White Bone Transposition

In the narrow valley, demonic qi whipped into gales, and a reeking stench filled the air.

Thick Sha Qi howled like a surging river, blotting out the sky so even the rosy light could not shine through.

Severed limbs and shattered corpses lay everywhere. At the center seemed to be an array painted in blood, while countless Demon Race characters had been scrawled crookedly across the ground. A single glance was enough to make one dizzy and nauseated.

Several dozen bone demons were creaking as they twisted their bodies. Half-crouched on the ground, they held bloody human heads in their hands, from which dim bloodlight burst forth, muttering incantations all the while.

As they chanted, they repeatedly smashed the heads against the ground. This was the sound Xu Yan had heard earlier with his keen hearing.

Xu Yan studied the Demon Race writing on the ground, his brows tightly furrowed.

"These bone demons are not completely devoid of intelligence. They should be demon soldiers under White Bone Madam. What are they doing here?"

White Bone Madam was the mistress of a demon stronghold deep within Mang Mountain.

She had originally been an immortal maiden of a human Daoist sect. Later, she perished in the depths of Mang Mountain, became white bones, embarked upon the demon path, and gained cultivation beneath heaven, earth, sun, and moon.

She had wreaked havoc across the eastern region until Xu Fei led troops to drive her out. Only then did she gradually fall silent, and it had been a long time since anyone had heard of her emerging to cause trouble again.

"Sister Nishang, this is no small matter. Don't act rashly for now."

As Xu Yan spoke, his expression suddenly froze. He turned his head and saw that Qin Nishang was no longer beside him.

When he looked back into the valley, the Third Princess had already charged down with a spear blazing with golden light!

Boom!

She descended like a thunderbolt, fierce and unstoppable.

Dazzling golden light erupted from her spear. With one strike, she directly shattered a bone demon soldier, blasting it apart until its soul scattered and its bones flew everywhere.

Roar—

In an instant, the remaining several dozen bone demons in the valley were all alerted and turned around in fury.

Their hunched skeletal bodies were stained with a foul stench, as though they had crawled out from mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Ghostly light gleamed in their eyes as they stared grimly at Qin Nishang.

Qin Nishang showed no fear. Her sharp gaze swept the surroundings with disdain, and the spear in her hand hummed.

"Come on, you filthy things!"

Bang! Bang!

The bone demons lunged at her, and Qin Nishang swept her spear through every direction.

Xu Yan stared wide-eyed. Without another thought, he too stepped upon Three-Fold Cloud Dragon and shot through the air!

He curled his palm, mana trembling through his meridians.

With a flick of his elbow, three soft sounds rang out in succession. Within the spiritual power in his palm, thunder snakes seemed to coil and writhe.

Riding his movement art, Xu Yan swooped down like a great eagle from dozens of zhang above, driving a fierce palm downward.

Bang—

Three Resonances of Primordial Unity. Tyrannical formless spiritual power roared forth, instantly smashing several bone demons into dust.

These bone demon soldiers were not particularly highly cultivated. Judging by the extent of their demon power, they could barely be compared to Meridian-Opening Daoists.

The Demon Race was generally exceedingly powerful after attaining the Dao, but demon soldiers with such low intelligence were nothing more than this.

The two spent half an incense stick's time slaughtering all several dozen bone demons.

"Not satisfying at all!" Qin Nishang said, shaking her spear. She had not even fully unleashed her cultivation yet. Though only in her early twenties, she had already reached the great completion of the Spirit Bridge realm.

This time, she had come out to train while also seeking heavenly treasures, intending to forge her natal dharma artifact and open the Profound Treasury realm.

Meanwhile, Xu Yan was crouched on the ground, carefully studying the twisted Demon Race characters.

"They should be derivative Demon Race script from before the ancient era."

Xu Yan frowned.

He had never studied Demon Race writing, only read records of it in some chronicles of strange tales, so he retained a vague impression.

"Little Yan, why is it that the moment you see writing, you can't move another step?" Qin Nishang raised a brow.

The more Xu Yan looked, the more he felt that the Demon Race characters were wrong.

There were several characters among them that he still recognized.

"Shift... control. Could this be some kind of transposition grand array?"

Thinking of the Demon Race spirits and monsters that had continuously vanished from the surrounding area these past few days, Xu Yan immediately formed a guess.

Just as he was thinking, rustling sounds suddenly came from the valley.

The dead bones around them suddenly began to twitch, and torrent-like spiritual power howled past!

The blood array beneath their feet erupted with dim spiritual light.

"Not good, go!"

Xu Yan's pupils contracted. He immediately seized the wrist of the bewildered Qin Nishang and fled toward the valley entrance.

They were one step too late.

Outside the valley, thick white mist had already risen, enveloping the entire small valley.

No matter how Xu Yan and Qin Nishang flew, they could not leave the valley.

"What's going on?!" Qin Nishang widened her innocent eyes and looked around in complete confusion.

"Qin Nishang, I told you not to act rashly."

Xu Yan's face darkened. He spoke each word slowly, nearly through gritted teeth.

Qin Nishang was still utterly blank, having no idea what was happening.

It was not until the space beneath their feet began to shatter like a dropped mirror that she finally understood.

Howling spiritual power like a raging gale wrapped around them, and the scenery around them rapidly receded.

After the time it took an incense stick to burn, the two fell from the pitch-black sky and landed steadily on the ground.

They were atop a small hill.

The sky was dark and heavy. Demonic qi covered heaven and earth, without a single trace of light.

In the distance, endless mountains pierced the clouds as though level with the heavens, like ferocious great demons crouching upon the earth.

Deep within the mountains, enormous strongholds could vaguely be seen, red lanterns hanging from them, their sight eerie and terrifying.

"So it was a transposition grand array." Qin Nishang blinked and looked around. Then she suddenly realized something, her face turning aghast. "Where did it shift us to? Don't tell me we're in the depths of Mang Mountain!"

"You only realized that now?" Xu Yan said helplessly, pressing a hand to his forehead.

Qin Nishang's talent was not low, nor was her cultivation weak, but if she had truly ended up in the depths of Mang Mountain, death would be her only fate.

Demon kings all lay entrenched here. Even a Grandmaster would have to shed a layer of skin, and might not necessarily escape. Within the Ten-Thousand Mang Mountains, the highest-cultivated and most terrifying demon beasts and monsters all lay dormant here!

The two stared at each other. Qin Nishang pursed her lips and fell silent, her brows faintly knitting together in grievance, her face utterly innocent.

"Stop acting so recklessly. Find an opportunity, and leave this place carefully," Xu Yan said weakly.

Just as he spoke—

A piercing gong rang out below.

Xu Yan's scalp instantly prickled. The two hurriedly crouched down and hid amid the shrubs atop the hill.

Xu Yan's Crystal Heart Realization listened in every direction.

He could only sense countless streams of terrifying demonic qi rippling through the mist-shrouded wilderness and forests, making every hair on his body stand on end.

"Give me your hand!" Xu Yan said to Qin Nishang beside him.

This time, she did not argue with Xu Yan. Obediently, she extended her slender hand.

Xu Yan took out the Literary Gold Shuttle and immediately wrote a derivative-script character for "conceal" upon her palm. Then he inscribed one upon himself as well.

"Activate it with all your strength. Hold your breath, and do not make a single sound," Xu Yan said sternly.

Qin Nishang nodded like a woodpecker, nervously pursing her lips.

Their auras seemed to vanish, and they nearly blended into the shrubs. Hidden within, they peered out through the gaps.

At the foot of the mountain, demon winds gusted through the towering, ancient forest.

The piercing gong sounded again and again without pause.

In the distant faint demon mist, a vast procession gradually emerged from the fog.