The morning mist lay like gauze over the evil mine in the Blackstone Mountain Range, shrouding it in a haze. Loran and his companions lay in the grass on the western side of the valley, watching the evil bone guards change shifts at the mine entrance ahead-this was their agreed moment to strike. Chief Copper Hammer's mine tunnel team was already standing by at the eastern entrance, and Liya's elven guards had quietly crept near the Evil Bone Passage.
"It's time!" Loran called in a low voice, drawing his knight's sword, which was coated in sacred ore powder. Gold, silver, and pale gold light mingled along its blade, tinting even the morning mist with warmth. Lei Lin and Snow Spirit Qilin spread their wings together, their golden-red flames and luminous white frost weaving into a two-colored ribbon of light as they sped toward the furnace. Meanwhile, Elder White led the saint-level knights and the Bronzebeard Dwarves' reserve force toward the evil iron cannon battery on the perimeter.
[Mine tunnel front: Copper Hammer breaks the golems]
At the eastern mine tunnel entrance, Chief Copper Hammer gripped his evil-breaking warhammer and slammed it into the ground. "Brothers, let's show those dark dwarves who the real dwarven smiths are!" Two hundred Sacred Hammer warriors roared in unison. Sacred runes lit up on their warhammers as they followed him into the tunnel.
The tunnel was pitch-black, with only the evil iron veins in the walls giving off a faint black-red glow. They had barely gone fifty paces when the ground suddenly shook. Ten "evil iron golems" cast from evil iron ore emerged from the walls. Each stood three meters tall, with sharp evil iron blades for arms and evil soul fire flickering in its eyes.
"They're the vein guardians!" The dark dwarf chief's voice rang out from deep inside the tunnel. Riding an evil bone boar, he swung his smithing hammer. "Crush them!"
Copper Hammer remained utterly calm, pointing his warhammer at the golems. "Divine Power: Evil Breaking!" Pale golden light surged from his hammer, spreading across the ground beneath their feet. The moment the evil iron golems touched the light, the evil power on their surfaces was purified, and their movements slowed. "Attack! Aim for the joints!"
The dwarf warriors immediately scattered, striking precisely at the golems' joints with their warhammers-the weakest points in the evil iron. Clang! Clang! Clear metallic impacts echoed through the tunnel. One golem's knee joint shattered, and it crashed to the ground, becoming a heap of ordinary ore.
But just then, black-red evil mist suddenly poured from the depths of the tunnel. Evil flames blazed in the golems' eyes, and their movements quickened again. They could even spew evil fire. Copper Hammer's heart sank. "The dark dwarves' evil mist is strengthening them! Can Miss Liya's power of nature reach inside?"
Far away, Liya received the message through a light ice dove. She immediately directed her nature barrier to send out a tendril of vine, threading it through cracks in the tunnel. "Power of Nature: Mist Clearing!" Emerald vines unfurled inside the tunnel, releasing a fresh scent as the evil mist rapidly dispersed.
Without the evil mist's enhancement, the evil iron golems were once again pushed onto the defensive. Copper Hammer seized the opportunity and leaped into the air, smashing his warhammer into the last golem's head. "Shatter!" Its head was pulverized, and its evil soul fire instantly went out. "Keep moving! Destroy the evil soul steel vein!"
[Passage front: Liya blocks the emissary]
The Evil Bone Passage lay inside a cave on the northern side of the valley. Dense evil power coiled around its entrance. The Bone-Eroding Emissary stood before the passage, continuously pouring evil power into it through his scepter. The black rift had already widened to three meters, and an evil bone army was faintly visible within.
"Now!" Liya charged out with fifty elven guards and thrust her emerald staff into the ground. "Nature Barrier: Seal!" Countless vines burst from the earth and wound around the cave entrance. Pale green light spread along them, attempting to seal the rift.
"You elves again!" the Bone-Eroding Emissary roared. He swept his scepter, lashing three black whips of evil power at the vines, which instantly corroded into black ash. "The Evil Bone Passage is about to open! No one can stop it!"
An elven warrior raised his longbow and fired a sacred arrow straight at the emissary's scepter. The emissary sidestepped it and lashed out with his evil whip again. Unable to dodge in time, the warrior was struck on the arm. His wound instantly turned black-evil power was eating into his meridians.
"Don't fight him head-on! Hold him back with the power of nature!" Liya cast a drop of life dew onto the warrior's arm, and the black marks around his wound gradually faded. She directed the elves into a circle, and their staffs lit up together. "Nature Resonance: Thorn Formation!" Countless thorn-covered brambles burst from the ground, trapping the emissary in their midst. Pale green light on the thorns continuously purified the evil power.
Trapped, the emissary could only swing his scepter wildly. Evil power hissed as it struck the thorns. Liya seized the chance to speed up her barrier's formation. Vines wound around the cave entrance again, and pale green light gradually covered the rift. "Keep it up! Once we seal the passage, the Evil Bone General won't be able to get out!"
[Perimeter front: The elder clears the obstacles]
On the valley's perimeter, dozens of dark dwarves operated ten evil iron cannons, their muzzles aimed toward the mine tunnel and the passage, ready to provide fire support at the first sign of activity inside. By the time Elder White charged over with three saint-level knights and a hundred dwarf warriors, the first evil iron cannonball was already flying toward the mine tunnel.
"Light Shield: Rebound!" Elder White swept his staff, placing a pale golden shield of light before him. The cannonball struck the shield and was actually reflected by its light, hurtling back toward the evil iron cannon battery. Boom! One cannon was blasted apart, throwing the dark dwarves into chaos.
"Destroy the battery! Don't let them support the forces inside!" The saint-level knight captain raised his sword of light and led the knights in a charge. Their knight's swords struck the evil iron cannons, sending pale golden light spreading along the barrels. The cannons instantly lost their luster and became ordinary scrap iron.
At the sight, the dark dwarves raised their evil iron axes and charged. The dwarf warriors immediately met them. Sacred warhammers clashed with evil iron axes, their pale golden light suppressing the evil power. Cracks soon appeared in the dark dwarves' axes. "You traitors! How dare you help outsiders!" one dark dwarf roared, only to take a warhammer to the chest and be sent flying backward.
In just fifteen minutes, the evil iron cannon battery was completely destroyed, and the evil bone guards on the perimeter were wiped out as well. Elder White stood on high ground, watching the activity in the valley. A trace of satisfaction flashed in his eyes. "The perimeter is clear. The rest is up to our young friend Loran!"
[Furnace front: Loran battles the pope]
Beside the furnace in the center of the valley, the pope stood before the evil bone battle armor. It was mostly formed, lacking only its helmet and pauldrons. At the sounds of fighting outside, a vicious gleam flashed in his eyes. "A bunch of ants, daring to ruin my plans!"
Just then, Loran and the two qilin broke through the dark dwarves' blockade and reached the furnace. Lei Lin beat its fiery wings, firing golden-red flame feathers toward the furnace, but the pope blocked them with a barrier of evil power. "Loran Kane, do you think that meager strength of yours can destroy my battle armor?"
"We'll find out when I try!" Loran raised his knight's sword, and the light of three elements flared. "Twin Qilin Three-Element Resonance Slash!" Lei Lin and Snow Spirit Qilin leaped into the air together. Ice and fire light merged into Loran's blade, and a gigantic three-colored blade of light slashed toward the pope.
The pope snorted coldly and pressed his right hand against the evil bone battle armor's chest. The evil core's light blazed. "Evil Bone Battle Armor: Unfinished Activation!" The evil crystal in the armor's chest lit up, and a black-red shield of light appeared before him. The blade of light struck the shield, only to be stopped outright. Loran's arms went numb, and he staggered back three steps.
"Hahaha! Even the unfinished armor can block your attack! Once it's complete, you won't withstand a single blow from me!" The pope leaped up and pointed his bone staff at Loran, sending countless black evil arrows flying toward him. Snow Spirit Qilin immediately breathed out luminous white freezing mist, freezing the arrows, while Lei Lin spewed flames and burned the frozen arrows into vapor.
Loran seized the opportunity to rush toward the furnace, thrusting his knight's sword at its evil crystal pillar-destroying the pillar would stop the furnace. But the pope suddenly appeared behind him and brought his bone staff crashing toward his back. "You want to destroy my furnace? Not so easy!"
"Loran, watch out!" Lei Lin turned and shielded Loran. The bone staff struck its fiery wing, and Lei Lin cried out in pain as a black mark appeared on it. Anger surged in Loran's heart. He turned and swung his sword, sending three-element light straight at the pope's evil core. "How dare you hurt Lei Lin!"
The pope had not expected Loran's sudden counterattack and hastily blocked with the battle armor's arm. Clang! The knight's sword struck the armored arm. The sacred ore powder took effect, opening a crack in the armor, and black-red evil power spilled out. "Impossible! How can your sword damage my battle armor?"
"This is the Bronzebeard Dwarves' sacred ore, made to counter your evil iron!" Loran seized the opportunity to slash repeatedly, striking the crack in the armor again and again as it grew wider. Snow Spirit Qilin also fired ice arrows at the armor's joints, trying to hinder the pope's movements.
The pope flew into a complete rage. His evil core blazed, and the evil power around him formed a black storm. "Evil Bone World Destruction: Explosion!" The storm swept toward Loran, who hurriedly formed a three-colored shield of light with the two qilin to withstand its impact.
Just then, Snow Spirit Qilin's light ice dove delivered a message: "The passage is almost sealed! The ore vein is destroyed! The perimeter is clear!" Joy rose in Loran's heart, and he sneered at the pope. "Your reinforcements are gone, the passage is sealed, and the ore vein is destroyed. What trump cards do you have left?"
The pope looked toward the distant passage and mine tunnel. Seeing the glow of evil power gradually weakening, his face instantly turned deathly pale. He knew that this plan had failed completely. But a flicker of madness soon flashed in his eyes. "Even if the armor isn't finished, I'll take you all down with me! Evil Core: Self-Destruct!"
"This is bad! He's going to detonate his evil core!" Elder White, Liya, and Copper Hammer rushed over together. Elder White's power of light, Liya's power of nature, and Copper Hammer's sacred power surged toward the pope at once, forming a three-colored dome of light that trapped him.
"No-!" The pope's howl echoed inside the dome. His evil core shone ever brighter, but the dome held it firmly in check. Loran seized the chance to raise his knight's sword, gathering the light of three elements to its utmost before slashing at the pope's evil core. "It's over!"
The blade pierced the evil core, and the black-red evil power instantly dispersed. The pope's body slumped to the ground. The evil bone battle armor lost its luster as well, becoming ordinary bones. Deprived of energy, the furnace's evil crystal pillar gradually dimmed before finally shattering into small pieces.
The evil mist in the valley slowly dispersed, and sunlight pierced the clouds, shining down on everyone. Liya's nature barrier completely sealed the Evil Bone Passage. Copper Hammer's dwarf warriors destroyed the last evil soul steel vein, while Elder White cleared out the remaining evil bone guards.
Loran walked over to Lei Lin and gently stroked its injured fiery wing. Snow Spirit Qilin came closer as well, using luminous white frost to heal Lei Lin's wounds. The icefield wolf ran happily around them, its golden eyes filled with joy.
Copper Hammer walked up beside Loran and patted his shoulder. "Well done, lad! It's thanks to you that we foiled the pope's plot this time!"
Liya smiled and nodded as well. "The Evil Bone Passage is sealed, so the Evil Bone General can't get out. The pope's evil core is shattered too. He won't be stirring up trouble again anytime soon."
Elder White, however, frowned. "The pope may be gravely wounded, but he isn't dead yet. He'll certainly flee and look for a chance to recover his strength. We must find him as soon as possible and eliminate this threat for good."
Loran nodded, tightening his grip on his knight's sword. "Wherever he runs, I'll find him. As long as he still intends to endanger the continent, I'll never let him get away!"
Standing in the sunlight, everyone gazed at the valley, now peaceful once more. They all understood that although they had won this battle, the road to protecting the continent remained long. The pope's threat remained, and the shadow of the Evil Bone Plane had not completely dispersed. But they were no longer afraid-because they had one another, and all the continent's forces of justice.
A decisive battle that determined the continent's fate drew to a close, while a new adventure was only just beginning.