Having left that realm shrouded in purple mist, He Yiming glanced back and chuckled, "Old Brother Chu and Thunderbolt have truly struck lucky, finding such an excellent place. This session of cultivation here should at least save Old Brother Chu several years of arduous practice."

Chu Haozhou had not long achieved the Five Qi Towards Origin advancement; stabilizing this realm properly would normally require at least one or two years of dedicated ascetic training. However, encountering the rare Eastern Violet Qi here meant those years of toil were now unnecessary.

Bai Lingba’s eyes suddenly ignited, their light—like twin miniature suns—illuminating the immediate vicinity as if it were midday.

When Chu Haozhou was present earlier, Bai Lingba had been exceptionally restrained, concealing any signs of its non-human nature. Now that the bothersome presence was gone, there was naturally no need for further concealment.

A moment later, Bai Lingba stated, "There is another cavern ahead; there are no signs of life within. You may enter without concern."

He Yiming shrugged his shoulders. "You lead the way."

He Yiming placed his trust in Bai Lingba’s judgment.

A short while later, He Yiming and his companion entered another vast cavern. This chamber was only slightly smaller than the first one they had encountered, the one filled with halo stones.

However, upon arriving, He Yiming paused, a look of wry amusement flickering across his face.

Bai Lingba had just stated there were no signs of life. And he was correct—there were no living people here, but there were over a dozen skeletons.

This meant that at least a dozen individuals had been here before, but since they were deceased, they could no longer be counted as ‘living.’

The intense light in Bai Lingba’s eyes had not diminished; it radiated several times brighter than a torch.

With such a convenient source of illumination, He Yiming felt considerably more comfortable.

He glanced at the remains scattered on the ground, then carefully surveyed the surroundings, finally spotting yet another passage.

This passage was the final opening aside from the way they had entered. Reaching this point, He Yiming finally understood that he was nearing his destination.

Walking toward that last cavern, He Yiming’s gaze inadvertently flickered over one particular skeleton.

His steps halted abruptly, and the previously indifferent look sharpened into intense concentration.

Slowly, a bead of cold sweat traced its way down He Yiming’s back. He forcefully suppressed his rising panic, burying a vast, profound fear deep within his heart.

Changing his direction, He Yiming walked toward that specific corpse on the ground.

Although Bai Lingba did not understand his intent, as a dutiful bodyguard, it followed He Yiming silently as he changed course.

Standing beside the skeleton, He Yiming examined it from top to bottom.

It was impossible to tell how many years this person had been dead; even their clothing had completely rotted away, leaving only a framework of bone.

But what captured He Yiming’s attention were not the bones themselves, but several small, round beads glittering on the skeleton.

With a mere beckoning gesture, the bones emitted a crisp sound. The tiny orbs embedded within the skeletal structure instantly flew into He Yiming’s hand.

Turning them over gently, He Yiming felt the power contained within the small spheres, and his expression grew exceedingly grim.

After a long period of contemplation, he finally made a decision. He summoned his power in a rapid sequence, and within moments, the skeleton fractured in several places, including a fissure opening right between the eyebrows on the skull.

A complete set of six Sarira appeared in He Yiming’s hands, one of which was noticeably larger than the others—the Great Sarira from the brow.

He Yiming had stopped suddenly precisely because he had unintentionally spotted the Sarira on this skeleton, prompting him to investigate.

He let out a long sigh. Someone possessing six Sarira could certainly not be a newly ascended Venerable; this must have been a powerhouse at the Five Qi Towards Origin level, whose strength was likely no less than Chu Haozhou’s.

Yet even such a formidable figure had died here silently, which clearly indicated that this place was far from safe.

Hesitating briefly, He Yiming walked toward another corpse. When he reached that skeleton, his face darkened further.

This skeleton also bore Sarira.

Summoning the Sarira from the remains, although not six, there were still a full five.

A faint sense of terror began to stir within He Yiming, and this feeling intensified with every passing moment.

He quickened his pace, making a hurried circuit. His entire body felt as though it had plunged into an ice cellar, and he began to tremble faintly.

Sixteen corpses. Every single one carried Sarira—the minimum being three, and the maximum a staggering nine.

He Yiming knew that the number of Sarira directly represented the deceased person’s martial accomplishments in life. According to Chu Haozhou, four Sarira already signified a master at the Five Qi Towards Origin level.

Nine Sarira would mean this person was a top-tier expert, second only to those at the Divine Path.

Looking at the sixteen Great Sarira and dozens of Small Sarira resting in his palm, He Yiming felt a chill run down his spine, almost compelling him to flee in panic.

No matter how self-assured he was, he knew he stood absolutely no chance against these fallen figures. If even they had all perished here, the danger in this location must be extreme, and he possessed no means to resist such peril.

Bai Lingba observed the Sarira in He Yiming’s hand and suddenly inquired, "Do you require these?"

He Yiming was momentarily stunned. "You have Sarira?"

Bai Lingba extended his hand, and one after another, Sarira fell from his palm. Soon, a total of seventy-two were gathered at He Yiming’s feet.

Looking at them with immense surprise for a long time, He Yiming suddenly felt a strange sense of affinity emanating from these relics.

Hesitantly, He Yiming meticulously sorted them. Among the seventy-two Sarira, there were twelve Great Sarira and sixty Small Sarira. A faint trace of blood color suffused every single bead.

He Yiming pondered for a moment before a sudden realization dawned. "Coagulated Blood Men?"

Bai Lingba nodded slightly. "After Thunderbolt scattered the Coagulated Blood Men, I collected these beads."

He Yiming’s emotions surged. He recalled the contents of the Coagulation Scripture, and then looked at the assorted Sarira in his hands, his heart stirring with intense longing.

However, he also knew that cultivating a Coagulated Blood Man was no task accomplished overnight, so he decided to shelve the matter for the time being.

"Brother Bai, how long do you estimate these people have been dead?" He Yiming asked in a deep voice.

Bai Lingba’s gaze swept over the remains. "At least over three thousand years. But it is strange that their bones have not weathered. This must be related to the Sarira."

He Yiming nodded slightly. He was well aware of the wondrous capabilities of Sarira; if they could be used to manufacture Fog People, then preserving the integrity of bones was certainly within their power.

"Examine how they died."

Bai Lingba’s eyes brightened further. Instead of moving, he simply bathed the corpses in his light, which then slowly dimmed.

"These people were all struck in the chest. Their thoraxes were shattered, resulting in instantaneous death," Bai Lingba stated without hesitation.

He Yiming’s expression shifted slightly. His eyes darted around as he demanded sharply, "Did they all die on the same day?"

This time, Bai Lingba did not answer immediately. He surveyed the entire cavern up and down before replying, "Based on my sensors and inference from the fall direction of all the remains, these individuals entered the cavern simultaneously. But for some reason, something struck nearly all of their hearts at the exact same instant, leading to their collective demise."

He Yiming’s face grew paler. If Bai Lingba’s deduction was correct, it meant that someone, or some entity, had struck and killed all sixteen Venerable-level experts in a single instant.

Sixteen Venerables—what overwhelmingly powerful beings they were—yet they had been slaughtered as easily as chickens and ducks.

When He Yiming processed this fact, the shock he experienced was immense.

Taking deep breaths, he suppressed the boiling sensation in his chest and fixed his gaze firmly on that final, dark passage.

He had a strong premonition that stepping inside might unravel this mystery.

But what would he encounter if he went in? If he faced the killer responsible for dispatching these sixteen Venerables, he would surely have no hope of escape.

Bai Lingba suddenly turned. "I will go in first to check. You wait outside."

He Yiming started and quickly grabbed him. "Dangerous."

Bai Lingba’s face remained expressionless, as if he weren't talking about himself. "I am immortal."

He Yiming opened his mouth, contemplated for a moment, recalled Bai Lingba’s unique nature, and remembered the incident where even the Black Shark King had failed to bite him, instead breaking its own teeth. The balance in his mind finally tipped.

Releasing his hold, He Yiming said slowly, "Be careful. If you truly encounter something impossibly strong, withdraw immediately. We will flee together; we can certainly escape."

Even He Yiming, at this moment, dared not claim he could win a direct fight. Facing something so terrifying yet unknown, achieving a safe retreat would be a blessing in itself.

Bai Lingba nodded slightly and walked toward the pitch-black cavern.

Just as his foot was about to cross the threshold, He Yiming could no longer restrain himself and called out softly, "Be careful..."

Bai Lingba’s form seemed to stir. Without turning back, he replied calmly, "Trust me!"

With a flash, Bai Lingba vanished entirely into the darkness. He Yiming’s lips slowly moved: "Of course I trust you, apart from piloting the ship, I absolutely trust you..."

Alone in the desolate silence, time seemed to drag agonizingly slow. Especially while gazing at the sixteen corpses of the Venerables, He Yiming felt a chilling terror gripping his soul.

He bit his lip, dug a large pit right there, and pushed all sixteen skeletons inside, burying them.

Yet, even now, there was still no word from Bai Lingba.

He Yiming gritted his teeth, hesitating whether to rush in recklessly, when he heard a familiar footfall echoing from within the cavern...