29: Dark Altar, Join Forces to Defeat the Enemy

The White Bone Wasteland was vast and boundless, where deathly silence was the eternal theme. Lin Fan, Zi Linger, and Ethereal Moon formed a simple triangular formation, advancing cautiously amidst the piles of skeletons. After their previous encounters, they were doubly alert to any place that might harbor abnormal energy fluctuations.

Ethereal Moon's perception of Death Qi was the most acute. She would occasionally stop, with faint ripples of Reincarnation lingering at her fingertips as she probed for traps or sleeping undead that might be hidden beneath the ground or within the bone piles. Zi Linger, relying on the Yao Race's unique sensitivity to life force, avoided bone fungi that looked harmless but were actually highly toxic, or Soul-Devouring Insects disguised as withered bones.

Lin Fan was responsible for overseeing the overall situation. His powerful Divine Soul and the intuition granted by his Eternal Indestructible Body allowed him to detect the most hidden spatial cracks and energy turbulence in advance. Although their cooperation was slightly awkward at first, they quickly developed a rapport, and their pace of advancement increased significantly.

During this time, they also encountered several waves of wandering bone creatures: packs of Bone Wolves as swift as the wind, giant skulls capable of firing corrosive energy beams from their eye sockets, and even the skeleton of an ancient giant that retained some of its past Divine Abilities and could unleash a fragmented Soul Roar. However, these scattered attacks were quickly dismantled by the three working together. Lin Fan's Star Sword Intent caused immense damage to such undead creatures, often extinguishing their core Soul fire with a single strike; Ethereal Moon's Reincarnation secret arts could directly soothe, purify, or even guide those violent remnant Souls; and Zi Linger's violent Yao power was the best means for clearing out the minions.

They fought and harvested along the way. From the nests of some powerful bone creatures, they found several pieces of Nether Iron containing pure deathly energy, a few Soul Infant Flowers that only grew in places of extreme Yin, and even a small pool of Ten-Thousand-Year Stone Milk capable of nourishing the Divine Soul inside a relatively well-preserved ancient beast's skull.

These gains left all three quite satisfied. Although the Ancient Road was dangerous, the Opportunities here indeed far exceeded those in the outside world.

On this day, the three arrived at an unusual area. The skeletons here were no longer piled haphazardly but were intentionally arranged into concentric circles by some force, guarding a massive altar in the center that was a hundred feet high and built from the skulls of countless races!

The entire altar was dark red, as if soaked in blood for countless ages, and its surface was covered with twisted, sacrilegious runes that inspired irritation and malice in those who looked upon them. A thick, inseparable dark and evil aura spread from the altar like a living thing, corroding everything around it, even turning the bones on the ground pitch-black and brittle. At the top of the altar, an energy core resembling a black heart pulsated continuously, emitting heart-palpitating fluctuations.

"Dark Altar!" Ethereal Moon's face changed drastically, her voice carrying an unprecedented gravity. "They are using the Death Qi and resentment of the ancient battlefield to construct this evil altar. They are polluting the Origin of the Ancient Road to provide an anchor or energy for the existence behind them!"

Lin Fan's gaze was cold. The Dark Beacon Fragment in his robe was growing slightly hot, resonating with the altar's core. Without a doubt, this was once again the work of the Shadow Hall!

"It must be destroyed!" Zi Linger said through gritted teeth, instinctively loathing such dark and evil things.

Just as the three were about to act, the space around the altar twisted, and five figures shrouded in black robes emerged silently, surrounding them. The leader was tall, with an aura as obscure as an abyss, having reached the Late Stage of the Purple Mansion Realm! The other four were also experts at the Middle and Early Stages of the Purple Mansion Realm.

"Jie jie jie, finally waited for a few decent big fish." The leading black-robed figure let out a raspy laugh, two points of crimson light beneath his hood locking onto Lin Fan and the others. "Lin Fan of the Eastern Region, Zi Linger of the Ten Thousand Demon Celestial Domain, and the fugitive Nether Maiden, Ethereal Moon. Perfect, your blood and Souls will serve as the first nourishment for the awakening of the Lord of Sacrifice!"

Before he had even finished speaking, the five Shadow Hall members attacked simultaneously! They used no Magic Treasures, instead forming eerie seals with their hands as black Qi surged around them, transforming into five snarling, roaring dark demon dragons. Carrying the terrifying power to corrode the Divine Soul and devour life force, they lunged at the three from different directions!

The leading Late Stage Purple Mansion black-robed figure even directly summoned a small black banner. With a shake of the banner, countless twisted and agonizing Soul phantoms flew out screaming, forming a massive Soul Cage that sealed off the space for hundreds of feet around them, attempting to cut off Lin Fan's group's retreat!

"Careful! It's the 'Soul-Devouring Demon Dragon' and 'Ten Thousand Soul Cage'!" Ethereal Moon warned sharply, her hands quickly forming seals. A clear, water-blue light containing the Power of Reincarnation spread out from her, attempting to purify that evil Soul power.

Zi Linger gave a long cry, once again manifesting her Heavenly Fox true form. Her nine tails were like pillars supporting the heavens, and with towering purple flames, she took the initiative to meet two dark demon dragons. Yao power and dark energy collided frantically, producing a sizzling corrosive sound.

Facing the two demon dragons pouncing toward him and the invisible Soul pressure, the cold light in Lin Fan's eyes surged. He no longer held back, his Eternal Indestructible Body erupting with full force. His blood and Qi shot into the sky like golden smoke, forcing the surrounding dark aura back several feet! Simultaneously, the Star Sword Seed in his Sea of Consciousness spun at an unprecedented speed, pouring vast Star Sword Intent throughout his body!

"Indestructible Divine King Fist, Starfall!" Both of his fists struck out. The fist intent was no longer pure gold but infused with brilliant starlight! His left fist was like a falling meteor, extremely hard and fierce, slamming into one demon dragon; his right fist contained restrained Sword Intent and followed a mysterious trajectory, as if drawing upon the Power of the Stars in the heavens to strike the reverse scale of the other demon dragon!

"Boom! Chi—!" Under the left fist, the dark demon dragon let out a shrill scream and was directly blown apart by the fist strength containing the Indestructible rhythm, dissipating into a sky full of black Qi. The demon dragon struck by the right fist was torn apart from the inside by the extremely condensed Star Sword Intent, disintegrating instantly as if sliced by countless minute Star Sword Qi!

One punch for each, instantly resolving two Purple Mansion Realm level dark demon dragons!

This scene even startled the Late Stage Purple Mansion black-robed figure.

"You indeed have some tricks! But it ends here!" he shouted, fully driving the small black banner. The Ten Thousand Soul Cage suddenly contracted, and the shrieks of the countless Soul phantoms almost pierced their eardrums, frantically battering their Divine Soul defenses. The water-blue Reincarnation light shield Ethereal Moon held up fluctuated violently, and Zi Linger's purple flames were also suppressed.

Lin Fan felt bursts of stinging pain in his Divine Soul. Had it not been for the protection of his Star Sword Intent and the Nine Nether Reincarnation Art, he likely would have been injured. His gaze sharpened; he knew he had to break this Soul cage first!

"Miss Ethereal Moon, lend me a hand and lock onto the core of that banner!" Lin Fan sent a voice transmission.

Ethereal Moon understood instantly. She abandoned her wide-range defense and concentrated all her Power of Reincarnation at her fingertip, pointing from afar at that small black banner!

"Eye of Reincarnation, Shatter Delusion and Seek Truth!" An invisible power containing the supreme Laws of Reincarnation crossed space and instantly landed on the small black banner! The banner trembled violently, the wailing of the countless Soul phantoms on it ceased abruptly, and the densest point of dark Origin at its core was forcibly marked and revealed by Ethereal Moon's Divine Ability!

Now! Lin Fan took a deep breath, pouring all his boiling blood and Qi along with all the Star Sword Intent from his Sea of Consciousness into his right index and middle fingers! The two fingers instantly became crystal clear, as if forged from pure starlight and immortal divine gold, and the point of extreme light at his fingertip seemed to compress an entire Star Domain!

"Star Sword Finger, Annihilation!" He held his fingers together like a sword and pointed across the air at the marked banner core!

"Swoosh!" A beam of Star Sword Qi, so condensed it was beyond description, tiny yet dazzling, seemed to travel through time and space. Ignoring the obstruction of the Ten Thousand Soul Cage, it instantly struck the core of the small black banner!

"Crack... Bang!" That high-quality small black banner was like a balloon pricked by a needle; the dark Origin at its core was instantly shattered by the extremely Yang and fierce Star Sword Qi that could destroy all Laws! The entire banner let out a mournful cry and exploded violently into countless fragments!

With his Lifebound Treasure destroyed, the Late Stage Purple Mansion black-robed figure suffered a heavy blow, violently spitting out a mouthful of black blood as his aura instantly withered by more than half!

The Ten Thousand Soul Cage then collapsed and dissipated!

"How is this possible?!" The other four Black-robed figures were struck with horror.

"Now! Attack!" Lin Fan shouted, and along with Zi Linger and Ethereal Moon, they all erupted at once!

Without their leader's suppression and the trouble of the Soul cage, Zi Linger's Yao power was fully unleashed. Her nine tails swept across, breaking the bones and tendons of two Middle Stage Purple Mansion Black-robed figures and causing their dark magic essence to scatter. Ethereal Moon's Power of Reincarnation transformed into invisible chains that wrapped around another black-robed figure, whose Soul body was actually forcibly pulled out of the black robe and dissipated shrilly within the Reincarnation ripples. Lin Fan moved like lightning, instantly appearing before the backlashed Late Stage Purple Mansion black-robed figure. A simple and direct punch, containing all his power and will, slammed into the man's chest!

"No!" The black-robed figure only had time to let out a desperate roar before his protective demon qi shattered like paper. His entire chest was completely pierced, his dark demon core shattered by the punch's power, and his body flew backward like a rag doll, crashing into a distant pile of bones, never to make another sound.

The battle ended in a flash. Of the five Shadow Hall members, three were dead and two were heavily injured and captured.

Lin Fan calmed his surging blood and Qi and looked at the Dark Altar, which still emitted evil fluctuations, with a cold gaze.

["System," he thought, "Check-in at the Dark Altar."]

[Ding! Check-in location detected—Dark Altar (contains dense dark Origin and evil sacrificial power). Conditions met. Check-in successful!]

[Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Purifying Holy Light (One-time use)!]

A ball of light that was warm, pure, and filled with divine purifying power appeared in the System space. This item had an extremely strong restraining and purifying effect on dark, evil, and filthy energy.

"Just right for the job." Lin Fan did not hesitate, immediately guiding that ball of Purifying Holy Light to throw it toward the black heart core at the top of the altar!

"Chi!" The Holy Light shone on the black heart like cold water dripping into hot oil, triggering a violent reaction! Countless plumes of black smoke rose from the heart, emitting shrill shrieks. That pulsating dark core withered and dimmed at a visible rate, finally turning completely into nothingness with a faint pop!

With the core destroyed, the runes on the entire Dark Altar quickly dimmed, and that suffocating evil aura also began to slowly dissipate.

Having resolved the immediate crisis, Lin Fan turned his gaze toward the two black-robed captives held by Zi Linger and Ethereal Moon. Perhaps he could pry some intelligence about the Shadow Hall and the forces behind it from their mouths.

It seemed he had torn away another corner of the Ancient Road's mist.