320: Core secrets

After discovering the letters and notes in the secret underground chamber of the ancient castle, the Guardian Alliance knew they had touched upon the core secrets of that mysterious force. However, they also understood that the enemy would certainly not sit idly by, and a greater crisis was likely imminent.

Xiao Xing quickly organized everyone to properly arrange these key pieces of evidence. He knew time was of the essence and had to use these new clues to identify other hidden strongholds of the mysterious force or their next plan of action as soon as possible.

“Everyone, hurry and analyze this content to see if we can find their lair. We must strike proactively before they are prepared,” Xiao Xing said while carefully examining the obscure words and blurred map markings on the letters.

The wise men and decryption experts of the Alliance gathered together. After several days of intense study, they finally pieced together several important clues from the seemingly chaotic information. According to the clues, the mysterious force appeared to have an extremely hidden base in the Wild Mountains in the western part of the continent. Not only were a large number of dark Magical Artifacts they had accumulated over the years hidden there, but it might also contain more evil plans regarding the manipulation of the Power of the Demon God and the expansion of their influence.

“There's no time to lose; we set out for the Wild Mountains immediately. This time, we must wipe them out in one fell swoop and never give them another chance to stir up trouble.” Ji Ziyue's eyes were bright, and her tone was full of resolve.

The Guardian Alliance took a brief respite and then set off for the Wild Mountains without pause. The Wild Mountains had steep terrain and were shrouded in mist year-round. The mountains were home to various fierce Demonic Beasts and complex terrain traps; ordinary people dared not approach at all.

When they reached the edge of the mountains, a gloomy and oppressive aura rushed toward them. Yin Ping first dispatched several small scouting Puppets, letting them fly into the mountains ahead of time to scout the path so they could know of potential dangers in advance.

But before the Puppets could send back much useful information, a sharp whistling sound suddenly came from the mountains. Immediately after, a group of winged Demon Beasts dived down from the mist. They had sharp claws and giant fire-breathing mouths, launching a fierce attack on the Guardians.

“Form a defensive array and counterattack!” Xiao Xing shouted, swinging his longsword and taking the lead to meet them.

The Guardians quickly formed a defensive formation. The melee members in the front row brandished their weapons to withstand the impact of the Demon Beasts, while the mages in the back row cast various offensive spells. For a time, magical light and the roars of Demonic Beasts intertwined, echoing across the edge of the mountains.

Ji Ziyue cast a large-scale binding spell. Several chains composed of light coiled toward the Demon Beasts, successfully trapping several of them and creating an opportunity for her companions to attack. Yin Ping moved like lightning, weaving through the Demon Beasts and striking their vital points to deliver fatal blows.

After a hard-fought battle, they finally repelled this batch of Demon Beasts, though the Guardians had sustained various degrees of injury.

“We can't stop. We must continue deeper. These were only their outposts; the true danger lies ahead,” Xiao Xing said to everyone, his eyes showing no hint of retreat.

The group continued toward the depths of the mountains. Along the way, they encountered various mechanical traps: pits filled with spikes and hidden holes that sprayed poisonous mist. Fortunately, the Guardians were experienced and cooperated with each other, turning danger into safety time and again.

Finally, in the heart of the mountains, they discovered a valley shrouded by a powerful magical barrier. That mysterious and evil aura was emanating from this very valley; this was undoubtedly the base of the mysterious force.

“We must find a way to break this barrier to get inside,” a Guardian skilled in breaking barriers said after stepping forward to inspect it.

Everyone gathered around and began to work together to study the method for breaking the barrier. After many attempts, Ji Ziyue discovered that by combining everyone's magical power and casting it at a specific frequency and sequence, they might be able to find the barrier's weak point.

Thus, under her command, the Guardians each performed their duties, gathering their magical power to strike at a single point on the barrier. With a loud bang, a tiny crack appeared in the barrier. Although small, it was enough for them to use their methods to expand the opening.

Xiao Xing saw the opportunity, condensed his full strength, and struck hard at the crack. The crack instantly expanded, and the group took the chance to file in one after another.

Inside the valley, a gloomy scene met their eyes. Stone platforms holding dark Magical Artifacts were everywhere, and a group of Black-Robed Figures was performing some kind of evil ritual. On a high platform in the center sat a sphere emitting thick, dark magical power. Within the sphere, the phantom of a Demon God seemed to be struggling and roaring.

“You actually dare to barge in here! Today is the day you die!” the leader of the Black-Robed Figures said viciously. With a wave of his hand, the surrounding Black-Robed Figures stopped their ritual and attacked the Guardians.

The two sides instantly fell into a chaotic melee. Dark magic and light magic collided once more, and the sounds of battle echoed throughout the valley.

Xiao Xing charged straight for the high platform. He knew that as long as he destroyed that sphere, he could greatly weaken the power of the mysterious force and ruin their plans. However, the Black-Robed Leader blocked him firmly, and the two engaged in a thrilling duel. Every move and stance contained powerful magic, causing the surrounding air to ripple and distort.

While Ji Ziyue cast spells to help the other Guardians against the Black-Robed Figures, she also kept an eye on Xiao Xing's situation. Knowing the immense pressure Xiao Xing faced, she exerted her full strength to cast a super-strong beam of Purifying Light toward the Black-Robed Leader, gaining a brief opening for Xiao Xing.

Xiao Xing seized the opportunity, lunged toward the platform, and struck the sphere hard with his weapon. Upon being attacked, the sphere erupted with a powerful dark shockwave, sending Xiao Xing flying backward as he spat out blood.

“Xiao Xing!” Ji Ziyue cried out in alarm, wanting to go check on him, but she was entangled by several Black-Robed Figures.

Just then, Yin Ping led several powerful Guardians to break through the Black-Robed Figures' defensive line and launched another attack on the sphere. Working together through several rounds of heavy assault, the sphere finally couldn't take it and exploded with a 'boom.' Dark magic raged everywhere but was quickly suppressed by the Guardians' light magic.

Having lost the support of the sphere, the Black-Robed Figures immediately fell into disarray. The Guardians pressed their advantage and subdued them one by one.

Though the Guardian Alliance paid a significant price in this battle, they successfully destroyed an important base of the mysterious force, once again shattering their conspiracy to rule the continent using the Power of the Demon God.

However, just when they thought the crisis was temporarily averted, a low laugh echoed from the depths of the valley: “Do you think you can stop me like this? This is but a beginning; a greater disaster is about to descend upon this continent...” The voice echoed in the valley, filled with endless gloom and evil, casting another shadow over the Guardians' hearts. They knew that this battle to protect the continent was far from over, and many more hardships and obstacles awaited them in the future.