"Who are you hiding your true colors, daring to attack people in the shadows? Do you dare to show yourself?" The withered bone master looked around, his expression cold and fierce, and shouted.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Zhen Yue recalled the Golden Light Spirit Sword. With golden light surrounding her, she felt relieved. Her almond-shaped eyes looked hopefully around the courtyard, hoping that Zhao Sheng would come out and fight against the Bone Demon with her.
Zhao Sheng stood in a corner of the courtyard, secretly watching the two Foundation Establishment cultivators. After a slight hesitation, he withdrew his talisman power and appeared in front of the other two.
Seeing that Zhao Sheng was young and had no aura, the withered bone master became more cautious and said coldly, "Who are you? I advise you not to get involved in this mess. If you leave as soon as possible, I will forgive you for your sneak attack earlier."
Zhao Sheng completely ignored the threat from the Bone Master, turned to Zhen Yue, and said loudly, "Fellow Daoist, how about we join forces to deal with this demon first?"
Upon hearing this, Zhen Yue nodded quickly and replied, "What you say is absolutely right, fellow Daoist."
Heh heh!
Seeing that the two people opposite him ignored him, the withered bone master was instantly enraged. He let out a strange laugh and roared, his face fierce, "You two are still too green to take my life!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he glared at Zhao Sheng fiercely, a fierce glint in his eyes, and reached into his robes as if to retrieve something else.
Seeing this, Zhao Sheng didn't have time to explain and immediately shouted to Zhen Yue, "You attack, I'll support!"
After saying that, he immediately threw the three talismans in his hand into the air.
As the talisman turned to ashes, a large rain cloud suddenly condensed above the courtyard, and in the blink of an eye, raindrops carrying the cold glint of sword intent poured down.
Upon seeing this, the Bone Master showed disdain, sneered, and pulled out a thick, dark blue skull in the shape of a pot lid from his robes, throwing it out without a second thought.
With a whoosh, the object swelled to nearly a hundred times its original size, then emitted a shimmering blue light and blocked the view above.
The sounds of "bang" and "bang" rang out one after another. As soon as the rain of swords touched the giant skull, it turned into specks of water, while the skull remained completely undamaged.
"Ha, ha..." The withered skeleton laughed wildly, then pointed at Zhao Sheng. The swirling horde of ghost skeletons immediately split into eight or nine skulls, spewing green flames, and rushed towards Zhao Sheng.
At the same time, a golden sword rainbow roared from the other side, slashing at the waist of the withered bone master.
Although the old demon was fighting two against one, he remained calm and waved his right hand. The remaining group of ghost skeletons immediately rushed towards the sword rainbow and began to fight with the flying sword.
On the other side, Zhao Sheng flicked his wrist and threw out three Frost Blade Talismans. The talismans suddenly exploded, and hundreds of crescent-shaped transparent ice blades, carrying a chilling aura, transformed into a large cloud of icy air, enveloping the charging ghost skeletons.
The green flames collided with the icy air, instantly creating a large cloud of mist, while countless ice blades swirled around the ghost skeleton, annihilating it and slowing its movements considerably.
Zhao Sheng was multitasking and didn't give the withered bone monk a chance to catch his breath. He immediately threw out two more shimmering talismans.
In an instant, two dragon roars rang out in the sky above the courtyard. Two lifelike water dragons, as thick as buckets and entirely green, instantly materialized and pounced on the withered skeleton with astonishing force.
"court death!"
Upon seeing this, the Bone Master's pupils contracted, and after cursing loudly, he immediately formed a hand seal, causing the giant, iron-blue skull to instantly swell by three-tenths of its original size.
But what happened next left the Bone Master dumbfounded.
Two water dragons separated, one wrapping around the skull, while the other swung its tail to connect with the rain clouds above. The dragon's body was quickly soaked by the rain clouds, and its mouth opened wide, spewing out a large spray of transparent, silk-like sword-like threads.
Seeing this, the withered bone master couldn't help but show a look of horror. To exchange talismans for talismans and merge form with meaning, such a profound talismanic secret technique was actually used by a young man, without even showing any signs of strain.
The withered skeleton's face darkened, and with a fierce determination, he saw a single-horned skull in the horde of ghost skeletons explode instantly, and the raging green flames immediately surged like oil poured on a raging fire.
The Bone Master's consciousness surged, and the green flames surrounding the ghost skull suddenly split in half, transforming into a giant fire shield that descended from the sky and landed in front of him.
Bang bang bang!
The giant shield of flames trembled incessantly. As large strands of sword threads pierced the shield's surface, the green flames shrank by more than half, and the shield flickered as if it were about to go out.
Seeing this, Zhen Yue's face lit up with joy. While controlling the golden light spirit sword to break through the ghost skeleton group's obstruction, she took the opportunity to throw out two small golden swords.
The small sword shot out swiftly, transforming into two golden sword lights that skimmed along the ground and viciously slashed towards the legs of the skeleton.
"snort!"
Upon seeing this, the Bone Master's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot, his expression ferocious. He stretched out two fingers of his left hand, put them in his mouth, and bit them off with a ruthless heart. After chewing them haphazardly in his mouth, he suddenly spat out two streams of blood.
A beam of blood suddenly shot into the bodies of the two one-horned demon skeletons, followed by a strange wailing sound, as if they were extremely happy.
The next second, right before the three people's eyes, the two one-horned skulls began to change shape.
With two "whoosh" sounds, the black horn on the skull of the ghost suddenly turned blood red, and two blood flames also emerged from the empty eye sockets.
Then, the monstrous teeth in its large mouth suddenly grew three or four inches longer, with sharp tips and blood flowing down, staining the mouthful of fangs blood-red.
"go"
After the unicorn skull transformed into the blood skull, the withered skeleton felt a sense of relief. He endured the excruciating pain and pointed his crippled left hand at the approaching sword light.
The two blood skulls' eyes blazed with crimson light, and they immediately obeyed, transforming into two streaks of blood-red light that roared down, easily blocking the two sword beams.
With its massive mouth open, the Blood Skull swallowed two flying swords. After opening and closing its mouth a few times, a series of ear-piercing chewing sounds rang out.
Zhen Yue's expression changed drastically, while on the other side, the Blood Skull opened its mouth and spat out golden fragments that fell like rain, instantly creating a dense patch of small holes on the ground.
Seeing how troublesome the Bone Master was, Zhao Sheng frowned slightly and weighed his options.
Zhen Yue appeared to be going all out, but he knew that his opponent must have been holding back.
This was naturally out of wariness towards him.
Zhao Sheng was well aware of the other party's mentality. He himself had not used his full strength, so there was no need to expect others to.
However, countless cultivators are currently searching for this place, and someone could break in at any time.
We can't delay any longer!
Thinking this, Zhao Sheng relaxed his brow, turned his head and gave Zhen Yue a mysterious smile, then suddenly turned and retreated, his figure flashing as he left the courtyard in the blink of an eye.
"They escaped?"
The Bone Master showed a hint of joy, but this joy lasted only a moment before disappearing without a trace.
On the other side, Zhen Yue was furious when she saw Zhao Sheng flee without saying goodbye, but her expression changed drastically.
The old and cunning Master Kugu was quick-witted and understood why Zhao Sheng had suddenly run away.
"Damn it, that kid must have gone to loot all the treasures!"
The skeletal immortal felt a surge of malice, his eyes flashed with a fierce light, and suddenly let out a hissing cry.
Suddenly, the swarm of ghost skeletons turned around, their green flames vanished, and they quickly flew back above his head.
"Little girl, how about we stop? Otherwise, all the treasures will be taken by others!" After putting away the skull, the withered bone master said to Zhen Yue in a vicious voice.
Zhen Yue looked surprised, reached out and tucked a strand of long hair behind her ear, hesitated for a moment, and then recalled the golden spirit sword.
"good!"
Her voice was clear and crisp, with a slight tremor.
The withered bone master nodded, revealing an ugly smile. Then he turned and left, his decisive departure startling Zhen Yue.
But she wouldn't fall behind, so she quickly leaped into the air and followed.
The two chased each other out of the courtyard, circled around for a while, and soon arrived at the backyard.
Zhao Sheng, who had left earlier, stood motionless in the middle of the backyard, staring intently into the main hall, seemingly observing something.
The Bone Master's eyes darted around a few times, barely suppressing his urge to attack. Then, his curiosity piqued, he took a few steps over.
"This is?"
After he saw what was inside the main hall, the Bone Master couldn't help but show a shocked expression.
In the main hall, a charred corpse sat cross-legged on an apricot-yellow futon, with a picture of an old man fishing on a cold river hanging on the wall behind him.
The charred corpse had a large hole in its head, and a fist-sized jade-white spirit bead lay between its knees. Its right hand held a golden scepter about a foot long, while its left hand was broken.
A bright green bamboo basket lay askew on the ground. The basket, though crudely woven, contained a pool of clear water, in which a small fish swam.
This fish is small, only about the length of a palm, but it is crystal clear and its body is covered with a five-colored halo. As it swims, the halo ripples and sways, making it extremely beautiful.
Upon seeing that pool of clear water, even from a great distance, one could smell its enticing fragrance.
"The Five Elements Spirit Fish! There's no mistake, it's definitely this creature. I thought it was extinct, but I didn't expect there to be one alive here. And that water… could it be the legendary Clear Spirit Water?" The Bone Master murmured, his eyes wide open.
Compared to the withered bone master, Zhen Yue stared intently at the jade-white spirit pearl without blinking, her face filled with infatuation.
If she wasn't mistaken, this spirit pearl should be the core of the Bei family mansion. As long as she refined it, she could control this miniature grotto-heaven.
Zhao Sheng was unaware of what the other two were looking at. At this moment, his expression was solemn, his eyes gleaming. He didn't even glance at the charred corpse, nor did he care about the bamboo basket and the spirit pearl or other treasures. Instead, he stared intently at the ancient painting behind the charred corpse.
At this moment, it felt as if nails had grown into his feet, and he dared not take a single step forward.
In his eyes, the ancient painting was surrounded by an extremely dense purplish-black halo, which spread outwards, enveloping not only the charred corpse below but also the entire hall within its influence.
Since his reincarnation, Zhao Sheng had never seen such a dangerous object. He had a premonition that anyone who stepped into its influence would surely die.
The withered bone monk was extremely greedy. He was about to step into the main hall when he suddenly saw Zhao Sheng standing still, and a look of vigilance immediately appeared on his face.
After hesitating for a moment, he glanced at Zhen Yue beside him and did not make a move. Instead, he said coldly, "I don't want anything else. I only want that bamboo basket and what's inside."
Upon hearing this, Zhen Yue snapped out of her reverie, glanced at Zhao Sheng, and decisively said, "I want that spirit pearl!"
After the two men finished expressing their opinions, their gazes both turned to Zhao Sheng.
Zhao Sheng snapped out of his daze, stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, and then nodded, saying, "Now that you've all made your choices, the rest are mine! Any questions?"
The Bone Master immediately replied, "No problem!"
Zhen Yue was only a fraction slower, and echoed, "Okay."
The two answered very readily, which surprised Zhao Sheng. After looking at the bamboo basket and the spirit pearl, he reassessed the true value of these two treasures.
After saying this, the Bone Master was about to rush into the main hall, but unexpectedly a golden sword rainbow flew across the sky and blocked his way.
"Little girl, what are you doing?" The withered bone master turned to look at Zhen Yue with great displeasure.
Zhen Yue smiled and said, "Old man skeleton, you can go in first. First, make a great oath against your inner demons."
With a flick of his long sleeves, the withered sage said sternly, "I have never made any bullshit oaths against inner demons. Little girl, if you cause any more trouble, I might as well fight you again."
At this point, he looked at Zhao Sheng, forced an awkward smile, and said, "Young brother, as long as you don't take sides, that spirit pearl is yours. What do you say?"
Zhen Yue was extremely anxious and immediately shouted to Zhao Sheng, "Don't fall for Lao Mo's trick! He's trying to defeat us one by one!"
Zhao Sheng glanced at the two of them, took a step back, and although he didn't say anything, his meaning was very clear.
Seeing this, the Bone Master smiled smugly and gave Zhao Sheng a satisfied look.
He then threatened Zhen Yue, "Little girl, get out of my way! Otherwise, don't blame me for being ruthless and destroying your beauty!"
Seeing Zhao Sheng's "stupidity," Zhen Yue was in a bad mood, but she knew that she was no match for the Bone Master on her own.
After hesitating for a moment, she reluctantly recalled her spirit sword, and then glared fiercely at Zhao Sheng.
With a hand seal, the skeleton master suddenly dispersed and spewed green flames, forming a green flame skeleton wall that blocked Zhao Sheng and Zhen Yue's path.
Then, he turned around to face the two of them, but his body retreated step by step into the hall.
Zhen Yue watched with great resentment, secretly anxious.
Seeing the withered bone monk's caution, Zhao Sheng couldn't help but let a hint of self-mockery flash through his eyes. But he quickly concealed this strange look, his face remaining calm.
The withered bone master stepped backwards into the doorway and was overjoyed to see that the two men had not actually made a move.
He turned around with lightning speed, grabbed the bamboo basket, and, still not satisfied, waved his hand to plunder the spirit pearl, wanting to put it into his pocket.
Since Zhen Yue could recognize the central core of the Spirit Pearl's cave, the Bone Master naturally recognized it as well.
What he just said was just a cheap trick; he never intended to follow it in the first place.
However, in the moment of his extreme pride, his gaze inadvertently swept over the painting of an old man fishing in the cold river, and in an instant, a transparent fishing line suddenly flew out of the painting, and a golden fishhook flashed and disappeared into his head.
In an instant, the skeleton's eyes became glazed over, and his body froze on the spot.
Bang!
The spirit pearl and the bamboo basket fell to the ground, along with the withered bones and stiff body.
No one could have imagined that a perfectly healthy person would die so suddenly, and so quietly, in such a bizarre and mysterious way.
Not only Zhen Yue, but even Zhao Sheng didn't discover how the Bone Master died.
He was stunned for a moment, then suddenly collapsed to the ground with a thud.
"What...what's going on!" Zhen Yue was terrified when she saw this scene, and she stammered.
Zhao Sheng's eyes lit up.