“The Primal True Bone has been taken,” Lan Yichen carefully examined and said with regret.
Peng Tianyi of the Divine Wing Clan, a being recorded even in bone scriptures, was an overwhelmingly powerful entity who once stood unrivaled under the heavens, hailed as the greatest prodigy of his era across the three thousand provinces.
Alas, during his second emergence, he perished here, under circumstances that remain unclear.
“Was the True Bone taken by someone who came later?” Louis sighed inwardly, lamenting the loss.
Shi Hao inspected the remains closely. The flesh had long since vanished, and the bones remained unbroken. Apart from the missing True Bone that once bore inscribed runes, the rest of the body was remarkably intact.
He then turned his gaze to the other four skeletons. Their bones were extraordinary, lustrous and radiant—some golden, others crimson—remaining undecayed even after tens of thousands of years.
They belonged to different races, all preserved flawlessly, their bones unmarred by any wounds.
“All of them were formidable, the strongest young elites of their respective clans,” Shi Hao remarked.
Indeed, had they not been strong, they would never have made it this far, only to perish together in this place.
“Hum!”
Suddenly, as they extended their divine senses to investigate, the prayer mat emitted a glow, and the chaotic energy around it thickened, sending chills down their spines.
“An ancient scripture?”
Luo Dao was stunned, finding it unbelievable.
Within the prayer mat lay the essence of a great Dao, resonating with their divine senses and transmitting a thunderous hum that left them awestruck.
“Calm your minds,” Shi Hao advised.
Luo Dao and Lan Yichen understood his meaning and restrained themselves, knowing that even an ancient freak had died here—proof that this place harbored something sinister.
They retreated, carefully sensing and probing the area.
Eventually, they concluded that this path must be perilous, and their smooth journey here was only possible because Peng Tianyi and the others had cleared the dangers along the way.
“So, we benefited from their efforts? In the distant past, they eliminated the other hazards along this path?”
“It seems the final danger lies solely with this prayer mat.”
For a powerhouse recorded in bone scriptures to meet his end here spoke volumes—this place held immense peril, and a single misstep could lead to the same fate as those before them.
The prayer mat contained a scripture, one that was impossible to resist. None wished to miss such an opportunity.
Shi Hao cautiously extended another wisp of divine sense toward the prayer mat. The scripture’s resonance echoed once more, transmitting into his heart. As he pondered its meaning, he was deeply shaken.
This was a scripture on “Power.” Just the opening lines revealed it as an unparalleled Dao, expounding the great truths of all things through the lens of “Power.”
“Ten Calamities Treasure Technique!”
This was undeniably astonishing. Who could resist such temptation?
Despite knowing the prayer mat might be extraordinary, they couldn’t help but yearn to uncover its secrets, to obtain the complete, supreme scripture.
Suddenly, Shi Hao sensed danger. His hair stood on end as he severed his connection with the prayer mat, forcibly suppressing the urge to continue his comprehension and retreating.
“What happened?” the others asked.
“Extremely dangerous!” Shi Hao said gravely.
Yet, how could they simply abandon such an ancient scripture?
“Let me send out a spiritual avatar to investigate the issue. You observe from behind and devise a solution once we know the truth,” Louis offered.
He felt guilty for contributing little thus far, merely reaping benefits while following behind. Thus, he proposed this, willing to act as bait.
Undoubtedly, this was perilous—a single misstep could mean death without a burial—but Louis insisted.
“At worst, I’ll lose an avatar. It shouldn’t affect my main body,” Louis said, bolstering his own courage.
The group retreated as Louis summoned a spiritual avatar, infused with a portion of his essence blood to enhance its strength and realism, along with indispensable divine consciousness.
From a distance, they watched intently, scrutinizing every detail.
The avatar advanced step by step, stopping three zhang away from the prayer mat, blocked by radiant bone runes that shimmered brilliantly.
“I can’t proceed further. It’s like a mountain stands in my way,” the avatar said before sitting cross-legged to extend its divine sense and perceive the prayer mat’s mysteries.
Soon, it became entranced, utterly absorbed.
“Recite the scripture aloud,” Louis’s main body instructed, hoping Shi Hao and the others could also learn it.
Yet, after uttering just two lines, the avatar’s divine sense transmission was severed, and Louis’s main body lost all connection with it.
“Hmm, how peculiar. That prayer mat is truly sinister,” Lan Yichen remarked.
The avatar remained seated, still immersed in comprehending the scripture within the prayer mat, appearing increasingly serene and holy.
Soon, the group felt a chill as a beam of light rose from the prayer mat, coalescing into a sharp blade that shot toward the avatar’s brow.
The avatar let out a cry, sensing the danger, and desperately resisted, summoning several secret treasures.
To their bewilderment, the treasures passed through the light as if it were intangible, failing to trigger any bone runes or block the attack.
The avatar roared, unleashing treasure techniques in a frantic defense. Yet, all efforts proved futile. The light reached its brow, poised to pierce through.
Louis’s avatar paled as a beam of light—its divine consciousness—burst from its crown, attempting to flee its skull.
The light blade from the prayer mat shifted course, avoiding the brow, and soared upward, pursuing the divine consciousness. The two intertwined in a fierce struggle.
“Pfft!”
Louis’s main body spat blood, his face deathly pale, as his divine consciousness in the air was severed. The avatar dissolved into motes of light, perishing.
Simultaneously, the light blade dissipated, vanishing without a trace.
“It slays the soul but leaves the bones unharmed. That light is enigmatic—it ignores all weapon attacks, as if only soul force can resist it,” Luo Dao mused.
“Is this the manifestation of ‘Power’? Soul force is included within it, encompassing everything,” Shi Hao murmured, shaken. This treasure technique was extraordinary.
It was simple and direct—pure evolution of power.
The simpler it was, the more alluring. The Dao was profound in its simplicity. If this truly was one of the Ten Calamities’ secret arts, it would shake the ages, coveted by all.
Legends said the Ten Calamities were beings from the Immortal Ancient Era, some surviving into this epoch before perishing. There was truth to it.
Otherwise, why would one of their lairs be here?
“I think that light wasn’t overwhelmingly strong. It killed Louis, but it shouldn’t work on me,” Lan Yichen said.
Louis, pale from losing an avatar—a severe blow—accepted a half-ginseng fruit from Shi Hao and began meditating to recover.
“I’ll give it a try,” Lan Yichen said, summoning an avatar of his own, hoping for gains.
“Huh?” The group was surprised.
Even someone as strong as Lan Yichen could only advance to within three zhang of the prayer mat before being halted, just like Louis.
His avatar then sat down to comprehend the scripture, reciting a few lines before its divine sense transmission was cut off.
“Whoosh!”
As the avatar became deeply engrossed in the scripture’s critical passages, the prayer mat emitted another beam of light, streaking like a divine rainbow toward its brow.
To their astonishment, Lan Yichen’s avatar was no match. Its divine consciousness was severed, dissolving into light—the same outcome.
His main body cursed, his face ashen, and he immediately consumed a precious medicine to recover his vitality.
“Why the same result?”
“For different individuals, the light adjusts slightly stronger than the comprehending party, but not overwhelmingly so,” they concluded.
The group frowned. This was troublesome—the light was just strong enough to kill you. How could they possibly comprehend the scripture?
“Legends say Peng Tianyi’s weakest aspect was his soul,” they realized, understanding why an ancient freak had died here.
“Is this a trial set by the lair’s master? If so, it shouldn’t be an inescapable death trap. There must be a way out,” Shi Hao said.
“It’s too dangerous. We should retreat,” Luo Dao urged cautiously.
Yet, when he turned back, his jaw dropped. The path was slowly vanishing, replaced by a growing wall that sealed their exit and continued to advance.
“Slice!” Luo Dao unleashed a sword beam, but it clanged harmlessly against the dark-red wall.
Next, his hair erupted, each strand glowing—his innate treasure technique—piercing toward the wall. Yet, it remained unscathed, and the recoil sent him flying.
Shi Hao also attempted, to no avail.
“We’re trapped,” the group muttered grimly.
The God-Slaying Stone was roused, and Shi Hao tasked it with breaking the formation. But even it wilted—the key lay with the prayer mat, the formation’s core.
“Must we comprehend it fully?” Shi Hao frowned. “Does the comprehending party need strength surpassing the limits of their realm?”
Finally, Shi Hao stepped forward, his true body sitting cross-legged three zhang from the prayer mat.
“This is too risky. Try with an avatar instead,” Luo Dao urged, alarmed.
“Only by going all out can I resist the soul attack,” Shi Hao said.
He wasn’t reckless. Having endured the strongest heavenly tribulation, tempered his soul with lightning, and consumed Golden Bodhi Fruit, his soul far surpassed others of his realm.
As Shi Hao comprehended the technique, danger soon arrived—a beam of light, brighter than before, slashed toward his soul.
“Boom!”
A battle erupted. Shi Hao’s soul manifested as a radiant figure, charging forth to clash with the light.
“Incredible! His soul has taken form, lifelike and far surpassing ours,” Lan Yichen marveled.
Shi Hao’s soul cycled through techniques—Reincarnation Art, Thunder Emperor’s Method—unleashing dazzling radiance.
“Hold on!”
“You must prevail!”
The others shouted as if fighting themselves, their robes drenched in cold sweat, tense beyond measure. If Shi Hao failed, they’d be trapped here, doomed.
“Boom!”
The light was terrifyingly potent—far stronger than what Louis and Lan Yichen faced. A blade capable of slaying immortals flew relentlessly, putting Shi Hao in grave peril.
The battle lasted a full hour. Exhausted, Shi Hao finally wore down the light. His soul returned, and he immediately meditated to recover.
“He actually won!”
The group was stunned and overjoyed.
Shi Hao consumed another half-ginseng fruit and meditated for a full day and night before reopening his eyes, fully restored.
The battle’s toll was immense, the danger unparalleled.
Without a word, Shi Hao resumed comprehending the scripture within the prayer mat. This time, as his divine sense extended, chaotic mist swirled, and the prayer mat trembled. A door materialized before them, enveloping them in light and transporting them into a cavern.
“Pity. The scripture was just an introduction, lacking the core tenets,” Shi Hao lamented.
“Perhaps it was a trial. Only by enduring it could we proceed further.”
The cavern was vast, veiled in ethereal mist that lent the space a celestial aura.
“Eh? Someone actually emerged from that path? It’s one of the deadliest routes—a death path! Someone succeeded today!”
Exclamations of shock echoed through the cavern.
Shi Hao and the others advanced, surveying the cavern’s grandeur. They noticed a hundred stone doors leading here from all directions.
Their path was but one, and at the end of their route and nine others, the doors bore the inscription “Death,” marking them as perilous and impassable.
As they pressed forward, the pressure intensified, making each step a struggle.
Ahead, platforms resembling seats lined the cavern, each occupied by a seated figure.
But what drew Shi Hao’s attention most was a hazy ancient cave at the deepest end, where chaotic energy and immortal light intertwined, shrouded in mist.
Faintly visible within was a jade table bearing a sacred bone scripture, radiating immortal light—mysterious beyond measure!
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