Ross frantically scratched the wall with fingers caked in dried blood, his nails peeling back to ooze a mixture of phosphorescent green fluid and dark red blood, winding into patterns twisted like venomous snakes, making the entire scene increasingly bizarre and terrifying.
"Roll's axe split the ice layer of the Altar."
Ross suddenly curled up in the corner of the wall, his grayish white left eye dilated like a dead fish, while his right eye burned with a terrifyingly bright Flame, blazing with madness.
"Those Runes are eating his shadow! Eating his shadow!"
His voice was filled with Fear and Despair, unable to extricate himself from the terrible experience. Every word seemed squeezed from the depths of his soul, carrying endless pain.
Zhao Yun sidestepped the blood droplets condensing in the air. Upon hitting the ground, these droplets instantly corroded into honeycomb-like pits, releasing a pungent odor. He flicked his fingertip, sending a thread of Inner Qi like an invisible sharp blade to shatter the blood mist rushing toward his Face.
"What Formation did you see at the Altar?"
"It wasn't a Formation! It was a living monster!"
Ross roared, growing more agitated, his body trembling violently as if controlled by a powerful evil force. The Elf suddenly lunged toward the silver bow hanging on the wall, and the moment his fingertip touched the bowstring, the entire bow erupted with a blinding green light.
Three light arrows materialized out of thin air, whistling as they shot straight toward Zhao Yun's throat! The light arrows moved extremely fast, leaving green trails in the air, and where they passed, the air seemed to be torn apart, emitting a sizzling sound.
"Pardon me."
Zhao Yun's eyes sharpened, and he spun like a crane, his movements light and agile. The Broken Sword shot out of its cloth sheath, its blade flashing Cold Light. Before the edge arrived, the Sword Qi had already condensed into a Dragon's Phantom Image, pouncing on the light arrows like a roaring giant dragon.
With three loud bangs—"bang, bang, bang"—the Sword Qi collided with the light arrows, erupting in dazzling light and powerful impact. The light illuminated the entire loft. The Dragon's Phantom Image shredded the light arrows and continued its momentum, directly carving a crack half a foot deep into the loft's pillar. Wood chips scattered, and the pillar creaked, sounding as if it might collapse at any moment.
Ross rolled and leaped amidst the rubble. The afterimage of his bow drew seven layers of Illusions in the air, dazzling the eyes. An Arrow Rain poured down like a waterfall; every Arrow split into nine streams of light after leaving the string, sealing off all of Zhao Yun's escape routes from different angles. The streams of light flickered with a strange glow and moved extremely fast.
The Dragon Mark on Zhao Yun's left arm suddenly grew hot, and his Azure Scales stood up like blades, seemingly sensing a powerful threat and responding to this fierce battle. As the Dragon Mark flickered, mysterious and powerful Strength surged into Zhao Yun's body, making his aura increasingly majestic.
"Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix!"
Zhao Yun shouted, his voice echoing through the loft. The Broken Sword spun rapidly in his palm, its afterimage transforming into a green phoenix spreading its wings, dancing in the air like a nimble divine bird.
The Sword Qi collided with the Arrow Rain, causing a sky full of phosphorus fire to explode inside the loft. Light flickered, and smoke filled the air. The entire loft descended into chaos, burning debris flew everywhere, and cracks appeared on the ground.
Zhao Yun leaped into the air, stepping on the collapsing beams, his posture as graceful as a swallow. He pointed his left hand, fingers together like a spear, aiming at Ross's Jianjing acupoint in mid-air, directly targeting Ross's vital spot.
However, the Elf Archer bent backward in a posture that defied common sense, his body as soft as if he had no bones. His toes hooked the floor's Secret Compartment, launching a poisoned Sleeve Arrow straight toward Zhao Yun's Brow Center! The Sleeve Arrow flashed with Ghostly Green Light, and the Venom on the arrowhead was deadly under the faint light, carrying the scent of death.
In a flash, Zhao Yun's Dantian Qi Vortex exploded. Surging Inner Qi poured from the Dragon Mark into his eyes. In his vision, everything slowed down drastically—he could see every Spiral Pattern on the Poisoned Arrow, even the dust particles at the tip of the arrowhead.
At this critical moment, his reaction speed reached its peak. The Broken Sword flicked lightly, like a nimble swimming fish, precisely deflecting the Sleeve Arrow. The moment the Poisoned Arrow changed direction and embedded itself in the wall, Zhao Yun had already flashed behind Ross, striking his occipital acupoint heavily with the sword hilt.
"Ugh!"
Ross spat out greenish-yellow blood foam, and the silver bow in his hand fell to the ground with a mournful sound. His body tilted forward, dropping to one knee, his face contorted in pain.
Zhao Yun gripped his pulse point, and as his Inner Qi probed inside, his heart jolted—the Elf's meridians were entangled with an unknown black toxin, constantly devouring his life force. The toxin spread like black Vines, growing within Ross's meridians and emitting a strange aura. If not treated quickly, his life would be in danger.
Zhao Yun tore off a curtain to bind the Elf tightly, preventing him from losing control again. He noticed Parchment scattered in the corner of the room, vaguely recording: "Arrive at the Altar on a moonlit night for the Sacrifice trap. Roll broke the Formation with his Berserk State body; only I survived."
The sound of patrolling guards' iron boots could be heard from outside the window, "clack, clack, clack," approaching from a distance.
Zhao Yun hoisted Ross and leaped out of the broken window, running toward the Black Market. After weaving through the labyrinthine dark alleys for a while, he finally carried Ross back to the Black Market.
While keeping an eye on his surroundings, he asked a seemingly kind old stall vendor, "Elder, my friend here is severely injured and unconscious. Do you know anyone in the Black Market who can save him?"
The old vendor looked at Zhao Yun warily, then glanced at the unconscious Ross, hesitated for a moment, and said, "There is a Black Robe Priest named Murphy, known as 'Ghost Hand,' in the Black Market; he might have a way. He lives deep in the dark alley; his door is carved with a crescent Rune. But that fellow is not a good person."
Zhao Yun cupped his hands in thanks to the old vendor and carried Ross straight toward the depths of the dark alley.
Not long after, Zhao Yun arrived at the wooden house carved with the crescent Rune. He gently pushed the door open and was immediately hit by the strong smell of decaying Herbs and dragon saliva incense, causing him to frown involuntarily.
The candlesticks inside were all supported by skeletal hand bones holding ghostly blue Flames. The Flames flickered uncertainly, casting the room in shadows. The Thousand-Eyed Vines hanging on the wall suddenly opened their pupils in unison, flashing with a strange light and staring at the intruder.
Murphy stepped out from behind the vine curtain. The Black Robe Priest's mask resembled a wailing evil spirit, and the top of the Bone Staff in his hand was inlaid with a crystal skull that was constantly dripping blood.
"Living person madness treatment: three Gold Coins. Corpse dissection is free."
Murphy's voice was as hoarse as sandpaper rubbing against a tombstone, sending chills down the spine.
Zhao Yun placed Ross onto the Stone Platform covered in Runes. The Elf's pointed ear twitched in pain, and a beast-like growl escaped his throat.
Murphy lightly tapped Ross's Brow Center with his Bone Staff. A beam of blood light shot out from the crystal skull. The blood light moved around Ross's body as if it were alive, clearly displaying his internal condition.
"His memories have been torn into fragments by the Black Moon brand."
The One-Eyed eye beneath Murphy's mask narrowed, his gaze bizarre.
"The Great Healing Scroll can mend soul fissures, but alas..."
He tapped the pile of Scroll remnants in the corner with his Bone Staff. "The healing spells cast by the Priests of Leeds City Church are less useful than my urine." His words were filled with disdain for the local church.
The Stone Platform suddenly shook violently. Ross's wrists broke free from the Rune Chains, and seven streams of emerald green Arrow Qi shot from his fingertips. The Arrow Qi, like green sharp blades, shot toward Zhao Yun and Murphy.
Zhao Yun spun around and ripped down the magic-inhibiting Chains hanging on the wall, wrapping them around the Elf's limbs. However, a strange purple light appeared in Ross's pupils, and his bound hands still formed complex Dharma Seals.
The Vines on the roof grew rapidly, and poisonous thorns poured down like a Rainstorm! The thorns flashed Cold Light, stabbing densely, and the air was filled with the pungent scent of toxins.
"Suppress!"
Murphy tossed out a handful of bone powder, and blood-colored Incantations appeared in the air. The Incantations flickered with a strange red light, seemingly contending with the Dark Power. The poisonous thorns turned to ash before touching Zhao Yun's white robe, while Zhao Yun had already flashed behind Ross, pointing his sword finger at his occipital acupoint.
This finger strike contained immense Inner Qi. The Elf trembled violently, spitting out Black Blood mixed with Starlight, finally collapsing onto the Stone Platform, losing consciousness.
"One Gold Coin per month, including Herbs and the Soul-Calming Formation."
Murphy poured Emerald Green medicinal liquid into Ross's mouth.
"If you want a complete cure, go buy a Great Healing Scroll in Emerald City; it will cost about twenty Gold Coins, or you can ask a Divine Official in Emerald City for help, but I think the former is more realistic, as Divine Officials are all arrogant."
Murphy's voice echoed in the room with a sarcastic tone.
Zhao Yun placed one Gold Coin on the table and pushed the door open to leave.
He planned to go to the Mercenary Guild in Leeds City to take on missions to earn twenty Gold Coins, buy the Great Healing Scroll to cure Ross, and learn more intelligence about the Black Moon Altar from him.