Chapter 198: The Crystal Skull
“Tsk.”
Chen Yin looked around.
…Was that my imagination?
How could there be anyone here?
But that unsettling feeling in his gut intensified.
There was definitely something here.
He took a deep breath and swung his sword, the gentle arc of its blade clearing a path through the dense swarm of insects. The creatures buzzed angrily, as if considering whether to attack.
Chen Yin ignored them, his gaze fixed on the center of the valley.
He could finally make out what was hidden within the swarm of insects.
A skeleton, sitting cross-legged.
Unlike the others, this skeleton’s bones were clean and smooth, gleaming like polished jade.
Its meditative posture radiated a strange sense of serenity, a stark contrast to the surrounding darkness and decay.
A small, golden Gu worm rested within its ribcage, where its dantian would have been.
…That’s it. Chen Yin’s eyes narrowed.
The moment the golden Gu appeared, the surrounding insects went into a frenzy, swarming towards Chen Yin relentlessly.
At the same time, the shattered bones on the ground began to reassemble, forming skeletons that shambled towards him.
“Damn it!”
On the cliff above, the Grand Witch frowned and formed a series of hand seals, a dark green aura emanating from her fingertips, pushing back the insects.
Beside her, the masked man didn’t hesitate and jumped down into the valley.
Chen Yin knew the Mother Gu was threatened and had summoned its protectors. He was about to attack when the masked man landed beside him.
“What are you doing here?”
Chen Yin frowned. “These insects are dangerous. You won’t be able to withstand their poison.”
But the masked man just glanced at him and said coldly,
“…Quiet.”
“I just don’t want you to get to the Ganoderma first.”
Chen Yin almost laughed. He was trying to be helpful, and this was how he was repaid.
He swung his Eternal Light sword. “Then be careful not to die.”
“You too,” the masked man said coldly.
They stood back-to-back, then attacked simultaneously.
The valley was instantly filled with a dazzling display of white and red sword light.
Chen Yin’s swordsmanship was as elegant and effortless as always, deflecting the insects and precisely bisecting any that came too close.
The masked man’s style, however, was different.
His movements were powerful and unrestrained, like a raging inferno, incinerating the insects in his path, leaving a trail of scorched earth.
As they fought, Chen Yin discreetly observed the masked man’s technique.
…As expected.
He quickly looked away, a thoughtful expression on his face.
Fortunately, most of these insects were mindless, relying on their poison and instincts, their intelligence far below that of true spirit beasts.
Their attacks were predictable and easily deflected by their combined swordsmanship.
The real problem was the skeletons.
Mindless and relentless, they would regenerate even after being shattered, their poisonous bones a constant threat.
And there seemed to be an endless supply of them.
Chen Yin patiently advanced, his sword a blur of motion as he dealt with the insects and skeletons.
The masked man, however, wasn’t faring as well.
The miasma in the valley was incredibly dense. After just a few minutes, his movements became sluggish, his swordsmanship less precise. He had clearly inhaled too much of the poison.
Although his face was hidden behind the mask, Chen Yin could tell he was struggling.
Despite the System’s assistance and the numerous antidote pills he had consumed, the masked man couldn’t completely suppress the effects of the poison.
His meridians were sluggish, his mind becoming hazy.
“You’re in danger,” the System warned.
“Shut up,” the masked man gritted his teeth. “Use your ability. Clear a path for him.”
“Then I won’t be able to protect you from the insects—”
“Just do it!”
The System sighed and was about to activate its ability when it suddenly stopped.
A refreshing breeze swept through the valley, and the masked man turned to see a brilliant white sword light approaching.
“Excuse me,” Chen Yin said softly.
He scooped up the masked man and, with a surge of power from the Eternal Light sword, charged towards the crystal skeleton.
“Boom!”
The Grand Witch, who had been watching from the cliff above, gasped as a massive sword energy erupted from the valley.
“Such… powerful sword intent!”
“This sword energy…” Even the System was surprised. “How can someone in this world wield such power?”
The brilliant white light split the valley in two, leaving a deep chasm in its wake.
Even the residual energy was enough to make the insects scatter in fear.
The skeletons, shattered by the blast, couldn’t regenerate fast enough, the lingering sword energy destroying them the moment they reformed.
The masked man was stunned, and Chen Yin, carrying him, leaped across the chasm and landed before the crystal skeleton.
The moment they landed, the masked man pushed him away and scrambled to his feet.
“My apologies,” Chen Yin bowed slightly. “I had no other choice. I hope I didn’t offend you.”
The masked man just stared at him silently, then finally said, “…It’s fine.”
Chen Yin turned his attention to the skeleton.
It was strangely resilient. It had withstood his attack without a scratch, as if his earth-shattering sword strike hadn’t even touched it.
The golden Gu worm within its ribcage seemed to sense the danger and was trembling.
“Is this the Mother Gu?”
Chen Yin glanced at the Grand Witch on the cliff above.
“Wait!” she shouted. “Such a rare Gu worm, I might be able to study it!”
She hesitated for a moment, then jumped down into the valley.
She landed beside Chen Yin and reached out, gently touching the golden Gu worm with her fingertip, a drop of blood oozing from it.
The Gu worm, sensing the scent of blood, eagerly devoured it.
The next moment, the entire valley trembled.
All the skeletons shattered, and the countless insects scattered in terror.
The valley, once teeming with life, was now empty, only bone fragments remaining.
“It’s done.”
The Grand Witch waved her hand, and the golden Gu worm disappeared. She breathed a sigh of relief. “That should take care of it.”
Then she turned to Chen Yin, her voice filled with admiration. “As expected of Immortal Yu Ling’s disciple, that was an incredible display of swordsmanship!”
Chen Yin looked at her, surprised. “You figured out my identity?”
“A leader must always be observant.”
The Grand Witch smiled. “Thanks to you, I’ve obtained such a rare Gu worm.”
Chen Yin shrugged. His identity wasn’t a secret anyway. He hadn’t bothered hiding it.
“It seems inviting you to accompany me was a wise decision.”
“You flatter me. Our friend from Shen Li also contributed.” Chen Yin smiled and glanced at the masked man.
But the masked man just looked away and said coldly, “I didn’t contribute anything. You saved me. I don’t deserve any credit.”
Chen Yin chuckled awkwardly.
“You seemed to be affected by the miasma earlier. Are you alright?”
“I’m fine. I can take care of myself.” He glared at Chen Yin and turned away.
Chen Yin shrugged and turned his attention back to the crystal skeleton.
“Huh?”
The Grand Witch noticed something strange.
The skeleton, still in its meditative posture, was trembling slightly.
A crack appeared on the ground before it, revealing a passage leading downwards.
“An underground chamber?” The Grand Witch said in surprise. “There’s more to this place?”
“Hidden so deep, I imagine the Phantasmal Harmony Ganoderma is down there.”
Chen Yin nodded. “Let’s go take a look.”
The Grand Witch nodded and started down the passage.
The masked figure glanced at Chen Yin, then followed her.
Chen Yin, bringing up the rear, turned and looked back at the crystal skeleton.
…Was it his imagination?
Although the skeleton had no face, its posture…
…seemed familiar.
That strange sense of familiarity he had felt when he first saw the barrier was even stronger now.
The skeleton’s posture…
…resembled the statue he had obtained in the bamboo forest within the Heavenly Path Perilous Domain.
That statue was still in his scroll’s space, and it was after obtaining it that the scroll had gained the ability to absorb Heavenly Dao Fragments.
But he still didn’t know who the statue depicted.
He was about to reach out and examine the skeleton more closely when the Grand Witch’s voice came from the passage below. “Young Master Chen?”
…Forget it. We’ll deal with that later.
Chen Yin shook his head and called out, “Coming.”
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