Hmph!
Several beams of light burst from the camp, rushing toward the ghostly fire and dark clouds in the sky.
Red, white, blue, and black—the four colors flashed, transforming into four swords crackling with lightning, piercing into the dark clouds.
“The Four Symbols Sword Formation!”
Wu Ming’s eyes flickered as he murmured inwardly.
These four spiritual swords were clearly the life-bound treasures of four cultivators at the third level of Daoist arts, of the True Master rank, combined externally with the Four Symbols.
Among them, Qiu Yi’s sword carried the black of profound water, refined from the essence of the Weak Water of Three Thousand, manifesting now as the form of Xuanwu, roaring below.
The other three sword beams—red, white, and green—transformed into the forms of Zhuque, Baihu, and Qinglong, each occupying their respective positions, forming an exquisitely intricate formation with Xuanwu!
With the power of four True Masters, employing the Four Elements and Four Symbols to create a formation, its might could rival even that of a Grandmaster!
“Wow… If that skeleton spirit from earlier had encountered this formation, it wouldn’t have escaped unscathed!”
Wu Ming naturally had a sense of the artifacts he had cultivated.
After entering the somewhat chaotic camp, his spiritual perception barely reached out before confirming that the figure in the sky, commanding the bone beasts to attack the camp and entangled with the four sword beams, was none other than the skeleton spirit he had once released!
“Jiejie!”
High in the air, facing the assault of the Four Spirits, the skeleton head in the ghostly fire and dark clouds let out a mocking laugh. A ring of fire wheels surrounded it, glowing with phosphorescence as it flew forth. Then it opened its mouth, spewing out a mass of black mist. Even those deep within the camp seemed to catch a whiff of foul stench, their heads suddenly reeling.
Boom!
The ghostly fire and dark clouds clashed violently with the Four Symbols Sword Formation. Amidst flickering flames, a vast expanse of black clouds descended, turning heaven and earth pitch-black. Within, ghostly flames surged, revealing faintly the sight of Qinglong swishing its tail, Baihu roaring, Xuanwu stabilizing the land, and Zhuque setting the sky ablaze.
The Four Symbols Sword Formation trembled violently! Scattered sword qi even traced back to its source, blasting into the sky, piercing through the dark clouds and forcing the Bone Spirit to cry out in pain, revealing its original form.
“Strange? Wasn’t this skeleton spirit supposed to have only a skull? How did it grow a whole skeleton frame?”
Wu Ming looked up and saw a white jade-like skeleton riding on phosphorescent fire and dark clouds, suspended midair. Each bone joint looked like fine jade—crystal clear and translucent, carrying a sharp edge.
The aftereffects of the Four Symbols Sword Formation struck the skeleton frame but failed to inflict any damage.
“Jiejie!”
The Bone Spirit cackled again, its voice growing more shrill, making people’s scalps tingle. Its hollow eyes turned toward the camp, filled with ferocity.
“Wow! It senses its master now and wants to turn against me!”
Wu Ming thought coldly to himself.
Originally, this skeleton spirit was a heterodox magical artifact, violating the harmony of heaven. Not only was its cultivation complicated, but even after completion, one had to constantly guard against its rebellion.
Yet Wu Ming had adopted a laissez-faire approach, abandoning it for three hundred years. During that time, the skeleton spirit must have encountered some opportunity, cultivating a complete body and gaining immense power. If it hadn’t turned against him, that would have been strange indeed!
“Jiejie!”
The Bone Spirit roared again, fixing its gaze on Wu Ming’s location. Suddenly, a burst of dazzling starlight erupted from its body.
Whoosh!
The sky tore open, revealing a vast starry expanse.
The Three Stars of Murder—Qi Sha, Po Jun, and Tan Lang—shone brilliantly. Thick star energy poured down, transforming into seven sword beams that ruthlessly joined the battle, taking the form of fierce wolves and instantly breaking through the Four Symbols Sword Formation.
Puh! Puh! Puh! Puh!!
Qiu Yi, standing before Wu Ming, spat out blood immediately. He pinched a spell seal with his fingers, retrieving the wobbling sword beam descending from the sky. His face turned pale, devoid of any color: “How could this happen?”
“Be careful, the bone beasts are coming!”
“Ao ao!”
“Hou hou!”
The next moment, a massive tide of beasts surged forward like rolling waves, crashing violently against the camp’s defensive line.
“Vice Commander?”
Cang Ying stepped forward, his expression puzzled: “What is this…?”
“This is the White Bone Mountain’s Bone Spirit Demon. We were assigned an important mission by the imperial court, which required obtaining an item deep within White Bone Mountain. Unfortunately, on previous attempts, we disturbed this demon, who has since taken revenge from time to time…”
Qiu Yi swallowed three pills in succession, and some color finally returned to his face. His eyes, however, remained dazed as he muttered: “But those previous attempts were only half-hearted. Why does it seem so frenzied now?”
The guilty party, Wu Ming, naturally wouldn’t step forward to confess. His expression, like others’, appeared tense and furious on the surface, but inwardly he was practically seething: “My Qi Sha Gourd! No wonder this skeleton spirit managed to cultivate a full skeleton frame and gain such power—it must have swallowed my Yuan Ci Qi Sha Gourd!”
Clearly, after leaving, this skeleton spirit had not followed Wu Ming’s instructions to nurture the Qi Sha Gourd within the earth’s magnetic veins.
Quite the contrary—it had found this spiritual node brimming with malevolent energy, greatly enhancing its demonic cultivation, and immediately developed rebellious intentions.
Furthermore, it had consumed the Yuan Ci Qi Sha Gourd, using swords as bones and absorbing starlight to cultivate this “Sword-Bone Starlight Body.”
“Three hundred years of nourishment indeed bears fruit. Its destructive power has already reached the peak of the fourth level. Even if I had confronted it back then, I might not have subdued it!”
Now, the skeleton spirit had transformed into something that was neither a true magical artifact nor a living being, neither a genuine spirit nor a god.
Wu Ming had no doubt that if given a few more centuries, this “Sword-Bone Starlight Body” might fully mature, transforming it into a true White Bone Demon God!
“Quickly! Defend the camp. Kill!”
Qiu Yi’s facial muscles twisted. Ignoring his injuries, he pointed a finger forward. The black sword reappeared, though its glow was significantly dimmed. Yet against the armor of other bone beasts, its blade remained unstoppable, slicing through them effortlessly.
“Understood!”
Cang Ying gritted his teeth: “If you don’t want to die, follow me!”
He was a man of decisiveness and judgment, fully aware that the camp’s survival was tied to everyone’s fates. He glanced meaningfully at Wu Ming as he spoke.
“Hehe… Even if I don’t intervene, it won’t matter much!”
Wu Ming stepped forward as if joining the fight, but inwardly he thought: “If the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, together with those elite forces of unknown affiliations, were wiped out by a mere skeleton spirit, wouldn’t it become a laughingstock?”
His gaze drifted casually toward the three golden tents at the heart of the camp, which remained unmoved: “It should be time for them to come out and save the day, right?”
“Jiejie!”
At this moment, the entire camp was surrounded by bone beasts, its defenses teetering on collapse.
The Bone Spirit cackled again, preparing to swoop down. Its body radiated starlight, forming countless illusory sword shadows that rained down like a shower.
“Please, Master, intervene!”
Inside the golden tent, the Director of the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, a third-grade official of the imperial court, addressed a middle-aged man beside him.
“Agreed.”
The middle-aged man had a thin face, wore wide robes and a tall hat, and his attire was meticulously arranged, exuding a calm and dignified aura. He bore the aura of a prison warden, clearly a disciple of the Legalist school.
He stepped forward and, gazing at the descending White Bone Demon God and the rain of starlight swords from the sky, suddenly declared in a deep voice: “Disperse!”
Whoosh!
An invisible ripple spread outward, colliding with the starlight swords. Carrying supreme authority, it directly commanded the ambient spiritual energy, pressing down so forcefully that even the starlight obediently dissipated!
The great power of “Words Become Law!”
“You all attend to your duties. I shall deal with this White Bone Demon God myself!”
The middle-aged man spoke slowly, and in his hand appeared a long sword.
This sword was ancient in design, about three chi in length, nothing particularly striking at first glance. Yet as soon as it was drawn, a hazy glow enveloped its blade, suggesting it was an ancient artifact.
“Jiejie!”
The White Bone Demon God roared furiously, its giant claw slashing downward, stirring up a fierce gale, seemingly shaking the earth itself. The entire camp trembled precariously, its situation growing dire.
“Staff!”
Facing this, the middle-aged man merely uttered one word.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, two rod-shaped shadows materialized in the air, crossing downward to restrain the White Bone Demon God mid-flight.
“Imprison!”
A massive iron cage appeared, chains entwining endlessly, causing the White Bone Demon God to emit an enraged screech.
“You have slaughtered countless lives, committing unforgivable sins. You deserve the ultimate punishment!”
The man slashed his sword!
Puchi!
A green sword beam surged upward. Though initially faint, it quickly expanded into a blade several zhang long, exuding sharpness.
Boom!
Even more astonishingly, as the sword sliced through the air, dark clouds gathered in the sky, and lightning flickered ominously—as if summoning heavenly retribution.
A single sword strike capable of invoking divine punishment! This was the Legalist School’s Tian Xing Sword—the Sword of Heavenly Justice!
The sword beam flashed, and the skeleton spirit in the sky let out a pained scream. Its entire arm shattered instantly. Not daring to linger, it shrieked again. Several ribs flew out, transforming into a radiant starlight sword, clashing with the Tian Xing Sword. Yet it was struck with a massive gash.
Wuwu!
Phosphorescent fire and dark clouds surged, and the skeleton spirit seized the moment to flee without looking back.
“Strange?”
The middle-aged man gazed at the starlight sword vanishing into the dark clouds, but did not pursue. He stroked his beard thoughtfully, surprised: “Unexpectedly, it possessed such a supreme treasure?”
He glanced around and suddenly flicked his finger against the sword.
Wengweng!
The Tian Xing Sword vibrated, and a crisp, clear sword note resonated outward.
The surrounding bone beasts, as if sensing a natural predator, fled in panic, tails tucked between their legs.
In an instant, a life-and-death crisis dissolved into nothingness!
“Director Cui’s divine power is unparalleled!”
Some members of the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs immediately cheered.
“The Punishment Sword? I never expected to see the symbol of the Legalist School again…”
Wu Ming gazed at the sword in the man’s hand, sensing the increasingly intense aura of legal authority within it. He mused inwardly: “When it was in the hands of Han Zhouzi before, it didn’t seem this sharp. But since this sword is now with him, and his surname is Cui, this person must undoubtedly be the current leader of the Legalist School—Cui Jue!”
Cui Jue was a prodigy of the Legalist School. Once, while serving as a local official, a mountain god had transformed into a tiger and devoured people.
Cui Jue employed Legalist techniques, issuing a warrant directly and dispatching an ordinary constable to the mountain god’s temple, where he captured the tiger—once the mountain god—and presented it in court, listing its crimes.
After sentencing it to death, the tiger immediately dashed its head against the steps and died, and the mountain god within the temple simultaneously lost its divine presence.
After this incident, Cui Jue’s reputation soared. He was later cultivated as the Legalist School’s heir apparent and had since lived up to expectations, surpassing even Han Zhouzi in prowess!
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