Guo Shouzhuo lowered his head and looked at his hands.
Those hands were shriveling at a speed visible to the naked eye. His skin lost its sheen, his muscles withered and dissolved, blue veins bulged like earthworms, and his nails turned gray and brittle.
He raised his head and looked toward the bronze mirror nearby.
His reflection was already withered beyond recognition.
His face, once aged but vigorous, was now nothing but skin and bones.
He had forced his breakthrough, only to suffer qi deviation under the interference of four layers of sound waves. Though his spiritual intent had fused with his Dharma Form, the fusion had been too rushed, too chaotic, too hasty. His divine soul had suffered devastating injuries, his foundation had been torn apart, and his vitality was draining away at a terrifying rate-his oil had run dry, his lamp was burning out!
But he had broken through all the same.
Guo Shouzhuo slowly raised his head and looked toward the Secret Cave, a towering murderous intent flashing through his eyes.
Then he closed his eyes.
The Chess Sword Dharma Form above his head suddenly blazed with light, illuminating the entire secret chamber, the entire Random-Stone Formation, and half of West Mountain Island!
Every chessboard-like pattern on the blade lit up, crisscrossing like an immense game board that shrouded heaven and earth!
The Dharma Form moved.
It detached itself from above Guo Shouzhuo's head, slowly descended, and hovered before him.
Then it opened its "eye."
The sword had never had an eye.
Yet now an illusory eye appeared on its blade-formed from Guo Shouzhuo's condensed spiritual intent. Once the Dharma Form and spiritual intent fused completely, the Dharma Form was no longer a lifeless object, but an "Incarnation Beyond the Body" endowed with spiritual awareness.
It glanced