314: Source of Evil

After repelling that demon, the Guardians took a short break and continued their advance into the depths of the abyss. The deeper they went, the denser the dark magic became, as if it were trying to corrode their very Souls; every step forward required immense mental effort to resist this oppressive force.

Strange runes began to appear on the walls of the passage, flickering with a cold, eerie light as if recounting ancient tales of evil. Yin Ping leaned in to inspect them, her brow furrowed as she said, "These runes are peculiar; they seem like some kind of ancient Sealing incantation, yet they carry a hint of a distorted aura from being broken."

Hearing this, Xiao Xing's concern grew even deeper. "It seems our suspicions were correct. The Seal of that Dark Cult has likely loosened or even been deliberately partially destroyed, which is why chaos has been erupting across the continent."

As they spoke, a dull roar suddenly echoed from ahead, and the ground trembled violently. Everyone quickly steadied themselves and looked warily toward the source of the sound. In the darkness ahead, a massive Black Palace slowly emerged. Its gates were tightly shut, carved with hideous demonic figures that exuded a chilling, intimidating presence.

"The source of that evil is likely inside," Ji Ziyue said, her gaze firm as she gripped her magic wand.

The group approached the palace cautiously. Before they even reached the gates, black slime suddenly surged from the surrounding ground. The slime seemed alive, rapidly spreading toward them. Once touched by the slime, the Guardians felt as if their limbs were bound by heavy weights, making their actions extremely sluggish.

"Break free from this slime quickly! Don't let it trap us!" Xiao Xing shouted, swinging his weapon with all his might to try and sever the slime entangling them.

The other Guardians also employed various means; some used fire magic to burn the slime, while others used wind magic to blow it away. After some effort, the group finally freed themselves from the slime's entanglement and arrived before the palace gates.

The gates were shut tight, radiating a powerful magical barrier. Xiao Xing tried to attack with his weapon, only to have his arm go numb from the rebounding force. Ji Ziyue stepped forward and cast purification magic to try and weaken the barrier, while Yin Ping carefully observed the gate's structure, looking for a way to break it.

While Ji Ziyue's magic was locked in a stalemate with the barrier, Yin Ping discovered several key rune nodes on the gate. It seemed that destroying these nodes would open the gates. She took out her specially made hidden weapons, infused them with magic, and fired them at the nodes.

With several muffled thuds, the rune nodes were hit. After flickering a few times, the magical barrier finally dissipated. With a heavy sound, the gates slowly opened, and a thick stench of rot and dark magic rushed out, nearly suffocating everyone.

The interior of the palace was dimly lit, revealing only blurred outlines, though many figures could be vaguely sensed moving in the shadows. Suddenly, a sinister laugh rang out, echoing throughout the entire palace.

"Hahaha, you overconfident Guardians have actually delivered yourselves to my doorstep. That saves me the trouble of finding you." An evil-sounding voice drifted from the depths of the palace.

Next, a group of Black-robed Cultists emerged, surrounding a man dressed in ornate black robes and wearing a Skull Crown. Black smoke swirled around him, and his eyes glinted with endless greed and madness. He was the current Dark Cult Leader, plotting to stir up a dark storm once more and rule the entire continent.

"You broke the Seal, created chaos on the continent, and harmed innocent lives. Today is your doomsday!" Xiao Xing roared, his weapon bursting with brilliant light—the burning fire of his determination to protect justice.

"Doomsday? Ridiculous. Today will be the beginning of my reclaiming the continent. You will all become stepping stones for my ascent to the Peak," the Dark Cult Leader laughed arrogantly. With a wave of his hand, the Black-robed Cultists swarmed toward the Guardians like a tide.

The Black-robed Cultists chanted evil spells, wielding various weapons that radiated dark magic. Some could fire black rays that corroded the Soul, while others summoned small Dark Monsters to assist in the fight.

The Guardians were undaunted and quickly formed a battle formation. Xiao Xing led the melee experts at the front, engaging the cultists in close combat. Every clash of weapons produced brilliant sparks as the forces of light and darkness collided fiercely. Ji Ziyue stood at the back, casting wide-range light magic. Her holy light pierced through the darkness like sharp swords, purifying the evil forces while providing shields for her companions at the front to block enemy attacks. Yin Ping led a group of Guardians with high agility through the enemy ranks, specifically targeting the casters among the cultists to disrupt their rhythms and seize their magical items.

The battle was exceptionally fierce, with casualties on both sides. However, with their tenacious will and seamless cooperation, the Guardians gradually gained the upper hand, and the cultists' offensive began to weaken.

Seeing this, the Dark Cult Leader's expression darkened. He snorted coldly and joined the fray himself. With a wave of his hands, the surrounding dark magic instantly converged into a massive Black Python. The python opened its bloody maw and lunged at the Guardians; wherever it passed, space itself seemed to distort.

Seeing this, Xiao Xing shouted, "Everyone be careful, concentrate your power to deal with it!" With that, he leaped up and attacked the python's head, trying to draw its attention. Ji Ziyue and Yin Ping understood and immediately organized the Guardians to launch attacks from different directions. Magical and physical forces intertwined as they blasted toward the python.

However, the Black Python was incredibly powerful. Although the Guardians' attacks caused some damage, it quickly launched a fierce counterattack. With a sweep of its tail, it sent several Guardians flying.

Xiao Xing was anxious; he knew this couldn't continue. He had to find the python's weakness. While maneuvering around the python, he noticed that before each attack, a scale on its belly would flicker slightly. That might be its vital spot.

Xiao Xing made a snap decision and shouted to Ji Ziyue and Yin Ping, "Attack its belly! That's the weak point!"

Hearing this, everyone immediately adjusted their aim, concentrating all their power toward the python's belly. The Black Python seemed to sense the danger and tried to dodge, but the Guardians' attack was too fast and too powerful; it couldn't avoid it in the end.

With a flash of brilliant light, the Black Python let out a roar of agony. Its belly was hit, and its massive body crashed to the ground, dissipating into a cloud of black smoke.

Seeing this, the Dark Cult Leader's face became extremely unsightly. He hadn't expected his proudest technique to be broken so easily. "You ants! To dare ruin my plans... I will make you pay a heavy price!" he roared. The dark magic around him began to surge wildly, as if it were about to swallow the entire palace.

Xiao Xing and the others knew the final showdown had arrived. They stood ready, exchanging glances that revealed their unwavering conviction.

The Dark Cult Leader formed hand Seals and chanted an ancient, evil incantation. The ground shook violently, and more Dark Monsters surged from the cracks—winged demons, giants covered in spikes, and more. They lunged at the Guardians in numbers that made one's skin crawl.

The Guardians did not retreat in the slightest. They stood back-to-back, forming a tight defensive circle while launching their strongest attacks to engage the tidal wave of Dark Monsters in a life-and-death struggle. During the battle, blood stained the ground, and the shouts of men and the roars of monsters intertwined, echoing through the palace.

Amidst the intense fighting, Xiao Xing noticed that the Dark Cult Leader was consuming a vast amount of magic to maintain such large-scale spells. Furthermore, he needed to use a Black Stone Altar in the center of the palace to stabilize the magic fluctuations. He came up with a plan and signaled Ji Ziyue and Yin Ping, who immediately understood his intention.

Xiao Xing led a portion of the Guardians to keep the Dark Monsters occupied and distract the cult leader, while Ji Ziyue and Yin Ping led several Guardians skilled in speed and stealth to quietly approach the Black Stone Altar.

While the Dark Cult Leader was immersed in the thrill of controlling the monsters' attacks, Ji Ziyue, Yin Ping, and the others reached the altar. They combined their strongest destructive magic and blasted it toward the stone altar.

With a thunderous boom, the Black Stone Altar was blown to pieces. The Dark Cult Leader's expression changed instantly. The magical backlash caused him to cough up blood, his body swaying as he nearly collapsed.

"Now is the time! Everyone, attack together!" Xiao Xing shouted. Taking advantage of the cult leader's chaotic magic, he led all the Guardians in a final general offensive.

Everyone gathered their full strength, raining down various magical and physical attacks on the Dark Cult Leader. Although he tried to resist, he was powerless to turn the tide. In a burst of brilliant light and roaring sound, his body was completely destroyed, dissipating into dust in the air.

With the cult leader's downfall, the remaining Black-robed Cultists lost their leader and fled in all directions. But before they could escape the palace, it began to shake violently. Cracks spread across the walls, and it seemed on the verge of collapse.

"Go, quickly! The palace is collapsing!" Xiao Xing shouted, leading the Guardians as they ran out.

At the critical moment, they finally escaped the palace. Behind them, the palace that symbolized darkness and evil came crashing down. The dark magic in the abyss also gradually dissipated, as if the dark haze over the continent had finally been cleared.

The Guardian Alliance successfully resolved the crisis and protected the peace of the continent. Upon returning to the Alliance Headquarters, they received the warmest welcome and praise from the people. But Xiao Xing and the others knew that the mission to protect the continent would never end. New dangers might quietly emerge on this land. They still had to remain vigilant, constantly improve their strength, and work in unity with the various forces of the continent. They would continue to strive tirelessly to protect this beautiful home, ensuring that peace and justice would always remain the eternal melody of the continent, echoing in every corner and warming the heart of every living being.