Half an hour later, a thick arm suddenly shot up from the snow, scaring the two orc children nearby, who shrieked and ran away.
Cordova, whose HP had been mostly frozen off, scrambled out in a sorry state. The Rune Body under his cloak glowed with a scorching red light, rapidly melting the layers of ice and snow around him, making him look like a steam engine come to life from afar.
"That was close! Luckily, Lu Wei, that old geezer, added a lot of new functions before, otherwise I might have just died. Well, it's still pretty cold now," Cordova muttered softly while stretching his stiff body. It seemed he wouldn't dare to speak loudly for a while.
After another moment, Cordova, having completely shaken off the frozen status, finally regained his mobility. The constantly shifting light on his body gradually changed from red to green, and the Gust Runes, which had replaced the original scorching runes, hummed, subtly resonating with the thin wind elements around him…
Five seconds later, the Rune Body mode transformation was complete.
Cordova suddenly pushed off the ground, and his entire body seemed to float effortlessly into the air, covering a distance of more than ten meters in an instant.
That's right, he became faster!
His seemingly heavy body galloped across the snowy slope. Despite carrying the heavy punisher staff M2K on his back, Cordova left no footprints in his wake. The anti-gravity runes shining brightly on his calves temporarily freed him from most of the Earth's gravity, allowing him to truly 'tread on snow without leaving a trace' on this sacred mountain. The Gust Runes covering his body simultaneously granted him at least four or five acceleration statuses, making his movement speed ridiculously fast, even comparable to the Huskies… or rather, the sled dogs that monopolized the entire polar transportation industry.
This was the Rune Body temporarily upgraded by Lu Wei, or Cordova V1.5 for short!
Not only did it significantly increase his body's endurance and performance limit, but it could also transform its form under specific circumstances as needed. For example, in the current 【Burst Speed Rush】 mode, where the body's runes are completely replaced by Gust, Resonance, Anti-Gravity, and Overload runes, his movement speed would not fall behind even a Gale Blade Leopard galloping on a plain. In this situation, Ji Xiaodao, who could previously barely contend with Cordova due to her agility and speed, theoretically wouldn't even be able to touch him!
Of course, such an extremely radical super transformation also had its drawbacks. For instance, when Cordova was in the current 【Burst Speed Rush】 mode, his strength and defense would drop to a ridiculously low level. The punisher staff M2K on his back, which also had anti-gravity runes activated, almost completely lost its offensive power, and energy consumption would double. In short, he would become not only fragile and weak but also more prone to running out of power…
There were many other examples of this type, such as the extremely destructive 【Brute Force Overload】 mode (but his own HP would drop at a rate of 15%/s); the 【Immovable Bulwark】 mode, which doubled HP limit, doubled all resistances, and increased defense by 500% (he really couldn't move); the 【Peerless Dance】 mode, personally named by Cordova, which increased all attributes by 300% within 20 seconds with no side effects during the process (but would self-destruct afterward); and the 【Big Mushroom】 mode, which had no consumption at all and could cause indiscriminate, massive damage to all surrounding units (direct self-destruction).
If you chose to ignore the side effects, it could indeed be said to be quite powerful~
In short, at this moment, Cordova had transformed his Rune Body into the 【Burst Speed Rush】 mode to climb the mountain, which made him incredibly fast. Although it consumed a lot of stamina and energy, it wasn't a big deal for him since he had already reached his destination. He could rest well after getting up the mountain, and his energy was currently abundant…
This mountain, named Sumir, was the first stop on his journey.
Mount Sumir, this majestic and magnificent snow-capped mountain located at the northernmost tip of the continent, is the birthplace of all Shaman sects. It is said that the oldest and wisest earth spirits in the world reside here, and countless pilgrims come here every year to listen to the Whispers of the Elders. It is a sacred place for all Shaman Priests and the Orc race.
Besides Sumir, the Azure Sky Lake, Molten Forest, Gale Spout Rift, and Thunder Cliff of the Innocent Continent also house earth spirits. They are also revered and protected by various Shaman sects, but in terms of status, they are still not as important as this sacred mountain in the polar region.
The main reason Cordova came here was to find another apocalypse light in this place that sounded so much like a place for Theocrats. Of course, he was just trying his luck, but Sumir was indeed worth a try. Moreover, his new friend in reality, Wan Yang, whose game name was Huo Yan Yang, was also here.
【Even if I can't find it, I can at least brag a little. Anyway, those mystical High-Rank Observers don't have any clues themselves~】
Cordova thought so.
…
At the same time, on the other side of Mount Sumir, at Chang Zhe's Tier on the mountainside.
Huo Yan Yang, wearing crimson chainmail, was in a chaotic battle. He gasped for breath as he swung his totem pole, forcing back two black-robed elves. He vigorously struck the war drum at his waist, releasing an auxiliary skill. A light red Bloodlust Aura exploded at his feet, tinging the eyes of the seven or eight Orc warriors around him with a golden-red hue.
There were about twenty Orc warriors here, and less than half that number of enemies, who exuded a strange aura.
"Kill!" a shirtless Orc warrior roared, swinging his muscular arms. The battle-axe in his hand slammed heavily onto the frozen ground, raising a conical shockwave of ice and snow in front of him.
A thin middle-aged man in a dark green robe, unable to dodge, was hit squarely. His two hastily raised arms instantly broke, hanging limply at his sides. As he stumbled backward, another Orc warrior struck him hard in the back with a war hammer, causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood with a cry of "Wah!" He even continued to yell, "It doesn't hurt! I didn't… Ugh… Ah! I wasn't injured at all!"
Then he really got up from the ground as if nothing had happened. The broken bones and internal organs that had been spat out seconds ago had somehow healed!
No matter how brave the two Orc warriors, who had been buffed by Bloodlust, were, they couldn't help but feel a little bewildered when they saw this scene, as it was simply too unbelievable!
They had personally shattered the opponent's bones, personally crushed the opponent's heart, but the frenzied man in front of them seemed completely unharmed… No, to be precise, he was completely unharmed as he drew his weapon and charged forward, hacking and slashing wildly!
Even more shocking was that his chaotic attacks, accompanied by his words like 'You can't dodge it,' 'I'll hit you,' and 'You're bleeding, you bastard,' always found their mark!
This incomprehensible scene was happening in every corner of this small battlefield…
The Orcs, who had the advantage in terrain, strength, and numbers, swung their greatswords, battle-axes, war hammers, or totem poles again and again, but their opponents either strangely dodged their otherwise certain hits, or were beaten half to death only to get up unharmed the next second and continue fighting.
"Are these guys cheating?!" Huo Yan Yang threw away his totem pole, which had zero durability, and grabbed a spiked hammer, smashing it towards the black-robed person in front of him. "Invincible, locked HP, auto-aim, huh?!"
Then he was cut down by the opponent's sword, almost severing half his neck, and his HP immediately hit rock bottom.
After all, he was just a War Priest who relied on intelligence. Even though his physique and strength were much stronger than other spellcasting professions, he was not a melee class. There was no chance of winning a close-quarters fight against the tall invader wielding a greatsword in front of him.
"Protect the Priest!" A beautiful Orc female warrior charged from the side, knocking over the enemy who was trying to finish him off. She turned and asked loudly, "Are you alright?"
Huo Yan Yang shook his head, then, clutching his neck, he chugged a healing potion. After his wound stopped bleeding, he immediately got up from the ground, took out his last Healing Surge scroll from his satchel, handed it to her, and said in a hoarse voice, "Jana, go heal the warriors who are about to collapse. We'll hold on for five more minutes. If no one comes to reinforce us, we'll have to abandon this place."
Jana, the Orc female warrior, hesitated for a moment, then said uncertainly, "But Chang Zhe's Tier…"
"Chang Zhe's Tier can be taken back if it's lost, but your… I mean, if our lives are lost, they can't be retrieved. Listen to me," Huo Yan Yang shook his head, saying in a deep voice, "The power of those Evil Cultists is too strange. We've done our best."
Hearing this, Jana no longer hesitated. After covering Huo Yan Yang's retreat to the rear, she immediately took the scroll and went to heal several warriors who looked like they were about to die. Pure and warm water gushed from the center of the scroll, and the life force contained within it barely managed to sustain the lives in front of her.
"You guys withdraw first," Jana hastily bandaged one of them, then picked up her two cleavers again and charged down. As the strongest person in the team, she had to cover the rear.
【These cheaters!】
Huo Yan Yang sat panting on a half-meter-high step, recovering his HP. He looked grimly at the Evil Cultists below, whose attacks were growing fiercer. All he wanted to do was curse.
These people came from a place called 'Whisper City,' located on a peak on the outskirts of Sumir. It was discovered about half a month ago and was home to a large number of fanatical cultists who worshipped an evil god. They had hollowed out the entire mountain, built a massive city inside, and used it as a base to forcibly seize the sacred mountain. It was said that a large portion of them had been driven out by people from the Holy Domain, with their history even tracing back decades, but they had only recently been discovered.
If it weren't for the warning emitted by the long-sleeping earth spirits in their dreams, and the Great Shaman, Chironzoon, overriding all objections and using the Stone Ancestor's Horn, which could only be blown three times every hundred years, to cast 【Mountain Echo】, it's likely that no one would have discovered that such a group of blasphemers had quietly taken root near Sumir until now.
According to the hazy information returned by 【Mountain Echo】, the Evil Cultists attempting to desecrate Sumir had gathered over ten thousand people. They were entrenched in that strange city built within the mountain, praising the evil god named Whisper, and constantly performing insane blood sacrifices and rituals, even corrupting an ancient ley line…
If they were allowed to continue their activities, the earth spirits and Ancestral Altars hidden beneath Sumir might even be corrupted by the evil god, with unimaginable consequences.
Thus, war naturally broke out.
Aside from the Great Shaman Chiron, who had fallen into slumber after blowing the Stone Ancestor's Horn, the Elders' Council dispatched three Earth Prophets, ten Wolf Soul Druids, twenty High-Rank Shamans, over a hundred War Priests, and a two-thousand-strong Earth Whip Guard. On the second day at noon after receiving the news, they launched an attack on Whisper City.
Because the Mountain Echo had not yet dissipated, every prophet could receive guidance from the earth spirits. They found the Evil Cultists' stronghold, which looked no different from other peaks on the surface but had its entire interior hollowed out. They spent half a day breaking through several layers of mind-bewitching evil god barriers, and then immediately launched their attack…
The fierce battle lasted for three full days, and the outcome exceeded everyone's expectations.
The Earth Whip lost more than half its forces, War Priests were decimated, three High-Rank Shamans died in battle and seven were severely wounded, two Wolf Soul Druids were Bewitched by the evil god's power—one was killed on the spot by other Druids, and the other disappeared under the cover of numerous Evil Cultists. Among the three Earth Prophets, Jose Thornbird also remained forever beneath that peak. He sacrificed his life to summon two 【Ancestral Golems】 and detonated one of them to destroy the ley line that was already overflowing with the evil god's power. Before his death, he ordered the other golem to guard the exit, buying precious time for the others, which allowed the majority of Sumir's remaining forces to successfully retreat; otherwise, who knows how many more would have died.
Of course, the Whisper Sect also suffered heavy losses in this battle. The ley line they considered their foundation was completely severed, which severely weakened the cultists who had previously been able to greatly borrow divine power, and they also lost their greatest reliance. The situation where they could fight above their level by merely muttering a few nonsensical words could no longer occur, and Whisper City was no longer a perfect sanctuary.
But even so, their numbers and combat power were still not to be underestimated.
That night, countless Whisper Cultists appeared in various corners of the sacred mountain, launching a counterattack.
The frontal war began…
So, Huo Yan Yang, who had originally only come to the sacred place to undergo trials, ended up in a tragic situation…
And another person, even more tragic, was also arriving soon.
Chapter 192: End