Chapter 499: Close Call

Random Recommendation:

Thousand Peaks Forest.

A troop of cultivators climbed to the mountain peak.

The leading Golden Core cultivator, Gao Cuo, could not help but turn back once more, looking towards Azure Sky Mountain.

His deputy said admiringly, "Lord Gao, we have withdrawn from Azure Sky Mountain, and this is the ninth time you've looked back.

"From this, it can be seen that your feelings for Azure Sky Mountain are very profound!"

"Although you have served here for less than half a year, you are already so attached. When the enemy's impending army was reported earlier, you were the first to advocate for holding firm."

"Your bravery and sense of responsibility are evident from this. Alas, we were blind and underestimated you, sir. Since you took office, we have repeatedly feigned compliance while acting against you, which was truly wrong!"

Gao Cuo glanced at his deputy and sighed, "That Azure Sky Mountain was abandoned, I believe, is a huge mistake made by those above!"

"It's a pity that although I am at the Golden Core level, I am not a high-ranking official of Thousand Peaks Forest. I feel utterly helpless."

The deputy hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Lord Gao, according to the orders from above, we were to destroy all lake-bottom crystals before we left."

"But the truth is, you did not do so.

"If the lake-bottom crystals fall into the hands of the enemy, this is a grave offense."

Gao Cuo shook his head, "You can rest assured about this.

"Before I took office, the previous mountain master had already taken away all the empty crystals that could be mined."

"What remains now have not yet formed. If excavated directly, these unformed empty crystals will dissipate instantly."

"Before we left, didn't you witness it with your own eyes?

The deputy and others were convinced by these words and nodded in agreement.

Gao Cuo gazed at the peak of Azure Sky Mountain, asking in his heart, "Senior Sword, our disguise won't be seen through, will it?"

The next moment, a sharp, aged voice echoed in his mind, "Rest assured, the spell I taught you is widely applicable."

"Unless someone as skilled as Chen Fei, sent to Fengping Jian, is present, or possesses unique detection methods, there is almost no possibility of being seen through.

"Even if seen through, very few can penetrate the barrier of the void. The difficulty of excavation within is too high!"

Gao Cuo nodded, "That's good."

"After all, that empty crystal is not ordinary; it secretly hides a邪神骨 (Evil God Bone). It is hidden so deeply that the previous master did not detect it."

"If not for Senior Sword's reminder, I would have missed it as well."

"Once this great battle subsides, we will proceed to extract it."

Senior Sword agreed, "Indeed. This 邪神骨 itself is at the Nascent Soul level, a rare treasure. The 邪神骨髓 (Evil God Marrow) is even at the Soul Transformation level, containing the principles of the void."

"In the future, when you forge your life-bound flying sword and refine this marrow into the sword, even if you are only at the Golden Core level, you can temporarily cross the void physically through the art of Human and Sword Union."

"This is something most Nascent Soul cultivators cannot do!"

Gao Cuo sighed in his heart again, "Alas! It's all the fault of that Du Tiechuan. Of all the places to attack, he just had to send his army to attack here."

"It's also the fault of the alliance of Thousand Peaks Forest for actually ordering a withdrawal."

Gao Cuo shook his head helplessly, turned around, and continued forward.

The next moment, a radiant, bright star light, like a thin thread, descended from the sky, precisely striking the peak of Azure Sky Mountain.

Gao Cuo was greatly startled, "That place is Azure Sky Pond!"

"This level of attack... has reached the Soul Transformation level."

"What on earth is happening?"

"What is happening at Azure Sky Pond?!"

At this instant, Gao Cuo felt a bad premonition in his heart, a sense of emptiness, as if he had lost a treasure that was crucial to his entire life.

An incense stick ago.

Sun Ning and Ning Zhuo unexpectedly arrived at Azure Sky Pond.

Ning Zhuo only saw fragmented empty crystals at the bottom of the lake, but Sun Lingtong discovered a rare formed body.

Ning Zhuo, even with guidance, could not see it.

He tried various detection methods, but none were effective.

"How truly peculiar. Although it's right before my eyes, I can't sense it at all," Ning Zhuo sighed. "Boss,

it seems this object has a connection with you."

"Is that so?" Sun Lingtong rested his head on his hand, smiling playfully.

"My pair of spirit pupils are best at observing treasures."

"Since you can't see it, I will do the digging."

However, no matter how Sun Lingtong employed his methods, various spells, magic artifacts, and so on, when they landed on the surface of the formed empty crystal, they seemed to pass through the air, completely bypassing it.

It was as if this piece of formed empty crystal was merely a dreamlike illusion.

"How strange indeed!" Sun Lingtong was greatly perplexed. "My thieving arts are ineffective. This formed empty crystal is highly unusual, with profound mysteries within. My spirit eyes cannot discern any clues either."

"Darn it."

Sun Lingtong pulled at his hair.

This feeling was truly unbearable for him!

The treasure was right before his eyes, but his means were limited, and he simply couldn't obtain it.

Ning Zhuo, like a blind man with his eyes open, also tried for a while, but without success.

"Then let's withdraw. Lingering here is useless, this is enemy territory after all," Ning Zhuo's mood was quite peaceful.

He persuaded Sun Lingtong, saying, "Boss, since we've already located this place, we can come back to excavate after we become stronger in the future."

"All the other formed empty crystals have been excavated, and this place's secret has only been discovered by you. To this day, I can't detect any abnormality at all."

"Most likely, others are also in the dark."

"If we come back later, this empty crystal will likely still be here."

Sun Lingtong sighed helplessly, "What you say is not without reason.

Ning Zhuo shrugged, "Even if there's no reason, we can't just wait here. Let's go, let's go."

Sun Lingtong dejectedly followed Ning Zhuo.

But the next moment, they saw a star appear in broad daylight!

The Myriad Li Soaring Dragon around Ning Zhuo's waist suddenly lit up with a ball of star light.

Although the star light was not dazzling, it immediately attracted the star light in the clear blue sky.

At the same time, far away in Mu Lun Town, Shuang Ling stood upon the altar, her eyes suddenly wide, revealing a fierce and excited expression, "Finally, finally I have found you!"

"Old Monster in the Stone!!!"

"Dare to take my things, I want you to die!"

Divine Ability Manifestation - Starfall Heavenly Punishment.

The next moment, the star light, like raindrops, condensed into form in the high altitude, and then targeted Ning Zhuo, who was wearing the Myriad Li Soaring Dragon around his waist, and flew down.

The star trail drew a straight line in the high altitude.

Ning Zhuo immediately felt a sense of impending doom!

"Quick, hide inside the Myriad Li Soaring Dragon, we will travel through the void," Sun Lingtong shouted anxiously.

Ning Zhuo also wanted to do this, but just as he was about to move, his mechanism ring suddenly tightened.

Warning!

Ning Zhuo was instantly astonished and suspicious, "Could it be that even if I hide inside the Myriad Li Soaring Dragon, concealed within the void, I will still be killed by this star light?"

In that instant, he had no confidence at all.

Seeing Ning Zhuo stunned, Sun Lingtong was greatly anxious, rushed to his side, grabbed his arm, and was about to drag him into the Myriad Li Soaring Dragon.

But the next moment, Ning Zhuo transmitted a message with his divine sense, informing Sun Lingtong of the ring's warning and his guess.

Sun Lingtong froze in place.

On the distant mountain peak.

The team of cultivators who had been stationed at Azure Sky Mountain were all shocked, watching the star light fall, drawing a straight, thin line.

"What kind of spell is this?"

"Who is the person making the move?!"

"Excellent, we left there in advance. Otherwise, it would be us who suffered the attack."

The cultivators were astonished and suspicious, yet greatly relieved.

Gao Cuo felt empty in his heart, sensing a bad premonition. He immediately informed Senior Sword of this feeling, "I want to go back and take a look!"

Senior Sword immediately refused, "You cannot go!"

"The aura of this star light is suppressed to the extreme, you have greatly underestimated its power."

"Even a hundred of you cannot withstand its might."

Gao Cuo's heart leaped, "What?"

Senior Sword snorted coldly, "Young Gao, you are still too young to see it."

"This attack contains the aura of principle, but it is still a spell, it should be a divine ability manifestation."

"A divine ability manifestation is one thing, the key is that it contains an extremely vast amount of national power from the Two Zhu Kingdom!"

When Gao Cuo heard this, his expression suddenly changed, "What?"

The range within which military power is exerted is near the army.

The range of national power's distant might encompasses the entire kingdom's territory.

Legally, Thousand Peaks Forest is part of the territory of the Two Zhu Kingdom, thus it can be poured and ravaged by the national power of the Two Zhu Kingdom!

At this moment, the threat of death enveloped Ning Zhuo's heart.

Sun Lingtong suddenly let go and no longer bothered with Ning Zhuo. He directly activated the Myriad Li Soaring Dragon and fled into the void.

"Boss!" Ning Zhuo's expression changed.

He knew that Sun Lingtong intended to use the Myriad Li Soaring Dragon to lure the attack away, allowing Ning Zhuo to escape.

However, although the Myriad Li Soaring Dragon left his body, the star light just now had already stained Ning Zhuo's entire body, causing the latter to also scatter rays of star light.

"It's no use." In an instant, Sun Lingtong, piloting the Myriad Li Soaring Dragon, returned to the original spot.

His control technique was much stronger than Ning Zhuo's.

Sun Lingtong's face was pale, and he transmitted a message with his divine sense, "I rushed into the void, but the Myriad Li Soaring Dragon still has star light dissipating. It is still locked onto!"

"I have an extremely strong premonition that this star light can also travel through the void!!"

The void was not safe either.

Ning Zhuo almost forgot to breathe. Under the immense pressure, his thoughts were still swift, as calm as ice and snow.

A flash of inspiration suddenly appeared in his divine sea.

He abruptly turned his head to look at the bottom of Azure Sky Pond. More precisely, the place where only Sun Lingtong could see the adult empty crystal.

"A chance of survival, the only chance of survival!" A strong premonition arose in his heart.

And when he tried to step towards the bottom of the lake, the mechanism ring on his finger suddenly stopped constricting and became still.

This concrete change became a strong proof, instantly invigorating Ning Zhuo!

"Boss, let's hide in that spot!" Ning Zhuo immediately acted,钻进 (burrowing into) the Myriad Li Soaring Dragon.

Their long-standing默契 (tacit understanding) made Sun Lingtong follow Ning Zhuo's suggestion without any thought.

They burrowed into the bottom of the lake, just hiding beneath the formed empty crystal.

Almost simultaneously, the Starfall Heavenly Punishment descended upon the lake surface, directly piercing through the lake water and shooting to the lake bottom.

The formed empty crystal and the Starfall Heavenly Punishment engaged in a confrontation!

There was no explosion, no dazzling glare, and no surging waves of air.

The star line focused on the surface of the empty crystal, emitting a spherical ball of light. The light ball was not brilliant, its brightness only like that of a candle flame.

But Sun Ning and Ning Zhuo's expressions changed greatly.

The alarm in the dragon's head cabin shrieked wildly! The alarm sound was sharper than ever before!!

During the clash of spear and shield, only then did Sun Ning and Ning Zhuo, through the Myriad Li Soaring Dragon, observe the terrifying power contained within the star line.

"The power of the Water element, this familiar taste, it's the national power of the Two Zhu Kingdom!" Ning Zhuo cried out in surprise.

His mouth was dry, his scalp tingled, his heart felt squeezed, and his breathing was obstructed. Crackle, crackle.

Sun Ning and Ning Zhuo's hearts skipped a beat, and they saw cracks appearing on the surface of this empty crystal.

The cracks quickly spread throughout the entire empty crystal!

If the empty crystal couldn't withstand it, Sun Ning and Ning Zhuo would be on the brink of death.

But the next moment, a bone appeared within the empty crystal.

The surface of the gray bone was covered with twisted barbs, exuding a chilling evil intent.

"This is a 邪神骨 (Evil God Bone)!" Sun Lingtong exclaimed, suddenly realizing, "So that's it! This is a severed bone of a Void Evil God, drifting in the void, which fell into Azure Sky Pond on a certain day and eventually hid within this piece of empty crystal, causing wonderful changes."

Based on Sun Lingtong's talent, he could not observe the 邪神骨.

But at this moment, the 邪神骨 was forced to reveal itself, displaying its surging power!

The empty crystal it was in began to show layered images, as if suddenly growing large clusters of empty crystals.

Space violently fluctuated!

"Not good." Sun Ning and Ning Zhuo quickly manipulated the Myriad Li Soaring Dragon, traveling through the void.

Space changed inexplicably, stirring up huge waves. Countless spatial fragments attacked the entire body of the Myriad Li Soaring Dragon, like the cruel torture of Lingchi, slicing it into a thousand pieces!

The national power contained within the Starfall completely erupted.

The star light invaded the space, piercing through that layer of crystal-clear outer shell, and then struck the 邪神骨.

On the surface of the 邪神骨, countless talismans appeared, like snakes or earthworms, bending and缠绕 (entwining).

Ning Zhuo felt a strong sense of dizziness with just one glance. He quickly shifted his gaze.

But Sun Lingtong's eyes widened, attracted by these talismans.

Although the 邪神骨 was mysterious and bizarre, it was ultimately just a遗骨 (遺骨, remains), and was increasingly and deeply infiltrated by the star light.

Crackling.

The 邪神骨 cracked open a fissure.

Space suddenly underwent a violent distortion, and a bone marrow as brilliant as a star flowed out along the fissure.

The star light suddenly intensified, erupting with terrifying brilliance in an instant.

All the national power erupted, bombarding the bone marrow, but was absorbed and contained by countless layers of space.

It was only a few breaths of time, but Sun Ning and Ning Zhuo felt as long as several years!

All the empty crystals disappeared, completely melted by the star light.

The 邪神骨 also melted in the star light, like snow melting under the sun.

Only the bone marrow, as if containing countless diamonds, remained as brilliant as ever, even the star light could not cover it.

The Myriad Li Soaring Dragon suffered the erosion of countless star rays, forming thousands of pinholes.

Space was still violently fluctuating, Sun Ning and Ning Zhuo felt like they were in a tsunami! The Myriad Li Soaring Dragon had already become a broken ship, infinitely close to the verge of falling apart.

Once the Myriad Li Soaring Dragon was destroyed, Sun Ning and Ning Zhuo would be instantly annihilated by the terrifying spatial fluctuations or the star light, and would not even have a chance to scream before death.

The mechanism ring constricted to the extreme, as if it was about to shrink into Ning Zhuo's finger bone.

Sun Lingtong glanced back at Ning Zhuo, gritting his teeth fiercely, "It doesn't matter if I die, Little Zhuo cannot!"

"The bone marrow of the Void Evil God, that is my only chance."

He had no confidence, but could only treat a dead horse as if it were still alive.

Sun Lingtong stretched out his arm, mobilizing a certain imprint in his divine sea.

It was the 空空如也印記 (Empty As Can Be Imprint)!

A miracle happened.

The Evil God marrow received guidance, like a swallow returning to its nest, and 修地 (修地, rapidly) burrowed into the Myriad Li Soaring Dragon, into Sun Lingtong's divine sea, and merged into the Empty As Can Be Imprint.

In an instant, Sun Lingtong's eyes widened, and his head felt like it was going to explode!

His thieving art power surged and skyrocketed!

With sudden inspiration, he used his thieving art to bless the entire Myriad Li Soaring Dragon, and then he personally controlled it.

The Myriad Li Soaring Dragon seemed to come alive, flexibly traveling through the complex and ever-changing, constantly fluctuating void, quickly moving away from the star light and escaping to the heavens.

"B-Boss!" Ning Zhuo was overwhelmed with joy and disbelief.

"You are amazing!"

"How did you do it?!"

Sun Lingtong put his hands on his hips, just about to laugh heartily, but as soon as he opened his mouth, a large stream of blood gushed out.

As the blood spurted, he rolled his eyes and fainted on the spot.