Shadowy Ancient Castle

Black light struck like a venomous snake. Ning Xiaochuan yanked Su Linger aside, and the two rolled away. The Sacred Spirit Dragon soared into the air and spat out Dragon Breath to intercept the attacks that followed.

"We've been exposed!" Su Linger sprang to her feet, the Ice Crystal Longsword already in her hand. "What do we do?"

Ning Xiaochuan quickly surveyed the terrain. To the left was a steep cliff, to the right the entrance to Shadow Valley, and ahead, Han Li was rapidly approaching with more than a dozen Black Robes.

"Into the valley!" he decided at once. "Since we've been discovered, we might as well charge straight in!"

Su Linger understood immediately, and they leaped onto the Cloud Wing Beast together. The Sacred Spirit Dragon swooped down onto Ning Xiaochuan's shoulder. Before the Black Robes could encircle them, the three shot into the sky and headed straight for Shadow Valley!

"Stop them!" Han Li roared from behind. "At any cost!"

Dozens of Black Lights shot up from the ground. The Cloud Wing Beast dodged nimbly, but several strikes still grazed its wings. Its snow-white feathers immediately corroded black. Ning Xiaochuan's mount let out a pained cry, and its flight altitude plummeted.

"No, they can't hold on!" Su Linger watched anxiously as her own Cloud Wing Beast began to wobble as well.

Ning Xiaochuan gritted his teeth. "Get ready to jump! Hide immediately once we're inside the valley!"

When they were a hundred zhang from the valley entrance, the three leaped down. The Cloud Wing Beasts continued flying forward to draw away the pursuers. In midair, Ning Xiaochuan released Sacred Source Power to cushion their fall while catching the flightless Su Linger. The Sacred Spirit Dragon spread its wings and glided down, entering the black mist first.

"Hold your breath!" Ning Xiaochuan warned. "The mist is poisonous!"

The two humans and dragon plunged into the thick black fog, their vision instantly dropping to less than three paces. Ning Xiaochuan activated Sacred Source Vision and could barely make out the outlines within ten zhang around them—jagged strange rocks, twisted dead trees, and eerie bubbles that occasionally rose from the ground.

"This place..." Su Linger pressed close to him, her voice tight. "Even the source energy has been contaminated."

It was true. Ning Xiaochuan felt Sacred Source Power circulating sluggishly through his body, as though something were suppressing it. The Sacred Spirit Dragon was restless too. Its scales kept standing on end as it spat small bursts of Dragon Breath to disperse the approaching black mist.

"Han Li and the others didn't follow us in." Ning Xiaochuan listened carefully. "Either they don't dare, or..."

"Or there's something even more terrifying inside the valley," Su Linger finished, her hand unconsciously tightening around her sword hilt.

The two proceeded cautiously. The deeper they went, the thicker the black fog became. Eventually, even Sacred Source Vision could only see three paces ahead. Strange bones began appearing on the ground—some clearly human, others resembling the remains of giant insects.

"Watch your step." Ning Xiaochuan suddenly grabbed Su Linger. "There's a trap."

He pointed to an almost invisible thread on the ground. Following it with his eyes, they saw it connected to an exquisitely crafted crossbow mechanism, its arrowheads gleaming with an eerie green light.

"Black Tide's style," Su Linger identified. "It seems they really have been active here."

After bypassing the trap, they found a man-made path ahead leading deeper into the valley. The dead trees lining both sides were covered in strange sacs that swayed gently with the flow of black fog.

"Don't touch those." Ning Xiaochuan stopped the curious Sacred Spirit Dragon. "They could be World Devourer eggs."

Just as he spoke, a harsh metallic scraping sound came from afar, like some enormous mechanism being activated. Then Han Li's voice echoed throughout the entire valley through some sort of amplification device.

"Ning Xiaochuan, I know you can hear me! Meet me at the castle—if you can make it there alive! Hahaha..."

Before the laughter faded, the ground suddenly began to shake! Rocks tumbled down from the mountain walls on both sides, while the sacs burst one after another, releasing countless fist-sized black beetles!

"Gold Devouring Insects!" Su Linger's face turned deathly pale. "Run!"

The three raced down the path, with the beetles surging after them like a tide. Worse still, blurry humanoid forms began emerging from the black mist, wielding all sorts of weapons as they blocked the way.

Ning Xiaochuan tried using Sacred Source Power, only to discover that its effectiveness had been drastically reduced. A streak of golden light shot out, shattering only the first few beetles. Those behind them immediately filled the gap.

"There's something in the fog that suppresses source energy!" he said through gritted teeth. "Conserve your strength!"

The Ice Crystal Longsword in Su Linger's hand had also lost much of its power. Each swing could freeze only a small area. The Sacred Spirit Dragon's Dragon Breath was effective, but its range was limited.

"There's light ahead!" Su Linger suddenly pointed toward the end of the path.

Sure enough, the black fog there was thinning, and the outline of a Gothic castle could vaguely be seen. The three quickened their pace, but just as they were about to rush out of the fog, the ground suddenly collapsed!

"Trap!" Ning Xiaochuan only had time to shout a warning before he and Su Linger fell into the deep pit together.

The Sacred Spirit Dragon climbed sharply to avoid the fall and circled anxiously above. The bottom of the pit was packed with spikes. Ning Xiaochuan twisted his body in midair, unleashing Sacred Source Power with all his might to form a cushioning air pad.

"Bang!"

The two crashed heavily onto the air pad. Though they had not been impaled, the impact still made Ning Xiaochuan's vision go black. Su Linger was no better off. Her right leg had been slashed open by a spike, leaving a wound so deep that bone was visible.

"Are you okay?" Ning Xiaochuan helped her sit up and quickly examined her injury.

Su Linger gritted her teeth and shook her head. "It's not serious." But her pale face gave her away.

The Sacred Spirit Dragon tried to fly down to rescue them, only to be stopped by a suddenly appearing metal net. Worse still, black slime began seeping from the pit walls and rapidly spread toward the bottom!

"Corrosive fluid!" Ning Xiaochuan recognized it immediately as identical to what the Gray Robe Elder had used. "We have to get out now!"

He tried to use Sacred Source Power to lift them upward, but some kind of restriction at the bottom of the pit greatly weakened his power. The slime had already reached their feet, and their boots began to smoke.

"Use this!" Su Linger suddenly untied a thin silver chain from her waist—the ribbon Yun Yi had given her!

She flung the ribbon at the pit wall. The thin chain unexpectedly extended on its own, its tip hooking firmly onto a protruding rock.

"Hold on to me!" Su Linger wrapped an arm around Ning Xiaochuan's waist and leaped upward with the ribbon's support!

The ribbon was unexpectedly tough. Even bearing both their weights, it continued retracting and pulling them upward. The slime churned beneath them, nearly touching the soles of Su Linger's boots.

"Yun Yi's gift saved our lives," Ning Xiaochuan said with feeling.

Seeing that his master had escaped danger, the Sacred Spirit Dragon immediately swooped down and used Dragon Breath to burn through the metal net. The three finally reunited and continued toward the castle.

The black fog mysteriously dispersed around the castle, as though an invisible barrier existed there. By moonlight, Ning Xiaochuan saw what was strange about the structure—the entire castle was built from black stone, its surface covered in honeycomb-like holes. Black mist constantly flowed in and out of them, as if... it were breathing.

"This isn't an ordinary building." Su Linger's voice tightened. "It might be alive."

The Sacred Spirit Dragon let out a nervous "Goo Chu," its little claws gripping Ning Xiaochuan's collar tightly.

The castle gates stood wide open, as though inviting them inside. Beyond them lay a long corridor, with bizarre portraits hanging along both walls—not people or landscapes, but twisted faces in agony. Their eyes, however, were real eyeballs that turned as the three moved!

"The World Devourers' sick sense of humor." Ning Xiaochuan forced down his discomfort. "Watch for traps."

At the end of the corridor was a circular hall. In its center floated a massive Black Crystal, identical to the one on the Gray Robe Elder's chest except dozens of times larger. Han Li and more than twenty Black Robes stood beneath it, seemingly waiting for them.

"Welcome to the Shadowy Ancient Castle, Son of Sacred Source." Han Li's voice no longer concealed its madness. "Or rather, your grave!"

Ning Xiaochuan noticed that Han Li's right eye had become completely black, with neither white nor pupil, forming a bizarre contrast with his normal left eye.

"Han Li, you joined the World Devourers for this?" Ning Xiaochuan tried to stall for time as he secretly observed his surroundings. "One ugly eye?"

"Fool!" Han Li stroked his right eye. "This is a gift bestowed by God! It has allowed me to see the truth of the world!"

He suddenly raised his hand, and a black light shot into the Black Crystal. The crystal shook violently and released piercing sound waves, causing the entire castle to tremble!

"Not good!" Ning Xiaochuan immediately raised the Sacred Source Shield, blocking the sound wave attack. "He's activating something!"

Images began to appear across the crystal's surface—someone was striking the Primal Gate with some kind of force, and its cracks were steadily widening! More terrifying still, countless Dark Figures could faintly be seen writhing on the other side, ready to pour through at any moment.

"Do you see it?" Han Li laughed maniacally. "The Night of the Blood-Soaked Double Moons will be the day the Primal Gate shatters! And you will witness that moment!"

At his command, the Black Robes attacked at once. At the same time, the castle's walls and ceiling began to writhe, extending countless black tentacles!

"Primal Covenant!" Ning Xiaochuan shouted, and the three immediately activated their Soul Link.

But this time, the fusion process was exceptionally difficult. The castle was filled with a field that suppressed Sacred Source Power, and the trio's energy flow moved as though trapped in mud.

"It's useless!" Han Li approached smugly. "The Shadowy Ancient Castle is a stronghold left behind by the World Devourers a thousand years ago, created specifically to restrain your Sacred Origin Tribe!"

Ning Xiaochuan gritted his teeth and persevered, finally managing to complete the fusion. Yet the resulting energy form was far weaker than before, enough to sustain them for only a few minutes.

"Quick battle!" he sent through the link to Su Linger and the Sacred Spirit Dragon.

The three worked seamlessly together. Ning Xiaochuan attacked Han Li directly, Su Linger held back the Black Robes, and the Sacred Spirit Dragon dealt with the disgusting tentacles. The battle was fierce but brief. Their fused state quickly dissolved when their energy ran out.

"Hahaha! Is that all you can do?" Han Li was injured, but the Black Crystal continuously supplied him with energy. "So the Son of Sacred Source is nothing special after all!"

Ning Xiaochuan knelt on one knee, panting heavily. The situation was worse than expected—not only was the Primal Covenant suppressed, but even ordinary attacks had greatly diminished power. Su Linger and the Sacred Spirit Dragon were covered in wounds as well, barely holding on.

"Surrender." Han Li looked down at them. "Join us, and the Eye of the Deep Sea will grant you eternal life!"

Ning Xiaochuan suddenly smiled. "Eternal life? Becoming a half-human, half-ghost monster like you?"

Han Li's expression darkened. "You're courting death!"

He lunged forward. At the same time, the Black Crystal fired a thick beam of light straight at Ning Xiaochuan's heart! At that critical moment, the Sacred Spirit Dragon suddenly threw himself forward and blocked the attack with his body!

"Little One!" Ning Xiaochuan and Su Linger cried out at the same time.

The Sacred Spirit Dragon was struck by the black light. He let out a pained shriek and fell to the ground, large patches of scales peeling away to reveal corroded flesh beneath.

"No!" Ning Xiaochuan's heart felt as though it were being torn apart, and Sacred Source Power boiled from his rage!

An unprecedented power surged from the depths of his soul. It was no longer pure gold, but threaded with blue-white strands—the distinct power signatures of Su Linger and the Sacred Spirit Dragon!

"You... How can you still use source energy?" Han Li retreated in shock.

Ning Xiaochuan did not answer. He merely walked forward step by step. With every step, the light around his body grew stronger. By the time he reached the Sacred Spirit Dragon, the radiance illuminated the entire hall!

He gently touched Little Dragon's wound. The mixed energy automatically flowed in and began repairing the damage. The Sacred Spirit Dragon weakly let out a "Goo Chu" and licked his fingers.

"Impossible!" Han Li screamed hysterically. "The castle should suppress all Sacred Source Power!"

"You're wrong." Ning Xiaochuan rose to his feet, golden light blazing in his eyes. "This isn't merely Sacred Source Power. It is the resonance of our three souls. No power can suppress a bond like this."

Han Li frantically ordered all the Black Robes and tentacles to attack together, but it was too late. Ning Xiaochuan pressed his hands together, and the mixed energy erupted like a tidal wave. Wherever it passed, Black Robes were reduced to ash and the tentacles pulverized into dust!

"No! God Eye, save me!" Han Li desperately reached toward the Black Crystal.

The Black Crystal did respond, but it did not save him—a black light shot out, enveloping Han Li's entire body and beginning to absorb his life force!

"Ah! No! I am your loyal..." Han Li's scream abruptly cut off, and his body fell like a dried corpse.

After absorbing Han Li, the Black Crystal doubled in size and began shaking violently. The castle swayed with it, while the holes in its walls spewed out even more black fog.

"It's self-destructing!" Su Linger cried out. "The entire valley will be blown apart!"

Ning Xiaochuan picked up the Sacred Spirit Dragon. "Run!"

The three rushed toward the exit as the sharp crack of the crystal breaking echoed behind them. A horrifying shockwave swept over them, instantly blasting the castle roof away!

"We won't make it!" Ning Xiaochuan saw the exit right ahead, but the shockwave had already caught up behind them.

At that critical moment, the Sacred Spirit Dragon suddenly broke free from his arms, turned around, and unleashed Dragon Breath woven from gold and blue light! The Dragon Breath collided with the shockwave, generating a backward thrust that hurled the three out of the castle!

"Boom!"

Amid an earth-shattering explosion, the entire Shadow Valley was illuminated by firelight. The shockwave flung the three hundreds of zhang away, and they crashed heavily onto a hillside outside the valley.

Ning Xiaochuan struggled to his feet. The first thing he did was check on Su Linger and the Sacred Spirit Dragon. Su Linger had several abrasions but was otherwise fine. The Sacred Spirit Dragon had fallen unconscious from exhaustion, but his life signs were stable.

In the distance, Shadow Valley had become a sea of flames. The explosion had dispersed the black fog, revealing a terrifying sight within—the ruins of the castle were forming a massive Black Vortex, and dreadful shadows could faintly be seen on the other side...

"A World Devourer teleportation gate..." Ning Xiaochuan's voice was hoarse. "Han Li activated it with his life!"

Su Linger supported him as he stood. "We have to return to the Sacred Source Tower and report this immediately!"

Ning Xiaochuan nodded, but when he looked around, the Cloud Wing Beasts were already nowhere to be found. In their current condition, returning on foot would take at least two days.

"Someone's coming!" Su Linger suddenly pointed toward the sky in alarm.

Several black dots were rapidly approaching. At first, Ning Xiaochuan thought they were pursuers, but he soon recognized the lead Cloud Wing Beast—it was a rescue team sent by Star Radiance!

"Your Highness!" After landing, the lead knight dropped to one knee. "High Priest Star Radiance sensed an anomaly in Shadow Valley and sent us to receive you!"

Ning Xiaochuan let out a long breath. "You came at just the right time. Return to the tower immediately. The situation is worse than we imagined!"

As the Cloud Wing Beasts carried the three into the sky, Ning Xiaochuan took one last look at Shadow Valley. The Black Vortex had already expanded to a terrifying scale, and fewer than twenty days remained until the Night of the Blood-Soaked Double Moons...