Chapter 393 - 207: Spirit Realm, Traces of the Ancient Tree Deer Spirit

Chapter 393: Chapter 207: Spirit Realm, Traces of the Ancient Tree Deer Spirit

’Coming to the Ancient Forest Plane under these conditions could only mean he was here to help a friend. It wasn’t as if he was trying to be some kind of savior.’

At this thought, the young Lake Spirit no longer hesitated and nodded.

"Alright, I’ll take you to ask around."

"Thank you," Pei Ze said with a smile. "My name is Pei Ze."

"I’m Pasha."

The young Lake Spirit slowly walked to the shore. As she left the water, she instinctively adjusted her long skirt, its hem reaching the ground and covering her feet.

But Pei Ze still caught a fleeting glimpse: Pasha’s feet were hooves, just like a goat’s.

He quickly looked away, acting as if he hadn’t noticed anything.

Lake Spirits were exceptionally beautiful, but they were deeply unsatisfied with their goat-like hooves. Because of this, they hated showing their legs to anyone and normally kept them hidden under their clothes. Only in anger would they use their hooves to attack.

They also despised anyone who mocked their hooves, and those who dared would be met with a merciless assault.

"This way."

Pasha walked ahead, leading the way.

Most of the surrounding Plantation Guards dispersed, with only the one named Vikan remaining, following closely by Pasha’s side.

The two of them and the beast gradually moved away from the stream, heading deeper into the forest.

Halfway there, a group of petite humanoids suddenly appeared up ahead. They had petal-like wings, wore clothes woven from leaves, and were singing a cheerful, lighthearted song.

’Flower Fairies!’

Pei Ze recognized them at once. After all, he kept a group of Flower Fairies back at his residence.

These minuscule spirits typically served as servants or messengers for larger or more influential spirits—such as Tree Spirits or pixies—in exchange for protection.

Upon seeing Pasha, the group of Flower Fairies immediately flew over, cheerfully greeting the young Lake Spirit.

A few of the Flower Fairies even danced around Pei Ze, sizing him up with curiosity, not the least bit shy around a stranger.

"Have you seen Cameron and the others?"

"Yip yip!" one of the Flower Fairies chirped, pointing ahead and to the left.

Pasha bid the Flower Fairies farewell with a smile, then headed in the direction they had pointed.

After walking another four or five hundred meters, Pei Ze saw another group of Spirit Creatures.

They were completely unclothed, pixie-like creatures that emitted a faint glow. Only twelve or thirteen centimeters tall, they had wings like a dragonfly’s and stood lightly upon the leaves.

As Pasha and Pei Ze drew near, one of them suddenly cried out. Immediately, hundreds more of these glowing fairies flew out from behind the surrounding leaves. They swarmed the pair, cheering and giggling, creating a low hum like a swarm of bees.

’Light Spirits, huh.’

Pei Ze marveled at the sight.

Light Spirits were a species of small, unintelligent spirits that fed on pollen.

Whether due to food shortages or for mutual defense against enemies, they tended to gather in tribes. As a result, they always appeared in large swarms of hundreds or even thousands.

These little guys didn’t pose much of a threat, however.

Their only ability was to use flashes of light and dancing to hypnotize their enemies.

However, the hypnotic power of a thousand Light Spirits working in unison was still less effective than a first-circle Hypnosis Skill.

If they didn’t attach themselves to more powerful beings, these little creatures wouldn’t be able to survive in the wilds.

Having encountered three different kinds of Spirit Creatures in such a short time, Pei Ze was beginning to understand. This forest was likely a Spirit Realm, home to a great number of them.

"Are there many of your fellow Spirit Creatures in this forest?" Pei Ze asked casually.

"Yes," Pasha said readily. "Elder Leiot gathered us all together so we could help one another and defend against invasions from the other tribes around us."

"When the Insect Beasts invaded, it was Elder Leiot who led our resistance. That’s how we’ve managed to hold on until today."

’Just as I thought.’

Pei Ze nodded slightly. Under the leadership of the elder named Leiot, these Spirit Creatures had already formed the beginnings of a realm.

If the Insect Beasts hadn’t appeared, a true Spirit Realm might have eventually formed here, given enough time.

Even in the Multiverse, Spirit Realms were exceedingly rare.

After all, the vast majority of Spirit Creatures had little to no combat ability. To establish a realm, one needed several powerful spirit races to form its core.

Perhaps it was thanks to these specific races that the forest had survived the Insect Beasts’ onslaught for so long.

Pei Ze was just about to subtly probe for more information about the forest’s stronger, more combat-oriented Spirit Creatures when his expression suddenly shifted. He narrowed his eyes, looking into the distance.

Pasha noticed the change in his expression and asked in confusion, "What’s wrong?"

"There’s a battle ahead."

Pasha froze for a moment. Then, as if she’d realized something, the color drained from her face.

"Oh no, it’s the Insect Beasts!"

She immediately broke into a run.

The Plantation Guard scrambled to keep up.

With a flicker in his eyes, Pei Ze also raced after them.

As they closed the distance, the sounds of battle grew clearer.

Loud battle cries were interspersed with the shrill, piercing screeches of insects.

Weaving through the towering trees, the two of them and the beast soon reached the site of the battle.

Unsurprisingly, one side of the conflict was indeed the grotesque Insect Beasts.

Insect Beasts of all different shapes—but every one of them grotesque and hideous—weaved between the trees, fearlessly launching wave after wave of attacks on their target. Pei Ze estimated their numbers to be at least two hundred.

Surrounded by the Insect Beasts was a group of slender, humanoid creatures. They stood less than a meter tall, with dark green skin and bark-brown hair.

Their bodies were wrapped in supple, vibrant green leaves, and they wielded small round shields and thorn-shaped longswords. Numbering just over thirty, they struggled to fend off the Insect Beasts’ ferocious assault.