Declan had already crept to the target location. With a thunderous crash as earth and stone split apart, his Dragon Claw burst from the ground and cleaved the humanoid creature sitting cross-legged in the cave in two.
"What's going on? A ninth-level creature?" Declan's astonished voice rang through their souls. "No, this is an undead!"
Before he could finish speaking, ten sinister waves of energy suddenly erupted within a hundred meters of Declan. Clearly, he had been quietly surrounded.
"It's a necromancer! Get out of there!" Barn urged him hastily.
In Gobada, no Sanctuary expert had a greater advantage than a necromancer.
They didn't need to maintain the magic power within their bodies; they only needed to ensure they had enough to eat. Summoning undead required only spiritual power, which could be quickly restored through meditation. More importantly, no matter how badly their summoned undead were injured or how many were killed, the necromancers themselves suffered no direct harm.
This meant that with very little food, necromancers could maintain their peak combat strength for a long time. They could also stay in a safe place during battle, making it extremely difficult for them to suffer a fatal injury. They had the advantages of both terrain and the rules of combat.
Declan didn't dare linger in the fight. He immediately used Earth Escape, burrowing a considerable distance straight down before making a full-speed escape in one direction. Barn didn't rush in to rescue him. He had great confidence in Declan's ability to conceal himself and burrow underground.
However, just as Declan was about to break through the encirclement, a magical beast that had been lying in wait suddenly sprang up along his escape route. Its savage fangs gaped like the jaws of the Abyss, firmly blocking his way.
"What the hell is that? A shark?" Declan's furious, startled voice rang in Barn's mind.
Barn didn't hesitate any longer. He drew the spear Mist Hidden and plunged underground.
With his newly comprehended Round Soft Profound Mystery, a dense layer of Water Element battle-qi swirled around him, pushing aside all the earth and stone blocking his way. He burrowed twice as fast as before.
As Barn appeared, five of the undead that had been preparing to encircle Declan immediately broke off and rushed back, trying to intercept the enemy who had suddenly intruded.
"Declan, are you all right?" Barn asked anxiously.
"I'm fine. It's a magical beast! It looks like a shark, and it's strong!" For Declan to call it "strong" meant that his opponent had clearly put him under considerable pressure.
Barn understood. This was obviously a trap laid by a necromancer and his magical beast working together. But he had no other choice. He could only rescue Declan from the encirclement first. "Hold on."
The undead were far slower than Barn underground. Relying on the speed advantage of a Tiger-pattern Warrior, he abruptly changed direction and charged straight at the undead on the outermost edge.
When they drew within ten meters of each other, the earth was forced aside by the tremendous force unleashed by the two Sanctuary experts. Only then did Barn get a clear look at his opponent. It was a Sanctuary Undead Skeleton, its bones gleaming like diamonds: a Skeleton King at the Sanctuary level.
The Sanctuary skeleton, which held a Bone Blade, clearly faltered at the sight of Barn's half-human, half-tiger appearance. It was evidently startled by the form of a Tiger-pattern Warrior.
But its surprise lasted only an instant. The Skeleton King immediately raised its Bone Blade, trying to hold Barn back and give its companions time to come to its aid.
But it had badly underestimated Barn's strength. The moment it raised its blade, Barn unleashed the full speed of a Tiger-pattern Warrior. Under the effect of the Round Soft Profound Mystery, the air around him and the flying sand and gravel offered almost no resistance.
The cold gleam of the spear Mist Hidden became a shooting star. It slowed only for an instant in front of the Sanctuary skeleton before continuing at full speed and plunging into the earth beyond it.
The soul fire in the Sanctuary skeleton's skull only burst out and vanished after Barn had already left.
"Boom! Boom—"
The shock waves from the battle between Declan and the shark-like magical beast grew clearer and clearer. Barn could now feel the savage, destructive aura emanating from his opponent. Clearly, it was a magical beast with the Destruction Attribute.
"Raaaagh!" A shrill, grating howl rang in his ears. Barn finally broke through the rock wall and saw the two beasts locked in combat.
Declan was now covered in blood. It was hard to imagine that his opponent's attacks were so powerful that they could inflict such severe injuries on the Spine-backed Iron-armored Dragon, known for its defense and speed, in such a short time.
The enemy magical beast was in no better shape; blood covered the ground around it. Just as Declan had said, it was a monstrous shark with blue-black skin, bony fins, and a huge, fang-filled mouth like the jaws of the Abyss. Clearly, it was a powerful magical beast from the deep sea.
The monstrous shark moved underground without any hindrance, circling and attacking as freely as if it were in the sea. Declan, meanwhile, relied on the innate abilities of the Spine-backed Iron-armored Dragon to dart and weave over short distances, seizing every chance to counterattack with his Dragon Claws and tail.
The shock waves from the two Sanctuary magical beasts' battle had pushed the earth away in every direction, creating a vast cavern.
Seeing this, Barn didn't hesitate any longer. Holding Mist Hidden, he charged straight at the monstrous shark.
The speed of a Tiger-pattern Warrior was unmatched on the Yulan Continent. Even among the Sanctuary experts of Gobada, they were among the very fastest. The shark couldn't evade their terrifying speed, and the sharpness of the Divine Artifact Mist Hidden made the fish's skin, its proudest defense, as fragile as tofu.
"Raaaagh!"
The grievously wounded monstrous shark let out a heartrending howl but didn't retreat. Instead, it grew even more ferocious.
Barn was about to join forces with Declan and finish off their powerful enemy when a small figure suddenly burst out of the ground in a corner. Its withered hand clutched a short staff, which it pointed at Barn from afar.
A sickly green beam shot out. Barn had been about to dodge, but Declan, who was badly injured, was behind him. He could only grit his teeth and take the attack head-on.
"Ugh—"
With a muffled groan, the sickly green light plunged straight into his body.
Above the Soul Sea, the green light condensed into an arrow and stabbed toward the spear-shaped soul.
However, Barn was a Soul Mutator, and his soul was far stronger and more solid than an ordinary person's. The spear-shaped soul suddenly blazed with light, and the Soul Arrow melted away as swiftly as a remnant of ice beneath the midday sun.
Barn's eyes snapped open. He pointed with his left hand, and ice-blue magic surged forth, condensing in midair into three Ice Javelins that shot toward the shadow in the corner.
He hadn't studied Water Element magic in depth, and with only the strength of a Holy Magus, he could instantly cast only the level-four spell Ice Javelin. However, powered by a Holy Magus's magic, even a level-four spell could rival the magic of an eighth-level mage—enough to injure a Sanctuary necromancer.
His opponent clearly hadn't expected a Sanctuary Warrior to withstand the soul curse he had been preparing for so long. But a necromancer would never be without an Undead Guardian. The withered figure quickly retreated, and a massive Sanctuary Bone Dragon instantly appeared in front of him.
"Clang, clang, clang."
The Sanctuary Bone Dragon's defense was already comparable to that of a Sanctuary Giant Dragon. The Ice Javelins struck its body, leaving behind only a few shallow white marks.
"An Undead Holy Magus dares come this close to a Tiger-pattern Warrior!"
Barn raised his spear. A layer of solemn, murderous platinum light suddenly swirled around him, quickly dispelling the lingering power of the Undead Holy Magus's curse.
Town Evil Gale was the innate ability of the Tiger-pattern Warriors—or, more precisely, of the divine beast White Tiger.
Unlike the Azure Dragon Family's Innate Azure Light, which protected the soul, the White Tiger Family's innate ability was called "Town Evil Gale." It could form a Golden Light Domain around the body, dispelling most curses, poisons, freezing effects, restraints, mental interference, and other negative effects. It could also weaken attacks from enemies.
With this innate ability, Tiger-pattern Warriors were practically immune to control spells cast by Holy Magi. Their speed also made it difficult for Holy Magi's offensive spells to hit them.
That was why Tiger-pattern Warriors were known on the Yulan Continent as "the bane of Holy Magi."
(In real-world legends, the White Tiger belongs to the Metal element and governs slaughter. It can ward off evil, suppress malign forces, and summon wind and thunder. That's why I gave the White Tiger this innate ability, Town Evil Gale, and made its color platinum.)
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