Chapter 2339 Ambush
After days of intense battles, although most of the Wood tribe"s habitat had been rebuilt, a heavy atmosphere of gloom still pervaded the clan.
Losing the sacred tree"s seed would gradually diminish the entire tribe"s strength within a month, plunging it into decline.
Suddenly, piercing alarm sounds shattered the tranquility of the habitat.
The guards responsible for vigilance at the outer sentry towers of the Wood tribe abruptly discovered a large group of Lickers rapidly gathering on the periphery of the habitat!
Although the Lickers showed no signs of aggression at the moment, the swift a.s.sembly of such a large group instantly placed immense pressure on the entire tribe.
Unconsciously, cold sweat began to form on the forehead of the elder responsible for guarding the Wood tribe"s habitat
"Don"t make any moves, absolutely do not provoke them! Immediately report this to the Great Elder and request support from the Soul tribe!"
Currently, the main forces of the Wood tribe are engaged in battles with the Federation outside and would not be able to return in the short term.
Originally, they thought since there was nothing valuable at home and the Federation wouldn"t invade, they sent out all their main forces.
But these Lickers are so unreasonable, attacking again.
Upon receiving the news, the Soul tribe immediately dispatched several teams to provide support.
Seeing the gathering of Lickers outside, the guards of the Soul tribe also felt the situation was grim.
The soul tribe excelled most in skills related to spirits and sealing, which naturally countered creatures like the Licker, almost undead in nature.
But there were too many Lickers right now!
Even if they stood there to seal them, it would take them several days to handle.
"Let"s hold off for now, wait and see."
The Soul tribe dared not provoke the Licker horde first, only hoping to temporarily stabilize the situation.
Meanwhile, on the front lines, the Wood tribe remained unaware that their home was being raided again.
With the addition of the Federation"s psychic team and a small number of vampires to the battle, the offensive of the Leaf tribe and the Wood tribe faced difficulties.
None of the elders from the tree spirit tribe appeared, and Carl, overseeing the battle, did not allow vampires above the rank of Marquis to join the fight.
Both sides consciously controlled the scale of the battle, keeping their cards close.
Soon, Senzo sensed that something was amiss and glanced toward the vampires in the skies above the battlefield.
These vampires...
They were incredibly powerful!
While not as terrifying in terms of self-healing abilities as zombie creatures, vampires were extremely agile in their movements and far more intelligent in combat.
Coupled with their advantage of aerial flight, the vampires firmly controlled the skies.
Additionally, the Federation"s psychic team"s mental a.s.sault abilities and the a.s.sistance of a semi-mechanized legion enabled them to launch comprehensive ritual strikes.
This battle was completely different from the ones just two days ago!
The Great Elder of the Leaf tribe, Senzo, could not help but glance towards the few high-tier vampires from the Federation who had not yet joined the battle. He could sense their formidable strength.
Winning this skirmish would be extremely difficult.
Senzo refrained from fully committing his forces, knowing the one he feared the most had yet to enter the battlefield.
Meanwhile, as the Federation"s vampires and the tree spirit tribe faced off on the front lines, Fang Heng, under the guidance of the elder Pavao from the Root tribe, had stealthily arrived at the periphery of the Sacred Realm of G.o.ds in the "Inner World".
From a distance, the Sacred Realm of G.o.ds appeared as a mountainous region shrouded in barren sand, with a layer of white snow covering the upper slopes.
The mountain looked bare, standing starkly amidst the world covered in giant-sized vines typical of the "Inner World".
"Fang Heng, we"re here. This is already within the scope of the Sacred Realm of G.o.ds. The Ancestral Temple is located at the summit," Pavao said cautiously, glancing around. He warned, "Be cautious of the Soul tribe"s people. The outer defenses seem weak, but we don"t know the situation inside. They might have other guards arranged. It"s best not to engage in conflict with them."
"Understood."
Since returning to the "Inner World", the Soul tribe had promptly rea.s.serted control over the Sacred Realm of G.o.ds.
The other clans mostly conducted probing activities on the periphery and had limited knowledge of the inner sanctum.
Fang Heng surveyed the landscape.
On the hilltop, several Soul tribe guards stood watch on the sentry towers, vigilant.
"Let"s go, follow me. We"ll go around."
Pavao led Fang Heng around the right side of the hill through a hidden pa.s.sage.
They ascended the mountain through a relatively concealed path. The Sacred Realm of G.o.ds appeared weathered from countless battles, making the ground beneath Fang Heng"s feet unusually soft as if it might collapse at any moment.
Guided by Pavao, Fang Heng followed a trail toward the peak.
"I"ve been here once before, before evacuating the "Inner World". The Ancestral Temple is at the very top of the holy land. There will definitely be Soul tribe guards there. We mustn"t attract their attention, or they"ll certainly come to investigate."
"Understood," Fang Heng replied, releasing his senses as well.
Along the way, Fang Heng used his exceptional perception abilities to evade the surveillance of the Soul tribe guards.
As they ascended in alt.i.tude, the temperature gradually dropped, and ahead, they encountered a snowy landscape.
In the distance, the entrance to a large wooden temple came into view.
"We"ve arrived."
Pavao whispered, gazing at the temple from afar, "Ahead is the Ancestral Temple of the tree spirit tribe. Each generation"s sacred tree cultivation takes place here. Gaining recognition from the ancestral sacred tree in the temple signifies pa.s.sing the trial."
Fang Hen gazed at the periphery of the temple from a distance and said, "Interesting, let"s go inside and take a look."
"Wait," Pavao halted Fang Heng cautiously and cast a careful glance at the temple. "Soul tribe elders are guarding inside. It could be dangerous to rush in."
"Indeed, do you have a plan?" Fang Heng inquired.
"The Soul tribe is different from us normal folk. They have many tricks up their sleeves and are very formidable," Pavao shook his head and continued, "This visit came suddenly, and I wasn"t prepared."
Understanding Pavao"s concern about being entangled in the situation, Fang Heng nodded and replied, "Alright, you stay here. I"ll go in first and a.s.sess the situation."
After a moment of consideration, Pavao nodded back, saying, "Alright, stay safe."
Spatial fluctuations flickered around Fang Heng as he stepped into the secondary s.p.a.ce projection, infiltrating the temple alone.
Watching Fang Heng"s departure, Pavao"s expression grew serious.
Inside the temple, two Soul tribe elders and over a dozen guards maintained a vigilant watch 24/7. The significance of protecting the temple was clear, as every generation"s sacred tree underwent the inheritance trial from the ancestral sacred tree within.
The two Soul tribe elders were meditating in front of the stone wall in the Great Hall when suddenly, faint spatial fluctuations appeared in front of them.
Sensitive to the ripple in s.p.a.ce, both elders sharply opened their eyes.
"Who goes there?!"