Chapter 121

At the northern end of the Shatterstone Continent, across the treacherous sea known as the Starfall Strait, stands a vast ruin complex called the Spinehold City.

It is not a single fortress, but a layered, terraced network of fortified ruins built upon the natural geological marvel known as the Spinehold Ridge.

The Spinehold Ridge is a near-supernatural, arc-shaped ridge of dark crystalline rock, extending from the Shatterstone Continent like a monstrous horn thrust into the Starfall Strait.

Its narrowest point lies merely kilometers from the Scorchmark Wasteland, bringing the two continents nearly into contact; currently, the ruin complex has no unified ruler and is a dangerous zone of infiltration by factions, treasure-hunting adventurers, and scholarly study.

On the leeward side of the ridge’s junction with the continent, a massive circular harbor was constructed using a natural bay; its breakwaters are cast from granite and a certain anti-magic alloy, remaining largely intact despite the passage of time.

Behind the harbor lie labyrinthine ruins of warehouses, markets, and dwellings; buildings are constructed of pale rock quarried from across the strait mixed with local dark shatterstone, forming striking striped exteriors in a rugged, utilitarian style.

From the harbor area, three colossal wall ruins, following the ridge’s contours, rise step by step; each wall is dozens of meters thick, its surface scarred with traces of magical reinforcement and studded with spikes and platforms to repel siege beasts.

Between the walls lie the ruins of barracks, forges, massive rainwater reservoirs (fed by fissures in the mountain), and training grounds; structures here are sturdier, with Suichukejian the foundations of defensive towers and stone-paved ramps connecting the levels.

At the highest point of the Spinehold Ridge stands a relatively concentrated cluster of palaces, towers, and temples; the central structure is the Saint Korn Cathedral.

It is a dome-shaped edifice half-embedded in the mountain, its dome open to a vast circular skywell leading directly down into an unfathomably deep natural shaft—considered the core of the city’s religious and political power.

Here, building materials become luxurious: abundant deposits of Abyssal Crystals (a purple luminescent mineral found in local shatterstone) serve as decoration and illumination, alongside remnants of marble and granite columns and reliefs transported from distant lands.

The oldest portions of the ruins (foundations, core sections of walls) exhibit an archaic style beyond human capability; legend claims they were built by a vanished dwarf kingdom to seal off the elves across the strait.

The primary ruins belong to a human magical civilization known as the Violet Radiance Empire; they worshipped the Church of Light and excelled in crystal magic.

Leveraging the Spinehold Ridge’s geography and ancient foundations, they transformed the city into a supreme hub of trade, military power, and magical research; they waged a centuries-long stalemate against the demons of the Scorchmark Wasteland.

A thousand years ago, the Violet Radiance Empire, its strength steadily eroded, could no longer resist demonic assaults; it gradually abandoned its capital and began retreating inland.

On the Shatterstone Continent proper, adjacent to the base of the Spinehold Ridge, on a vast plateau called the Pale Heights, Gisk established his headquarters, main logistics base, and primary troop assembly point.

From here, one overlooks the entire Spinehold Ridge, the distant Spinehold City ruins, and most of the Starfall Strait’s waters, with no obstruction.

“Margo, lead the 012th Battalion of the Blazing Legion to seize the Starfall Beachhead and establish a temporary outpost.”

“By your command, Marshal!”

“Du Ge, lead the Second Army of the Wild Bull Legion to assault the forward outposts of Spinehold City; eliminate them completely within five days.”

“Marshal Gisk, why don’t we attack head-on? Why detour to Starfall Beach?”

“Du Ge, understand this: we must seize vast territories, yet our forces are severely insufficient; we cannot simultaneously assault all fronts, and supplies cannot be delivered. This opportunity is our only chance.”

…………

The Blue Dragon’s reign of thunder did not last long. As it gathered lightning once more, preparing to sweep away a scattered group of Abyssal Guardians, a sudden transformation occurred.

At a seemingly ordinary patch of ground on the battlefield, slightly corroded by dark energy, the earth melted like water.

No warning, no spatial fluctuation—only the ultimate assassin’s art: a strike born of “no thought, no mind.” A dark purple shadow erupted from the earth at a speed beyond visual capture, shooting toward the heavens!

It was the demon lord dwelling here—a wounded, yet far more dangerous, eight-armed serpent demon assassin.

Her upper body took the form of a human woman, her skin like aged violet jade, covered in arcane demonic runes; her lower body was a massive tail scaled in You dark scales.

Of her eight arms, six held three pairs of legendary short blades, stilettos, and hooked weapons, each inscribed with the principles of “Inevitable Hit,” “Spellbreaker,” and “Pain Siphon”;

the remaining two arms formed intricate seals, maintaining the near-perfect states of “Shadow Leap” and “Breath Severance.”

One of her eyes was dim and lifeless; a grotesque old wound slashed across her chest and abdomen, scales shattered, faintly leaking a dull spiritual glow—the proof of her “grave injury”—but it also made every move she made ruthless, venomous, and without restraint.

First strike: targeted the joint at the dragon’s wing root. A pair of hooks screamed through space, precisely shearing through the vulnerable juncture where the left wing met the body; the magical shield parted like butter beneath a hot blade, and a deep wound gaped, spewing dragon blood like azure mercury.

Second strike: aimed directly below the reverse scale. Two short blades struck like fangs toward the vital spot beneath the dragon’s neck. At the last instant, the dragon twisted its body, using the thick scales along its neck to absorb the blow; the blades pierced muscle but lodged against bone, failing to penetrate fully.

Third and fourth strikes: disruption and delay. Two stilettos traced strange arcs—not seeking to kill, but releasing sticky “Shadow Shackles” and “Pain Screams,” entangling the dragon’s soul and piercing its nerves.

The Blue Dragon roared—a cry of agony and fury—its massive body reeling violently in midair as uncontrolled lightning exploded outward.

It tried to sweep with its tail and retaliate with lightning, but the serpent demon lord, using the recoil of her strikes, slipped backward like a wraith, preparing to vanish into shadow and launch her next lethal assault.

The demon lord’s plan was flawless: cripple the most battlefield-controlling legendary unit, then retreat, exploiting the demons’ chaos and her own half-god’s intimidation to regain control of the tempo.

“ROAR!! Ugly reptile, you wounded my good brother—do you think you’ll leave alive?”

The sky split open like a molten furnace; a torrent of searing heat slammed from an oblique angle into the serpent demon lord as she attempted to vanish into shadow.

A larger, more massive red dragon, its scales like glowing iron, tore through the clouds and dove downward; its breath ignited not only matter but warped space itself, violently dispelling and igniting shadows, forcibly expelling the serpent demon lord from her stealth state!

The serpent demon lord whipped her tail, her eight arms swirling into a deadly purple-black storm, cleaving through the scorching dragon breath—but her form was now exposed, slowed.

“Order will not be defiled, demon!”

A clear, bell-like voice rang out, carrying supreme authority. On the other side, a silver dragon, its entire body shimmering with sacred white-silver light and elegant lines, had already halted in midair.

Its wings poured down gentle silver radiance; where it touched the demon, it hissed like molten iron, continuously purifying dark energy and forming a “Order Domain” that suppressed shadow movement.

The silver dragon did not rush to attack; instead, it exhaled countless divine frost chains, each inscribed with runes, wrapping around the serpent demon from all directions, restricting her terrifying mobility.

Simultaneously, a thunderous crash shook the ground. A boar-headed warrior, clad in ancient, heavy, unadorned dark-gold armor, wielding a massive axe as wide as a door, charged forward.

With a speed incongruous to his size, he surged forward; each step triggered localized earthquakes, shattering lesser demons that drew near.

The eight-armed serpent demon lord hovered midair (supported by magic), her tail coiled, her eight weapons slightly lowered; she surveyed the legendary encirclement that had formed in an instant.

In her single remaining eye, madness and cold calculation intertwined. Her grave injury prevented her from sustaining peak combat power for long, yet her half-god strength and assassin’s cunning still made her the most dangerous prey.

The serpent demon lord’s counterattack bloomed like a fatal flower from the abyss. Her eight weapons became a purple-black storm tearing through space; each strike carried whispered curses and rifts in reality.

She braved the red dragon’s breath, her tail shattering the silver dragon’s holy chains; three pairs of blades formed an impenetrable defense, parrying the boar-headed warrior’s mountain-splitting strikes.

She even attempted to trade her own life for theirs, enduring the Blue Dragon’s lightning spear piercing her shoulder blade, to thrust a short blade coated in “Divine Rot” toxin toward the silver dragon’s eye.

Yet the order and power of the encirclement gradually overwhelmed the solitary cunning and madness.

Vexis ceased pursuing wide-area thunder bombardments; instead, he compressed his violent lightning into precise, piercing “Lightning Spears” or delayed-explosion “Static Cages,” constantly disrupting and paralyzing the serpent demon’s movements, creating fleeting openings for his allies.

Iroge abandoned his flashy dives, switching to low-altitude, oppressive sweeps, using his flame-covered claws and sweeping tail for the most primal combat.

Forcing the serpent demon to expend immense energy dodging and blocking, each collision with his brute force tore her wounds wider.

The silver dragon was the stable control core; his holy domain continuously weakened the serpent demon’s dark energy recovery and shadow affinity, while constantly casting high-order spells: “Slow,” “Radiant Bind,”—invisible shackles layering upon her, erasing her ghostly speed advantage.

The boar-headed legendary warrior was the quietest, yet deadliest pressure source; he did not rush to attack, but stood like a mountain, blocking every possible escape route from the encirclement.

Each swing of his massive axe was heavy and powerful, forcing the serpent demon to use multiple weapons just to barely parry; each parry rang with metallic cries and the brittle crunch of bones under unbearable strain. He waited, searching for the fatal opening.

Finally, an opening emerged under relentless pressure.

The silver dragon unleashed a potent “Divine Shock,” briefly disorienting the serpent demon’s senses. The red dragon seized the moment, smashing her defense posture with a heavy wing strike.

The Blue Dragon’s lightning spear struck her wrist holding the key defensive weapon at the same instant, causing a momentary freeze in her motion.

The strike came—soundless, yet faster than time. A razor-thin gray line vertically sliced through the serpent demon lord’s chest, cleaving her massive serpentine body.

The serpent demon lord’s eight arms froze; the madness and cold calculation in her single eye shattered like broken glass, replaced instantly by hollow gray death. She looked down at her body.

A fine line appeared—and then, a torrent of blinding light, mixing dark purple dark energy with sacred golden radiance, erupted uncontrollably from that line!

Her body, along with her eight legendary weapons, slowly slid apart along this absolute “division line.”

“You did excellently, Vexis—you seized that instant.” Morax pulled a vial from between his scales, placing inside a purple crystal—the incomplete half-god essence within Mogarona’s body.

"Sarut, you did excellently, seizing this momentary opportunity." From between his scales, Morax pulled out a bottle and sealed inside it a purple crystal—the incomplete demi-god divinity core from Mogarona.