After extracting enough information from the captured frenzied spirit, Violet decided not to waste any more time with them. Though the priestess did not intend to kill this peculiar and cunning spirit for now, she couldn’t just let it go free.
Not to mention the possibility of it running off to inform the Summoner, this creature was the only one Violet had encountered who had been in close contact with Silvester and came from the Illusionary Realm. For an opponent whose motives were unclear, the more sources of information, the better.
While higher-dimensional spirits are certainly bizarre, as long as Violet remained vigilant and kept a close watch, these entities wouldn’t be able to cause much trouble.
Standing up, Violet was about to give a brief explanation of the situation to Little Blue and Lulu when she suddenly looked down in surprise.
“Hmm?”
The node guardian named Lian, who had previously collapsed from exhaustion, was gradually becoming transparent and starting to dissipate?
Noticing the priestess’s surprise, Lulu, who was standing nearby, quickly explained.
“Ah, Lady Violet, there’s no need to worry. Actually, this is a good thing. The array that the Holy Ancestor set up on Spirit Butterfly Peak has more functions than just confusing directions.”
“We Spirit Butterfly are special semi-spiritual life forms. Even if we die, we usually transform into spiritual forms and continue our lives in another place. The array on Spirit Butterfly Peak enhances this characteristic.
“So as long as the array isn’t completely destroyed, even if a Spirit Butterfly dies on the mountain or suffers severe mental trauma and loses consciousness, they can automatically regenerate at the array’s core. In other words, as long as the array remains, the Spirit Butterfly Tribe cannot be defeated.”
“...Is that so?”
Upon hearing this, the priestess couldn’t help but give Lulu a strange look.
“If that’s the case, how did you get captured by the human poaching gang in the first place? More importantly, did the Ghost Thief Group really have the guts and capability to come to Spirit Butterfly Peak to capture Spirit Butterfly?”
“Well... ahaha...”
Lulu hesitated, scratching her head awkwardly before finally confessing.
“Of course, I wasn’t captured on Spirit Butterfly Peak... I just overheard one of my sisters mentioning that there was particularly sweet and delicious nectar in a flower valley outside. The butterflies couldn’t resist it, so I sneaked out to try it, and who would’ve thought...”
“Pfft, I see. That sounds just like something you would do, Lulu.”
“Wow! Little Blue, why are you making fun of me too? It was just bad luck, alright!”
Watching the two girls of different races, who had clearly become close through shared hardships, playfully bicker, Violet shook her head helplessly. She then casually sent a beam of golden light into the seemingly invisible frenzied spirit she held in her hand.
【Do you feel it? This is called a Holy Light Bomb. As soon as I think about it, it will go ‘boom’ and explode immediately. As for its power... if you don’t believe me, you can try making some small moves and see what happens.】
After conveying this thought, Violet released her grip, allowing the frenzied spirit to regain its freedom. Given its cowardly nature, the priestess was confident it wouldn’t dare gamble with its life.
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Sure enough, even after being released, the creature didn’t make any unnecessary movements or attempt to escape. It merely floated near the priestess, looking quite deflated and subdued.
Satisfied, Violet nodded and then took a small jade bottle from her backpack. She had bought this special magical container, designed to preserve certain energy forms, from Sky City. It was expensive, but its effectiveness was undeniable.
The girl uncorked the bottle and gave it a casual shake. The frenzied spirit immediately understood her intention and obediently slipped inside.
Once she sealed the bottle and confirmed that the creature couldn’t escape, Violet put the item, now treated as a tool, into her spatial backpack.
“Alright, let’s go.”
Although she thought that since the Summoner had left so long ago, they probably wouldn’t catch up, the fact that the array was still intact indicated that the Spirit Butterfly Tribe hadn’t been completely defeated yet.
Having left the main battleground at the first node, the three of them didn’t encounter any more beast corpses along the long path upward. Lulu’s earlier explanation also clarified why they hadn’t found any fallen Spirit Butterfly Tribe members.
As for the exact location of the second node, Violet wasn’t sure. None of them, including the invisible frenzied spirit, seemed to know either. However, following the path and the signs of battle couldn’t lead them too far astray.
Sure enough, it wasn’t long before they came across evidence of another battleground. The corpses of dead beasts and demons were scattered everywhere. Despite the pervasive mist, the sight of fallen trees and deep craters inside the 【Light Protection】 showed the ferocity of the battle here, even more so than at the first node Lian had defended.
“It seems the second node has also been breached.”
There was no sign of the guardian here, nor any Spirit Butterfly Tribe corpses. Had they all been killed and forced to return to the array’s core?
If so, Silvester was clearly using a relentless, sacrificial strategy to push forward at all costs.
Given the severity of the situation, Violet had considered using a surge of spiritual power to cover the entire Spirit Butterfly Peak to understand the situation better.
However, she realized that the array protecting this mountain was similar to the one in the 【Sanctuary】 that Tiyelu had demonstrated, both imbued with significant soul energy. To forcefully do so would require first overcoming the array head-on.
Undoubtedly, this would mean breaking the entire array by brute force, effectively doing more harm than good.
So unless the protective array of Spirit Butterfly Peak collapses on its own, it’s not convenient for her to take such actions. Additionally, the priestess has some ideas she wants to verify in this manner.
For instance...
“Lady Violet, since two of the three nodes have been breached, why hasn’t the array been disabled yet? Look, the mist outside hasn’t dissipated or weakened at all, which seems quite illogical.”
Little Blue, who appeared somewhat idle after her tasks were taken over, stepped forward to voice her doubts. Her observation skills were indeed sharp, quickly noticing these subtle inconsistencies.
The priestess nodded and stood up from inspecting the corpse of a beast.
“You’re right, it doesn’t make sense. Therefore, aside from the possibility that they are having trouble with the third node, I suddenly have another thought.”
“Are you suggesting... the enemy’s goal isn’t to completely destroy the array but to weaken it partially, or just to break through the defense to reach a specific area?”
“Oh?”
Violet looked at the slime girl in surprise, her expression turning appreciative.
“Very good, Little Blue, for you to come up with that on your own, it’s quite impressive... ahem, that’s exactly right. In fact, if I wanted, I could have reached the top of Spirit Butterfly Peak much earlier and faster. I chose not to, partly to keep my presence hidden and avoid alerting the enemy, and partly because I have always doubted the enemy’s true objective.”
“Now, I can almost be certain.”
Silvester sacrificed many of his subordinates, launching a lightning-fast attack on Spirit Butterfly Peak at great cost, breaching the first and second nodes. According to the confession of the frenzied spirit, these events took place about half a day ago.
Given this, why hasn’t the array collapsed, and the mist dissipated after so long?
The answer is simple: because his goal isn’t Spirit Butterfly Peak itself, nor does he intend to fight the Spirit Butterfly Tribe to the end. The place he wants to go is—the Illusionary Realm.