Body Absorbing Buzhou

The deeper they went into Quicksand Marsh, the harsher the environment became. The sand underfoot grew scorching hot, and in some places, it cracked open, spewing forth searing magma and poisonous smoke.

The air was thick with the pungent smell of sulfur and violent fire spirit energy. Even an ordinary Celestial Immortal would struggle to endure here for long.

Fortunately, thanks to the "Heart of Quicksand" mark bestowed by the Quicksand Spirit Venerable, the agitated quicksand became docile wherever Li Su passed. The erupting earth fire actively avoided him, and the pervasive pressure of chaotic laws lessened by more than half.

This allowed him to focus all his attention on sensing the direction of the Buzhou Mountain fragment.

Guided by the mark, he arrived at the edge of a vast, crater-like basin.

In the center of the basin was a lake of churning, dark red magma. Within the heart of the lake, a colossal black silhouette, resembling a mountain, could be vaguely seen half-submerged, exuding a heart-stopping sense of weight and brokenness.

That was the Buzhou Mountain fragment!

Even from a distance, Li Su could feel the immense pressure and the chaotic laws of force emanating from the fragment.

The surrounding space distorted because of it, and the light dimmed, as if that area was separate from the Primordial World.

How to approach it? Flying directly over was out of the question; the central force field alone was enough to tear apart an ordinary True Immortal. Submerging through the magma lake? That magma was no ordinary fire; it was likely Earth-Core Poison Fire, capable of melting immortal bodies.

Li Su's immortal sense scanned the surroundings carefully. He discovered ancient, heavily eroded plank roads and caves on the basin's rocky walls, winding towards the lake's center.

These traces were extremely ancient, seemingly formed when Buzhou Mountain shattered, and perhaps represented a path.

He cautiously descended along the largest plank road. The deeper he went, the greater the pressure and the higher the temperature. The chaotic force field even began to interfere with his immortal sense and spiritual power.

He had to push his Profound Star Swirl Body Protection to its limit and mobilize the Bedrock Rune's Dao rhythm to resist.

The plank road was intermittent, sometimes requiring him to climb steep rock faces, other times to traverse scorching caves.

Along the way, he even encountered elemental creatures born from earth fire and chaotic laws. They were bizarre in form and powerful, but he either killed them with swift methods or avoided them.

Finally, after several hours of arduous trekking, he reached a massive platform near the lake's center.

At the end of the platform lay the colossal Buzhou Mountain fragment, like a broken peak, slanted into the magma lake, emitting an aura of the Primordial World, ancient, sorrowful, and immensely heavy.

Here, the pressure was unimaginably intense! Li Su felt every inch of his bamboo body crying out in pain. His immortal power circulated sluggishly, and even his thoughts became slow.

The distorted force field around the fragment felt like countless hands tearing at his body and soul.

But the Bedrock Rune deep within his Primordial Spirit was unusually active, vibrating wildly and conveying an emotion of extreme longing.

He had to get closer! To touch it!

Li Su gritted his teeth, pushing the Eight Nine Mysterious Art to its extreme. He subtly adjusted his bamboo body's structure, making it more resilient.

He walked step by step, as if carrying a mountain, making his way towards the colossal fragment with great difficulty.

With each step closer, the pressure doubled! The Profound Star Swirl Body Protection's halo on his bamboo body had long since shattered; he was relying entirely on his physical body to endure!

Cracks reappeared, and some small branches even began to break off!

Just as he was only ten zhang away from the fragment, nearing his limit, he suddenly activated the "Oathkeepers" jade pendant he had been nurturing in silence!

A faint, yet incredibly firm, milky white sacred light flickered to life again. While it couldn't completely negate the terrifying pressure of the force field, it acted like a guiding lamp, protecting his Primordial Spirit's core, allowing him to maintain clarity and not be overwhelmed by the sorrowful and despairing will contained within the shattered mountain soul.

Now!

Li Su lunged forward fiercely. The foremost bamboo branch finally touched the cold, rough, yet power-infused dark brown mountain stone!

The instant they touched!

BOOM!

Li Su felt a deafening roar in his mind, as if the heavens and earth were being created! Countless chaotic, majestic, and vast images and thoughts surged into his consciousness!

He saw a giant, reaching to the heavens, wielding a colossal axe and cleaving chaos! He saw the separation of purity and turbidity, the formation of heaven and earth, the giant falling, its spine transforming into a mountain!

He saw the proliferation of myriad races, the suffering of all living beings, the great war between gods and demons, the collapse of the celestial pillar! He saw endless sorrow, unyielding defiance, rage, and... the shattered traces of the supreme laws of "Force" and "Defense" that supported heaven and earth!

The Bedrock Rune was like parched land receiving rain, madly absorbing these shattered laws and thoughts, becoming complete, clear, and complex at an unprecedented speed! It became more ancient and powerful!

Simultaneously, the colossal Buzhou Mountain fragment seemed to sense the homologous aura within him, vibrating slightly. A stream of incomparably pure, star-heavy dark yellow energy (Buzhou Mountain's origin essence) flowed through the bamboo branch and into Li Su's body!

Upon entering his body, this origin essence made Li Su feel as if his bamboo body were about to explode! It was too immense, too heavy!

His meridians, bamboo joints, even the smallest of his structures, were being forcibly remodeled, tempered, and enhanced!

The pain far surpassed any previous experience! But the rewards were also unprecedented!

[Contacted Buzhou Mountain fragment, absorbed mountain soul's will and shattered laws!]

[Bedrock Rune (Advanced) completed, upgraded to Buzhou Dao Rune (Beginner)! Contains faint laws of Force and Defense!]

[Absorbed Buzhou Mountain's origin essence, foundation upgraded to: Buzhou Chaos Bamboo (Postnatal Top-Tier Spirit Root)!]

[Physical body strength limit increased, power greatly enhanced!]

[Learned Divine Abilities: Buzhou Mountain Suppression (Beginner), Heaven-Supporting Defense (Passive)!]

The system's prompts were almost drowned out by the overwhelming torrent of information and energy.

Li Su's bamboo body underwent earth-shattering changes. Its color became deeper and more ancient, exhibiting a dark golden hue with black undertones, as if it carried the weight of eons.

The originally mystical patterns on his bamboo body were replaced by the more complex Buzhou Dao Rune, which contained the ultimate principles of power.

His height shrunk again to about five zhang, but he was as heavy as a mountain, and the power contained within him was more than ten times greater than before!

After an unknown amount of time, when the stream of origin essence was completely absorbed and the chaotic images in his mind gradually subsided, Li Su slowly regained his senses.

He felt the terrifying power surging within him, a power that felt like it could shatter the heavens with a single punch, and his bamboo body, which had become even more resilient and almost impervious to all magic, filled him with indescribable excitement.

Buzhou Dao Rune! A top-tier acquired spiritual root! This was simply a qualitative leap!

Although the massive Buzhou Mountain fragment had only lost an insignificant trace of its origin and still stood there, to him, it was a heaven-sent fortune!

He bowed solemnly to the Buzhou Mountain fragment. This object was like a half-teacher to him.

Just as he was about to carefully savor his newfound power, the Jade Void Palace identification token in his embrace suddenly vibrated violently. Ming Xin's anxious, even tearful, message came from within:

"Senior Brother Mo Xing! It's bad! Black Wind Mountain... Black Wind Mountain has been completely swallowed by the Demon Realm!

When we arrived, all we saw was endless demonic clouds... Senior Brother Yang Jian and Senior Sister Long Ji's auras... had vanished!"