Chapter 242: Ulda Niu Mo and the Treewarden

"Moo-moo-moo"

A long, hoarse voice echoed in the space ahead.

But this metallic-echoing moo reminded Li En of the gray dwarf smithies in the Underworld, filled with the sounds of fire and metal striking.

"Sulfur scent, Infernal kind. Wait a moment."

And the keen-scented Leopard was the first to vanish into the shadows.

"Infernal kind" refers to residents of the Lower Planes, ranging from imps to Archdevils; the gap between the upper and lower limits is simply too vast, but this sulfur scent, like a rule of the planes themselves, is its most easily perceived accompanying trait.

"Infernal Minotaur clan? Ulda Niu Mo lord?"

Talia reappeared with a grim expression, and Li En guessed casually.

"Neither, it should be an independent individual. It looks like this."

This truly was bad news; a life form that grows too unique in the Lower Infernal Planes is often a major trouble, and at least Talia's level and experience did not know its specific information.

It was a giant minotaur monster standing at least eighteen meters tall, its overly massive body forcing it to lie down.

Its body was not merely flesh and blood, but a mixture of crimson vines, rotten oak, and foul-smelling flesh; half of its entire body looked like natural wood carving, the other half like corrupted flesh.

It had four green eyes, all burning with the hellish evil fire of the Lower Planes (green with a fishy stench, very easy to recognize); its curved black giant horns were covered in cracks, and every part of its flesh had a keratin layer of rotten bark.

"Blasphemous creature... possibly slight divinity."

"I observed its shadow; there is no shadow of a Prime Material existence. It very likely lacks the soul a normal life should have."

Sometimes, having no shadow and no soul in the Prime Material is one of the characteristics of interplanar big shots.

"I dare not go too close; its alert range should not be large, but my instinct tells me that approaching will mean death."

The information was very complete; Li En pondered for a moment. Talia's intuition was trustworthy, and a decision could be made now.

"Return first to gather information?"

"Yes, I can draw it out more or less; go ask the mages." As a top-tier assassin, Talia possessed not only the ability of rapid recording but also a skill in sketching portraits from life.

Li En nodded; since trouble on the path was confirmed, they could return directly.

But the information came faster than expected; the knight squad had only returned to Victoria's small shop to rest and drink a cup of coffee, and Victoria, who was so idle she was building a house of cards with tarot cards, casually gave the answer.

"Isn't that Ulda Niu Mo? Uh, no reason for that; there are no Treewarden Druid tribes here."

Alchemists were never the strongest in the mage world, but their knowledge reserves were often truly not lacking; as a "Long-lived Mage," Victoria truly knew this Prime Material monster, which was not exactly a secret.

Ulda Niu Mo was basically impossible to be a natural creation, yet it was a pure "natural creation."

The Nature faction, at least the Druid faction, could be called natural enemies of Underworld Infernal creatures and undead creatures; one extreme branch, the "Treewarden," would actively seek out Infernal creatures and undead creatures across the world to oppose them.

What they relied on was actually a World Tree, a powerful tree species capable of uniquely supporting a world, even regarded as one of the symbols of Nature, possessing numerous supernatural characteristics.

They often hunted down unnatural creatures across the world; if they encountered the most troublesome Infernal invasions or Lands of the Dead, they would plant a World Tree sapling, and that supernatural land would become a land of Nature; the sapling would grow into a towering tree, even an entire ancient forest.

Treewarden and Druid cannot be equated; it is a multi-racial faction that worships Nature.

Internally, it was indeed dominated by Druids of various races; Nature mages, Nature warriors, and rangers were not few, but their reputation was always quite subtle, precisely because some of their sects were not only extremely radical, but planting trees everywhere was indeed not a good habit.