Saint Soul Marrow

Watching the three below exert all their strength to hold back the raging Myriad Beast Spirit Flame and the surging torrent of Beast Soul, Lin Ming had no intention of delaying.

He knew all too well the immense pressure that Elder Yao, Xiao Yi Xian, and Zi Yan were under at that moment, and that every single second was crucial.

"We must do it as soon as possible!"

With a thought, Lin Ming increased his speed to the limit, his figure transforming into a blurry emerald lightning bolt. In a few flashes, he had already crossed the last distance between himself and the Bone Mountain, and steadily stepped onto the mountain range composed of countless pale white skeletons.

The instant the ball of the foot lands...

"Boom!"

A terrifying pressure, several times stronger than what was felt at the Bone Mountain, descended with a deafening roar, like a massive Billions of Jun Mountain!

Lin Ming felt his bones groaning under the strain, and the originally flowing battle Dou Qi within his body suddenly became sluggish and stagnant, as if he were sinking into a sticky quagmire.

Even more terrifying was the soul level; the oppressive aura was like countless cold needles, piercing his Consciousness Sea, bringing waves of dizziness and stinging pain, and even causing Xu Chong vision.

"Is this the residual pressure of High-Tier Half Sage? It's truly terrifying!" Lin Ming thought with a chill.

The mere unconscious emission of this power is already so terrifying. If its owner were alive, a single thought would likely be enough to reduce us all to ashes in an instant, leaving not a trace.

With a muffled groan, Lin Ming dared not hold back in the slightest. His mind raced, and the Dou Qi within his dantian surged forth wildly.

A dazzling Jade Profound Heart Flame erupted from his body, no longer a thin layer, but forming a thick, blazing Emerald Fire Pillar that completely enveloped him!

The flames surged violently, the Supreme Yang and supreme rigidity aura of the Heavenly Flames clashing fiercely with the cold and heavy Saintly Might, producing a hissing sound as it burned. This barely managed to keep the terrifying pressure at bay, allowing Lin Ming to catch his breath.

His gaze pierced through the leaping flames, firmly locking onto the Dark Gold Skeleton atop the mountain.

Lin Ming began to climb the steep Bone Mountain. Each step was incredibly heavy, and the ancient skeletons beneath his feet could not withstand the force, making a teeth-grinding cracking sound as bone dust fell down.

The higher you go, the more solid and heavy the surrounding pressure becomes.

Moreover, even stranger phenomena began to appear—occasionally, extremely fine, almost transparent spatial cracks would appear in the air without warning, or Invisible Blade formed from Law Fragments. These attacks were silent yet incredibly sharp, enough to easily tear apart the defenses of Dou Emperor Expert.

"Laugh!"

An Invisible Blade silently sliced towards Lin Ming's neck.

Fortunately, Lin Ming reacted extremely quickly. The Emerald Flame around his body suddenly surged, as if they had come to life, and he took the initiative to meet the attack.

The flames made contact with the blade, producing a slight burning sound, and the blade of Law was actually burned away by the Heavenly Flames! However, Lin Ming could also feel that in order to resist this attack, a trace of his Dou Qi was consumed.

"Thankfully, I have the Heavenly Flames protecting me!" Lin Ming thought with relief. As long as his Dou Qi hadn't been exhausted, the Jade Profound Heart Flame could continue to resist these scattered attacks of the Law. He steadied his mind and continued to climb upwards step by step with determination.

This climb, though only a hundred feet high, seemed to have exhausted Lin Ming's immense strength.

When he finally reached the summit of Bone Mountain and stood before the Dark Gold Skeleton, his forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat, and his breathing was slightly rapid.

Observing it so closely allows one to better appreciate the mystique of this skeleton.

The dark golden bones were not Death Qi; instead, they radiated a warm, jade-like luster, as if they still contained vitality.

The naturally formed runes on the bones are not static, but slowly flowing, appearing and disappearing, mysterious and profound, subtly resonating with the surrounding space, as if explaining the deep mysteries of power and space, making people feel insignificant when they look at them.

At the heart of the skeleton, which is also the center where the runes converge, floats a ball of milky white light, about the size of a fist, slowly rotating and flowing like liquid diamond.

The halo was soft and holy, radiating an indescribable pure and warm aura. The moment Lin Ming's soul sensed this aura, it was filled with an uncontrollable throbbing and longing, as if a long-awaited rain had come after a drought.

"Such pure Soul Origin... its form is like liquid diamond... could this be the 'Saint Soul Marrow' mentioned only briefly in ancient texts?!" Lin Ming stared at the ball of light, searching his memory, and murmured uncertainly. But the unparalleled attraction to the soul was undeniable.

However, the most urgent task at this moment is to verify his greatest expectation— Source Qi! Compared with the most crucial thing for advancing to Dou Di, the Saint Soul Marrow has to take a backseat.

Immediately regaining his composure, Lin Ming's gaze sharpened like lightning. At the same time, he condensed his Spirit Realm Soul power into the finest thread and carefully probed into the interior of the Dark Gold Skeleton for a thorough examination.

The bones were incredibly hard, making it extremely difficult for Soul Power to penetrate, but Lin Ming was incredibly patient, meticulously scanning every inch of the bones.

A moment later, he withdrew his Soul Power, and a deep disappointment appeared on his face.

The inside of the skeleton was empty!

Not to mention the higher-level Source Qi one might imagine, there wasn't even a trace of the Dou Qi Energy crystals or Remnant Soul imprints that might remain after the fall of an ordinary powerhouse. Apart from the immortal material itself, the residual pressure, and the Saint Soul Marrow, this skeleton was as clean as if it had been thoroughly Purified.

"As expected... there's no Source Qi. It seems the shortcut is blocked!" Lin Ming's last glimmer of hope vanished completely, and his eyes dimmed for a moment.

After all, if Source Qi, as long as he remained stable, the big boss Hun Tiandi wouldn't be able to become Dou Di Emperor Pill he didn't get the Emperor Pill. And if he could just survive until he became an Emperor, he would be in control of everything. But now that he doesn't have it, he has to be careful again.

A sigh escaped his lips, and Lin Ming felt a pang of disappointment. But Lin Ming was a man of unwavering resolve; the disappointment lasted only a moment before his eyes regained their clarity and determination. The road ahead must be walked, and it must be walked even better!

A glance swept down the mountain. Elder Yao's Soul Body light was no longer as dazzling as it had been at first. Xiao Yi Xian's Poison Mist range had been compressed by nearly half. Zi Yan was once again forced back by the Blood-colored Fire Dragon, and the Purple-Gold Blood at the corner of her mouth was particularly glaring. The battle situation was not optimistic!

"We must act quickly!" Lin Ming no longer hesitated, preparing to handle the situation here as quickly as possible and then immediately support the three people fighting hard down the mountain.

He first focused his attention back on the clump of Saint Soul Marrow. Taking out a high-quality Warm Jade Bottle from his Storage Ring, Lin Ming approached it cautiously.

The Saint Soul Marrow seemed to sense his vast and pure Soul Power, trembled slightly, and emitted a softer halo. Without showing any resistance, it was obediently guided and successfully absorbed into the Jade Bottle. Lin Ming quickly sealed the bottle mouth, affixed the Soul Seal, and solemnly put it away.

Next comes the most important task—collecting this invaluable Half-Sage Skeleton!

Whether used to rebuild Elder Yao's body in the future, or to find top-quality materials to refine it into a battle Puppet with some of the power of Half Sage, it will be a huge help that can change the situation!

Lin Ming took a deep breath, composed himself, and reached out again, slowly grabbing the skeleton's shoulder, attempting to pick it up directly.

However, just as his fingertips were about to touch the dark golden bones—

"Buzz!!!"

A sudden change has occurred!

On the skeleton, the runes that had been flowing gently and peacefully suddenly erupted with a blinding dark golden light, as if their most fundamental taboo had been touched! A terrifying aura, far more terrifying and concentrated than the previous natural pressure, and carrying a clear and sharp will, burst forth like Fierce Beasts had been sleeping for millennia suddenly awakening!

A condensed, almost tangible dark golden halo, centered on the skeleton, suddenly spread out like ripples of destruction!

"Puff--!"

Lin Ming's face turned deathly pale instantly, as if struck by lightning! He felt as if he had been hit head-on by a real ancient star, and the thick jade- Jade Profound Heart Flame protective shield couldn't even withstand a single breath before shattering with a crash!

An indescribable force slammed into his chest, and a sweet taste rose in his throat. He could no longer hold back and spat out a mouthful of blood. Like a kite with a broken string, he was pushed backward by that irresistible force, his feet carving two deep furrows in the Bone Mountain. He slid back more than ten steps before barely managing to steady himself with the help of his strong foundation. His Qi and Blood churned violently, and his internal organs were in excruciating pain.

This skeleton actually contains such a powerful autonomous defense mechanism! This is by no means a simple remnant of energy, but more like an imprint of an unwavering determination to protect its own immortality!

"Lin Ming!" Down the mountain, Xiao Yi Xian, who was doing her best to resist the Beast Soul, immediately sensed the terrifying fluctuation. When she saw Lin Ming coughing up blood and flying backward, she turned pale and cried out in alarm.

"I'm fine!" Lin Ming forcefully suppressed his surging Qi and Blood and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve. His eyes, far from being dimmed by the setback, became even sharper and more determined, like a hawk eyeing its prey.

Feeling the immense pressure permeating the summit of Bone Mountain, carrying a sharp and unyielding will, Lin Ming's expression became more serious than ever before. His eyes flickered, as if he were weighing something, and finally, it was as if he had made up his mind.

Taking a deep breath, Lin Ming inhaled for an exceptionally long time this time, as if he wanted to draw all the surrounding energy into his body. At the same time, he formed a complex and ancient hand seal in front of his chest.

As the hand seal took shape, the Jade Profound Heart Flame burning around him surged once more. But this time, the color of the flames seemed to have become deeper, and they were no longer just a simple emerald color, but faintly revealed a restrained Five-Colored Brilliance! The flames enveloped him layer upon layer, forming an almost sealed cocoon of flames.