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Mark's heartbeat was beating violently in his chest, as if he wanted to break free and compete with the storm outside. He clung to the boulder, and the rough stone surface and dark green moss looked particularly strange in the weak light. He was careful with every breath, for fear of breaking the death-like silence. In the cave, the light of the crystal ball was like the eyes of a ghost, flickering and projecting the figure of the man in black on the cave wall in a distorted way, dancing like a messenger from hell.

The bloody smell in the air mixed with the strange fragrance to form a disgusting smell. Mark resisted the discomfort, and his senses became extremely sharp at this moment, and every detail was clearly engraved in his retina and nasal cavity. He knew that this might be his only chance, and he had to stay calm to find the best solution to the situation at hand.

His eyes were like torches, and he poked his head out from behind the boulder and carefully observed the altar and the man in black. The altar was built of huge black stones, with complex runes carved on the surface. These runes were similar to the runes he saw outside the cave, but more complicated and weird. The crystal ball on the altar exuded powerful soul fluctuations, beating rhythmically like a heart. The men in black seemed to be performing some kind of ritual. They surrounded the altar and chanted something in a low and strange voice, like the whispers from hell.

Mark's knuckles turned white, and fine beads of sweat oozed from his palms. The cold touch of the stone made him calm down a little. He had to stay calm to find the best solution to the situation. Should he rush out directly or continue to wait for the opportunity? He repeatedly weighed the pros and cons, and finally decided to wait and see what happened and find the right time to act.

In order to better observe the situation, he slowly crawled forward, like a flexible snake, gliding silently on the ground. He tried to stay close to the ground, using the surrounding rocks and bushes as cover to avoid being discovered by the men in black. The ground in the cave was damp and cold, making him feel uncomfortable.

After finding a rock crevice with a wide view, Mark carefully moved his body into it. The crevice was narrow and barely wide enough for him to squeeze in. He adjusted his posture to make himself as comfortable as possible. The edges of the rock crevice were sharp and hurt his skin.

He continued to observe the actions of the men in black and tried to identify the language and ritual content they used. The spells chanted by the men in black were obscure and he could not understand a word. However, he noticed that the movements and ritual procedures of the men in black seemed very similar to some ancient sacrificial rituals. Sacrifice... Are they summoning some evil existence? This thought flashed through his mind and made him shudder. He had to find out their purpose as soon as possible to stop them.

The men in black surrounded the altar, sometimes raising their hands high, sometimes bowing and worshipping, chanting something in their mouths, sometimes high and sometimes low, like an ancient ballad, and like a call from hell. The crystal ball on the altar flickered, reflecting the fanatical faces of the men in black, as if they were possessed. The air in the cave became more and more dull, so oppressive that it made people breathless.

Mark's eyes fell on the crystal ball in the center of the altar. The light emitted by the crystal ball became stronger and stronger, as if it was going to swallow up the entire cave. Suddenly, he noticed that something seemed to be surging inside the crystal ball, like a life about to hatch, full of mystery and unknown.

A man in black stopped chanting, walked to the altar, and took out a black box from his arms. The box was opened, and there was a black stone fragment inside. The surface of the fragment was engraved with complex patterns and emitted a strange light. The man in black put the black stone fragment into the crystal ball. This was a contaminated holy stone fragment.

The light of the crystal ball suddenly increased, illuminating the entire cave, like daylight. A powerful energy wave emanated from the crystal ball, impacting Mark's body, making him feel dizzy.

"Let's start!" The leading man in black made a hoarse voice, as harsh as metal friction, which was creepy.

The other men in black responded one after another, and their voices gathered together to form a powerful sound wave that echoed in the cave.

Mark realized that the ceremony was about to reach its climax and he had to take action immediately.

He took a deep breath and suddenly jumped out of the crevice of the rock. An ice spike instantly appeared in the air and stabbed directly at the man in black who was closest to him.

The ice spike accurately pierced the back of the man in black, who groaned and fell down softly. The sudden change shocked the other men in black, and they stopped chanting and turned to look at Mark. The leading man in black was the first to react. He roared: "Who is it? Dare to disturb our ceremony!"

Mark ignored the questioning of the leading man in black, and another ice spike took shape instantly and stabbed another man in black again. His movements were as swift as a leopard, like a black lightning, shuttling between the men in black. Blood splattered and screams came one after another.

On the stone wall of the cave, the flickering light of the torches reflected Mark's stern face, and sweat slid down his forehead, but he had no intention of stopping. He was like a god of death, harvesting the lives of the men in black.

Seeing that the situation was not good, the leading man in black immediately stepped back a few steps, and at the same time pulled out an energy gun from his waist and pointed it at Mark. "Kill him!" He ordered the remaining men in black.

The remaining men in black drew their weapons and besieged Mark.