Chapter 1548: Chapter 761: Interrupting the Ritual!
Luo Chen whispered, and both he and Qing Shuang leapt from their hiding place, rushing towards the altar.
The black-robed figures were stunned by this sudden attack, but they quickly reacted, drawing their weapons in preparation for battle.
"Stop them!" the leading black-robed figure roared, his voice filled with anger and panic.
Luo Chen and Qing Shuang weaved through the group of black-robed figures, their movements swift and precise, each strike hitting its mark without fail.
However, the number of black-robed figures was overwhelming, and they gradually began to feel stretched thin.
"Luo Chen, this isn’t going to work; we have to find the altar’s weakness!" Qing Shuang shouted during a break in the fighting.
Luo Chen nodded, starting to carefully observe the altar’s structure, trying to find a way to break it.
At that moment, he noticed a peculiar gemstone on the altar, radiating an unusual light.
"Qing Shuang, look at that gemstone! It might be the key to the whole ritual!" Luo Chen shouted loudly.
Following Luo Chen’s gaze, Qing Shuang immediately understood his intent.
"I’ll distract them; you go destroy that gemstone!"
Luo Chen nodded and began to advance towards the altar, while Qing Shuang created further chaos among the black-robed crowd.
Her magic wand swung, sending beams of spiritual power shooting across the hall like meteors, striking several black-robed figures.
Luo Chen took the opportunity to rush to the altar, raising his longsword and striking the gemstone with all his might.
With a crisp sound, the gemstone shattered, and the entire altar began to shake violently.
"No! What have you done!" the leading black-robed figure screamed in horror, his voice filled with despair.
Luo Chen and Qing Shuang continued their assault, knowing they must completely destroy the altar.
Together, they finally succeeded in utterly destroying the altar.
As the altar collapsed, the entire hall began to cave in, with black-robed figures fleeing in panic.
Luo Chen and Qing Shuang took the opportunity to escape from the dangerous place.
When they finally stood safely in the sunlight outside the castle, they both let out a long sigh of relief.
"We did it." Luo Chen said with a smile to Qing Shuang.
Qing Shuang nodded, a look of relief also spreading across her face.
"Yes, we did it."
...
After resolving the matter, Luo Chen and Qing Shuang quickly left the place.
After all, they had thwarted the plans of those mysterious black-clad figures.
If they didn’t run, being caught would be another troublesome affair.
Luo Chen and Qing Shuang took a short rest outside the castle, knowing that although they had temporarily stopped the black-robed figures’ ritual, the struggle was far from over.
They needed more information, and they needed to find the source of the black-robed organization to solve the problem completely.
"Where do we go next?" Qing Shuang asked, her eyes shining with determination.
Luo Chen thought for a moment, then replied, "We should head to the nearby town. There might be clues we need there, as the black-robed figures can’t act entirely in secret; someone must know something."
Qing Shuang agreed with a nod, and the two set off towards the town.
Along the way, they discussed the recent battle, analyzing the possible motives of the black-robed figures.
"Did you notice that the black-robed figures seemed to be summoning some sort of power?" Luo Chen suddenly said.
Qing Shuang furrowed her brow, "Yes, I felt it too. That power is very ancient and strong, and I worry we’ve only disrupted one ritual. There’s more we don’t know."
Luo Chen nodded, understanding Qing Shuang’s concerns.
They needed more allies and more information to fight against this mysterious organization.
Upon reaching the town, Luo Chen and Qing Shuang began to gather information.
Disguised as ordinary travelers, they carefully inquired about the black-robed figures.
After several days of effort, they finally got some clues from an old tavern owner.
"Black-robed figures? Oh, those people often show up in the abandoned temple to the north during the full moon," the tavern owner said mysteriously.
Luo Chen and Qing Shuang exchanged a glance, knowing that this was likely the clue they were looking for.
"Thank you, sir," Luo Chen politely thanked the tavern owner, then left the tavern with Qing Shuang.
"Looks like we need to visit the abandoned temple to the north," Luo Chen said.
Qing Shuang nodded, "Yes, but we must be careful. It might be even more dangerous than the castle."
They spent a few days preparing, then set out towards the abandoned temple.
The temple was located in a desolate valley, surrounded by dense forests.
As they approached the temple, an eerie chill washed over them.
"Something’s off here," Qing Shuang whispered, gripping her magic wand tightly.
Luo Chen nodded, drawing his longsword, "We’ll proceed with caution."
They entered the temple cautiously, only to be shocked by what they saw inside.
The walls were covered with ancient murals depicting mysterious rituals they had never seen before.
Scattered on the ground were broken statues, which seemed to have once been some kind of Guardian God.
"Look over there!" Qing Shuang suddenly pointed towards a stone platform ahead.
Luo Chen followed Qing Shuang’s finger and saw an old book sitting on the stone platform.
They carefully made their way over, and Luo Chen reached out to pick up the book.
"What is it?" Qing Shuang asked curiously.
Luo Chen opened the pages and found records of ancient curses and rituals.
"It seems to be the secret manual the black-robed figures use to summon power," he said quietly.
Qing Shuang looked around nervously, "We have to be careful; this book could be very dangerous."
Luo Chen nodded and carefully stowed the book away.
"Let’s leave here first and study it carefully when we’re back."
Just as they were about to leave, a cold wind blew past, and a deep laughter echoed from within the temple.
"You think you can stop us this way?" a hoarse voice said.
Luo Chen and Qing Shuang immediately became alert, knowing that the real danger was just beginning.
A figure slowly emerged from the darkness, a man dressed in black robes with an evil smile on his face.
"Welcome to our temple. You have disturbed our ritual, and now you must pay the price," the black-robed man said coldly.
Luo Chen and Qing Shuang gripped their weapons tightly, knowing that a fierce battle was about to begin.
"We won’t let you succeed," Luo Chen said resolutely.
The black-robed man sneered, "Then let’s see if you have the ability."
The battle was imminent, as Luo Chen and Qing Shuang engaged in a fierce confrontation with the black-robed man.
The black-robed man’s mana was powerful, each strike filled with destructive force.
Luo Chen and Qing Shuang, relying on their mutual understanding and firm will, struggled to withstand the assault.
"You cannot stop us!" the black-robed man laughed wildly, his mana seemingly growing ever stronger.
Luo Chen and Qing Shuang knew they needed to find the black-robed man’s weakness quickly, or else they would not prevail.
"Qing Shuang, did you notice his mana seems to weaken at a specific moment?" Luo Chen said quietly amidst the battle.
Qing Shuang nodded, "Yes, every time he chants a curse, his defenses temporarily drop."
An idea flashed in Luo Chen’s eyes, "Then we’ll attack at that moment!"
They continued to grapple with the black-robed man, waiting for the opportunity to strike.
Finally, as the black-robed man began chanting a curse again, Luo Chen and Qing Shuang launched their attack simultaneously.
Their attack struck the black-robed man accurately, and he let out a painful scream, his body beginning to tremble.
"No! This can’t be!" the black-robed man shouted in disbelief.
Luo Chen and Qing Shuang gave him no chance to recover, launching another rapid assault, ultimately defeating the black-robed man.
As the black-robed man fell, the entire temple began to shake violently.