The Giant Beast loosened its right hand. The Bone Sword slowly slid out of its chest, shedding fragments of the second rib. The entire Bone Sword slipped between its fingers and crashed onto the rubble slope, cracking the ground. It had lowered its weapon.
Second Brother let out a long sigh of relief. Yang Mie dropped onto the ground, while Little Stone's knees finally gave way, leaving him kneeling on the Giant Beast's shoulder bone. His sword hand still trembled, but the corners of his mouth curved upward slightly.
Zhou Xuan still lay against the shattered rib stump pierced by the Bone Sword. The light in his palm rapidly faded, leaving his Reserve of Taiyi Divine Power below the minimum threshold.
Forcibly connecting to the War Intent had left tiny cracks in his soul, and every inch of his body hurt. Yet he was smiling too—a faint smile on his bloodied face, looking rather bedraggled amid the ice carried by the biting wind.
He spoke softly toward the Giant Beast's hollow eye sockets.
"Did you hear that? There are people beyond the mountains. It isn't empty. Someone is standing guard."
The Giant Beast stood motionless. Dark red liquid still trickled from its hollow eye sockets, but the flow had slowed.
These were not Blood Tears of grief, but something closer to the exhaustion of finally being able to close its eyes. Zhou Xuan's right hand slowly slipped off the rib. He felt as though he might fall asleep in this godforsaken place.
A sharp cracking sound suddenly rang out from inside the Giant Beast's chest. Everyone froze at once.
Zhou Xuan forcibly activated his Supreme One Divine Eye. Golden patterns burst across his pupils, allowing his gaze to penetrate the wall of bone and see the core. The seal on