"Its defenses are stronger than we expected!" Elder White immediately led the Holy Spring Knights in a charge. Holy Spring power gathered in their spears, forming a Light Spear Formation that thrust straight at the lord's limbs. The instant the spears pierced the evil bones, purifying light erupted, visibly slowing the lord's movements. But it soon let out a furious roar and swept its massive axe sideways, forcing the knights back. Evil mist struck several knights' armor, instantly spreading black patterns across it. Fortunately, the Holy Spring Formation's light enveloped them in time and purified the evil power.
"I'll hold it down! Loran, look for a chance to attack the crystal core!" Lei Lin beat his fiery wings, turning golden-red flames into chains that wrapped around the lord's right leg. Snow Spirit Qilin immediately followed up, freezing its left leg with luminous white ice mist. Ice and fire intertwined, temporarily pinning the lord in place.
Loran seized the opening and leaped into the air. Three types of power gathered along his blade into a Purifying Light Spear, thrusting straight at the Evil Bone Crystal in the lord's chest. But the lord suddenly broke free of the ice and fire and swung its massive axe at Loran-the evil mist trailing from its edge nearly engulfed him. Fortunately, Icefield Wolf lunged over in time, striking the axe handle with golden claws and knocking the weapon off course. Loran took the opportunity to adjust his stance and slammed the light spear into the Evil Bone Crystal!
Crack! Cracks appeared across the Evil Bone Crystal's surface. The lord howled in pain, and its evil mist instantly surged, driving back the surrounding knights and elven archers. The Evil Bone Crystal in its chest glowed black and purple and actually began absorbing evil power from the insect husks behind it. The cracks gradually mended. "You... will all die!"
"We can't let it absorb evil power!" Elder Aila waved a staff, and the elven archers fired rune arrows in unison. Trailing emerald light, the arrows pierced the evil mist and flew toward the mass of insect husks. The instant they landed, vines sprang from the ground and entwined the husks' limbs. The druid elder immediately activated the Nature Symbiosis Formation. The vines grew rapidly, trapping every insect husk and preventing the lord from absorbing any more evil power.
Meanwhile, Liya circled behind the lord and wrapped emerald vines around its massive axe. Nature power flowed along the vines, gradually purifying the evil mist on the weapon. A Ze led the water speakers in gathering water elements into a Water Ripple Spear, which shot toward the Evil Bone Crystal in the lord's chest. The spear pierced the evil mist and struck a crack in the crystal core, instantly dimming its black-purple light.
"Now!" Loran leaped again. His three types of power resonated with the core's pale purple light, and intertwined gold and purple radiance spread over his blade. "Ultimate Purification Slash!"
The instant the blade of light fell, the Evil Bone Crystal in the lord's chest shattered completely. Black-purple light erupted from the crystal core, only to be swiftly consumed by the light blade's purifying power. The lord's body began to disintegrate. Abyssal rock and evil bones tumbled down, finally becoming a heap of black ash. Only a broken fragment of the Evil Bone Crystal remained. It fell to the ground and was purified into powder by the Holy Spring Formation's light.
With the Evil Bone Lord defeated, the remaining Evil Bone Insect Husks lost their commander and were soon cleared out by the Holy Spring Knights and elven archers. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but Loran picked up the Evil Bone Crystal fragment, his expression grave. The fluctuations of abyssal energy from the fragment were stronger than any they had encountered before, and the core's pale purple light was trembling violently, as though responding to some stronger abyssal power.
"This is bad!" Snow Spirit Qilin suddenly shouted, pointing an ice talisman toward the western horizon. The clouds there were rapidly turning black and purple, and a huge rift was forming. Countless abyssal creatures could be faintly seen within it. "The Matriarch has started opening the Planar Gate! She's given up pursuing us alone and plans to send an army to invade directly!"
Elder White's Holy Spring Crystal suddenly lit up red, and a temple priest's anxious voice came from within it. "Elder! Large numbers of abyssal creatures have appeared in the direction of the Rotting Soul Abyss and are advancing toward the Radiant Temple! The temple's defenses can't hold out much longer!"
At the same time, a druid's warning rang out from Elder Aila's voice transmission talisman. "The eastern forest is under attack by swarms of Evil Bone Insects, and the Tree of Life's light is weakening! The Matriarch intends to attack all our strongholds at once to divide our forces!"
Loran tightened his grip on the core. Its pale purple light had become incredibly bright, as though pointing the way. "The Matriarch is targeting each faction's central stronghold, trying to defeat them one by one! We can't keep defending passively!" He looked at everyone, his gaze firm. "Chief Tongchui, lead the dwarves and stay at the outpost. Keep strengthening the defenses to prevent a surprise attack from the Matriarch; Elder White, take the Holy Spring Knights back to reinforce the temple; Elder Aila, take the druid tribe to protect the Elven Forest. Liya, the two qilin, A Ze, Icefield Wolf, and I will take the warship to the Rotting Soul Abyss and try to close the Planar Gate. Only by destroying the gate's source can we stop the army's invasion!"
"We'll go with you!" several Holy Spring Knights and elven archers shouted together, their eyes filled with resolve. Loran shook his head and said solemnly, "Every stronghold needs defenders. We have to split up to protect this continent. Don't worry. With the core, we can find a way to close the rift!"
Everyone knew Loran was right and stopped insisting. Elder White handed the Holy Spring Core Crystal to Loran. "This crystal can strengthen the core's purifying power. It may help you at a critical moment! Be careful. We'll resolve our own crises as quickly as possible, then go to the Rotting Soul Abyss to support you!"
Elder Aila pressed one of the Elf Clan's Nature Teleportation Talismans into Liya's hand. "Crush this talisman, and it will teleport you to the safe house in the Elven Forest. Make sure you use it if you're in danger!"
Chief Tongchui patted Loran on the shoulder and handed a newly forged fallen star iron dagger to Icefield Wolf. "This dagger can pierce abyssal creatures' defenses. Let it keep you safe! The warship's steam cannons are fully loaded and ready to depart at any time!"
After saying goodbye to everyone, Loran led Liya, the two qilin, A Ze, and Icefield Wolf aboard the sacred warship. The steam rune cannons aimed toward the rift in the west. Lei Lin and Snow Spirit Qilin flew into the energy slots. The instant their ice and fire power poured in, the qilin runes covering the warship lit up again, and it sped toward the Rotting Soul Abyss like a bolt of golden-purple lightning.
Those at the outpost stood atop the fortifications, watching the direction in which the warship had departed, their hearts full of worry and anticipation. They knew that these battles scattered across the continent would determine everyone's survival, while Loran and his companions were heading toward the most dangerous depths of the abyss, embarking on a "battle to close the gate" that they might barely survive.
Above the rift in the Rotting Soul Abyss, the black-purple clouds grew thicker and thicker. The roars of countless abyssal creatures pierced the clouds and spread to every corner of the continent. The Abyss Matriarch's enormous head floated in the center of the rift, triumph gleaming in her compound eyes. She thought the scattered alliance could no longer resist, unaware that Loran, carrying the purification core, was heading toward her lair to launch an unexpected counterattack.
The warship's light shield flickered faintly under the corrosive abyssal energy. Loran stood at the bow, gripping his knight's sword as his three types of power intertwined with the core's light. He knew that what awaited them was a battle more perilous than the one at Qilin Radiance Peak-the final showdown with the Abyss Matriarch. But as long as his companions were still with him, as long as the core remained, he would never back down.
A "battle to close the abyssal gate" that would decide the continent's survival was about to begin at the edge of the rift in the Rotting Soul Abyss.