Houqing returned with Mao Tianyun.
Suspicious, Mao Tianyun eyed Houqing and asked, “Houqing, are you hiding something from me?”
“What could I possibly hide from you? You’re overthinking!” Houqing laughed.
Mao Tianyun circled Houqing, filled with doubt.
Houqing suggested, “Since we have plenty of time, how about we have a drink? I know a great place with excellent wine.”
Houqing wanted to buy some time. The longer he could delay, the greater Gu Hai’s danger.
“I have a feeling you’re hiding something from me. You just mentioned going back to report, and now you want to drink? Well, I am not worthy of your drinks!” Mao Tianyun refused firmly.
“I’m really not hiding anything from you. Remember when you asked me about the four zombie lines of inheritance? Find a place, and I’ll tell you all about them!” Houqing tried to persuade the cat again.
“No need. I’ll go ask Houtu!” Mao Tianyun immediately declined.
Saying so, Mao Tianyun flew into the distance. Perhaps because of a cat’s innate sense for danger, it felt something was amiss, and in this case, the source of this feeling was Houqing. Mao Tianyun naturally did not want to follow him.
Houqing watched as Mao Tianyun departed, his brows furrowed. He could only reluctantly follow behind.
Soon, the two arrived at a location amid the clouds. With a flash, they disappeared into the clouds and entered a vast and desolate independent space.
Colorful lights radiated from all directions within the independent space as the power of faith from people all over the flawed immortal firmament gathered at a central hall.
Outside the hall, Longevity and Purple Subtlety sat before a pile of food, devouring it voraciously. Their stomachs seemed bottomless, impossible to fill.
A beautiful woman in a black robe sat in a nearby pavilion shelter. She toyed with several Go stones, smiling somewhat foolishly. It was Long Wanqing, lost in thought as she looked at the Go board, remembering Gu Hai.
Nom! Nom! “Little cat, you’re back! Have you dealt with the situation already?” Longevity exclaimed in surprise while munching on pork trotters.
“I’ve told you so many times, don’t call me little cat; call me Tianyun!” Mao Tianyun narrowed his eyes, feeling uncomfortable.
“Where’s my elder sister?” Houqing asked.
“Houtu? She’s inside the hall, cultivating with Long Wanyu. She’ll come out soon!” Longevity swallowed the meat in his mouth.
“What about Ensnaring Performance? Why hasn’t he returned?” Purple Subtlety asked, biting into a chicken leg.
“He? He’s with his master, that Gu Hai!” Mao Tianyun replied casually.
Houqing wanted to stop the cat, but it was already too late.
Clatter!
Long Wanqing dropped the Go stone in her hand and abruptly turned to look at them.
“What did you say? Gu Hai is here?” Long Wanqing exclaimed with great excitement.
“Yes, if it weren’t for Gu Hai, we wouldn’t have been able to deal with the Bone Deity so easily. The Bone Deity turned out to have reached the consummation of the spiritual souls. However, Gu Hai beheaded him in the end and is currently in a mental clash with him!” Mao Tianyun explained.
“The battle isn’t over? Little cat, you came back without Gu Hai and Ensnaring Performance? You left them there? You-you-you’re too much!” Purple Subtlety jumped to his feet.
Mao Tianyun’s face stiffened. “What do you mean, I’m too much? I wanted to help, but Gu Hai said there was no need!”
Mao Tianyun did not know about Purple Subtlety and Longevity’s relationship with Gu Hai.
After finishing his words, Purple Subtlety let it go. However, Longevity chimed in, “I was blind. I misjudged you. To think you turned out to be such a person—no, you turned out to be such a cat!”
The disdain from Longevity and Purple Subtlety deeply hurt Mao Tianyun.
“What do you mean, ‘such a cat’? Gu Hai didn’t want any help!” Mao Tianyun shouted.
“Yes, Gu Hai said he could handle it himself. Just be patient; he should come over soon!” Houqing said.
“No, I must go over!” Long Wanqing exclaimed excitedly.
Regardless of whether Gu Hai could deal with the Bone Deity, Long Wanqing could not wait any longer. She had to go, and she had to go immediately.
Houqing’s face froze. “Long Wanqing, it’s better not to disturb Gu Hai. He’ll be here soon!”
Houqing tried to block Long Wanqing, seemingly wanting to persuade her.
“Step aside!” Long Wanqing’s face turned stony.
“Long Wanqing, you shouldn’t…” Houqing blocked her.
“I said, step aside!” Long Wanqing’s body suddenly emitted a powerful black aura.
Houqing’s expression changed. He feared that Long Wanqing would alert Long Wanyu and his elder sister.
“Fine!” Houqing stepped aside reluctantly.
Purple Subtlety wiped his mouth and said, “I’m going too!”
“I’m going too!” Longevity also exclaimed excitedly.
“Meow! What’s the point of going?!” Mao Tianyun still felt upset.
Purple Subtlety and Longevity turned their heads and ignored Mao Tianyun.
Long Wanqing waved her hand and flew out of the independent space with Purple Subtlety and Longevity.
Watching the three of them leave, Mao Tianyun felt annoyed. Purple Subtlety and Longevity should have stood on my side, but they actually said that about me?
“Mao Tianyun, forget it. They…,” Houqing said insincerely.
“It’s all your fault! Why did you rush me back? Humph!” Mao Tianyun snorted coldly, ignoring Houqing. Then it stalked toward a nearby hall.
Houqing’s face stiffened. Finally, his gaze turned icy as he looked into the distance.
“Purple Subtlety’s and Longevity’s cultivations are insignificant; only Long Wanqing has reached the consummation of the Upper Heavenly Palace Realm. However, they are facing three consummate Upper Heavenly Palace Realm opponents. Humph! No one can save Gu Hai now!” Houqing sneered.
The bone tomb where Gu Hai was:
As Gu Hai absorbed the Ghost Energy and Void Bone Marrow, the Bone Deity’s head weakened. Numerous cracks appeared on the skull, as if it were weathering away.
The Life Ender Saber had already transformed into Gu Hai’s likeness, but its entire body was made of bone.
Gu Hai was multitasking, absorbing Ghost Energy while continuously splitting off and sending fragments of his consciousness into the Life Ender Saber.
Gu Hai had previously erased the Bone Ancestor’s consciousness from the Life Ender Saber. However, its residual instincts seemed to be attempting to reconstruct its consciousness. He constantly had to wipe away the reconstructed consciousness and replace it with his own.
At this moment, Gu Hai could not afford to divert his attention. He could not even move his body into the Gu’s Immortal Firmament.
It seemed like two Gu Hais sat together, absorbing the energy within the skull.
Boom!
Suddenly, a loud report came from Gu Hai’s true body. A shock wave spread out in all directions.
Gu Hai had extracted nearly all the Ghost Energy. A dark-blue Ghost Energy core formed within the pupil of his heavenly eye.
When the Ghost Energy core appeared, a powerful energy surged through Gu Hai’s body. It was the Ghost Energy that connected with the world, and his cultivation soared once more.
“A Ghost Energy core, the Upper Heavenly Palace Realm’s seventh layer?” The eyes of Gu Hai’s true body lit up.
There was some surplus Ghost Energy, but the remaining amount was insufficient to condense a beam of Divinity Destroying Light.
Meanwhile, the skeleton clone was also on the verge of extracting all the Void Bone Marrow. At this moment, the resistance from the skeleton clone intensified. Gu Hai could not delay; he exerted greater effort to suppress the newly formed consciousness. Most of his consciousness was devoted to refining the clone.
The Bone Deity was already a thing of the past. It decayed rapidly.
“Bone Ancestor. Hahahaha! You are still as cruel as before, not even giving me a chance to plead for mercy. I cannot survive this, but you can forget about benefiting from this. I’ll go down with you!” the Bone Deity roared in despair.
Gu Hai ignored the Bone Deity. Go down with me? Had you chosen to self-detonate at the start, you might have achieved it. However, your energy is nearly drained, and you still want to go down with me? What a pipe dream!
“With the Six Paths Immortal Firmament as my witness, I—the Bone Deity—curse you with my final breath. May I never be reincarnated, doomed to eternal damnation to become the origin of the curse. Transmit my message to Heaven: Six Paths Immortal, using the Yellow Springs Sea as the entrance, I am now in your Holy Heavens Immortal Firmament. The Bone Ancestor came back to life and is brewing a plan to oppose Heaven! Six Paths Immortal, come and eradicate the rebel!” the Bone Deity howled in despair.
“You bastard!” Gu Hai’s expression suddenly changed.
Crack!
However, the Bone Deity had already exhausted himself. His soul turned into the source of the curse and instantly scattered, disappearing into thin air. The skull also turned into powder.
All the Void Bone Marrow entered the skeleton clone formed by the Life Ender Saber.
During this final stage, Gu Hai could not move at all. He could not relax for even a moment. Unexpectedly, the Bone Deity issued a curse.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
Gu Hai did his best to refine the skeleton clone.
At the same time, the Bone Deity’s ghostly voice mysteriously vanished. It traveled from where the Bone Deity was, traversed the vast sea, passed through the Yellow Springs Road, and reached the Six Paths Immortal Firmament. It then emerged from the Yellow Springs Sea, pierced through the heavens, and vanished again.
“Six Paths Immortal, using the Yellow Springs Sea as the entrance, I am now in your Holy Heavens Immortal Firmament. The Bone Ancestor came back to life and is brewing a plan to oppose Heaven! Six Paths Immortal, come and eradicate the rebel!”
The ghostly voice reached the most secretive place of the Six Paths Immortal Firmament.
Roiling dark clouds suddenly covered the sky above the Yellow Springs Sea. Then a massive crack emerged in the dark clouds.
Buzz!
Heaven’s vast eye appeared in the crack.
Upon hearing the Bone Deity’s voice, the Six Paths Immortal opened his heavenly eye, directing his gaze towards the Yellow Springs Sea.
In that instant, all beings—living and dead—knelt at the Immortal’s approach.
The flawed immortal firmament:
Gu Hai desperately refined the skeleton clone. At this moment, he could not afford to stop. If he stopped, the newly formed consciousness of the Life Ender Saber might enter his mind and harm him.
“Faster, faster! Once the Six Paths Immortal arrives, it will be disastrous. It’s not the Bone Ancestor here but Wanyu. Wanyu will be in danger!” Gu Hai muttered anxiously.
Heaven Cang’s rib? Heaven Cang’s reincarnation? Which would be more important?
If I don’t hurry, the Six Paths Immortal will take us all down in one fell sweep.
As the saying went, trouble never came in singles.
As Gu Hai desperately refined the skeleton clone, a black-robed figure appeared on a nearby mountain peak.
“Hah! Gu Hai, it seems Houqing also hopes for your death. To think he told Mao Tianyun to leave first despite noticing my arrival!” The figure’s voice was ice-cold.
The ten sect masters, Ensnaring Performance, the Mosquito Daoist, Long Shenying, and the Unborn Man suddenly raised their guard.
“You are…the Heavenly Demon Holy Land’s ninth-ranked peak master? The Azalea Heavenly Demon?” The Mosquito Daoist’s face suddenly changed.
The Azalea Heavenly Demon, a consummate Upper Heavenly Palace Realm cultivator?
