Chapter 492: Half-Immortal Soldier

All they knew was that a battle, no matter where it broke out, could attract them.

Even Gongsun Jie and Sikong Ao, who were in the middle of their fight, stopped at the same time.

Sikong Ao’s power was terrifying, but even he was helpless against a strange and frightening monster like a Void.

Without any hesitation, Sikong Ao dropped Gongsun Jie and turned to run.

The other four Refining Dust masters also leaped up from the ground and hurriedly followed.

Gongsun Jie coughed up a large mouthful of blood with a SPLAT. He scrambled to his feet, clutching his broken arm, bit his lip, and followed the others as well.

But the Void behind them made no discernible movement. Its figure simply dimmed and then vanished.

The next moment, it had already reappeared in front of Sikong Ao, Gongsun Jie, and the others, blocking their path like a colossal pillar that reached the heavens.

Then, a long, ink-black hand slowly reached down.

Startled, Sikong Ao immediately threw a punch upward, roaring, “Break!”

A dazzling golden Fist Gang erupted forth, soaring into the air as if it could shatter space itself, sending ripples across the entire sky.

However, this mighty punch passed straight through the black hand with a soft FIZZ, causing no damage whatsoever.

The black hand was about to reach down and grab Sikong Ao.

Sikong Ao’s eyes narrowed and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. He suddenly struck out with his palm, aiming for Gongsun Jie beside him, intending to shove him forward.

Fortunately, it seemed Gongsun Jie had anticipated this, and he leaped away to dodge the blow.

But the other few Refining Dust masters were not so lucky. Under the force of Sikong Ao’s palm strike, they were sent stumbling forward.

The black hand swept lightly across the ground, grabbing the three Refining Dust masters and lifting them high into the sky.

Then, as the three Refining Dust masters struggled in terror, a series of illusory soul-like shadows were drawn out of their bodies. They floated in the air before slowly drifting into the Void’s mouth.

Suddenly, the three Refining Dust masters went stiff. Bit by bit, they turned to stone, their heads tilted back, mouths agape, and arms outstretched, forever frozen in a state of struggle even in death.

Seeing this, Sikong Ao smiled faintly, then leaped up and landed on a towering ancient tree, coming to a stop.

The others who were fleeing also gradually slowed their pace.

After swallowing the three souls, the Void made no other movements. Its figure simply dimmed and then abruptly vanished.

“What was that?”

Shen Daoxing couldn’t help but look quizzically at Qing Luan, who had stopped up ahead.

Qing Luan explained, “The Voids are very peculiar monsters. They only eat a maximum of three souls each time they appear, and then they vanish. It’s a good thing only one showed up this time. If we had attracted a large swarm of them, I’m afraid many of us here wouldn’t have escaped.”

At that moment.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

Several more figures shot out from the surrounding forest, encircling Sikong Ao.

An furious roar immediately erupted, “Sikong Ao, you venomous bastard! You actually used my Divine Sect’s Stewards as food for the Void!”

The corner of Sikong Ao’s mouth twitched into a disdainful sneer as he looked coldly at the newcomers. “Heh heh heh, just three pieces of trash! If their skills are inferior, they can’t blame me for being ruthless. If they had the ability, they could have used me as food for the Void just the same! What? Not convinced? Then let’s keep fighting!”

As he spoke, Sikong Ao’s gaze swept meaningfully across the group. “Heh heh heh, I’m not afraid of luring those… Voids back. The question is, are you?”

“You…”

The white-haired old man leading the Divine Sect members froze. He looked at the Stewards who had been turned to stone, his face filled with rage, but he didn’t make a move.

Any place with a battle would attract Voids, and the more intense the fight, the more Voids it would draw. Therefore, everyone here had actually been holding back during their fights.

In the end, the group from the Divine Sect did not attack, and Sikong Ao didn’t press the issue either. Although he claimed not to be afraid, in reality, he didn’t want to lure any more Voids.

Soon, the crowd on the ancient tree dispersed. Without fighting again, they melted away into the mountain forest.

Sikong Ao’s lips curled into a disdainful smile. With his hands clasped behind his back, he swaggered forward, leaping from branch to branch on the ancient tree without any attempt to be discreet or hide his presence.

“Let’s go.”

Qing Luan patted Shen Daoxing’s shoulder and pointed toward a certain spot in the forest.

Shen Daoxing nodded and quickly followed, asking with some confusion, “Where are we going next?”

Qing Luan turned back to Shen Daoxing with a mysterious smile, but didn’t answer directly. “Come on, I’m taking you to see something good. Just follow us!”

‘Something good?’

Shen Daoxing’s curiosity was piqued. He watched as Qing Luan carefully led him and Liu Ying deeper and deeper into the mountain forest.

They were extremely cautious along the way, even hiding from other Practitioners they encountered to avoid revealing their tracks.

Finally, the group followed a small river upstream until they reached the peak of a mountain.

Qing Luan pointed to the summit. “Look! Over there!”

Shen Daoxing followed her finger and saw a gigantic white skeleton occupying the entire mountaintop. Its long tail hung down from the peak, reaching all the way to the mountainside.

Its two massive, skeletal claws were clamped tightly onto the rocks of the summit, and its mouth was open in a roar toward the heavens. It looked like some kind of dragon-like monster.

And at the crown of its head, a long Treasure Sword was plunged deep within, having pierced its skull and gone straight into its brain.

Now, however, nothing was left of this Fierce Beast but a stark white skeleton. It seemed to have been slumbering on this mountaintop for a very, very long time—perhaps thousands, or even tens of thousands of years, had passed since the ancient battle that felled it.

But even so, the long Treasure Sword in its forehead still shimmered with a soft light. A single glance gave one the profound sensation of being pulled into it.

With just one look, Shen Daoxing could feel its unfathomable power. It was likely a Magical Artifact left behind by some great power from the Ancient era.

The power required to slay such a colossal Ancient Fierce Beast must have been extraordinary. Without a doubt, this long, Dark Blue Treasure Sword was absolutely comparable to the World Divine Soldiers, and might even have reached the level of a Half-Immortal Soldier.

But at this very moment, a huge nest sat atop the white skeleton.

“CHIRP! CHIRP! CHIRP!”

A series of strange cries rang out.

Three or four young Human-faced Pigeons were nestled in the nest, chirping nonstop with their beaks wide open.

Beside them, a pair of adult Human-faced Pigeons—one male, one female—were holding severed human limbs from who-knows-where, feeding them to the chicks.