The Yin Demon circled around the huge ancient octagonal formation, taking note of every detail. Through the Yin Demon, Han Shuo saw chunks of large, clear magic crystal ores piled up on the surface of the formation, obscuring the intricate details of the formation. These miniature mounds obviously provided an endless source of energy for the formation.
As the Earth Elite Zombie and the Yin Demon approached the large creature, they saw that its lower body and the base of its tail were sunk into the centre of the formation. The creature seemed to sense them as it snapped the end of its ten metre long tail into the air. The dark red tail whipped through the air like a giant metal chain as it tried to slam the Earth Elite Zombie into the ground.
Half of the Earth Elite Zombie's body was still underground. As he saw the python-like tail come down, he quickly dove into the depths of the earth. He heard a huge crash as the ground above his head began to shake.
A strange force shot out from the tail, shooting directly at the Earth Elite Zombie as it dove into the ground. The Earth Elite Zombie was terrified when he felt this force following him, and quickly tried to flee back to Han Shuo. He was only halfway there when the strange force caught up with him and surged into his body!
The Earth Elite Zombie began to thrash as the strange energy passed through his body. When the wave of power had completely passed through him, he came to, completely disoriented. Fortunately, Han Shuo had refined him using the energy from the Extreme Earth place as well as the magical yuan. He was also surrounded by his natural habitat of Earth, so the strange energy didn't leave any damage as it passed through him.
When the strange creature sensed that the Earth Elite Zombie was still alive after being hit by the force wave, it flew into a rage. Furiously, it slammed its tail into the ground several times, sending a multitude of force waves at the Earth Elite Zombie.
Even though the Earth Elite Zombie was still dazed from earlier, his perception was heightened under the ground. As he felt more waves of power coming towards him, he instinctively drew on the power of the earth to defend himself. Using himself as the epicentre, he began to vibrate the earth around him.
As they made their way through the vibrating earth, the force waves gradually weakened. The wear and tear on their energy meant that when they finally passed through the Earth Elite Zombie, it didn't show the slightest reaction.
The Earth Elite Zombie had been disoriented by the blast of strange energy because he hadn't managed to use his natural talents in time. Otherwise, he wouldn't have ended up in such an embarrassing situation.
"Huh?!" Han Shuo was astonished, then muttered thoughtfully, "It seems that the five divine elemental zombies need to face danger more often, otherwise they wouldn't even know how to use their own natural powers. The Earth Elite Zombie definitely didn't know that this earthquake-type ability could withstand the energy attacks, but he magically mastered this ability when faced with danger."
As Han Shuo pondered in silence, the strange creature trapped within the formation was driven mad by the repeated failure of its attacks. However, restricted as it was, there was nothing more it could do to the safely ensconced Earth Elite Zombie at the moment.
Instead, it turned its attention to the Redbud Knights and the Dark Elves, seemingly taking out its frustration with the Earth Elite Zombie on them. The whole mountain shook as it howled. The piercing howl was accompanied by waves of power like those directed at the earth zombie, only this time they were directed at the little ants who dared to set foot in its domain.
The Redbud Knights and the Dark Elves were taken completely by surprise by the bizarre waves of power. The Redbud Knights fared better than the dark elves, for they fought while surrounded by their combat aura. They only bled from their noses and mouths when hit, and slowed down as they fought through the effects. The Dark Elves, however, didn't fight under such protection, and their weak fighters died or were badly injured by the dozens when the force waves hit them out of the blue.
Their total force, however, numbered at least a thousand. The mighty creature was held back by the ancient confinement formation, and even its force wave attacks couldn't stop the invaders from swarming up the mountain and eventually entering the entrance caves.
Although the dark elves died in droves, they still managed to place a large number of goblin missiles in various key regions of the mountain. Kassel, on the other hand, led the Redbud Knights in teams through the dark, narrow caves, slaughtering every lizardman they could find.
The lizardmen had strong bodies, but wielded crude weapons. They were no match for the highly trained knights, let alone a powerful shapeshifting druid like Kassel. As they retreated further into the caves, the lizardmen left a trail of corpses.
The dark elves followed close behind, busily burying goblin missiles in every corner of the caves. The running battle drew closer and closer to the ancient creature as the Redbud Knights and dark elves pursued the lizardmen to the site of their "true god".
The terrible losses inflicted by the lizardmen caught the eye of the mighty creature. At the bottom of the gourd mountain, the strange creature howled in rage as it completely lost interest in the earth elite zombie. It roared as it mobilised several waves of power to smash into the Redbud Knights simultaneously.
Even the uncommonly strong Redbud Knights couldn't withstand the impact of multiple waves of power hitting them simultaneously. They died as they fought, the strange energy ravaging their bodies. The weaker dark elves suffered worse losses, with several hundred dying before they reached the innermost area.
At this point, Han Shuo could tell that whatever the alliance of the Redbud Knights and the dark elves were planning, it was a risky and daring plan. He was sure that the powerful creature was currently being held back by the formation. In fact, it was so restrained that it could only show half of its body.
The Redbud Knights could only see the upper half of the large lizard's body and the chunks of accumulated magic crystal ore scattered around it. They simply couldn't see the buried lower half of its body or the ancient magic formation.
It would be one thing if the goblin missiles blew the mountain apart and killed the strange creature. But if the creature managed to survive the blast, then the shattered mountain would no longer be able to contain it. Han Shuo was certain that the Redbud Knights and the Dark Elves would bear the brunt of its terrible fury once it was released from the magical formation that had imprisoned it for eons. However, this was not something Han Shuo needed to worry about.
For Han Shuo, his only purpose was to kill Celt and obtain as much magical crystal ore as possible. For the strange creature to survive would be the most ideal outcome.
He thought about it for a while, but then a wonderful idea came to him.
He called the Earth Elite Zombie to him, and the two of them headed towards the strange creature, tunneling into the depths of the Earth. But when Han Shuo emerged from the tunnels just outside the ancient magic formation, he was greeted by the ten-metre long python-like tail.
It was certainly impressive that the creature could accurately locate Han Shuo while its head was up above. Han Shuo quickly dashed to a far corner. The tail chased him until it stopped seven metres away from him, flailing furiously but unable to reach Han Shuo at all.
"Hey, I mean you no harm, I just want to help you." Han Shuo shouted at the ten metre long tail, regardless of whether it could understand him or not.
"Tiny weak presence, you will pay the price!" A message sent purely through consciousness shook the space around Han Shuo, seemingly from the strange creature.
Normally, the higher a creature's rank, the more intelligence it possessed. The Dark Dragon Gilbert or the Golden Dragon could both speak human language, and even the Lord of Flames had the ability to communicate directly with their minds. The ability to communicate with humans meant that this creature was no less powerful than the Lord of Flames.
This was indeed within Han Shuo's expectations. The creature had immediately responded to Han Shuo's call. Communicating directly with his mind was even clearer than using spoken language.
"Mighty being, I'm not one of the people above, I've come to help you! I can use their power to break the formation without harming you in the slightest. All I want is the magical crystal ores at the bottom of Gourd Mountain. What do you think?" Han Shuo made his proposal immediately after learning that they could communicate.
"Pathetic creature, those stupid fellows would still help me blow up that pumpkin mountain without your help. I fed them false information that I'm afraid of fire and missiles. Now they are acting according to my plan and helping me destroy the mountain! No one can stop it now. Even if you're not with them, they won't believe you when you tell them. Your proposal is worthless!" The creature laughed proudly, completely unexpected by Han Shuo.
Han Shuo's expression changed slightly as he heard the ancient creature's boast. Who would have thought that this creature was actually so cunning? It didn't seem to be afraid of flames and missiles as Celt had speculated. It had faked disadvantages in the previous battle just to create this situation.
Han Shuo suddenly looked confused and replied, "If that's the case, why didn't you ask the lizardmen to get you out? It wouldn't be difficult for them to collect goblin missiles. Since they believe you to be their 'true god', they would be even more willing to help you. Why use enemies to help you?"
"I would have left this damned place long ago if they could communicate with me! They are cursed by the gods to be bound in their bodies forever, unable to break their bonds. They can't use anything but the power of the flesh to communicate. They simply don't understand me.
"These poor creatures know only the crudest of methods, and that is to remove all the magical crystal ores from around me. They thought it was the only way to get me out of this damn cage." The creature seemed to have been imprisoned for far too long, talking to Han Shuo non-stop.
Hearing this, Han Shuo suddenly remembered that the lizardmen really only knew how to use their physical strength. The power of their souls and the depth of their wisdom were pathetically shallow. Perhaps that was why they were unable to get any information from the giant creature in this room, and could only rely on their determination to overcome every obstacle and remove the last bit of magical crystal ore from the mountain.
End of part 1 of the chapter.
So it seemed that the lizardmen's occupation of the gourd-shaped mountain and their tireless mining of the ore was not in their own interests, but to help free their "true god" from bondage! Come to think of it, they didn't even know how to forge complex weapons, so how could they possibly understand the true value of magic crystal ore?
From this strange creature's explanation, Han Shuo knew that it was now impossible to prevent it from escaping the Ancient Formation. Celt was on the verge of blowing the entire mountain sky high, and all it needed was a single damaged corner to break free from its ancient imprisonment.
Quickly, Han Shuo began to think of another way. Looking at the ten metre long dark red tail, he remembered Arlen's words about the true god of the lizardmen being just a big lizard. Inspiration struck, could this strange creature be protecting the Lizardmen?
"Mighty being, there are still hundreds of lizardmen who worship you trapped inside this mountain. Once the invaders blow up the mountain, a mighty being like you might be able to survive, but the poor lizardmen would be wiped out to the last man." Han Shuo paused for effect. He could feel the creature's hesitation clouding the atmosphere. He continued, "However, I can ensure their survival. As long as you promise me the magic crystal ores in this mine, I will lead them to a safe place before the explosion."
"Lowly little being, I, the great Ancient Lizard King Dagassi, agree to your request. As long as you can ensure their safety, you may take as much of this ore as you can carry." After a brief silence, the Ancient Lizard King Dagassi gave Han Shuo his promise.
Han Shuo didn't linger after receiving Dagassi's promise. He immediately ordered the Earth Elite Zombie to dig a tunnel to the surface. The earth elite zombie complied, and the earth readily parted for him. Halfway through, however, the zombie sent him a message of helplessness. Han Shuo had already guessed the source of the problem and quickly shot towards the half-finished tunnel.
Aside from the large space occupied by the ancient magic formation, the earth was nothing but compacted earth from the edge of the mountain to the giant tail of the Ancient Lizard King Dagassi. The earth elite zombie discovered that magic crystal ores, harder than iron ores, were in its way as it began to dig upwards.
Even the earth elite zombie's natural powers were useless against magic crystal ore. He stopped halfway, not knowing what to do next. After all, the Earth Elite Zombie was only an Earth Elite Zombie. It didn't have the power of the Metal Elite Zombie to level and devastate mountains.
"My poor children are dying in droves. Little human, hurry and act." The ancient lizard king Dagassi sent a wave of urgent messages into Han Shuo's mind.
Pressed for time, Han Shuo pulled out the incomparable Demonslayer Edge. The weapon spun like a drill in his hand as he thrust it upwards. Large chunks of magic crystal ore disappeared into Han Shuo's space ring before they'd even had time to touch the ground. Although his speed was slightly slower than the Earth Elite Zombie's use of his natural talents, Han Shuo was still able to drill upwards at a rate of several metres per second with the help of the Demonslayer's Edge.
As the Ancient Lizard King urged him on, each turn of the Demonslayer's Edge brought a large chunk of magic crystal ore into Han Shuo's space ring. Within moments, he arrived at the spot where the Lizard King's upper body and head were located, above the magic formation.
Han Shuo looked up and couldn't help but let out a faint exclamation. This Ancient Lizard King did indeed look like a giant lizard man, except for a few differences. A sharp horn grew from the top of his head, and a row of red, sword-like sharp spikes sprouted from the horn down his back.
The Ancient Lizard King was even larger than the Green Dragon. He resembled a towering mountain of reddish-brown muscle. At a height of twenty metres, his body seemed to be made of thick, reddish-brown boulders.
His deep red eyes shone like two lanterns high in the air. He stared down at the ant-like Han Shuo below him, once again sending out urgent messages.
"Understood, understood. I will help your children survive." Han Shuo replied to the Lizard King's impatient nagging. He quickly rushed into the complex network of caves, admiring the Ancient Lizard King's massive form.
"I am a messenger of your 'True God'! By his command, I am here to lead you to a place of safety!" Han Shuo's call came just as the lizardmen were desperately fighting a rearguard action. They were fiercely resisting the Redbud Knights' onslaught as they retreated towards the Ancient Lizard King.
"Despicable human, why are you here?" The big-tailed leader suddenly panicked, shouting in an awkward version of common language as he pointed at Han Shuo as if to initiate attacks.
"I am helping you as a messenger of your 'True God'. You'll find out if you come with me!" Han Shuo explained and then immediately shouted, "Don't do anything unnecessary! They have laid explosives all over the mountain. All you have to do is hurry to your god's side."
Without stopping to see if the lizardmen believed him or not, Han Shuo flew straight back to the Ancient Lizard King. When the retreating lizardmen heard his words, they accelerated their retreat to the Ancient Lizard King, perhaps because they believed Han Shuo, or perhaps because they were concerned for the safety of their 'true god' and did not want to fight with the Redbud Knights.
It was only when the remaining lizardmen saw Han Shuo standing unharmed next to their 'true god' that they began to believe Han Shuo. They first kowtowed to the Lizard King before the leader looked up at him and humbly asked, "True God, what are we going to do? The enemy has already invaded!"
The Ancient Lizard King thrashed a little and let out a long howl. Sounds of explosions spread throughout the room, and the gourd-shaped mountain began to shake violently.
"Human, lead them in, time is running out!" The Lizard King's consciousness permeated the air, but it was a pity the lizardmen couldn't understand the message.
""There is a passage here. You can all hide inside and be safe from the explosion. Your 'True God' said the missiles won't hurt him. He will take care of the rest." Han Shuo shouted quickly as he saw the Redbud Knights enter to place the explosives in the cave.
The leader looked at Han Shuo, still safe and sound at the feet of their 'true god', and seemed to believe his words. The leader quickly shouted something in the lizard tongue at his brothers. Without a moment's hesitation, they followed their leader, travelling further underground through Han Shuo's tunnel.
After all the lizardmen had safely made their way into the tunnel, the Ancient Lizard King once again filled the room with his words, "Human, don't let those damned invaders throw explosives in here. Even if I don't die from the explosion, I will still be injured. Besides, the smell is very unpleasant.
There were seven caves leading from the depths of the mountain to this area. The Redbud Knight and the Dark Elf invaders also seemed to be afraid of the mountain-like Lizard King, for they hadn't charged in here. Instead, they stood at the entrance and threw down the explosives.
Han Shuo summoned about a hundred dark creatures after hearing the lizard king. They were everywhere, beating back every missile thrown at them. When the Redbud Knights and Dark Elves outside discovered that their bags of explosives had been thrown back, they all fumed with rage.
The skeletal warriors, of course, could not understand the anger outside the caves. All they knew was that they had to obey Han Shuo's every command, and they continued to throw the rockets out with great enthusiasm. The situation of the entire area had become somewhat comical.
The remaining Yin Demon had been slowly following the Redbud Knights all along. After watching them for a while, Han Shuo suddenly sneered, "Since you've set foot here, don't dream of escaping. Enjoy the madness of the goblin missiles along with the mountain!"
Another incantation brought forth several hulking hate warriors. They joined the zombies and skeletal warriors in throwing the missiles out of the cave. The hate warriors and zombies slowly moved forward, creating a blockade at the cave's entrances. Once they had sealed off the cave entrances, Han Shuo shoved some of the remaining goblin missiles into his space ring.
The knights and dark elves furiously attacked the dark creatures that had suddenly appeared. They picked up the goblin missiles on the ground and prepared to hurl them back at the Ancient Lizard King below, while cursing the dark creatures.
These goblin missiles were intricately made. They wouldn't explode unless ignited with a fierce flame, but once ignited, they turned into a veritable sea of flames. The invaders had strategically placed explosives to chain the entire blast together. The mountain would be hard-pressed to withstand such a large number of goblin missiles going off at once, and would inevitably collapse.
The Ancient Lizard King would bear the brunt of the explosion this time. Only when the explosives filled the area around him would the destructive effect be maximised. That was why the Redbud Knights were working so tirelessly to break through the dark creatures' blockade.
After all the lizardmen had been evacuated through the tunnel and the caves were blocked by the undead creatures, the Ancient Lizard King grew even more impatient and sent another message: "Enough. Help me make a great fire and bury all these knights in it.
"Glad to be of service!" Han Shuo snickered coldly, a red flame shooting from his hand. A zombie suddenly turned its body sideways, allowing the flame to pass through the gap.
"Fire, it's fire! Put it out!" The Redbud Knights, still fighting the dark creatures, suddenly lost their minds at the sight of the fiery stream. Their loud cries turned to wails as they realised how many goblin missiles had been placed around the mountain. They would be in dire straits if the explosion occurred before they retreated from the gourd mountain.
A few more flames flew from Han Shuo's hand, shooting like arrows through the gaps between the zombie warriors. They landed on the knights and dark elves who had not yet caught fire.
Han Shuo's mind suddenly moved with a thought, a flame arcing directly into a goblin missile held by a hate warrior.