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Mark's eyes were calm and firm, falling on the guards without any evasion. Bingying walked to Mark's side, and the scales on his body glowed slightly silver under the soft light of the Holy Stone Altar, forming a sharp contrast with Mark's black tights. Its golden pupils narrowed slightly, swept across the two guards, and a low snoring sound came from its throat, as if warning them not to act rashly.

The ice beasts around the altar were very curious about this sudden appearance of their kind, and wanted to come over to communicate with it.

A guard turned and ran to the depths of the Holy Stone Altar. His footsteps were hurried, and the crisp sound of the collision of armor echoed in the empty altar and gradually faded away. Deep in the altar, a winding passage extended into the unknown darkness. The walls on both sides of the passage were carved with complex runes, flashing faint light, like the twinkling stars in the night sky.

Another guard clenched the long sword in his hand, watching Mark and Bingying vigilantly. His body was tense, like a fully drawn bowstring, ready to respond to any emergency at any time. Sweat slowly flowed down his forehead, soaking the lining of the helmet that was close to his skin. His fingers holding the sword turned slightly white due to excessive force, and his joints also made a slight creaking sound. The guard's breathing became rapid, and his chest rose and fell violently. You can clearly see that the leather armor under the armor trembled slightly with the rhythm of his breathing. The holy stone altar was silent, only the heavy breathing of the guards and the occasional roar of Bingying broke the silence. There was a tense atmosphere in the air, like a tight string that could break at any time.

Bingying sensed the hostility of the guards, issued a low warning sound, and showed his sharp teeth. It arched its body slightly, and its front paws gently dug on the ground, leaving a few shallow marks. The white hair stood up, like a cat with its hair standing on end, and its eyes became sharp, staring at the guards closely, as if ready to pounce at any time.

Mark patted Bingying's head gently, signaling it to stay calm. His palm was warm and powerful, and it stayed on Bingying's head for a moment, as if conveying some kind of soothing power. Bingying felt Mark's comfort and gradually relaxed, but there was still a vigilant light in his golden eyes. It retracted its claws, crouched at Mark's feet, and quietly watched everything around it.

The exit of the altar was an arched doorway, and outside the doorway was a wide avenue leading to the center of the holy city. The avenue was lined with neat buildings on both sides, which looked particularly quiet in the night. Several street lamps emitted dim light, illuminating the avenue hazily. In the distance, on the central square of the holy city, a towering spire pierced the sky, and the top of the tower flashed dazzling light, like a star in the night sky.

A few minutes later, the guards came back, followed by the serious-looking High Priest Selina and several people dressed as priests. Selina was wearing a white robe with golden runes embroidered on it, which made her look particularly holy under the soft light of the holy stone altar. Her face was calm, but there was a hint of anxiety in her eyes. The priests behind her were also wearing white robes. They lowered their heads, crossed their hands on their chests, and followed Selina silently, with light steps and almost no sound. The air in the altar seemed to be frozen, full of solemnity and majesty.

Selina quickly walked to Mark and looked at him in surprise. "Shouldn't you be in the room? Why did you come out of the holy stone altar?"

Mark briefly described the process of his communication with the holy stone consciousness, concealing the details of the fusion of golden energy and black matter. "I practiced in the core for a while under the guidance of the holy stone, and I feel that my own strength has been greatly improved." Mark said calmly with a faint smile on his face, "The energy of the holy stone is indeed magical, and I have benefited a lot." He avoided the details about the broken crystal ball and the face of the holy stone without leaving a trace, and simply described the energy absorption process.

After listening, Selina looked solemn and whispered with the priests behind her. "We have never heard that the holy stone has its own consciousness." She turned her head and looked at the priests behind her, "What do you think?"

The priests exchanged glances with each other, and one of the older priests stepped forward and replied respectfully: "High priest, the abnormal fluctuations in the energy core of the holy stone may be related to this child." His voice was low and hoarse, with a hint of vicissitudes.

"I suggest to torture Mark."

Selina's face became more solemn, and she turned to look at Mark again, "Mark, are you sure it is the consciousness of the Holy Stone?" There was a hint of inquiry in her tone, and her eyes were fixed on Mark, as if she wanted to see some clues from his expression.

Mark said firmly, "Yes, High Priest. You can check the energy in my body, it has been restored to its original state." His eyes were clear, without any evasion, and no flaws could be seen.

Selina looked at Mark deeply, then turned around and continued to discuss with the priests in a low voice. "Strengthen the guard of the Holy Stone Altar and pay close attention to the changes in the Holy Stone Energy Core." She said in a serious tone with unquestionable majesty, "In addition, please ask the Great Elder to check the situation around the Holy City to see if there are any other abnormalities besides the dark beast that just came."

"Yes, High Priest." The priests answered in unison, and then dispersed to execute Selina's orders.

"Go back and rest first, Mark." Selina turned to Mark and said with a hint of fatigue in her tone, "Stay in the Holy City for this period of time, don't walk around casually."

"Okay, High Priest." Mark nodded slightly, then turned and left the Holy Stone Altar, followed by Bingying.

"Bingying, let's go."

After Mark walked out of the Holy Stone Altar, he gently stroked Bingying's scales and whispered, "It seems that things are more complicated than expected." Bingying let out a low roar, as if responding to his words. Mark looked up at the sky, and the gray sky was so depressing that it made people breathless. In the distance, several crows hovered over the Holy City, making bursts of hoarse cries. There were few pedestrians on the streets of the Holy City, and the atmosphere was solemn.