The mist among the trees of the Blackthorn Mountains had yet to fully disperse when Loran, the twin qilin, and the icefield wolf set off on their return journey. Though Snow Spirit Qilin had not fully recovered, it could walk on its own. Pale blue frost swirled around it, intertwining with Lei Lin's crimson flames to form an invisible barrier that drove the low-tier magical beasts along their route far away.
"Snow Spirit Qilin, roughly how much longer will it take to complete the Evil Bone Grand Formation in Bone Valley?" Loran walked in the middle of the group, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the hilt of his knight's sword-the bone serpent priest's dying words still echoed in his ears. He had to confirm the timing as soon as possible before he could devise a plan.
Snow Spirit Qilin looked up at the sky, a trace of gravity flashing through its golden slit pupils. "Judging by the concentration of evil energy, the formation's core, the Evil Bone Pillar, should be seventy percent complete. Give the Bone-Eroding Cult another half month, and they'll be able to gather the blood essence of ten Saint-level individuals and open a passage to the Evil Bone Plane."
"Half a month..." Loran frowned. Returning to Fallen Maple Territory would take at least three days. By the time he assembled their forces and headed to Bone Valley, they would probably arrive just as the formation was completed. He tightened his grip on his knight's sword and quickened his pace. "We need to move faster. We can't give them a chance to catch their breath."
Lei Lin understood. With a gentle beat of its fiery wings, crimson flames became a warm glow that enveloped everyone, not only dispelling the forest's chill but also slightly increasing their speed. The icefield wolf ran at the front, ears pricked as it kept watch over their surroundings. Its sense of smell far surpassed that of ordinary people, allowing it to detect danger in advance.
After roughly four hours of walking, the icefield wolf suddenly stopped and growled toward the bushes ahead, the fine fur on its nose trembling slightly. Loran instantly tensed. Fourth-tier Dou Qi circulated through his body, and he drew his knight's sword half an inch, its pale golden light illuminating the path before him. "Something's wrong. Everyone, be careful!"
No sooner had he spoken than five dark figures burst from the bushes. They were tall, with blue-black skin and evil energy coiling around their bodies. Each gripped a rust-spotted bone saber. These were the Bone Demons specially created by the Bone-Eroding Cult. Their auras were all at the early fourth tier, stronger than the black-robed men from before. They felt no pain and could do nothing but attack their targets in a frenzy.
"They're pursuers from the Bone-Eroding Cult!" Lei Lin leaped up, sweeping its fiery wings to send three blades of flame straight at the leftmost Bone Demon. A flame blade grazed its arm, leaving a scorch mark, but it merely grunted and swung its saber at Lei Lin, completely unaffected by the injury.
Seeing this, Snow Spirit Qilin spat an ice arrow that struck the Bone Demon squarely in the knee. Ice spread instantly, freezing both its legs in place. Lei Lin seized the opening to follow up with a fireball. Crimson flames engulfed the Bone Demon, and amid sizzling sounds of corrosion, it became a puddle of black ash.
"These Bone Demons are refined from magical beast skeletons. They feel no pain, so you have to strike their vital points!" Snow Spirit Qilin's voice carried a cool edge. It spat another ice arrow, freezing a second Bone Demon's right arm to create an opening for Loran.
Loran was already poised to strike. Fourth-tier Dou Qi and fire magic fused perfectly along his blade, and its two-colored radiance surged. "Ice and Fire: Bone-Splitting Slash!" He leaped up, his blade tracing an arc as it slashed precisely at the Bone Demon's neck. Its skull instantly separated from its torso, and black evil energy poured from the severed stump before quickly dissipating into the air.
At the sight, the remaining three Bone Demons began charging wildly. Their bodies swelled, clearly intending to detonate the evil energy within them and take everyone down with them. "Don't let them get close!" Loran shouted urgently. His knight's sword swung repeatedly, sending out three two-colored sword rays that struck the Bone Demons in their chests.
The sword rays pierced the Bone Demons' bodies and shredded the evil energy inside them. Their swelling stopped instantly, and all three collapsed limply to the ground, turning into black ash. The battle ended quickly, but Loran's expression grew increasingly grave. The fact that the Bone-Eroding Cult could send five fourth-tier Bone Demons showed that they placed far more importance on the twin qilin than he had imagined. There would probably be more obstacles ahead.
"Loran, there are traces of tracking talismans in these Bone Demons' evil energy." Lei Lin walked over to him and swept its fiery wings across the ground, burning the remaining black residue to ash. "The Bone-Eroding Cult probably wanted to use them to confirm our return route."
Snow Spirit Qilin nodded. Pale blue frost gathered in its palm, forming an ice-crystal mirror. "I'll use the Ice Mirror Technique to check whether there are any more ambushes nearby." The mirror spun in the air, its surface reflecting their surroundings. On a hillside three kilometers away, more than ten black-robed men lay concealed, holding bone staves as though waiting for an opportunity.
"We can't get bogged down fighting. Let's leave as quickly as possible." Loran made an immediate decision. He sheathed his knight's sword and signaled for everyone to pick up the pace. "Once we return to Fallen Maple Territory, its fortifications will help us hold out for a while, no matter how many more pursuers the Bone-Eroding Cult sends."
They hurried along the forest trail. The icefield wolf remained alert throughout, while Lei Lin and Snow Spirit Qilin took turns releasing barriers of ice and fire to block tracking traces behind them. Roughly an hour later, they finally emerged from the Blackthorn Mountains and spotted Fallen Maple Territory's crimson walls in the distance. The magical beacon atop the walls glimmered faintly. Everything seemed peaceful.
But as they approached the gate, Snow Spirit Qilin suddenly stopped, pale blue frost gathering at its nose. "Something's wrong. There are faint traces of evil energy in Fallen Maple Territory's air. It's as though... someone has infiltrated it."
Loran's heart sank. He strode beneath the gate and called to the guards on the wall, "I'm Loran Kane. Open the gate!"
A guard leaned out from the wall, but after recognizing Loran's face, he did not immediately open the gate. Instead, he looked hesitant. "Young master... the old steward ordered us to verify your identity first if you returned, in case you were a cultist in disguise."
"Uncle Byrne's orders?" Loran paused, then understood. Old Byrne must have established this rule out of concern that the Bone-Eroding Cult would infiltrate using disguise techniques. He raised his right hand to display the Kane Lineage's crest badge while circulating his fourth-tier Dou Qi. Pale golden light shone in his palm. "Does this confirm it?"
At this, the guard finally relaxed and hurried to turn the winch. The heavy gate slowly opened. Loran had only just stepped through when he saw Old Byrne hurrying toward him with a wooden staff. His face was even paler than before, and his eyes were filled with anxiety. "Young master, you're finally back! The reinforcements from the royal capital... something has happened!"
"Something happened?" Loran's heart tightened, and he hurriedly asked, "Were the reinforcements intercepted, or has something else happened in the royal capital?"
Old Byrne sighed and led them toward the lord's manor. "Three days ago, I received a message by carrier pigeon from the royal capital. It said the conflict involving the Elf Clan in the south had suddenly escalated, and the reinforcements had been temporarily reassigned to the southern border. They won't be able to come for at least a month. Worse still, Fallen Maple Territory's granary suddenly caught fire last night. Although we put it out in time, a third of our grain was destroyed. After a long investigation, we discovered that someone had deliberately set the fire, and we found the Bone-Eroding Cult's bone powder at the scene!"
"You haven't caught the cultist who set the fire?" Loran's gaze instantly turned cold. The granary fire was no accident. The Bone-Eroding Cult clearly intended to cut off Fallen Maple Territory's supplies and leave them in a difficult position during the battles to come.
"Not yet." Old Byrne shook his head. "That cultist is very cunning. There was only a little bone powder left at the scene, with no other clues. I've already ordered the guards to increase patrols, but Fallen Maple Territory covers too much ground. Conducting a thorough search is too difficult."
Snow Spirit Qilin walked over to Old Byrne. Pale blue frost circled him once before it said, "The evil energy inside you hasn't been completely cleared. When I came into contact with the gate just now, I sensed a little Bone-Eroding Powder on your cuff. It's a tracking powder cultists commonly use. Once it gets on someone, their companions can sense that person's location."
Old Byrne hurriedly lifted his cuff and, sure enough, saw a little pale black powder. His expression instantly darkened. "No wonder! When I went to inspect the granary yesterday, I kept feeling someone was following me. So I'd been marked with tracking powder!"
Loran immediately said, "Uncle Byrne, go cleanse your body with the Dual-Power Purification of ice and fire first, so the cultists can't locate you. Lei Lin, work with Snow Spirit Qilin and use your qilin power to search the lord's manor for hidden cultists. I'll go to the guards and arrange for more men to protect the granary and armory."
Everyone immediately sprang into action. Lei Lin and Snow Spirit Qilin spread their wings, and ice and fire elements flowed through the lord's manor, forming an invisible detection net. Loran hurried toward the guards' barracks. The moment he stepped through the entrance, he saw a guard furtively slipping a black paper talisman into his clothes.
"What are you doing?" Loran's voice was icy, and his fourth-tier Dou Qi instantly locked onto the guard.
The guard shuddered and spun around, a savage grin spreading across his face. "So you caught me! Loran Kane, today is the day you die!" He crushed the talisman inside his clothes. Black evil energy instantly erupted from his body, and he swelled into a fourth-tier Bone Demon-the same kind they had encountered in the Blackthorn Mountains!
"So there really are infiltrators!" Loran tightened his grip on his knight's sword, and two-colored light shone along its blade. "You picked the wrong place to run wild!" He leaped up, aiming his blade straight at the Bone Demon's chest. His control over his fourth-tier power was more practiced than it had been in the mountains. The sword ray instantly pierced the Bone Demon's body, and its evil energy rapidly dissipated under the searing power of ice and fire.
The Bone Demon collapsed and became a puddle of black ash, leaving only a damaged paper talisman behind. Loran picked it up. Runes related to the Evil Bone Grand Formation were drawn on it, along with a line of small writing: "Bring the twin qilin to the west gate within three days, or Fallen Maple Territory will be slaughtered."
"It's a ploy to lure us away!" Loran understood at once. The Bone-Eroding Cult's target was not the granary. They wanted to use infiltrators to draw out the twin qilin, then seize the opportunity to attack Fallen Maple Territory. He rushed out of the barracks and ran toward the lord's manor. Lei Lin and Snow Spirit Qilin were still searching. He could not let them fall into a trap!
As he reached the manor entrance, he saw Lei Lin and Snow Spirit Qilin surrounding a black-robed man. The man was covered in blood, but he still clutched a bone staff. The serpent-shaped skull atop it pointed at Snow Spirit Qilin; he was clearly planning a sneak attack. "Watch out!" Loran shouted urgently, sending out a two-colored sword ray that severed the black-robed man's arm.
The black-robed man screamed and fell to the ground. Lei Lin seized the opportunity to breathe out flames, burning him to ashes. Snow Spirit Qilin walked over to Loran. Pale blue frost gathered in its palm, reflecting the scene at the west gate. "There are more than ten black-robed men setting up an Evil Bone Trap there. They're probably waiting for us to come."
Loran frowned, rapidly weighing the situation. If they did not go to the west gate, Fallen Maple Territory's people would be in danger; if they went, they would fall into a trap. Just then, the icefield wolf ran over and gave Loran several low growls, a trace of determination flashing through its eyes. It wanted to take the twin qilin's place and lure out the black-robed men.
"No. It's too dangerous!" Loran refused immediately. The icefield wolf was only third tier and was no match for the black-robed men.
Snow Spirit Qilin shook its head, however, a spark flashing through its golden slit pupils. "I have a way. The icefield wolf carries traces of my frost aura. I can use the Ice Shadow Technique to create an illusion of the twin qilin around it and lure the black-robed men into activating the trap. Meanwhile, we'll circle around behind the west gate and seize the chance to wipe them all out!"
Loran's eyes lit up. This was indeed a good plan. He immediately gave his orders. "Uncle Byrne, lead the guards in defending the lord's manor so other infiltrators can't exploit the opportunity to cause trouble. I'll take the twin qilin and the icefield wolf to the west gate and deal with those black-robed men!"
Though Old Byrne was worried, he knew this was their only option. He nodded. "Rest assured, young master. I'll protect Fallen Maple Territory. You must be careful!"
Loran, the twin qilin, and the icefield wolf hurried toward the west gate. Snow Spirit Qilin's pale blue frost flowed around the wolf, soon creating an illusory image of ice and fire resembling the twin qilin. The icefield wolf took a deep breath and ran toward the west gate. The illusion flickered behind it, looking just like the twin qilin approaching.
The black-robed men at the west gate fell for it. The moment they saw the illusion, they activated the Evil Bone Trap. A fissure opened in the ground, and black bone spikes thrust out of it, forming an encirclement intended to trap the "twin qilin."
"Now!" Loran and the twin qilin charged out of the woods behind the gate. Lei Lin's crimson flames became a rain of fire, while Snow Spirit Qilin's pale blue frost condensed into ice arrows. The intertwined assault of ice and fire instantly engulfed the black-robed men. Knight's sword in hand, Loran repeatedly unleashed sword rays that fused fourth-tier Dou Qi with magic, cutting down the black-robed men who tried to flee one after another.
The battle soon ended. Loran found a map inside one black-robed man's clothes. It marked Bone Valley's location and detailed the structure of the Evil Bone Grand Formation. Three Saint-level experts were actually guarding the core Evil Bone Pillar.
"Saint-level experts..." Loran gripped the map, a sense of pressure rising within him. "It looks like destroying the formation will be harder than we imagined."
Lei Lin walked over and gently patted his shoulder with its fiery wing. "Don't worry. We have the power of Twin Qilin Resonance, along with your fourth-tier dual powers. We'll definitely find a way."
Snow Spirit Qilin nodded as well. Pale blue frost flowed across the map, illuminating a spot marked "Ice and Fire Spring." "There's an Ice and Fire Spring here that can improve our strength. If we cultivate here for a few days before going to Bone Valley, we might be able to advance further."
Loran looked at the Ice and Fire Spring on the map, then turned toward Fallen Maple Territory. The people's safety, the threat of the Evil Bone Grand Formation, and the obstruction of Saint-level experts weighed heavily on his shoulders, yet made his gaze grow ever more determined.
"All right. We'll go cultivate at the Ice and Fire Spring first thing tomorrow morning." Loran put away the map. "Once we've improved our strength, we'll head straight to Bone Valley and crush the Bone-Eroding Cult's plot completely!"
As the night deepened, lights gradually came on throughout Fallen Maple Territory. The guards continued their intensified patrols, while the twin qilin's radiance of ice and fire flickered above the gate, protecting this land. Loran stood atop the watchtower, gazing at the distant starry sky and silently swearing to himself: No matter the cost, I'll protect Fallen Maple Territory and this continent. I won't let the shadow of the Evil Bone Plane engulf the world.
A new journey of cultivation was about to begin, and the road to Bone Valley was quietly unfolding.