Returning to the Mysterious Era-Chapter 694 - Sword of Despair

"The position of the fifth Ao Yin rune has shifted." Holy Lion Simu, one of the Four Kings, was carrying out a mission in the United States of Yana. Following Cassius's instructions, he had led a team to search for the last of the five keystone runes of the Ao Yin civilization. The rune was shaped like two overlapping eyes, both bearing double pupils.

Cassius sat cross-legged on the isle in the middle of the lake. Four points on his towering frame faintly glowed: the back of his right hand, back of his left hand, left shoulder, and the center of his chest. Life, death, nature, and spirit were already in his grasp. Only the final piece of the puzzle remained missing.

Once the five runes were gathered, Cassius would have the method and confidence to deal with Xiadu. It was, in theory, the ultimate failsafe. Otherwise, even if he could kill or destroy Xiadu's body, he would be unable to prevent Xiadu from becoming the concept of calamity again. It was similar to deliberately triggering a boss's second phase and plunging into an even harsher battle.

"Ao Yin rune, Ao Yin Kalo..." Cassius was shrouded in golden sunlight, muttering to himself. "I really don't know where this mysterious Ao Yin civilization has gone. Tens of thousands of years have passed, and Ao Yin Kalo should have descended upon many worlds invaded by calamity, scattering seeds of resistance like the five keystone runes. Perhaps there will be a chance to meet them in the future, but I should focus on the present for now..."

***

The previous night, on February 19 at the United States of Yana, Pencilmania State.

There was a forest of pine trees in the northern suburbs of Yellow Wood City. The pine trees, also called the Southern Reef Yellow Pine, was the origin of Yellow Wood City's name. Its bark was patterned like a leopard's spots, and the towering trees stretched along the coast, growing up to a hundred meters in height.

Thus, the forest felt huge and oppressive. The towering trees overlapped to block out the moonlight, casting sprawling shadows over the ground. The expansive yet relatively enclosed forest evoked the feeling of a deep, secluded valley. If one was walking through the forest at night, one could hear rustling in the grass as unknown creatures crawled through them. Branches and leaves stirred with the wind, sounding like crashing waves. Looking up, one would see thick, towering yellow pine trees rising straight into the sky. They looked like silent giants.

Beside a thick yellow pine tree, a well-built man waved toward the rear of a column, shouting in a low voice. Sounds of movement came from the grass as someone pushed through.

"Quick, quick, keep up!"

"Joey, you're moving too fast, I can't keep up with you..." 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

A beautiful woman in office attire stumbled out of the grass, panting, and grabbed the man's outstretched hand.

"Sorry, Julia, I shouldn't have dragged you into this. You're just an ordinary person. This is far too dangerous for you..." Joey regretfully pulled Julia into his arms.

"Joey, you must tell me what you know. There shouldn't be secrets between lovers, right?" Even at night, Julia's eyes sparkled as she stared at her boyfriend.

Joey raised both his hands, finally deciding to reveal the truth. "Alright, alright... but you must never tell anyone else..."

His identity was not simple. Outwardly, he was a deputy manager at a bank but in truth, he was an exorcist. Furthermore, he was the son of the president of the Exorcist Association in the United States of Yana. They had always fought against hidden threats in human society. Some called them malevolent spirits, but the Exorcist Association preferred the term Nightmares.

Nightmares fed on human fear. They planted fear marks on people, then slowly tormented them until death. They were monsters that devoured human souls. Souls born under extreme fear were the most delicious.

Joey had followed his father since he was a child in learning to harness the bloodline energy within him, control arcane energy, and practice exorcism techniques. After coming of age, he fought on the front lines, constantly completing missions assigned by the Exorcist Association. His public identity was just a disguise. Each time he was dispatched to a city, the Exorcist Association arranged a cover identity for him to investigate strange cases until they were resolved.

However, in the past two or three years, the number and strength of Nightmares in Pencilmania had surged for unknown reasons. Joey and his companions had been stationed there to investigate the cause of the Nightmares' unusual activity. During his stay, Joey met Julia, and the two quickly fell in love.

As time passed, Joey gradually uncovered why the Nightmares were gathering in Pencilmania. The reason lay deep within the pine tree forest in Yellow Wood City's northern suburbs. The Nightmares seemed to be searching for an ancient ruin and the legendary treasure within, the Sword of Despair.

Nightmares were monsters that toyed with fear and were born of despair. If they obtained the Sword of Despair, who could withstand them? The entire United States of Yana might become ungovernable!

Joey naturally reported the situation to the Exorcist Association headquarters. The Exorcist Association had mobilized its forces half a month ago and gathered their scattered fighters at Yellow Wood City to await a grand operation.

That night, Joey was, as usual, observing the movements of humans manipulated by Nightmares. However, unexpectedly, the creatures chose to act right then. Worse still, because of the Nightmare density in that area, Julia had somehow been marked with a fear mark without realizing it. Joey panicked the moment he learned this. The fear mark would continually consume the victim's spirit. Only by killing the Nightmare that planted the mark could it be lifted. He would never stand by and watch his girlfriend slowly die.

Thus, Joey broke protocol, bringing an ordinary human like Julia into the Exorcist Association's operation. He hoped that he would find the Nightmare that marked her in the coming fights and kill it with his own hands. Only then could Julia return to a peaceful life. But he had to bring her along to figure out which Nightmare it was.

The lovers embraced beneath the shadows of towering pine trees, feeling each other's pounding heartbeats. Joey gently stroked Julia's back.

"Don't be afraid. Leave the rest to me. I will definitely find the Nightmare that planted the fear mark on you. Even if I can't, I'll beg my father to help..." Joey, who had always been rebellious and strictly disciplined, felt for the first time how lucky he was to have such a strong and reliable father.

Deep within the pine tree forest was a half-collapsed cave entrance. Figures in gray robes bustled about the entrance as they set up a two-hundred-meter-wide ritual array in the shape of a crescent. Pale white bones were placed at key points, linked together by crimson blood.

This was a Nightmare ritual. They were about to sacrifice eighty-one specially chosen lives that were fueled by despair at the moment of death to create a divination ceremony. Once ignited, it could pinpoint the treasure's location.

"Hurry up, the ritual will begin at midnight." A Nightmare leader spoke hoarsely from under his hood. A few seconds later, he pulled it back, revealing a grotesque head. It was a human face covered by black smoke that constantly shapeshifted into monsters. It turned into the anguished faces of men and women, young and old, screaming in torment.

This was a Nightmare, a semi-parasitic dark creature. After devouring a host's life and soul, it would inherit part of their physical traits. When it took a new host, it would enhance the body to a terrifying extent. They could even wield their own psychic powers through their hosts. Their potential rivaled even that of the Blood Race.

"Remember, anything that approaches the ritual must be killed without exception!" the Nightmare leader snarled. "Exorcist Association, did you think I didn't know you've been tracking our kind? Come tonight, and I'll send you to your deaths..."

Outside the forest, figures in white shirts and black vests crept closer. Numerous in number, they held short blades in their left hands and small glass orbs in their right, as if waiting for a signal. A tall figure in a black jacket, leaning on a cane with his left hand, stood in front. He pulled a silver lighter from his pocket with his other hand and lit the tip of his cigarette.

The glow of red embers flickered in the darkness.

"Carter, take part of the group and work with the police to seal off the forest. Don't let anyone enter, and don't let anyone escape," the man said, turning to the figure on his left.

"Understood." The figure nodded.

"The rest of you, enter combat mode. Activate exorcism state... Tonight, we're going all in!" The man chuckled softly, then led his squad into the forest.

***

Half an hour later, at the edge of the yellow pine tree forest, two figures appeared almost simultaneously behind a boulder. One wore a gray robe, while the other was in black. Their steps were swift, as though they were teleporting.

"Carlo, you're punctual." The black-robed figure spoke.

The other man had already been waiting for a while.

"Vincent, I would never be late for this matter." The gray-robed figure stepped up to the boulder and stopped.

Both removed their hoods, revealing slightly aged but still vigorous faces in the moonlight. Had any master of the Covert Martial Arts world been present, they would have gasped. The two were once legendary figures: Burning Fist Carlo and Blood Hand Vincent. Both had been elders of great sects, and even sect leaders. They currently served as the sects' hidden foundations.

Indeed, both possessed the strength of top-tier combat artists. Two or three decades ago, they had been rivals and friends, bound by admiration and enmity, whispered of as twin prodigies. Their legends were woven into the Covert Martial Arts world.

Before the boulder, Carlo and Vincent spoke like old friends.

"This is the third time we've joined hands since discovering that ruin nine years ago, isn't it? It's perilous inside. Even top-tier combat artists could fall to a single mistake. After three attempts, we've only cleared the first level. Who knows if we'll ever..." Burning Fist Carlo sighed, as if lost in memories.

Blood Hand Vincent shook his head. "Even the first level alone brought our sects tremendous benefits. Those objects steeped in fear, regardless of value, trained our disciples' willpower beyond measure. Over these nine years, the next generation of our disciples has clearly improved beyond their predecessors. They’ve achieved excellent results in competitions..."

"I wonder what treasures lie in the final level of that ruin? If I don't see it at least once, I'll die unsatisfied..."

After exchanging sentiments, the two darted toward the distant forest. Soon, they reached the edge of the yellow pine tree forest. When they drew close, both suddenly halted.

Figures in hunting garb had blocked the road. Even the police were assisting. Members of the Exorcist Association rushed over. Some gripped short blades, while others clutched glass orbs. Their sharp gazes scanned the area.

"Who? Who's there!?"

Carlo and Vincent stood still, as though intimidated.

"Leave immediately! There is a murder scene ahead! Back away!" These hunters advanced, shouting.

Barely two meters away, Carlo and Vincent slowly raised their heads. Their eyes pierced through the gaps between exorcists' bodies, staring into the darkness behind them. "Friend... your domineering Qi isn't fit for hiding..."

"What friend? I told you to leave immediately, didn't you hear?" Several hunters frowned and moved to forcefully drive them away.

Not far away, a figure as strong as a lion stomped out from the forest shadows. Moonlight outlined his towering form and golden hair flowed over his shoulders like a lion's mane. On his shoulders, two golden studs fastened a short cloak behind him. The cloak flapped, faintly revealing the word "Golem" on his back. His face was expressionless but he was handsome.

"Tell me the location of the ruin, and I'll spare your lives..." His tone was plain, yet carried a savage and murderous edge.

"Heh, good rascal!" Carlo's face sank, curling into a cold smile.

"It's the first time anyone dared speak to me like that in the entire eastern Covert Martial Arts world!" Vincent pulled off his hood.

Three formidable figures were locked in a standoff. Their heavy, intangible auras clashed in the air.

"Hey, what's going on?! How did you get into the forest? Get out right now! It's a crime scene! Do you want to go to jail?" Two hunters hurried over from Holy Lion Simu's left, shouting. A policeman followed behind to back them up.

However, Holy Lion Simu, Burning Fist Carlo, and Blood Hand Vincent ignored the commotion. Their eyes were fixed only on one another.

"Then let's see... just how strong are you?"

Cold light flashed in Carlo's and Vincent's eyes. In an instant, they charged forward as flames of red Qi erupted from their bodies. In the same vein, Holy Lion Simu left an afterimage behind as his strength skyrocketed.

Boom!

A violent wave of force exploded outward, hurling away the nearby exorcists and police. Some unlucky ones slammed into trees and fainted on the spot. Dust and stones flew, falling like rain.

Boom, boom, boom!

The three figures clashed wildly, smashing through countless pine trees as they fought all the way into the forest depths.

"Who... Who the hell are they?!"

The dazed hunters’ eyes were tearing from the wind of their passage. They stood dumbfounded, staring at the staggering destruction they had left behind.