Panlong's Worton

Chapter 25 Black Valley

After traveling northeast for ten days from Chier County, the terrain began to become treacherous.

The mountains grew higher and higher, the roads narrower and narrower, and sometimes there were no roads at all, forcing one to traverse through rocks and bushes. The air became humid, and mist often drifted up from the valleys, creating a white haze that reduced visibility to less than ten feet.

Sessler walked ahead, his gaunt figure appearing and disappearing in the mist like a drifting ghost. He leaned on a cane made of a tree branch, yet he walked more steadily than Linley and Walton—necromancers had an unusual constitution, aging slowly and possessing great stamina.

"How much further?" Walton asked. He carried the heavy sword "Mountain Guardian" on his back, as well as two large leather bags filled with rations and spoils of war. Linley had suggested using his spatial ring several times, but Walton said that carrying heavy loads was also part of his training.

"Almost there." Sessler said without turning his head. "See that red pine forest ahead? Go through the forest, and you'll find the entrance to Misty Valley."

Linley looked in that direction. The fog was too thick; he could only vaguely make out a dark outline, like a crouching behemoth.

Beibei perched on Lin Lei's shoulder, twitched its little nose, and squeaked twice.

"What did it say?" Sessler asked.

Lin Lei translated: "Bebe said there were things in the forest, many things, but they weren't living creatures."

Sessler chuckled. "The little guy has a good nose. That's a 'Gravekeeper Tree Spirit,' a guardian created by necromancers from dead tree spirits. Anyone who goes in without a pass mark will get entangled in its roots and dragged underground to become fertilizer."

Walton gripped the hilt of his sword: "Then how do we get in?"

"Just follow me." Sessler pulled a small black wooden plaque from his pocket, about the size of a palm, engraved with twisted runes. "This is the 'Mist Token,' every official member has one. The tree spirit will not attack if it senses the token."

The three of them walked into the red pine forest.

It was darker inside the forest than outside, with tall pine trees blocking out the sun, their trunks covered in dark green moss. The ground was covered with a thick layer of pine needles, which felt soft and squishy underfoot, making almost no sound.

After walking a short distance, Lin Lei indeed sensed it—the surrounding trees were "watching" them. Not with their eyes, but with some kind of invisible perception. On the trunks of several particularly thick pine trees, the outlines of human faces vaguely appeared, with two black holes where the eyes should have been, staring eerily at the passersby.

Walton felt a chill run down his spine and slightly raised his greatsword.

"Relax," Sessler said. "They're not attacking, they're just watching."

After walking for another fifteen minutes, the view suddenly opened up ahead.

The mist dissipated here, revealing the entrance to a valley. On either side of the valley entrance stood two stone statues—not the usual lions or mythical beasts, but two cloaked skeletons holding scythes, their eye sockets flickering with eerie green flames.

"Welcome to Misty Valley," Sessler said.

As they passed through the valley entrance, the sight inside stunned Linley and Walton.

It wasn't the eerie, terrifying lair of the dead I'd imagined; instead, it resembled a small village. The valley was quite open, with a stream flowing through the center. Dozens of wooden houses, some two-story, some three-story, varied in style but all kept clean and tidy. Flowers and plants grew in front of and behind the houses, and there were even a few vegetable patches.

People were walking along the road. Most were necromancers dressed in black robes, but there were also ordinary people—women, children, the elderly, and even kids. When they saw Sethler, they all stopped in their tracks; some nodded in greeting, while others greeted him directly.

"Old Seisler? You're still alive?"

"I thought you'd been burned down by the Vatican!"

"Oh, you've brought along a newcomer? That's rare."

Seisler responded to each question with a rare smile. He was clearly very popular there.

"This place..." Walton looked around, "doesn't look like where a necromancer lives."

"You think necromancers all live in graveyards and deal with corpses every day?" Sessler scoffed. "That's a slander against the Vatican. We study death, but we respect life even more—because we know that death is not the end. Misty Valley is a sanctuary, inhabited not only by necromancers, but also by ordinary people persecuted by the Vatican, other races, and even... former members of the Vatican."

He pointed to a burly man chopping wood in the distance: "See that? His name is Barton. He used to be a deacon in the Inquisition. He was hunted down for opposing sacrifices and fled here."

He then pointed to a woman washing clothes by the stream: "That's Marianne, an elf-to-elf hybrid. The Church says elves are 'heretics' and wants to purify her whole family. Her husband died, and she fled with her daughter, living here for eight years."

Lin Lei listened silently.

It turns out that the "holiness" of the Holy See is backed by so much bloody persecution.

"Come on, let me introduce you to some old friends." Sessler walked toward the largest wooden house deep in the valley.

A sign hung in front of the wooden cabin, written in Common Language: "Old Bones Tavern". Pushing open the door, you'll find the interior spacious with a dozen or so wooden tables, where seven or eight people are currently sitting, drinking and chatting.

Behind the bar stood an old man, bald, with a wrinkled face and a crystal prosthetic eye in his left eye, wiping glasses. When he saw Sessler, the crystal eye flashed.

"Oh, you old codger, you've actually come back?" The old man's voice was hoarse. "I thought the Vatican had ground your bones to dust."

Sessler walked over and sat down at the bar: "Give me a 'Death's Lament,' and two ales for these two lads—they're underage, they can't drink strong stuff."

The old man glanced at Linley and Walton, especially noticing the weapons at their waists, his crystal eyes flashing again: "Warriors? Rare. Where did you pick them up from?"

"Found it on the road." Sessler took the glass, took a sip, and sighed contentedly. "Your wine is really good. Let me introduce you. This is Linley, Walton, from the Baruch family. This is Old Bones, the tavern owner and also the 'gatekeeper' of Misty Valley."

Old Bones poured drinks for Linley and Walton: "Baruch... that sounds familiar."

"The Dragonblood Warrior family," Sesler said. "Five thousand years of history, now in decline, only these two brothers remain. They killed Clyde and also slaughtered Lampson."

The tavern fell silent instantly.

Everyone looked at Linley and Walton with mixed feelings—surprise, admiration, and worry.

Old Bones put down his wine glass: "Lampson...that cardinal?"

"Hmm." Sessler nodded. "Including him, all six level nines were wiped out."

After a few seconds of silence, someone applauded.

It was a red-haired woman in the corner, in her thirties, with a scar on her face, but a hearty smile: "Well done! That hypocrite Lampson killed my brother ten years ago. This toast is for you!"

She raised her glass and drank it all in one gulp.

The others also raised their glasses.

Linley was somewhat surprised. He had assumed that necromancers were all gloomy and aloof, but he hadn't expected them to be so... forthright.

"Alright, alright, don't scare the children." Old Bones waved his hand and said to Sessler, "You brought them here for more than just drinking, didn't you?"

"Hmm." Sessler put down his glass. "I need the 'Soul Purification Pool' to check if they have any of the Church's marks on them. Also, I need to see the 'Elders' Council'."

Old Bones stared at Linley and Walton for a long time with his crystal eyes: "Come with me."

He stepped out of the bar and pushed open the back door. Behind it was a small courtyard with several withered trees—truly withered, without a single leaf, their branches twisted like struggling arms. In the center of the courtyard was a well, from which faint black steam rose.

"Jump down," the old man said.

Walton looked into the well, its bottom unseen: "This is..."

"The Soul Purification Pool is down below," Sessler explained. "Don't worry, you won't die from the fall."

He jumped down first, his figure disappearing into the black mist. Linley and Walton exchanged a glance, then followed suit.

It wasn't a fall, it was a slide. The well wall was very smooth, like some kind of jade. My body slid down the wall, fast but very steadily. After sliding for about ten seconds, my feet slipped and I landed on the soft ground.

Before us lay a massive underground cave.

The cave ceiling was inlaid with glowing crystals, illuminating the entire space with a soft white light. In the center was a circular pool, its water milky white, like boiling milk, steaming gently. Seven stone pillars stood beside the pool, each engraved with different runes, radiating faint magical fluctuations.

"The Soul Purification Pool." Sessler walked to the edge of the pool. "Take off your clothes and soak in it. The water can purify impurities on the soul level, including the tracking marks left by the Vatican."

Linley and Walton took off their shirts, leaving only their shorts, and stepped into the pool. The water temperature was just right, neither too hot nor too cold. Soaking in it made all their pores open up, giving them an indescribable feeling of comfort.

But soon, a stinging sensation came.

It felt like countless tiny needles were pricking his skin, especially on his chest, back, and forehead. Lin Lei looked down and saw tiny bubbles rising from the pool water on his body. Some of these bubbles were black, bursting and disappearing as soon as they reached the surface.

"There really is a mark." Sessler squatted by the pool, pointing to Linley's chest. "Look, there's a 'Holy Light Mark' here. It's very well hidden; anyone below level nine can't detect it. The Vatican uses this to track targets; they can sense them within a hundred miles."

He then pointed to Walton's back: "You have it too, but it's fainter, probably because you killed fewer people."

The stinging sensation lasted for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, then slowly subsided. The pool water returned to its milky white color and the black bubbles stopped appearing.

"You can come out now," Sessler said.

The two brothers stepped out of the pool, dried themselves off, and put on their clothes. They felt much lighter, as if they had been freed from invisible shackles.

"Thank you," Lin Lei said.

"It's nothing," Sessler waved his hand. "Now go see the elders. They should be waiting."

Leaving the Soul Purification Pool cave, Old Bones led them through a winding passageway to a stone door. The door had seven grooves arranged in the shape of the Big Dipper.

The old man took out seven black crystals from his pocket and pressed them into the grooves one by one. The stone door slid open silently, revealing the room behind it.

The room was small and circular, with a stone table in the center surrounded by seven stone chairs. At the moment, six people were sitting in the chairs—one was empty, clearly reserved for Sethler.

The six figures were all different. There was an old woman in a magnificent robe, a burly man wrapped in animal skins, a mysterious figure shrouded in shadow, and even... a skeleton. Yes, a pure white skeleton, draped in a black robe, with flames of the soul flickering in its eye sockets.

"Cessler, welcome back," the skeleton spoke, its voice hollow yet clear. "I heard you brought back two interesting young men."

"Elders," Sessler said, walking to an empty chair and sitting down. "Linley Baruch, Walton Baruch. Descendant of the Dragonblood Warriors, who killed Clyde and Lampson."

All six eyes were focused on the two brothers.

Linley felt the pressure. Each of these six people possessed an unfathomable aura, at least at the Saint Realm. Especially the skeleton, which, despite lacking flesh and blood, exuded a chilling pressure.

"Dragonblood Warriors..." the old woman spoke, her voice aged but gentle, "I haven't seen one in five thousand years. How is your family?"

"Only my brothers and I are left," Lin Lei said truthfully.

The old woman sighed, "What a pity. I once saw him from afar when our ancestor Baruch slew the Frost Dragon, and his magnificence... But let's not dwell on the past. Sesler, you brought them here for more than just introductions, didn't you?"

"Yes," Sessler said. "First, they need intelligence about the truth regarding the Church's sacrifice of pure souls. Second, they need to increase their strength—rapidly. Third, I would like to request the Elders to open the 'Temple of the Dead' so they can undergo trials."

The last sentence moved all the elders.

"The Temple of the Dead?" The burly man wrapped in animal skin frowned. "Sethler, you know the rules. Those who are not of my kind are not allowed to enter."

"Rules are made by people." Sessler looked at the skeleton. "Elder, you said that fighting against the Holy See requires uniting all forces. These two young men, seventeen and twelve years old, one is an eighth-level dual cultivator of magic and martial arts, and the other is a ninth-level warrior. After dragon transformation, they can reach the Holy Realm. Give them five years, no, three years, and they can become the backbone of the fight against the Holy See."

The skeleton remained silent.

The fire of his soul flickered in his eyes, as if he were thinking.

Linley spoke up: "We don't need charity. If the temple has any tests, we can accept them. If we fail, we'll leave immediately and won't linger."

Walton nodded: "Yes."

The skeleton looked at the other elders: "Let's vote."

The old woman raised her hand: "I agree. The Baruch family's reputation is trustworthy."

The burly man shook his head: "The rules cannot be broken."

The mysterious figure in the shadows raised his hand: "Agreed. The Vatican has been making frequent moves lately; we need fresh blood."

The other three elders—a dwarf, an old elf, and a half-dragon—voted two in favor and one against.

Four to two.