Chapter 176: Blood Altar

The juvenile Benthic Demon Fish muttered to itself, flicked its tail, and swam away.

The White Dragon Lord breathed a sigh of relief.

Only when the Benthic Demon Fish was far away did the White Dragon Lord rise from the mud.

He had considered capturing the juvenile Benthic Demon Fish for interrogation just a moment ago, but remembering that these creatures lived in family units quickly dispelled the notion.

A single juvenile Benthic Demon Fish meant there were at least two, if not more, adult Benthic Demon Fish backing it up.

Under such unknown circumstances, it would be highly irrational to give up the tactical advantage of concealment over a visible foe just for a scrap of intelligence.

The White Dragon Lord waited a while longer until the Nether Panther completed its dragon bloodline transformation.

Amos sensed a new mental connection forming between himself and Yuir. Satisfied, he knew his days of careful planning hadn't been in vain.

Had the situation allowed it, the White Dragon Lord would have roared out loud to celebrate.

But his most pressing priority was to figure out the situation in the Dark Lands and find a way out.

The White Dragon Lord rapidly chanted a spell.

Invisibility Barrier!

Amos signaled Yuir to follow and took the lead, swimming down the passage.

In the silent underwater tunnel, the White Dragon Lord and the Nether Panther kept a vigilant watch on their surroundings, making their way to the main section of the Dark Lands.

The tunnel and the main body of the Dark Lands formed a U-shape. Keeping close to the cliff wall, the White Dragon Lord and the Nether Panther floated toward the surface.

Faintly glowing fluorites hung inverted from the dome of the Dark Lands. Under their dim light, two stealthy heads suddenly popped out of the calm water by the cliff edge. Faint ripples spread outward, completely dissipating after a short distance.

After poking his head above the water, the White Dragon Lord gazed across the vast underground lake. Only then did he realize that this section of the Dark Lands hadn't been completely submerged by seawater; right in the center sat a solitary little island.

Such a prominent island jutting out of the lake instantly drew both of their attention.

"Yuir, I'm worried there might be an anti-magic barrier on it. Are you confident you can sneak onto that island?"

The Nether Panther twitched its ears, shaking off the seawater.

"I'm afraid not. Swimming through the water would expose my position," the Nether Panther said, sizing up the cliff face behind them.

"But I could try climbing the cliff to see what's on the island from above."

The White Dragon had no better ideas, so he nodded in agreement.

Light body spell!

Silent Barrier!

After the White Dragon Lord cast a few minor buff spells on it, the Nether Panther slipped into stealth. Sharp, hooked claws slid from its thick paw pads, gripping the uneven stones of the cliff wall as it climbed upward.

The agile Nether Panther reached a suitable vantage point and observed the isolated island from above.

Through their familiar connection, Yuir's voice echoed in the White Dragon Lord's mind.

'Master, there are some crude structures on the island. They look like they were built by highly intelligent creatures. There's an Altar right in the center of the buildings. Something is placed on it, but it's too far away to see clearly...'

'I see humans coming out of the buildings.'

The White Dragon Lord found this strange. Why would there be humans in a place like this?

'Humans? Are you sure you aren't mistaken? They aren't Gray Dwarves or Drow Elves?'

Yuir looked closer.

'That's right, they're human. Even though they're wearing masks that hide their faces, they have round ears. There's more than one of them, and they are wearing strange dark red uniforms.'

From Yuir's description, the White Dragon Lord had a pretty good idea of who these people were.

Demon Cultists!

These bastards were like weeds. Cut down one batch, and another would spring up out of nowhere. They could never be entirely eradicated.

Because in this world where the strong preyed on the weak, there were far too many unfortunate souls. There were simply too many ordinary people willing to sell their souls in exchange for power.

Yuir's voice interrupted the White Dragon Lord's thoughts.

'Wait, I see them escorting a group of captives out of a room.'

'The racial makeup of these captives is a bit strange. There are humans and Drow Elves, but most of them are Troglodytes. Ugh, these guys are so ugly they're an absolute assault on the eyes.'

'They are marching the captives onto the Altar. Damn it, I know what all those things scattered across the Altar are now. They're corpses!'

'These guys in red clothes just killed them all! The blood is being absorbed by the Altar. The Altar is lighting up, and there's a magical Array carved into it.'

The White Dragon Lord interrupted.

'Tell me exactly what this Array looks like.'

'This Array...'

Based on Yuir's description, the White Dragon Lord sketched out a rough pattern in his mind and found the corresponding Array in his memories.

'That is a Blood Altar. It's a power-supplying Altar that absorbs the blood and souls of living creatures and converts them into energy. Furthermore, there is absolutely a treasure or a powerful enemy inside the Altar operating the Array's core. This Blood Altar is the key to the barrier.'

'Good work, Yuir. You can come down now.'

Yuir was just about to climb down when it suddenly spotted a new development.

'Wait, they're loading the corpses onto carts and moving them toward the lake. They're dumping the bodies into the water! There's something underwater fighting over the food. These animals look bizarre—they're demonized creatures!'

Fear gripped Yuir's heart. It was a good thing it hadn't tried swimming over; otherwise, it would have run right into the jaws of the demonized creatures bred by the Demon Cultists.

A moment later, Yuir watched the Demon Cultists return to their buildings before finally climbing down.

"Master, what should we do?"

"We need to destroy the Blood Altar and then teleport out of here."

The White Dragon Lord grimaced. Originally, they could have just destroyed the Altar and escaped through the tunnel.

However, to prevent Yuir from escaping earlier, the White Dragon Lord had collapsed the tunnel, cutting off his own retreat.

Now, the only way out was through teleportation magic.

Yet, destroying the Altar would inevitably expose their presence. Amos didn't know how much combat power the enemy had, nor was he sure if Yuir could buy him enough time to cast the spell.

The White Dragon Lord spoke.

"Forget it. We will observe for a while longer and gauge the enemy's strength before making a decision."

If the enemy was too weak, the White Dragon Lord wouldn't mind simply steamrolling them and handing these Demon Cultists and demonized creatures over to the Council in exchange for points.

If steamrolling wasn't an option, then he would have to use his brains.

But given how well-hidden this place was, coupled with the presence of a Blood Altar and a demonized Benthic Demon Fish family, the chances of a powerful expert holding down the fort were extremely high.

Ultimately, he lacked the intelligence to make a sound judgment.

The White Dragon Lord felt a headache coming on. There were demonized creatures swarming around the island, and an anti-magic barrier likely existed on it as well.

How was he supposed to figure out the enemy's exact strength?