Siheyuan: tomb robbing? I am serious about hunting.

Chapter 1018 Sacrifice

Elaina knew the adventure wasn't over yet; the remnants of the pro-war faction might still linger in the shadows, and the secrets of the Chaos Crystal had yet to be fully revealed. But she was no longer afraid, for she had companions fighting alongside her, a family to protect, and hope blossoming anew amidst the ruins. Just as the star grass always finds light in the darkness, true courage lies not in never fearing, but in choosing to move forward despite fear. The story of the future will continue in the reconciliation between Beidi and Morning Star, in the new sprouts of the star grass. New shoots soon sprouted, their veins resembling both Beidi totems and Morning Star roses—a new beginning, a new sprout of star grass transformed from a blood feud. On the distant horizon, a new starlight was rising. The sacred patterns on the sword resonated with the blue light of the vines, drawing a golden arc in the air. "Enter from here." Karen pointed to the drain at the back of the bell tower. The rust on the iron fence had been eaten away by the blood vines, leaving a hole. "The old members of the Paladin Order are waiting inside. They've already taken control of the first level of the dungeon." As he entered first, the hem of his Paladin uniform rubbed against the blood vine sap, making a sizzling sound. The air in the dungeon was filled with a sweet-smelly scent. The torches on the walls flickered, stretching the shadows of the people. Leo clutched his stuffed animal tightly. The star grass sap on his knight's uniform immediately emitted white smoke when it came into contact with the blood vines. The protective spell left by his mother was taking effect, and a pale blue film of light enveloped the boy in the center. "There's movement ahead." Ella's arrow suddenly shot out, accurately hitting the corner ahead. A shrill hissing echoed in the darkness. The blood vine roots surged wildly from the cracks in the stone, but they quickly withered upon contact with the giant eagle scales on the arrow feathers, leaving behind charred marks. The knights retreated much faster than they had attacked. In the rising dust, Elena caught Karen's look as she turned back—complex, confused, and with a hint of emotion she couldn't read. The vines gradually dissipated in her palms. She looked down at her hands, where traces of the burns from the holy oil still remained between her nails. "Sister!" Leo's voice came from behind. Elena turned around and saw the young man running from the direction of the cave, the sapphire in his hand gleaming in the sun. Behind him followed a barbarian girl wearing animal skins, with an eagle feather stuck in her brown curly hair, and a leather bag bulging around her waist, obviously filled with water and dry food. "She's a barbarian scout, and she said she has something to tell you." Leo pointed at the girl, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "She recognizes my mother's token!" The barbarian girl knelt on one knee, placing her right hand on her heart in salute. "Great Rose Witch, I am Ella, a shaman apprentice of the Blackrock Tribe. The leader asked me to tell you that the main force of the Inquisition is crossing the Blackwater River. They not only want to capture you, but also massacre our tribe." She pulled a piece of animal bone from her leather bag, engraved with crooked symbols. "I forced them to tell me this from the captives. They said they wanted to complete the 'purification of the holy city' before the full moon." Elena took the bone, and the warmth of her fingertips made the symbols glow red. She could understand the symbols—it was the Inquisition's military deployment map, marking the locations of twenty altars along the Blackwater River, each with a flame pattern painted beside it. "They want to use human sacrifice to activate the 'Holy Light Barrier,'" Elana's voice was as cold as the night wind across the wasteland. "This barrier suppresses all powers not belonging to the clergy, including the totemic power of your barbarians and my abyssal magic." Ella's face paled instantly. "The leader said it was this barrier that destroyed the ancient barbarians three hundred years ago!" She suddenly grabbed Elana's wrist, the calloused palm rubbing against her skin. "Please help us! If you can stop the Inquisition, the Blackstone Tribe is willing to pledge allegiance to you!" Leo tugged at the corner of Elana's clothes and raised the sapphire in his hand. "My loyal servant said the barbarians are our allies. Father once helped them repel the desert lizardmen." He pointed to the patterns on the gem's interior. "These symbols are the same as those on the barbarian totem poles." Elana looked toward the distant Blackwater River. The sky there had already taken on an eerie pale gold—a sign that the altar was beginning to gather energy. She could feel the rose mark within her body heating, as if responding to a distant call. "I need to know the location of all the altars." Elana said to Ella, and the vines drew a simple map on the sand. "Also, does your tribe have any magical tools that can block the flow of holy light?" Ella untied a necklace made of eagle claws from her waist, with a dark red crystal inlaid on the tip of the claws: "This is the 'Light-Eating Stone', which can absorb holy energy. But it can only be most effective on the night of the full moon with the help of the power of the totem pole." She pointed to a canyon on the map, "Our holy mountain is there, and the totem pole on the top of the mountain is made of the bones of ancient behemoths." Elana's eyes fell on the Light-Eating Stone. There seemed to be a black mist flowing inside the crystal, which resonated subtly with the power of the abyss in her body. She suddenly remembered something in her mother's notes: "The barbarian light-devouring stone and the rose crystal of the abyss share a common origin, both emanating from the chaotic power of the world's birth." "We'll set out tonight." Elaina returned the light-devouring stone to Ella, vines gathering behind her into wings. "Leo, you'll follow the secret passage through the Holy Mountain. I'll attract the attention of the Inquisition." "No!" Leo and Ella objected simultaneously. The boy clutched her hand tightly, the sapphire in his palm piercing her painfully. "Sister, you promised to take me to the Forgotten Land!" Elaina knelt down and gently stroked her brother's hair, her gesture filled with unprecedented tenderness. "It's precisely because we want to find the Forgotten Land that we must first destroy the altar. Think about it, if the holy light barrier is activated, we won't even be able to leave the city-state. How can we even reach the depths of the wasteland?" She channeled a wisp of black energy from the crystal in her palm and injected it into Leo's jade pendant. "This will protect you. If you encounter danger, crush it, and I'll be there immediately." Ella blew a bone whistle, and the sound of horse hooves echoed from the distant sand dunes. Ten barbarian warriors on camels came galloping over, each of them clad in animal-skin armor, with a powerful bow on their backs and scimitars flashing coldly at their waists. "We have to get out of here, strong man in the lead," said Elena, carrying Leo on her back. Black vines gathered into the shape of wings behind her, and the periosteum-like membrane was covered with blood vessel-like lines. "The knights of the Holy Church will be here soon. We must escape before they blockade the city." Passing through the dark dungeon, Elena climbed up the vine-woven stairs. Leo lay on her back and whispered about his experiences over the past three years: "After my loyal servant took me to the wilderness, we have been living by hunting. Last month, he was killed by the Inquisition, and I was captured here. They said they were looking for a sacrifice that could 'resonate with the witch'..." As they spoke, they had reached the dungeon exit. Outside was a magnificent cathedral. The stained glass windows depicted the scene of a saint purifying a witch. Elena spread her vine wings and flew out of the hole in the dome with Leo.