Chapter 027: Bane of Durin

Wang Bo's fist force contained the Nine Yang True Qi, something the Balrog could not comprehend.

This attack method was insidious and terrifying, with endless subtle uses, and even more frightening was its tempered power, full of might.

The Balrog could only watch helplessly as the unmatched fist force drove straight in, destroying his body inch by inch. No matter how he roared or resisted, he could not stop the invasion of the fist force.

Finally, the fist force Wang Bo had unleashed exploded inside his body. The Balrog's body could not withstand this terrible and powerful force and shattered into pieces.

His head rolled to Wang Bo's feet.

Gandalf stared at Wang Bo in shock. Even he had to fear the Balrog, yet Wang Bo had killed it with a single punch. Just how powerful was this guy from another universe?

Wang Bo looked at the Balrog's head, then turned back to Gandalf. "Didn't you say the Balrog had mutated and mastered a terrible evil energy?"

But this Balrog he had killed, though evil, wasn't as exaggerated as Gandalf had said.

Gandalf also found it strange. He told Wang Bo that when he, Thorin, Bilbo, and the others were heading to the Lonely Mountain, they passed through the Misty Mountains and rested there for a night.

That very night, he felt a vast, unimaginable evil energy emerge from deep within the Misty Mountains.

"Though that evil energy quickly vanished, I remembered its power—so great, so incredible, so shocking that even Sauron never gave me that feeling."

Gandalf recalled the moment he discovered the evil energy, his body trembling slightly. "I could sense that beneath that powerful evil energy, even Sauron was but a child."

Wang Bo didn't doubt that Gandalf was lying; the man had no reason to deceive him.

He was merely curious. "You said you sensed this aura in the Misty Mountains."

"Yes."

"Then why did you think it was caused by the Balrog? Why did you believe the Balrog had mastered this evil energy?" Wang Bo hadn't forgotten how Gandalf had tricked him into coming.

He had told him that the Balrog had mutated and mastered this evil power.

Gandalf said, "When that evil energy appeared, I sensed the Balrog's presence, so I thought the Balrog here had mastered that power."

"Now it seems you were wrong." Wang Bo kicked the Balrog's head. "This guy didn't master the evil energy. If he had, he wouldn't have been so easily killed by me."

Gandalf said in confusion, "That's what puzzles me. I clearly sensed the Balrog mastering that evil power. Why has it disappeared?"

"Are you sure?" Wang Bo picked up the Balrog's head and examined it. The head still bore a terrified and ferocious expression even in death. No matter how he looked at it, it was just an ordinary head.

If this head were a human head, Wang Bo figured he would have thrown up.

But the Balrog's head, though ferocious in expression, didn't conform to human aesthetics, so Wang Bo remained calm, feeling no different from holding a prop.

Gandalf came over and carefully examined the Balrog's corpse, but indeed found no evil energy.

"What is going on?" Gandalf was utterly perplexed. He suggested, "Maybe we should look around; perhaps we'll find something."

Wang Bo agreed. "Though I haven't found anything here, since you say so, let's look around."

At the same time, Wang Bo collected the Balrog's head, weapon, and heart, planning to give them to the dwarves later. Perhaps they could use the Balrog's body to forge a unique treasure for him.

After all, it was a Balrog; combined with mithril and vibranium, it should be possible.

But no matter how hard Wang Bo and Gandalf searched, they couldn't find that evil energy.

In the end, the two had to return disappointed.

"Perhaps I was indeed mistaken." Gandalf said this, but his brow remained furrowed, never relaxing.

Wang Bo said, "It's not necessarily that you were wrong. Maybe the evil energy you spoke of has left the Misty Mountains and entered another place."

Gandalf's face stiffened. "If that's the case, I must inform the White Council."

The White Council was a council of wizards and elves, its members all famous figures in Middle-earth. The chairman was Saruman the White, and other members included Gandalf the Grey, Radagast the Brown, Círdan the Shipwright, Lady Galadriel, and Elrond Half-elven.

Originally, the council was formed to oppose the Necromancer of Dol Guldur, as they feared this power came from Sauron. So the council's purpose was, in short, to counter Sauron.

But the matter of the evil energy made Gandalf uneasy, so he decided to notify the other members of the White Council to watch for this evil energy.

Thus the two parted ways.

Wang Bo rode Smaug back to the Lonely Mountain, while Gandalf headed to Rivendell.

Back at the Lonely Mountain, Wang Bo immediately summoned the dwarves and handed over the Balrog's head, weapon, and heart. He also brought out a batch of mithril and vibranium.

"I want you to use these to forge my first unique treasure."

"The Bane of Durin!"

When the dwarves saw the Balrog's head, they first screamed, then, upon confirming it was indeed a Balrog's head, they wept and laughed, acting like madmen.

Wang Bo did not scold them, for he knew why they were so excited.

The "Bane of Durin" in dwarven lore was the Balrog. When the dwarves were mining in Khazad-dûm, they awakened the Balrog, which killed Durin VI and, the following year, his son Náin. The dwarves could not defeat or even drive away the Balrog and were forced to abandon Khazad-dûm and flee to the Lonely Mountain.

From then on, Khazad-dûm was called Moria.

And the Balrog became the Bane of Durin.

Now seeing their great enemy dead, the dwarves were naturally overjoyed beyond measure.

The dwarf Thráin trembled as he picked up the Balrog's head, hot tears streaming from his eyes. "Thank you, great King under the Mountain, for killing the Bane of Durin for us dwarves."

Wang Bo accepted the dwarves' thanks and said, "Then you must work hard for me and forge a unique treasure."

The dwarf Thráin said, "Rest assured, King under the Mountain. The dwarves will not disappoint you."