Twenty days had passed since setting out from Leeds City. Most of the Magical Beasts encountered along the way were low to mid-tier. Occasionally, high-tier Magical Beasts were killed by Zhao Yun and his group working together, and they had not encountered any major crises.
The midday sun poured down like molten gold, but upon touching the edge of the Dark Forest, it was shredded into fragments by a strange power. This forest resembled a dormant giant beast, exuding a sinister and mysterious aura.
Zhao Yun reined in his horse and stopped. The tip of his Star Shatterer spear lifted a broken Beast Bone—a Fangs Totem was carved onto its surface, and the marrow had been hollowed out by glowing beetles. This silently declared the brutal battle that had taken place here.
"Up ahead is the 'Ghost Fang Pass' of the Dark Forest."
Ross stroked his bowstring, his voice low and tinged with worry.
"Based on our pace, we've only covered one-third of the journey."
"The Dark Elves' 'Peeping Vine' loves to hang on both sides of the Pass. These vines are said to be afflicted with an ancient curse by the Dark Elves. Once entangled, not only is the body restrained, but the soul is gradually eroded, plunging one into endless terrifying hallucinations."
Ross suggested either taking a detour or rushing through while the midday sun was at its strongest and the vines were recoiling from the light.
Aleia's Beast Ears suddenly turned forward, her Claws instinctively digging into the saddle leather. Her gaze instantly sharpened: "There's a Scent of Blood!"
Nia shrank behind Zhao Yun, her small hands tightly gripping the corner of his cloak. Her Silver Bell Earring jingled faintly with her trembling, and her eyes were filled with unease.
"Detouring will cost us an extra two days."
Leah's Ice-blue Long Hair swept across the frost patterns on her sword hilt, her gaze sharp as a blade.
"But rumors say mysterious Shadow Spirit Demons wander the Dark Forest. They wait until people are exhausted, then silently infiltrate their consciousness, manipulating their minds to make them kill each other. We must proceed with caution."
Zhao Yun did not speak, but the Star Shatterer spear let out a clear chime. He leaped over the rotten wood barrier and led the group forward.
When the group reached the 'Ghost Fang Pass,' what appeared before them was two groups fiercely fighting. One side consisted of over thirty Orc Warriors, and the other, over forty Human Warriors.
The Storm Wolf Mercenary Group's wolf-head battle flag was stuck diagonally in a pile of Corpses, the Fresh Blood staining it looking particularly glaring in the sunlight.
The Vice Commander, the Bearman Os, wielded dual Battle Axes. Blood mist erupted from the fangs carved on the axe heads with every swing, causing the rocky ground to crack with Spider Web patterns. As this blood mist dispersed, it transformed into illusory blood wolves, baring their fangs and claws as they pounced on the enemy.
Opposite them, the Vice Commander of the Bright Moon Knight order, Thor, his Silver Armor drenched in blood, swung his Greatsword imbued with Holy Light towards Os. The Shockwave from the clashing sword and axe shattered ancient trees, sending wood splinters flying like a Rainstorm.
These wood splinters instantly took root upon hitting the ground, growing into small Treants. They swung their branch-like arms and joined the battle, making the battlefield situation even more chaotic.
Ross drew an Arrow and nocked it, the tip of the Emerald Arrow locking onto the battlefield.
"The Orcs' skin is festering."
Several Orc Warriors, with blood seeping from their eye sockets, had bulging muscles. Their Claws easily tore through Plate Armor, but with every passing moment, scorched, black dead skin flaked off their bodies. Their vitality was being rapidly burned away in this frenzied combat.
"They swallowed the 'Potion' circulated in the Black Market. This Potion not only stimulates berserk Strength but is also rumored to have integrated demonic blood, causing them to gradually lose their sanity and become mere killing monsters."
Ross's voice held a hint of surprise.
Over twenty Corpses lay on the battlefield. The Corpse of a Human Knight was pinned to a tree hollow by a Spear, its breastplate concave and crawling with carrion beetles. The beetles greedily gnawed at the Corpse, their chewing sounds chilling to the bone.
The head of an Orc Shaman was severed by three Bright Moon Knights working together and landed in the mud pit. The beast head on his Staff was still chanting, and Vines wrapped around the three Bright Moon Knights like giant pythons. The Knights struggled fiercely but could not break free from this bizarre restraint.
Thor saw his comrades in danger and swung his Greatsword, unleashing Sword Qi formed by dark golden Battle Qi to shatter the Vines. However, Orc Os's Battle Axe immediately followed up, and the two were locked in an intense struggle.
"Interfere?"
Leah condensed frost flowers on her blade, her eyes questioning as she looked at Zhao Yun.
Zhao Yun's gaze turned cold. He saw three Bright Moon Knights cornering and killing a lone Orc Warrior beneath the eastern rock wall.
That Orc's ears were similar to Aleia's, its fur matted with dried blood, and it bore several fatal bloody wounds, yet it still roared and hurled a final Wind Blade, its eyes filled with defiance.
"He is my kin!"
Aleia's Beast Pupils burst into golden flames. She roared and lunged into the fray like a golden lightning bolt. As her claw wind swept past the throats of the Bright Moon Knights, it drew three streams of blood.
The Cat-eared Beastman staggered and fell. As he was about to say something in his dying moments, a poisoned Crossbow Bolt pierced the air!
"Clang!" Zhao Yun reacted swiftly. The Star Shatterer spear moved like a silver streak of light, precisely intercepting the Arrow. However, due to his severe prior injuries, the Orc died with regret before he could utter a word.
Aleia let out a furious howl, her Claws tearing through the attacker's Leather Armor, crushing the Human Crossbowman's heart in her palm. Fresh Blood splattered onto her face, making her look even more ferocious and terrifying.
The Scent of Blood stimulated Nia's Silver Bell into frantic trembling. She quickly pulled out a Poison Dart and threw it towards a Bright Moon Knight.
In the center of the battlefield, Os's Battle Axe split Thor's Shoulder Armor. Amidst the blood mist, he laughed wildly, his laughter filled with rage and hatred.
"You mongrels of the Bright Moon! When you were auctioning Orc cubs in the Royal Capital, did you ever think of this day?"
Thor staggered backward, planting his cross-shaped sword into the ground to steady himself, and roared: "You beasts of the Storm Wolf... dare speak of honor?"
Suddenly, a harp-like string sound drifted from the depths of the Dark Forest, ethereal and bizarre.
From the wounds of every Corpse on the battlefield, purple Vines suddenly drilled out. The tips of the Vines bloomed into eyeball-shaped flower buds, their pupils uniformly turning toward everyone present.
Those Vines swayed gently in the wind, the pupils in the flower buds flickering with a faint purple light, sending chills down one's spine. More terrifyingly, a Black Mist surged out from these Vines. Countless distorted human faces vaguely appeared within the mist, emitting painful wails.
"It's the Peeping Vine..."
Leah swung her sword to freeze the wildly growing magical plants, a hint of tension in her voice.
"The Dark Elves are harvesting fear! These Vines can not only restrain the body but also materialize our fear, strengthening the Dark Elves' power. We absolutely cannot be affected by it!"
Os and Thor roared simultaneously, halting the fight. The remaining soldiers quickly formed a formation, and the previously hostile sides achieved a strange tacit understanding.
"Kill the outsiders first!"
The Battle Axe and the cross-sword both pointed directly at Zhao Yun and his group!
"If you want to fight, then fight!"
Zhao Yun's white robe fluttered like a banner. The Dragon Mark on his left arm swam out into a green Flood Dragon Phantom Image. As the Dragon Mark flickered, the space around Zhao Yun seemed to distort briefly, with ancient Runes faintly emerging. These Runes emitted mysterious power, adding an invisible shield to him.
Zhao Yun charged into the enemy formation, his spear striking like a dragon, the Starlight flowing like a rainbow, specifically targeting armor joints. His movement was like lightning as he weaved freely through the enemy ranks; every thrust of his spear carried immense Strength.
The iron gorget of a Storm Wolf Mercenary was flicked away by a Spear Butt, and a Bright Moon Knight's leg armor was shattered by Starlight. His Spear Technique was like flowing water and moving clouds, dazzling to the eye. Enemies fell to their knees one after another, their painful cries echoing across the battlefield.
The moment the spear tip touched an enemy's Armor, a golden Dragon Shadow would flash past. These Dragon Shadows carried powerful impact, not only shattering the Armor but also briefly stunning the enemy.
Seeing Zhao Yun charge into the enemy ranks, Aleia followed him in, her Claws tearing through approaching enemies as she roared while fighting, "You bastards!"
Leah, Ross, and Nia provided support from a distance—a tacit understanding formed over the past twenty days.
Leah's Frost Sword Qi snaked along the ground, freezing the enemies' feet to the rocky terrain.
Ross suppressed the enemy archers with Emerald Arrow Rain; every arrow carried potent Magic Power, accurately striking its target.
Nia cried out as she threw Poison Darts, the Silver Bell ringing like a mournful tune with her movements. Her small figure seemed fragile amidst the flames of war, but her eyes were filled with determination.
In the crowd, Os roared and leaped up, his double-bladed axe, enveloped in bloody mist, cleaving down, intending to split Zhao Yun in half.
"Pear Blossom Storm!"
The tip of the Star Shattering Spear in Zhao Yun's hand suddenly burst forth with shattered starlight. A hundred Spear Shadows shredded the Battle Axe! The Spear Shadows flickered like meteors streaking across the night sky, instantly grinding Os's Battle Axe into fragments.
"Blade of Holy Light!"
Thor took advantage of the chaos to strike with his cross-sword, but the blade was caught bare-handed by Zhao Yun's left hand. The Dragon Mark on Zhao Yun's left arm flickered with mysterious light, and the Holy Light instantly dissipated.
"Get lost!"
Zhao Yun roared, shaking with internal energy, violently blasting the strongest members of the Storm Wolf Mercenary Group and the Bright Moon Knight Group away, sending them crashing into the woods.
Seeing this, the remaining soldiers rushed into the woods to rescue them, only to be caught by a suddenly descending net of Vines. The purple flowers of the Peeping Vine opened their Fangs and swallowed the soldiers whole. Amidst screams, everything vanished into the darkness.
At the moment the purple flowers devoured the remaining soldiers, a strange light flickered inside them, seemingly conducting some mysterious ritual.
When the smoke cleared, Aleia knelt beside the Elf Warrior who was one of her own kin. She gently stroked the crescent Totem on his body, which was the same as hers, her eyes filled with sorrow and reluctance.
Nia took off her blood-stained Silver Bell and gently placed it between the overlapping Claws of a Corpse. Her movements were gentle, tears welling up in her eyes.
A faint, cold harp laugh drifted from the depths of the Dark Forest, as if mocking everyone's struggle.
And from the pile of Corpses behind them, wisps of Black Mist slithered out like venomous snakes. As these wisps moved, they constantly shifted shape—sometimes like a giant bat, sometimes transforming into a winding giant python—quietly heading toward the Black Moon Altar.