Bai Shi and Shard of Alexander teleported out of the tower and set foot once more upon the barren plain of bleached bones. He looked at the vast, featureless landscape, feeling a bit vexed. The current task was clear: find the death ritual being held by Godwyn's followers and destroy it, thereby damaging a portion of the faded sun. But which way was he supposed to go? Couldn't they have just designed some sort of map to guide him? Fortunately, Bai Shi now had a witch by his side who could show him the way. Bai Shi turned to Shard of Alexander, pinning his hopes on her, who had wandered the Spirit World for a long time. "Shard of Alexander, do you know where the death ritual is being held?" Shard of Alexander blinked. "In this world, there are many places I wouldn't dare to venture into." "...However, I might have a few possible locations in mind if you're just looking for a general direction. Shall I take you to have a look?" "Whether it's the right place or not, let's go check it out first." "It's better than having no direction at all." Seeing Bai Shi agree, Shard of Alexander chose a place she thought was likely and prepared to lead the way. She took a skull out from her small satchel. This skull had no lower jaw and was flawlessly smooth, translucent like polished glass. Within its eye sockets burned an azure flame. Judging by its shape, it seemed to be the skull of a pure human. So pure, in fact, that if it were on Holy Terra, it would be an imperial-sanctioned, standard-issue cranium. Shard of Alexander placed it on her palm. Bai Shi looked at the unique skull and asked curiously: Shard of Alexander didn't explain right away, but instead held the cranium aloft. The skull then began to slowly rotate on its own, turning toward a certain direction as the blue flames in its eyes burned ever brighter. It was as if something in that direction was relentlessly drawing it in. Once it settled on a direction, Shard of Alexander finally explained to Bai Shi: "This is a special skull I found before." "A fragmented part of a soul still resides within it. I can't communicate with it, but that part of the soul is always gazing in a single direction." "I once walked for a long time, trying to find its destination, but I failed." "After crossing several regions, I was stopped by an ocean of the dead." "In any case, it can be used as a tool to point the way now. With it, we can lock onto a bearing." Bai Shi looked at the skull in amazement. So, it was something like a compass. After determining the direction, Shard of Alexander took out a scroll of unknown material. On it was a simple map she had drawn, stroke by stroke. The map was very crude, merely showing the rough boundaries of a few regions, dividing them in a general sense. On the map, each region had some markings, like circles, crosses, and squares. Bai Shi pointed to the markings on the map and asked: "What do these mean?" Shard of Alexander glanced at where Bai Shi was pointing and began to explain as she planned their route. "I'm not very good at drawing maps. These are just rough areas I marked myself." "The places with circles represent monster territories, so we need to be careful around there." "The places with crosses are especially dangerous and should be avoided." "As for the squares, those are the locations of the various spires, but I've only ever seen those few." "Oh, right. You might not feel it, but for a soul, the spires serve as special beacons. We can vaguely sense their direction." "So by using this skull and the spires for positioning, we can get a rough idea of our location within a region." After she finished speaking, Shard of Alexander got up and began to lead the way. Bai Shi followed behind her, thought for a moment, and then called out to her. "Do you want to rest for a bit?" He was a little worried about Shard of Alexander's condition. They had just climbed up and down that spire, a considerably long journey. He didn't know if Shard of Alexander could keep going. Shard of Alexander turned her head and smiled at Bai Shi. "I've been in the Spirit World for a long time now. The thing I'm best at is running away." "If I had trouble with just this little bit of walking, it would be very difficult to survive." Bai Shi blew Torrent's whistle, trying to summon him. But for some reason, Torrent seemed to have an aversion to the Spirit World and was unwilling to appear here. Since that was the case, Bai Shi had no choice but to give up on the idea of summoning Torrent. Although Shard of Alexander insisted she was fine, Bai Shi still lifted her onto his back, just as he had in the spire. Shard of Alexander was a bit shy, but she didn't say anything more. This way, Bai Shi could also move faster. Yes, that's how she convinced herself. Carrying Shard of Alexander, Bai Shi broke into a full sprint across the plain of white bones, heading toward the potential location of the ritual. Bai Shi and Shard of Alexander went to several places, encountering all sorts of monsters, but they never found the right location. Along the way, only a few of the monsters were highly aggressive; most only reacted when they got too close, so Bai Shi and Shard of Alexander easily avoided them. During this time, Bai Shi also tested his soul dash attack on some of the monsters that actively attacked them. The results weren't bad. When dashing as a pure soul, Bai Shi could inflict damage on the monsters. And through trial and error, he found he could directly use humanity to fuel the consumption. However, this direct impact would also damage Bai Shi's soul, so it couldn't be used as a regular attack method for now. This move was only good for a kamikaze charge. After searching several times without success, Shard of Alexander finally decided to take Bai Shi to the most dangerous central region. Powerful enemies usually guarded that area, and it was best not to confront them if possible. But now, that was the only place left. Following Shard of Alexander's directions, Bai Shi finally arrived. This was the very center of the plain. In the middle of the bone-strewn plains, there was a huge passage sloping downwards. The two of them followed the passage all the way down. Along the way, many giant skulls appeared, identical in form to the ones Bai Shi had fought before. These giant skulls all wore helmets depicting an eclipsed sun, which meant they had probably found the right place this time. The number of these skeletal guardians of Godwyn in this passage was immense. And after the first skull spotted the two of them, all the other skulls swarmed out at once. Seeing the skulls flooding the passage, Bai Shi summoned the Dragonkin Soldiers "Tian Can" and "Di Que." The two Dragonkin Soldiers charged forward relentlessly, crushing skulls as they advanced and clearing a path. The group broke through head-on, rushing all the way to the deepest part of the cavern. This grotto was illuminated by bright Ghostflame, making it even brighter than the lands outside under the faded sun. By now, the skeletal guardians outside had all been eliminated, but the followers within the grotto remained unmoved. At the center of the grotto was a giant magic circle. Countless creatures, reduced to dry bones with Ghostflame burning atop their heads, knelt around the circle in worship. In the very center of the massive circle sat an exceptionally gaunt, humanoid figure holding a thorny staff and wearing a crown. Its robes were extraordinarily magnificent, adorned with gold, a stark contrast to the shabby robes of the believers nearby. It seemed to hold a high status, perhaps a bishop of some kind. It was short, with a withered face and skin that was an unnatural black, devoid of a single shred of flesh. The numerous beings here were clearly the followers of Godwyn, conducting the death ritual. They showed no reaction to the group's sudden intrusion, continuing their silent prayers. It was as if the defeat of their guardians was of no consequence. And on the other side... Bai Shi turned his gaze toward the suit of black armor standing silently at the edge of the cavern. After encountering armor that could move and attack in the spire, Bai Shi naturally wouldn't mistake it for a simple suit of armor ever again. Besides, that suit of armor was already moving. The moment Bai Shi noticed it, it shot toward them like a bolt of lightning. In the next instant, it appeared beside Bai Shi's group. The black armor raised its greatsword high and swung down at the waists of the Dragonkin Soldiers. Ashmi appeared in front of the armor and parried with her sword, but she was sent flying by an immense force. By the time Ashmi had righted herself in mid-air and landed steadily, the armor had already swung at the Dragonkin Soldiers again. A crescent-shaped blade of energy shot toward the Dragonkin Soldiers' midsections. Just before it hit, Bai Shi recalled the two Dragonkin Soldiers' souls into their ashes, allowing them to dodge the blow. Otherwise, judging by the power this armor displayed, it might have cut the Dragonkin Soldiers in two. Bai Shi frowned as he looked at this formidable enemy. This must be the guardian with immense power that Shard of Alexander mentioned, the one found in each region. Now Bai Shi understood why Shard of Alexander had little hope for their plan. This guardian was even stronger than the top-tier heroes. Whatever its strength was in life, in the Spirit World, it possessed this level of power, perhaps due to some unique buff. From Bai Shi's perspective, this was already on the level of a demigod. Newest update provıded by 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝※𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖※𝕟𝕖𝕥 If every place where a death ritual was held for Godwyn was guarded by a being of this strength, then on paper, their chances of victory were indeed slim. Ashmi raised her Sword of Night and Flame and charged forward, clashing with the suit of armor. While Ashmi was engaged with the black armor, Bai Shi rang his Spirit Calling Bell, summoning Banished Knight Oleg and Battlemage Hugues. Once the two were in position, Bai Shi ordered them to immediately charge into the magic circle ahead and destroy the ritual. Hugues immediately gathered a Haima Cannon at the tip of his staff and launched it toward the most concentrated group of believers. The other believers remained completely still, as if they weren't the ones being bombarded. The Haima Cannon was blocked in mid-air by a barrier made of Ghostflame. The bishop in the center of the circle opened its eyes. Its shriveled eyeballs stared at the intruders as it swung the thorny staff in its hand. Black death thorns instantly sprouted beside the group. Bai Shi pulled Shard of Alexander aside to dodge, looking at the constantly writhing death thorns. Up close, Bai Shi realized that these death thorns were actually made of twisted worms. They seemed identical to the ones on the Wormface monsters in the Lands Between. Seeing that everyone had dodged the slow-moving thorns, the bishop shook its staff again. A horde of relentlessly pursuing spirits immediately poured out from above its head, tracking the nearby enemies. Seeing the other side come under attack, the black armor immediately turned to leave but was knocked out of the air by a storm blast from Ashmi. After a brief exchange, several severe wounds already marred Ashmi's body. "I didn't say you could leave." Ashmi was feeling incredibly frustrated from the earlier exchange. This enemy before her had no special qualities. No sorcery or incantations, not even any unique skills—just pure, raw stats. And it was precisely for this reason that Ashmi found it so difficult. She, who had mimicked Bai Shi's stats, was supposed to be the true stat monster, perfectly capable of smashing her opponent into the ground without a second thought. Unfortunately, she couldn't fully unleash her power either. "I didn't want to have to think..." "This is too complicated for a Mimic Tear." Since she couldn't rely on raw stats to mindlessly overwhelm her opponent, she would have to win with skill. It was just a matter of fighting above her weight class! The body she mimicked was Bai Shi's, possessing a rich variety of power systems. Facing such an enemy, she wasn't without a chance of winning. What's more, she had learned a crucial combat tactic from Bai Shi— The ancient dragon seal on Ashmi's hand lit up, and she successively cast a variety of buffs on herself, including Golden Vow and Selinsax's dragon lightning. The armor had just gotten to its feet when it saw Ashmi's body light up with various multi-colored glows. Sensing trouble, it immediately rushed toward Ashmi, intending to interrupt her. But the now fully buffed Ashmi precisely deflected her opponent's greatsword with her blade and sent it flying back with a powerful kick. Finally, Ashmi slid her palm across her sword's blade, and the Sword of Night and Flame she had condensed instantly erupted in roaring flames. Ashmi roared as she collided with the charging armor, and a fierce battle began. Bai Shi stood to the side with Shard of Alexander, directing the battle. The pressure on Oleg and Hugues's side wasn't great; the bishop had few offensive options. It kept using the same few moves over and over, and its movements were as stiff as an AI's, making it impossible to catch them. The two of them had already broken through the Ghostflame barrier and were now in the center of the magic circle, beginning the slaughter. Bai Shi could clearly feel the sense of satisfaction coming from Hugues's soul. So, Bai Shi's attention was almost entirely focused on Ashmi's battlefield, ready to intervene and save her at a moment's notice. After witnessing the armor's power, Bai Shi had already been prepared to use one of Fengling Yueying's "Super Damage" charges to enhance a soul dash and kill it instantly. The power Ashmi could exert was still somewhat lacking compared to her opponent; she might not be able to win. If Ashmi were defeated in the end, he would have to use Fengling Yueying anyway. Since she couldn't win, it would be better to end it early, allowing Ashmi to conserve some strength. However, to Bai Shi's surprise, Ashmi was actually holding her own against the opponent. In fact, thanks to the diversity of her attacks, she was steadily gaining the upper hand. Bai Shi could sense that Ashmi was constantly honing her combat skills, beginning to think like a real human about how to achieve victory. Seeing this, Bai Shi temporarily suppressed the thought of using Super Damage immediately, deciding to use this opportunity to train Ashmi. Finally, during the battle, Ashmi found an opportunity. She ducked under a horizontal slash and plunged her sword into the enemy's empty helmet. As the helmet flew into the air, the armor's movements came to a complete stop. But the next moment, the headless armor swung its greatsword down again. Ashmi drove the tip of her sword into the gap in its shoulder, prying off its armguard. The greatsword in its hand clattered to the ground. Ashmi didn't let her guard down. She brought her sword down in a vertical slash, completely shattering it. Like the other enemies of its type before it, the black armor turned to dust and vanished. At that moment, Ashmi could no longer hold on and dissipated, returning to Bai Shi's body. In the final moments of the fight, the buffs she had cast earlier had worn off one by one. And once she engaged in close combat, her opponent gave her no chance to reapply them. If she hadn't truly integrated Bai Shi's various powers, she might have been the one to fall. Bai Shi was thoroughly amazed. Ashmi's performance had completely exceeded his expectations. After this battle, Ashmi had truly grown stronger, able to unleash the real power of the abilities she had mimicked. The battle on the other side had long since ended. All the believers and the magic circle had been completely erased. However, this death ritual had not yet been destroyed. Thus, Bai Shi used the bracelet to teleport back to the Lands Between, arriving at the Mausoleum Field in the Weeping Peninsula. Looking down at the numerous headless soldiers guarding the Walking Mausoleum, Bai Shi summoned a destructive storm. A few breaths later, the headless soldiers were nowhere to be seen, and the Walking Mausoleum had ceased its movement, settling onto the ground. Bai Shi pushed open the mausoleum's great doors. Inside, a thick stone slab had replaced the soulless demigod's corpse that should have been there. Having found the right place, Bai Shi took out the Ruins Greatsword, and with a Wave of Destruction, the stone slab immediately shattered. The faded sun, which had been hanging in the sky obscured by the Erdtree, instantly cracked, a large piece breaking away. The power of the sun within Bai Shi grew accordingly. Feeling this power, Bai Shi let out a sigh of relief. Although he hadn't managed to destroy the faded sun completely in one go, he had at least taken care of a part of it. Bai Shi wanted to teleport back to the Spirit World, but he suddenly discovered he was unable to. It seemed that in that last moment, he had personally severed the connection between that region of the Spirit World and the Lands Between.