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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 1: Escape from Twin Cliffs
Big Tiger stood outside the gate of the Watchtower. The gate was made of large logs, tall and thick, with a pointed top that prevented anyone from standing on it. He laughed wildly from his horse, "The slaughter is about to begin!"
With a swift motion, Big Tiger reached out, and one of his henchmen handed him a spear. This spear looked like any other, but it had a unique feature: along its shaft, there were seven flat grooves spaced three inches apart, resembling squinted eyes.
Big Tiger tightened his grip on the spear and shouted, "I'll take the first shot!"
Behind him, each of his henchmen held a spear as well; they were ready to throw theirs as soon as Big Tiger launched his.
Without hesitation, Big Tiger raised the spear high and hurled it into the Watchtower.
Just as Ji Zichen and his companions stepped out of their dwelling, they saw a spear arc overhead, piercing through the roof and landing inside the house behind them. The spear moved so quickly that Lin Chuyu only caught a glimpse of something flying above her head before it disappeared inside. She asked curiously, "What was that just now?"
Ji Zichen's sharp gaze had already discerned what it was. Despite the speed of the spear, he frowned and said, "It was a spear; the Western Desert Gang has begun their attack."
Meng Hai scoffed derisively, "What can one spear do? They are nothing but a rabble."
Ji Zichen began to feel uneasy; he knew this wouldn't be so simple.
His instincts proved correct. This was no ordinary spear. It struck the center of a tea table inside the house, and with a hiss, all seven grooves simultaneously released blue cloths that shattered doors, windows, and roofs, enveloping the house from seven different directions in an instant.
A Stone House transformed into a Fabric House in the blink of an eye.
Immediately after, countless spears soared through the air like dark waves, landing in over a hundred houses, each one becoming a Fabric House within moments.
"Release the Western Desert Birds!" Fire Lion shouted. Ten henchmen pushed forward a birdcage taller than three men. The cage was covered by a heavy black curtain. One henchman lifted the curtain to reveal hundreds of green Western Desert Birds fluttering and chirping as they soared into the air, leaping over the gate. It seemed as if a cloud of green had drifted above the Watchtower.
Each Western Desert Bird had a specially made Firestarter attached to its claws, no larger than a signal tube. As they flew into the air, the Firestarters ignited from the breeze, creating a beautiful display of sparks that danced across the sky.
The burning Firestarters seared the claws of the Western Desert Birds. In pain and unable to control their wings any longer, hundreds of them began to plummet downwards.
Some Western Desert Birds carrying Firestarters landed on the Fabric House, igniting the entire place in flames.
The Watchtower was filled with the sound of drums, signaling an attack on the camp.
Inside the Watchtower, congregants wielding water-based artifacts quickly used their devices to spray jets of water to extinguish the fire.
Meng Hai saw the flames raging inside the Watchtower and, in a mix of shock and anger, exclaimed, "So that spear is also an artifact! How have I never seen it before?"
Ji Zichen felt her heart sink. "I’ve heard there are many ruins in the Western Desert. It seems the Western Desert Gang has found something."
The main gate was engulfed in flames. Big Tiger swung his War Hammer, smashing the gate down. Leading the charge, Big Tiger rushed into the Watchtower, where congregants had already gathered. A group of them, primarily using Fire Elemental Artifacts, shot jets of fire at the incoming members of the Western Desert Gang. The Western Desert Gang had shield bearers among them who held their shields up front to block the powerful jets of fire.
It appeared that the Western Desert Gang had come prepared; the fire did not inflict much damage on them.
The enemy pressed closer, with the fastest group already entering the center of the Watchtower.
Meng Hai led a team of Thunder Elemental Artifact users at the center of the Watchtower, ready and waiting for the perfect moment to strike with lightning.
Meng Hai displayed great patience, waiting until nearly all shield bearers were within about five zhang before shouting, "Release Thunder!" The congregants responded with a roar akin to war drums.
A thunderous roar erupted.
Suddenly, immense bolts of lightning descended from above, each as thick as an arm, crashing down upon the shield bearers in an instant.
The lightning was incredibly swift; when activated at close range, Thunder Elemental Artifacts unleashed devastating power. Even a good Magic Shield could not block two types of elemental attacks simultaneously.
Thus, Meng Hai waited until the enemy was within optimal range before issuing his command.
The thunderstorm was beyond what any Magic Shield could withstand. Amidst screams of agony, members of the Western Desert Gang fell one after another, turning into charred corpses.
This resulted in significant casualties for the Western Desert Gang.
Ji Zichen and Lin Chuyu had already mounted their horses on the other side. Kiko's expression was serious as she asked, "Are you ready?"
After witnessing the conflict at Corner Lodge, Lin Chuyu was no longer excessively fearful, but she was still sweating coldly. She nodded, "I am ready."
Kiko said in a low voice, "Stay close to me."
Meng Hai's team broke through the shield soldiers, their morale soaring. Someone remarked, "Is this all the Western Desert Gang has? They dare to come looking for trouble with the Divine Alliance Under the Covenant?"
Meng Hai replied, "Don't let your guard down. We must ensure that the Grand Envoy can break through."
Despite seeing their shield team decimated, the members of the Western Desert Gang remained ferocious and surged into the Watchtower. The fire spread rapidly; even though the members of the Divine Alliance Under the Covenant had water-based artifacts, they could not extinguish the flames in time.
Some were battling with artifacts, others were clashing with weapons, and some of the congregation and gang members were engulfed in flames, rolling on the ground as they burned, their screams and cries mingling together. This time, it was not the Western Desert Gang's members who suffered defeat but rather the congregation of the Divine Alliance Under the Covenant.
The raging flames cast a blood-red glow inside the Watchtower, resembling hell itself.
The gang members of the Western Desert Gang cheered as they saw the fire spreading in the Watchtower, their spirits lifted.
Big Tiger excitedly patted Lifeng on the shoulder, thinking about how this was all thanks to Fire Lion's carefully devised fire attack strategy. He exclaimed, "They're really weak! Listening to these artifact sellers makes them sound impressive, but I think they're just like this!"
Fire Lion did not let his guard down. "Third Brother, don't celebrate too early. Although a surprise attack often catches people off guard, once they regain their composure, we will be in trouble. We need to capture Second Sister quickly. Remember, our goal is not just silver but the wealth within the ruins. Spread out and find her!"
In less than half a tea time's duration of fighting, those in the Watchtower who belonged to water, fire, and thunder artifacts had all drawn their weapons to engage in battle since artifacts could only be used after several hours of rest.
The fire was too intense; although there were many members in the Watchtower, they were isolated by flames and unable to gather together.
Big Tiger's face turned fierce as he wielded his War Hammer with abandon. Members fell to the ground in pools of blood as he charged through the sea of flames alone with reckless ferocity.
The War Hammer was large and heavy, weighing three hundred pounds, yet in Big Tiger's hands, it swung like a lightweight branch. Two members hid in a side alley that had not yet been fully engulfed by flames. One of them looked on in shock at Big Tiger's wild swings and said, "Is that a monster? That hammer is so big yet he wields it so easily!"
Suddenly, another member behind him cried out in despair. As he turned his head, he saw his brother behind him raising his arms without hands; blood gushed from clean cuts where his hands had been severed. A Sharp Sword pierced through where his hands had been. As soon as it was withdrawn, that member collapsed to the ground. The person in front then recognized Lifeng and stammered, "You... you are..."
Lifeng smiled lightly and said, "Calling me 'Third Brother Monster' is quite rude. A person without manners surely has foul-smelling nails!"
With a swift motion of the Sharp Sword, the man’s head separated from his body and fell to the ground.
Lifeng looked at the wide-eyed head that refused to close its eyes and replied, "Those with foul-smelling nails do not deserve to know my name."
Big Tiger cleared away the nearby Yu Ren and rode over to Lifeng, who was talking to a helmet. Big Tiger asked, "Second Brother, what are you saying to a broken head?"
Lifeng smirked and said, "Nothing much."
Lifeng whistled for his horse to come over. After mounting, he asked, "Where's Eldest Brother?"
Big Tiger replied, "Eldest Brother is guarding the main gate to prevent anyone from trying to escape."
The two returned near the main gate and noticed a thin white mist rising in the area. Riding through the crowd, they approached Fire Lion. Big Tiger asked, "Eldest Brother, why is there mist forming?"
Fire Lion felt a dampness on his face and frowned. "Is this water mist?"
Sensing something was off, Fire Lion thought to himself, "It must be some water-based magical artifact causing this; otherwise, how could mist suddenly appear here?"
After a moment of contemplation, he immediately warned with a cold glint in his eyes, "Everyone retreat three yards outside the gate!"
Though he spoke quickly, people's reactions were not as fast as his words.
From within the thick white mist, a shadow rose high above—over ten yards tall. This shadow resembled a towering wave. Fire Lion knew it wasn't a wave because he didn't feel any water rushing toward him; instead, he sensed an overwhelming pressure that was suffocating.
Fire Lion swiftly turned his horse around, but the steed was startled by the oppressive shadow and fell to the ground. Big Tiger shouted, "Eldest Brother!"
Fire Lion quickly got back up and saw two horses charging beneath the massive shadow. As they entered Fire Lion's line of sight, he recognized Ji Zichen and Lin Chuyu riding them. Ji Zichen glanced at Fire Lion from the right side of the passageway and raised his hand toward the Western Desert Gang members blocking the door. The fire pearl on his wrist dimmed but did not extinguish completely; it was already an upgraded Five Elements Pearl.
Ji Zichen was now able to use the fire pearl twice.
Four fire dragons leaped up, instantly engulfing the gang members blocking the passage. Ji Zichen and his companion urged their steeds forward, crashing into the screaming gang members as they raced down Twin Cliffs.
Fire Lion leaped onto Big Tiger's horse and shouted, "Go!"
The three of them galloped away, glancing back to see shadows crashing down behind them. As Fire Lion and his companions reached the halfway point of Twin Cliffs, they turned to see that the gate had been completely covered by a thick layer of Sand, which had entirely buried the entrance.
It was then that Fire Lion understood that the shadow was indeed Sand. He sneered, "Impressive. Using the white mist for cover, hiding Sand behind it. If we had been a moment slower, we would have become mere bones beneath the sand."
Dust particles swirled in the air as Big Tiger looked back at Fire Lion riding beside him and asked, "Big Brother, are you alright?"
Fire Lion's face was flushed with anger. "That person just now was the Fugitive, wasn't he?"
"Yes," Big Tiger replied. "And that was Second Sister."
Fire Lion commanded, "There are only three of us left. Let's pursue them!"
The Sand covering the gate had formed a slight slope. Meng Hai stood atop the Sand, watching Ji Zichen's distant figure, praying in his heart, "May you escape safely."
The leader stood on the third floor of the tower, gazing at the Sand sealing the gate. The flames in the Watchtower had diminished as he remarked, "Foolish. For the sake of an outsider, you've allowed The Divine Alliance Under the Covenant to lose its reputation. Three Cities Order, your token has come at just the right time."
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