Chapter 281: Bones and Sacred Medicine
Chapter 281: Bones and Sacred Medicine
A thought flashed through Cheng Lingyu’s mind, making him grow more curious about the island in the lake’s center.
When the Xuan Star Saint created the teleportation array in the Xuan Star Palace to send everyone here, there must have been a deeper purpose.
The three women—Shui Yingyue, Ye Anlan, and Yunxiu—had rushed ahead first for good reason.
All secrets lay hidden on that blood lake island. What exactly was there?
As stone pillars rose and the lake surface lowered, Cheng Lingyu and Hu Yuer emerged on the water alongside other experts. After scanning their surroundings, the group continued breaking through the trials.
The thirteenth trial marked the first of the final six challenges. Despite improving his cultivation level overnight, Cheng Lingyu struggled bitterly during this trial.
Hu Yuer wore an unusually grave expression for the first time. This trial’s difficulty exceeded expectations—even with her cultivation, she barely passed after half a day of fierce combat. Cheng Lingyu’s situation looked even grimmer.
From dawn till dusk, Cheng Lingyu fought relentlessly using every skill he had mastered, yet couldn’t break through. This made him truly understand the severity of the final six trials.
He cycled through Formation Martial Arts, Soul Domain Avatar, and ultimate skills, but the blood shadow’s heightened awareness blocked all progress.
The thirteenth trial’s blood shadow possessed Blood Martial Fourth Level strength—far surpassing the previous Blood Martial Third Level opponent. Worse, it wore Spirit Armor and wielded blood-tainted spirit weapons matching mid-grade spirit artifacts in power.
Even after deploying the Heavenly Umbrella, Chaotic Soul Splitting Bell, and fish spine spirit artifacts, Cheng Lingyu remained disadvantaged. He finally resorted to the Dreamy Demon Slash’s mental assault to force victory.
As his cultivation level advanced, Cheng Lingyu’s Destruction of Space Divine Thought Wave grew more potent. His Dreamy Magic Eyes also evolved to the Fifth Layer—Illusory Shadow Creation.
This critical Magic Eyes stage allowed him to hijack enemies’ minds, implanting false memories seamlessly blended with real ones. Victims would accept these fabrications as truth without suspicion—a demonic power altering perceptions of reality.
The Magic Eyes’ fifth layer synergized with the Dreamy Thousand Tear Bamboo and Destruction of Space Divine Thought Wave, elevating Cheng Lingyu’s spiritual prowess.
Spirit Communication meant unifying soul and martial arts—the peak of Soul Martial Realm. Though only mid-stage in Spirit Communication, Cheng Lingyu already surpassed ordinary cultivators.
Most cultivators at this stage merely fused spiritual and physical attacks. But Cheng Lingyu discovered something new—the “spirit” in Spirit Communication resonated with void energy.
While absorbing environmental spiritual energy through his Physical Body was common for Soul Martial Realm experts, Cheng Lingyu now directly absorbed it through his Soul, converting it to soul power without intermediaries—a revolutionary breakthrough.
This advancement stemmed from entering the Spirit Communication stage and refining his Destruction of Space Divine Thought Wave.
After shattering the blood shadow’s defenses with mental attacks, Cheng Lingyu cleared the thirteenth trial at dusk, reaching the fourteenth trial. The previous challenger here had already progressed to the Fifteenth Gate.
Hu Yuer stared at the lake’s center, gasping, “Shui Yingyue has reached the Eighteenth Gate!”
After a full day’s struggle, Shui Yingyue had finally conquered the Seventeenth Gate, entering the decisive phase.
Ye Anlan and Yunxiu were still at the Seventeenth Gate, their progress noticeably slower than Shui Yingyue’s.
The other experts’ situations varied. From the Heavenly Palace, Yu Feilong, Li Moru, and Hua Yuehong had reached the Sixteenth Gate. Three experts each from the Jiu Yang Sacred Palace and Heavenly Fire Sect had also entered the Sixteenth Gate.
Experts from the Tianlei Sacred Church and Shanhua Alliance remained at the Fifteenth Gate, while two others were stuck at the fourteenth trial and Thirteenth Gate, unable to advance.
“They’re all fierce. The number of casualties remains low so far,” Cheng Lingyu remarked, his clear eyes carrying a faint smile.
“Not everyone will pass. The final gates will trap most,” he added. As dusk fell, Cheng Lingyu and Hu Yuer didn’t rush to challenge the next trial, instead preparing carefully.
When the Blood Moon rose, stone pillars sank. Cheng Lingyu and Hu Yuer entered the lake, focusing on their cultivation under the scroll’s protection.
Having exhausted himself in the daytime battle, Cheng Lingyu found such intense combat beneficial. This cultivation session became his moment of breakthrough.
Night passed swiftly. Using multiple resources, Cheng Lingyu progressed from mid to late Spirit Communication stage overnight, nearing peak realm.
The fourteenth trial’s difficulty served as ideal training. Cheng Lingyu fought from dawn till dusk without victory, yet didn’t fail.
That day, while many stagnated, some made strides. Ye Anlan and Yunxiu entered the Eighteenth Gate together.
Hua Yuehong broke through the Sixteenth Gate first, abandoning Li Moru and Yu Feilong to reach the Seventeenth Gate.
Bai Ruomei soon followed, entering the Seventeenth Gate alone. This darkened the expression of Heavenly Fire Sect’s Azure Sky Dragon, humiliated by being overtaken.
Among twenty-three experts, the leading five were all women – making the men flush with shame.
Cheng Lingyu watched the five women ahead with complex emotions. Each shared some connection with him, explaining his presence here.
…
In the Blood Moon Wasteland, Lou Ri City’s five experts ventured deeper after a safe night.
Without Zhang Bin, they moved faster, avoiding strange or dangerous zones.
By afternoon, they reached the central area – a dark, eerie region where ghostly shadows and monster kings feasted on cultivators’ flesh even in daylight.
Ahead lay blood-soaked earth with seeping blood water. A skeleton sat atop a blue stone amidst swirling blood mist, forming a deathly scene that deterred approach.
Qiu Yu neared the skeleton, her gaze lingering as emotions flickered in her eyes.
Wan Fang spotted a blood-red stone behind the bones, bearing a three-foot-tall crimson sapling. A snow-white blossom adorned its slender branch.
Feixue gasped, “What’s that?”
The tree glowed as runes exploded mid-air, forming spiritual patterns that rippled with dao remnants.
Tian Yi exclaimed, “This transcends spiritual herbs! It’s at least holy herb grade!”
Fang Mu cried, “A holy herb! Supreme treasure – encountered by chance, not sought!”
Wan Fang whispered, “Many watch but fear the skeleton.”
The wasteland’s dangers had claimed even Spirit Masters. None dared recklessness now.
Tian Yi muttered, “Great risks bring great rewards.”
Fang Mu reasoned, “With Tianlei Sacred Church and Heavenly Fire Sect here, our chances are slim.”
Wan Fang added, “That skeleton’s power is the true unknown.”
Both sects had six Spirit Martial experts each, no Blood Martial members present.
Feixue frowned at their Third Stage experts’ caution. “If they hesitate, we should leave.”
Tian Yi insisted, “Let’s observe first.”
The holy herb’s temptation overwhelmed reason – it promised Spirit Martial experts ascension to Sacred Martial Realm.
Qiu Yu noted, “It’s quasi-sacred herb – one step from completion.”
Fang Mu sighed, “Still priceless enough to spark bloodshed.”
New arrivals came – Shanhua Alliance and Divine Martial Sect.
Shanhua’s five survivors included Charming Pen Spirit Master and Chang Yun. Three Blood Martial companions had perished.
Divine Martial Sect’s six glared at Lou Ri City’s group but held back.
“Quite the gathering,” Charming Pen Spirit Master remarked, eyeing the sapling with interest.
Heavenly Fire Sect’s leader Silver Feather Spirit Master – who’d visited Yunyang City’s Holy Emperor’s underground palace with Charming Pen – watched silently.