A Quasi-Emperor Skeleton! Hidden Secrets!

"Heh heh heh... boy! Are you ready to become my nourishment? Gahaha..."

"Hmph! A mere pile of bones-do you think you can overturn the heavens?" A sharp gleam flashed through Di Chen's eyes, his fighting spirit soaring. Then his Saint cultivation

erupted with a thunderous roar, his terrifying presence crushing everything.

Rumble...

Brilliant golden light blazed around Di Chen like a burning sun, illuminating the nine provinces as his terrifying presence surged wildly. Bolstered by his Emperor Bloodline, his combat power increased severalfold and more.

"A Saint! You're actually a Saint! What an absurd joke! How could there possibly be such a young Saint? And that bloodline-it actually makes me feel intense imperial might! This is no ordinary bloodline. This is an emperor bloodline... this can't possibly be real! It must be an illusion!!!" By now, the skeleton

had long since been frightened senseless. This scene utterly overturned everything he knew.

Just then... a pitch-black longsword left its sheath in Di Chen's hand. It radiated fierce murderous intent, and a dazzling cold gleam shot into the sky.

"This sword... even a mighty Quasi-Emperor like me can't see through it.

"Could it be an Emperor Weapon? Impossible, impossible! A mere Saint couldn't possibly control an Emperor Weapon! This must be an illusion, an illusion... boy! Just who are you..." At this moment, the skeleton's

thoughts were tangled like hemp. The person before him was far too bizarre! He kept turning his understanding of the world upside down!!!

"Sword Moves Mountains and Rivers!" Di Chen shouted coldly, unleashing a world-shaking supreme technique.

Bang!

The sword's edge sliced through the void, bursting with brilliant Sword-Ray, annihilating the void and tearing apart the heavens with unstoppable force.

"Roar!"

The skeleton threw back his head and roared. A bone saber burst from the earth to meet that terrifying sword light.

The bone saber was three feet six inches long and shaped like a spear. Its cutting edge was pale purple, and numerous unfathomable patterns were inscribed upon its body. Faint traces of ancient, timeworn character emanated from it.

Rumble! Rumble! ...

The two collided violently. In an instant, terrifying power poured out wildly, blasting in every direction and destroying everything around them.

Di Chen's figure swayed, and he retreated seventy or eighty feet. The skeleton likewise shot backward, but only retreated two or three meters.

The difference between them was immediately clear.

Di Chen's eyes narrowed. Saints and Quasi-Emperors were separated by two major realms, and the gap between them was like a heavenly chasm, especially since he was only an early-stage Saint. This skeleton, on the other hand, was a Quasi-Emperor. Although his combat power might not match his peak, he was still no opponent Di Chen could match. Even with this Quasi-Emperor corpse already broken and incomplete, Di Chen could not contend with him.

As expected of a Quasi-Emperor expert-truly terrifying.

The skeleton, meanwhile, was utterly dumbstruck, his eyes filled with disbelief. "How could this happen? Is this power a Saint could possess? Could this boy be one of those old monsters reincarnated?"

"Boy! Who exactly are you? Tell me, tell me..."

Hearing this, Di Chen's lips curved into a cold sneer. "Heh! A Quasi-Emperor does have the qualifications to know this young master's name. The young master of the Dark Forbidden Zone! Di Chen!!!"

The next moment... Di Chen had no intention of wasting any more words. He swung the longsword in his hand again. "Sword Breaks Heaven and Earth!"

A brilliant streak of sword light swept outward.

In an instant, the skeleton sensed tremendous danger. He swung the bone saber in his hand frantically, resisting that terrifying Sword-Ray.

Rumble! Rumble! Rumble! ...

A string of terrifying explosions rang throughout this space, and endless storms ravaged the eight directions.

... A few more breaths passed, and a plume of thick smoke shot into the sky. Soon, as the smoke dispersed, Di Chen and the skeleton emerged once more.

In this exchange, Di Chen fell slightly short of the skeleton, merely beating him into retreat step by step.

"Big brother! Big brother! We're on the same side!" The skeleton spread his withered right arm and called excitedly to Di Chen.

"What do you mean, the same side? What are you talking about?" Di Chen stared at the skeleton, momentarily stunned.

"What is Di Ku to you?" the skeleton asked, utterly excited.

"Di Ku? My grandfather."

"Your grandfather? Heh heh heh... fate, what fate!!" The skeleton's eyes lit up. He was beside himself with joy, his voice brimming with irrepressible excitement. Di Ku-that man he could never forget, through all eternity.

Di Chen looked bewildered, not understanding how this skeleton had become connected to his grandfather.

"Back when those black monkeys from the Foreign Domain invaded, all the cultivators of the Immortal Domain gathered in the four domains of the east, south, west, and north. I was no exception. Unfortunately, disaster ultimately befell me. I was trapped in the Million Savage Mountains of the Southeast Domain, hunted by countless fierce beasts. Luckily, I met your grandfather, and he saved my life. He also stood guard for me until I broke through to become a Quasi-Emperor, only then departing. Before leaving, he even left a strand of his divine soul that could summon an incarnation to act on my behalf once. But it was also because I used that strand of divine soul that my body collapsed, unable to withstand his power. Afterward, I searched for a solution for a long time, but never found one-until today, when you appeared," the skeleton said excitedly.

"So that's what happened! Did the forbidden zone not act during the Foreign Domain's invasion? And why didn't you try looking for my grandfather again?" Di Chen asked in puzzlement.

The skeleton gave a bitter smile. "Ah! Your grandfather had already helped me so much. I didn't want to owe him another debt of gratitude. The Dark Forbidden Zone has always been an extremely mysterious force. It never involves itself in the Immortal Domain's conflicts, remaining unmoved even when the Foreign Domain invaded. After the war ended, some superpowers joined forces and tried to launch a punitive expedition against the Dark Forbidden Zone. Unfortunately, they couldn't even figure out its location, much less enter it. Later, a Great Emperor expert from the Emperor Palace shouted wild accusations throughout the Immortal Domain, constantly proclaiming the Dark Forbidden Zone's crimes, attempting to enlist the strength of all races against it. That very day, dark clouds blanketed the skies above the entire Immortal Domain. Lightning flashed and thunder roared, and all manner of strange phenomena appeared, as though some great terror had descended, like the end of the world. A bolt of lightning struck down, blasting that Great Emperor expert into utter destruction, body and soul. That lightning seemed to possess intelligence. Rather than continuing to attack, it simply vanished. Seeing this, the various top powers, alliances, and even the Emperor Palace lowered their banners and stilled their drums, never again daring to provoke the Dark Forbidden Zone at will. The Dark Forbidden Zone still stands at the pinnacle of the Immortal Domain, unshaken by anyone." The skeleton recounted the story at length, boundless yearning showing in the depths of his eyes.

"Oh... so there was a hidden secret like that." Understanding dawned on Di Chen. Then the skeleton slowly knelt. "I wish to follow you and serve at your side, Young Master, to repay the kindness of that year. I beg you to take me in!!!"

"You... you... what are you doing?" Looking at the skeleton before him, Di Chen was a little dumbfounded.

Asking him to take in a skeleton-what was this supposed to be...?

"Young Master, I... I'm not an ordinary skeleton. I'm a skeleton at the fifth heaven of the Quasi-Emperor realm!" Hearing Di Chen's hesitation, the skeleton mistakenly thought he was being disdained. His heart sank, and he could not help letting out a wail. "I, Wang Wu, am willing to swear my loyalty to Young Master Di Chen and obey his commands for the rest of my life. Should I break this oath, may I be consigned to eternal damnation."

Immediately afterward, the skeleton swore a blood oath. Should he ever violate it, he would die without a burial place.