Chapter 31: The Temple

"Face the gale!"
"Blade of the Tempest!"
Cough, cough...

After reading that scroll, Luo Yong was not only surprised but also filled with longing and anticipation.
Who says mages can't fight up close?
Who says warriors can't cast spells?
If a necromancer can wield wind magic, and combine it with powerful martial skills...
At this rate, Luo Yong alone could rival an entire mage corps one day.

The Gale Swordsman—now, that was a truly impressive profession.
It was Luo Yong's third—no, to be precise, his fourth profession.
Disguiser, Necromancer, Wind Whisperer, and Gale Swordsman.
As for "Magic Swordsman," that offhand title he’d fabricated, it was completely discredited now, not a soul believed it anymore.

According to the scroll, Luo Yong had only learned the basic "Windwalk" skill, which required level 5.
The more advanced techniques, like Tempest Slash and Aurora Mirage Cut, were simply out of reach with his current physical fitness.
His level boost didn’t bring a comprehensive improvement to his body's attributes.
After practicing some of the moves from the scroll, he nearly threw out his back.
So, though he had reached level 13, he was unable to master any of the higher martial skills for now.
He put away the scroll and diligently continued exploring the secret realm.

The most pressing issue now was to break through his bottleneck.
Without solving this, he couldn't become stronger quickly.
Although earlier he’d shouted about facing the gale, what he actually used was a wind enchantment spell, slashing simply with his longsword.
Compared to casting "Wind Blade" over and over, this consumed less mana and was much more practical.
The "Gluttonous Flowers," those plant-type monsters he’d slaughtered en masse, were highly resistant to fire and poison, but oddly vulnerable to wind magic—Luo Yong exploited this weakness, leaving the ground littered with their remains and plenty of gemstones.

However, for the Gluttonous Flowers of the entire realm, such losses were negligible—a drop in the ocean.
After a while, Luo Yong felt he'd done enough. Though a few more scrolls dropped, they were mostly single-use consumables—he stashed them away for emergencies.

While resting, Luo Yong tried to get his bearings. Chasing the Gluttonous Flowers all night had taken him far from his original path.
Surrounded by trees, he couldn’t tell one direction from another—it felt as if he’d gotten lost in the wilderness.
He tried to retrace his steps by memory, but soon had to admit he was truly lost.

Back on Blue Star, thanks to his superhuman memory, he’d never lost his way; he always remembered every path he took.
His phone would provide positioning and maps.
Even without those devices, he could navigate by the stars.
But in this otherworldly realm, it felt as though the clouds obscured all points of reference, leaving him utterly disoriented.

As time passed, Luo Yong began to grow anxious.
If he couldn't return in time, his teammates would be trapped in this secret realm—once their supplies ran out, they’d be doomed to wait for death...
Ah, what a tragic tale that would be.

"The territory of the Gluttonous Flowers wasn’t shown in any of the previous maps!"
Luo Yong wandered aimlessly, hoping to find his way by returning to the Gluttonous Flowers’ area.

But after a long trek, day turned to night and back again, and he never saw a single Gluttonous Flower.
Instead, the woods around him came alive with all manner of monsters.
Some looked gentle but were as massive as bulls—rabbits, of all things.
If these were anything like the one that had bitten the barbarian priestess earlier, a single bite would be fatal, poison or not.

There were also packs of coyotes, panting and savage.
Every so often, a Stone Coyote would appear among them—clearly the pack leader, radiating magical energy that could be sensed even from a distance.

But the most common were monsters resembling animated tree stumps.
The thinner ones looked like enchanted tree branches.
Some bore lush leaves, some resembled blades or swords, and others looked like staves.
They clustered in dense groups, enough to make one’s skin crawl with trypophobia.

Clack, clack!

His two level-13 skeletal soldiers hacked away with their bone blades, making dull thuds, but failed to cause any effective harm.

Luo Yong alternated between Windwalk and wind spells at his feet, boosting his speed.
By the time he felt exhausted, he had no idea how far he’d wandered, or in what direction.

After stopping to rest and eating a little, the realm cycled once more from night to day, and the light grew dim.
He ate and drank some recovery potions, and in the distance, saw a faint glow.
It was reminiscent of his first arrival in this world, wandering for days and nights before finally glimpsing firelight.

"Could that be Wendy and the others? Have I miraculously found my way back?"
The thought made Luo Yong almost admire his own... imagination.

By now, Wendy and company should be beneath a giant tree visible from afar—so long as they stayed under its protection, they’d be safe.
The tree wasn’t the tallest in the realm, but its unique features made it unmistakable at a glance.
Actually, though thick and sturdy, it wasn’t especially high; compared to the forest’s towering giants, it seemed rather short.

The light ahead clearly wasn’t from that giant tree, nor from any fire set by Wendy.
It was another source entirely.

Though it seemed near, covering the distance proved elusive, as if some invisible barrier kept him from drawing closer.

Another night passed, and daylight returned.
Mist shrouded the forest, and the distant light grew hazy.
Luo Yong activated Windwalk, dashing forward until his stomach rumbled with hunger, at which point he finally neared his destination.

He slowed, eating as he advanced, inching closer to the source of the glow.
Damn, he thought, sneaking around his own secret realm like a thief...

Ahem.

Mainly, he lacked the key to the realm; otherwise, he’d have more confidence.
Alone as he was, caution seemed wise.

Luo Yong had come to realize that in this world, human life was terribly fragile.
If not for the divine artifact Holy Light Angel in his possession, the barbarian priestess would have succumbed to poison long ago.
This made Luo Yong understand why the elven enchantress Yan Bao’er had gone to great lengths to win over a necromancer as unpopular as himself.

It’s worth noting: Luo Yong called his magic "necromancy," while others referred to it as "death magic."
The latter term was loaded with prejudice.

Yet everyone unconsciously ignored this distinction.
Luo Yong himself didn’t care—others’ opinions wouldn’t hinder his progress.
Pragmatism prevailed: if it worked, he’d use it, necromancy or death magic, it made no difference.

However...

Now that his necromancer persona was established, whenever others were present, he could no longer use wind magic or Windwalk openly.
Otherwise, he’d have to consider silencing witnesses—and if he failed, what then?
That would be truly awkward...

As he drew closer to his goal, Luo Yong was astonished to discover a temple.
And not just any temple—the very one he’d been seeking.
The Sanctuary of the Forest Goddess!

Bathed in a soft, hazy glow, the temple radiated peace and serenity.
Even the air and the drifting winds seemed sanctified.

After a brief consideration, Luo Yong strolled forward, switching his profession to Wind Whisperer.

Ahem.

There was no one else around, after all.
Besides, he worried necromancy might provoke the Forest Goddess’s ire.
Prejudice exists even among the gods above.

Anticipating this possibility, Luo Yong took care not to give fate the chance to test it.

As he entered, wind magic surged within him.
Contrary to his expectations, the temple’s interior was not rustic but paved with jade, gleaming with pearls and treasures of every kind.
The sanctuary blazed with light, allowing a clear view of everything within.

At its center stood a grand platform, atop which was a statue of a woman carved wholly from jade.
In her palm, she cradled a small emerald-green tree. The material was impossible to identify—neither wood nor any familiar stone or metal.

Ascending the dais, Luo Yong walked straight to the statue, and grasped the little green tree.

Crack!

At that instant, a sharp sound echoed through the sanctuary, followed by a tremor that shook the whole temple.
Luo Yong glanced back: fissures were spreading across the goddess’s statue, racing outward.

Crash!

A massive stone tumbled from the vaulted ceiling.

"Damn it!"

He shouted in alarm and, in his panic, instantly triggered Windwalk, escaping the temple in the blink of an eye.

The ground heaved violently, and the once serene sanctuary collapsed with a thunderous roar.

After a long while, as the dust finally settled, only a field of shattered ruins remained.