Chapter 720 - 188: Is This a Human or an Ancient Fierce Beast?

Chapter 720: Chapter 188: Is This a Human or an Ancient Fierce Beast?

The Wind-Eroded Bone Forest, a dead land forsaken by time and curse.

For years on end, this wasteland has been perpetually shrouded in a gray haze as thick as matted cotton.

This stone forest, located in a corner of the Profound Origin Secret Realm, was unnerving and bizarre in every aspect.

As far as the eye could see, colossal pillars erupted from the ground, forming a grim, dense forest.

The pillars resembled jagged, sharp needles, each one pointing toward the heavens. Their staggered arrangement naturally formed a sprawling labyrinth.

The wind here carried a bone-chilling Evil Qi.

The wind howled relentlessly, yet it could not disperse the viscous, paste-like haze. Instead, it acted like countless invisible blades, carving away at the stone peaks day and night for millennia.

Every towering pillar was covered in wind-worn marks of varying depths, pocked with countless holes as dense as a honeycomb.

In the dim, gloomy light, they resembled twisted, wailing faces of ghosts.

The ground underfoot was a sickly, pale yellow. It was soft and gave off the pungent stench of decay.

White bones were scattered throughout the soil, half-hidden, half-exposed.

A withered finger bone might jut out here, or half a shattered skull might appear there, all silently testifying to a cataclysmic slaughter that once took place.

The mournful wind whistled through the pillars, creating sharp, desolate cries, like the wails of countless wronged souls lamenting in one’s ear.

This stone forest originally had no name. But because the wind sounded like ghosts wailing and the pillars resembled white bones, those who entered this Secret Realm gave it a name that chilled one to the bone: the Wind-Eroded Bone Forest. The name, passed by word of mouth, eventually stuck.

Suddenly—

"AHH—!"

A blood-curdling scream tore through the moaning wind, erupting from deep within the stone forest.

Immediately after, brilliant and dazzling—yet incomparably lethal—flashes of light erupted in the sky above the gloomy stone forest.

It was the brilliant Spiritual Light of clashing Magical Treasures and the spectacular flare of profound Magic spells colliding.

The sound of metal striking metal was like a sudden squall, a relentless clang—the mournful cry of Profound Weapons colliding at high speed.

But the earth-shattering battle began as swiftly as it ended.

Within a few breaths, everything came to an abrupt halt, and silence returned.

The bizarre, unpredictable Wind-Eroded Bone Forest fell once more into a deathly stillness. Only the ancient, gloomy wind continued its mournful wail, as if the vicious battle had never occurred.

TAP... TAP... TAP...

Clear footsteps echoed from the shadows.

The sound was unhurried, its rhythm distinct. Each footfall was like a heavy hammer, striking precisely in the pause between heartbeats.

In the suffocating silence, the footsteps sounded like a countdown to the arrival of death itself, utterly unnerving.

The dust gradually settled in a wide, flat clearing deep within the stone forest.

Hong Mei’er, the Demoness of the Emotional Silk Sect, stood gracefully amidst the gray haze.

She wore a floor-length gown as brilliant as flowing fire, its hem embroidered with twining dark gold patterns. The dress created a stark visual contrast with the drab, deathly gray surroundings.

Her hands were as white as jade, her fingertips lightly twirling a barely perceptible red thread.

The red thread was no inanimate object; it trembled slightly on its own. Bright, glaringly red blood slid slowly down its length, never ceasing.

DRIP.

A droplet of blood fell onto the pale yellow soil, instantly blooming into a glaringly red plum blossom, its beauty macabre in the dead silence.

About ten zhang ahead of Hong Mei’er, leaning against a crumbling stone wall, was Xia Qiu, the prodigy of Sword Heart Island’s younger generation.

At this moment, Xia Qiu had lost all of his former high spirits and youthful vigor.

His right hand desperately gripped his sword, "Broken Water." Its tip was planted in the ground, barely supporting his trembling body.

He clutched his abdomen with his left hand, where his robes were shredded. Blood gushed from between his fingers like a spring, impossible to stanch.

’How can this be...? The difference in our strength is this great...’

Xia Qiu’s face was ashen. Beads of cold sweat trickled down his temples, and his eyes were filled with disbelief, gravity, and resentment.

He was a Sword Dao prodigy, one whom Sword Heart Island had spared no expense in cultivating. He had displayed astonishing talent from a young age, and the entire sect held him in high esteem.

The outside world often compared him to other top figures like Zhang Tianyu of the Zhang Family and Princess Zhaohua from Prince Zhennan’s Mansion.

He harbored an innate pride in his heart. He had intended to use this trip to the Profound Origin Secret Realm to test his mettle against the top prodigies, make a name for himself, and achieve widespread fame.

But he never expected to be defeated before his quest had even truly begun.

He had only just entered the Secret Realm and hadn’t even ventured deep inside when he encountered this Demoness from the Emotional Silk Sect.

What drove him to despair was that he, a master of the Sword Dao who took great pride in his skills, hadn’t even lasted ten exchanges against this seemingly delicate woman before being grievously wounded!

That seemingly fragile red "Emotional Silk" was truly terrifying.

It ignored his layered Sword Qi defenses, slipping through every opening. It was silent, insidious, and as vicious as a striking viper, easily piercing his Protective Primordial Qi. It even penetrated the Middle-Grade Profound Armor he wore, leaving a wound in his abdomen so deep that bone was visible.

Strangest and most terrifying of all, this "Emotional Silk" could actually stir the deepest emotions and desires in his heart.

He found himself completely unable to bring himself to land a killing blow on Hong Mei’er!

Several times, he had found an opening and could have grievously wounded her. But it was as if he were facing his most beloved; not only could he not bring himself to strike, but his chest would be wracked with an agony so intense he wished for death!

It was because of this that he was forced back again and again, ending up in this state before even ten exchanges were complete!

Xia Qiu’s back was pressed against the ice-cold stone wall. His chest heaved violently as he gasped for breath.

His voice was hoarse. "Hong Mei’er... we both came to the Profound Origin Secret Realm for a chance at illusory opportunities and rare mineral veins..."

"If I had found some Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, and you attacked me to seize them, I would understand. I accept the law of the jungle..."

"But we’ve only just entered the Secret Realm! This godforsaken place is barren. We haven’t seen a hint of a Purifying Nightmare Spirit Crystal or a Clear and Muddy Spirit Source. Why attack me so ruthlessly now? What do you possibly gain from this?"