It would be wiser for them to explore the temple first.
With Demetrius present, their strength was significantly bolstered.
Indeed, my lord, Demetrius acknowledged, then withdrew.
Half an hour later, 10 skeletal dragons laden with the remnants of grave guardians stood at attention before the Lord's mansion.
Fong Hao, accompanied by Jia, Lu Lee, and Demetrius, ascended onto the back of a skeletal dragon.
Let's set forth.
Funa declared, "The skeletal dragon, responding to the command, exerted its strength and soared into the sky, heading towards the temple.
" He recalled the moment he had acquired the clue the lord and the one in the tomb at the tavern.
The tavern keeper had animatedly recounted a touching love story.
Initially it was believed that the lord had erected a moselum for his beloved amidst the mountains.
Who could have anticipated that through the descriptions of artifacts and entries in the diary the narrative unfolded in a starkly contrasting manner? This lord, now known as the Red Duke, after winning the trust of his vampiric lover, had cruy taken her life in a most peculiar fashion, subsequently using her blood to transform himself and the town's folk into vampires.
He then dismembered her and buried her remains in desperate locations.
In his exploration of this ancient tomb, he had not only acquired a pulsating heart, but also received a quest to assist the heart's master in locating the remaining body parts, thereby increasing the likelihood of gaining the feelalty of a dark gold tier hero.
This was precisely why Fong Ho had made a special inquiry regarding any construction projects undertaken by the Red Duke, as it was highly probable that this would lead to the subsequent task concerning the heart.
As the skeletal dragon soared through the sky, it rapidly approached the location of the temple.
The wind howled in his ears and through the clouds below, he could see human villages the size of matchboxes, bustling with villagers akin to ants.
After more than an hour of flight, they neared their destination.
As they descended, the abandoned temple came into view.
The temple's location was strikingly evident.
Within a 100 meter radius of the structure, no vegetation thrived, and the ground appeared parched and devoid of nutrients.
In stark contrast, dense forest thrived just beyond that perimeter.
This pronounced disparity was particularly apparent from the sky.
Goodness, this temple can't be toxic, can it? Fungho muttered.
As a skeletal dragon approached rapidly, he hastily patted it to redirect its course, landing first in the dense forest a 100 meters away.
Once the 10 skeletal dragons touched down, Fong Hao and his companions dismounted, gazing at the temple from distance constructed of stone bricks, the temple bore a resemblance to ancient Roman architectural styles.
Peering through the archway, they could discern the deity's statue inside their essay person over there, and Jia suddenly remarked.
Following her gaze, they spotted a middle-aged man dressed as a villager carrying a wild boar as he walked past the temple s vacant center.
He was likely a hunter from a nearby village and he traversed the temple without encountering any of the toxic perils Fong Hao had anticipated.
And Jia, come with me, he instructed.
Fong Hao, accompanied by Anja, emerged from the dense forest in pursuit of the villagers.
Elder brother, Fonggho called out.
The hunter turned back, puzzled and cautiously set down the wild boar, drawing a dagger from his waist.
"Did you call for me?" the hunter inquired, frowning.
"Indeed," Fungha replied, observing the hunter's stance without advancing closer, and directly asked, "Elder brother, may I inquire, what deity is worshiped within that temple, and whether it possesses any divine efficacy?" "Which village are you from? I don't believe I've seen you before," the hunter responded.
Oh, I hail from Pearl City.
Pearl City? The hunter exclaimed in surprise.
It is quite a distance from here.
A normal person would take a day and a night to reach this place on foot.
Indeed, I came to see if the temple is truly efficacious, Fongo admitted.
Noticing the youthfulness of the two and their seemingly honest demeanor.
The hunter sheathed his dagger and remarked.
Traveling such a distance to seek a temple suggests that something must have transpired at home.
Damn.
Chapter 272.
The underground palace beneath the statue of Alas.
This hunter possesses quite the conversational prowess.
It is no wonder that upon being summoned, he instinctively reached for the dagger at his waist.
Presumably, his tongue has earned him a fair share of adversaries.
I was merely passing by, intrigued by this temple.
Fong swiftly clarified.
Given the desolation surrounding the temple, it was hardly surprising that he expressed interest.
The hunter did not pry further and continued as you've observed.
There are issues with this temple.
It might be worthwhile to enter, but let us forego any prayers.
Why is it that not a single blade of grass grows in the vicinity of the temple? Fong inquired further.
Nothing has thrived here for many years.
Over time, people have simply become accustomed to it, the hunter replied.
Fong Hao pondered momentarily before asking.
That is indeed peculiar.
Is there any danger? Not particularly.
There's several villages nearby, and occasionally some individuals venture in to rest for a spell.
Oh, Fongo furrowed his brow once more.
The fact that villagers occasionally entered without incident suggested a lack of immediate danger.
Is there anything else? The hunter inquired again.
"Oh, nothing more.
Thank you, esteemed sir.
" Fungho responded with a nod.
The hunter hoisted the wild boar from the ground and turned to leave.
Fongghao and Andha rejoined their companions in the dense forest.
"Sir, how did it go?" Domiga asked.
The hunter mentioned, "There is no danger.
Let us hold for a moment.
I will use the skeletal gray sparrow to take a look," Fongo said as he leaned against a massive tree and invoked divine vision.
"A skeletal gray sparrow, its pupils ignited with soul fire, flapped its wings, and soared towards the temple.
The skeletal gray sparrow successfully entered the temple's arched stone doorway.
The interior was not expansive.
The patterns on the stone walls had faded, making identification of the carvings nearly impossible.
At the center stood a stone statue over 3 m tall, with half of its head missing and its body mar by numerous cracks.
The statue yielded no discernable attributes, indicating that it was merely an ordinary stone sculpture, devoid of any divine blessings.
After a thorough inspection, Fonha discerned no immediate threats.
He once more guided the gray sparrow back and dispelled his divine vision.
Upon opening his eyes, he found several individuals gazing at him with curiosity, having detected no danger.
Let us allow the skeletal sparrow to approach.
Fongo declared as he rose from the ground.
Very well, Ditiga replied, signaling a gravekeeper to enter the temple.
After a brief exploration, the gravekeeper emerged and scathed.
"It seems nothing has transpired," and Jia remarked from the sidelines.
"Indeed, let us draw near," Funha replied.
With confirmation of safety, the group commenced their approach towards the temple.
"They ventured within, encountering no hazards or unforeseen events.
" "Fong Ho" exhaled in relief.
It appeared he had been overly cautious.
"All right, let us search for any peculiarities," he instructed.
The temple though modest in size was deemed safe after a thorough inspection leading to the retreat of the skeletal soldiers.
Only Fong How and Inja along with two others remained within the temple embarking on a quest of exploration.
They meticulously searched every nook and cranny seeking out any anomalies.
After an extensive search, they found nothing a miss.
Fong Hao, stroking his chin, sank into contemplation.
This temple was erected by the Red Duke, a man infamous for dismembering his beloved and transforming the entire city into vampires.
It seemed implausible that he would construct a genuine temple.