The two priests did not relax even though a Puki appeared in front of them; instead, they became even more vigilant.

The reason was that the Hand of Death realized the danger of Puki earlier than other forces did!

Initially, it was just that the cultists active near Mushroom City repeatedly failed or simply disappeared without a trace.

This was not too serious a problem for the Hand of Death.

They attributed it to the outstanding abilities of Lord Fa’er of Mushroom City, which reduced the activities nearby.

But soon, they found the situation deteriorating.

Starting from Mushroom City as the center, cultists active in more and more areas around it disappeared one by one, as if someone was hunting them down.

Strangely enough, the kingdom’s officialdom made no comment on this, as if the matter was not related to them at all?!

By the time the Hand of Death realized that the disappearance of the cultists was related to the area covered by the fungal mat, they had no choice but to withdraw on a large scale from within the kingdom’s borders.

This time, performing the Death Return Ceremony within the Empire was actually a helpless move.

The original plan was to gather enough sacrifices in the West Coast fall zone to hold the ceremony. That way, even if discovered, neither humans nor demons could immediately muster enough power to interfere with the ceremony.

However, the appearance of the fungal mat and the Mushroom Race forced them to choose a new site.

Coupled with the incomplete divine oracle obtained by the High Priest this time.

Puki might very well be the biggest enemy the Hand of Death has to face!

The Catman Priest was the first to launch an attack, with several stone pellets condensing and shooting from the rear.

However, before the stone pellets could hit the ground, Puki’s round body had already dodged to the side!

[Combat Instinct Level 2]

Almost at the same time, a flexible mycelium tentacle shot out from Puki’s direction, targeting Krug, who was about to cover the Catman Priest’s movement.

The Lizardman Priest let out a low growl, and a dark gray shield reappeared around him, deflecting the incoming tentacle with a dull thud.

A demon, a cat, and a mushroom entangled in a melee on this forest clearing.

Krug’s attacks were powerful and forceful, coupled with a strong faith shield; the Catman Priest was elusive, skillfully using earth magic for either attack or defense; while Knight Puki, despite his round body, possessed amazing flexibility and agility, taking the initiative with an endless array of skills.

Neither side could achieve victory in a short time.

However, whenever the two priests wanted to leave, Knight Puki always found ways to stop the more cumbersome Krug.

In the distance, the forest lit up with moving torch flames; it was Cang Gu and his subordinates rushing to support after resolving the imperial officers.

In a desperate situation, Krug had no choice but to throw the package containing materials to the Catman Priest and seize the opportunity to use his shield to charge toward Knight Puki, enduring several wounds, he grabbed one of Knight Puki’s feet.

At the same time, the Catman Priest shot out a ball of darkness--the Power of Death--in perfect sync.

This darkness was exactly like the one the High Priest used to attack the Demon King before, though not as overwhelming.

However, at the moment Puki was grabbed, flames spewed from beneath the mushroom cap, enveloping Krug, who had not deployed his shield to capture Puki.

[Flaming Dragon Breath Level 3]

"Roar!!!"

After a heart-wrenching howl, the front was now occupied by a thoroughly charred Krug.

The Catman Priest hastily retracted the Power of Death, barely avoiding accidentally killing his teammate.

Knight Puki’s severed short leg was regenerating at a speed visible to the naked eye; a tentacle wrapped around Krug’s barely recognizable head, slowly lifting his charred body to face the Catman Priest.

At the end of another tentacle, a sharp bone spur extended, hovering above his carotid artery.

The Catman Priest clutched the package, hesitant as he watched this scene.

However, the gravely injured and dying Lizardman suddenly mustered the strength to shout:

"Run!"

The next moment, the bone spur pierced through his body, and the shout abruptly ended.

The Catman Priest trembled violently but did not lose his sanity over his companion’s sacrifice.

"Damn it, meow!"

With a final glance at Krug’s charred body, he then turned and bounded several times, completely blending into the deeper, denser dark forest in the distance, disappearing from sight.

Unfortunately, a Catman got away.

But it’s not a big issue, as the Catman was a latecomer and didn’t know much about the layout of the Giant Beast Bone Field.

Meanwhile, the Lizardman and that group of Imperial Soldiers, who knew more, had all been dealt with.

Knight Puki stood silently at the center of the scorched ground, his round mushroom cap slightly lowered, aimed at the charred black mass at his feet that barely retained a lizard-like shape.

With a gentle shake, spores glittering faintly fell from the edge of the mushroom cap, covering Krug’s scorched, broken scales and exposed tissues.

Lin Jun had been measured with his actions; this Lizardman named Krug still had a sliver of skin left, not yet completely dead.

Of course, if left alone, he would die within a few minutes.

However, having captured a suspected high-ranking member of the Hand of Death alive, it was necessary to find a way to extract some intel on these cults from his mind.

As for the remaining dregs of the Hand of Death... if they could be conveniently eradicated, it would undoubtedly be a good thing.

But for now, the transfer ritual in the Giant Beast Bone Field was more important.

Before that, the information needed to be as tightly sealed as possible, and any actions that could attract too much attention had to be postponed, let alone personally taking people to pursue them further.

Letting the remnants of the Hand of Death create some trouble for the Empire to distract attention wouldn’t be bad.

However, while Lin Jun was handling Krug and momentarily not "observing" the Yellow-covered Book.

In the depths of the underground chamber of Earl Bona’s mansion, an unused Teleportation Magic Array lit up without any warning!

Buzz——

The air twisted with a low, dull sound, and a figure solidified on the Teleportation Array.

He wore a set of seemingly luxurious deep purple attire exuding a peculiar aura, impeccably tailored but wrapping him tightly from neck to toe, even with silk gloves matching the attire’s color on his hands.

A wide-brimmed hat was worn low, its brim’s shadow completely obscuring his face.

Alone, with no entourage, he abruptly appeared here.

He didn’t pause at all, walking up the stairs with ease as if returning to his own home.

The warning and trap Magic Arrays painted on the corridor walls showed no reaction.

He thus entered the place as if it were unguarded, eventually reaching the Earl’s study, finding the tense Earl Bona with the Holy Scripture in his hands.

"From afar, I sensed the unnatural spirit field over here, and I was guessing if it might be you tinkering with something here."

"As expected!" He extended a hand clad in a velvet glove, palm open, nonchalantly, "Ah Huang, I’ve come to fetch you."

[The... Lord Demon King?!]