Chapter 302

Chapter 301

Liu Qingyun and her group headed west.

Once the surrounding skeletons also left, Wen Guangun and the three others were the only ones left by the lake.

Watching Baili Chi and the others leave, Pei Qiyu couldn't help but tsk and sneered, "Running so fast, are they afraid we'll snatch their treasures?"

"It's certain," Su Molan said frankly, "If it comes to a fight, the outcome is unpredictable."

"Who cares!" Pei Qiyu, with his high and proud heart, truly didn't care for those ordinary celestial herbs and treasures.

Thus, this person was unlike any demon cultivator mixed among spirit cultivators; he wasn't cautious at all but rather extremely arrogant, his nature wild and unrestrained, a trait of those bearing the demon seed.

The one most pleased by Baili Chi's departure was Su Xing. It could finally stop hiding and follow Wen Qiao and the others freely.

Wen Qiao fed it a spirit pill and asked, "Su Xing, have you sensed any immortal artifacts?"

Su Xing swallowed the spirit pill and obediently probed the surroundings carefully. Initially, it thought it would be like before, finding nothing, but suddenly it caught a whiff of an unusual aura.

"Wen Sister, I feel it!" It happily spun in mid-air, pointing in a direction, "It's over there, there's the aura of an immortal artifact."

Everyone followed its pointed direction and found it to be the Ten Thousand Bones Flame Land.

To the north of Corpse Lake lay the Ten Thousand Bones Flame Land, where many skeletons heading there walked in that direction.

Wen Qiao immediately decided, "Alright, let's go check it out."

Before leaving, everyone looked back at Corpse Lake behind them. Under the bright moonlight, the dark blue lake surface appeared calm and peaceful, showing no signs of danger.

But thinking about the immortal bones bound at the bottom of the lake, they couldn't help but have more thoughts.

"That immortal bone..." Pei Qiyu hesitated, wanting to say something but stopping.

Ning Yuzhou looked at him and said calmly, "It's not something you can touch now."

"How do you know?" Pei Qiyu clearly wasn't pleased and didn't really respect him.

The demon seed was born from all evils. Although reborn as a human, he had a rebellious nature. There was no one in this world who could make him willingly obey. Yet, for some reason, he always felt inferior to Ning Yuzhou, even though this person's cultivation wasn't as high as his. The skills and presence Ning Yuzhou displayed made him dare not easily offend him.

Because of this, he paid extra attention to this person and was particularly concerned about his actions.

His intuition never failed him; he wouldn't underestimate someone just because their cultivation was lower than his.

A faint smile of contempt escaped Ning Yuzhou's lips, his warm eyes turning cold, his voice calm, "If you don't believe me, try it!"

Such a Ning Yuzhou was unfamiliar not only to Su Molan but even to Wen Qiao, who had been with him for years.

However, Wen Qiao just stood quietly, holding the somewhat uneasy Wen Guangun in her arms and petting the large ball of fluff beside her.

Seeing the tension, Su Molan hesitated for a moment before walking up to Pei Qiyu.

Pei Qiyu looked at her expressionlessly.

Su Molan cleared her throat and said, "Young Master Pei, Young Master Ning is right. Although the immortal bone is valuable, with your current cultivation, you might not be able to contend with it. How about we wait until our cultivation is higher, and I accompany you to retrieve it?"

An immortal bone was not something of the mortal realm; whoever obtained it would gain immense benefits. Moreover, this fallen immortal bone held a greater allure for demon cultivators. It was normal for Pei Qiyu to not want to miss such an opportunity.

"You will accompany me?" He laughed mockingly, "Aren't you afraid my true identity will be exposed, bringing you disaster?"

Su Molan's expression turned cold, her grip on her spirit sword tightening, but her voice remained calm, "Since I chose to travel with you, I am prepared for any consequences! This is my own choice, and whatever the outcome, I will bear the responsibility myself."

Pei Qiyu looked at her coldly, about to retort, when he suddenly saw tears welling up in her eyes.

He panicked instantly, fumbling, "Why are you crying?"

"I'm not."

She lowered her head to wipe away her tears, her voice choked with sobs. The tear that slid down to the tip of her chin was crystal clear, making her look even more pitiful.

Su Xing was furious, jumping up and cursing, "You demon seed are too despicable, making Lanlan cry!"

"I didn't!" Pei Qiyu hurriedly defended, seeing her lower her head in silence, looking very upset.

Su Xing wouldn't let it go, demanding justice for Su Molan and pulling Wen Qiao as a witness, "Wen Sister, you saw it too, right? Wasn't it the demon seed who made Lanlan cry?"

Wen Qiao obligingly nodded, as the scene earlier made it look like Pei Qiyu had forced Su Molan to cry.

With her agreement, Su Xing felt justified in accusing Pei Qiyu.

Pei Qiyu, who had no trace of his previous rebelliousness, now wished he could rip out his heart to give to her.

"Let's go, forget it!" He said roughly, pulling her along.

As they passed by Wen Qiao, Su Molan suddenly looked up and smiled at her, her face completely dry, without a trace of tears.

Wen Qiao understood immediately; this demon cultivator feared nothing but Su Molan's tears. A single unintentional tear had made him lose his temper and abandon the immortal bone.

The four of them flew toward the Ten Thousand Bones Flame Land on their spirit swords.

Pei Qiyu, seemingly fearing Su Molan would shed more tears, led the way, not even glancing back at the other three.

Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou leisurely followed behind, letting him take the lead while chatting.

"Husband, how did the immortal bone become demonic?" Wen Qiao was puzzled.

"Not strange," Ning Yuzhou said slowly, "Everything in the world has a demonic nature, which is actually a reflection of the dark side of the human heart. When the immortal bone sank to the bottom of the lake, it might have accidentally absorbed demonic energy; or perhaps the immortal himself fell into demonic ways and, to prevent becoming a demon, had to remove the demonic bone and seal it, preserving his own self..."

As for which scenario it was, without knowing the situation in the lake, he couldn't determine.

Wen Qiao tilted her head to look at him, "Can immortals also fall into demonic ways?"

Ning Yuzhou smiled at her and said lightly, "Why not? Even gods can fall, let alone immortals."

Upon hearing this, Pei Qiyu turned his head to glance at Ning Yuzhou. His eyes were pitch black, instantly entwined with a few threads of demonic aura, which quickly vanished.

Wen Qiao and Su Molan were clearly stunned by Ning Yuzhou's response, remaining silent for a long time.

They were mere mortals, unsure if they could even touch the realm of immortals, let alone that of gods. To them, it was a very distant matter.

After a while, Su Molan asked softly, "Young Master Ning, where do fallen gods go?"

"I don't know. They might be in the Demon Realm, or perhaps elsewhere."

At this moment, Pei Qiyu also spoke up, "Actually, I'm more curious. Since Corpse Lake is the territory of immortal bones, why can Miss Wen fish out so many things from the lake?"

Everyone looked at him simultaneously, even Star Map, who was perched on Wen Qiao's shoulder, seemed puzzled.

Pei Qiyu's spiritual sword suddenly stopped, and he turned around to stand there, looking at the three people behind him.

This was clearly a test; he was extremely curious about their identities, sensing that they were not as they appeared, perhaps sharing a similar past to his own.

Otherwise, how could Ning Yuzhou, who cultivated alone, know so much, even instinctively guard against him, a reincarnation of a demon seed?

Due to his actions, the others also stopped.

Wen Qiao pursed her lips and stood there coldly, clearly unwilling to acknowledge him.

Ning Yuzhou chuckled and said calmly, "Why should we tell you?"

The refusal was clear and direct, leaving no room for manipulation, making Pei Qiyu both angry and frustrated.

However, compared to his frustration, Su Molan found it somewhat amusing.

She flew forward on her sword, grabbed Pei Qiyu's sleeve, and said, "Let's go, we'll find the immortal artifacts in the Ten Thousand Bone Flame Land!"

Without waiting for his reaction, she pulled him away, causing Pei Qiyu to nearly fall off his flying sword, but he did not resist, allowing her to lead him away obediently.

Seeing how Su Molan had tamed the demon seed, Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou communicated telepathically.

"Husband, does this demon seed need a beating to listen?"

"Who would hit him?" Ning Yuzhou asked with a smile.

"Of course, Su Molan," Wen Qiao said confidently.

By now, she had realized that Pei Qiyu was indeed rebellious by nature. If left unchecked, who knew what he might do in the future? Wouldn't the Human Cultivation Continent be in danger? Though she didn't understand how he ended up under Su Molan's control, having someone to restrain him meant no need to worry about his hidden schemes.

From Su Molan's reaction just now, it was clear she had made a decision, no longer passively observing as before, but taking the initiative.

Ning Yuzhou glanced at the two people ahead, as if he had foreseen this outcome all along.

A demon seed reincarnated actually falling for the last guardian of Star Map, willing to plot life and death for her, was something even the most skilled ancient diviners couldn't have predicted.

Since the four of them formed a team and came to the Primordial Continent, Su Molan and Pei Qiyu had always been in an awkward position. Ning Yuzhou hadn't missed it, nor the deliberate attempts by Pei Qiyu to get closer to Su Molan. He found the demon seed truly foolish.

But what did it have to do with him? It wasn't as if he and Chui had reached this point. For those unimportant to him, Ning Yuzhou never wasted his thoughts.

Pei Qiyu's words earlier, though a test, were meant to force Su Molan to take a stance.

If Su Molan continued to do nothing, still treating him politely and cautiously, Pei Qiyu would likely be depressed again.

Ning Yuzhou didn't respond to this, instead saying, "Does Chui know why only you can fish things out of Corpse Lake?"

"You know?" Wen Qiao looked at him in surprise.

"I have some guesses," Ning Yuzhou said tactfully. "It's probably related to your demonic body."

Because of the presence of a fallen immortal's bones, Corpse Lake contains the power of a fallen immortal, which is neither pure immortal energy nor demonic energy, but something in between, carrying a corrupt and foul aura. Therefore, the spiritual artifacts and celestial treasures from the lower realms cannot come into contact with the lake water, which is why the skeletons disappear instantly upon falling into the lake.

Whether skeletons or cultivators, once they fall into the lake, there is no chance of survival.

Wen Qiuqiu can enter the lake without being affected because it is a spirit beast born to assist immortals. More accurately, it is not a spirit beast from the lower realms; its body contains immortal bones, allowing it to survive freely in both realms.

Although they still haven't figured out what divine bloodline Wen Qiao has awakened, it is undoubtedly of high rank. Otherwise, it wouldn't attract divine trees and divine artifacts, making them mistake her for one of their own.

"The wood-elemental primordial energy released by your demonic body is full of vitality. This vibrant vitality is exactly what counters the corrupt and foul aura. The vitality within the thousand-thread vines you cultivate makes the power of Corpse Lake ineffective against them."

Wen Qiao was very surprised, "Really? Am I that powerful?"

She had always thought that her awakened divine bloodline, besides giving her a demonic body and the ability to cultivate plants, was otherwise useless. She never expected it to be so powerful.

Ning Yuzhou smiled at her and affirmed, "Yes, Chui is very powerful. You should believe in yourself! Look, even the Divine Sound Tree and the spirit of Star Map like you, but they don't like me."

Wen Qiao blushed at his words but felt more joy than embarrassment.

Her face lit up with a radiant smile, her eyes sparkling with confidence, making her instantly likable.

Ning Yuzhou watched her with a smile, and if they weren't on the road, he would have been tempted to scoop the young girl into his arms and cuddle her.

Creating the best environment for her growth, accompanying her as she grows, building her confidence, and letting her shine with her own light... this time, he would present the best of the world to her.

***

The temperature gradually became hotter.

This heat was so intense that cultivators could feel the air dry and almost combustible.

As the four of them approached the Ten Thousand Bone Flame Land, they saw a skeleton covered in red flames sprinting towards them from a distance, accompanied by a series of sharp, cackling screams.

The skeleton danced and ran around, trying to extinguish the flames on its body, but the more it ran, the fiercer the fire burned.

This scene looked inexplicably comical.

Just as Wen Qiao was about to step forward to fetch some water to douse the poor skeleton, she saw it throw itself to the ground and quickly scoop up soil to cover itself, finally extinguishing the fire.

So that’s how it works.

Wen Qiao realized this, leaped down from her flying sword to the ground, grabbed a handful of soil to examine it, and said to the small shi-tie-beast on her shoulder, “Wen Guangun, do you see any difference between this soil and ordinary soil?”

Wen Guangun poked his head out to look and then shook it at her.

Ning Yuzhou and the other two landed on the ground, understanding Wen Qiao’s thoughts.

A fire that could burn even a skeleton must not be an ordinary flame, and if this soil could extinguish such a fire, it must have some suppressive effect on them.

At this moment, the skeleton lying on the ground got up.

Its bones were red, still seeming to emit heat, indicating the damage the fire had done, turning the originally white bones red. The blood-red light in its eye sockets had also dimmed considerably, clearly showing the severe harm it had suffered.

The skeleton, having narrowly escaped death, looked rather dejected. Seeing Wen Qiao and the others, it let out a few weak cackles and then left with its head hanging low.

The four of them couldn’t understand what it was saying and could only watch as it walked away.

At this moment, they couldn’t help but miss Baili Chi; if he were here, they wouldn’t have to worry about not understanding the language of skeletons and having to figure things out on their own.

They looked ahead, where the Ten Thousand Bone Flame Land lay.

On the ground, countless giant bones stood haphazardly, their colors gradually deepening from the edges inward. The outermost parts were white, then light red, pale pink, rose, and so on, as if the deeper the color of the bones, the higher the temperature there.

They flew toward the Ten Thousand Bone Flame Land.

Reaching the edge of the Ten Thousand Bone Flame Land, the four of them landed on the white bones there.

After examining them, they found that these bones were not human, which gave them a bit of a sigh of relief. They had been in the Thirteen Palaces of Dry Bones for so long, and finally, the bones they encountered were no longer human bones.

“These bones resemble those of some fierce beast,” Pei Qiyu mused.

Su Molan wiped the sweat from her face, “It’s really hot here, hotter than the Black Wind Desert.”

“It’s manageable, at least we can use our spiritual energy to resist the heat somewhat,” Wen Qiao was quite satisfied. Her gaze swept over the Ten Thousand Bone Flame Land, and she suddenly noticed some skeletons searching for something within it.

Recalling what Baili Chi had said earlier, these skeletons must be looking for Flame Bones.

They weren’t interested in the bones here; they only wanted to find the location of the immortal artifact.

Wen Qiao asked Su Xing, who was looking around, “Su Xing, do you sense the immortal artifact?”

Su Xing hurriedly replied, “Yes, it’s deep within the Ten Thousand Bone Flame Land.”