Chapter 706 707: Going for the Kill

What Ye Xuan stepped on was a bone as thick as an arm. The skeleton had been here for an unknown number of years, becoming so fragile that it had nearly rotted and fused with the soil. That was why it shattered under Ye Xuan's light step.

A thought immediately occurred to Ye Xuan. The skeleton had clearly been buried here for a very long time. Perhaps there was something on it that could reveal his whereabouts.

At this thought, Ye Xuan immediately released his Profound Sense.

His intention was merely to check if there was anything on the skeleton, but after his Profound Sense swept completely over it, an expression of utter shock appeared on his face.

The skeleton below was immense, a full seven or eight meters tall. It didn't look like a human skeleton at all. What Ye Xuan had thought was an arm was, in fact, just one of its finger bones.

He jumped in shock. 'What kind of monster is this?' If it was a Demon Beast, its skeletal structure was identical to a human's. But if it was human, this was the first time Ye Xuan had ever seen one that was seven or eight meters tall.

Furthermore, its bones contained a very peculiar aura. It wasn't like human Profound; instead, it was somewhat similar to the aura from that pangolin.

'I've heard that in ancient times, there were many races on the Celestial Profound Continent. Could this skeleton be the remains of one of those other races?'

Ye Xuan considered a possibility. In ancient times, the Celestial Profound Continent had been home to many different peoples. The Giant Race, the High Mountain Race, and others like them were said to have been common. Perhaps this skeleton belonged to an expert from one of those races.

Ye Xuan didn't particularly care what race it was from. He just wanted to know if there was anything near the skeleton that could tell him where he was. Unfortunately, though he searched for a long time, there was nothing but dark soil.

'Forget it. I'll just collect this black flower first.'

Ye Xuan sighed and reached for the black flower. But the moment his hand made contact, the ghost-faced flower instantly dissolved into a wisp of black gas and surged into his mind.

"When the cosmos began, the Great Demon shall rise! I am Zhengqi, an Abyss Demon Demon General! The Heavenly Dao is unjust! Why destroy my people?! I will not accept it! I will not accept it! I will not accept it…"

A magnificent, domineering voice echoed in Ye Xuan's mind. He felt his mind jolt, and the black mist transformed into a scene that unfolded before his mental eye.

Upon a boundless, black wasteland, countless meteorites fell from the sky. The earth cracked open, volcanoes erupted, and all manner of apocalyptic scenes unfolded. Amidst a churning, endless sea of fire, a seven-to-eight-meter-tall black figure tilted its head back and roared in fury.

He was clad in black armor, with tendrils of black Demonic Qi swirling around his body. With every gesture, he seemed to make the heavens and the earth collapse. His terrifying might was enough to destroy the world.

'An Abyss Demon Demon General… What is that?' Ye Xuan was utterly shaken. The power of this black Demon General was earth-shattering. Even at the peak of his previous life, he couldn't have begun to compare. 'Could it be a legendary Saint Realm expert?'

'This is bad!'

Just as Ye Xuan was completely immersed in the shocking vision, a warning suddenly flared in his mind. He realized with horror that he was trapped, unable to pull himself out of the scene.

Scared out of his wits, Ye Xuan let out a mental roar. The vision in his mind instantly shattered. He then saw a stream of black gas rapidly closing in on his soul, radiating a tyrannical aura.

Ye Xuan immediately deployed his Profound and Soul Power to block the black stream. To his dismay, he found that they couldn't hinder it in the slightest.

Ye Xuan's heart sank. He didn't know what this black aura was, but judging by the tyrannical energy it emanated, it was definitely dangerous. If it managed to entangle his soul, he would die instantly.

Moreover, Ye Xuan vaguely sensed that this black gas was somewhat similar to what he'd experienced when Zhan Shang of the Soul-devouring Race tried to possess him back in Ancient Yang City.

The thought of Zhan Shang's possession attempt gave Ye Xuan an idea. Without a moment's hesitation, he released his Devouring Martial Soul. The majestic martial soul immediately conjured a vortex that lunged toward the black gas and swallowed it whole.

What Ye Xuan hadn't expected was for the Devouring Martial Soul to absorb the black gas completely in an instant. A feeling of satiation emanated from his martial soul, as if it had just consumed a powerful tonic.

Ye Xuan finally let out a sigh of relief. At the same time, he noticed that the black flower had been growing right out of the top of the skeleton's skull.

HISS!

Ye Xuan sucked in a sharp breath. This confirmed his suspicion that the black gas had been trying to possess him. Even if that wasn't its goal, he would surely be dead by now if not for his Devouring Martial Soul.

Not daring to linger, Ye Xuan transformed into a streak of light and shot away from the hills.

Not long after he left, the pangolin underground sent him a sudden warning. At the same time, faint tremors and low roars sounded from nearby.

'Is a pack of beasts approaching?'

Ye Xuan tensed. This mysterious land was crawling with powerful Demon Beasts, many of which posed a threat to him. If his luck ran out and he encountered a truly strong one, his life would be on the line.

SWOOSH!

Ye Xuan drifted down behind a slope, his eyes fixed on the direction of the commotion.

BOOM!

Several miles ahead, a black Earth Dragon appeared. The Demon Beast was nearly ten meters long, its body like black steel and its eyes glowing like dim red lanterns, giving it an extremely domineering appearance.

'Whew! It's just one of those.'

Ye Xuan couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief. He had encountered and fought an Earth Dragon Demon Beast before. They looked majestic and domineering, but their actual combat power wasn't all that impressive—only equivalent to an ordinary Tier Eight First Layer Martial Emperor.

Just as Ye Xuan was about to reveal himself, he realized something was wrong. The Earth Dragon was not charging, but fleeing in a panic, its body splattered with blood as if it were injured.

"Haha! I don't know what species this Demon Beast is, but its offense is mediocre while its defense is solid. I wonder if it has a Demon Pill or a Demon Core inside? We could probably sell it for a good price. And this Scale Armor must be a High Tier material!"

Three men came flying through the air from behind it. They were of various ages; the oldest appeared to be in his forties or fifties, while the youngest was around thirty. They were relentlessly pursuing and attacking the Earth Dragon.

There were people here.

Ye Xuan was astonished. These three were clearly not from the major factions that had entered this place with him. The strongest among them was merely at the Tier Seven Triple Peak, while the weakest—the man of about thirty—was still at the Peak of Tier Seven Second Layer.

'A Martial King at the Peak of Tier Seven Second Layer at such a young age… Where did a genius like that come from?'

As Ye Xuan's gaze swept over the three men, his heart tightened.

He could tell with a single glance that they were human Martial Artists, just like himself. But besides the major factions that had entered the chaotic space, when had other Martial Artists arrived here?

Ye Xuan's mind filled with questions. 'Did I pass through the chaotic space only to arrive at some sort of training ground?'

If that were the case, wouldn't the so-called expedition painstakingly mounted by major powers like the Celestial Capital Prefecture and Liuxian City be nothing more than a joke?

But then he recalled the terrifying King of Gravel, the dense forest teeming with Spirit Medicine, and the frightening skeleton from before. He had a feeling this place was not so simple.

'What exactly is going on?'

Ye Xuan was plagued by doubt.

While Ye Xuan was still reeling in shock, the three Martial Artists had already surrounded the Earth Dragon. They assailed it with a relentless barrage of attacks, beating it down so thoroughly that it couldn't even fight back.

Ye Xuan watched from afar, inwardly awed.

Although the Earth Dragon's strength wasn't exceptional, it still had combat power comparable to a Tier Eight First Layer expert. For it to be beaten so helplessly by three Tier Seven Martial Kings was completely beyond Ye Xuan's expectations.

He watched as the two Tier Seven Triple Peak Martial Kings unleashed their attacks. Every strike landed with an astonishing BOOM. Though their tier was not high, their combat power was definitely comparable to a Tier Eight First Layer Martial Emperor like Elder Tianyi of the Profound Mystery Sect.

As for the young man at the Peak of Tier Seven Second Layer, his combat strength was also extraordinary; he could absolutely trade a few blows with an ordinary Tier Eight First Layer Martial Emperor.

The three of them coordinated their attacks, and after about fifteen minutes, the Earth Dragon let out a final, wretched scream and died.

The trio cut open the beast's corpse, dug out a pitch-black Demon Pill, and smiled with satisfaction.

Seeing the three turn to leave, Ye Xuan hurriedly stepped out from his hiding place.

He had finally found other people; how could he let them just walk away?

"Who's there?"

Ye Xuan hadn't intended to hide. The moment he stood, the middle-aged man leading the group sensed him. The man's sharp, hawk-like eyes glinted coldly as they locked onto the slope where Ye Xuan stood.

"Gentlemen…"

Ye Xuan cupped his fists and was about to speak when the expression of the group's leader changed. "Well, well, kid," the middle-aged man spat angrily. "We worked our butts off to kill this Demon Beast, only to find you hiding here in the shadows. Were you hoping to swoop in and snatch the prize?"

The younger man sneered. "He was hiding here, so he's obviously up to no good. Why waste breath on him? Let's just kill him and get it over with."

As soon as the words left his mouth, the three of them moved. Without giving Ye Xuan any chance to explain, their figures blurred as they launched their attack.

BOOM-CRACK!

A sword light flared. A brilliant beam of sword energy, like a shooting star at dusk, shot instantly toward Ye Xuan.

Ye Xuan's expression changed as he instantly retreated. With a BOOM, the sword beam carved a deep gash into the ground where he had stood. The terrifying power behind the strike secretly infuriated him.

'They're attacking with such viciousness; they're clearly trying to kill me.' He hadn't even finished a sentence, and they had already tried to execute him. 'How utterly tyrannical!'

"Oh? He actually dodged my attack." The middle-aged leader's gaze narrowed slightly.