The wooden figure, resembling a giant turtle, carried the three of them on its back, paddling with both hands and feet, struggling to swim across the Forbidden Water.
As they passed through the hazy gray mist, their eyes suddenly widened in astonishment.
Before them stretched a range of mountains, and in the midst of them rose a steep, massive boulder.
The boulder extended for dozens of meters, resembling a colossal elephant in the night.
From the elephant’s head protruded a thick stone pillar, akin to a long trunk, plunging into the Forbidden Water.
“This is the Elephant Stone Mountain, a relic from ancient times. The Grand Preceptor said that the elephant is a sacred symbol in Buddhism…”
“The location of the Elephant Stone is considered an excellent feng shui site, capable of protecting the nation and upholding the law. That’s why the imperial mausoleum was built here…” the wooden figure explained.
Bai Wanmu’s lips twitched slightly: “…This is getting more and more absurd.”
Below the Elephant Stone Mountain stood a magnificent palace built against the mountain, with upturned eaves and dazzling colors.
Hanging beneath the windows and eaves were lanterns made of colored glass, their yellow light reflecting off the green tiles and vermilion walls, creating a scene of resplendent grandeur.
In the center of the palace stood a massive statue, carved directly into the mountain.
It was about four stories tall, with an appearance that was neither entirely Buddhist nor Taoist.
The entire statue was gilded, with a faint smile on its lips, and its enormous hands rested on its chest, forming a meditative mudra.
Its long eyes gazed downward, where a massive lotus-shaped stone platform stood.
In the center of the platform lay a black coffin.
On either side of the platform stood dense rows of figures.
Under the bright light, it was clear that these figures were clad in ancient soldier armor, standing in neat rows, numbering at least several hundred, resembling a well-trained small army.
Even Shan Ren, the monk, couldn’t remain calm at this sight.
He exclaimed in shock, “This… this… Is the Grand Preceptor really planning to rebel?”
It was important to note that Longevity Island was part of the Mian Kingdom.
While a few hundred soldiers might not be significant within the kingdom, in Mian, it could easily constitute a small warlord faction, especially since the Grand Preceptor was skilled in dark arts.
If the kingdom hadn’t intervened to remove this malignant tumor, the Grand Preceptor might have truly caused chaos and established a separatist regime.
However, Shi Pengpeng shook her head: “No…”
The palace, though magnificent, exuded an eerie aura.
The colors of the buildings were too vivid, as if painted with highly saturated pigments, dazzling to the point of being almost blinding.
The army beneath the lotus platform appeared imposing at first glance, but upon closer inspection, their features were stiff, and their expressions were lifeless, far from resembling living beings.
Shi Pengpeng had seen a similar scene not long ago.
At the Zhao family’s gravesite.
However, the array here was even more powerful, making everything appear grander, more realistic, and more intimidating.
Bai Wanmu and Shan Ren, reminded by her, quickly focused their cultivation and used their respective skills to dispel the illusionary magic.
When they looked again, there was no palace or treasure hall.
Apart from the massive evil statue carved into the mountain and the lotus stone platform, the other structures turned out to be nothing more than elaborate paper effigies.
As for the army that stood as if rooted to the spot, they were merely life-sized clay figures.
This magnificent illusion was indeed nothing more than a meticulously adorned grand tomb.
As the wooden figure swam to the shore and the group stepped onto the ground, a deep, thunderous voice echoed from the depths of the mausoleum:
“Guardian Divine Tree, have you captured the intruders?”
The wooden figure glanced guiltily at Shi Pengpeng, who quickly assessed the situation and decided it was best to proceed with caution.
She nodded subtly and mouthed, “Be smart.”
The wooden figure bravely replied, “Yes, Your Majesty, I have captured three people.”
“Three? Who else has breached the barrier?” The voice sounded puzzled, followed by heavy, thudding footsteps.
Shi Pengpeng gave the wooden figure a meaningful look, and it immediately understood, pulling out a few strands of hair and transforming them into ropes to loosely bind the trio’s hands.
The three also suppressed their spiritual energy, pretending to be powerless.
Just as they finished, a massive ghostly figure appeared before them, accompanied by an overwhelming stench of decay.
The trio was caught off guard by the foul odor, nearly gagging.
When they looked up, Shan Ren and Bai Wanmu were horrified.
The so-called ruler of the imperial tomb was a towering, bloated corpse over ten feet tall, its body festering and oozing with pus and blood.
A corpse that rotted yet remained intact such a creature was the most malevolent.
Shi Pengpeng, however, was not surprised.
In fact, she felt a sense of inevitability.
Back in the Zhao family’s burial array, Zhao Jiayao had also transformed into such a rotting corpse ghost.
The rotting corpse ghost approached, first glancing at the wooden figure with suspicion.
“Divine Tree, why do you look so battered?”
“Uh…” The wooden figure forced a nervous smile.
“There were too many bugs in the forest… I think I had an allergic reaction…”
“?” The rotting corpse ghost couldn’t comprehend this but couldn’t imagine that those from the mystical sects could cause such strange physical damage.
It said, “I think it’s that cheap paint you used on yourself. Why would a wooden spirit care so much about appearances?”
The wooden figure: “…”
It seethed with anger but dared not speak.
The rotting corpse ghost ignored the wooden figure’s frustration and turned its gaze to inspect the trio.
Then, its eyes locked onto Shi Pengpeng.
“You are…” The rotting corpse ghost initially couldn’t believe it, squinting its decayed eye sockets to get a closer look.
Suddenly, it burst into laughter.
“Well, well, Shi Pengpeng! It’s really you!”
Bai Wanmu, alarmed, whispered, “Pengpeng, how does it know you?”
Shi Pengpeng stared directly at the rotting corpse ghost and slowly uttered three words: “Zhao Xiwen.”
She had long suspected that Zhao Xiwen’s missing soul was connected to the Longevity Island.
Seeing this familiar scene before her, it was easy to connect the dots.
“You’re quite sharp. Yes, I am Zhao Xiwen.” Zhao Xiwen crouched down, bringing its rotting head close to Shi Pengpeng’s face and deliberately blowing a foul breath at her.
“Tell me, how did you recognize me? Did you know our Zhao family practices the art of creating rotting corpse ghosts?”
Shi Pengpeng suppressed the urge to vomit and coldly asked, “Where is Yan Jing?”
“You’re here to save him?” Zhao Xiwen’s tone grew dangerous.
“So, it was you who truly destroyed our Zhao family’s ancestral tomb, wasn’t it?”
“What?” Shi Pengpeng found this amusing.
“Didn’t you know?”
From the destruction of the Zhao family ancestral graves to Zhao Xiwen’s imprisonment, there was a period of time in between.
Given the Zhao family’s influence at the time, they could have easily traced it back to her if they had been determined enough.
When mentioning this, Zhao Xiwen gnashed his teeth, his tone filled with resentment.
“That Yan guy deliberately erased your whereabouts at the time, making us think he was the sole perpetrator.”
“?”
Yan Jing had never mentioned this to her.
Shi Pengpeng was surprised, and her heart felt as if it had been tugged by something, leaving her with an indescribable feeling.
He was so timid, so afraid of ghosts, how could he have dared…
“All these days, I’ve been dreaming of tearing that Yan guy to pieces, grinding his bones to dust. If it weren’t for the National Preceptor telling me, I wouldn’t have known that he had such a master by his side. But…”
Zhao Xiwen’s tone shifted, and he suddenly laughed.
“If it weren’t for that Yan guy’s clever move, we wouldn’t have discovered that he is actually the ‘Unwithering Bone.’ “
At these words, Bai Wanmu and Shan Ren, who were standing nearby, were both shocked.
“The Unwithering Bone!”
The so-called Unwithering Bone, as the name suggests, is a miraculous bone that does not decay in life or death.
It is said to naturally connect the realms of yin and yang, even capable of reversing life and death.
Whether it’s yang essence or yin spirits, as long as one possesses the Unwithering Bone, they can freely traverse between the two realms, even escaping the control of both.
Even low-level spirits without self-awareness, like the paper effigies at the Zhao family ancestral graves, could be transformed from yin to yang and imbued with spirit through the Unwithering Bone.
This is why, since childhood, wherever Yan Jing went, he would attract yin spirits and ghosts as easily as the flesh of the Tang Monk.
It was also because he experienced too many terrifying things at a young age that he was left with an indelible psychological scar.
“That Yan guy is too good at hiding. An Unwithering Bone could actually escape the notice of the National Preceptor and remain hidden in a place like Xiluo for so long. Should I say he’s incredibly composed, or just too useless?”
Zhao Xiwen shook his head as if in disbelief, his face dripping with pus that splattered everywhere with his movements.
Those who possess the Unwithering Bone are destined to be entangled with yin spirits throughout their lives, almost inevitably walking the path of cultivation.
This bone, capable of reversing yin and yang, is also the best constitution for cultivation.
No matter what they practice, they achieve twice the results with half the effort, and given time, they might even become great masters.
This is why, at first, Zhao Xiwen was easily misled into thinking that the ancestral grave incident was solely Yan Jing’s doing.
After all, if it were the Unwithering Bone, it would make perfect sense.
But later, the National Preceptor’s further investigation surprisingly revealed that Yan Jing had never truly studied any mystical arts and was, in fact, a complete coward.
The CEO of Cat Claw Technology, who usually put on an air of arrogance in public, was actually someone who would get scared walking alone at night.
Instead, it was a seemingly harmless girl who often accompanied Yan Jing who was a graduate of the Twofold Academy and a descendant of a family of celestial masters.
It was entirely thanks to her that Yan Jing managed to survive in Xiluo, a place teeming with yin entities.
“You must have never dreamed that I could make a comeback, right?” Zhao Xiwen said smugly.
In the mortal realm, a strict crackdown is currently underway, with the law being rigorously enforced.
The crimes committed by the Zhao family are too numerous, and there is absolutely no way they can escape legal punishment.
Zhao Xiwen, who has spent his life doing nothing but evil and scheming, finally managed to attain wealth and power, only to see it all go up in smoke.
How could he possibly accept this?
However, the capabilities of Longevity Island far exceed ordinary imagination.
They actually arranged a way for him to escape the mortal realm’s justice by committing suicide and smuggling his soul to the Kingdom of Mian.
According to the National Preceptor’s plan, once Zhao Xiwen’s soul left the country, there would be plenty of people in the Longevity Island compound for him to possess and take over.
He could directly assume a new identity, cleanse himself completely, and then return to the country.
But Zhao Xiwen looked down on ordinary people.
Since he was going to change his identity, he naturally wanted the best.
Yan Jing not only possessed the Unwithering Bone but was also the vice president of Cat’s Paw.
Such a status was worthy of him.
To achieve this, Zhao Xiwen paid a huge price, agreeing to launder all the wealth the Zhao family had accumulated over the years and give it to the National Preceptor.
However, it was all worth it.
The National Preceptor, having received so much money, finally put in his utmost effort and even reluctantly took out his treasured Zigan Sword.
Originally, the National Preceptor had set a spell on the sword, intending to sell it to Yan Jing through an auction and then seize the opportunity to destroy him.
Who would have thought that Yan Jing, that coward, for some reason, backed out at the last moment and gave up on the Zigan Sword?
Fortunately, they had a backup plan and ultimately used the Thousand-Mile Stone to abduct him.
“Shi Pengpeng, I originally planned to take the Unwithering Bone and then settle accounts with you. I didn’t expect that before I could come for you, you’d deliver yourself to me. However, you don’t seem as formidable as others say.”
“You couldn’t even defeat a mere wood spirit.” Zhao Xiwen laughed heartily, then turned to look at the wooden figure, “Well done, Guardian Spirit Tree, you’ve done a great service.”
The wooden figure: “….”
The wooden figure smiled shyly and quickly averted its gaze, humbly saying, “I don’t deserve such praise, I don’t deserve it.”
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