in the priestess’s heart, but she maintained her composure outwardly, showing no signs of anything unusual.
Then she thought, even if they were really facing a powerful enemy, with Xiao Guang’s strength, there was no way she wouldn’t even have the chance to seek help through the contract.
Not to mention, she had only left the Moon Shadow Valley less than a day ago, and it was a sudden idea. Even if there were a traitor, it wouldn’t be possible for someone to precisely seize such a clever opportunity to attack.
Although there was no response, through the contract, Violet could sense that Xiao Guang’s spirit remained stable, and there were no changes in her pet panel’s HP, MP, or any status, indicating she wasn’t in combat.
It’s possible she’s resting or has encountered some special circumstances. After all, communication between contracts isn’t truly messaging, it’s more like two parties pulling on a string held by each other. If one is focused on doing something, it’s normal not to notice.
Although she could summon Xiao Guang directly using the contract, that was a backup measure for emergencies. Xiao Guang wouldn’t be able to immediately return to the Moon Shadow Valley afterward, so there was no need to do so at the moment.
“What’s wrong, Lady Violet? Shouldn’t we take action immediately?”
“It’s nothing, just wait a moment... Hm?”
Finally, there was a response.
After a brief exchange through the contract with Xiao Guang, even the priestess couldn’t help but show a more colorful expression.
“I can’t believe... this happened?”
If that’s the case, many things can be explained. Violet didn’t expect Xiao Guang to catch such a big fish over there. It’s truly an unexpected joy.
Violet turned her gaze to the butterfly girl, who seemed extremely anxious and uneasy about her fellow tribe members.
“Lulu, how much do you know about this defensive magic array of yours?”
“Huh? How much do I know... just what I mentioned earlier. I really don’t know the other details. Lady Violet, if it’s not enough, shouldn’t we hurry and notify other tribes for help? Even though the magic array left by the Holy Ancestor is powerful, with the enemy launching such a massive attack, they must have come prepared!”
Yes, they must have come prepared.
Well prepared indeed...
No wonder even a member of the tribe like Lulu was locked outside. Tiyelu must have been well-prepared as well. Could it be that... she had already foreseen all of this?