Myriad Bone City

Lu Chen's eyes flickered slightly.

He guessed something must have happened, causing the other party to give up dealing with him personally at the last minute.

The Soul Severing Saber swept out, its blade energy like a rainbow, striking the foremost Blood Puppets.

The sound of cracking bones mingled with the dull thud of flesh tearing, and three puppets exploded into bloody mist.

The remaining Blood Puppets suddenly formed a circle, their chests glowing intensely.

The moment the light beams intertwined into a cage, Lu Chen pushed off the ground and soared into the air. His three clones, carrying the Myriad Manifestations Furnace, descended from the sky.

The furnace collided with the cage, and the resulting energy ripples ground the skeletons within a hundred-zhang radius into powder.

The Soul Severing Saber drew a circle in the air, its blade energy like a rainbow, cleaving into the Blood Puppet formation.

Amidst the explosive sounds of impact, the cage shattered.

Seizing the moment the Blood Puppets were stiff, his main body phased into the formation like a ghost.

His blade swept past, and heads flew off, falling into the furnace outside his body, where they were incinerated into charcoal.

Unfortunately, he didn't obtain any Blood Jade Shards this time.

It only increased his Blood Essence by a sliver, which was better than nothing.

He activated the Wind and Thunder Steps, turning into a streak of light and pursuing them.

Approaching the pillar of light within a thousand meters, he saw seven Blood-colored Tents encircling and guarding an altar.

Skull Artifacts suspended above the tents spewed out pillars of blood-colored light, connecting to the sky.

The patrolling Blood Spirit Cultists were all clad in red cloaks, their gazes, visible through the gaps in their masks, were as vacant as puppets.

Lu Chen hid behind a broken monument and observed for a moment. The Myriad Manifestations Furnace suddenly separated into wisps of blood mist that attached to his body.

His aura gradually merged with the surrounding resentment.

With a single teleport, he flashed into the shadows of the tent in the southeast corner.

"...The altar will be activated in three days." A hoarse voice came from the central tent. "Where is the sacrificial offering?"

"The second young master is personally escorting it; it will arrive soon."

The voice that replied was soft and effeminate. Lu Chen caught a glimpse of a young man in white robes through a gap in the tent curtain.

The one who had intended to deal with him before was likely one of the Blood Spirit Sect's Blood Sons, the Blood Owl, a cruel grin on his face.

"The activation of the Myriad Blood Altar requires the vital essence of three hundred cultivators. When the Ancient Demon awakens..."

Suddenly, a light sound came from outside.

Lu Chen accidentally crushed a piece of dry bone, and the guards outside the tent immediately became alert: "Who's there?"

Three Blood Puppets burst from the earth. Lu Chen, feigning panic, retreated.

As he stumbled and fled, he deliberately exposed a weakness. When the pursuers closed to within three zhang, the Wind and Thunder Steps suddenly activated.

His blade light swept out like a blood moon, and five heads flew off simultaneously.

The Soul Severing Saber hooked onto the storage pouch of a certain corpse.

A blood-colored token entered his hand, its front engraved with mysterious patterns.

With a thought, the token flared brightly, piercing the descending Camp Defense Array. Lu Chen passed through the array and vanished.

The sound of a horn tore through the sky, and the entire Blood Spirit Sect camp sprang into action. The blood-colored pillars of light became even more dazzling.

Lu Chen retreated, skimming the ground. The Golden Core's oppressive aura clung to him like a persistent ailment.

Before the Blood-colored Barrier could reach him, he turned into an afterimage and fled.

A foul wind suddenly gusted from the ruins ahead, and swarms of Blood Bats, obscuring the sky, surged forth, forcing him to change direction and head straight for the northeastern cliff.

Half a day later, having shaken off the Blood Bat pursuit, Lu Chen lay prone on the cliff top, looking down. His eyes jumped slightly.

Below the cliff lay an ancient city. Its walls were cast from white bones, and dried monster heads hung from the battlements.

Only half of the two characters "Myriad Bone" remained on the city gate's plaque, and blood moss grew in the cracks.

Flickering fires could be seen within the city. The defensive line formed by cultivators was being assaulted by tides of Two-headed Demonic Wolves, the clash of sword light and beast roars tearing at the twilight.

Lu Chen leaped down.

His three clones descended into the battlefield first, the Myriad Manifestations Furnace inverted, spewing forth raging, violent energy.

Lu Chen stepped on wolf corpses and leaped onto an arrow tower. The Soul Severing Saber swung horizontally, unleashing bloody blade energy, and cleaved the Demonic Wolf King, which was lunging at a female cultivator, in two.

Amidst the foul-smelling blood rain, the figure in the moon-white monk's robe turned gracefully. A voice like a clear spring emerged from beneath the ice-crystal-adorned veil:

"Thank you. Please help guard the southeast arrow tower!"

Lu Chen nodded and shot out.

He landed beside the southeast arrow tower like a bomb, and his Qi and Blood Domain expanded instantly, stabilizing the tottering tower.

He clenched his five fingers, and the movements of the demonic wolves within his domain slowed abruptly. The cultivators defending the city seized the opportunity to unleash a volley of arrows.

A large number of demonic wolves fell with mournful cries.

"Careful!" the woman shouted towards Lu Chen, but suddenly a massive figure leaped out from behind her.

It was a thousand-legged centipede, ten zhang tall, its carapace gleaming like metal. The poisonous mist sprayed from its mouth corroded the city defense array, causing it to sizzle.

Lu Chen instantly moved, wrapping his arm around her waist and flashing away.

Rumble…

The ground was split into thousands of cracks by the thousand-legged centipede, and then the poisonous mist descended, engulfing a large area.

"It's a thousand-legged centipede cultivated by the Blood Spirit Sect!" Han Qingxue's face turned pale.

She had forgotten to get out of Lu Chen's embrace.

Lu Chen gently pressed her waist, causing Han Qingxue to tremble and quickly jump behind him.

Lu Chen grinned, his body flashed, appearing above the thousand-legged centipede's head. The Soul Severing Saber brought with it a streak of blood-colored saber energy, piercing the narrow gap in its head and neck armor.

Pfft!

The saber energy pierced through its body.

The thousand-legged centipede wailed to the heavens, spewing out large clouds of poisonous mist.

The Soul Severing Saber spun, and the thousand-legged centipede's head lolled to the side of its body.

Its massive body crashed to the ground with a thud.

Both enemies and allies fell silent for a moment, and then cheers of relief erupted throughout the city.

Lu Chen waved his hand, and the thousand-legged centipede's corpse disappeared, directly refined by the Myriad Manifestations Furnace.

The Blood Jade Shards obtained were also absorbed simultaneously.

He didn't spit up blood this time, but black blood seeped from his skin.

His bloodline's hidden injuries recovered a little, and he also gained one hundred Bull Strength.

He looked up and around, noticing that the ferocious demons had retreated.

"Young Master, please follow me!" Han Qingxue, having calmed herself, walked over.

Her white robe was stained with blood, and even blood dripped from it.

But she paid it no mind, as if it had nothing to do with her.

Lu Chen examined her closely and felt a chill run down his spine.

He realized then how cold this woman was.

She was like a block of ice.

"Oh, right, my name is Han Qingxue. And yours, Young Master?"

Her voice was crisp but carried no warmth.

"Lu Chen!"

Han Qingxue nodded and led the way, entering the city lord's mansion cellar.

The night-shining pearls emitted a dim light, bringing a little warmth to the cold cellar.

Her fingertips brushed over a scorch mark: "My friend discovered the Demon Den half a month ago and was ambushed and killed by the Blood Owl the next day."

Her voice was cold, filled with immense hatred.

"The Blood Spirit Sect's three Blood Sons each command a division. The Blood Owl leads the Blood Puppets and ferocious demons."

Han Qingxue unfolded a yellowed map, marking the Demon Den's location with a dagger symbol: "This is the location of the Demon Den. If Young Master Lu wishes to go there, the map is yours!"

She handed it over.

"Aren't you afraid I'm one of them?" Lu Chen asked doubtfully.

Han Qingxue shook her head. "One, you killed the thousand-legged centipede. Two, my intuition tells me you're not that kind of person!"

Lu Chen opened his mouth, finding it hard to refute.

A woman's sixth sense!

"Thank you!" Lu Chen took the map. "Can you tell me about the Blood Spirit Sect's and King Yanbei's forces in this area?"

Han Qingxue nodded.

"The Blood Spirit Sect's main force here is led by the Blood Owl, one of the three Blood Sons. King Yanbei's side is led by the second son, Ji Wujue. Both of them have extraordinary talent and immense power; they are both peak Golden Core experts. Be careful if you encounter them!"

Lu Chen pondered for a moment and said, "I saw them setting up an altar. Do you know what they're doing?"