“It’s okay, we’ll head straight into the mountains now.”
“Just like that? Lady Violet, what about the magic array that Lulu ntioned?”
Hearing this, the priestess smiled slightly.
“Little Blue, don’t be fooled by my appearance. I actually have so expertise in barriers and formations. If I can’t get through with all my effort, then Spirit Butterfly Peak is probably not dangerous at all. So, rest assured.”
“Uh, yes...?”
Since the priestess, who was in charge, had already made up her mind, even if Little Blue or Lulu had more questions, they had no choice but to follow her plan.
Thus, the three of them, led by Violet, followed the traces left by the intruders and ventured straight into the snow-covered mountains of the Spirit Butterfly Tribe.
Snow and fog, phenona that shouldn’t appear together, intertwined here. No matter how heavily the snow fell, the mist, like fairy-like clouds, lingered around Spirit Butterfly Peak. There was no doubt that this was a magical spectacle.
As they reached the foot of Spirit Butterfly Peak, the surroundings changed noticeably. Thick fog enveloped them from all sides, imdiately reducing visibility. Though snowflakes continued to fall through the mist onto the ground, the scene took on an ethereal, surreal quality.
“That’s how it is, Lady Violet. The higher we go in this fog, the more blurred and indistinguishable the surroundings will beco. Eventually, we won’t be able to see even our close companions. When the mist clears again, we’ll find ourselves back at the foot of the mountain.”
Little Blue’s steady voice sounded beside her, but Violet didn’t look at her or Lulu on the other side. She simply looked up, seemingly talking to herself.
“Then what if... we enter Spirit Butterfly Peak directly from the sky? Although the clouds above are thicker, they shouldn’t have any real obstructive power, right?”
“No, no! Absolutely not!”
As soon as the words were out, Lulu hastily and anxiously stopped the priestess’s plan.
“Lady Violet, we absolutely cannot enter Spirit Butterfly Peak from the sky, especially when the defensive formation is activated! The airspace around it is restricted. Before you even get close to the peak, you’ll fall straight down and be smashed to pieces!”
“I see... Your Spirit Butterfly Tribe really has quite a few tricks...”
Although Violet was curious about the restriction Lulu ntioned, she felt there was no need to stubbornly try flying up there knowing such a thing existed.
Now was not the ti for that. While Tiyelu might indeed have made preparations in advance, these intruders must have also been planning ticulously for a long ti and were determined to succeed.
The outco was still uncertain.
“Alright then, stay close. I want to see what kind of protective techniques the Spirit Butterfly Tribe has. Lulu, don’t worry too much. Think about it: since the effects of the magic formation are still present, it ans Spirit Butterfly Peak hasn’t been completely breached, right?”
“Well, that’s true...”
After a light chuckle and so simple reassurance to her companions, Violet wasted no more ti and led the way up the mountain.
The path up Spirit Butterfly Peak was clearly well-maintained. The stone steps were neatly and uniformly paved, superior in craftsmanship to most of what the priestess had seen on her journey through the mountains.
The scale of the mountain path also fit humanoid creatures well, indicating it was specifically built for the Spirit Butterfly Tribe’s use.
There wasn’t much snow on the stone steps, but they were marked with footprints. Although new snowflakes had partially covered them, they couldn’t completely conceal the traces. It was clear that a large group had recently passed through here.
As they ascended, the surrounding area began to blur under the cover of the mist. The distant stretch of the mountain path was shrouded in gray, as if at any mont, terrifying ghosts could suddenly reach out with their vicious claws, attacking the travelers and instilling fear.
“Lady Violet, the fog around us is getting thicker. Should we keep going up like this?”
Little Blue, who was following closely beside her, warned the priestess once again. During their brief ti together, Violet had co to understand what kind of character this sli girl, with whom she had signed a three-year contract, truly had.
Little Blue was very independent, sharp-witted, and proactive. Although she greatly respected and trusted Violet, she would not hesitate to question anything she found unreasonable. In a normal team, this girl would likely quickly beco a reliable core mber.
Violet had heard that Little Blue used to survive alone in the perilous mountains and forests, which probably shaped her current personality. Very good, as long as her loyalty could be ensured, Violet could confidently entrust Little Blue with that important task.
“Don’t worry. I haven’t been just walking during this ti. I’ve already made a preliminary judgnt on the principles of the magic array. We’re not yet at the boundary where it would be triggered, so there shouldn’t be any issues for now.”
“Boundary?”
“Yes... It’s what you ntioned before—the point where the fog becos so thick that you can’t see the people around you. I once encountered another enemy that used fog as an attack thod, but in reality, the fog was just a façade. The truly terrifying aspect hidden within it was a power called ‘Law’.”
As they walked along the mountain path, Violet spoke nonchalantly and then slowly turned her head to look at the puzzled sli girl.
“Little Blue, you ntioned earlier that after evolving, you were unable to use any abilities. This might be due to so of my unique characteristics. After considering it, I’ve decided to give you two options, or rather... two paths.”
“Uh, please wait a mont, Lady Violet. Is it really appropriate to do this now? The situation at Spirit Butterfly Peak is unknown, and the enemy’s whereabouts are unclear. Perhaps we can wait until we are safe to slowly proceed with any teachings?”
The priestess smiled and shook her head.
“No, on the contrary, I think now is the perfect ti. Listen carefully.”
“I can use so thods to directly help you master all the abilities you can attain at this stage. That would give you the combat power of a great demon general, or even beyond. But to be honest, the end of this path is predictable. For certain reasons, you won’t be able to continue ascending beyond that point. I can tell you this clearly now.”
“Besides that, I’ve thought of another way for you to gain power. However, I haven’t tried this thod before, so I can’t guarantee what the outco will be. It might make you far stronger than the first option, or it might not bring any change at all. And you can only choose one of these two paths.”
With a slightly challenging and expectant look, Violet’s gaze swept over the light blue body of the sli girl and then to Lulu, who still looked bewildered. The smile on Violet’s lips beca even more pronounced.
“So? Give an answer now, or do you need more ti to think?”
Little Blue didn’t answer imdiately. Instead, she narrowed her eyes slightly, contemplating.
“Lady Violet, are you... planning to have break the fog array here?”
“Bingo!”
The dark-haired girl snapped her fingers joyfully.
“Isn’t it great? This is killing three birds with one stone!”
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