The Black Lotus of the Guilty Field was an extremely important item for Yaoyao, as it determined whether or not she could obtain a Holy Temple spell.
The Bull Player Guild was in dire need of high-level magic. Although during this period, Nie Yan had instructed them to seek out more advanced spells, very few players had successfully learned them. High-level magic couldn’t be easily obtained overnight; the foundation of a guild required gradual accumulation.
Every high-level spell was particularly precious!
It was crucial for the guild!
Wasn’t Nie Yan helping Yaoyao acquire a Holy Temple spell also helping himself?
The Bull Player Guild needed high-level magic!
Nie Yan and Yaoyao approached the Black Lotus of the Guilty Field ahead. The black lotus bloomed quietly, each petal resembling black crystal, translucent and clear, with a hint of pink hue like tiny blood vessels, spreading across the entire Black Lotus of the Guilty Field.
Nie Yan swam toward the distant Black Lotus of the Guilty Field. He had to get the item first!
Yaoyao followed at a distance of about two or three yards from Nie Yan. She dared not stray far. As a mage, she would be in danger if targeted by monsters. Her fragile cloth armor couldn’t withstand monster attacks.
The faint fragrance of the black lotus drifted quietly.
It refreshed Nie Yan’s spirit.
As he approached the Black Lotus of the Guilty Field, a cold current surged from the lake’s depths. The swirling vortex nearly swept him away.
A sense of alarm surged in his heart. A feeling of danger crept closer.
Something seemed to have passed beneath the dark lakebed. The Black Lotus of the Guilty Field might be guarded by some monster!
No matter! Nie Yan reached out and touched the stem of the Black Lotus, plucking it.
After placing the Black Lotus of the Guilty Field into his backpack, Nie Yan turned to Yaoyao and said, “We must leave here quickly!”
Once they returned to the lakeshore and used recall scrolls, they could escape this place!
As Nie Yan finished speaking, the entire lake suddenly changed. Turbulent currents surged, and a huge wave crashed toward Nie Yan and Yaoyao.
“Hold on to me!” Nie Yan shouted, wrapping his left arm around Yaoyao’s waist and swimming desperately toward the shore.
With a thunderous crash, the wave struck, slamming the two into the water. They struggled continuously.
“Nieyan, you go first. You have higher agility and can swim out!” Yaoyao said. As a mage, her low agility made her swim speed extremely slow. By the time she swam five or six yards, Nie Yan could have already covered dozens.
Nie Yan remained silent. Abandoning a woman to save himself would be shameful for any man.
Underwater currents from the lakebed swept Nie Yan and Yaoyao inside. They could only tightly hold each other, drifting with the current, having completely lost control over their direction.
The turbulent current fully controlled Nie Yan and Yaoyao. They could only ensure they didn’t get separated. In the chaos, Nie Yan practically touched every part of Yaoyao’s body, but it was unavoidable. He struggled to hold her, nearly losing grip several times. Under the violent impacts of the current, he couldn’t even feel anything.
Yaoyao felt a strong sense of suffocation, which made her slightly dizzy. She could feel a large hand tightly holding her, giving her a slight sense of security.
A powerful current slammed into Nie Yan’s chest, dragging both him and Yaoyao to the lakebed.
Yaoyao’s time underwater was nearly up. If she couldn’t surface for air soon, she would drown!
Realizing this, Nie Yan grew anxious. The immense pressure underwater prevented him from speaking. He could sense something swiftly swimming around them, eyeing Nie Yan and Yaoyao as their prey.
With great difficulty, Nie Yan opened his eyes and noticed some light below. Gritting his teeth, he pulled Yaoyao toward it.
The source of the glowing orb ahead was unknown. The closer they got, the brighter the light became, until everything turned white.
It felt as if they had crossed through time and space.
Nie Yan lost consciousness, still tightly holding Yaoyao in his last moments.
How long had passed? Nie Yan finally awoke from his slumber. Before him was a barren, desolate plain. A gust of wind blew, raising a storm of dust.
Where were they?
Looking up to the sky, swirling yellow sand filled the air.
System: You have discovered the Domain of Zaenard.
Zaenard? He was the legendary Dragon King!
Nie Yan’s thoughts raced. Zaenard single-handedly created the Dragon Empire of Xiberis, ruling over the Human Empire for 2900 years during the Dark Age. Could the information he previously received be true—that the Dragon King Zaenard’s sword was located here?
If many famous NPCs in history were considered legendary figures, then Zaenard was undoubtedly a mythical existence. Compared to him, other NPCs were like fireflies attempting to rival the moonlight. The brutal Dragon King was the undisputed ruler of that era.
Nie Yan certainly didn’t believe he could obtain the Dragon King Zaenard’s sword. That weapon was undoubtedly a divine artifact, and Zaenard himself was undoubtedly a god!
Accidentally entering the Domain of Zaenard, Nie Yan felt somewhat uneasy, unsure of what might await here.
Nie Yan struggled slightly but found he couldn’t move. Yaoyao was lying on top of him.
“Yaoyao,” Nie Yan pushed her gently. Yaoyao finally woke from her unconsciousness.
Still dazed, Yaoyao looked around sleepily.
“Nie Yan, where are we? Is this a graveyard?” Yaoyao asked, puzzled. She remembered being swept away by the current moments ago. How had she suddenly ended up here?
“We’ve entered a quest map!” Nie Yan replied. This quest map was incredibly mysterious, hidden deep beneath the lake. In a previous life, only a lucky player must have stumbled upon this place, revealing the information about Zaenard’s sword.
However, no one knew the true nature of Zaenard’s sword. The weapon had never appeared in public.
It was said only a paladin with the Holy Spirit’s Heart could wield this mighty divine sword. Otherwise, one would be consumed by Zaenard’s sword itself.
Nie Yan recalled this information from his memory. He searched for every detail related to Zaenard, but the official website only mentioned Zaenard as the Dragon King, listing his many conquests. As for Zaenard’s hidden secrets, the official website remained completely silent.
All of this made Nie Yan feel even more intrigued.
This was an unknown territory, waiting for Nie Yan to explore.
Yaoyao stood up, recalling the events in the turbulent current earlier. She felt deeply embarrassed.
Seeing Yaoyao’s flustered expression, Nie Yan didn’t know how to explain. An unusual atmosphere lingered between them.
“We can’t use recall scrolls. Let’s check ahead. If we can’t find a way out, at least we’ve obtained the Black Lotus of the Guilty Field. We can just die and return,” Nie Yan broke the awkward silence. To avoid making Yaoyao feel guilty, he didn’t mention the Order Chapter. If the Peace Chapter was lost, it would just have to be accepted.
“Okay,” Yaoyao nodded.
They tried to avoid facing each other directly, engaging in small talk about trivial things. Nie Yan thought of Xie Yao, feeling a sense of peace.
Nie Yan summoned his Golden Earth Dragon. The two humans and the dragon headed north into Zaenard’s Domain, unsure when they would find an exit. Suddenly, a large group of wandering monsters in the distance caught Nie Yan’s attention.
“I’ll go check,” Nie Yan said, entering stealth mode and slowly approaching the monsters behind nearby mounds.
They were Undead Bone Tusks. Their bodies resembled leopards, covered with sharp spines. They moved quickly, occasionally sprinting before slowing down again, in a wandering state.
Nie Yan cast Detect on one of the Undead Bone Tusks.
Undead Bone Tusk: Level 40, HP 3000/3000.
Just ordinary level 40 monsters. Nie Yan relaxed slightly.
Climbing a nearby hill, Nie Yan gasped. Farther ahead, countless Bone Tusks stretched endlessly across the landscape. How long would it take to pass through?
Was this place similar to the Headless Knight Dolo’s Secret Realm, requiring finding a quest clue to escape?
“We’ll grind some monsters for now,” Nie Yan suggested. Leveling here wouldn’t be bad, at least compensating for lost experience.
Losing the Peace Chapter would indeed be unfortunate. Although it was just one chapter, if he could collect the remaining five, it would become a legendary item rivaling the Shadow of Darkness!
There were six Order Chapters in total, each granting different attribute bonuses. Each chapter could trigger a new expansion. Collecting all six would make one the Pope of the Holy Temple! Becoming the Pope was unrealistic, but obtaining several Order Chapters would make Nie Yan nearly unstoppable.
Nie Yan raised the Crossbow of the Headless Knight Dolo, firing at the distant Bone Tusks. One monster’s head displayed a string of damage numbers. Immediately, fifty to sixty Bone Tusks rushed toward Nie Yan.
Yaoyao cast Holy Radiance, unleashing beams of light that struck in wide arcs, producing damage numbers of five or six hundred at least.
It was an area-of-effect magic!
Cleric mages were famous for single-target spells, with fewer but more powerful group attack spells.
At this moment, the Golden Earth Dragon released a blast of dragon breath, dealing another eight to nine hundred points of damage. Against ordinary monsters, the dragon’s breath was terrifyingly effective.
The Golden Earth Dragon charged forward, Yaoyao continued casting spells, and Nie Yan began clearing monsters. One Bone Tusk after another fell to the ground. Soon, the battlefield was littered with bones.
Nie Yan checked his status. Regarding the Demon Hunter title, the task progress was at 6: Kill 30+ level undead creatures, 62/50000.
Nie Yan’s mind stirred. It wouldn’t be bad to improve his title here.
Additionally, certain skills on the Shadow of Darkness required killing a specific number of evil creatures to unlock.
Thinking this, Nie Yan no longer felt trapped here was a bad thing. Searching for clues here might lead to some extraordinary discoveries.
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