Upon closer inspection, everyone indeed discovered a certain similarity between the runes on the mural and the runes on the token. The scene depicted in the mural was blurry, but it seemed to show a group of black-robed figures performing some kind of evil ritual around a huge black altar, on which an object emitting an eerie light could be faintly seen.
"It seems there is indeed a close connection between this token and this dark ruin," Xuanfeng said thoughtfully, stroking his chin.
Lin Feng carefully examined the murals, trying to find more clues: "But with just these, we still can't know the true purpose of the forces behind the black-robed man. Perhaps we can find more useful information by going deeper into the ruins."
The group continued cautiously along the passage. As they went deeper, the passage became increasingly narrow, and the surrounding temperature dropped sharply, as if pairs of cold eyes were watching them from the darkness.
Suddenly, a sharp whistling sound shattered the silence. Countless black bats surged out from all directions, their eyes flashing with blood-red light, baring their sharp fangs, and swooping down on the group.
"Watch out!" Lin Feng shouted, swiftly drawing his ice sword and unleashing a burst of ice spirit power. Ice blades shot towards the swarm of bats with each swing, slaying any that approached. However, the bats were numerous, wave after wave, seemingly endless.
Feng Wu formed hand seals, and the five-colored phoenix reappeared. The phoenix spread its enormous wings, and flames surged forth like a torrent, engulfing swarms of bats. But the bats seemed fearless, still charging madly towards the group.
The soldiers of the Zhengyang Army quickly formed a defensive formation, their spears forming a forest to block the bats' onslaught. The Blood Shadow Sect woman, meanwhile, moved with lightning speed, her Blood Spirit Curved Blade slicing through the bat swarm, each strike killing several bats.
Su Ran stood at the rear, continuously casting ice magic. She conjured a giant ice ball and hurled it at the swarm of bats. The ice ball exploded, freezing the surrounding bats into blocks of ice. The woman in white was not to be outdone; she wielded her longsword, unleashing a torrent of sword energy that repelled any approaching bats.
However, just as everyone was focused on dealing with the bats, the ground suddenly trembled violently. A huge black tentacle burst from the ground and swept towards the crowd. The tentacle was incredibly fast and powerful; the crowd couldn't dodge in time, and several Zhengyang Army soldiers were swept away and crashed heavily to the ground.
"What kind of monster is this!" The female general's expression changed. She gripped her halberd tightly and slashed at the tentacle. The halberd struck the tentacle, splashing a spray of black liquid, but the tentacle only trembled slightly and instead began to dance even more wildly.
Lin Feng seized the opportunity and used the Ice Spirit Sealing Technique. A huge ice pillar descended from the sky, temporarily freezing the tentacles. But soon, cracks began to appear on the ice pillar, and the tentacles were about to break free of their restraints.
Seeing this, Xuanfeng hurriedly cast a wind spell. A howling wind scattered the swarm of bats, while also slowing down the speed at which the tentacles broke free.
"Everyone, let's attack this tentacle together and take down this big guy first!" Lin Feng shouted. Everyone responded, unleashing various spells and sword energies at the tentacle. Under the combined attack, the tentacle finally couldn't withstand the pressure and broke off, spilling black liquid all over the ground and emitting a pungent odor.
Having dealt with the tentacles, the group hadn't even had a chance to catch their breath when heavy footsteps suddenly echoed from the end of the passage. A gigantic figure slowly emerged—a humanoid monster covered in black scales, its eyes like two burning ghostly flames, and it wielded a massive black battle axe.
"It seems there are one problem after another in these ruins," the Blood Shadow Sect woman said coldly, shaking the blood off her scimitar.
The monster roared, its voice shaking the passageway. It swung its battle axe and charged towards the group. The axe whipped up a black whirlwind, shattering the walls in its wake.
Feng Wu charged forward first, her five-colored phoenix clashing with the monster's battle axe. The powerful impact distorted the surrounding air. Lin Feng seized the opportunity to attack from the side, his ice sword piercing the gaps in the monster's scales. However, the monster's scales were exceptionally hard, and the ice sword only left a shallow mark.
Seizing the opportunity presented by the monster's attack on Feng Wu, the woman in white used her agility to circle behind the monster and thrust her longsword towards the back of its neck. Sensing the attack from behind, the monster whirled around and blocked the woman's strike with its arm. The woman in white was forced back several steps by the impact.
The soldiers of the Zhengyang Army fired arrows at the monster. Most of the arrows hit the monster's body and were deflected by its scales. Only a few arrows hit the monster near its eyes, causing it to roar angrily.
Su Ran conjured a giant ice bow, nocked an arrow, and fired. The ice arrows shot towards the monster like meteors. The monster swung its battle axe, deflecting some of the ice arrows, but a few still struck its leg. The monster staggered in pain.
Just as everyone was fiercely fighting the monster, Xuanfeng discovered something behind the monster.
Just as everyone was fiercely fighting the monster, Xuanfeng noticed some faint runes glowing on the wall behind the monster. He knew he couldn't afford to be distracted at this moment, but his intense curiosity and keen intuition told him that those runes might be crucial.
"Give it your all! This monster is strong, but we can definitely defeat it!" Lin Feng shouted to boost morale as he searched for weaknesses in the monster's defenses. His ice sword danced in his hand, flashing with cold light, constantly clashing with the monster's battle axe, sending sparks flying.
Feng Wu controlled the five-colored phoenix, circling and attacking the monster. The phoenix's sharp claws occasionally lashed out at the monster, and flames continued to scorch its body, but the black scales on the monster's body seemed to possess some mysterious power, making them extremely resistant to the flames.
The Blood Shadow Sect woman moved like a ghost across the battlefield, seizing every opportunity to slash at the monster's joints with her curved blade. Each attack elicited an angry roar from the monster, but it did not inflict any real serious injury.
The soldiers of the Zhengyang Army formed a tight square formation, thrusting out their spears. Although they could not inflict fatal damage on the monster, they successfully restrained its movements, preventing it from attacking indiscriminately.
Su Ran and the woman in white continuously cast spells to support them from behind. Su Ran's ice magic was ever-changing, sometimes condensing huge ice spikes to smash the monster, and sometimes creating ice walls to block the monster's attack path; the woman in white's sword energy crisscrossed, stabbing at the monster like silver snakes, trying to find a gap to inflict heavy damage.
While casting wind magic to disrupt the monster's movements, Xuanfeng also took the opportunity to observe the runes on the wall. He noticed that the runes seemed to flash with a certain rhythmic light as the battle progressed, as if responding to something. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he realized that these runes might be related to controlling the monster.
"Listen up, everyone! The runes on the wall behind this monster might be the key! I'll try to decipher the runes, you guys try to hold the monster back!" Xuanfeng shouted.
Lin Feng nodded in response, "Senior Xuanfeng, you can focus on deciphering the runes. Leave this to us!" With that, he unleashed his Ice Spirit Domain, enveloping the monster within. The temperature within the domain plummeted, and the monster's movements noticeably slowed.
Seeing this, Feng Wu intensified her attack. The five-colored phoenix let out a loud cry, its flames burning even more fiercely, then it charged at the monster, its claws gripping the monster's shoulders tightly, flames spreading down the monster's body. The monster roared in pain, trying to break free from the phoenix's grasp.
Seizing the opportunity, the Blood Shadow Sect woman flashed behind the monster, her curved blade aimed fiercely at its leg joint. The monster, in pain, kicked the Blood Shadow Sect woman away. Fortunately, the woman reacted quickly, adjusting her stance in mid-air to absorb most of the force, suffering only minor injuries.
The Zhengyang Army soldiers shouted, their spears raining down on the monster to draw its attention. Su Ran and the woman in white continued to cast spells, launching ranged attacks on the monster.
Xuanfeng was completely focused on deciphering the runes. He carefully observed the arrangement and flashing patterns of the runes, while simultaneously analyzing them using all the rune knowledge he had acquired. Time ticked by in the tense battle, and the secret of the runes seemed about to be revealed.
Just then, the monster seemed to realize Xuanfeng's intentions, suddenly abandoning its attack on the others and turning to charge at Xuanfeng. It raised its battle axe high, bringing it down with immense force towards Xuanfeng.
"Senior Xuanfeng, be careful!" Upon seeing this, Lin Feng immediately used Ice Spirit Teleportation to appear in front of Xuanfeng, blocking with his ice sword. With a loud "boom," Lin Feng's arm went numb from the shock, and he flew backward several meters, crashing heavily to the ground, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.
"Young Master Lin!" Su Ran exclaimed in alarm, her heart filled with anxiety. She immediately conjured a giant ice pillar and hurled it at the monster. The ice pillar struck the monster accurately, temporarily halting its movement.
The woman in white and Feng Wu quickly came to Lin Feng's side and helped him up. "Young Master Lin, are you alright?" Feng Wu asked with concern. Lin Feng wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and, enduring the sharp pain in his arm, said, "I'm fine. Senior Xuanfeng's task is to decipher the runes. Let's continue to hold off the monster!"
The group charged at the monster again, engaging it in a desperate battle. Xuanfeng knew time was of the essence, and beads of sweat covered his forehead. He quickened his pace in deciphering the runes, gesturing wildly in the air while chanting incantations.
Finally, with a flash of light, the runes were successfully deciphered. A sudden light flashed across the monster's body, its frenzied movements abruptly ceasing, and the battle axe in its hand clattered to the ground. The monster's body began to tremble, then slowly knelt on the ground.
Everyone stared in astonishment at the scene, unable to believe the change before their eyes. "It's a success! Senior Xuanfeng has succeeded!" the Blood Shadow Sect woman shouted excitedly.
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