Within the Fox Demon Palace, Master Tianzhen was skillfully administering the Life-Extending Needles to Ye Xiu once more. His movements were practiced, the needles following precise paths, gently disentangling the chaotic surge of power within Ye Xiu's body. "The demonic energy in this boy has broken past all limits; completely rooting it out won't be simple."

The Demon Empress nodded, glancing over at Qi’er, who was curled up beside Ye Xiu. The girl’s concern for him was genuine. "Constantly relying on the Life-Extending Needles to sustain him isn't a long-term solution. Is there truly no trace of the Life-Taking Needle?"

"None," Master Tianzhen replied, shaking his head and saying languidly, "The Three Primal Needles descended upon the Boundless Realm, splitting into three. The needles held by myself and Qi’er serve only for life extension and healing. The most potent of them, the Life-Taking Needle, has never shown itself."

The Demon Empress frowned, looking at the harbinger of death before her. The image of Ba Fangjin flashed in her mind once more. "For now, we'll use the needles to seal the flow of energy within his body; at least that prevents him from being killed by runaway power."

Several days passed. Under the meticulous care of the Demon Empress and Qi’er, the wounds all over Ye Xiu’s body had healed. However, with the Tian Gu Jian Bing Tai (Heavenly Bone Weapon Assessment Stage) fast approaching, and having made his preparations, he felt compelled to request leave from the Demon Empress. "The Tian Gu Jian Bing Tai is imminent, and I am under the command of the Drought Demon Worm Emperor, so..."

The Demon Empress had intended for Ye Xiu to fight on behalf of the Fox Demons, but seeing Ye Xiu had no such inclination, she waved a hand. "Why does Hall Master Ye need to report his intentions to me? It’s just that the journey to Desolate Bone City is long. Why don't you let Ah Bi accompany you?"

"I'm coming too!" Qi’er reluctantly acquiesced to the Demon Empress, but her willful temper hadn't changed at all. She stood up and grabbed Ye Xiu's arm. "I’ve never left the Corpse Demon Forest my whole life. Let me go with them."

The Demon Empress knew Qi’er’s wild nature. After all these years of following Ba Fangjin in hiding, she still possessed some skill. With a relieved sigh, she said, "Very well. Ah Bi, you must take good care of Qi’er; there must be no mistake."

"Yes." Ah Bi was once again clad in flowing green robes, the tassels beneath them alluring like blossoming lotus flowers. "Your subordinate represents the Fox Demon Palace at the Tian Gu Jian Bing Tai and will certainly not fail the Demon Empress's trust."

"Hahaha! Ye Xiu, I finally get to go out and have fun with you!" Qi’er, young and beautiful, had only play on her mind. She yanked Ye Xiu’s arm and tried to drag him out the door. "Mother, we’re leaving!"

"Hey, hey!" Ye Xiu managed to turn and offer a respectful salute to the Demon Empress as a farewell. Ah Bi, bringing along several handsome attendants, followed behind.

The Demon Empress’s smile was not entirely optimistic. As they departed, she instructed Ah Bi, "This trip to the Jian Bing Tai is only to gauge the strengths and weaknesses of the various factions. Do not focus solely on victory."

Desolate Bone City dominated the eastern treasure lands of the Boundless Realm. Its territories were rich in resources and possessed boundless scenery, a fact alone enough to incite covetousness from other clans. The contingent from the Fox Demon Palace traveled along the coast of the Sea of Exile, needing only a few days to arrive.

The scenery along the route was exquisite. Qi’er held Ye Xiu’s hand, chatting and laughing happily. Ah Bi, however, observed them coolly. Unnoticed, the group wandered to the outskirts of an abandoned fishing village.

"Hand over all your valuables immediately, or you all die." Five or six burly men suddenly burst from the woods. They wore outrageously scant clothing, using minimal fabric to cover only the necessary parts, yet the Ghost-Head Sabers in their hands gleamed menacingly. "Even though you're all from the Corpse Demon Forest, my pockets have been a bit light lately. Pay up, and I'll spare your lives."

Ye Xiu knew this was a chance encounter with bandits. He reflected that he never carried money on him anyway, and besides, the Boundless Realm and the Mortal Realm were connected—did he need Grandfather Hong’s paper currency here too?

"How audacious!" Ah Bi flared up instantly, drawing her long whip from her waist to stand before the group. "You scoundrels! You dare block the path of the Fox Demon Palace?"

Qi’er watched with a cold gaze, showing no surprise at the commotion. Instead, she turned to Ye Xiu and asked, "What is money? I've never used it."

Ah Bi, understanding their background somewhat, reached to her waist and pulled out a white sachet. Opening it revealed smooth white jades. "This is Bone Jade. It is the universal currency throughout the Boundless Realm. You two wouldn't understand."

"The Fox Demon Palace truly is wealthy. Brothers, charge!" The leading ruffian raised his saber and directed the others to charge towards Ah Bi. However, as they rushed forward, these men held their sabers in their mouths while supporting themselves on the ground with their hands—this was the attack posture of the Fierce Beasts of the Corpse Demon Forest.

Is this the so-called Fierce Beast Sect? Ye Xiu shielded Qi’er and stood aside, observing coldly. He watched the men crawl on all fours, large Ghost-Head Sabers clamped in their jaws. Their body hair stood on end, and they occasionally let out savage, bestial roars.

With a 'whoosh,' the five powerfully built figures lunged at Ah Bi in unison. Their swaying limbs and bizarre trajectory truly made them resemble wild beasts.

Ah Bi was slender but exceptionally agile. She leaped high into the air, tossing her long whip. The light-blue streak of light seemed to possess eyes, shooting rapidly towards the two leading ruffians. But these Fierce Beast Sect members were no mere lackeys; they managed to easily evade such a simple strike.

"Insolent!" The Fierce Beast Sect men possessed formidable strength and physique, but their cultivation was sorely lacking. They scurried forward, leaping repeatedly, attempting to form a formation to deal with Ah Bi. Ah Bi merely circled them once with her whip, scattering them and sending them tumbling to the ground in disarray.

Ye Xiu noticed the angry red welts left by the whip on their arms and couldn't help but tease, "Miss Ah Bi is quite heavy-handed. Why not just end their lives?"

Hearing Ye Xiu's tone, the thieves on the ground immediately threw down their weapons and begged for mercy. "Not heavy, not heavy! The hero's discipline is noted! Spare us, please don't kill us!"

Ah Bi couldn't tolerate Ye Xiu's sarcasm. She spun around and sharply rebuked them, "You belong to the same sect as us in the Corpse Demon Forest. Go. Next time, keep your eyes open."

"Wait a moment, I can let you go too," Ye Xiu looked down at the kneeling Fierce Beast Sect members and smiled. "Do you have any money on you? That 'Bone Jade' thing? If you give it all to me, I'll let you go."

These fellows were inherently prone to bullying the weak and fearing the strong. Upon hearing Ye Xiu's words, they immediately emptied their pouches and tossed the money onto the ground. "Yes, yes, we have it! Hero, please spare us!"

Ye Xiu crouched down and picked up a Bone Jade, examining it closely. The item was transparent like a copper coin. Was it made from human bone? "So this is Bone Jade. What can a single piece like this buy? Do you have any more?"

Qi’er also started showing off alongside Ye Xiu. She casually picked up a piece and laughed, "This thing is so small. Don't you have any bigger ones?"

The leader's face changed drastically when he heard Qi’er's words. He knelt on the ground, fiercely kicking the man next to him and roaring, "Bring it all out! Bring everything out quickly for the young lady!"

"Yes, yes, yes!" The fellows once again tossed out more Bone Jades in response. "That's all we have, only this much! Please let us go, hero!"

"Keep the money, and be gone," Ye Xiu looked at the pile of Bone Jades on the ground, feeling a sense of ease. It turned out dealing with a few underlings in the Boundless Realm could be this satisfying.

"Hurry up and scram, hahahaha!" Qi’er half-hopped, half-chased the bandits away. This was the first time she had truly revealed her inner state since leaving Ba Fangjin.

Ah Bi watched the two fooling around coldly, unable to intervene. In her view, although Ye Xiu wasn't exceptionally powerful, he was still a trustworthy person. "Let's go. If we cross the forest ahead, we should see Desolate Bone City."

Ye Xiu gazed into the distance and saw a long, straight sword-like object towering high amidst the clouds—that must be Desolate Bone City.

"Hiss... hiss..." Suddenly, several carriages of pure black raced out of the woods, kicking up dust that nearly obscured the entire view.

Ah Bi whipped her long weapon up to shield Qi’er in front of her, staring intently. She shouted, "Who goes there?"

The speeding carriages forced the group to duck down onto the grass. Ye Xiu glanced over and noticed that the leading carriage was exceptionally well-equipped; its horse's head was even inlaid with an iron mark. That mark was clearly identical to the bone tablet held by the Third Sovereign, Garuda.

"Ah Bi, watch Qi’er!" Ye Xiu gave chase to the carriage. The black-clad driver, seeing Ye Xiu approaching, flinched, and a wisp of green smoke coiled around the horse. With that, their speed became nearly unmatched.

"Ye Xiu, hey! Don't leave me behind!" Qi’er looked dejected, but the road ahead led directly to Desolate Bone City, so the owner of the black carriage was likely heading to the Tian Gu Jian Bing Tai as well.

Ah Bi clenched her fists, slightly rattled. She let her whip fall. "No matter what, we must reach Desolate Bone City first."

Ye Xiu sat near the front of the carriage frame, patting the figure in the cloak. He smiled slightly. "What other manner of arrival could you choose, other than this one, Jiu Liansheng?"

"Heh, your attention is quite sharp," Jiu Liansheng threw back his cloak, pulled out a flask of wine, and began drinking unceremoniously. "The Third Sovereign has had me waiting for you here for a long time. Want a swig?"

Ye Xiu rolled his eyes at Jiu Liansheng. This fellow's cultivation was not lacking; he must be one of Garuda's most crucial pawns. "Where is the Third Sovereign?"

"We'll discuss everything once we enter the city." Jiu Liansheng focused only on drinking; everything else could wait. This black carriage bore the Third Sovereign's mark, guaranteeing unimpeded entry into Desolate Bone City.

Ye Xiu peered through the dust at the city gates of Desolate Bone City. The gates were imposing, dozens of meters high and wide, built entirely from white bone jade artifacts. The two enormous characters, 'Desolate Bone,' above the gates were testament enough to the status of the Bone Sect in the Boundless Realm. Hundreds of guards, large and small, stood on either side, indicating the solidity of the defense.

Upon entering Desolate Bone City, Ye Xiu was immediately awed by the city's atmosphere of bone. Desolate Bone City was square, the outer ring filled with bustling buildings and streets, where merchants and travelers of all races mingled in lively commerce. The inner ring was the royal stronghold, equipped with every necessary military facility. In the very center of the city stood a gigantic white jade bone sword plunged into the earth, its hilt piercing the clouds, a magnificent spectacle. The supposed imperial residence of Desolate Bone City, the Heaven Staircase Pavilion, rested atop the hilt, exuding majestic authority.

The black carriage moved to a sparsely populated area, and Jiu Liansheng slowed the speed. He let out a splitting laugh and kicked Ye Xiu out of the carriage. "The Third Sovereign has been waiting for a long time. This kick is my reward on the Sovereign's behalf."

Ye Xiu tumbled onto the ground, watching Jiu Liansheng drink and drive with such nonchalance. He brushed the dust off himself. It turned out he had landed in a slum area. Starving bodies littered the ground; some people were mere skeletons. If the Bone Sect truly sought eternal immortality, perhaps death would be preferable. "Damn you! I will definitely remember this kick!"

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