Skeleton Forest

"Dodge!" Xiao Yan let out a sharp, sudden shout that cracked like thunder. In an instant, lightning erupted beneath his feet, coiling around him like thousands of electric snakes. His figure shot up from the back of the Lizard Camel like an arrow released from a bow. He gripped the Heavy Xuan Ruler tightly, the weapon carrying the heavy sound of wind and thunder as if imbued with the might of heaven and earth, slashing fiercely toward the massive bone pincer crashing down upon him.

Clang—!!!

The deafening impact sounded like metal striking metal, ringing so loudly it made one's eardrums ache. The Heavy Xuan Ruler slammed heavily against the hardened bone pincer, sending sparks flying like fireworks. Xiao Yan felt an irresistible, surging force strike his body like a tidal wave. The webbing between his thumb and forefinger split instantly, blood streaming out, and he nearly lost his grip on the ruler. The next moment, he was sent flying as if struck by a cannonball, tracing a miserable arc through the air.

At the same time, three bone-tail poison whips lashed out like three ferocious vipers, carrying a sharp, murderous aura. Wherever they passed, the air was torn asunder, emitting a shrill, whistling sound.

"Solidify!"

At this critical juncture, Xiao Yi Xian's cold, clear voice rang out like a sliver of moonlight cutting through the night sky. Before anyone knew it, she had appeared like a ghost on the trajectory of Xiao Yan's flight. Her hands moved in a fluid, seamless motion, weaving seals before her chest. The Woe Poison Pill erupted with light, resembling a dark purple sun, radiating a mysterious and dangerous aura. Countless strands of condensed grey-white poison mist surged from the pill, weaving into a massive, intricate web before her like living tentacles. The web shimmered with a chilling, ghostly light, as if it could devour everything in its path.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle—!!!

The three bone-tail poison whips slammed into the poison web. The force was so violent that the web buckled deeply, appearing as if it might tear at any moment. However, the corrosive and decomposing power contained within the web was even more terrifying; like the hand of death, it destroyed everything it touched. The points of contact between the bone whips and the web emitted a dense, dissolving sound. The hardened bone, as if corroded by strong acid, rapidly turned grey and brittle, its surface riddled with tiny holes.

"Awoo!" The Bone Demon Scorpion King let out a painful, shrill hiss, its voice filled with despair. It retracted its bone tails abruptly, as if fleeing from a horrific disaster. But the tips of the tails had already been corroded into pits, and the pale green soul fire within them had dimmed, flickering like a candle in the wind, ready to extinguish at any moment.

"Good chance!" In mid-air, Xiao Yan forced his body to twist with the agility of a snake. Suppressing the roiling blood in his chest, his eyes flashed with a cold, resolute light like unsheathed swords. He gripped the Heavy Xuan Ruler tightly, as if holding the power of the entire world, and his Dou Qi surged like a bursting dam, pouring madly into the ruler. In an instant, the bone-white Bone Chilling Flame rose from the surface of the ruler, blooming like a demonic flower from the frozen wastes, radiating a bone-chilling aura.

"Flame Splitting Devouring Wave Ruler! Ice Seal!" Xiao Yan roared like a thunderclap.

Boom!

A massive, bone-white ruler shadow, condensed with extreme freezing energy, descended like a frost-giant's blade from the nine heavens. Carrying an intent that could freeze the soul, it tore through the scorching air with unstoppable momentum, slashing fiercely toward the core of the Bone Demon Scorpion King's head—the very spot where its soul fire burned, now exposed by its injuries. Wherever the ruler shadow passed, the air froze into crystalline ice, drifting down in a flurry.

The Bone Demon Scorpion King sensed a fatal threat. Its pale green soul fire flickered frantically, like a candle swaying in a gale, as it tried to raise its bone pincers to block. However, the excruciating pain from its tail, corroded by Xiao Yi Xian's poison web, felt like a sharp thorn driven deep into its nerves, slowing its movements by a split second.

Crack—!!!

The bone-white ruler shadow struck the Bone Demon Scorpion King's massive skull like an indestructible divine weapon. The extreme cold of the Bone Chilling Flame erupted instantly, sweeping across the battlefield like a frigid blizzard.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle—!

The piercing sound of freezing echoed repeatedly, like the whispers of death. The pale green soul fire was like a flame tossed into an icy sea, instantly frozen and extinguished, losing all its former ferocity and violence. The massive skull was covered in a thick layer of bone-white frost at a speed visible to the naked eye; the frost was crystal clear yet radiated endless cold. The frost spread rapidly across the entire massive skeletal frame, completely sealing the Bone Demon Scorpion King, leaving it standing in the desert like a cold, frozen statue.

In just a few short breaths, the tides had turned!

The Bone Demon Scorpion King, which had been so fierce and arrogant just moments ago, was now nothing more than a massive skeletal ice sculpture. Covered in thick frost, it looked particularly eerie against the backdrop of the scorching desert. It remained in a ferocious, pouncing posture, as if time had frozen at that very moment, stripped of all its former vitality and life, like a cold monument to death.

Xiao Yan landed heavily, his feet sinking into the sand. He leaned on the Heavy Xuan Ruler, gasping for air, his face as pale as paper. That last strike had drained nearly all the Dou Qi in his body, and he felt weak and limp, as if every ounce of strength had been sucked away. Xiao Yi Xian drifted down beside him like a light purple cloud. Her purple eyes, deep as a lake, swept over the massive ice sculpture, and her fingertips gently released a wisp of poison mist. The mist, like a nimble little snake, instantly burrowed into the ice sculpture, completely annihilating the faint, lingering soul fire within, leaving not a trace behind.

"Good coordination." Xiao Yi Xian looked at Xiao Yan, a rare, faint smile appearing on her cold face. The smile was like the first ray of sunlight in spring—warm and precious.

Xiao Yan scratched his head, looking into the girl's purple eyes so close to his own. They seemed to hide endless mystery and allure, making his heart skip a beat. "It's all thanks to you," he said sincerely, his voice filled with gratitude.

The two rested briefly, each consuming medicinal pills to begin recovering their Dou Qi. The pills melted upon contact, turning into a warm current that nourished their exhausted bodies. Xiao Yan looked out at the endless, terrifying Skeleton Forest before them. The bones piled up like mountains, resembling the remains of ancient giant beasts, radiating a heart-palpitating aura. Deeper in, the space grew darker and more distorted, like a massive black hole ready to devour everything. He couldn't help but furrow his brows, a sense of worry rising in his heart.

"According to the resonance, once we pass through this Skeleton Forest, we should be able to see the 'Ancient River of Buried Gods'." Xiao Yan pointed to the slightly warm ring on his left hand, which acted as his guiding light. "But the depths of the forest... they feel even more dangerous, as if countless unknown demons are hiding within."

"It doesn't matter." Xiao Yi Xian gazed into the depths of the forest, her eyes firm and composed. The poison pill within her body throbbed slightly, as if it had sensed a more "delicious" source of poison—a power it hungered to devour. "The thicker the poison miasma, the better it is for me. Let's go," she said softly, her voice laced with confidence.

The two Lizard Camels started up once more. They took steady steps, carrying the pair as they cautiously ventured into the Skeleton Forest, a place built from the deaths of the ancient past. Massive shadows loomed over them, as if they were walking through the belly of a giant beast. Every step landed on the bones of history and unknown perils, as if they were traversing time itself, conversing with the spirits of the ancient dead.

Xiao Zhan sat in meditation at the heart of the tower foundation, beside the surging vortex of Dragon Qi. His eyes were tightly closed, and he remained as still as a silent, ancient mountain. The vast and pure Earth Vein Dragon Qi flowed like a gentle, nimble river, bubbling up from the ground and pouring continuously into his body. This Dragon Qi softly nourished the gruesome wound on his left shoulder, like the warm spring sun melting ice, easing the pain. It also acted as a sturdy barrier, firmly suppressing the lingering, destructive remnant poison at his brow, preventing it from having any chance to wreak havoc. At the same time, it served as a powerful force, accelerating the circulation of the Dragon Phoenix Tyrant Body Art within him, causing the power of the technique to surge like a rushing river. The initial formation of the tower foundation was like a giant stone cast into a calm lake, stirring the Dragon Veins deep within the oasis, bringing benefits that far exceeded his initial expectations.

However, just as this peaceful and harmonious moment of cultivation reached its peak, a sudden change occurred!

Hum—!!!

A sharp, piercing hum suddenly rang out, sounding like an alarm from the depths of hell. The Green Lotus Core Flame mark he had left on Xiao Yi Xian, along with the previously faint resonance of the Mother-Child Heart-Linked Soul Jade, simultaneously transmitted a violent fluctuation. This fluctuation was like a raging storm, filled with an aura of destruction and chaos, as if it intended to tear everything in the vicinity into pieces. The direction of the fluctuation pointed straight toward the depths of the mysterious and dangerous Desert of Buried Immortals!

"Yan'er! Xiao Yi Xian!" Xiao Zhan snapped his eyes open, two sharp golden beams shooting out like lightning, as if to pierce the void before him. A strong sense of unease instantly gripped his heart like a tidal wave, causing his breath to hitch. What could have happened? What could possibly trigger such a terrifying fluctuation? Could they have encountered an unprecedented, world-shattering crisis?!

He stood up instantly, straight as a pine, his gaze like electricity piercing through layers of space, locking firmly onto the northwest direction, as if he could use his sharp eyes to penetrate all obstacles and see exactly what was happening there. His hand, hidden within his sleeve, quietly clenched into a fist, his knuckles turning white from the force, revealing his inner tension and worry.

The journey into the Desert of Buried Immortals was already fraught with hidden dangers, like walking on the edge of a blade. Yan'er, Xiao Yi Xian... you must... hold on! Xiao Zhan prayed silently in his heart, his eyes filled with firmness and resolve, as if he had already prepared himself to face any challenge.