The crimson lake churned as countless Water Elementals raced across its surface, sending wave after wave crashing against the Murlocs' nest.
Towering waves swept through the entire nest, washing away numerous little huts.
The hundreds of Murlocs in the nest went berserk. They roared and shouted, grabbed their weapons, leaped into the water, and charged toward the cave beneath the nest.
"A double safeguard?" Shi Feng looked back and jumped in fright.
Hundreds of Water Elementals weren't enough; hundreds of Murlocs were following them, too. Even two or three elite teams wouldn't stand a chance.
Shi Feng had no choice but to speed into the cave. It was his only chance of survival.
However, Shi Feng was slow underwater. He couldn't match a Druid in seal form, which increased underwater movement speed by 50%. Instead, his movement speed was reduced by 50%.
The cave entrance was still 20 yards away, but the enraged Water Elementals were closing in fast, drawing nearer by the second.
42 yards... 28 yards... 20 yards... 10 yards...
When Shi Feng was just 5 yards from the entrance, the Water Elementals caught up with him. They swung their enormous, icy fists at his head.
The Water Elementals' attacks inflicted a chilling slow. Once they hit their target, they would stick to it until it died.
Shi Feng hurriedly turned and used Parry, blocking the first Water Elemental's punch. He used the creature's tremendous force to propel himself backward, but the remaining Water Elementals immediately surged forward.
"Looks like I'll have to teleport back to town." Seeing the hundreds of Water Elementals before him, Shi Feng felt helpless.
Just as Shi Feng gave up, he drifted into the cave entrance. Inside, he spotted a humanoid ghost wandering about 30 yards away.
Shi Feng didn't bother thinking it through. If he was going to die, he might as well die farther in and get something out of it. That way, he could make some preparations before returning. He used Wind Chasing Sword and surged forward, his speed suddenly increasing dramatically. Like a gale sweeping through, he escaped the Water Elementals at the last moment and reached the cave's shore.
Once the Water Elementals left the water, their speed plummeted. They couldn't catch up with Shi Feng as he raced away.
After getting out of the water, Shi Feng rushed toward the humanoid ghost. Just as the Abyssal Walker was about to graze the ghost's neck, Shi Feng suddenly realized that the translucent figure hadn't attacked him.
He immediately turned the blade aside, letting it skim past the ghost without drawing its aggro.
"That was close." When Shi Feng saw the ghost's stats, a cold sweat broke out across his back.
Hero Froy, Grand Lord, Level 25, HP 360,000/360,000.
If he had attacked the Hero and drawn its aggro, even a hundred lives wouldn't have been enough to save him.
In God's Domain, Heroes were second only to Champions in strength. They held a higher position in a kingdom than even marquises, ranking just below dukes. Even dead and transformed into ghosts, figures like this remained Grand Lord Grade monsters—overlords among monsters.
A 30-man elite team at Level 30 wouldn't stand a chance against this ghostly Hero. They would need at least a hundred elite players to take him down.
"Could he be the Guardian?" Shi Feng wondered, studying Hero Froy.
There was always a Guardian wherever treasure could be found. The Murlocs and Water Elementals outside were, at most, guard dogs; they weren't qualified to watch over such an important treasure.
Shi Feng didn't dare linger. A large horde of monsters was still chasing him, so he hurried deeper into the cave.
The cavern was enormous, with a stairway leading straight down into the depths. If he followed it, he should find the Philosopher's Stone.
As soon as Shi Feng reached the stairs, he saw a vast number of Water Elementals and Murlocs charging toward him, as if they wouldn't stop until he was dead.
"Lowly creatures dare defile this sacred place? Accept divine judgment!" Hero Froy's eyes suddenly blazed with fury. He drew the dark-gold greatsword from his back, radiating a violent aura, as though he alone ruled Heaven and Earth.
The dark-gold greatsword rose high, and the air around him grew heavy.
Hero Froy let out a roar and swung with both hands. A fierce gale surged forth, and a blade of light swept across the Water Elementals and Murlocs, reducing them to dust. The cave entrance collapsed in an instant.
"How powerful!" Shi Feng exclaimed.
He had vastly underestimated the Hero. That single strike would wipe out even a 100-man elite team at Level 30. It would probably take a 300-man elite team to stand a chance.
He hadn't expected the Water Elementals and Murlocs to be so unqualified as guard dogs that they'd be killed outright.
Shi Feng wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. Thankfully, he was human, not a lowly creature. Otherwise, he would likely have ended up just like the Water Elementals and Murlocs.
"That was brutal. I'll have to keep going down." Shi Feng glanced at the collapsed entrance; not even an earthworm could squeeze through.
The staircase leading underground spiraled downward. Some sort of light-element magic carved into the rock walls illuminated the entire passage, but the stairs stretched on and on. Fortunately, there were no dangers. Shi Feng walked for a full half hour before reaching the spacious hall at the very bottom.
The hall was about the size of a soccer field and resembled a temple, all glittering gold. Numerous pictures and words were carved into the walls on either side. At the very back stood an altar, on which rested a gold chest. Two golden statues, each holding a greatsword, stood beside it.
System: Player has discovered the Sun Temple.
"Sun Temple?" Shi Feng had never heard of it before. In his previous life, there had been no information about the Sun Temple. It seemed no player had ever unlocked it, which would explain why it had never appeared on the official website. Still, judging by the circumstances, it seemed dangerous.
But Shi Feng didn't care. He headed for the golden altar. He had come for the Philosopher's Stone, and it should be inside the golden chest before him.
As Shi Feng stepped onto the altar, a chill washed over him. It came from the enormous golden statues on either side. He had no idea what would happen when he took the Philosopher's Stone.
But he had no choice. The entrance was blocked, so he could only take the Philosopher's Stone and deal with the consequences afterward.
He slowly opened the golden chest. Golden light burst from within, illuminating the entire temple. Then it gradually faded, revealing three items inside. Shi Feng collected them all without a word.
"Damn, no way. How did the Philosopher's Stone end up like this?" Shi Feng stared at the thumb-sized, blood-red stone in his hand, feeling bitterly disappointed.
Philosopher's Stone (Fragment)
Epic Special Item (Will be dropped upon death)
A sacred alchemical treasure with countless incredible uses, including turning stone into gold and resurrecting the dead. However, Sword Emperor Shunaite damaged it, shattering it into five pieces. The Philosopher's Stone still possesses great power; collecting all five pieces will restore its full strength.
Use Effect: Having been damaged, it possesses less than one-tenth of its original power. It can only be used for Alchemy Conversion and Elemental Refining.
Although its effects had been greatly diminished, Shi Feng was still satisfied. These two functions alone were enough to let him accomplish many things.
The other two items were a Level 10, Adamantite Grade golden greatsword and a Magic Teleportation Scroll.
"What a treasure trove!" Shi Feng looked at the golden greatsword in his hand, barely able to contain his excitement. It was undoubtedly the best piece of equipment he could get outside of magic weapons. If he equipped it, he'd be invincible among Level 10 players.
At that moment, the statues on either side began to tremble. Their eyes glowed red as they locked onto Shi Feng.
Shi Feng immediately used the Magic Teleportation Scroll. Golden magic runes instantly enveloped him. The casting time was three seconds, and it could teleport him to coordinates chosen by the player.
Although this Magic Scroll was extremely valuable, with only a handful in all of God's Domain, dying here would be an even greater loss.
As the golden statues swung their greatswords at him, Shi Feng vanished from the temple with a whoosh.