The grandeur of the castle was awe-inspiring, but soon, Allen regretfully shook his head.
Once a magnificent fortress, the castle now lay in ruins. The towering watchtower was severed in half, the structures used to summon skeletons, liches, and other undead were severely damaged, and even the walls had crumbled beyond recognition. The entire castle had nearly turned into a desolate wasteland. The undead, lying before him, were loyal and respectful, but their numbers barely exceeded a hundred, with many gravely injured. Some of the skeletal warriors were missing several bones, creaking with every gust of wind; a stronger breeze would reduce them to mere fragments. With such a pitiful force, the castle was far from the power it once held during its prime, and it would not even stand a chance against a group of wild monsters—let alone wage war against another castle! They might not even be enough to serve as mere cannon fodder.
"Arno, summon all remaining guards who can still fight!"
Gazing at the pitiful skeletons before him, Allen shook his head once more and turned to ascend the broken watchtower. It was as if fate was conspiring against him—the Lich Castle, now reduced to a feeble remnant, had just coincidentally encountered a formidable Twelfth-Stage Dark Knight. The situation was even worse than he had anticipated!
The Lich Castle was built within a narrow, deep canyon, isolated and hidden, with vast mountain ranges and untamed forests in the distance. From atop the watchtower, Allen saw a Dark Knight, clad in black armor, riding a towering spectral warhorse. With a single sweep of his blade, he cleaved through each undead guardian that tried to intercept him, charging toward the castle's gates without hesitation. In mere moments, the dozen or so skeletal warriors who rushed to engage were all felled to the ground!
Like a knife cutting through butter!
Before a Twelfth-Stage Dark Knight, even the skeletal warriors of the Second-Stage were no match!
"My lord, allow me to personally lead several squads to intercept him!" Arno, donning his Asura armor, declared, radiating killing intent. Stronger than the average zombie soldier, Arno possessed intelligence to rival that of humans—no wonder he was the captain of the zombie brigade.
"No. Issue the command for a gradual retreat. Draw the enemy in!" Allen's face was cold as ice.
Fighting head-on was futile. Without elite weapons and coordinated tactics, the scant hundred-odd low-level undead would stand no chance against a Dark Knight. After the terrifying shockwave, the remaining forces in the castle were pitifully few, and charging into the fray would likely result in total annihilation. It would be better to retreat, lure the powerful Dark Knight inside, and activate the castle's magical array to suppress and eliminate him!
A desperate gamble. A fight to the death!
Taking a deep breath, Allen focused all his attention on the approaching Dark Knight. Allowing the enemy in was akin to inviting a wolf into his home—if successful, they could avoid catastrophe, but if it failed, the consequences would be unimaginable. But at this moment, it was the best course of action. He couldn't simply surrender the castle he had only just acquired.
"Yes, my lord!"
Arno bowed deeply and quickly departed. Soon, all the skeletal warriors and zombie soldiers withdrew into the castle. The Dark Knight, drenched in killing intent, paused before the castle gates for a moment. He then cast a cold glance at Allen standing on the watchtower, before spurring his ghostly warhorse forward with a sharp motion of his legs. With a single strike, he cleaved a zombie warrior in two, devouring the soul fire from the fallen and letting out a satisfied groan as he pressed onward. As he prepared to attack a few more zombie warriors, the world around him shifted, and he found himself standing in a desolate desert.
With a single step, the quicksand swallowed the warhorse's thighs, and the more the beast struggled, the deeper it sank, leaving it trapped and immobile!
Illusory Quicksand!
Allen, from within the Dark Ring, produced a hundred premium crystal stones imbued with vast magical energy and threw them into the castle's magical array.
Instantly, the stones erupted into flames, unleashing an overwhelming surge of magic that powered the immense magical array. Dark mist swirled above the castle, engulfing the mighty Dark Knight, seeping into his every pore, eroding his magical power and soul energy.
These crystals, infused with vast amounts of magic, accelerated cultivation and also acted as the driving force behind the magical array. They came in five grades—ordinary, low-grade, middle-grade, high-grade, and premium. Even a low-grade crystal was worth a fortune, while the rarer premium crystals were almost impossible to obtain.
To break through to the divine domain, Lich King Ovissis had exhausted all the magic within the subterranean crystal veins, leaving barely a thousand premium crystals in the Dark Ring. These precious gems were irreplaceable—using even one was a significant sacrifice. But facing the brutal Dark Knight, Allen didn't hesitate, directly burning over a hundred!
Roar...
Sensing something amiss, the Dark Knight's face changed. With a ferocious roar, he charged forward, propelled by his godly senses, making a deadly dash toward Allen standing on the watchtower. His bloodstained sword gleamed darkly, a blade that had no doubt slain countless undead. Seeing the imminent danger, Arno quickly commanded a squad of guards to intercept him. But before they could act, a flash of black light appeared in the air, and several heads fell to the ground. Even the armored skeleton warriors and zombie soldiers, experts in close combat, were easily cleaved in half!
Double Impact!
The unstoppable Dark Knight grew fiercer with each battle, his strikes now dealing double damage, instantly slaughtering all the undead guards in his path. A powerful push sent him soaring, and he leapt onto the watchtower in mid-air, aiming directly at the unprepared Allen. Fast as lightning, his momentum like a raging storm, his cold eyes gave no hint of emotion, as though he were a reaper's scythe. In an instant, Allen found it hard to breathe, his senses gripped by an icy, suffocating pressure. The weight of the incoming attack nearly paralyzed him!
Was this the true power of a Twelfth-Stage Dark Knight?
As the sword blade drew closer in an instant, Allen's pupils contracted. His Black Magic Pen darted across the air, drawing mystical runes. Raising his right hand, he ignited five hundred premium crystal stones. Just as the Dark Knight's blade was about to strike, a powerful shockwave erupted, slamming into the Dark Knight's head. With a blood-curdling scream, the Dark Knight was sent tumbling down from the watchtower, crashing heavily to the ground, his head ringing in pain.
The wail of the soul!
In that critical moment, Allen instinctively turned to the Soul Banner behind him, channeling its energy in a final, desperate counterattack. His magic crystals and soul crystals were nearly depleted, the faintest trace of their energy left. The vast surge of power from the premium crystals caused the ancient Soul Banner to pulse violently, unleashing a soul-shattering attack that distorted the very air around them. The shockwave tore nearby skeletal warriors to pieces!
Indeed, the Soul Banner, though battered and worn, was still a terrifying relic, revealing its vicious side!
Though Allen was only a First-Stage Magic Apprentice, his mastery over magic had grown since inheriting the memories and soul imprint of the Lich King Ovissis. Yet, even with rapid spellcasting, he was no match for a Twelfth-Stage Dark Knight. Fortunately, the battered Soul Banner was still intact enough to release a single devastating blow. The Dark Knight's soul fire nearly vanished in an instant, and he was severely wounded!
Woosh...
A cold wind blew, and a strand of black hair fell from Allen's forehead, cut by the Dark Knight's blade. A single bead of sweat trickled down his nose!
In the briefest of moments—
From the Dark Knight's thunderous strike to Allen's desperate counterattack, it happened so quickly that it was almost unbelievable. Only after wounding the Dark Knight did Allen snap back to reality, drenched in cold sweat. Taking a deep breath, he finally recognized the taste of death. A moment's hesitation, and he would have been split in two!
"Ah..."
With a scream, the injured Dark Knight crashed to the ground, spitting out blood. He didn't even retrieve his fallen sword, his eyes filled with terror as he glanced at the Soul Banner behind Allen. Turning, he fled for his life, desperate to escape the haunted Lich Castle. But just as he turned, a skeleton arrow shot out of the shadows, piercing his right knee. With another agonized scream, he stumbled and fell once more, too weak to rise before the undead guards descended upon him, relentless and fearless.
At the crucial moment, without waiting for Allen's orders, Arno led the most elite skeletal warriors and zombie soldiers to encircle the wounded Dark Knight. After losing several guards, they managed to inflict deep wounds on him!
Normally, a Twelfth-Stage Dark Knight wouldn't even spare these low-level guards a second glance, but now, the sheer number of blades had left him battered and bloodied.
"Your bones shall become my flesh, your soul my source of power..."
Seeing the Dark Knight still struggling for his life, Allen pushed forward with renewed determination, tapping into Ovissis's memories to cast an ancient spell.
The Black Magic Pen carved through the air, and a massive ethereal figure appeared behind Allen, resembling a ferocious ancient beast or an undying abyssal demon. With a single roar, it transformed into a vortex, swallowing the wounded Dark Knight whole, devouring his flesh, magic, and soul energy, absorbing his memories. Finally, the Red Light entered Allen's body.
Boom...
Immediately, the magic crystals and soul crystals within Allen surged to life, his blood boiling as his muscles swelled and veins bulged. The energy from the Dark Knight poured into him like a tidal wave, almost bursting him apart. His magical power skyrocketed tenfold, and his senses expanded from a ten-meter radius to a hundred. Like a runaway train, his strength surged forward, breaking through from First-Stage Magic Apprentice to Third-Stage in an instant, a leap of three levels!
The Great Devouring Technique!
Allen activated the ancient Great Devouring Technique, refining the mighty Dark Knight's energy. His soul pressure grew exponentially, and the undead around him instinctively bowed before him.
"Slaughter and plunder—truly the fastest path to cultivation!"
With his eyes closed, Allen savored the changes within himself. A triumphant roar echoed from his chest as he made up his mind. Next, he would form an elite force and sweep through the surrounding powers of the Lich Castle, plundering their wealth and devouring their magic and soul energy. Only in this way could he quickly secure his footing in the perilous Sunset Wasteland and accelerate his cultivation.
"When will I become a true demigod, or even reach the peak of the divine domain?" Allen stood atop the towering watchtower, gazing at the endless mountain ranges, his magical power surging. After witnessing the immense strength of the Twelfth-Stage Dark Knight, his desire and anticipation for greater power only grew stronger!
The soul crystals and magic crystals inherited from Lich King Ovissis gave him the potential to reach the demigod stage and beyond, but it also greatly increased the difficulty of his cultivation. The majority of the absorbed energy was consumed by the depleted magic and soul crystals. To devour the energy within a Twelfth-Stage Dark Knight was enough to elevate a First-Stage skeleton to Sixth-Stage, yet Allen had only just advanced from a First-Stage Magic Apprentice to Third-Stage.
A tiny plant requires little energy to grow, but a sapling into a towering tree demands millions of times more!
Step by step, Allen understood that the path to the peak of the divine domain was still long ahead of him.
Everything had just begun!