The dust slowly settled, and the sealing hall fell silent once again, as if the fierce battle that had just taken place had never happened. The runes on the stone statue glimmered faintly, like dying candle flames, flickering unsteadily.
Lucas stood in front of the sealing formation, holding his long sword tightly. His eyes were fixed on the dark crack beneath the stone statue. His intuition told him that the danger hadn't truly dissipated yet.
Darlene put away her staff and gently stroked her forehead. Her face was as pale as paper. "She's been sealed, but I always feel... this seal doesn't seem as stable as before."
The Soul Reaper was silent for a moment and then said slowly, "Because her soul has long merged with the source of the nightmare spirit. Even if her physical body perishes, as long as the nightmare spirit remains, she can be resurrected again."
Darlene suddenly looked up, her expression stunned. "So, the seal just now was only temporary?"
The Soul Reaper nodded slightly. "Yes. This sealing formation was established a hundred years ago. It's already old and fragile and can't withstand a second break. Once the power of the nightmare spirit bite back, she will be fully resurrected."
Lucas's hand gripping the sword tightened slightly. His gaze was as sharp as a knife. "If that's the case, we can't leave this place."
Upon hearing this, Darlene furrowed her brows and looked at the Soul Reaper. "So, are we going to stay here and guard the seal all the time?"
The Soul Reaper shook his head. "Staying here can only buy us time. The real solution is to find that thing—the soul lamp."
"The soul lamp?" Lucas and Darlene said simultaneously, a hint of doubt flashing in their eyes.
The Soul Reaper explained in a low voice, "The soul lamp was made from the core of the nightmare spirit's heart. It can completely ignite the power of the source of the nightmare spirit and burn it out. Unfortunately, the soul lamp has been lost for many years, and it won't be easy to find it."
Lucas's gaze was solemn. "If the soul lamp really exists, why didn't you look for it back then?"
The Soul Reaper's expression froze slightly. After a long silence, he said slowly, "The battle back then was urgent, and there was no time to think... Moreover, the soul lamp is no ordinary object. It's said that it's hidden in the Realm of the Dark Fire and the Secluded Lamp, a place that I can't easily set foot in."
"The Realm of the Dark Fire and the Secluded Lamp?" Darlene murmured, her eyes full of confusion. "I heard that it's the birthplace of the nightmare spirit, but it collapsed and disappeared as early as a thousand years ago, and it's impossible to enter."
The Soul Reaper's gaze was distant. "It didn't disappear but was hidden. The Realm of the Dark Fire and the Secluded Lamp actually still exists, but ordinary people can't detect its entrance."
Lucas sneered and sheathed his long sword. "So, you already know where to go?"
The Soul Reaper didn't deny it. "But this journey won't be much easier than the battle just now."
There seemed to be a suppressed atmosphere in the air. Lucas glanced at the sealing formation behind him and finally nodded. "Anyway, we can't just sit here and wait for death."
Darlene bit her lip and looked at the Soul Reaper. "Where is the entrance?"
The Soul Reaper raised his right hand and traced a series of complex runes in the air. The runes turned into blue light spots and intertwined in the air to form an ancient pattern.
"The entrance is right here."
Rumble—
The stone statue in the hall suddenly shook. The crack beneath the stone statue was lit up by the runes and turned into a pitch - black portal. Cold flames flickered in the crack of the door. The flames were as black as ink, but they carried an overwhelming sense of oppression that made one's hair stand on end.
Lucas narrowed his eyes. "Is this the Realm of the Dark Fire and the Secluded Lamp?"
The Soul Reaper nodded. "Yes. We must set off as soon as possible. The power of the nightmare spirit is stirring. Every moment we delay brings her one step closer to complete resurrection."
The three of them exchanged a glance and finally stepped into the dark portal in unison.
The darkness swallowed their figures. All that was left in the hall was the gradually dimming sealing stone statue, as if it was also quietly waiting for something.
Stepping into the Realm of the Dark Fire and the Secluded Lamp was like being in another world.
It was pitch - black all around. Only a stone bridge made of secluded flames emerged beneath their feet. The stone bridge spanned over a bottomless black abyss, and a faint smell of sulfur filled the air.
Lucas crouched down and gently touched the surface of the bridge with his fingertips, frowning slightly. "The atmosphere here is even weirder than I imagined."
Darlene tightened her grip on her staff and looked around warily. "We must stay alert at all times. It's rumored that this area once gave birth to the original nightmare spirit. Even the remaining power is enough to be fatal."
The Soul Reaper walked at the front. He formed hand seals, and the blue soul power floated ahead like a lamp, illuminating the darkness for them.
"The place where the soul lamp is located is called the Secluded Lamp Platform. According to the records, the Secluded Lamp Platform is located at the deepest part of the Realm of the Dark Fire and the Secluded Lamp," the Soul Reaper said in a low voice.
Lucas looked up into the distance. Vaguely, at the end of the darkness, a huge altar stood above the endless abyss. At the top of the altar, a faint flame was flickering.
However, around the altar, there seemed to be countless black shadows wandering, as if they
were guarding something.
"It seems we're not far away," Lucas said coldly. The long sword in his hand emitted a faint light.
Darlene sighed softly. "I hope things won't be too complicated."
However, before they could step onto the altar, a black shadow suddenly emerged from the darkness and blocked their way.
The black shadow was ferocious and terrifying, tall in stature, and draped in a tattered black robe. Only its pair of crimson eyes burned like ghostly flames.
The Soul Reaper's steps paused slightly, and his tone was low. "It's the Lamp Guardian."
Lucas frowned. "What is that?"
"The Lamp Guardians are the shadows of the source of the nightmare spirit. They exist in the Realm of the Dark Fire and the Secluded Lamp. Everyone who steps into this place must pass their test," the Soul Reaper looked up, his tone serious. "But the price of failing the test is death."
Darlene furrowed her brows tightly. "Can we bypass them?"
The Soul Reaper slowly shook his head. "We can't avoid them. They've already set their eyes on us."
Before he finished speaking, the black shadow suddenly pounced on the three of them. The black fog rolled up, like a huge beast's mouth, trying to swallow them up.
Lucas drew his sword to meet the attack. The sword qi sliced through the black fog, clashing head - on with the black shadow. Darlene immediately cast a spell. A golden shield rose around the three of them, resisting the dark power attacking from all sides.
The Soul Reaper raised his palm. Runes shot out from his palm and collided fiercely with the black shadow. The faint blue and pitch - black intertwined, and sparks flew all over the altar. The battle was on the verge of breaking out.
In this dark abyss, the real test had just begun.