Wei Tianchen asked Zhao Xing to lead the way, but the problem was that Zhao Xing didn't know where he was either. The panel only showed a large map indicating that they were in the Xuanhuang Realm, but the specific location was missing.
Originally, this wouldn't have been a problem. In the 19 states, such a small place could easily be scanned with the Eye of Law, and everything would be laid out before them. Even small spaces like caves or paradises couldn't escape the Eye of Law.
However, now the Xuanhuang Realm seemed to have an anomaly. Even Bamboo Sword Venerable and Wei Tianchen were having their powers restricted, let alone Zhao Xing.
"Let's descend the mountain first and find someone to inquire about our location," Zhao Xing said. "Where do you both think we should go?"
Bamboo Sword: "Northwest."
Wei Tianchen: "Southeast."
Bamboo Sword Venerable and Wei Tianchen were at odds again.
Wei Tianchen suggested heading southeast, believing there was a greater chance of encountering powerful experts and possibly learning more about the Xuanhuang Realm.
Bamboo Sword Venerable, however, didn't want to go southeast. His four swords had already shown that the southeast was heavily suppressed.
"You two can't come to a unified decision, how are we supposed to move forward?" Zhao Xing thought to himself, shaking his head.
Bamboo Sword Venerable only wanted to fulfill the agreement, while Wei Tianchen wanted to find a safe place and wait until Zhao Xing's matters were settled before Bamboo Sword could lead Zhao Xing away.
But now they were in a dangerous place, so Bamboo Sword Venerable felt that Wei Tianchen was deceiving him.
At the moment, Zhao Xing and Bamboo Sword Venerable stood to one side, keeping their distance from Wei Tianchen. Bamboo Sword Venerable's four swords remained pointed at Wei Tianchen.
Zhao Xing had a different intention. He wanted to escape both Bamboo Sword Venerable and Wei Tianchen.
Wei Tianchen, on the other hand, wanted both. He hadn't come to the Xuanhuang Realm just to lift the Heart Locking Technique but also to uncover the secret of Qing Yuzi's path to godhood.
But for now, all three were in agreement on one point: 'Safety.'
If they couldn't guarantee safety, everything else would be meaningless.
The barren mountain stretched endlessly, and there was not a single tree or blade of grass in sight.
The sky was overcast, with ominous winds blowing, making the atmosphere unsettling.
Bamboo Sword Venerable and Wei Tianchen were at an impasse. In the end, it was Wei Tianchen who compromised first. "How about we follow Zhao Xing?"
Bamboo Sword Venerable silently agreed.
But after just a short time, both of them noticed that Zhao Xing had, under the influence of the Dao Enlightenment Headband, sat down and started to cultivate.
Actually, Zhao Xing wasn't cultivating. He was summoning.
"Before I ascended, I left behind quite a few 'divine objects,' such as the Kun Yuan Hoe. I wonder if I can summon it again, and what its quality is now."
When Zhao Xing first retrieved the Kun Yuan Hoe from Dragon Court, it was only at the level of a Star Dao Soldier. After the manual revival of spiritual energy, it had reached the level of a Realm Star Dao Soldier.
With the spiritual energy revival in the Xuanhuang Realm, some treasures and oddities had also been upgraded. This was the characteristic of treasures in the Xuanhuang Realm.
"In Wang Tianzhi's explanation, after we left for 2,500 years, Ji Che's Human Emperor Sword, the Book of Destiny, Liu Tianning's Heaven and Earth Seed Soldier Technique, and the Great Engineer Lu Ying's Heaven and Earth Furnace all manifested again, and they underwent large-scale upgrades."
"As for me, as the Grand Shennong, I left behind more things. Apart from the Kun Yuan Hoe, there's also the Earth Emperor's Crown, the Ancient Yin Warship, the Shenting Seasonal Command, and the Dragon Court Codex—"
Zhao Xing believed that since the entire Xuanhuang Realm had upgraded, the items left behind in the past might have transformed into true divine objects!
"Yuu~~~"
Suddenly, a wave of excitement surged within him. From a distant southeast direction, there was a faint sense of familiarity.
"Is that the Kun Yuan Hoe? Or is it something else?"
Zhao Xing wasn't sure because he had left behind many things, and this fluctuation felt both unfamiliar and familiar, making it hard to determine.
He attempted to summon, and the fluctuation grew slightly stronger. This tiny difference proved one thing: his summoning was effective, but it was too far away or restricted, so the movement was slow.
"Hiss~" Bamboo Sword Venerable used his Heart Sword to give Zhao Xing a slight burn, pulling him out of the influence of the Dao Enlightenment Headband.
"Since you're listening to me, let's head southeast."
Bamboo Sword Venerable frowned but didn't object since he had agreed to let Zhao Xing decide.
Out of caution, the three of them chose the most primitive method and used their flight spells.
Wei Tianchen was the one leading. He held a divine object, the "Yuan Wheel." According to him, this object could conceal their aura and cause, which was crucial for evading pursuit.
The Yuan Wheel resembled a flat golden bowl, and the three of them stood inside it, flying through the air with the help of the Yuan Wheel.
Just ten breaths after they took off, a problem arose.
Wei Tianchen: "Something's wrong."
Zhao Xing: "What's wrong?"
Wei Tianchen: "The Yuan Wheel is supposed to help conceal, but it shouldn't slow us down. We've flown for ten breaths and only covered 10,000 miles!"
Zhao Xing was puzzled. "Isn't it because you're intentionally controlling the speed?"
"No, it's not like that."
Wei Tianchen suddenly stored the Yuan Wheel and then used his own power to fly.
After flying for another ten breaths, they stopped again.
At this point, Bamboo Sword Venerable's expression was very serious.
"Something's wrong."
Zhao Xing was confused. "What's wrong?"
Bamboo Sword Venerable took a deep breath.
"Even with Wei Tianchen's divine object fully activated, our speed is still limited to a thousand miles per breath."
"If we fly using spells, it's even slower."
Zhao Xing: "Are you two being suppressed?"
Bamboo Sword Venerable inhaled deeply. "The problem is, neither Wei Tianchen nor I feel any actual suppression. Our tests earlier were all done at our own maximum speed."
"Whether it's flying with spells, sword flight, or using divine objects to assist us, the maximum speed is constant: one thousand miles per breath."
Wei Tianchen, with a serious look, explained: "It seems the laws of this world have determined that one thousand miles per breath is the fastest speed. Whether it's a half-god, a divine object, or high or low mastery of flying magic, it makes no difference."
"Assuming it was you flying, you would also be able to reach the speed of ten thousand miles per breath."
"You understand now, don't you?"
Zhao Xing understood. "At the extreme speed, there's no difference between a half-god and an Emperor-level. If I were flying, I would also be able to reach the maximum speed. Whether I use one point of my power or ten points, it's still ten thousand miles per breath."
"Yes, exactly." Bamboo Sword Venerable nodded, then paused and couldn't help but say, "But how can this be?"
The difference between a half-god and an Emperor-level was not small, but now they were being forced into the same level.
At least in terms of flight speed, they were the same!
Wei Tianchen muttered, "A Free God can't change the world. Only a True God without tribulations can control the world."
"Even using the Yuan Wheel, we're still affected. Could there be a True God King without tribulations in the Xuanhuang Realm?"
"What exactly is this place..."
For the first time, Zhao Xing saw clear fear on Wei Tianchen's face.
He still remembered how, when Wei Tianchen first captured him, despite knowing that Qing Yuzi was protecting him, he still made his move. He even boldly claimed that even if Qing Yuzi came, he wouldn't necessarily fear him.
Wei Tianchen had many divine objects, so back then, he didn't think much of the newly ascended Qing Yuzi.
But if there was a True God King without tribulations, then it was another matter. No matter how many divine objects Wei Tianchen had, he would just be an ant.
Bamboo Sword Venerable swung a sword aura, and he felt his sword aura wasn't diminished at all. However, it only shaved off a small hill before stopping.
"My sword path… how did it become like this?"
The Fourteenth Tribulation Medical Venerable and the Eleventh Tribulation Sword Venerable both felt fear at this moment.
As the saying goes, the more you know, the more you fear. Zhao Xing, on the other hand, remained unafraid due to his ignorance. He didn't feel the slightest trace of fear.
"You two, even if there is some powerful deity here, you saw it yourselves. Why be afraid?"
Bamboo Sword Venerable said, "You have a low realm and can't understand. The origin of the sword path is everywhere, it exists in all things. Even if I'm suppressed, I should feel where the suppression is. But now, I don't feel anything. Even the sword path's origin I sense hasn't changed. I've unleashed my full power, and all I can do is shave off a hundred-meter-high mountain."
Zhao Xing could feel Bamboo Sword Venerable's Dao heart starting to collapse to some degree. It seemed that going southeast was indeed causing a heavy suppression on him.
"I may have a low realm, but I know we must keep moving forward. He is strong, but so what? A gentle breeze brushes the mountain ridge."
"We'll just fly at the ten thousand miles per breath speed. You two are half-gods, and this world can't be filled with True Gods. We won't run into danger that easily."
Wei Tianchen seemed to snap out of it first. "You're right, we've been too fixated on this."
"I thought I had already made peace with death, but it seems my awareness wasn't deep enough."
"the Way of Heaven and Earth, hehe, I'm going to have a good look at it."
Bamboo Sword Venerable quickly adjusted. He put away his bamboo sword and didn't even release his sword aura anymore.
Following Wei Tianchen's suggestion, he focused on cultivating as a Free God, not seeking outward distractions, and instead relied on his Heart Sword to guard his mind.
Doing this, his feelings became much clearer. Although he still felt awe in his heart, he was no longer afraid.
Before long, the new Xuanhuang Realm gave both half-gods a lesson.
"I'll lead the way," Zhao Xing said.
Zhao Xing activated his Blue Flower divine power and began flying through the clouds, continuing southeast.
In reality, as Wei Tianchen and Bamboo Sword Venerable had said, even with a small amount of divine power, the speed limit remained ten thousand miles per breath.
Zhao Xing adapted to this change quickly. Having fully transformed into a mortal during the Absolute Heaven Passage, he had experienced such restrictions before. What was this compared to that?
Before long, he found a balance.
About three strands of Blue Flower divine power were enough to achieve the ten thousand miles per breath speed. Any more would be a waste, and any less would slow the speed down.
After flying for about a month, the sky gradually darkened. By the fourth month, they had completely entered the domain of eternal night.
Zhao Xing was puzzled.
"Is this really the Xuanhuang Realm?"
"After flying at full speed for a month, we still haven't exited the mountain range, but instead entered a zone of eternal night?"
"Besides the Western Extreme State, where does the Xuanhuang Realm have areas of eternal night?"
"It's been a month, and I haven't seen the sun. Either it's a gray, gloomy sky, or it's the extreme night."
"The earth veins are also irregular. I can't determine the direction at all."
"The sensing of native divine objects has grown stronger, but after traveling for a month, it's only increased by less than one ten-thousandth. How far is this distance?"
Zhao Xing was very confused about the changes in the new Xuanhuang Realm.
Not only was it different from his own understanding, but it was also drastically different from the description given by Wang Tianzhi many years ago. To say it was unrecognizable wouldn't be an exaggeration.
"Let's find someone. We must find someone to ask about what's going on. Wang Tianzhi mentioned that Great Zhou still occupies the central land of the Divine Continent, and Empress Ji Luo Heng rules over the nineteen states. As long as we can find a cultivator to ask, we'll definitely learn about Great Zhou. Once we reach Great Zhou and contact Old Wang, we'll have a place to stay."
"Ah—"
While thinking about this, suddenly, Wei Tianchen let out a painful scream, clutching his head.
He collapsed on his cloud, as if he was experiencing intense pain.
Zhao Xing was startled by Wei Tianchen's actions.
"You, what happened?"
Wei Tianchen couldn't die. The Dao Enlightenment Headband was bound to him. If Wei Tianchen were to die, it would self-destruct.
"Ka ka ka ka~"
Just as Zhao Xing leaned down to check on Wei Tianchen, he heard a cracking sound coming from Bamboo Sword Venerable's body, as though his bones were grinding against each other.
Zhao Xing turned his head and saw a sparse moonbeam breaking through the dark clouds.
He looked just in time to see the flesh on Bamboo Sword Venerable's face falling off in chunks, his muscles and skin quickly twisting and dissolving.
In the blink of an eye, only the skull remained, with the True Spirit's flame flickering inside the skull.
When he looked down, he saw that Wei Tianchen's flesh was also dissolving inch by inch. Before long, he had turned into a skeleton.
The only difference between him and Bamboo Sword Venerable was that Bamboo Sword's skull had a dark golden hue.
The Sword Sect's physical body, though not as strong as the Qi Sect's, still had a golden body. It wasn't as extreme, though, since their golden bodies didn't integrate with the soul.
"Bamboo Sword Venerable, Old Medic, what's happening to you two—"
Before Zhao Xing could finish his sentence, he found that the hand he extended to support Wei Tianchen was also slowly turning into bones.
The flesh and blood disappeared, gradually spreading from his fingers up to his wrist. But his speed was much slower.
Bamboo Sword Venerable and Wei Tianchen had lost all their flesh in an instant, as if something had drawn it away in a second.
"Zhao Xing, all of my cultivation... only my sword body remains," Bamboo Sword Venerable's True Spirit flame danced in his eye sockets as he stared blankly at his bony hand. "I can't condense sword aura anymore... I... I'm finished."
At this moment, Wei Tianchen also stood up. His clothes were still on him, but they had shrunk a little. "All of my blood and flesh secret methods have completely disappeared. The only thing left is my ability to make medicine and brew poisons."
Zhao Xing remembered that Wei Tianchen had some secret methods for his human form. He had used them when infiltrating the Lingxu Source Realm during the Rain Immortal's world event.
"My cultivation has been drained?" Zhao Xing suddenly realized the severity of the situation.
Though the path of spells didn't focus on the physical body, it depended on the individual.
For someone in the "Extreme Land" technique core, the collapse of the physical body didn't matter. He had left four Primordial avatars outside, and one of them had already mastered the Life Earth Palace technique. After the body was reborn, his progress in the Extreme Land technique could still be retained.
For the Heavenly Timing school? They didn't have any real techniques. Their spells were always linked to the True Spirit. As long as the True Spirit was immortal, it didn't matter if the physical body collapsed.
But if the physical body no longer existed, the inner world would collapse too!
The inner world would have to be rebuilt, but he didn't have a second Boundary-Breaking Divine Stone!
If the physical body collapsed, the inner world would explode, and things like the Primordial Path Tower and other treasures would be destroyed.
What mattered the most was that the God-level original species had not yet been born—it would die "before birth!"
"Dammit!"
Zhao Xing suddenly panicked.
The Boundary-Breaking Divine Stone he had exchanged with Old Qing at the risk of his life was the key to the current scale of his inner world.
"My physical body can't collapse! If it collapses, my inner world will collapse!"
Zhao Xing, anxious and frantic, poured his divine power into stopping this collapse.
However, his physical body was slowly collapsing at a steady pace, though much slower than Wei Tianchen and Bamboo Sword Venerable. Soon, the flesh on his right hand had vanished and reached his shoulder.
"Don't!"
Zhao Xing's Blue Flower divine power surged, followed by the Red Lotus divine power, and then the virtual Azure Abyss divine power.
But none of these seemed to work, and his physical body continued its steady collapse.
Once it reached his dantian, his inner world would be gone completely!
"Ah—"
No matter how unwilling he was, the bone transformation spread all the way to his dantian.
"Boom!"
It was like fireworks exploding. A cyavatar exploded, and the Extreme Land technique, which he had cultivated up to three layers, vanished into thin air.
Following this, the inner world—originally advanced from pure origin soil into an origin space, and then formed into an inner world—had a physical core.
Just as the core was about to be overwhelmed, two forces emerged from the inner world. One was the Primordial Path Tower created by the Red Star Emperor, and the other was the God-level original species that had absorbed the power of the Boundary-Breaking Divine Stone.
"Yu—"
The core of the world suddenly collided with Zhao Xing's pelvis, embedding itself into his bones. Just before his vast divine power evaporated into thin air, it merged with his skeleton.
"—"
In the next instant, all of Zhao Xing's divine power vanished, including the Blue Flower, Red Lotus, and Azure Abyss divine powers.
"Ah—"
The sudden loss of divine power left Zhao Xing feeling weak and in excruciating pain.
Without divine power, he couldn't even maintain his cloud flight.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Wei Tianchen, Zhao Xing, and Bamboo Sword Venerable all fell downward.
In the final moment before hitting the ground, Bamboo Sword Venerable's golden body suddenly emitted a burst of light, wrapping Zhao Xing's skeletal body. "Thud!"
Wei Tianchen, however, fell freely, and his bones scattered all over the place.
"Zhao Xing, Zhao Xing, how do you feel?" Bamboo Sword Venerable shook Zhao Xing's skeletal body.
"I'm not dead." The True Spirit flame flickered in Zhao Xing's eye sockets, sending a mental message.
He quickly adapted to the new changes.
As for Wei Tianchen, only his True Spirit flame remained, floating nearby. The flame revealed his elderly figure as he silently gazed at the bones on the ground. "Bamboo Sword, why didn't you save me?"
Bamboo Sword Venerable's True Spirit flickered. "If you hadn't deceived me, I wouldn't have ended up like this."
Wei Tianchen sighed and turned to Zhao Xing. "Zhao Xing, can you help me put my bones together?"
Zhao Xing had intended to pick up Wei Tianchen's skeleton, but upon seeing a shining golden headband nearby, he immediately stopped. He raised his middle finger. "Put it together? Hmph, I'll put your old mother together!"
In the midst of this unknown transformation, the Dao Enlightenment Headband was removed.
The True Spirit flame was no longer constrained by the headband, and now Zhao Xing didn't have to worry about it self-destructing if he left Wei Tianchen!
Seeing Zhao Xing refuse, Wei Tianchen, at this moment, controlled his True Spirit scattered in his bones, slowly moving, and started piecing himself together.
As a semi-divine being who had gone through fourteen tribulations, his True Spirit was incredibly powerful. His True Spirit flame was brighter than both Bamboo Sword Venerable's and Zhao Xing's.
Clearly, in this unknown transformation, the old man adapted much faster.
Wei Tianchen even quickly took a new set of robes from the storage ring on his thumb and wore them.
"Shush, shush, shush—"
The three True Spirit flames, each a different size, sat down cross-legged immediately to adapt to the new changes.
[Name: Zhao Xing]
[Occupation: Shennong]
[Realm: One Tribulation True Spirit (Primordial Split Soul, 96x Amplification)]
[Bone Body: Starry Path Bone (0/10000)]
[White Bone Power: Level 1 (0/1000)]
[Inner World (Sealed)**]
[Heart-Sealing Law (Abnormal)**]
[Spells (Abnormal)**]
[Bone God 'Yuan' established a path in the Xuanhuang Realm, creating the Boundless White Bone Divine Domain, stealing the Heavenly Secrets for 342 years.]
Zhao Xing stared at the changes on the panel, lost in thought.
The new changes carried an overwhelming amount of information.
First, after the collapse of his physical body, it seemed he had survived a tribulation and transformed into a One Tribulation True Spirit.
Next, a new type had appeared on the panel: Starry Path Bone.
His divine power had vanished, but a new force, White Bone Power, flowed through his bones.
Fortunately, his inner world hadn't disappeared.
The core of the realm merged into his pelvis but was temporarily sealed, as if the power of the Red Star Emperor and some godly existence in the divine realm had clashed, finding a way to survive. However, Zhao Xing couldn't access his inner world anymore.
Because his divine power was gone, all spells, except for those related to mental will and soul spells, were temporarily inaccessible.
The progress of the three types of Heart-Sealing Law remained as they were, but without the physical body, they couldn't be cast for now.
However, Zhao Xing still noticed a flame imprint around his ribs, where his heart had once been.
It was the remaining trace of Wu Tian's Heart Lamp power.
"Wu Tian? His Heart Lamp power is this advanced?" Zhao Xing was surprised.
But at this moment, he wasn't focused on investigating it, because one line at the end of the panel caught his attention:
"Bone God 'Yuan' established a path in the Xuanhuang Realm, created the Boundless White Bone Divine Domain, and stole the Heavenly Secrets for 342 years. Bone God Yuan created the Boundless White Bone Divine Domain?"
"So the 'Yuan 342' that was shown on my coordinates... is that referring to time? But no, the coordinates have never shown time before," Zhao Xing thought, somewhat confused.
However, from this line, he understood that Bone God "Yuan" had created the Boundless White Bone Divine Domain in the Xuanhuang Realm, and it had been in existence for 342 years.
The changes that had occurred to him, Bamboo Sword Venerable, and Wei Tianchen must have been influenced by Bone God Yuan's Boundless White Bone Divine Domain. Thinking about this, Zhao Xing immediately looked at Wei Tianchen and Bamboo Sword Venerable.
After just a short moment of contemplation, both of them had changed significantly.
[Name: Wei Tianchen]
[Realm: Fourteen Tribulations True Spirit]
[Bone Body: Silver Moon Path Bone (0/10000)]
[White Bone Power: Level 3 (124/1000)]
[Spells: Bone Spirit Heaven Poison, Spirit Essence Refining, Spiritual Pivot Nine Needles·Reverse Fate, Hundred Spirits Burning Blood Art (Sealed), Crystal Heart Seed (Sealed), Bone Acupuncture Sutra, Three Corpses Pulse Diagnosis, Taosu Pulse Wheel]
[..]
"Most of Wei Tianchen's spells are also sealed, but his unsealing speed is remarkable. In just a short time, he's already unsealed half of his spells."
"It seems like he's quickly familiarizing himself with the new powers," Zhao Xing thought.
In just a second, Wei Tianchen unsealed a new spell.
He even picked up the Dao Enlightenment Headband again, seemingly trying to chant incantations.
Zhao Xing's skull tightened. This old man was up to something again!
"No, I need to unseal my spells quickly too, to adapt to the new power."
Zhao Xing began experimenting, and he found that it was actually quite simple. Using White Bone Power was almost the same as using divine power. The only difference was that instead of drawing divine power from a specific dantian location, he could now draw White Bone Power from anywhere in his bones, as if he had countless dantian points within him.
As for Bamboo Sword Venerable, he adapted the fastest among the three.
[Bamboo Sword Venerable]
[Occupation: Martial Artist (Sword Sect)]
[Realm: Twelve Tribulations True Spirit]
[Bone Body: Silver Moon Golden Body (0/10000)]
[White Bone Power: Level 3 (424/1000)]
[Martial Techniques: Three Thousand Sword Realms (Sealed), Heart Sword Art, Great Thousand Sword Array (Qi), Great Thousand Sword Array (Weapon), Bright Moon Sword Body]
"He's even adapting faster than Wei Tianchen," Zhao Xing observed, looking at his appearance. The bones emitted a faint starlight, and his golden sword body turned platinum. His elbow and finger bones looked like sharp swords.
In the constant adjustment, Bamboo Sword Venerable was clearly faster. His White Bone Power surpassed even Wei Tianchen's.
Bone God "Yuan" was obviously a martial god, and though Bamboo Sword Venerable was from the Sword Sect, he was still a martial artist. He adapted faster in this divine realm.
"Whoosh—"
The Dao Enlightenment Headband in front of Wei Tianchen flew towards Zhao Xing's skull.
Bamboo Sword Venerable's True Spirit flame flickered, and suddenly, one of his ribs detached and flew out.
"Clang!"
The Dao Enlightenment Headband collided with the rib, emitting a burst of light in the night sky.
The rib flew back and reinserted itself into its original position.
The headband deformed and returned to Wei Tianchen's hand.
"Crack, crack, crack~"
Three more ribs detached, wandering around Zhao Xing.
Wei Tianchen took a new divine object from his storage ring. It looked like a scroll but was very long and silk-like, hanging down from his shoulder.
The Dao Enlightenment Headband once again flew toward Zhao Xing, while the silk-like divine object flew toward Bamboo Sword Venerable's three ribs.
"Clang, clang, clang!"
The red silk flashed with light, sending Bamboo Sword Venerable's rib flying.
Both of them sought to gain control over Zhao Xing.
Because Zhao Xing was tied to their hope of achieving the divine realm.
Wei Tianchen needed to open the Seven-Star Cabinet and use the poison within to complete the grand plan of the Dao of Heaven and Earth.
Bamboo Sword Venerable hoped Zhao Xing would fulfill his promise and take him to Shifang Mountain.
"Boom!"
The third collision occurred, and Bamboo Sword Venerable fell into the disadvantage.
Though his combat strength was superior to Wei Tianchen's, the latter had too many divine artifacts.
After the third collision, the Dao Enlightenment Headband fell back onto Zhao Xing's head.
Bamboo Sword Venerable snorted coldly, and had no choice but to return his rib to its original place.
In the struggle for control over Zhao Xing, he had still lost to Wei Tianchen.
Seeing the Dao Enlightenment Headband fall once again, Zhao Xing sighed helplessly.
He had been ensnared by this old man again. Even in such a dangerous situation, he couldn't help but keep thinking about Fan Qianrou's Heart-Sealing Law. What a stubborn fool.
However, Zhao Xing wasn't particularly upset by this. Given their current position in Bone God Yuan's Boundless White Bone Divine Domain, parting from Wei Tianchen was not a good idea.
This old man had so many treasures. If he stayed by his side, the safety would definitely be much higher.
"@#%" Wei Tianchen began chanting, trying to see if the Dao Enlightenment Headband would function again.
"Hiss~" Zhao Xing felt a surge of fire, and his True Spirit felt a headache. "Old doctor, stop chanting, I was wrong earlier."
Wei Tianchen ignored him, seemingly intent on teaching Zhao Xing a lesson.
"Damn it, Wei Tianchen, if you chant again, I'll self-destruct!" Zhao Xing's body erupted with Red Lotus Flame.
In just a moment, he had adapted, and White Bone Power was now infused with the properties of Red Lotus Power.
"Since the Xuanhuang Realm has such divine power, it proves this place is unlike other barren realms. It definitely has the conditions for resurrection!"
"I've made great contributions in the two ancient paths of the empire. With my merit, do you think I have the right to resurrect?"
"If you force me, I'll self-destruct, and you'll never get Fan Qianrou's seal artifact!"
This declaration caused Wei Tianchen to calm down, and he stopped making a move.
"Zhao Xing, I told you, if you give me her technique, I'll let you go. You know what that means to me, so don't force me."
"Fine, fine!" Zhao Xing snapped angrily. "Who cares about that broken technique! If it weren't for the divine restrictions, I'd have taught it to you long ago."
Wei Tianchen didn't say anything further, knowing he couldn't pressure Zhao Xing too much. But he wasn't as polite with Bamboo Sword Venerable.
"Bamboo Sword, I warn you for the last time, Zhao Xing's involvement is key to my plan for attaining divinity. If you continue to stop me, you're blocking my path, and you will become my eternal enemy."
"You're just a loose cultivator. You don't have the chance to resurrect. Although your swordsmanship is exceptional, if I am willing to sacrifice divine artifacts, killing you wouldn't be difficult."
Bamboo Sword Venerable didn't immediately respond, and Zhao Xing couldn't tell what he was thinking.
However, the first clash between Bamboo Sword Venerable and Wei Tianchen ended with Wei Tianchen taking an overwhelming advantage.
Zhao Xing knew that, for the time being, he couldn't rely on Bamboo Sword Venerable to free him. Luckily, Wei Tianchen was still of use, so he wasn't in a hurry.
The Xuanhuang Realm was full of pits, and Zhao Xing didn't believe Wei Tianchen could just walk across it. He was sure he would find an opportunity!
"Let's go. I see that you both have adapted enough. According to the original plan, we'll continue heading southeast," Wei Tianchen urged them to start moving.
The black night sky was dotted with falling stars, and the three didn't fly any further. After the skeletal transformation, they had arrived in a land full of life.
The wasteland was now covered with grass and trees. Although withered, it at least proved that life had once existed there.
After crossing a small hill, they found themselves in a misty swamp emitting a rotting smell. Giant, dry bones lay scattered, resembling some ancient creatures. From afar, they could still hear distant roars.
The three skeletons made their way through the poisonous mist in the swamp, and after about three months, they finally saw something different.
"Fire! There's a fire ahead!"
The three of them all saw the rising pillars of flame. The flames surged in a regular pattern, clearly not natural but man-made.
As they got closer and crouched on a hill to observe from a distance, they discovered that it was a giant bonfire, radiating over ten miles.
Around the bonfire, there were many bones, varying in color and shape, but none of them had the True Spirit flame's presence.
Zhao Xing vaguely felt a sense of familiarity with the bonfire, as if he had seen something like it before.
Bamboo Sword Venerable seemed to sense something unusual as well. His True Spirit flame within his skull visibly became more active.
"It seems there's a person up ahead," Wei Tianchen said as he took out a copper mirror from his bones, reflecting the area around the bonfire.
Around the bonfire, there was a gigantic fire-red skeleton, about sixteen or seventeen meters tall. Its head and limbs were inlaid with red diamonds that glowed like the sun on its bones.
"He must have undergone some transformation as well," Wei Tianchen speculated. "But his strength isn't very strong, probably around the Six Tribulation True Spirit level."
"Shall we just go straight and take him down?" Zhao Xing suggested.
"Let's go straight," both Wei Tianchen and Bamboo Sword Venerable agreed.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! The three skeletons immediately moved toward the giant skeleton.
The fire-red skeletal giant was sitting by the bonfire, seemingly enjoying the warmth it provided.
When the three of them arrived, the giant didn't show any sign of panic, nor did it try to run.
Instead, it spoke in a familiar tone, addressing them: "You're too late. I've already killed all the people of the Yan Fang Tribe. If you continue like this, I'll report you to the Divine Lord."
"Go ahead and collect the Soul Crystals. I don't know how many more we need to leave this cursed place. These third-tier Soul Crystals aren't enough... Wait, who are you?"