In the age of Dou Gu, ferocious beasts were the true overlords of the continent. Humans could only survive in the remote corners shunned by the most savage monsters, completely unable to contest the natural resources of heaven and earth. It was only when humanity grasped the profound mysteries of the heavenly laws and truly realized its own potential that the tide slowly began to turn.

As humanity grew stronger and learned to wield the power of the cosmos with increasing skill, the original rulers of the continent—the ferocious beasts—began to dwindle...

Through tens of thousands of years of conflict, the beasts, hampered by difficult reproduction and low intelligence, were gradually slain or driven away by humans.

By today, humanity had undeniably become the master of this continent, while the former overlords were either dead or dying, slowly fading into the vast river of history.

Ancient beasts like the Tian Jing Yi Long (Sky-Shocking Winged Dragon) were now exceedingly rare across the land; within the boundless Yun Meng Great Marsh, only a single one remained.

The former tyrants had long since vanished from human sight, some clinging to existence in regions untouched by human feet. The most powerful beasts of yesteryear seemed utterly extinct.

Yet, here on the desolate Bone Island, within the forbidden waters of the Sea Demons, there resided primordial, ancient ferocious beasts. This place appeared to be the final sanctuary for these long-vanished creatures.

Bones lay everywhere, stark white. Skeletons tens of meters long were commonplace, alongside a Golden-Maned Giant Bear the size of a small hill. Sky-Shocking Winged Dragons soared through the void. In this realm inaccessible to humans, the brutal law of the jungle, the tradition of the ancient beasts, still reigned supreme.

Even driven to this isolated Bone Island by humans, the beasts continued their internecine slaughter for food; their inherent nature had remained unchanged over millennia.

The Golden Giant Bear furiously swung its massive arms, which were like towering stone pillars, sweeping at the Sky-Shocking Winged Dragons circling above. Though five of the dragons held the advantage of altitude, their iron claws merely tore away chunks of flesh when they struck the bear; the wounds were insignificant against its colossal frame, comparable to someone merely scraping their skin on a piece of glass—not a fundamental injury.

Having initially fixed their sights on Ji Changkong and his party, the Golden Giant Bear was understandably distracted by the coordinated assault of the Sky-Shocking Winged Dragons.

At this moment, Teng Yang, Liu Ye, and the others had all lost their nerve. They began to retreat resolutely, hoping to reach the location where their iron ship was moored as quickly as possible.

Whoosh!

A violent churning sound erupted from the sea behind them. Hong Ge, whose mind was wholly fixed on their iron vessel, couldn't help but turn back for a look.

"Ah!" Hong Ge screamed, his face draining of color.

Ji Changkong immediately spun around, fixing his gaze on the area of intense disturbance in the sea behind them.

A massive squid had seized their iron ship with its tentacles. Under those appendages, the ship looked like a mere toy, instantly yanked into the void. The squid's tentacles were thicker than a human waist, incredibly tough. As they writhed and twisted, the iron ship was dismantled like a model, its iron plates shattering into pieces.

Finding the ship so flimsy, the squid seemed quickly bored. Its tentacles wavered once in the air before it slowly sank back into the depths.

Teng Yang’s face turned ashen, and he stated grimly, "It seems the beastly denizens of Bone Island have no intention of letting us leave alive."

A weight settled upon everyone’s heart.

Teng Yang and his group only possessed cultivation levels up to the Wu Xing Tian or Ba Gua Tian realms, meaning they could not freely traverse the void without falling. Without the iron ship, leaving Bone Island would be exceedingly difficult. Since that colossal squid existed in the sea, who knew what other monstrosities might lurk there?

Attempting to swim out would be suicide; staying on Bone Island and taking things one step at a time seemed the lesser evil.

"What an interesting place. This trip wasn't in vain," Ben Yuan Zhi Du (Source Poison) remarked with deep satisfaction, finding every stone and blade of grass on Bone Island utterly captivating.

Liu Ye and the others were in no mood for fascination; they were all pale-faced and disheartened.

Ji Changkong’s expression remained unchanged. He narrowed his eyes, watching the battle between the Golden Giant Bear and the Sky-Shocking Winged Dragons, and said calmly, "Don't you think this Bone Island is the perfect place for us to hone ourselves?"

"Forget it," Xue Hai muttered, hanging his head dejectedly. "Ancient beasts roam here. If I had the cultivation of the Ba Gua Tian or Jiu Gong Tian realms, I’d gladly come to Bone Island to temper myself. Right now... that’s just asking for death!"

Putting aside the Golden Giant Bear, even the Sky-Shocking Winged Dragons were beyond the capability of ordinary people to handle. Based on Ji Changkong's understanding of the Sky-Shocking Winged Dragons, each of the five attacking the bear could fight a Ba Gua Tian master to a standstill.

Five Sky-Shocking Winged Dragons—even if Teng Yang and his companions pushed their potential to the limit, they would struggle to win.

If the Sky-Shocking Winged Dragons were this formidable, how could one possibly contend with the mountain-sized Golden Maned Giant Bear?

This place, perhaps, was only survivable for top-tier powerhouses like Gu Ya or Cao Xuanqi.

Thinking this way, Ji Changkong suddenly realized: Could Li Hen Tian have come here to break through to the Jiu Gong Tian realm with this very intention in mind?

The beast population on Bone Island was fiercer than anywhere else. This might well be the last refuge for the ancient beasts of this continent. Here, he would constantly face threats, and even he could be killed in combat against these primordial creatures.

Only through such relentless pressure could his spirit, energy, and essence be focused like never before. A life-or-death struggle could grant a person sudden enlightenment; if he could grasp something here, cultivating in seclusion on Bone Island might truly allow him to advance further.

As these thoughts raced through his mind, he felt he had faintly grasped Li Hen Tian's objective.

"This Bone Island is vast; there must be a place where we can survive," Ji Changkong took a deep breath. "I think we should use the time while the Golden Giant Bear and the Sky-Shocking Winged Dragons are fighting to circle around and enter the island. Otherwise, once the battle resolves, we'll be in dire straits."

At these words, Teng Yang and the others nodded in agreement.

"Let's go this way. I sense that the life force of the beasts in this direction is relatively weaker," Ben Yuan Zhi Du pointed a tiny finger toward a direction to the side of the Golden Giant Bear.

Teng Yang hesitated slightly.

Ji Changkong smiled nonchalantly, not bothering to debate with the six of them, and quickly moved in the direction Ben Yuan Zhi Du indicated.

Seeing Ji Changkong set off, Liu Ye and the other five looked toward Teng Yang.

Teng Yang paused, then gently nodded, whispering, "This person’s strength is unfathomable. I still can’t see through that little one. Sticking with them, our chances of survival will definitely be higher."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Hong Ge urged.

"If his intentions are good, we’ll be fine following him. But if they want us dead..." Teng Yang voiced his hesitation, "If he chooses a deadly spot, he might escape on his own strength, but we..."

"We treat others with sincerity, and I believe they won't plot against us," Liu Ye frowned slightly, gently chiding, "Teng Yang, you are good in many ways, but you worry too much."

"On Bone Island, for now, it's just us. Unity benefits us; mutual slaughter is seeking death!" Ji Changkong's voice drifted back from the distance. "These ancient beasts, despite their power, are confined to living only on Bone Island—that’s because we understand unity!"

Teng Yang was startled, then slowly nodded. "Let's go."

Ji Changkong's words dispelled the last vestiges of suspicion among the six of them. Indeed, this was no ordinary place; this was Bone Island, ravaged by ancient beasts! If they harbored mutual suspicion here, only a dead end awaited.

Teng Yang’s group of six quickly followed.

The direction chosen by Ben Yuan Zhi Du was still a field of white bones, but among the piled remains grew strange shrubs ten meters high. These bushes had immense leaves; a single leaf was the size of a folding fan.

As the group moved into the thicket, their figures were entirely concealed by the towering plants. Unless flying creatures surveyed from the void above, ordinary ground beasts could barely detect their presence.

Perhaps because their figures were hidden by the tall shrubs, the group felt an unspoken sense of security as they walked, free from the fear of being spotted by the huge beasts.

"Be careful. This place is strange. Don't make a sound, and try to control your soul and life-force fluctuations," Ben Yuan Zhi Du squinted, sending out faint wisps of soul energy, whispering his reminder.

Ji Changkong was the first to calm himself. His Tai Xu Secret Record's 'Selfless State' was immediately activated. For an instant, he seemed to merge with the pervasive tall shrubs, invisible even to Teng Yang without needing his eyes.

Although Liu Ye’s group lacked Teng Yang's miraculous senses, they were all spiritually acute individuals. They immediately noticed the subtle shift in Ji Changkong's state of mind, filling them with awe and cementing their perception of his profound mystery.

Teng Yang signaled to them with his eyes. The rest of the party also held their breath, doing their utmost to suppress their auras.

Suddenly, Ji Changkong’s body trembled slightly.

Ben Yuan Zhi Du, perched on his shoulder, instantly sensed the anomaly and immediately asked, "What's wrong, Kong Kong?"

Boom!

Ji Changkong's mind shook violently. Faint currents of power converged and suddenly lunged toward his soul, feeling like thorny vines and ropes intent on binding it.

His eyes snapped shut. Ji Changkong immediately sat down cross-legged, concentrating intensely to shrink his soul and resist the influx of energy.

"Be careful! The pervasive shrubs possess soul signatures!" Teng Yang finally detected the strangeness.

Rustle, rustle, rustle!

The shrubs moved without wind, emitting swaying sounds. Their massive roots slowly writhed, closing in on Ji Changkong and his party at the center!

Teng Yang let out a sharp cry. Liu Ye, Jin Hao, and the others immediately recognized the abnormality in the shrubs.

Faint streams of soul power slowly gathered, stealthily drilling into their souls like hemp ropes wrapping around them. The physical branches and leaves swayed softly, like cotton, attempting to ensnare their bodies!

Both the soul and physical movements followed a single principle: the technique of 'Entanglement,' aiming to bind their bodies.

Ji Changkong, the first to sense the danger, rapidly shifted his cultivation technique, the Star Cloud Soul Refining Art, drawing in the power from the invading shrubs. He channeled the energy around in circles, keeping his soul intact, rendering the clustered power of the plants ineffective.

Teng Yang, also skilled in soul techniques due to the peculiar, elusive nature of his own soul power, could also cope easily without being harmed.

Ben Yuan Zhi Du, perhaps due to his different life form, seemed completely unaffected by this power, lazily watching the shrubs approach with utter indifference.

However, Liu Ye, Xue Hai, and the others were not so lucky.

Their souls were ensnared by that power. Before they could even fully register the anomaly, their spirits were struck!

Faint streams of energy gathered, slowly intensifying, truly becoming like nearly invisible iron chains binding their souls tightly.

Masters at their level had fully developed souls; all their cultivation skills and secret arts relied on soul power. Once their souls were bound, their existing means of attack suddenly became useless.

Liu Ye, Xue Hai, Jin Hao, Hong Ge, and Kong Yuan—all five stood frozen in terror, watching the shrubs slowly close in on their physical forms, unable to deploy any effective countermeasures.

Teng Yang's soul could evade the influence of the shrubbery on his soul power, but his preferred method of attack was also soul-based. The concentrated soul power from the many shrubs had woven an enormous, invisible net in the vicinity.

When Teng Yang spread his soul power, it was entirely affected by this giant net. Because it was too dispersed, he couldn't consolidate it for an attack.

When Teng Yang realized his soul power was useless due to the shrubs’ influence, he finally changed tactics. He drew a small, silver-white awl from his bosom. The moment the awl appeared, wisps of icy cold energy emanated from it.

While dodging the encroachment of the shrub power, Teng Yang secretly maneuvered the silver awl in the air, constantly piercing through the nearest roots and leaves, carving out holes.

As soon as a root of a shrub was breached by the small awl, it immediately stopped advancing.

Teng Yang felt that once a shrub's root was pierced, the invisible net affecting them seemed to have a thread pulled out.

But there were countless shrubs surrounding him. As soon as the soul net suffered a crack, shrubs behind it immediately filled the gap, maintaining the network’s operation.

Teng Yang’s strength was limited, while the shrubs were innumerable. Moreover, he had to divert some energy to shield himself from the soul net’s influence, making it impossible for him to halt the slow approach of the thicket.

The expressions of Liu Ye’s group grew increasingly grim. The binding power of the shrubs tightened around their souls, gradually exceeding their spiritual endurance limits.

If this continued, once their souls could no longer bear the pressure, they would be violently crushed by the shrubs' power! If their souls burst, Liu Ye’s group would be utterly annihilated, with no chance of survival whatsoever.

What to do? Teng Yang was filled with horror.

Suddenly, Teng Yang noticed Ben Yuan Zhi Du, lounging idly on Ji Changkong’s shoulder. Ben Yuan Zhi Du appeared utterly bored, clearly unaffected by the shrubs' power.

Having secretly observed Ben Yuan Zhi Du for a long time, and knowing the terrifying strangeness of his soul, Teng Yang was certain the creature was not as frail as its small appearance suggested.

"Please... please save... save them," Teng Yang was clearly unaccustomed to asking for help; his face flushed red, and his words came out disjointedly.

"That monstrous kid, don't worry. They won't die," Ben Yuan Zhi Du glanced lazily at Teng Yang and said lightly, "Kong Kong will handle it quickly."

Suddenly, an unbelievably fine, yet overwhelmingly concentrated stream of soul power burst forth from Ji Changkong!

Teng Yang froze, then stared fixedly at Ji Changkong.

At that moment, his soul clearly sensed hundreds, perhaps thousands, of minute soul needles shooting out from Ji Changkong in all directions, like a porcupine firing its quills.

Those minute needles, which Teng Yang could barely sense, carried terrifying mental energy. They slammed into the invisible net woven by the collective power of the shrubs!

Crack! Crash!

Patches of shrubs collapsed one after another, as if crushed by giant boulders.

Snap! Pop!

As they fell, crisp popping sounds echoed from their roots. The lush green leaves and branches of the shrubs rapidly withered and died. In the blink of an eye, the thicket that had surrounded them was almost leveled, as if struck by a colossal impact.

The invisible net enveloping the area was pierced with hundreds of holes, like being struck by sharp weapons repeatedly.

Soon, all the soul energy within the invisible net vanished without a trace.

The souls of Liu Ye's group, previously squeezed tight by the shrubs' power, were instantly freed. Liu Ye, Xue Hai, and the other three collapsed onto the ground, gasping heavily, their spirits completely depleted.

Centered around Ji Changkong’s party, the surrounding area was a wasteland of withered and dead shrubbery. At a glance, the plants looked as if they had suffered a massive explosion, with roots exposed and branches ripped away—hardly one remained intact.

Teng Yang stared at Ji Changkong, his heart filled with shock and disbelief.

Even though he had suspected Ji Changkong’s power was extraordinary, he hadn't anticipated that Ji Changkong could resolve this bizarre and unpredictable thicket so quickly. Suddenly, Teng Yang realized that to survive on Bone Island, their only viable path was to remain tightly bound to Ji Changkong.

Ji Changkong did not take credit for the feat. Instead, he frowned and slowly ascended.

Scanning the surroundings, he saw even denser thickets in the distance. Those shrubs shook their massive branches and actually began to slowly retreat!

"These things actually know fear. How interesting," Ben Yuan Zhi Du chuckled softly, gently patting Ji Changkong’s shoulder. He mused, "Kong Kong, if you cultivate diligently here, you’ll advance quickly."

After a pause, Ben Yuan Zhi Du puffed out his chest with pride, "Alright, you can rest now. You expended too much mental energy just then. I'll watch over things for you."

Smiling and nodding, Ji Changkong gently rubbed the top of Ben Yuan Zhi Du's small head. "Good, you watch over it then."

Saying this, Ji Changkong suddenly descended back to the ground, sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and remained silent.

Individually, the soul power of these shrubs was not terrifying, but once their energies intertwined, they formed a collective soul power that no one could afford to ignore.

It was like a single thread that could be easily broken, but when hundreds of threads were woven together, snapping them became extremely difficult.

"The soul powers of these shrubs exhibit this characteristic; they can intertwine and bind, making them very hard to deal with."

Fortunately, the Star Cloud Soul Refining Art was quite marvelous, and several of its specialized soul-targeting attack methods were exceptionally vicious. Under the eruption of hundreds of soul-motes, even the tangled mass of shrubs could not withstand the assault and were blasted into disarray.

This violent storm of soul-motes had indeed consumed a significant portion of Ji Changkong’s mental energy. In a place as perilous as Bone Island, where one never knew what lay ahead, he needed to maintain his peak state to increase the chances of survival for himself and his companions.

Relaxing, the distracting thoughts in his mind were instantly severed by a sharp light. In just a single breath, he entered his cultivation state, adjusting himself, holding his breath, and centering his mind.

His soul became like a vast stellar river, moving slowly according to the most fundamental laws of heaven and earth. Everything in the cosmos seemed detached from him; all the trivial disturbances of the mundane world gradually receded, like an ancient, unchanging truth, the essence of cosmic law, calmly observing the world’s changes without participating—like a distant god looking down from above.

In this state of selfless void, he seemed devoid of any human emotion, resembling a stone, a mountain, or the vast ocean.

He did not realize that in his previous recovery sessions, because the Star Cloud Soul Refining Art followed a specific trajectory, his dedicated practice of the Tai Xu Secret Record had never allowed him to enter the Selfless State.

The Void Scripture was the secret to his years of arduous cultivation. The State of No-Self was the method that could unleash the profound mysteries of The Void Scripture to their absolute peak! Within this state, he himself was Heaven and Earth, the very rules of existence. He could encompass everything, and any missing Primal Energy or spiritual power within his body would be rapidly replenished.

Yet, in the past, when he utilized the Nebula Soul Refining Art, no matter how hard he tried, he could never enter the State of No-Self. Under the State of No-Self, the Elixir Core found it difficult to operate the Nebula Soul Refining Art to cultivate the soul and enhance its power.

However, at this very moment, without his realizing it, he— The State of No-Self of the Nebula Soul Refining Art and The Void Scripture coexisted simultaneously.”

Pinpricks of light, like fireflies, slowly manifested in the air. In an instant, the sky was filled with these firefly-like specks of luminescence. These dots drifted gently in the air, seemingly propelled by some unseen force, and they all began to drift toward Ji Changkong.

Within those firefly-like light spots, there was an almost imperceptible, faint spiritual energy. This soul power was so weak that even Teng Yang had to concentrate intently to sense it.

Teng Yang’s expression shifted slightly, and he abruptly stood up, looking somewhat flustered at the dots slowly approaching Ji Changkong, attempting to repel them with his own power.

“Perverse kid, don’t move rashly!” the Origin Poison shouted, glaring fiercely at Teng Yang. “Idiot, the soul energy in those spots is pure and flawless—it’s the cleanest trace of soul essence from these bushes. This soul energy can be absorbed directly! They only appeared miraculously because of Kongkong. You idiot, you actually want to destroy them, you fool!”

Teng Yang froze, staring blankly at the Origin Poison. “What do you mean?”

“The bushes aren’t sentient beings. Their souls only retain the instinct to protect this area; they lack many convoluted thoughts. After their souls were scattered, the few stray notions they possessed dissipated, leaving only these most simple and pure soul concepts.”

“Without Kongkong’s influence, this purest soul energy would quickly dissipate back into the heavens and earth. The fact that this faint energy can gather without scattering, maintaining itself for a short time, is all thanks to Kongkong!”

“Simply put, this soul energy is completely clean, and anyone can absorb it now! Understood, you blockhead?”

“Ah!” Teng Yang exclaimed, his face alight with surprise. He immediately nudged Liu Ye and the others. “Hurry up, get up! The rewards have appeared!”

Liu Ye and the others had already heard the commotion and stopped their ceaseless, focused cultivation. With excitement in their expressions, they began to control their own divine souls to guide the firefly-like specks floating in the void.

When a light spot entered a divine soul, the soul immediately felt invigorated, as if it had consumed a potent tonic.

Liu Ye, Teng Yang, and the others were even more delighted. They immediately sat down, motionless, pouring all their effort into using the power of their divine souls to absorb these specks floating in the void.

The light spots that were originally drifting toward Ji Changkong slowly dispersed. About three-tenths of the light spots gently moved toward the group of six, including Liu Ye and Teng Yang, merging into their divine souls.

The remaining seven-tenths of the light spots, drawn by some unknown attraction, all fell into Ji Changkong’s nebula-shaped divine soul.

The Origin Poison did not use its own soul energy to absorb anything. While Ji Changkong and Liu Ye were fully engrossed in absorbing the light spots, the Origin Poison dropped its usual laziness, becoming instantly alert and solemnly guarding them with its own power.

After an unknown length of time, Teng Yang, Liu Ye, and the six of them awoke from their trance one after another. The light spots that had been swirling in the void had long since vanished completely, all absorbed by them.

As if having consumed a potent elixir, Liu Ye, Teng Yang, and the six others appeared exceptionally energetic, their spirits uplifted and their complexions radiant.

“Sister Liu, how is it?” Xue Hai chuckled low.

Liu Ye’s lips curved into a joyful smile. “My divine soul not only fully recovered but even advanced quite a bit! What about the rest of you?”

The six of them, including Teng Yang, nodded with smiles, their faces full of contentment—clearly, they had benefited greatly from those recent light spots.

The power of the soul was much harder to enhance than Primal Energy. Primal Energy could be increased through continuous cultivation, absorbing and sensing the world’s Heaven and Earth Primal Qi, which, aided by secret techniques, tempered the physical body, constantly widening and transforming the meridians and bones to allow the body to contain more of the world’s power.

However, increasing the strength of the soul was not nearly so simple. The gains these individuals experienced this time were likely equivalent to several years of their cultivation; how could they not be overwhelmingly happy?

The Origin Poison looked at them with disdain. “Don’t get greedy and try to provoke those bushes further away. If you truly manage to infuriate them, we will all suffer!”

Teng Yang’s thoughts had been seen through, leaving him slightly awkward. He asked with a smile, “Why?”

“There are too many bushes—this area has thousands upon thousands of them, more than you can count. Now that they’ve voluntarily retreated, it’s best we behave ourselves, or you’ll be exhausted to death by them!” the Origin Poison lectured without reservation.

By this point, Teng Yang dared not underestimate the Origin Poison again. Hearing its words, he immediately dismissed any wicked thoughts and settled down obediently.

Ji Changkong had not yet awakened.

Teng Yang and the others gazed deeply at Ji Changkong. No one spoke to urge him. They understood that if Ji Changkong hadn't intervened just now, the other five, excluding Teng Yang, would surely not have escaped those bushes, and their divine souls would have been shattered.

“Just wait; Kongkong will wake up soon,” the Origin Poison glanced at them sideways and then settled back onto Ji Changkong’s shoulder to doze.

The Origin Poison let down its guard around Teng Yang and the others, knowing they would never harbor ill intentions toward Ji Changkong on Bone Island.

The others, bored, chattered about the marvelous nature of the bushes. Xue Hai even collected some roots, stems, and leaves from the bushes, sealing them in an exquisite glass container, planning to study them thoroughly once they left.

Just as Teng Yang and the others were debating the properties of the bushes, Ji Changkong slowly awoke.

His spiritual power was completely restored and even enhanced; his body and mind felt immensely comfortable! Ji Changkong immediately noticed the changes in his body and stood up with pleasant surprise.

“It’s like this,” the Origin Poison quickly explained the situation.

Ji Changkong was astonished, not expecting such an external phenomenon to occur while he was recovering. He nodded with a smile, pleased. “We were quite lucky.”

“Let’s go. I think those bushes now know we aren’t easy targets,” Ji Changkong said with a smile, looking at Teng Yang and the others.

“Thank you!” Liu Ye expressed her sincere gratitude. “If it hadn’t been for you just now, we five might not have survived…”

“We came together, so we must return together. On Bone Island, only by sticking together can we survive. There’s no need for such formalities,” Ji Changkong smiled.

Liu Ye and the others nodded slowly. Although Kong Yuan, Hong Ge, and the others didn't say much, their expressions showed deep gratitude.

Ji Changkong took the lead, slowly proceeding toward the central area of Bone Island. The surrounding bushes, upon seeing Ji Changkong’s group approach, acted like normal shrubs—motionless, showing no further anomaly.

The bushes seemed instinctively afraid, daring not to cause any more trouble.

Continuing onward through the dense thickets of tall bushes, the group advanced deeper into Bone Island. Because of the Origin Poison’s warning, Liu Ye and the others did not provoke the shrubbery. After traversing for dozens of hours, the group finally emerged from the dense thickets.

Crystalline white skeletons of various shapes suddenly appeared before their eyes. These bones shimmered with a faint white light, piled together to form a small, stark mountain of white bones.

Ji Changkong’s gaze was sharp; he immediately spotted complete human skeletons among the bones.

Several skeletons clearly belonging to humans were completely intact, without a single break, as if expertly stripped of flesh and sinew by a master anatomist.

Xue Hai and the others stared at the white bones for a moment, their faces instantly sinking, as if they were glimpsing their own future fate.

“Don’t worry. We might not necessarily die here,” Ji Changkong told the six of them slowly. “If we can survive on Bone Island, it will bring unpredictable benefits to our cultivation. Here, because we constantly face the threat of death, our state of mind and strength will be tempered and elevated.”

“That’s right, this is truly an excellent place for cultivation,” Jin Hao nodded.

Kaka-ka!

Stepping on the piled bones, the group ascended the low white-bone mound. Looking out, they simultaneously gasped in shock.

Ahead, milky-white vapor slowly hovered over a small pool. It was a tiny mountain spring, and the water in the pool was also milky white, emitting an overwhelming, thick concentration of Heaven and Earth Primal Qi.

The Heaven and Earth Primal Qi of Mount Tian and Kunlun was the densest in the Middle Continent, yet compared to this place, it was hundreds of times lacking!

The Primal Qi, so dense it could not be dispersed, had condensed into a small spring. The milky-white liquid within contained Primal Energy so pure it was almost impossible to resist.

The entire group’s eyes turned red, and they rushed uncontrollably toward the small spring.

“Careful!” Ji Changkong roared, soaring into the air to instantly intercept the six in front of him. He urged them hastily, “A place like this must be guarded by ferocious beasts. Any beast capable of monopolizing such a location is definitely extraordinary!”

At these words, the six, whose faces were flushed with excitement, gradually regained composure. They froze, staring at the alluring spring so close at hand, swallowing nervously.

If they could cultivate in there, their bodies would gain unimaginable benefits. Their divine souls had just been tempered and purified; if their bodies could also receive the nourishment of the incredibly dense Primal Energy from the spring, breaking through their current realms would become highly possible. Just thinking about it made their blood boil.

“Let’s observe first!” Ji Changkong took a deep breath, maintaining his calm.

Teng Yang also forced himself to take a deep breath, compelling himself to calm down, and said in a hoarse voice, “Right, we should calm down first. Don't lose our lives carelessly.”

Ji Changkong gazed deeply at the spring ahead, silently releasing his divine soul to carefully examine the area, sensing for any anomaly in that region.

An extremely faint life fluctuation emanated from the milky-white, thin mist. A faint fluctuation also came from the milky-white spring water. If one didn't sense carefully, it would be completely missed.

That faint life fluctuation permeated the mist and the spring water, present everywhere.

This was… a bacterial form of life. Many, very many, hundreds of times smaller than ants, barely visible to the naked eye…

Sensing slowly, Ji Changkong’s divine soul drifted, seemingly magnifying those life forms countless times. In his mind, as the form of this life was continually enlarged, its outline and appearance gradually manifested.

“It does resemble an ant somewhat, but they possess sharp teeth, and their bodies are covered in tiny white dots that blink continuously—those dots turned out to be countless tiny eyes. Ji Changkong had never encountered such bacteria before, only feeling a slight resemblance to the Soul-Devouring Bacteria on the Tianheng Star.

Thinking of how terrifying the Soul-Devouring Bacteria was, Ji Changkong shivered slightly and slowly withdrew his sensing soul power.

“I think the spring already has an owner,” Ji Changkong said with a wry smile to Teng Yang and the others, though he desperately wished to bathe in the spring water himself. “There are creatures in the mist and the water that could be deadly. They are so small, invisible to the naked eye. I think it’s best we don’t provoke them.”

“This is truly frustrating!” Xue Hai ground his teeth and said bitterly. “This place is full of treasure! The Primal Qi in that spring water and mist is so rich I couldn’t even imagine it in my dreams! If I could bathe in it to cultivate, I would gladly stay on Bone Island forever.”

“If you aren’t afraid to die, you can go over right now,” Jin Hao said coolly.

“Forget it then,” Xue Hai immediately shook his head.

Awoo!

Just then, a silver-glowing python, about ten meters long, slowly swam from the distance. The silver python moved like lightning, quickly reaching the spring, and dove right into it.

Sizzle! Splutter!

The spring water suddenly sounded like it was boiling. The ten-meter-long python began to struggle violently, seemingly trying to escape the spring.

In the onlookers’ eyes, as the ten-meter-long python’s body emerged, it slowly vanished!

The water in the spring seemed to envelop the python’s body, and the group watched, dumbfounded… they watched the python’s massive body disappear into thin air.

“This… this…” Xue Hai looked bewildered.

“It was eaten—its entire flesh and bone were consumed! Nothing was left!” Ji Changkong said with a grim face, looking at Xue Hai. “Do you still want to go soak in the spring?”

“No way! No way!” Xue Hai repeatedly shook his head, trembling with fright.

“I’ll go take a look,” the Origin Poison suddenly flew off Ji Changkong’s body and slowly drifted toward the spring.

“Little Poison, what are you doing?” Ji Changkong’s expression changed, and he called out urgently.

The Origin Poison turned its back to the group and casually waved a hand, saying unhurriedly, “Don’t worry, I’m not afraid of these guys. Watch me deal with them…”

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