Valerica wandered through the sea of skeletons like an invisible, intangible ghost, while the thunder in the sky raged like dragons, striking down indiscriminately, hitting Black Skeletons, demon men, and Frost Atronachs alike. Valerica knew she had to act fast; the skeletons were endless, and her summoned creatures wouldn't last much longer.
The dragon Durnehviir looked down at the Vampire. He gently flapped his wings, turning in a wide arc, and began to dive.
Valerica watched as the colossal creature, with a wingspan exceeding thirty feet, rapidly descended, beginning its counter-charge. The scene was like a condor preying on a scrawny fox.
Valerica seized the opportunity, lightly jumped, and grabbed the dragon's claw. Durnehviir quickly turned, intending to pin the Vampire to the ground and crush her.
Valerica pulled out a corrosive potion and splashed it on the dragon's belly, then swiftly wielded her dagger, slicing open the dragon's abdomen, and, before being flung away, she slipped into the wound.
Durnehviir felt a shameful pain and softly intoned a Dragon Shout, "FUS - ZEG!" [Dragon Shout: Ethereal Form], and his bronze dragon body transformed into a light blue mist. Valerica fell from it, knocking over two Black Skeletons, her previous daring act proving utterly useless.
A gasp came from the gate: "Dragon!"
Serana arrived at the scene and, seeing her mother battling the dragon, momentarily forgot to breathe. She was even more terrified when Valerica fell into the sea of skeletons, only relaxing when two ice spikes flew out from the dark, rolling pile of corpses.
Valerica turned her head and, seeing her daughter arrive, immediately smiled. She dodged a Black Skeleton's attack, held the elder scrolls in both hands, conjured an ice spike to encase the scroll, and threw it towards Serana, "Serana, catch the scroll, run!"
Serana had only come for her mother, so how could she abandon her? She immediately drew her dagger, summoned two demon warriors, and led them into the fray.
Durnehviir flew back to the top of the wall, extending his long neck. His dragon head was monstrously fierce, like the face of a demon god. He gently inhaled.
Every dragon has a Dragon Shout they excel at. While they master the power of the Word, their forms and souls are also altered by it. As the Overseer of the netherworld, Durnehviir's specialty is the Mark of Death, which weakens enemies' armor, vitality, and magic, turning them into fish on a chopping block. Then, he can leisurely enjoy his meal, whether with gluttonous gusto or elegant, slow chewing, all depending on his mood…
"KRI - LUO!" [Dragon Shout: Mark of Death]
"Sun, Scorching Soul, Blazing Flame!" [Dragon Shout: Breath of the Burning Cloud]
A purple current from the wall collided with a golden-red jet from the main gate. Where the two met, flames and magic surged, exploding into a shimmering, colorful light ball. The shockwave spread out, blowing away everything on the ground.
Serana repelled the flailing Black Skeletons in mid-air, then turned her head and saw that the reinforcements were that boy.
He sat on a skeleton horse, his small body emitting such an earth-shattering roar.
Turiano sat behind Simon, letting out a goofy laugh, "Found a treasure, found a treasure!" Before he finished speaking, Simon shook his arm, throwing him off the horse. The youth patted the horse's back, and the flaming skeleton began to charge.
Durnehviir rumbled deep in his throat, "Kiir do bron, Krif voth ahkrin! (Son of Nord, fight bravely!)
"Nuz hi fen luft dinok! (But you will face death!)"
The youth roared, "Divine Armor, Divine Weapon, Divine Power!"
Gods Descend!
Both man and horse were armored in intense white light. Magic filled their scattered flesh, providing them with sturdy shields and reliable weapons.
The youth transformed into a tall divine general, holding a pure white light spear. The bone horse beneath him wore perfectly fitted heavy armor, and purple flames burned in its hoofprints, paving a path of destruction.
It was a knight's charge towards death and the dragon!
The youth thrust his spear, horizontally and straight. Thousands of skulls could not withstand a second blow. Black bone fragments flew like a boisterous fireworks display, and the knight's charge carved a clear path through the enemy forces.
This was the Lion Appearance Sect's secret six-grade martial art—Huanhou's Sixteen Spears! Huanhou of Han was Zhang Fei, courtesy name Yide, one of the Five Tiger Generals of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period, possessing the bravery of ten thousand men.
The thunder from the sky struck him. The knight, relying on his complete defense, endured a current of electricity. Dense light snakes streamed across the surface of his white armor, and a feeling of weakness from his soul made him roar to the sky.
To resist death with such will was truly one of life's great joys!
Simon wielded his spear freely, his technique growing sharper. One sweep cleared a swath, one jab pierced a string. In a flash, he galloped hundreds of steps, faster and faster, the wind shrieking in his ears, the world a blur, leaving only the ancient dragon standing on the wall.
"Fin zin se zind los dii! (The glory of victory belongs to me!)"
The Vampire mother and daughter, aided by their summoned creatures, converged. Serana pointed at the charging youth and said to her mother, "Look, that's him. He slaughtered our clan and imprisoned father."
"A soul?"
"No, this is just a part he stripped away."
"Then where is he himself?"
"That's what I want to know too; he seems to be in trouble."
"There's no bigger trouble in the entire Soul Cairn than this dragon, unless…" Valerica narrowed her eyes, watching the youth hurl his long spear at Durnehviir, like a white rainbow piercing the sun, a meteor striking the moon.
"Unless what?"
"Unless he's met the true Lord of this place."
"You mean…"
"The Lord of Truth!"
...
In a quiet corridor, Simon walked quickly. The light on him was gradually fading. In the darkness ahead, he saw a Candlelight burning, like a Kongming lantern in the night sky, flickering and very unreal, attracting moths to explore it.
Simon did not intend to chase that light, but on such a path, he could only move forward. All around were indestructible stone walls. Not to mention his current weakened state, even his true body would have no good way to deal with it.
Simon did not doubt that he had been pulled into this place by the Lord of the Soul Cairn. Of course, he could imagine that some arch-enemy of the Lord of Truth wanted to win him over, but such a possibility was very small, and such an idea was also absurd. The Lord of Truth might be a primordial spirit left over from creation, or perhaps the avatar of a Saint or Demon God. These made no difference to Simon.
Just as for a fat chicken, it makes no difference whether it is eaten by a dog or by a human.
Using his faint light, he examined the murals. Those humanoid figures were so sorrowful. Had they also once walked slowly on this path, leaving behind joy and unforgettable memories, finally becoming silent stones guarding the beauty they cherished.
Another gust of wind blew from deep within the passage.
Simon closed his eyes, and the girl hugged his neck from behind.
"Simon - kang, hehe."]
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