After stepping into the spatial vortex, Xiao Yan found himself in a murky, grey-hued space. Immediately, a surging wave of pressure swept toward him. Even with his current strength as a newly advanced Dou Zun, he still felt a slight sense of suffocation under that oppressive force. With a flicker of thought, the Nine Nether Illusion Heart Flame burst forth from his body, completely isolating the pressure around him.
In front of him stretched an endless field of Magic Beast skeletons. Among these bones, even the weakest belonged to a fifth-rank Magic Beast. As for the stronger ones, there was no need to even mention them. What puzzled Xiao Yan the most, however, was that regardless of the strength of these beasts, none of the skeletons contained any magical cores or residual blood essence. It was as if something had forcibly extracted them all.
Xiao Yan flew forward several kilometers until a vast, bottomless blood-red lake came into view. The air around it reeked with an overpowering stench of blood. Beneath the bloody surface, he could vaguely make out submerged beast bones. The entire scene was unnerving.
What caught his eye most were four colossal skeletons positioned at the cardinal points of the blood lake. Unlike the rest, these four were magnitudes larger, with variously colored crystals embedded in their chests—likely the remnants of their magic cores. Sticky blood oozed from their bones and dripped into the lake, making it seem as though the blood pool was formed from their remains.
To the east lay the pitch-black remains of a giant dragon. In the west, a dark golden tiger skeleton crouched, while in the south was what appeared to be a massive bird, complete with crystalline wings that shimmered with dim red light. The Nine Nether Flame inside Xiao Yan surged the moment his eyes landed on that avian skeleton. This reaction made him wonder if the creature might have some connection to the Nine Nether Sparrow clan.
The fourth and final skeleton was perhaps the most well-preserved. Unlike the others, it still had a layer of shell armor covering its frame, making it hard for Xiao Yan to determine its exact origin. Judging by its form, it was likely a turtle-type Magic Beast.
"Could these be... the legendary Four Symbols?" Xiao Yan murmured aloud, astonished. From their scale and alignment—east, west, south, and north—they did resemble the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise of myth.
But he quickly dismissed that idea. These bones radiated an intense killing aura—far too fierce to be considered divine beasts. Still, even if they weren't the Four Symbols themselves, there was likely a deeper connection.
"Huh?" Xiao Yan suddenly noticed that all four massive skulls were bowed, almost reverently. Aside from the turtle-like one covered in armor, the other three clearly had their bones bent forward. It was as if they were kneeling… in worship?
Following the direction of their gaze, Xiao Yan spotted another skeleton, this one perched atop a stone pillar at the center of the blood lake. What stunned him most was that this wasn't a beast—it was a human skeleton!
"How is this possible?" Xiao Yan was shocked. This was supposed to be a graveyard for magical beasts. Why would a human corpse be enshrined here? And more importantly, embedded in the human's chest was a pitch-black greatsword. Just laying eyes on it filled Xiao Yan with an intense unease, a rare feeling even for him.
He cautiously approached the skeleton and studied the sword closely. The greatsword was completely black, forged from a material that was neither metal, wood, nor stone. Strange blood-colored runes were etched along its surface, emitting a vicious aura that seemed capable of annihilating all life under the heavens. Even someone like Xiao Yan, who had slaughtered countless enemies as the Wrathful Demon Saint in his previous life, felt a chill run through his spine.
'What in the world is this weapon? Who was this man that used his own body to guard it?' Xiao Yan's right hand began to tremble involuntarily. The sinister blood-colored runes on the sword seemed to call out to him, pulling at his soul. A powerful urge to draw the blade surged within him.
But he resisted. Relying on his formidable willpower, Xiao Yan forcefully suppressed the compulsion. Just as he started retreating, the sword began to tremble violently. With a loud boom, the skeleton exploded, sending bones scattering in all directions.
The black greatsword transformed into a streak of blood-red light and shot straight at Xiao Yan's head. At the final moment, he raised his hand and caught the blade, stopping it just inches from piercing his skull.
Even with his body protected by the enhanced version of the Glazed Body, the sword's edge cut straight into his palm. As his blood splattered onto the sword, the weapon dissolved into a crimson mist and surged into Xiao Yan's body.
The moment it entered him, a bone-deep chill spread through every corner of his body. The aura of malice within him erupted, and an overwhelming desire to destroy everything around him consumed his mind. An unprecedented killing intent flooded his senses.
At that moment, a terrifying realization struck him: the human skeleton hadn't been killed by the sword. It had been a willing vessel—a living scabbard used to seal this weapon of destruction. If this sword had ever been released into the world, it would have bathed the continent in blood.
'That man... gave up his life to seal this monster.'
Despite the intense bloodlust raging through him, Xiao Yan managed to maintain a sliver of clarity. After all, in his past life, he had reached the threshold of the Dou Di realm. His mental resilience far surpassed ordinary cultivators. Moreover, with his spirit strength already at the Spirit Realm level, he managed to hold on to a thread of reason.
He sat cross-legged immediately and began circulating the Ninefold Spirit Refining Technique. A towering mental construct resembling a spirit-refining pagoda formed around him, enclosing him in layers of soul fire.
This was his way of isolating the corrupted aura and purging the demonic energy from his body. He understood very clearly—if he failed now, the malevolent aura would consume his soul, and he would become nothing more than a mindless slaughterer.
He had faced countless dangers and emerged victorious, but never had a threat come from within himself like this.
Gritting his teeth, Xiao Yan activated the core of the pagoda technique, channeling every ounce of soul flame he had. The spirit tower pulsed with a steady rhythm as the murderous aura within him gradually stabilized.
Still, the presence of the black sword lingered in his body, sealed away—for now. Xiao Yan could sense it coiled deep in his core like a slumbering beast, waiting for its chance to rise again.
'I have to be careful from now on. This thing... it's far too dangerous.'
(End of Chapter)
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