Second update today; please cast your monthly votes. Good night, no more updates for tonight. Xiao Bai, today, the heat is intense.
Feng Zikang quietly slipped into the chambers of the White Bone Divine Monarch. In the center, he saw a silken bed, soft and comfortable. Naturally, the Divine Monarch, with his old skeletal frame, surely couldn't sleep on a hard wooden plank bed.
Beside the head of the bed stood a small stand, and inside its cabinet glittered a golden treasure chest. Since ordinary disciples were forbidden from entering the White Bone Divine Monarch's residence, and the treasure chest was protected by a unique restrictive enchantment that could not be opened without the key he carried, he had carelessly placed it right there by the bedside, often fondling it with deep affection.
Feng Zikang sidled up to the bedside. Hanging above the treasure chest was a small, exquisite bone lock. It appeared fragile, yet it exuded a chilling aura. He knew instinctively that the White Bone Divine Monarch had sealed this chest with his vital essence. Not only would this lock be difficult to pick, but forcing it open would certainly alert the Divine Monarch.
However, Feng Zikang now held the key, so he felt no fear. He inserted the stolen key into the keyhole. With a gentle turn, a soft kacha sound echoed as the spring lock released, and the vital essence bone lock drifted lightly to the floor.
Being naturally cautious, Feng Zikang did not immediately lift the lid of the treasure chest. Instead, he slowly guided his internal energy to probe the interior. Indeed, he discovered another mechanism beneath the lid—if he had carelessly thrown the lid open, a swarm of resentful souls would have flown out. Annoying as that would be, it would more easily draw attention. Without changing his expression, he surged his killing intent inward, annihilating the sealed resentful souls completely before opening the chest to examine the contents.
Inside the treasure chest lay three treasures. The Bright Eye Orb rested in the center. Even without being activated, it continuously flowed with golden light, truly extraordinary.
To the left lay a tattered storage pouch, woven with golden thread, which looked quite fine. Unfortunately, patching it after biting through the weave would be troublesome. Feng Zikang possessed an Eight Treasures Storage Pouch crafted from the skin of the East Sea Void Thorns Fish, so he naturally paid it no mind.
To the right lay a piece of greenish stone that looked somewhat familiar to Feng Zikang, but he couldn't identify what it was. He didn't fuss over it, taking all three items and stuffing them into his own pouch.
He took the Bright Eye Orb in hand to examine it and was delighted to discover it was a genuine magic treasure. The accompanying ability, the Hundred Zhang Ray of Light divine power, could cover a radius of a hundred li. Those with slightly lower cultivation would instantly turn into pus and blood—truly fearsome.
Feng Zikang was pleased, but as he prepared to withdraw, he suddenly noticed the White Bone Divine Monarch returning, having just finished bathing, clutching the rabbit demon. He quickly closed the treasure chest, relocked it, shrank his body, and hid beneath the bed.
The White Bone Divine Monarch, perhaps having indulged in a few too many cups of wine, was completely naked, holding the rabbit demon between his arms, laughing loudly as he entered the room. The rabbit demon, who had just been beaten half to death moments before, was now giggling coyly, yielding with a show of reluctance.
Feng Zikang grew impatient watching their intimate display. Seizing the moment while they were lost in their lust, he quietly slipped out, descended the bone steps, and returned to the main cavern of the Xuan Yuan Cave.
He had already decided his strategy: eliminate Ming Yi first, then deal with the White Bone Divine Monarch. Obtaining this Bright Eye Orb was the perfect opportunity to test its power.
Feng Zikang coldly passed through the drunken mob of demons and arrived at the center. He summoned the Bright Eye Orb, and instantly the heavens and earth shifted as a ray of light enveloped the entire Xuan Yuan Cave.
The few minor demons closest by were instantly minced into bloody pulp without even a chance to utter a single cry. Those slightly farther away, still half-waking from their drunken stupor, were suddenly enveloped in the hazy light. Unable to see, their entire bodies felt as if they were being ground by blades. Wails and howls erupted as they thrashed about in chaos.
They couldn't distinguish direction and could only charge blindly. Since the Xuan Yuan Cave was narrow, save for a few lucky minor demons near the outermost edges, almost everyone was caught within the light. This slaughter was truly unprecedented. The demons serving the White Bone Divine Monarch were caught completely off guard; in this single move, a huge number of them were slain.
This commotion finally alarmed the White Bone Divine Monarch's main disciples. They had been eating and drinking their fill and had gone off to seek their own pleasures, not present in the cave. Hearing the unified cries of anguish from within the Xuan Yuan Cave, they rushed out only to see their Master's magic treasure unleashing its might, slaughtering their junior brethren. Though their hearts chilled with dread, they could only steel their resolve and charge forward to confront Feng Zikang, who held the treasure.
Their cultivation was far superior to that of the minor demons. They protected themselves with dark clouds formed from Netherworld energy, temporarily resisting the erosion of the Hundred Zhang Ray of Light. Wielding their weapons, they charged forward.
Feng Zikang snorted coldly. While releasing his mechanical beast Long Que, he simultaneously summoned the Four Symbols Divine Demons. He didn't bother forming an array, merely engaging in reckless slaughter. Long Que was incomparably fierce, and the four Divine Demons were also extremely savage. Seeing such a bloody scene only excited them further as they attacked everywhere. The senior disciples could manage to hold their own for a short while, but the minor demons stood no chance in a single exchange; they were routed, fleeing in disarray.
The Eldest Senior Brother saw the situation turning dire. He immediately sent someone to quickly notify his Master to intervene. At the same time, he rallied the other disciples to work together, unleashing the Nine Netherworld Ten Darkness Soul-Searching Great Method, using a sky-filling black mist to counter the light emanating from the Bright Eye Orb. However, the Hundred Zhang Ray of Light seemed to possess an effect that countered the Nine Netherworld Ten Darkness Soul-Searching Great Method as well. Despite their utmost efforts, the effect was minimal; they could only protect a tiny corner, perhaps one in ten surviving.
Long Que was cunning and quietly snuck behind them, smashing the Red-Faced Pig Demon to death with one swipe of its paw. This weakened the black mist further, leaving the disciples struggling to hold on, teeth gritted in strained endurance.
"Who dares steal my treasure? And injure my disciples?"
The White Bone Divine Monarch received the news and rushed out of his private quarters, filled with immense rage. He had just been indulging in carnal pleasure and was still scantily clad and visibly disheveled, cursing loudly.
That Hundred Zhang Ray of Light was clearly the divine power of the Bright Eye Orb, which he had hidden in the bedside chest. How could it have been stolen and used to injure people here? The White Bone Divine Monarch’s fury consumed him. His disciples, cultivated over hundreds of years for harvesting souls, could not be allowed to be slaughtered like this by an outsider! He raised a hand, and a massive black hand soared into the sky, reaching out to grab Feng Zikang.
The giant hand emitted boundless resentment. Feng Zikang was momentarily stunned by the surge of corrosive energy. He quickly unleashed an attack and dodged away swiftly. Even when obstructed by the light from the Bright Eye Orb, this Filthy Air Great Grasping Divine Power still held such might. Feng Zikang dared not meet it head-on. He summoned Long Que to engage and entangle the White Bone Divine Monarch while he himself slipped away to coordinate with the Four Symbols Divine Demons to slaughter the Monarch's disciples.
Most of the disciples, including the Eldest Senior Brother, were comparable in power to Wu Lingzi, whom he had encountered on the road to Southern Barbarians. He had been able to easily execute them then, and now, after three days apart, he was even more formidable. Unfurling the Starlight Great Annihilation Sword Art, he moved like a reaper's scythe. After only a few exchanges, he had already cut down several direct disciples.
Meanwhile, the four Divine Demons were also showcasing their immense power. The hairy giant beast crushed one to death, and the Heavenly King Pagoda smashed another. Before long, only the Eldest Senior Brother remained, fighting alone.
This Rat Demon Eldest Senior Brother had followed the White Bone Divine Monarch for many years, and his own cultivation was indeed not weak. Unfortunately, his disadvantage lay in his lack of magic treasures, making him hesitant in battle. He relied solely on his innate divine power to evade and burrow everywhere. His pursuers could not immediately catch him.
Seeing his disciples perish one by one, the White Bone Divine Monarch grew even more enraged, tightening his grip on his attack. However, Long Que tightly entangled him, preventing him from breaking free momentarily.
The mechanical beast Long Que had not yet unleashed its full strength, but after absorbing the Serpent Soul and Serpent Core, its condition was naturally incomparable to when it was weakened just before its self-detonation. Although it still couldn't use its divine abilities, its entire frame operated smoothly, possessing boundless strength. Furthermore, the White Bone Divine Monarch's favored soul attacks were ineffective against it, leaving him unable to gain the upper hand for a time.
Long Que jumped and roared happily.
In just half a day, it had completely submitted to Feng Zikang. Firstly, the other party controlled the whereabouts of its Dragon Soul, and secondly, this new master, though currently weak in overall power, seemed to possess infinite potential and formidable methods; he had great prospects. Thus, Long Que exerted itself, determined to perform well and not be overshadowed by those four dark behemoths.
However, in this battle against the White Bone Divine Monarch, it felt a peculiar sensation, always sensing something was amiss... perhaps, in the unseen depths, it shared some connection with the White Bone Divine Monarch?
"Strange," Long Que pondered internally, harboring doubt. Could it be because this old monster was made of bone, and it too was bone, leading to a bond of mutual appreciation? Bah! Long Que felt disgusted by its own thought. It was forged from the skeleton of a majestic Five-Clawed Divine Dragon; how could it be compared to any ordinary, random bones?
While it was struggling with this confusion, the White Bone Divine Monarch also felt something odd.
The White Bone Divine Monarch had been overwhelmingly furious, striking out fiercely, but as he fought, he suddenly felt something was not right. He kept sensing a sense of familiarity emanating from the mechanical skeleton before him.
"Could it be?"
The White Bone Divine Monarch's eyes brightened, and suddenly he recalled the words his Master, the Netherworld Venerable, had spoken to him many years ago:
"You are a spirit-bone born of nature; your cultivation will surely be swift. Alas, you possess only a single skull. If you could retrieve your body and achieve completeness, your future accomplishments would surely not be below mine; yet, in this vast world, where can the remains of your previous incarnation be sought?"
"I shall pass on a secret technique to you. When you encounter your physical skeletal frame, simply recite the incantation..."
The White Bone Divine Monarch grew more and more thrilled as he recalled, even slowing the movements of his hands. He gazed rapturously at Long Que, as if looking upon an intimate lover.
Fortunately, Long Que was merely a skeleton; otherwise, under his gaze, its every hair would surely have stood on end. Unable to speak, it could only curse the 'glass' inwardly, roaring fiercely as it lunged forward with all its might.
Simultaneously, the scurrying, escaping Rat Demon was finally cornered by the insidious Dark Demon King, who clamped down on its tail. It shrieked, "Master, save me!" Feng Zikang cleaved down with his sword, ending it instantly.
The White Bone Divine Monarch cried out in pain. All his disciples were wiped out—how could he let this stand? He gritted his teeth. Although he still couldn't confirm if Long Que was indeed the lost skeletal frame of his body, he had no choice but to risk it all!
He intertwined his hands, bellowing fiercely, shaking off Long Que’s five claws. Black energy surged out from all his limbs and bones. His lower half gradually vanished under the erosion of the black energy, while his already massive skull grew larger and larger, tearing away all the wrinkled old skin on his face. Even his eyeballs and tongue, all the flesh and blood, fell away, leaving only stark white bone!
After a fierce struggle that lasted a long time, the White Bone Divine Monarch finally revealed his true form!
Long Que gasped in shock and retreated several steps.
The White Bone Divine Monarch was formed from the skull of a giant beast, but that skull was neither like a deer nor a horse; it possessed a pair of horns behind its head, sharp fangs, and an extremely high forehead. Why... why was it shaped like a dragon's head?! If you wish to know what happens next, please log in to the Ming chapters for more, support the author, and support genuine reading!
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