Chapter 35: The Battle of the Quarry (Part 2)

"Boom boom boom-----!"

The azure Sword Qi was like an eagle spreading its wings, engulfing everything along its path in a violent storm. The Skeleton Soldiers had no time to lift their longswords before they saw the azure eagle fly over their heads. The following storm swept them up, sending the skeletal frames flying backward like driftwood, smashing them into the stalactite walls and scattering them into pieces.

"Let's go!"

"Yes..."

Watching the high-spirited Shi Dong, Fang Zheng sighed helplessly and followed him into the depths of the tunnel. Frankly speaking, he was somewhat envious of Shi Dong's swordsmanship. The Grand Knight's skills were indeed exceptional, especially his AOE techniques, which were virtually unmatched. Although Fang Zheng also possessed the Royal Cross Swordsmanship passed down from Arthas, its power was not much weaker than Shi Dong's Storm Sword, but he always felt something was off. For some reason, this feeling had become stronger since his training in the "Dark Soul" free instance. Initially, Fang Zheng thought his discomfort with the swordsmanship was due to unfamiliarity with the sword itself. However, after enduring the brutal training of "Dark Soul," he found that this feeling had not diminished but had only intensified.

Particularly now, watching Shi Dong in battle made this even more evident. The Storm Sword technique was fluid and seamless in his hands, almost like a dance that was pleasing to the eye. But when Fang Zheng executed the Royal Cross Swordsmanship, he always felt... awkward. He couldn't pinpoint where the awkwardness was, but it was definitely there. The contrast made it even more apparent. If Shi Dong's swordsmanship looked like smoothly running gears, then Fang Zheng's swordsmanship felt like gears without oil—they could turn, but how well was another question.

He needed to have a good talk with Shi Dong about this after the battle.

Fang Zheng knew this wasn't the time to discuss it, so he held his tongue and followed closely behind Shi Dong. Miss M hadn't come down with them. For Shi Dong and Fang Zheng, it was safer for her to stay above. Moreover, Connie also needed someone to look after her. Fang Zheng had no fondness for the neurotic madwoman, so he left her to the soft-hearted girl to deal with.

What troubled Fang Zheng more now was Shi Dong. The Grand Knight's approach was as straightforward and brutal as Fang Zheng had imagined, charging in headfirst and slashing at anything that moved. Before Fang Zheng even had a chance to act, the skeletons that had rushed in were already dismantled into bone fragments by Shi Dong.

Fang Zheng could only shrug helplessly, not saying much more. Unlike a fool, he could clearly see that Shi Dong was using this as an opportunity to vent. It was evident that Shi Dong knew very well that Mart and the others were probably on a one-way trip. Fang Zheng wasn't sure what the relationship between Shi Dong and Mart was, but it was obvious that they were close. Otherwise, Shi Dong wouldn't have come here to search for them. And now, watching his comrades march to their death must have been unbearable for Shi Dong.

However, as a mature Grand Knight, Shi Dong wouldn't act like a naive young man, declaring, "If everyone dies, we all die together." He could only vent his frustration and discomfort through such means.

That's why Fang Zheng wisely chose not to bring up his swordsmanship issues with Shi Dong at this time. Even if Shi Dong were in a good mood, he wouldn't have the patience to solve those doubts now, much less given that his temper wasn't exactly great.

The Necromancer Soldiers' resistance was futile in front of Shi Dong. Those hastily rushing soldiers couldn't even display their powers before being shattered into pieces by Shi Dong. After several such encounters, they stopped appearing altogether, either because they were terrified of Shi Dong or because the Lich had lost interest in their uninvited guests.

If it was the latter, it wouldn't be a good thing.

Shi Dong and Fang Zheng quickened their pace. Although the quarry was abandoned, the tunnel still seemed sturdy, so they didn't have to worry about sudden collapses. However, the deeper they went, the more somber their expressions became. The further they went, the thicker the deathly air felt, and beyond that, there had been no reaction from the Lich so far.

Clearly, this plan wasn't going as smoothly as expected.

"There!"

As the two turned a corner in the tunnel, they immediately saw the Great Hollow not far away. Seeing the scene inside, Shi Dong's face darkened instantly. Even Fang Zheng frowned.

In the center of the Great Hollow lay over a dozen bodies. They wore Templar armor, but their appearance was ghastly—their muscles seemed to have melted away, leaving only skin wrapping around bones. The sight was horrifying. Beneath them, blood flowed slowly, stark and glaring.

Fang Zheng didn't know what they had gone through, but their dying expressions suggested it was incredibly painful.

"You bastard!!" Fang Zheng didn't know what they had gone through, but their dying expressions suggested it was incredibly painful.

Facing the Lich floating in the center of the hollow, Shi Dong roared and raised his great sword, swinging it down forcefully. With his motion, the eagle returned, but this time it was almost twice as large as before. Accompanied by a sharp cry, the majestic bird formed from the Power of the Star Spirits surged at the Lich. But instead of panicking, the figure in the air merely tilted its head and pointed its flimsy, dry twig-like staff lightly at them.

In the next moment, Fang Zheng saw a black beam shoot out from the staff, hitting the body of the Storm Hawk. What happened next was unimaginable—the creature, formed purely of Wind Elemental energy, flailed as if it had a life of its own, cried out in pain, and fell to the ground, dissipating into dust. Shi Dong didn't fare too well either. When the beam struck the eagle, he felt as if a cold hand had reached into his body and seized his heart.

Fortunately, his strong physique withstood the blow, otherwise, it wouldn't be just his eagle falling. Nonetheless, Shi Dong's expression changed several times as he clenched his teeth against the invading Power of Death, barely holding on.

Yet for Shi Dong, something even more terrifying emerged. The opponent had just grasped his Storm Swordsmanship and killed it directly. This only happened when the opponent's mastery of power was significantly higher. Dominating the conflict of power, the one with higher mastery would display an overwhelming advantage and exhibit the true form of their power principles. The fact that this Lich could "kill" his sword power indicated one thing—

"This is the Power of Death... You're Frank, the Duke of Bones from the Council of the Fallen? It's really you?!"

Holy shit!

Hearing Shi Dong's question, Fang Zheng was also stunned. During his time training with Shi Dong in the Sanctuary, he didn't just practice swordsmanship; he also learned about the enemies of the Order Sanctuary. Currently, the Sanctuary had three major enemies. One was the Doomsday Church, which Fang Zheng's original body belonged to. The other two were the Council of the Fallen and the Twilight Legion. The Twilight Legion resided at the borders of civilization. Their goal was to shatter all symbols of order and civilization. The Council of the Fallen's pursuit was apparently "loftier"; they believed that the essence of all life in the world was death. Hence, death was the eternal theme in the world, and in the end, both Chaos and Order would revert to the silence of death.

Frankly, if the Twilight Legion and the Doomsday Church shared a common goal and could work together, the Council of the Fallen was an enemy to everyone. It didn't matter whether you were Order or Chaos; they just aimed to bring you to "feel the essence of death." Both Paladins and Cultists found them intolerable.

Not to mention, the Council of the Fallen's doctrine was extremely detestable. On one hand, they preached "the Goddess of Order will eventually fall," and on the other, they proclaimed "the end of Twilight Chaos is near," offending both sides completely.

Worse still, the organization was filled with Undead Creatures. The entire continent's Undead Creatures were concentrated there. Besides Liches, they included monsters like White Bone Dragons and Death Envoys. This was why both Order and Chaos feared and loathed the Council of the Fallen but didn't dare to act rashly—it was simply too powerful, and any mistake could prove fatal.

Moreover, the Council of the Fallen was incredibly adept at "persuasion." Throughout history, many renowned heroes attempted to eliminate these shadow-dwelling maniacs, only to meet the same fate—enthusiastic at the start, they disappeared, only to return as undead slaves.

Frank, the Duke of Bones, was one of the five prominent council members, presiding over the Domain of Death. Just below the Speaker of Parliament, he was second in power, commanding immense authority. Although Shi Dong had anticipated that the Lich might be formidable, he hadn't expected such a daunting opponent.

This is trouble!

Gazing at the Lich's hovering figure, Fang Zheng frowned.

He was sure that Shi Dong's earlier plan was now unusable.