Before White Bone Cave, Nezha Committed Murder

White Bone Mountain lived up to its name.

The entire mountain was jagged and bizarre, its grayish-white rocks laid bare with little vegetation. From afar, it resembled the skeletal remains of a colossal beast crouching upon the earth, exuding an air of desolation and deathly stillness.

Though spiritual qi existed within the mountain, it leaned toward yin chill. It was no blessed land for immortals, but was better suited for cultivating certain special dao arts.

The mountain's mistress, Lady Shiji, was a stubborn stone born of heaven and nurtured by earth that had attained the Dao. Her temperament was gentle, and she disliked conflict.

She spent all year cultivating quietly within White Bone Cave, teaching the few attendants under her. She almost never involved herself in outside disputes and remained exceedingly low-key even within Jiejiao.

Yet today, this peace was fated to be shattered.

When Xuan Chuan, Zhao Gongming, and Yunxiao arrived above White Bone Mountain on rays of light, the sun was already high in the sky.

The three possessed profound cultivation and had long since concealed their auras, hiding within the clouds as they looked down.

Xuan Chuan spread out his divine sense like a net, instantly enveloping all of White Bone Mountain.

Sure enough, there was a cave dwelling halfway up the mountain. Above its entrance were three ancient seal-script characters: "White Bone Cave." Before the cave was a small platform, where two people currently stood.

One was a female immortal dressed in colorful robes, with a gentle and dignified face. Holding a horsetail whisk, she seemed to be guiding the cultivation of a young attendant in green robes before her.

The female immortal possessed a tranquil bearing. A trace of stone-like resilience and the weathering of countless years rested between her brows. She was none other than Lady Shiji. The attendant looked only thirteen or fourteen, with delicate features, and listened intently.

Simple protective and concealing restrictions had been set around the cave dwelling. Yet it was clear that they had not been arranged to guard against powerful enemies, but rather to ward off the mountain's yin chill and outside disturbances.

Everything appeared peaceful as usual.

"Looks like we made it in time?" Zhao Gongming transmitted, letting out a slight sigh of relief.

Yet Xuan Chuan's brow did not relax. His "The One That Escaped" continued to issue faint warnings, while within the range of his divine sense, at the dense woods by the foot of the mountain—

A faint yet unusually violent aura, filled with childish killing intent, was silently drawing near like a venomous serpent lying in wait!

"Something's wrong! Down there!" Xuan Chuan shouted, his gaze flashing like lightning as it shot toward the mountain foot.

The instant his words fell—

Whoosh—!!!

A streak of golden light, carrying a piercing shriek through the air and incomparably fierce Baleful Intent, shot out from the woods at the mountain's foot!

It moved faster than lightning, and its target was unmistakably the green-robed attendant listening to the lecture on the platform before White Bone Cave—Biyun!

That golden light was a gleaming ring the size of a bowl's mouth, covered in mysterious patterns. It was one of the treasures Taiyi had bestowed upon Nezha—the Universe Ring!

The Universe Ring flew with terrifying force, carrying Nezha's innate divine strength and the fierce Baleful Intent of the Spirit Pearl's reincarnation. The ordinary restrictions Lady Shiji had placed around the cave were torn apart as easily as paper!

"Watch out!" Lady Shiji was the first to notice. Her face changed dramatically as she shouted, fiercely sweeping her horsetail whisk forward. A stream of earthy-yellow radiance rolled toward the Universe Ring, trying to stop it!

Yet the Universe Ring was too fast, and the attack had caught Lady Shiji off guard. Her reaction was half a beat too slow!

Squelch!

A muffled impact rang out, accompanied by the crisp crack of shattering bones!

That earthy-yellow radiance only struck the edge of the Universe Ring, knocking its trajectory slightly aside, but it failed to stop it completely!

Biyun did not even have time to scream before the Universe Ring smashed violently into his chest!

The faint spiritual light protecting his body was instantly extinguished. His small frame flew backward like a rag sack, crashing heavily into the cave's stone wall before sliding limply to the ground.

His chest had already caved in. Blood poured from his mouth and nose, his eyes wide open as his life force visibly drained away!

"Biyun—!!!" Lady Shiji let out a piercing cry of grief and threw herself to the attendant's side. Upon examining him, she found that his soul had already scattered. Only a sliver of true spirit drifted out in confusion, on the verge of dispersing between heaven and earth.

"Hahaha! How was this young master's aim with the Universe Ring?" A clear but vicious child's voice rang out from the mountain foot.

At the edge of the woods stood a child of roughly seven or eight, dressed in a red bellyband, standing atop Wind-Fire Wheels and holding a Fire-Tipped Spear.

With the Universe Ring around his neck and Heaven-Confounding Silk wound around his waist, the child stood with his hands on his hips. His face wore a grotesque grin mixing delight and cruelty. It was Nezha!

Sha Qi swirled around him. Clearly, this had not been an accidental misfire—he had done it deliberately!

"You demon brat! How dare you kill my attendant!" Lady Shiji abruptly raised her head. Her eyes had turned completely red, and her gentle features twisted beneath extreme fury and grief.

She waved a hand, collecting Biyun's sliver of true spirit that was about to dissipate and placing it within her sleeve to nourish it. Then she fixed her gaze upon Nezha below.

A vast aura, heavy as a mountain yet sharp as stone, erupted with a boom. The pressure of a Primordial Unity Golden Immortal spread forth without restraint!

"A life for a life! Today, I will use you, demon brat, as a sacrifice for my disciple!" Lady Shiji shrieked, transforming into a streak of earthy-yellow light as she charged straight at Nezha!

Her horsetail whisk rose, and countless stone-like strands came alive, shrieking through the air as they coiled around Nezha to strangle and tear him apart! She truly intended to kill him!

Nezha showed no fear at all. Instead, he became excited. "Good! This young master was just itching for a fight!"

Flames spewed from the Wind-Fire Wheels beneath his feet. He moved with astonishing speed, narrowly evading Lady Shiji's whisk attack before thrusting out with his spear. Flames blazed along the Fire-Tipped Spear as it aimed directly for Lady Shiji's face!

The two instantly clashed. Lady Shiji attacked in wrath, every move vicious and fierce, her mana vast and surging, aided further by her petrification divine art.

Though Nezha was young, he possessed innate divine strength, sharp treasures, peerless speed from the Wind-Fire Wheels, and astonishing combat instincts.

For a time, he actually fought Lady Shiji blow for blow. Relying on the advantage of his treasures, he even faintly gained the upper hand!

"Senior Sister Shiji!" Zhao Gongming watched anxiously and was about to intervene.

"Wait!" Xuan Chuan grabbed him, his gaze sharp. "Junior Brother Gongming, look at Nezha. He seems reckless and ferocious, but he's actually fighting while retreating. His direction... is northeast!"

Zhao Gongming and Yunxiao focused their attention. Sure enough! Though Nezha appeared to be fiercely fighting Lady Shiji, he was actually using the speed of the Wind-Fire Wheels to continuously draw the battle toward the northeast of White Bone Mountain.

That was where Qianyuan Mountain lay, the location of Taiyi's Golden Light Cave.

"He's luring her in!" Yunxiao instantly understood. "He deliberately enraged Senior Sister Shiji to lead her to Qianyuan Mountain!"

"Exactly." Xuan Chuan's eyes turned cold. "Taiyi must have been waiting in Golden Light Cave for a long time, with a trap already laid. He is only waiting for Junior Sister Shiji to deliver herself to his door, so he can carry out an act of utter annihilation! This is a scheme!"

"What a sinister Chanjiao!" Zhao Gongming ground his teeth. "Then we..."

"Follow them!" Xuan Chuan decided at once. "Don't alert the enemy. We'll trail behind them. Once Junior Sister Shiji reaches Qianyuan Mountain and Taiyi reveals himself to attack, we'll make our move!

Not only will we save her, we'll expose his plot on the spot and make him steal a chicken only to lose the rice used to lure it!"

"Good plan!" Zhao Gongming and Yunxiao agreed in unison.

The three immediately concealed all their auras, relying on their deeper cultivation and Xuan Chuan's "The One That Escaped" to hide themselves.

Like three invisible shadows, they silently trailed several miles behind Lady Shiji and Nezha's battle, following at an unhurried pace.

Ahead, Lady Shiji was overcome by grief and fury over her attendant's tragic death. With Nezha constantly taunting her—"Old hag, is that all you've got?"—

"I'm waiting at Qianyuan Mountain, if you've got the guts, come after me!"—her rage surged into her heart. She no longer cared about anything else and pursued Nezha relentlessly toward Qianyuan Mountain.

Nezha, meanwhile, blocked her attacks with strange laughter while pushing the Wind-Fire Wheels to their limit, racing toward his master's location.

One group in the open and one in the shadows, one ahead and one behind, streaked across the sky and headed straight for Qianyuan Mountain!

As Xuan Chuan flew, his divine sense remained tightly locked on the scene ahead, while his mind raced through calculations.

Qianyuan Mountain, Taiyi, the Nine-Dragon Divine Fire Hood... and the other Golden Immortals of Yuxu Palace, or perhaps... that vice sect master, who might be watching in secret and ready to step in at any moment to finish the job?

He tightened his grip around the Fate-Cutting Sword within his sleeve.

A brutal battle was now unavoidable.