Chapter 2: Crimson Light Protects Its Master and the Black Robes' Secret Talisman
The pale blue barrier shuddered violently, the runes on its surface flickering like dying fireflies. The leader of the black-robed figures drew a dark purple bone staff from his robes. A cloudy eyeball was embedded in its head. He jabbed the staff hard into a gap in the barrier, and a cold, sinister aura instantly surged. The runes on the barrier actually began to shatter in patches.
"Heh heh, the Kane Lineage's wretched barrier is finally giving out." The black-robed man's hoarse laughter pierced the barrier, making Loran's eardrums ache. He could clearly see the pale fingers exposed beneath the man's hood, their nails tinged bluish-black and dark red blood crusted between them.
Loran hesitated no longer. He leaped up, and the flames on his blade surged along the battle qi channels, forming a flaming Sword-Ray half a meter long. He aimed at the black-robed man by the gap in the barrier and slashed down fiercely. "Flame Slash!"
The crimson Sword-Ray tore through the air, striking the barrier with searing heat. Strangely, the Sword-Ray that should have attacked the black-robed man instead scattered into countless sparks upon touching the barrier, merging into its runes. The barrier, which had been on the verge of shattering, instantly lit up. Its runes grew clear again, even forcing the bone staff's sinister aura back half an inch.
Loran froze, but Old Byrne's shout from outside the forbidden grounds suddenly rose. "It's the resonance of the Lineage's bloodline! Eldest young master, your power can reinforce the barrier!"
So that was it! Joy rose in Loran's heart, and he immediately adjusted how he circulated his power. Instead of concentrating his battle qi and magic on attacks, he guided both powers slowly into the barrier. Pale golden battle qi and crimson magic intertwined in a spiral, seeping through its gaps. With every bit he poured in, the runes grew brighter, and the cracks caused by the bone staff slowly healed.
"You meddling brat!" the black-robed leader roared. The cloudy eyeball atop his bone staff suddenly opened, firing a gray-black ray at Loran. It was so fast that Loran had no time to dodge. He could only barely twist sideways. The ray grazed his left arm and left a small hole smoking black in the stone wall. A putrid stench washed over him.
A piercing pain shot through his left arm. Loran looked down. Where the ray had grazed him, the fabric had charred and his skin had turned bluish-black. Poison was spreading upward along his veins. Gritting his teeth, he temporarily suppressed it with battle qi, and flames ignited on the knight's sword in his right hand once more. "Hurting me won't be that easy!"
He charged out of the barrier's coverage and landed in the clearing outside the forbidden grounds. Seven or eight Lineage guards already lay dead there, their blood staining the fallen leaves red. The remaining guards were struggling to hold out around three black-robed men. Their armor was stained with the same bluish-black poison as Loran's left arm, and their movements were growing increasingly sluggish.
"Eldest young master! Why did you come out?!" Old Byrne held a rust-covered battle-axe, his face instantly turning deathly pale at the sight of Loran. He had just led the remaining guards through the black-robed men's outer blockade and had yet to catch his breath when he saw Loran expose himself to the enemy's attacks.
Loran did not answer, his gaze fixed firmly on the black-robed leader holding the bone staff. He could sense that the Evil Qi within this leader was far denser than that of the other black-robed men. His cultivation was at least above the third tier. Loran drew a deep breath and mobilized all the Fire Element magic in his body. A flickering ball of flame formed in his palm, mixed with pale golden particles of battle qi.
"You dare show off second-tier magic?" The black-robed leader sneered and swung his bone staff. Three black vines burst from the ground and coiled toward Loran. They were covered in thorns and oozed a sticky black liquid, plainly carrying deadly poison.
Loran pushed off with his toes and darted backward, hurling the ball of flame from his palm at the same time. "Flame Bomb!" The crimson fireball exploded in midair. Its scorching blast burned the black vines to a char, and the poison on their thorns evaporated in the heat, giving off a pungent smell.
But before Loran could steady himself, the black-robed leader had already charged before him, his bone staff whistling down toward Loran's head. Loran hastily raised his sword to block. With a sharp clang, he felt tremendous force surge through the blade. His arm went numb, and he was driven three steps backward. The web of his hand split, and blood ran down the sword's hilt.
"A third-tier warrior's battle qi. A little stronger than I expected." A trace of surprise colored the black-robed leader's voice. His bone staff swept sideways again, and the eyeball at its head fired a thicker gray-black ray. This time, Loran had nowhere to dodge. He could only close his eyes and prepare to take the blow head-on.
Just then, a dazzling crimson light erupted from within the forbidden grounds. It pierced the barrier and enveloped Loran like a pillar of light. The moment the gray-black ray touched it, it melted away like ice and snow meeting fierce flames, leaving not a trace behind.
Loran opened his eyes and looked into the depths of the forbidden grounds in surprise. Lei Lin, beside the pool, had awakened at some point. He struggled to his feet, his crimson mane stirring without wind. Fury flashed in his golden slit pupils, and a faint crimson light pulsed between his brows-the pillar of light that had just protected Loran had come from there.
"The power of a Qilin from High Antiquity... it really is here!" At the sight of the crimson light, the black-robed leader's breathing instantly quickened, and greed flashed in his eyes. "Capture him! Offer him to our lord, and we can all gain eternal life!"
The other two black-robed men immediately rushed toward the forbidden grounds, but before they could approach the barrier, guards who suddenly arrived cut them down. Old Byrne seized the opportunity to lead his men in surrounding the black-robed leader. Though the battle qi on his axe was weak, they still formed a tight encirclement.
The black-robed leader looked at the guards around him, then at Lei Lin, who continued to emit crimson light within the forbidden grounds. His expression shifted uncertainly. He knew that prolonging the fight would gain him nothing. Suddenly, he pulled a black talisman from his robes and crushed it. "Consider yourselves lucky today. When we return, the Kane Lineage will be destroyed!"
The black talisman burst into a cloud of smoke, from which came the screeching of bats. When the smoke cleared, the black-robed leader had vanished without a trace, leaving only a palm-sized metal badge on the ground.
Loran hurried into the forbidden grounds and reached Lei Lin's side. Lei Lin had collapsed again. The crimson light gradually dimmed, and his golden slit pupils closed once more. Only the contract mark between his brows still flickered faintly, as though confirming Loran's safety.
"Lei Lin!" Loran crouched and gently stroked his mane, his heart full of worry. He could sense that Lei Lin had almost exhausted his remaining strength to protect him just now. The black Evil Qi around his wounds had begun spreading slowly again.
Old Byrne followed him into the forbidden grounds. His eyes filled with shock at the sight of Lei Lin on the ground. "This... is this the Qilin recorded in the ancient texts? Eldest young master, you formed a contract with him?"
Loran nodded and showed Old Byrne the contract mark. "His name is Lei Lin. He fled here because the black-robed men were hunting him. I'm afraid he's their target."
Old Byrne picked up the metal badge from the ground. A strange design was engraved on it-a skull entwined by two venomous snakes, with two dark red gems embedded in its eye sockets. He gently rubbed the badge with his fingers, his expression growing grave. "This is the Bone-Eroding Cult's emblem! They're a cult said to worship an evil god. They especially like capturing divine beasts from High Antiquity and using their Essence Blood to refine Evil Artifacts."
"The Bone-Eroding Cult?" Loran frowned. He had never heard the name before.
"Over a decade ago, the Bone-Eroding Cult captured Devil Beasts on a massive scale and suffered a devastating blow from the empire's Saint-level experts. They disappeared for a long time. I never expected them to emerge again now." Old Byrne handed the badge to Loran. "Since they've set their sights on Lei Lin, they'll certainly return. Fallen Maple Territory's forces are depleted right now. We have no way of stopping their next attack."
Loran took the badge. It felt icy in his hand and carried a trace of cold, sinister Evil Qi. He tightened his grip on it, his gaze settling on Lei Lin. "We have to heal Lei Lin as soon as possible. His current condition is far too dangerous. Uncle Byrne, does the Lineage have any treasures that can suppress Evil Qi?"
Old Byrne thought for a moment, then his eyes suddenly lit up. "There's a Purification Crystal in the Lineage's secret chamber! It's a treasure left behind by the first Lineage head, said to purify all evil auras. But your father has the key to the chamber. He took it with him when he went to the royal capital."
"Then what do we do?" Loran's heart sank.
"It's not as though there's no other way." Old Byrne hesitated before continuing, "The chamber's magic lock has an alternative opening method. It requires the Kane Lineage's bloodline power combined with magic above the third tier. You're already a third-tier warrior, and your Fire Element magic has reached the threshold of the third tier. Perhaps you could try opening it."
Loran immediately stood and carefully lifted Lei Lin into his arms. Lei Lin's body was lighter than it looked, and his scales were warm, like a piece of warm jade. Looking at Lei Lin's sleeping face, his gaze grew resolute. "There's no time to lose. We're going to the chamber now!"
Old Byrne nodded and led the way out of the forbidden grounds. The guards had already begun clearing the battlefield. The smells of blood and burning mingled in the air, making Loran realize all the more clearly that this crisis had only just begun.
Holding Lei Lin, he followed Old Byrne out of the forbidden grounds, step by step. Sunlight filtered through the gaps between the maple leaves and fell upon him, yet brought no warmth at all. He looked down at Lei Lin in his arms, then touched the Bone-Eroding Cult badge in his pocket and silently swore, Whatever the price, I will protect Lei Lin, protect Fallen Maple Territory, and protect the Kane Lineage's honor.
The Lineage's secret chamber was on the first underground level of the lord's manor, beyond three heavy stone doors. When Loran and Old Byrne reached the first door, its magic lock was glowing pale blue. Ancient runes resembling those on the forbidden grounds' barrier were carved around the lock's core.
Loran took a deep breath and handed Lei Lin to Old Byrne, then extended his right hand and pressed it against the magic lock. His third-tier warrior's battle qi and his Fire Element magic, which was on the verge of breaking through, circulated simultaneously. Pale golden and crimson light poured from his palm, slowly merging into the magic lock's runes.
The runes began lighting up one after another. With a deep rumble, the stone door slowly opened to either side. Air long sealed away surged from the chamber, carrying the faint, fresh fragrance of crystal.
Looking at the open stone door, a glimmer of hope flashed in Loran's eyes. He knew the key to healing Lei Lin lay within this chamber. And here, too, his adventure with Lei Lin would unfold a new chapter.