As soon as everyone entered the tomb, they felt a wave of discomfort, a chilling and heart-pounding Shadow aura assailing them, as if countless damp, cold tentacles writhed in the darkness, trying to burrow into their bones.
Low, unintelligible murmurs echoed from the depths of the passage, striking directly at their souls, bringing waves of dizziness and irritation.
Even Rhodes faintly heard some whispered words.
"Steady your minds! These are Shadow whispers, protect your souls with Holy Light!" Uther's voice was calm and strong, his body radiating Holy Light, forming a warm halo that shielded everyone from the encroaching whispers.
The Paladins and Tyr's Guards behind him followed suit, and golden radiance connected into a continuous stream in the gloomy passage. Rhodes also used Holy Light Flash to illuminate himself.
At the same time, he used the mental power enhancement from Arcane Intellect, combined with the mental recovery effect from the Paladin's Blessing of Wisdom, to construct a solid barrier on the spiritual level.
Jaina waved her staff, and a light blue Arcane Shield enveloped the group, further weakening the influence of the Shadow whispers.
Fortunately, these were just the hellish sounds inadvertently emitted by the Faceless Ones and Shadow Creatures. If it were the whispers of the old gods,
the current Rhodes would not be able to resist, as these were whispers that could corrupt even a Guardian.
"Watch your step, proceed with caution!" a Tyr's Guard reminded.
No sooner had he spoken than the shadows in front of the passage suddenly writhed violently!
Dozens of twisted creatures, seemingly composed of pure Shadow, suddenly "grew" out of the walls and ground!
They had no fixed form, like boiling black asphalt, constantly emitting Shadow Power from their surfaces, making nauseating "gurgling" sounds, and malevolent purple light flickered from their cracks, condensing into the shape of tentacles or sharp teeth, silently pouncing on the invaders!
These Shadow monsters! They were the low-level minions formed by Zakaz's power leakage over tens of thousands of years!
"My Holy Light, purify these evils!" Uther roared, pointing his warhammer forward, and a pure golden beam of light, like a spear of judgment, instantly pierced through three Shadow monsters charging at the front.
The hit monsters let out an ear-splitting shriek, their bodies violently boiling and evaporating in the Holy Light, turning into wisps of black smoke and dissipating.
Including Rhodes, the other Paladins also cast Holy Light Spells, summoning powerful Holy Light to clear these Shadow monsters in the passage.
These Shadow monsters were difficult for other professions to deal with, but they were no match for Holy Light Spells.
"For order, long live Tyr! Exterminate these minions of the old gods!" the Leader of Tyr's Guards roared, sweeping out the glowing greatsword in his hand.
Terrifying Holy Light was attached to the sword, and wherever the blade passed, the Shadow monsters exploded like drops of water thrown into boiling oil, and even the approaching Shadow aura was dispersed!
Their attack methods not only contained Holy Light but also carried a kind of runic, order-shaking wave against chaotic energy, originating from ancient Titan technology, which was highly efficient.
Jaina waved her staff, and several Ice Lances accurately impaled the cores of several Shadow monsters. The extreme cold instantly froze them into rigid black ice sculptures, which were then easily shattered by the Paladins' warhammers.
Rhodes did not immediately use the powerful Magic Divine Arrow; these low-level monsters were not worth wasting precious mana on. He raised his hand and let out a low cry: "Holy Storm!"
This was a powerful Paladin spell he had newly learned from Uther!
Centered on Rhodes, a golden energy vortex several meters in diameter suddenly formed! Holy energy, like a rotating blade storm, formed around Rhodes.
Those Shadow monsters attempting to bypass the front line and pounce on the flanks and rear of the party were instantly engulfed, and with a piercing "hissing" sound, like snow thrown into a furnace, they were instantly scorched and purified!
Wherever the Holy Storm passed, even the greasy moss and seeping black goo on the passage walls were purified, leaving dry and clean stone surfaces.
"Well done, Rhodes!" Jaina's eyes lit up; Rhodes' speed and power in mastering Holy Light Spells once again astonished her.
"Maintain formation, keep advancing!" Uther ordered in a deep voice, and the party, intertwined with Holy Light and Arcane, pierced into the darkness like a sharp blade.
The deeper they went into the tomb, the wider the passage became, eventually leading into a massive underground cavern.
The light here was even dimmer, and the air was filled with a thick, impenetrable Shadow mist, severely obstructing visibility.
In the center of the cavern, an ancient altar, built from huge, rough stones, stood. The ground around the altar was covered with complex and faded sealing runes.
But at this moment, many runes were already broken, and viscous, living-like black substance continuously seeped from the cracks.
And guarding the altar were no longer low-level Shadow monsters, but more powerful existences!
Faceless Ones!
These twisted creatures were nearly three meters tall, with dark purple or deep gray skin, covered in slick mucus and hard chitinous carapaces.
They had no distinct heads, their upper bodies consisting only of a huge mouth filled with spiraling sharp teeth and several constantly writhing tentacles with suckers or claws at their ends, while their lower bodies were thick, insect-like or crustacean-like limbs.
They stood silently in the Shadow mist, exuding a suffocating sense of oppression and pure malice. They were extensions of Zakaz's power, higher-level minions.
"Roar—!" Seeing the invaders, the three closest Faceless Ones let out a silent roar—a shriek that directly assaulted the soul!
At the same time, tentacles from their huge mouths suddenly shot out several viscous, foul-smelling Shadow Arrows, as fast as lightning!
"Shields up!" Uther roared. The Paladins and Tyr's Guards in the front immediately raised their heavy shields, and Holy Light converged into a wall of light on the shields.
Bang, bang, bang!
The Shadow Arrows crashed against the Holy Light Shields, making dull thuds, and the viscous dark energy tried to corrode the Holy Light. The shields vibrated violently, numbing the arms of the shield-bearing warriors.
"Frost Nova!" Jaina slammed her staff to the ground, and a bone-chilling ring of ice instantly spread out from her! The ice ring swept across the lower limbs of the three Faceless Ones, and the extreme cold instantly froze them in place, making their movements slow and stiff.
"Now! Attack!" The Leader of Tyr's Guards seized the opportunity, leading his subordinates to pounce like fierce tigers.
Greatswords, imbued with order-shaking waves and Holy Light, slashed fiercely at the Faceless Ones' hard carapaces, producing ear-splitting metallic scraping sounds and leaving deep scorch marks and cracks.
The Paladins focused on purification, Holy Light spell and Holy Light Flash, raining down on the attacked Faceless Ones, scorching their flesh, producing "sizzling" sounds and foul black smoke.