Inside the passage, the destructive energy fluctuations, capable of tearing the heavens and earth apart, gradually subsided like receding tides. The violent air currents gradually receded, and the raging energy turbulence transformed into wisps of light that slowly dissipated in the air. The previously trembling passage walls finally stopped humming, leaving only subtle aftershocks echoing gently in the void.
Lin Ming stood cross-legged with his eyes closed, a wisp of Spiritual Strength between his brows acting like a guiding thread, subtly sensing the changes around him.
The heart-pounding suction that had once held everyone captive, almost pulling their souls away, was now extremely weak, like a candle flickering in the wind, about to be completely extinguished.
After confirming that everything was correct, he exhaled a long breath, opened his eyes, and a fleeting glint of light flashed in them, like a shooting star streaking across the long night, carrying both the clarity of someone who had survived a disaster and a hint of sharpness that was not easily detected.
"Let's go back."
Lin Ming's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority. His concise two words echoed slightly in the empty corridor.
Before he finished speaking, he had already turned around, his robes fluttering in the air, his figure becoming a blurry afterimage as he sped off back the way he came.
Although the members of the Five Elements Sect were still shaken, their hearts pounding uncontrollably, and the earth-shattering energy fluctuations from before still haunted them like a nightmare, they did not hesitate in the slightest when it came to Lin Ming's orders.
They exchanged a glance, both seeing the relief of surviving a calamity in each other's eyes. They immediately gathered their Dou Qi and followed Lin Ming's figure.
When the group rushed out of the passage again and stepped onto the vast plaza connecting to the main hall, the sight before them caused everyone except Lin Ming to involuntarily gasp. Gasps rose and fell, and their steps faltered.
The once magnificent and expansive main hall has vanished without a trace, leaving not even a single fragment.
The massive pillars that once supported the main hall, the walls carved with ancient runes, and the hall doors that exuded the fragrance of sandalwood—all of it has vanished, leaving only a desolate, eerily empty space.
Where the original main hall once stood, now stands a colossal Black Hole hundreds of feet in diameter. The edge of the Black Hole is perfectly circular, extending downwards into the darkness, its bottom unseen, like a lurking ancient beast opening its gaping maw to devour everything.
The Black Hole is like a hideous scar on the earth, silently testifying to the terrifying power of the attack just now.
The edge of the Black Hole is as smooth as a mirror, with a faint metallic luster. It is the trace left after matter is completely annihilated and vaporized under extreme energy. There are even faint Space Wrinkle left at the edge, which could not have been caused by human brute force.
Occasionally, a gentle breeze would sweep by, only to be instantly swallowed up as it approached the edge of the Black Hole, without even causing a ripple, demonstrating the immense gravitational pull of this Black Hole.
"This... this is the power of Heaven Tier Dou Technique?" Upon seeing this, an elder from the Lin Ming's Five Elements Sect spoke with a dry, hoarse voice, as if he had been sanded, his face filled with disbelief, and he even stammered.
He had lived for so many years, witnessed countless fierce battles, and seen many high-level Dou Technique, but he had never imagined that a Dou Technique could possess such terrifying destructive power, capable of completely obliterating a magnificent palace.
The other Five Elements Sect disciples were in the same boat. Because they had followed Lin Ming to retreat early, although they had also felt the terrifying energy fluctuations coming from behind in the passage, which made their scalps tingle and their bodies turn cold, they did not have a direct concept of the specific destructive power.
Witnessing firsthand the enormous crater that appeared out of nothing, and feeling the chilling aura emanating from the Black Hole, everyone was stunned, their mouths agape, wide enough to fit a goose egg, their eyes filled with awe and reverence.
If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they would never have imagined that such a terrifying Dou Technique existed in the world, capable of erasing everything so cleanly and efficiently, leaving not a trace.
Lin Ming's gaze merely swept across the shocking pit, not lingering for long, as if this scene, which would horrify most people, was nothing more than an ordinary thing in his eyes.
His gaze, as if drawn by a magnet, instantly passed over the pitch-black Black Hole and locked onto the very center of the enormous crater.
There, a complete skeleton, entirely white in color, floated silently, forming a stark contrast with the all-consuming darkness below.
The skeleton was about ten feet tall, with perfectly proportioned bones. Each joint shone with a warm, lustrous white sheen, as if carved from millennia-old jade, making it particularly striking in the dim light.
It seemed to have completely broken free from the constraints of gravity, hovering steadily in mid-air, surrounded by a faint, almost imperceptible halo of shimmering white light, isolating it from the remaining turbulent energy currents around it.
You must understand that the earth-shattering energy burst just now was enough to turn everything within a radius of several miles into dust. Even the hardest rare stones and refined iron would be vaporized and annihilated in an instant.
Yet this skeleton, located at the core of the energy explosion, remained completely unharmed. There wasn't a single crack on its bones, and its luster hadn't dimmed in the slightest, as if the terrifying energy was nothing more than a gentle breeze to it.
"I've come back just in time..." Lin Ming murmured, his breathing becoming heavier. All the planning and risks had been for this moment!
Meanwhile, on the other side of the square, the Old Ghost Xing had narrowly escaped death was staring intently at the floating jade-white skeleton, his face revealing an undisguised ecstasy and greed.
"The Soul Imprint has completely dissipated!" As Soul Hall Venerable Elder, he had an extremely keen perception of Soul Power.
At this moment, he could clearly feel that the Soul Imprint of the Dou Sheng Expert originally controlled the skeleton's actions had been completely consumed after the "Great Heaven Creation Palm" was unleashed.
Now, this skeleton no longer possesses any offensive capabilities; it has become an unclaimed, peerless Treasure Hoard containing an astonishing treasure!
However, although he was eager to act, he did not make a move immediately due to the psychological trauma left by the terrifying palm Old Ghost Xing he had received earlier.
His sinister gaze swept over the other survivors in the square, like a venomous snake scrutinizing potential competitors, especially Tang Zhen, Venerable Feng, and other Dou Venerate, as well as... Lin Ming and his group who had just returned.
"Uncle Tang, are you all alright?" At this moment, Lin Ming withdrew his burning gaze from the skeleton and turned to the group from Blazing Flame Valley not far away.
Seeing that Tang Zhen and the rest of the Blazing Flame Valley were all somewhat disordered in their breathing and their clothes were torn, but no one had been killed, he felt a slight sense of relief.
Seeing Lin Ming return unharmed, Tang Zhen forced a smile, his previous shock and lingering fear gone, and said, "It's alright! Luckily you escaped quickly, otherwise..."
He shook his head and didn't say anything more, but the lingering fear in his eyes said it all.
After speaking, Tang Zhen looked at Lin Ming again, his gaze falling on the smear of "blood" that hadn't been wiped away from the corner of his mouth and his slightly "pale" face, and said with a touch of emotion:
"You're lucky, kid! Although you took a hit from that skeleton and were injured, you managed to escape the final catastrophe. Unlike us, we were just a hair's breadth away from being buried in that hall, leaving no trace of our bodies."
Upon hearing this, Lin Ming coughed lightly in agreement, his gaze returning to the deep pit, and nodded solemnly, saying:
"That final blow from the Dou Sheng Skeleton was indeed terrifying. Not only did it level the entire hall, but it also blasted such a deep crater through the foundation; it's simply unheard of."
"This must be the legendary Heaven Tier Dou Technique from within the ruins."
Tang Zhen took a deep breath, his expression extremely solemn.
"And this is merely the power unleashed by a Soul Imprint left behind by Dou Sheng Expert, utilizing the bones. If a true Dou Sheng Expert were to unleash this Dou Technique, it wouldn't just be this giant hall that disappears... but the entire ruins, and even most of the Bone Mountain Range, would be reduced to nothing."
Lin Ming nodded in deep agreement. He knew the power of the Heaven Tier Dou Technique "Great Heaven Creation Palm" better than anyone else present, and naturally had no doubt about it.
"Hehe, quite a few people here are having a bad time..."
Zi Yan, standing to the side, blinked her big eyes, scanning the sparse, still-shaken crowd in the square, and chuckled with a hint of schadenfreude.
Lin Ming's gaze swept across the square, and he indeed found that the once dense crowd had dwindled to less than one-tenth, with only about a hundred survivors. Most of them were filled with fear, their clothes soaked with cold sweat, and their eyes unfocused. They were clearly terrified and would not be able to recover in a short time.
"Unfortunately, the remaining two scrolls were also destroyed..."
Qing Lin gazed at the empty pit, a hint of regret appearing on her pretty face. She remembered that there had been two scrolls being fought over before.
Lin Ming smiled slightly at this, lowering his voice so that only those around him could hear. "Silly girl, the greatest treasure here isn't those scrolls; they're just prizes. The real treasure here is the remains of Dou Saint remains himself!"
After speaking, Lin Ming's gaze turned fiery again, fixed firmly on the jade-white skeleton floating above the deep pit.
Not only does this skeleton conceal a true Heaven Tier Dou Technique, but the very body of this Dou Sheng Expert, which has remained incorrupt for millennia and withstood such a terrifying energy impact intact, is itself an incredibly alluring treasure.
Whether used to craft Puppet or to comprehend the residual Dao of the Dou Sheng within their bones, it is a priceless treasure.
Xiong Zhan's large, bell-like eyes swept across the plaza. He grinned and whispered, "Most of the survivors in this plaza are quite skilled, but judging from their injuries and weakened auras, they've clearly endured a fierce battle and were terrified, significantly diminishing their strength. It seems our side has the most complete reserves of strength."
Upon hearing this, everyone from the Five Elements Sect perked up.
They obeyed Lin Ming's orders and withdrew immediately. Although they had slightly depleted their Dou Qi, no one was injured and they remained in peak condition.
Lin Ming smiled slightly, confident, and once again instructed softly, "Get ready. I will take this skeleton soon. Once I succeed, it may cause a commotion. Be careful to provide backup and protection, and be wary of anyone, especially that Old Ghost Xing Zhaixing, who might do something desperate."
"Clear!"
Zi Yan, Qing Lin, Xiong Zhan, and the rest of the Five Elements Sect all tensed up, their internal Dou Qi quietly circulating, ready to strike at any moment.
After giving his orders, Lin Ming's "weakness" deepened. He even deliberately circulated his Dou Qi, making his face even paler, and the "bloodstains" at the corner of his mouth became even more conspicuous.
Then, seeing the Old Ghost Xing about to make his move, Lin Ming took a deep breath with a sinister smile, as if enduring his injuries. His gaze, filled with resentment, fixed on the floating skeleton, and his voice, tinged with unwillingness and anger, loudly proclaimed:
"Hmph! You wretched thing! Just now, in your domineering manner in the main hall, you injured and sent me flying, causing me to lose face! Now let's see if you can still have that kind of power after you've exhausted your energy!"
"This thing just injured and sent me flying." This statement, delivered in a grand and righteous manner, both explained why he was "injured" and provided a seemingly legitimate reason for his attempt to seize the remains.
Before he could finish speaking, under the complex gazes of Qing Lin, Zi Yan, Xiong Zhan, and the other members of the Five Elements Sect, as well as all the survivors in the square—gazes filled with surprise, greed, and fear— Lin Ming stomped his foot hard on the ground!
"Boom!"
The ground trembled slightly, and its figure instantly transformed into a blurry dark purple streak of light, like lightning slicing through the air, carrying an unstoppable momentum as it hurtled straight toward the Dou Sheng Skeleton above the deep cave!