Chapter 117: Conflict

Acorn, who was crying uncontrollably, was particularly sensitive to the mention of the ancestral spirit. As soon as Liu Zong leapt down and spoke, they mistakenly believed it was Liu Zong and his people who were responsible. Without waiting for Acorn’s command, his servants immediately grabbed their weapons, ready to fight to the death against Liu Zong.

Xu Ying reacted the fastest. Seeing the Kurast dwarves charging with weapons, he stepped forward to stand in front of Liu Zong. The skeletal lion behind him transformed into armor covering his body, and the weapon in his hand shifted into a square shield, which he raised in defense.

In truth, Xu Ying had been waiting for this opportunity. The last time, before he could even react, he was struck down by those Kurast dwarves led by Pine Needle, leaving him quite displeased.

Since Pine Needle had already established contact with them, Xu Ying could no longer afford to cause trouble for those dwarves. Now, presented with a chance to showcase his own strength, Xu Ying naturally would not miss it.

Facing the Kurast dwarf servants, all at level 0, Xu Ying unleashed his full power. He slammed his shield heavily into the ground, and behind him appeared a phantom image of a lion.

This phantom was enormous, enveloping everyone present. Strange patterns adorned the lion’s body, and with each step Xu Ying took forward, these patterns emitted varying glimmers of light.

A lion’s roar emerged from Xu Ying’s mouth. Though not particularly loud or piercing, it had a calming effect on their enemies. It seemed to instill a reluctance to face the lion directly, as if the opponents preferred to sit down rather than confront it. Meanwhile, the lion’s eyes glowed an intensifying red.

This was a distinctive feature of Xu Ying’s combat style. Their sect, the Ghost King Clan, followed a path diametrically opposed to that of the Buddhist order. Everything they practiced was the reverse of Buddhist principles.

In the Buddhist view, Vajra (diamond) was an enraged, tank-like cannon fodder with fighting prowess. But within their sect, Vajra served a semi-support role, enhancing oneself while weakening the enemy.

The lion’s roar, originally an offensive skill, had transformed into a sound-based technique that diminished the enemy’s combat strength. Its only benefit was that while weakening opponents, it stimulated the player’s own murderous aura, thereby boosting their attack power.

Acorn and his group, unfamiliar with Xu Ying’s methods, were immediately affected. Their combat capabilities were already weak, and hearing Liu Zong mention the ancestral spirit had only just stirred them to react and attack Liu Zong.

Under the oppressive roar, some of them even dropped their weapons, falling to the ground in tears.

Acorn, however, appeared lifeless, recklessly charging at Xu Ying with his weapon raised.

Xu Ying had no intention of harming Acorn. Both of them were only level 1; if he held back, he risked injury himself. So, Xu Ying pivoted his square shield in hand, which astonishingly transformed into a white bone hammer resembling a lotus flower, striking Acorn’s chest directly.

Acorn was sent flying. His seated servants quickly rushed forward, trying to lift him back onto his shoulders. Xu Ying advanced with long strides, his weapon continuously morphing until it became a long staff that he slammed onto Acorn’s shoulder.

By then, Acorn had lost the ability to resist, but his servants remained untouched. Unlike Liu Zong’s comrades, who cared for each other and reluctantly laid down arms, Acorn’s servants cared for their leader in a reckless manner, throwing themselves at the enemy without hesitation.

To them, their leader was their life. If he died, none of them would survive. They would seize any chance to save him without surrender.

At this moment, Liu Zong and his group also regained their composure, each drawing upon their signature abilities. The malicious ghost girl by Liu Zong’s side leapt forward, and the giant bear behind her was hurled far away with a sweeping strike that sent a batch of Kurast servants flying.

Rena released a pair of azure birds with long tail feathers that circled Xu Ying incessantly. Countless shimmering lights, like falling snowflakes, settled on Xu Ying, forming a protective barrier that prevented the Kurast servants from approaching.

Lv Shang took out his weapon and retreated to a corner with the servant who had accompanied him. He knew he had little role on this battlefield; all he needed was to protect himself.

Yuan Ying became the main force fighting the servants. Two long whip-like cloth bands in her hands lashed continuously, each strike turning a servant into a crystalline ice form.

This was a deadly blow. Those frozen servants either melted away or shattered into fragments, leaving none alive.

By now, Liu Zong had reached Acorn’s side. Fixing his gaze on him, he said, “Tell your servants to stop. If this continues, we will truly become enemies.”

Acorn glared fiercely at Xu Ying with bloodshot eyes, completely ignoring Liu Zong’s words.

Liu Zong stepped forward and kicked Acorn to the ground, repeating, “Tell your servants to stop. Do you think you’re the first to discover a problem with the ancestral spirit? You’re not. This is a conspiracy targeting your ancestral spirit. If you don’t stop, other ancestral spirits will suffer.”

At those words, Acorn’s mind cleared a little. He scoffed, “What do other ancestral spirits have to do with me?”

“Have you never thought about the ancestral spirits before yours? About your ancestral spirit’s relatives?” Liu Zong shouted. “And it’s still uncertain what exactly happened to those ancestral spirits.”

Hearing this, Acorn finally came to true realization. Though he made no move or utterance, his servants immediately ceased their attack and gathered around him.

Later, Acorn asked, “You mentioned the ancestral spirit situation earlier. How do you know about it?”

Liu Zong didn’t answer directly but called over Pine Needle’s servants.

One of Acorn’s servants saw this and shouted, “Those are Pine Needle’s servants! Weren’t you all expelled from the ancestral camp just a week ago?”

Liu Zong then recounted his encounter with Pine Needle and shared some of his own conjectures.

Acorn was not as rational as Pine Needle. After hearing Liu Zong’s entire explanation, he was determined to storm back to the ancestral camp. No matter how much Liu Zong tried to dissuade him, he could not be convinced.

In the end, Liu Zong had no choice but to ask Xu Ying to restrain Acorn before saying, “You’re not the only ones with problems. We should find others to see if they’ve encountered similar issues. Only then can we approach the ancestral camp. Otherwise, if you charge in alone like this, you will surely be killed before you even enter.”

Acorn disregarded all reason, shouting fiercely, while his servants remained calmer, waiting for his final decision.