The edges of the Bone Abyss lay shrouded in gray mist that never dispersed, thick with evil power. A single breath could freeze an ordinary person's meridians. Loran and his companions arrived at dusk. The sunset pierced the mist, casting mottled, blood-red patches across the ground. Together with the howls of evil souls rising from the abyss, they created a suffocating oppression.
"There are 'evil-corrosion spores' in the gray mist. Inhaling them lets evil power corrode your mind." Liya took out three emerald pendants and handed them to Loran and the Saint-level knights. "These were refined from the sap of the elves' Tree of Life. They can resist the spores' corrosion. The two qilin and the icefield wolf have their origin power protecting them, so there's no need to worry about them for now."
Loran took the pendant. It warmed against his skin, and a fresh current of nature's power spread along his neck, instantly dispelling the discomfort caused by the evil power in the air. He looked at Snow Spirit Qilin and said softly, "Sorry for the trouble. Use Radiant Ice Dove to scout inside the abyss."
Snow Spirit Qilin nodded. Luminous white frost gathered in her palm. Moments later, three ice-crystal doves took wing, pale golden patterns of light shimmering across their wings as they flew through the gray mist into the depths. Their vision passed through a mental link into Snow Spirit Qilin's mind, then was shared simultaneously with Loran and the others-
At the bottom of the abyss stood an enormous circular plaza. Dense blood-red runes covered its center, their grooves already filled with a little black-red blood. This was the core of the Blood Bone Sacrificial Formation. Over a thousand civilians were bound to stone pillars around the plaza. Chains of evil power pierced their wrists, and blood dripped slowly down the chains into the rune grooves. Hundreds of black-robed figures surrounded the formation, holding bone staves and chanting. At its nexus stood a black stone pillar set with an abyssal evil crystal. The crystal emitted a spectral blue glow, forming a faint energy link with the Nether Bone Dragon in a distant bone cavern.
"The sacrificial formation has already activated. The blood in the rune grooves can sustain it for at least three days, but if they collect the blood of a thousand civilians, they can awaken the bone dragon ahead of time tonight!" Snow Spirit Qilin's anxious voice reached everyone through the mental link. "The Nether Bone Dragon in the cavern hasn't awakened yet, but it's already absorbing the evil crystal's power. The evil-soul fluctuations on its bones are growing stronger."
Loran tightened his grip on his knight's sword, quietly releasing his early fifth-tier aura. "We can't wait. We act tonight. We'll split into three groups. First, honored Saint-level knights, you'll hold off the black-robed figures on the perimeter and keep them from interfering with the destruction of the formation. Second, Miss Liya, protect the civilians with Nature Barrier, purify the chains of evil power on them, and stop their blood from flowing into the nexus. Third, the two qilin and I will destroy the formation's core. The icefield wolf will keep watch. Give a warning immediately if you spot the pontiff."
The three Saint-level knights answered in unison, "Understood!" Liya nodded as well, her emerald-green staff turning in her palm. "Nature Barrier can temporarily isolate evil power. I'll free the civilians from their chains as quickly as possible."
The icefield wolf growled and leaped onto a boulder, its golden eyes fixed warily on the abyss's entrance. The pale golden light at the ends of its four limbs stood out sharply in the gray mist.
Night fell, and the evil power within the abyss grew denser. The formation's blood-red runes began flashing, and the spectral blue halo around the nexus pillar expanded. Using the mist as cover, Loran and the two qilin slipped quietly to the edge of the plaza. Lei Lin's golden-red flames shrank to fingertip-sized sparks, while Snow Spirit Qilin's luminous white frost condensed into a thin layer of ice over her body. Both their auras blended completely into the darkness.
"Now!" Loran barked. The three Saint-level knights charged out from the other side at once, their pale golden power of light forming three spears that shot toward the black-robed figures outside the formation. "Light Judgment!" the knight captain roared. The light spears pierced two black-robed figures through the chest. Their evil power hissed beneath the burning light and instantly dissipated.
The black-robed figures fell into chaos. The blood bone knight captain leading them raised his bone saber and roared, "Defend the nexus! Don't let them near it!" Dozens of black-robed figures turned toward the Saint-level knights. As their bone staves swung, black vines and evil flames intertwined into a defensive line, only to be easily severed by the knights' blades of light.
Liya seized the chance to circle around to the stone pillars and thrust her emerald-green staff into the ground. "Nature Barrier: Life!" Pale green light spread across the ground, forming a translucent barrier around the civilians. When it touched the chains of evil power, vines emerged from the barrier and wound around them. Fresh nature power flowed through the vines into the civilians, and the evil power on the chains began rapidly fading. "Don't be afraid, everyone! We're here to save you!" Liya's soothing voice reached every civilian.
Loran and the two qilin charged toward the formation's core. The spectral blue evil crystal on the nexus pillar was continuously feeding energy into the runes. Loran raised his knight's sword, and the intertwined gold, silver, and pale golden light of the three elements surged. "Purification Slash!" His blade swept out, sending a three-colored blade of light straight at the pillar. Its power of light collided with the crystal's evil power, instantly dimming the spectral blue halo on the pillar's surface.
"Who dares touch the nexus!" An enraged shout came from the bone cavern. The Bone-Eroding Pontiff appeared, treading upon evil mist. More evil souls coiled around his black robes, and the evil core in his chest glimmered with intertwined spectral blue and black-red light. His aura was stronger than before-he had clearly fused with some of the abyssal evil crystal's power.
The pontiff swung his bone staff, firing a black-blue ray of evil light at Loran. "You escaped by luck last time. This time, I'll grind your bones to dust and scatter your ashes!"
Lei Lin leaped in front of Loran, his golden-red flames forming a shield of light. "Light Fire Shield!" The evil light struck the shield. Flames exploded, swallowing most of it, but some residual evil power pierced the fire shield and grazed Loran's arm, leaving a black-blue burn.
"Loran, be careful! His evil core has fused with abyssal power. He's stronger than before!" Snow Spirit Qilin's luminous white frost formed ice arrows that shot at the pontiff in succession, but he blocked them with a barrier of evil power.
The pontiff sneered and pointed his bone staff at the sacrificial formation. "Blood Bone Sacrifice: Advance!" The black-robed figures outside the formation suddenly went berserk, biting the tips of their tongues and spraying black blood into the rune grooves. The blood-red runes flared. The civilians' slowly dripping blood suddenly flowed faster, and the spectral blue halo around the nexus pillar became blinding. A deep dragon roar came from the distant bone cavern-the Nether Bone Dragon was about to awaken early!
"We can't let him succeed!" The three-element origin power within Loran circulated furiously, and the gold, silver, and pale golden core he had condensed in the sacred spring began pulsing violently. He reached out with his left hand to grip Lei Lin's claw and his right to grip Snow Spirit Qilin's. His three-element power instantly fused with the two qilin's light qilin power. "Twin Qilin: Three-Element Evil-Breaking Slash!"
This time, the sword no longer bore a simple three-colored glow. Instead, it formed a pillar of intertwined gold, silver, and white light. Phantoms of the two qilin appeared within it, giving earth-shaking cries as it shot straight toward the formation's core. The light pierced the evil-power barrier, bypassed the pontiff's obstruction, and struck the nexus pillar hard-
Crack! The stone pillar broke in the middle, and the spectral blue evil crystal shattered instantly. The power of light within the beam purified the evil power in the fragments, turning them into motes of light that filled the air. Deprived of their energy source, the formation's blood-red runes instantly dimmed. The rapidly dripping blood stopped flowing, and the dragon's roar in the distant cavern weakened.
"No!" The pontiff let out a despairing roar. The evil core in his chest throbbed violently, and black-red blood spilled from the corner of his mouth. "It took me ten thousand years to find the Nether Bone Dragon, and you dared ruin my plan!"
He lunged at Loran. Dense black-blue evil power erupted from his core, and the evil souls around him went berserk. "Evil Bone Possession: Abyssal Form!" His body began twisting, his bones swelling continuously. A pair of black bone wings sprouted from his back, and his hands became sharp bone claws. He transformed into a half-human, half-evil-bone monster, his aura approaching the peak of the fifth tier.
"Loran, fall back!" Seeing this, the Saint-level knight captain immediately rushed over with the other two knights. Their power of light condensed into a massive shield before them, blocking the pontiff's claws. Bang! Cracks instantly covered the shield. The impact drove the captain back repeatedly, golden blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.
Liya had freed most of the civilians from their chains. She expanded Nature Barrier, protecting them at its center, while lashing out with several vines that wrapped around the pontiff's legs. "Power of Nature: Bind!" The thorns on the vines pierced his bone wings, only to be instantly corroded by evil power and reduced to black ash.
Anxiety gripped Loran as he watched his companions locked in a bitter struggle. Three-Element Evil-Breaking Slash had consumed most of his strength, making another powerful attack difficult now. Lei Lin and Snow Spirit Qilin's auras were weak as well, and both Radiant Fire Feather and Radiant Ice Dove had lost some of their power.
Just then, the icefield wolf gave a sudden, urgent howl, its golden eyes fixed on the bone cavern. The dragon's roar sounded again, louder and more savage than before. The ground began shaking violently, and the outline of a pair of enormous black bone horns emerged in the gray mist.
"This is bad! The Nether Bone Dragon is still waking up!" Snow Spirit Qilin's voice was panicked. "The pontiff's evil power was suppressed, but it already awakened the dragon's consciousness!"
Seeing the outline of the horns, a trace of mad amusement flashed through the pontiff's eyes. "Even if the sacrificial formation is destroyed, the bone dragon has already awakened! Once it comes out, all of you will die!"
Loran took a deep breath, and the last of his three-element power began gathering again. He knew this was no time to retreat. If the Nether Bone Dragon fully awakened, not only would they lose their lives, but the entire continent would be plunged into danger.
"Lei Lin, Snow Spirit Qilin, resonate with your remaining strength!" Loran tightened his grip on his knight's sword. "We may not be able to defeat the pontiff, but we can definitely suppress the bone dragon for a while!"
The two qilin nodded. Golden-red flames and luminous white frost intertwined once more. This time, the two lights formed not a protective barrier, but a two-colored beam that shot straight toward the bone cavern. The light qilin power within it temporarily suppressed the bone dragon's awakening aura, and the roars in the cavern grew labored.
Seeing this, the pontiff tried to charge over and interrupt the beam, but the Saint-level knight captain and Liya kept him firmly occupied. The captain's blade of light repeatedly slashed at his bone wings, while Liya's nature vines seized the openings to burrow into his wounds, attempting to purify the evil power inside him.
Loran watched the two-colored beam, silently calculating the time. It could last half an hour at most. If the bone dragon broke through the suppression after that, they would have no strength left to fight back.
"We have to find the bone dragon's weakness within half an hour!" Loran's gaze swept toward the cavern, and he suddenly noticed a pale blue ice crystal beside the bone horns. Its material resembled Snow Spirit Qilin's Radiant Ice Doves, but it contained far denser ice origin power. "Snow Spirit Qilin, look at that ice crystal! Is it connected to your ice origin?"
Snow Spirit Qilin followed his gaze, and delighted surprise flashed through her eyes. "It's an Ice Dragon Magicite Core! While the Nether Bone Dragon sleeps, it condenses part of its origin power into a magicite core. If we purify it, we can temporarily seal the dragon!"
Loran's eyes lit up. He was about to rush toward the cavern when a ray of evil light from the pontiff blocked him. The pontiff's bone claw pierced the knight captain's light shield and stabbed straight toward Loran's chest. "You want to seal the bone dragon? Get past me first!"
At that critical instant, a pale golden light came from the abyss's entrance. Elder White arrived on a radiant warhorse, bringing more than ten temple knights as reinforcements. "Young Loran, I'm late!"
Elder White unleashed his mid-Saint-level aura. His pale golden power of light formed a blade that severed the pontiff's bone claw. "White! You dared follow me here!" The pontiff's expression changed completely. He knew turning the situation around would now be difficult, and could only grit his teeth and retreat.
"You win this time. Next time, I'll make rivers of blood flow across the continent!" The pontiff flung out a cloud of evil mist, blocking everyone's sight. When it dispersed, he had vanished without a trace.
Elder White immediately shouted, "Don't pursue him! Seal the bone dragon first!"
Loran and the two qilin rushed toward the cavern at once. Snow Spirit Qilin wrapped the Ice Dragon Magicite Core in luminous white frost and began purifying the evil power within it. Lei Lin's golden-red flames formed a ring around the core to prevent the evil power from striking back. Loran also poured his three-element power into it. Gold, silver, and pale golden light intertwined with the ice origin power, and the core gradually regained its pure pale blue color.
Half an hour later, the Ice Dragon Magicite Core was completely purified. The roars in the cavern ceased entirely, and the Nether Bone Dragon's aura sank back into slumber. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, while Liya continued treating the wounded civilians and knights with nature's power.
Elder White walked over to Loran. Concern filled his eyes as he looked at the burn on Loran's arm. "Fortunately, we arrived in time. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable. The pontiff escaped, but his evil core was damaged. He won't be able to cause trouble again anytime soon."
Loran nodded, but his brow remained furrowed. "But the Nether Bone Dragon is only sleeping temporarily. The pontiff will definitely return for it. And although the thousand civilians were rescued, quite a few have been corroded by evil power and will need long-term treatment."
Liya came over and said softly, "The elves' Tree of Life can completely purify evil power. I can take the civilians back to the Elven Forest for treatment. Once they recover, perhaps they can form a 'civilian guard' and do their part to protect the continent."
The Saint-level knight captain added, "The temple will station people at the Bone Abyss to prevent the pontiff from approaching the cavern again. We'll also strengthen our intelligence network. Once we discover any trace of him, we'll notify you immediately."
Loran looked at the companions around him, his heart filled with gratitude. He lowered his gaze to his palm, where his three-element origin power still circulated faintly. This battle in the abyss had not only familiarized him with his new abilities, but also taught him that one man and two qilin were far from enough. The continent's righteous forces united were the true strength needed to oppose the pontiff.
That night, everyone left the Bone Abyss with the civilians. Moonlight pierced the gray mist, illuminating their way home. Loran rode Lei Lin, with Snow Spirit Qilin and the icefield wolf close behind. Liya and the Saint-level knights guarded the civilians on either side. Beneath the distant stars, a faint aura of light came from the direction of Fallen Maple Territory. It was a message relayed by Snow Spirit Qilin's Radiant Ice Dove: Old Byrne was coming with the guards to meet them.
The crisis had been averted for now, but it had also made everyone realize that greater challenges still lay ahead. The Bone-Eroding Pontiff's plot had not been completely crushed, the Nether Bone Dragon remained a threat, and the shadow of the Evil Bone Plane had never been far from this continent.
Loran tightened his grip on his knight's sword, determination flashing in his eyes. He knew his next encounter with the pontiff would be their final decisive battle. He, the two qilin, and all their righteous companions were ready.