Turmoil

Several miles away.

Atop an ancient, withered tree, a thin mist of blood suddenly permeated the air, gradually coalescing into a beautiful, curvaceous figure.

The mysterious woman in her spirit form seemed to turn the blood mist into a sheer veil, shrouding her increasingly distinct and exquisite silhouette.

Her slender, delicate feet rested upon a dead branch, and her hazy face, veiled in blood mist, turned toward the massive commotion erupting ahead.

Zhou Qingchen sprinted in a frenzy, shattering rocks and splintering trees in his path, breaking through with the momentum of a falling mountain.

Behind him, Hong Tai pursued on the back of a serpent, occasionally drawing blood-colored spears to hurl at him while unleashing a series of intricate techniques.

Suspended in the air above Zhou Qingchen's head was a deep red mountain, the materialization of immense spiritual power.

Most of the spears and venom from Hong Tai and the serpent struck that crimson peak; the Red Mountain, which Zhou Qingchen had somehow manifested, helped him block several waves of lethal attacks.

Yet, under the relentless bombardment of the man and the serpent, the light of the intangible Red Mountain began to fade.

It appeared that it would not be long before the mysterious Red Mountain shielding Zhou Qingchen would collapse and disintegrate, at which point Hong Tai would truly move in for the kill.

Seeing that Zhou Qingchen's escape speed could not outpace the serpent beneath him, Hong Tai appeared relaxed and unhurried.

As the mysterious woman on the tree observed Zhou Qingchen and Hong Tai, "Spirit Sha" gathered from all directions. Among them, the mountain-like Luo Meng hovered behind her like a temple guardian.

Like Luo Meng, several other "Spirit Sha" condensed by Pulse-Opening Realm experts hung in the air behind her, shielding her like Gods and Devils, lending her an imposing aura.

"That must be the deep valley."

The woman, who had been struggling to condense her spirit form, gazed in the direction Zhou Qingchen had charged, listening to the sounds of the intense battle.

Suddenly, she felt something and looked elsewhere.

She saw a tall figure with unnaturally withered flesh walking alone through the dense mountain forest.

The man's flesh seemed to have been devoured from within, leaving only a layer of skin draped over a massive skeleton.

His clothes were torn at the heart, and on his chest was a lifelike Heavenly Phoenix, its tattoo-like wings poised as if in mid-flap.

With a twisted, pained expression, the man followed the guidance of the Heavenly Phoenix in his chest, panting heavily like a brutal beast on the verge of losing its mind as he headed toward the Blackwater Pool.

"A poor soul consumed by Phoenix Marrow."

The woman shook her head lightly.

With a single glance, she knew that Phoenix Marrow had invaded his heart, devouring his flesh and organs, leaving only his heart functioning as he lingered in a half-dead state.

Once the totem-like Heavenly Phoenix tattoo flew from his chest, his bones would shatter and his soul would vanish.

"In the valley, there is another bone containing Phoenix Marrow. He was drawn here by that Phoenix Bone."

The woman immediately formulated a plan.

Currently in spirit form, she was preparing to accumulate wonders to recast her body. If she could use the Heavenly Phoenix's Phoenix Marrow as a catalyst, the potential of the fleshly body she forged might even exceed her original one.

At this thought, the woman's eyes brightened, and she began to plot to seize the Phoenix Marrow that might exist within the valley.

In the deep valley.

"Buzz!"

Pocket-sized spirit swords, thin as cicada wings and only a finger long, flew from behind Jin Yang, rapidly closing in on Pang Jian.

Pang Jian, sprinting toward the Blackwater Pool, glanced back repeatedly to see the miniature swords drawing nearer, darting toward his back like willow leaves.

Only when the flying swords were dangerously close would he be forced to stop and swing his Dragon-Patterned Spear to parry.

Amidst the "clanging" of impacts, some swords still managed to pierce his arms, adding to his wounds.

Once the flying swords drifted slightly further away and were not immediately forming a new wave of attacks, he would endure the pain and continue his muffled trek.

"Blackwater Pool!"

To this day, he did not know what dangerous anomalies lay within the pool, but because his father had listed the Blackwater Pool as a forbidden zone, he trusted that there must be something extraordinary about it.

Moreover, a Phoenix Bone was currently lodged within the Blackwater Pool.

As the wounds on his body multiplied, he even began to hope that the earth would tremble again, cracking open to reveal unknown evils that would slaughter everyone present indiscriminately.

That would give him a chance to escape in the chaos.

Once targeted by Jin Yang, it was difficult for him to escape the deep valley with his own strength; he could only rely on other wonders.

The Blackwater Pool, marked as a forbidden zone by his father, and the Phoenix Bone, whose mystery had yet to be revealed, were his only hopes.

"If there is any wonder, I hope it reveals itself soon."

He swatted wildly at the approaching flying swords with his blood-stained arms, finally reaching the front of the Blackwater Pool.

"Both arms, as well as the vital points on his chest and back, seem to have been specially tempered."

Jin Yang, following with the ease of a stroll, skillfully manipulated the seven "Cicada Wing Swords," carefully controlling his force to leave only shallow gashes on Pang Jian's body.

He quickly figured out which parts of Pang Jian's sturdy, tall frame had been washed and tempered.

"He is clearly not in the Xisui Realm, so how did he achieve this?"

Jin Yang was in no hurry to exert his full power; he did not intend to kill him with a thunderous strike. He observed while he pondered, hoping to pry the truth out of Pang Jian.

"Whoosh!"

The seven Cicada Wing Swords suddenly halted in mid-air, pointing from various angles at Pang Jian's vital points: his waist, abdomen, glabella, and chest.

Looking at Pang Jian, who had the Blackwater Pool right behind him, Jin Yang smiled faintly. "The pool is right behind you. Where else can you retreat to?"

"Exactly, the pool!"

The moment Jin Yang spoke and the Cicada Wing Swords froze, Pang Jian plunged into the water, swimming toward the Heavenly Phoenix Remains that protruded from the center of the pool.

The pool water was deep and freezing, rendering everything below the surface invisible, but Pang Jian, an excellent swimmer, pushed forward with all his might.

The Dragon-Patterned Spear he held was too heavy underwater, hindering his speed, so he made a split-second decision and hurled it toward the center of the pool.

"Whoosh! Whoosh, whoosh!"

The seven Cicada Wing Swords whistled above the pool.

Hearing the screech of the blades, Pang Jian curled his body beneath the surface and continued to dive toward the remains.

The ink-black water completely obscured his form, making it impossible for the seven Cicada Wing Swords and Jin Yang to track him.

"A cultivator like you cannot hold your breath underwater forever. I'm not afraid that you won't surface."

Jin Yang was in no rush; he maneuvered the seven Cicada Wing Swords to zip across the surface, waiting for Pang Jian to emerge so he could uncover the secrets Pang Jian harbored.

Underwater.

In the bone-chilling water, Pang Jian opened his eyes but could see nothing; the water was as black as ink, just as it had appeared from the outside.

Yet, his movements underwater were no different than in any other lake. Relying on his previous sense of direction, he continued to swim desperately toward the remains.

He viewed the remains as one of his few hopes.

Holding his breath with great difficulty, he knew the Cicada Wing Swords were waiting for him to surface, so he tried his best to control his buoyancy, lest he accidentally break the surface before touching the bone and invite a lethal strike from the seven spirit swords.

After a while, he actually touched the remains in the dark underwater world!

As his hands made contact with the submerged bone, his blood—unseen by him—quietly seeped into the Heavenly Phoenix Remains.

The Phoenix Bone suddenly generated a mysterious suction force, continuously feeding on his blood.

Pang Jian, who had been struggling to hold his breath, gradually discovered he could see the surrounding scene in the pitch-black water.

He could not only see the massive Phoenix Bone but also clearly discern the Cicada Wing Swords darting about above.

The color of the water had not changed; it remained as black as ink.

What had changed was the Heavenly Phoenix Remains that had fallen from the heavens and pierced the pool; it was now releasing a shimmering radiance that dispelled a portion of the darkness.

It was also at this moment.

"Boom!"

With the Blackwater Pool as the epicenter, the surrounding earth suddenly shuddered. Rocks tumbled down the cliff walls behind the pool, and tall trees toppled one after another.

The rugged, deep valley floor seemed to be torn apart by a divine force from beneath the earth, gradually fracturing.

Deep chasms appeared in various areas across the valley, triggered by the abnormal tremors.

"Another earthquake!"

Having experienced this once before, Han Duping, Shangguan Qin, and Ning Yao felt the tremors from deep underground and fled for their lives.

"Get out of here, quickly!"

Shangguan Qin's terrified voice was laced with sobs. She was someone who had truly witnessed that tragedy, and she already anticipated what was about to happen.

She feared the terrifying vines emerging from the earth, which would strip her flesh clean, far more than being captured and humiliated by the Dark Ghosts.

"Once an earthquake happens near the remains, lethal vines will burst out! I will die, and you won't be able to escape either!"

She screamed in despair at the Dark Ghost members.

On the other side, Ning Yao also ceased her entanglement with the pursuers and uttered the same warning, hoping they would let her pass so she could leave the area first.

"After the earthquake, terror will emerge from the ground?"

Several Dark Ghost sub-leaders looked at the fear on the faces of Shangguan Qin and Ning Yao, as well as the agitation and anxiety of Han Duping, unsure whether they should believe them.

At the same time.

The man with the divine phoenix totem on his chest, looking like a skeleton wrapped in human skin, felt the wings of the phoenix on his chest begin to flap frantically.

Knowing his time was running out, he dared not hesitate any longer and charged toward the deep valley at top speed.

"Ouyang Duanhai! You are Ouyang Duanhai—how did you become this ghost of a man?"

The Dark Ghost leader, wearing a golden mask, couldn't help but shriek in shock as he looked at the intruder, who was nothing but skin and bone, looking neither human nor ghost.

"Ouyang Duanhai?"

Shangguan Qin froze, then whipped her head around to stare at the intruder, her eyes locked onto his face.

"Duanhai? No, you aren't him! You are absolutely not him!"

Shangguan Qin shrieked like a madwoman; she refused to believe that the dashing, elegant lover of her past had turned into this ghastly creature.

She had volunteered to enter the Cenji Mountains on this trip because she had made an appointment with Ouyang Duanhai, and it was the two of them who had conspired to kill her ex-husband.

Ouyang Duanhai was the one who truly captured her heart, the love of her life.

"Xiao, Xiaoqin?"

As she cried out the name "Duanhai," a flicker of sentience seemed to ignite in the eyes of the man who looked like a vengeful ghost.

Gathering his remaining willpower to look at her, he struggled to confirm her identity. Gradually, deep within his chaotic, lightless pupils, a trace of agitation finally surfaced as he roared, "Leave this place! Xiaoqin, get away from this Bloody Asura Field quickly! I, I will help you... survive!"

In that moment, he forgot to seek the final shred of life for himself and charged headlong at the Dark Ghost practitioners.