As Xu Que drew closer to the end of the passage, the overwhelming aura grew ever more pronounced.
At that very moment!
A blinding white light flashed.
Then came the incantations, chanted in quick succession.
"Damn it!"
Xu Que had no time to glance forward. He quickly retreated, his movements a blur.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
The deafening explosions erupted, one after another, at the spot Xu Que had just occupied.
Before he could even regain his footing, more white light began to gather not far ahead.
Seeing the radiance, Xu Que clenched his teeth and dashed forward.
The chant of the mages grew more rapid. Before the spells could fully coalesce, they were hurled towards Xu Que once more.
Just as he was about to break into the hall, Xu Que, with a scowl, quickly pulled back again.
Though the explosion wasn't as ferocious as before, the energy released was still potent.
"…!"
Xu Que accelerated again, and at last, he stepped into the hall. The mages, too, sensed the aura from behind.
Xu Que wouldn't allow them a chance to strike. He charged straight behind one mage and swung his sword with swift precision.
The mage, struck, instantly vanished in a puff of white smoke.
Before the other two mages could utter another incantation, Xu Que slipped behind them as well.
With a single swing, the same fate befell the two mages.
But that wasn't the end.
As Xu Que prepared to rise, a crimson summoning gate suddenly materialized between the four forbidden pillars.
Out of it stepped four figures, cloaked in black, their faces obscured.
Sensing the potent energy emanating from the gate, Xu Que immediately understood the situation.
Before he could eliminate the four summoners, they seemed to sense the danger and began chanting their incantations.
*Swish—*
*Swish—*
Four summoning gates opened in rapid succession, and armored knights marched out to face Xu Que.
The sight of the summoners continuing their summoning made Xu Que's scalp prickle with dread.
The hall was small, and if it filled with summoned knights, there was no escaping. He would be doomed.
*Clank!*
The knights, turning as one, locked their gazes on Xu Que, their movements eerily synchronized.
It was a surreal and almost cinematic scene, as if a horror film was unfolding before his eyes.
*Clang!*
The knights unsheathed their greatswords, all aimed squarely at Xu Que.
Xu Que's expression tightened. His control over his face slipped—he knew there was no way he could slay all these knights.
At that moment, he considered fleeing. After all, he had already obtained a treasure and needn't sacrifice himself for another.
Just as Xu Que was about to decide whether to retreat, the knights surged forward.
"Damn, how are they so fast?!"
*Clang!*
Xu Que had intended to use the anchor key to escape, but the knights gave him no time. One knight's head was struck cleanly from his body, turning to vapor in an instant.
With his sword drawn, Xu Que swung rapidly at the incoming knights.
Though he cut down enemies quickly, the summoners were even quicker in their casting.
Soon, the hall was brimming with summoned knights.
A cold gleam flashed in Xu Que's eyes.
He had intended to leave, but now these knights had chosen their own fate. It was not his fault.
"Blade Command!"
Xu Que expanded his spiritual awareness, and his sword moved swiftly, cutting through each knight.
But that wasn't all!
Xu Que's body flickered like a streak of lightning, and two identical figures appeared beside him.
"Kill!"
The two mirror images sprang into action, attacking the advancing knights.
*Clang, clang!* The sounds of battle rang through the hall as Xu Que controlled his sword while viciously pounding the knights with his fists.
In an instant, the tide of battle shifted.
For each knight summoned, Xu Que could slay dozens.
Within less than a minute, only a third of the summoned knights remained in the hall.
Just as Xu Que thought he was nearing victory, the crimson summoning gate at the center of the four forbidden pillars pulsed again.
"Damn it, how much more is there?"
Xu Que cursed inwardly, his fists still hammering away.
As the potent aura expanded once more, a massive orc warrior was summoned.
Seeing the towering figure, Xu Que frowned—this was no magical creature!
"Roar!"
The colossal orc warrior bellowed, its war axe swinging with tremendous force. The four summoners were instantly reduced to ash, and the summoned knights around Xu Que vanished as well.
"Well, I'll be… is this help?" Xu Que inwardly scoffed.
He hadn't expected the orc's intelligence to be so lacking. If the battle had dragged on, Xu Que might have had to make a hasty escape, looking for an opportunity to use the anchor key to flee.
But now, the orc had unwittingly solved his problem and was more than a match for the knights.
"Roar!"
The orc warrior howled at Xu Que and swung its war axe at the nearest mirror image.
*Crash!*
The massive axe struck the image, and it vanished in an instant.
Xu Que, though unsurprised by the orc's destructive power, had seen even more powerful beasts in his previous life.
"Blade Command!"
Xu Que maneuvered his sword around the orc's massive form and drove it deep into the back of the orc's head.
*Thud!*
With a splash of green blood, the orc warrior collapsed.
Xu Que smiled faintly, no longer wasting time with flamboyant combat. He advanced toward the central pillars.
As he neared the central forbidden stone pillars, the summoning gate flickered again.
Xu Que cast a fleeting glance at the gate, then quickly searched for a way to close it.
There were no clues on the walls about the method of closing the gate, so Xu Que turned to the pillars for answers.
First six, then two, left three!
Unified within the six? Or the Seven Stars Seeking Three?
As Xu Que pondered, the crimson summoning gate pulsed once more, releasing another burst of energy.
Xu Que sighed in frustration and tossed his sword into the air, ready to face whatever appeared.
This time, he waited a moment, but nothing emerged.
"Strange…"
*Swish!*
Just as Xu Que began to wonder, a chilling sensation washed over him, and in a split second, he rolled backward.
*Boom!*
A powerful sonic boom struck the spot where he had just been standing.
The air seemed to shudder as though something had pierced it.
*Swish!*
Before Xu Que could recover, the sensation struck again.
He rolled quickly, and by the time he reached the wall, he barely had time to rise and look in the direction of the sound.
Nothing. Empty.
As Xu Que expanded his senses, a ripple in the air revealed the presence of something invisible.
"Blade Command!"
Xu Que guided his floating sword and slashed at the spot where the ripple had appeared.
*Pshhh!*
Blue blood sprayed from the wound, and a near-transparent shadow materialized before Xu Que's eyes.
"Shadow Wraith!"
Though Xu Que was startled, he didn't allow himself any false hope. Who knew what else that damned summoning gate could summon?
He had to close it quickly.
As he neared the forbidden stone pillar, his peripheral vision caught sight of text beneath a nearby pillar.
Seeing the phrase "Unified within the Six," Xu Que rushed to the pillar and pressed the symbols.
As the symbols were pressed, the central summoning gate began to shrink slowly.
When Xu Que pressed the final symbol, the crimson gate vanished as though it had been drained of power.
*Phew...* Xu Que exhaled in relief and stepped toward the central pedestal.
Upon reading the inscription beneath the chest, Xu Que's lips twitched before he decisively opened the purple-gold treasure chest.