The atmosphere in the palace instantly changed the moment this youth got here.
“You’re wounded.” The heretical king carefully looked at him. [1]
“It’s minor, nothing serious.” The silver-masked youth answered.
“Since the young lord is asking on your behalf, you may keep your head for now.” The king pondered for a moment before waving his hand. The man in black armor let go of Bi Qiu and returned to his side.
Bi Qiu heaved a sigh of relief, thinking that the young lord got back just in time. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be just him, the rest of his clan would suffer too.
“Thank you, Heretical King, for sparing me. My life is both yours and the young lord’s.” he was filled with gratitude towards the youth.
Having said that, he returned to his position. Many of the heretics here became disappointed but they didn’t show anything outwardly.
The heretical king was dangerous to be around, this goes for the young lord too. Who would dare to speak up against Bi Qiu now after he just got spared?
“Feiyun’s explosive battle abilities might have something to do with the legendary Yama.” The youth said.
The heretics present shuddered after hearing this name. They recalled the many legends about him.
“Yama? Who’s that?” The king frowned.
“Yama is a corpse taken from a Heaven’s Ascension grave by the ancestors of Violetsea Corpse Cave. The actual excavation date is impossible to trace, but Yama became notorious to the rest of the world 1,500 years ago. People found out about its existence then while you were already in Bronze Cauldron Mountain and naturally wouldn’t know about it.”
The king became interested, a very rare feeling for someone at his cultivation level: “A mere corpse gained that much fame? How amusing.”
“One drop of its corrosive blood could kill a Giant. It’s a horrifying existence even after death.”
The heretical king’s expression slightly changed. He looked at the paled members in the crowd and could tell that they knew about Yama’s legends.
A drop of blood capable of killing a Giant? That’s quite something.
“So what’s the relationship between this Yama and Feng Feiyun?” He asked.
“Several years ago, a brilliant historical genius appeared in Wanxiang Pagoda. During his Earth Tribulation, he invited thirteen waves of lava and was considered the greatest prodigy in the history of Jin. He successfully surpassed this tribulation but was ambushed by Violetsea Corpse Cave with a drop of Yama’s blood. Someone like him at the first level of Heaven’s Mandate should have died for certain. However, people found that he is still alive and well, only becoming stronger.” The masked youth elaborated.
“This genius is Feng Feiyun?”
“It is bizarre that this blood couldn’t kill Feng Feiyun. I suspect that he had obtained Yama’s legacy or fused with a part of the corpse. Thus, he borrowed its power during perilous moments.” The youth guessed.
“Yama…” The king spoke before closing his old eyes to calculate. After a while, he could only see the little details, unable to figure out Yama’s identity.
Because of this, he felt that Yama’s corpse was very important, perhaps on the same level as the Golden Silkworm Scripture.
The lips of an old man standing below slightly quivered. He seemed to have something to say.
“First Hall Lord, you have something to say?” The heretical king naturally noticed.
Senluo Temple united the ten halls again with impeccable speed. It kept the original titles but all the lords were under the heretical king now.
These ten lords had the highest authority when not counting the king, the young king, and the four walkers. Each was mighty and could reign over a large domain.
Some of them were just as strong as the walkers.
The first lord walked forward with a mystical glow in his eyes. His steps had an orderly and mystical rhythm. He didn’t seem to be intimidated before the king: “Your Excellency, the first hall participated in the competition for Yama’s corpse 1,500 years ago. We obtained three ribs.”
The members exchanged glances. Who would have thought that they actually have parts of this legendary being of evil?
The three ribs were quickly taken out of their seal and brought to the palace. A chilling and nefarious presence engulfed the area. Even these lords who have cultivated heretical arts became afraid.
They were stored in three bronze coffins. The moment one of them was opened, an evil energy in the form of black clouds billowed outward. They condensed into a black shadow and sucked in two heretics nearby.
The two of them were half-step Giants but couldn’t defend themselves at all. They were drained and dried as a stick.
“Hmph!” The heretical king also shot out an evil energy.
It destroyed the black shadow so the two half-steps fell to the ground. Half of their flesh has been devoured so they became skin only with numerous wrinkles - even more decrepit than a dying old man.
The rest became frightened after seeing their current state and retreated backward, not daring to stay close to that coffin.
The king reached through space with one hand and searched inside the coffin. He grabbed a pitch-black bone from it. It had a black miasma that resembles an all-devouring black hole.
He closed his eyes for the second time and quickly got a result from divination. His old eyes illuminated the entire area from this revelation: “So this is the destroyer of Buddhism’s golden age, an extremely monstrous being. If I use his bones to train my heretical laws, I can reach an even higher level while staying in Jin.”
He put the rib back in the coffin and said: “Send my orders, gather the bones of Yama at all cost. Feiyun should have one as well, take that one back first.”
***
Feiyun had no strength left in his body, evident by his pale complexion. He couldn’t muster spirit energy in his dantian either.
Any first-level Heaven’s Mandate cultivator could take him down right now. He wanted to fall down for a nap but also knew that he absolutely shouldn't.
So many pursuers have arrived in Endless Land. Lingering around would allow them to catch up.
Though they couldn’t calculate his exact location, they could find clues about his escaping path. Being captured meant death.
Moreover, fierce beasts were everywhere too. He would be swallowed by a serpent, an alligator, a wolf or any other beast right away if he were to sleep. That’s an even more regrettable way to go.
Nevertheless, he still had the aura from the Myriad Beast Physique and could intimidate ordinary beasts. They didn’t dare to get close to him right now, but if he were to be unconscious? That’s another story.
Three beasts have been prowling near him. A flame tiger, four meters tall and eight meters wide. A faint flame existed on its head.
The second was a black vulture with a wingspan of ten meters. It has been hovering on top of him and would definitely be the first to take a bite once he falls.
The third was a seven-meter-long constrictor, thicker than a basin. It left behind corrosive marks on its path. Just one puff from it made the trees nearby turn black and wither.
‘What a sorry state I’m in, even three regular beasts want to eat me.’ He held his weapon essence vigilantly while cutting through the thorns and branches in this forest.
Alas, he lost more strength before nightfall. His eyelids became heavy; he nearly dropped his weapon essence several times.
He had to stop and sat down on the wet grass before swallowing a spirit pill.
The three beasts were one hundred feet away from him. They got closer until they saw him opening his eyes and immediately retreated.
“A great price for great power, the evil energy in my soul is too strong. Even though you have a demonic bloodline and have somehow created two phoenix bones, you still can’t handle this pure evil energy. Your meridians and bloodlines are grievously injured. Eating spirit pills will still take three months or so for a full recovery. This is already optimistic and has something to do with your special constitution. Even a ninth-level Giant would be dead right now if they had accepted my power into their body as you did.” Yama said.
The spirit pill didn’t have that much effect. He was still as weak as before and felt pain all over.
‘I can’t wait for three months, only three days at best! The pursuers from the big sect will definitely find my marks, I’ll be dead once they get here.’ Feiyun tried his best to remove all traces but this wasn’t enough to trick the real masters.
He needed to be at full strength in order to do so successfully, going as far as leaving nothing behind.