Chapter 102: The Mysterious Maiden

“System, am I going to be okay?”

Just to be safe, Zhai Guangyi asked the System before taking action. After all, this place was far too eerie—he wouldn’t be surprised if it were the Demon King’s territory.

“Report: This is merely a strand of consciousness generated by the ‘World.’ The master is only sharing its vision and can sever the connection at any time. It poses no threat to the master’s soul.”

Hearing the System’s reply, Zhai Guangyi felt much more at ease. With nothing left to worry about, he charged straight in.

Inside this forest, Zhai Guangyi saw many Forest Elves wandering about like the living dead. What’s more, the Forest Elves here were all exceptionally high-level—many were even Level 60 but had not yet advanced to Demigod status. There were also quite a few Faerie Dragons, each with a red line extending from above their heads all the way deep into the forest.

Today, Zhai Guangyi was determined to see what lay behind these red lines.

As his vision continued to extend, the number of skeletons grew larger and larger. There were not only Human and Elf remains but also bones of various Magical Beasts, even Dragon skeletons piled up like small hills. It was only then that Zhai Guangyi realized the trees here were no ordinary trees—they were all Demon Trees. Some trunks even bore grotesque faces, their expressions twisted in agony as if they had been fused into the wood, emitting constant, painful moans.

Through this strand of consciousness, Zhai Guangyi used Appraisal on those Demon Trees. Devouring Demon Trees—likely the superior species of the Bone-Devouring Demon Tree. The sight alone felt eerie, utterly terrifying, and what’s more, there were Dragon faces on the trunks. Zhai Guangyi could roughly guess some of this tree’s abilities, especially since he had nearly evolved in this direction himself.

Beneath each of these faces lay an undigested soul, trapped within the trunk as if imprisoned, unable to escape. Their souls could only be driven by the Devouring Demon Tree, likely allowing it to use their abilities from when they were alive—though Zhai Guangyi didn’t know to what extent.

These Demon Trees could even uproot themselves to move, albeit slowly. The sight of a tree laden with numerous agonized Human faces shuffling along was enough to send chills down one’s spine.

Continuing to follow the red lines, the number of these Demon Trees grew increasingly dense. Many even bore the corpses of Magical Beasts, even deceased Forest Elves.

But deep within the forest, these Demon Trees seemed to avoid approaching this area. Not a single creature dared to enter the range where Zhai Guangyi’s consciousness now lingered. This zone was like a dead land, rejecting all life.

Extending further inward, collapsed buildings began to appear. Thick stone walls seemed to whisper of past glory—this place was like a massive City-State. Yet now it lay in ruins, enveloped by dark red vines. Strangely, this area didn’t even have any corpses; the silence was unnerving.

Here, the red lines grew even denser. All the red lines in the world converged deep within the ruins, leading to the same place. They were packed so tightly it was impossible to tell how many there were—truly horrifying. Just how many victims had there been?

At the center of the ruins lay a vast lake, yet this lake seemed as if it were composed of blood, its dark crimson hue evoking a visceral discomfort. In the middle of the lake stood a massive island, barren of anything at all. As Zhai Guangyi drew closer, he noticed a young Elven maiden standing upon it.

Appraisal remained useless, yielding no effect whatsoever. Even when Zhai Guangyi brought his vision closer to observe, the maiden showed no reaction.

Her long white hair concealed her features. The maiden was exceptionally petite, clad in an ornate black dress adorned with intricate patterns—or perhaps they were Magic Circuits. A large circular hoop skirt accentuated the garment’s elegance and splendor.

This was actually a Gold Grade dress. No, it wasn’t just a dress—it was an entire Gold Grade ensemble, with even the shawl and tights being of Gold Grade quality.

This maiden’s identity was undoubtedly extraordinary. Once again, his Appraisal had failed. This time, Zhai Guangyi decided to max out the Appraisal skill. After all, he had plenty of Skill Points to spare, and he believed Appraisal was a divine Skill, so it didn’t matter.

The moment he used the max-level Appraisal, the result left Zhai Guangyi utterly stunned.

Race: Elven Divine Tree (Sylph)

Level: 1–?

Life Value: 1–?

Magic Power: 1–?

Strength: 1–?

Defense: 1–?

Speed: 1–?

This maiden was actually the Elven Divine Tree? Shouldn’t the Elven Divine Tree be a tree? And why was the Elven Divine Tree’s name identical to his True Body’s name? What did these attributes mean? It was baffling enough that the attributes couldn’t be detected, but even the Level was unreadable—it was utterly bizarre.

The moment Zhai Guangyi used Appraisal, the maiden suddenly looked up into the sky, her crimson pupils flickering with an eerie light.

“My ‘World’.”

As the maiden spoke, the scene before Zhai Guangyi shattered instantly. A soul-rending pain spread to his True Body, so intense that Zhai Guangyi felt he was about to lose consciousness. The agony was unbearable—as if someone were stirring a needle inside his brain. The excruciating pain made him feel as though he were bidding farewell to this world.

The Elven Body that had been traveling with Lvqi collapsed instantly. Zhai Guangyi’s soul could no longer sustain control over two bodies simultaneously.

Zhai Guangyi’s True Body, the Spirit King Tree, could no longer maintain its Domain. Its aura withered abruptly, even though his physical form had suffered no damage. Yet now, Zhai Guangyi was unable to use a single Skill, not even the System of ‘World’. He frantically called out to the System in his mind, but there was no response whatsoever. Overwhelmed by the searing pain, Zhai Guangyi gave up his struggle and fell unconscious.

“Lord Divine Tree?”

Feicui was the first to notice something amiss with Zhai Guangyi. The aura had weakened far too quickly. Although the Spirit King Tree’s condition had seemed perfectly healthy, Feicui sensed that this Spirit King Tree appeared to be dying. Moreover, the Spirit King Tree now carried an additional aura of the Elven Divine Tree. Ever since this aura had emerged, the Spirit King Tree had grown significantly weaker.

As a Demigod, Feicui could perceive the soul to some extent. At this moment, he felt that Zhai Guangyi’s soul was exceptionally frail—and growing weaker by the second.

Watching Feicui’s tense demeanor, the Forest Elves beneath the tree also sensed a trace of death, with Liya feeling it most clearly.

The moment the King Tree Domain vanished, everyone knew something had gone wrong with the Spirit King Tree.

“Did our arrival cause this?”

Liya’s eyes were filled with terror, unsure of what to do.

“Everyone, pray! All of you, come and pray!”

Feicui knew that the power of faith could bring forth immense Soul Power, and he now shouted frantically. The Magical Beasts were still standing there dumbfounded, as none of them had the ability to interact with souls. Those blessed by Zhai Guangyi could feel the connection to their souls growing weaker and weaker, but they too were at a loss. Feicui’s shouts suddenly gave them a method. No one knew if it would work, but they all followed suit.