To many people, Holy Light was the true polar opposite of dark magic, while nature's power was far more tolerant. Death, after all, was part of nature, so there ought not to be any glaring conflict between the two.
That notion was not entirely wrong, but neither was it entirely right.
Many assumed that death in the eyes of the undead was the same concept of death understood by druids.
In truth, it was nothing of the sort. To the undead, death was eternity; to druids, death was a cycle.
Undead: *Ah, I have died, but I have also achieved eternal life! I shall exist forever!*
Druid: *No, you bloody well won't! You're supposed to become nutrients for other living things—die properly, damn you!*
Therein lay the contradiction.
Thus, nature's power could embrace death so long as one was willing to be part of the cycle. But it could never tolerate dark magic, because dark magic existed solely to disrupt that cycle.
Naturally, this was merely the prevailing druidic view, not an absolute rule for all.
Certain druids took unconventional paths—such as those belonging to the Circle of Spores, whose mastery over corpses surpassed that of many liches.
Moreover, the dark aura Anbaixiu had sensed was unusual. It did not bear the hallmarks of the undead; it felt more like the work of some evil god.
In the Oak Father's domain, what evil god would dare show its face?
Unable to figure it out, Anbaixiu set the matter aside for the moment. He was still trying to devise a plausible, sensible way for Mengge Grayriver to die.
Following the druids forward, their path was constantly paved with writhing vines that contoured perfectly to each step, carrying them along like a living moving walkway.
Because of this, their travel speed was remarkably swift—practically comparable to an all-out sprint.
The entire forest was like a colossal living organism, capable of producing astonishing effects.
Sensing this ubiquitous "harmony," Anbaixiu could not shake a feeling of strangeness.
Every kingdom truly had its own geographic advantages. A destitute realm like the Raging Tide Kingdom had the vast ocean as a barrier, while the desert possessed the Death Line to stall the armies of Ryan. This druid forest was likely even more terrifying than the Death Line; an invading enemy was effectively fighting the entire forest, which was nothing short of suicidal.
Yet with such an immense advantage already at their disposal, why bother maintaining the Dream Barrier?
The maintenance cost of a grand magical barrier capable of blanketing an entire kingdom was astronomically high. Even with divine blessings, it demanded enormous manpower. Like building wonder monuments, in most situations it was sheer waste.
Ryan was formidable, but surely the druids had no reason to be frightened to this degree?
Connecting this to the dark magic he had detected earlier, Anbaixiu suspected something had shifted within the Emerald Dream Forest, making them reluctant to entrust their safety solely to the woods.
If that was the case, could this situation be exploited?
While Anbaixiu pondered the question, a small town hidden amidst the dense forest appeared before them.
Druids disliked altering the natural environment excessively, so the town was nestled inside a natural mountain hollow. Houses were built simply of stone and adorned with creeping vines and greenery. It looked primitive, yet in truth was a marvel created through nature magic. Various animals strolled freely throughout the town, making it impossible to tell which were druids and which were actual beasts.
The druids arranged several rooms for Anbaixiu and his companions. Though rough-hewn stone dwellings, they were fairly spacious.
Elder Sares instructed them to wait here, explaining that the Archdruids would soon dispatch representatives to meet them.
Once the druids departed, Ariel leaned close to Anbaixiu and whispered, "This place feels weird. It's like eyes are watching me from everywhere."
Ariel was not the sharpest mind, but she was quite perceptive about such things.
Anbaixiu idly stroked a little squirrel on the table that showed no fear of humans, replying nonchalantly, "In druid territory, every living thing can be their scout. Look at this little fellow—who knows if it's a real squirrel or a transformed druid? Every snake, bug, mouse, and ant in this place is either a druid in wild shape or one of their animal companions. You'll get used to it."
"If we can't tell them apart at all, aren't we in huge danger?" Ariel asked, visibly tense.
Anbaixiu consoled her, "Don't overthink it. Some dangers in this world simply can't be avoided."
Creatures great and small were an indispensable part of the deep woods; any of them could lunge out at any moment to deliver a fatal strike.
Excessive vigilance in the Emerald Dream Forest was therefore pointless and would only fray one's nerves.
Seeing that Ariel still could not relax, Anbaixiu had no choice but to add, "If you really insist on distinguishing which ones are druids, I do have a method, though it only works on male druids."
Ariel perked up with great interest. "What method?"
Anbaixiu replied, "In your case, just go back to your room and strip. Since druids can turn into animals at will, shapeshifting to peek on people is considered a severe crime among them. The moment you take off your clothes, the male druids will turn tail and run. None of them would dare commit such a sin under the Oak Father's gaze."
Ariel's face instantly flushed crimson. Gritting her teeth, she hissed, "How on earth do you know that trick? Have you been to the Emerald Dream Forest before?"
Anbaixiu shook his head. "Read more books. Books have everything."
Of course, that was a lie; Anbaixiu had not learned it from any book.
In his youth, he had shared a less-than-chaste friendship with a female druid, during which he had pried into many of their customs and habits. Ariel, though a bit embarrassed, was not the type to act coy. She quickly regained her composure and began discussing the idea in earnest.
"Wait, what's the use of only chasing off the men? Won't there still be female druids?" Ariel asked.
Anbaixiu chuckled. "Simple. Send a man in first, have him strip to scare away the women, then you swap in to scare away the men. Problem solved."
Ariel felt something was off and pressed, "Wouldn't they just rotate someone else back in to keep watching?"
Anbaixiu shook his head. "No. They wouldn't dare risk being punished to sneak back and check whether someone put their clothes back on or swapped places. Druids don't even draw a salary; who's going to risk their neck for nothing? Naturally, it's not foolproof. If you run into someone genuinely brazen who doesn't care about facing charges, you can only consider yourself unlucky."
Ariel's eyes went wide. *You can actually play it like that? This guy's grasp of human nature is downright terrifying.*
Just as Anbaixiu finished speaking, the squirrel whose head he had been petting opened its mouth and spoke: "Since when did the Children of the Storm produce such a clever dignitary?"
Startled, Ariel jumped right out of her chair. By the time she regained her footing, her warhammer was already in hand, and her agitation stirred her thunderous power.
The thin layer of nature energy enveloping her body was shattered almost instantly by the lightning. A wave of overwhelming drowsiness washed over her, making her feel as though she had gone days without sleep, her eyelids too heavy to keep open.
Instantly, she administered a dose of electrotherapy upon herself. Crackling arcs of lightning helped preserve her consciousness, though it was plain to see she was struggling bitterly.
The little squirrel gave a nimble hop off the table, flipped in midair, and transformed into an old woman leaning on a cane, her face painted in ritual colors.
Retrieving a woven vine bracelet from her pocket, the old woman offered it to Ariel. "Young lady, don't be nervous. Put this on. Relying on pain to resist the effects of the Dream Barrier won't work—it will only harm you."
Anbaixiu also said calmly, "Your Highness, put the bracelet on. Do not push yourself."
Her eyelids drooping shut, Ariel had no choice but to heed Anbaixiu. She quelled the lightning glow and swiftly slipped the new bracelet onto her wrist.
Nature's energy enveloped her once more, and sure enough, the drowsy fog instantly dissipated.
Anbaixiu addressed the elderly woman: "How should we address you, Elder?"
The old woman regarded Anbaixiu with an inquisitive look. "I am Teresa. Sares is my husband. You do not look like someone from the Raging Tide Kingdom. Few among the Children of the Storm can maintain such composure, nor have I ever heard of one who knows our druidic ways so thoroughly."
"Elder Teresa, that remark carries a bit of prejudice. The great Lord of the Storm merely teaches us to be brave and pursue strength; he never commanded us to throw away our brains."
Teresa laughed. "Heh, that sounds more like a clever robin than a Child of the Storm. But there is no need for such tedious tricks. I shall have them withdraw."
"Swear it by the Oak Father?" Anbaixiu asked.
Teresa glanced at him, then said, "Very well. In the name of the Pine Needle Tribe, I swear by the Oak Father that so long as you do not leave this settlement, no one will spy on you again."
Surveillance was fine when undiscovered, but since Anbaixiu had called it out to her face, persisting would be utterly insulting. Relations with the Raging Tide Kingdom were poor, but their guest was a princess accompanied by a high-ranking minister; if the druids did not wish to turn hostile immediately, a concession had to be made.
In any case, it was enough as long as the guests did not wander beyond this place.
Teresa tapped her cane against the ground. Instantly, rustling scurries echoed throughout the room as an untold number of critters darted outside.
"Much appreciated, then," Anbaixiu said sincerely.
Teresa merely assumed he was mocking her and departed the room with a stern face.
Once the druids had scattered, Anbaixiu turned to Ariel. "You can rest easy now. Head back and get some rest; we'll likely be meeting the Archdruids' envoys soon."
Ariel asked suspiciously, "Is it truly safe now?"
"If you don't believe it, feel free to try the method I mentioned earlier." Having tossed out that remark, Anbaixiu ushered Ariel out the door.
After shutting the door, Anbaixiu sat alone in the room, expanding his perception and sending it outward.
Beyond five hundred paces, discerning anything with accuracy became difficult, yielding at most blurry outlines; past a thousand paces, even outlines were lost, leaving only a vague sense of undulating terrain.
Yet Anbaixiu did not give up. He pushed his perception further, straining his mind to its limits until he could sense nothing at all, unable even to verify the exact distance.
And at that very moment, he finally found what he was searching for—his beast companion.
Deep within the Emerald Dream Forest, Naomi, who had been resting beside Catherine, raised her head in pleasant surprise and said to Catherine, "He's back."
Chapter 192