Chapter Twenty-One: The Contest of Spells

As soon as he entered the grand hall, Lin Hai was confronted by the same hair-raising scene that had left him numb before. In the center of the hall, a towering pyre of burning bones rose high, the dragon’s flames igniting the corpse oil on the white skeletons, sending up eerie green and red twin flames that cast a ghastly, sinister glow. It would not be an exaggeration to call it a mountain of flaming bones.

The pile of bones took up a third of the entire hall. Scattered remains of adults lay everywhere; burning rats, set alight, scurried frantically across the floor. The whole place resembled a living hell.

Atop the white bone tower sat a throne hewn from flawless white jade, blending seamlessly with the surrounding bones. On this throne lounged a ragged, filthy demon-child, hair singed into slight curls and still emitting wisps of black smoke, staring intently at Lin Hai.

Since descending the secret passage, Lin Hai had seen nothing but rooms full of tormented, lingering spirits—no proper monsters at all. This, naturally, struck him as odd. Who could withstand the dragon’s fiery wrath? Was this little fiend atop the corpse-suppressing jade the true lord of this accursed place? If so, all the “chance” encounters and accidents so far must have been meticulously orchestrated by him. What was his goal? Could he also be after his dear nephew?

Lin Hai instinctively glanced at Lin Fan, sighing inwardly: “Who would have guessed, kid, you’re such a rare, coveted prize!”

After a brief moment of wild speculation, he narrowed his eyes and surveyed the hall for any hidden exits or secrets.

Turning his head, he was startled to see, in a distant corner by the bone pile, a child hanging upside down from a swaying chandelier. Raising his flashlight for a closer look, he saw the child’s eyes were tightly shut, face drained of all color, the head and arms swinging limply with the motion of the light fixture—it seemed the child’s fate was grim. Yet the facial features bore a strong resemblance to Xin’er.

Relief flooded Lin Hai. He put Lin Fan down and thought, “At least this trip wasn’t in vain. Who cares if that child is dead or alive? Or what diabolical schemes this little demon has planned? My nephew’s sacrifice won’t have been for nothing—at least I can reclaim something, reap some reward! Today, Xin’er’s debt must be repaid, and I’ll settle scores with this little bastard!”

Striding forward, Lin Hai demanded loudly, “So it was you, you little bastard, behind all of this?”

Compared to the