Divine Root Bone

Scattered around him were grayish-white fragments of top-grade spirit stones. Two Time Jade Essences, having exhausted their essence of time, were now dull and lifeless. Zhang Yang slowly stood up from the pool of blood and rubble.

A seven-zhang-wide pale golden spiritual aura circulated around him like a long river, with endless golden light covering his limbs and bones. Three zhang-wide golden lotus patterns on his feet steadily appeared on the broken stone ground, and clear spiritual light dissipated the surging cold black mist around him.

The hundreds of cultivators remaining in the rear formation were already terrified by the ruthless slaughter by the evil spirits, their minds blank and their heads bowed as they awaited death. The puppets continued to kill them relentlessly, and the wails of agony never ceased in the streets and alleys.

But when everyone caught a glimpse of the golden light rising from the ruins, and saw the tall figure with golden light flowing around him and a lotus flower standing on the ground, the entire place fell silent instantly, followed by an uncontrollable tremor.

"It's Senior Zhang Yang! He...he's not dead!"

"That surge of spiritual energy... is several times stronger than before! Could it be that he just broke through to a higher realm while in dire straits?!"

"Look at the spiritual energy field around him! It's the kind of spiritual field only seen at the third level of Foundation Establishment! He must be at least at the fourth level of Foundation Establishment!"

Su Qingyao's hands, which were tightly gripping the spirit sword, suddenly loosened, and a trace of color returned to her pale face. Her extremely tense mind suddenly relaxed. Lin Wanqing, who was protected by her fellow disciples in the center of the formation, had tears in her eyes. Her fingers, which were tightly gripping her clothes, slowly loosened, and a dim but burning light rekindled in her eyes.

The cultivators who had been scattering and dodging the puppets, not daring to move forward even an inch, all stopped running and dodging. Everyone's eyes were fixed on the golden figure, and the hope for survival that had long been extinguished in their hearts was rekindled and burned fiercely once again.

The despair that had been crushed by the pressure of the Golden Core cultivators had largely dissipated, and countless cultivators whispered their cries, their voices regaining their strength:

"With Senior Zhang Yang here, we still have a way to survive, we still have hope!"

"He's become so much stronger this time; he might be able to break through that protective barrier of his inner energy!"

The black-clad evil spirit clone had already sensed this breakthrough aura and noticed the sudden surge of golden spiritual energy behind it. It stopped its slaughter of the puppets, and its empty, dark eyes slowly turned to Zhang Yang. The three-foot-long, persistent, dark-colored protective shield of its inner energy swirled slightly in the black mist. A playful, mocking smile appeared on its lips, as if it had seen an interesting toy.

"You do have some skill. On the verge of death, you managed to break through several realms in succession, advancing from the second level of Foundation Establishment all the way to the sixth level. That's beyond my expectations. Your innate talent is extraordinary."

Before he finished speaking, Zhang Yang moved, and the light of the lotus pattern under his feet surged. The seven-zhang spiritual field, carrying a vast amount of spiritual energy, rushed forward with him, transforming into a golden torrent that swept across the streets and alleys and rushed straight towards the evil spirits!

This time, he no longer relied solely on his fist strength. All the spiritual energy in his body was gathered at the tip of his fist, and layers of golden light flowed around his body. Before the fist even arrived, a whirlwind of spiritual energy swept in all directions and crashed into the Dan Yuan protective shield.

Bang——! !

The heavy, resounding impact echoed through the old alley once again. This time, the dark ripples caused by the impact spread in layers, three times wider than before. The three-foot-long protective shield of Dan Yuan vibrated violently, and the black mist on the surface undulated, with fleeting, subtle indentations appearing. It was no longer just a ripple without any waves as before.

Upon seeing this, all the cultivators held their breath, their hearts filled with anticipation. Countless people subconsciously gripped their magical artifacts, silently preparing to coordinate a charge at any moment.

But just a moment later, the ripples on the surface of the shield slowly subsided, and the protective energy of the Golden Core Realm remained intact, without a single crack appearing.

Zhang Yang's attack missed, but he used the recoil to flip over in mid-air. His spiritual energy protected his body and absorbed the impact, allowing him to land steadily ten feet away. His arm was slightly numb, but unlike last time, his meridians were not torn and his blood and qi were not surging wildly.

He understood.

The power of a sixth-level Foundation Establishment cultivator is indeed far superior to that of a second-level Foundation Establishment cultivator. It's already capable of shaking the opponent's Core Formation shield, no longer a situation where not even a ripple could be made. However, there is still an insurmountable chasm between the first-level Golden Core cultivator and the sixth-level Foundation Establishment cultivator. The Core Domain defense derived from the Core Core's origin is naturally effective against all Foundation Establishment cultivators; with his current power alone, he still cannot completely penetrate this shield.

"Your strength is barely enough, but unfortunately, it still can't break through my core energy protection." The evil clone chuckled casually, taking a slow step forward. The faint light from its core energy was only released casually, without using its full power. "Last time, one punch knocked you unconscious. This time, I'll play with you a little longer."

As soon as he finished speaking, the evil figure transformed into a black mist afterimage once more, its speed still so fast that even a Foundation Establishment cultivator could not catch it with the naked eye.

Zhang Yang was prepared and immediately activated his seven-zhang spiritual field to completely envelop himself. Golden light intertwined in front of him to form a thick barrier, and he crossed his arms to block.

The next second, the evil clone appeared in front of him. Instead of the deadly punch that had used all its internal energy, it casually threw a side swing punch, carrying a small amount of internal energy, at Zhang Yang's blocking arm.

boom!

The impact was still immense and terrifying, far exceeding the limits that all Foundation Establishment cultivators could withstand. Zhang Yang's spiritual field trembled violently, and large swaths of golden light on his body dissipated. He slid backward uncontrollably for more than ten feet, his feet carving two deep furrows in the bluestone slab.

The excruciating pain spread from his arm throughout his body, and tiny cracks appeared in his veins. A metallic taste rose in his throat, and a mouthful of blood slowly spilled from the corner of his mouth, staining his clothes red. His arms were weak and powerless, but unlike last time, they did not go numb and lose sensation, nor did his bones shatter inch by inch. His injuries were far less severe than before.

The evil spirit did not press its advantage, but stood quietly in place, watching him indifferently through the constantly shaking Dan Yuan protective barrier, as if playing with its prey like a cat playing with a mouse, without any urgency to kill him.

The hope that had just been ignited among the people in the rear ranks suddenly sank, but did not completely dissipate.

Everyone could see it clearly—

Although Zhang Yang was still no match for his opponent and even suffered internal injuries, compared to the previous time when he was punched through several stone walls and fainted on the spot, this time he managed to withstand a casual blow from his opponent and only suffered minor injuries. He was even able to stand firmly on the spot without falling to the ground.

"He's gotten so much stronger! If that attack had been before, he would have been pulverized!"

"At least we can break through their shield and withstand a blow without falling! We still have a chance!"

Su Qingyao blocked the onrushing puppet with her sword and shouted to the surrounding crowd, "Maintain formation! Hold the puppets back! Don't let the puppets and the controlled cultivators divert their energy to attack Zhang Yang!"

Lin Wanqing gazed at the figure not far away, covered in gold dust and bleeding from the corner of his mouth, yet still standing tall. She gripped her longsword tightly, her eyes filled with even stronger hope.

Zhang Yang raised his hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth. The liquefied spiritual energy in his dantian slowly circulated, and the spiritual field gradually gathered again, with the golden light on his body re-condensing. He knew that the gap between himself and the Golden Core evil spirit was still vast, but at this moment, he no longer felt the suffocating helplessness he had felt before.

He raised his eyes and locked onto the black-clad evil spirit in front of him. The brilliant golden light that enveloped the entire spiritual field gathered in his palm once again. Even if he could not break through the defense, he would continue to attack and search for the slightest flaw under the opponent's Dan Yuan shield.

The fierce and protracted battle on the ground remains intense and deadly.

Zhang Yang, at the sixth level of Foundation Establishment, blazed with golden light, relentlessly attacking the Golden Core evil's protective shield. Each strike caused ripples to spread across the three-foot-long black shield, yet he could not completely break through its defenses. He endured the evil's casual attacks with his inner energy, his body constantly retreating, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, and minor injuries to his flesh, but his back remained unbent and his fighting spirit undiminished.

In the ruined alley below, the remaining cultivators held their formation and desperately tried to hold back the endless puppet tide. Everyone's eyes were fixed on the two figures facing each other, one in gold and one in black, as despair and hope intertwined and pulled back and forth.

at the same time.

The entire cemetery behind Shou'an Village was filled with an overwhelming sense of yin energy and a stagnant, corrupting atmosphere. The deathly aura was so thick that it almost materialized, enveloping the earth.

And now!

High in the sky, above the clouds!

A golden streak, almost invisible to the naked eye and incredibly condensed, streaked across the sky at a speed exceeding the limits of heaven and earth, leisurely arriving in the Eastern Region.

Within the flowing light was a mysterious old man with a blurred and ethereal face. The old man had a clear objective: to enter the Black Stone Ridge region and investigate the recent restless and sinister activity there.

But just as they were about to approach the airspace of Blackstone Ridge and reach their landing point—

His cloudy, deep eyes suddenly opened slightly!

A wisp of divine thought, which sees through heaven and earth and comprehends yin and yang, instantly spreads out for hundreds of miles!

"Um?"

A low, surprised sound echoed through the clouds.

The old man's gaze pierced through layers of clouds and mist, through the houses on the ground, through the dark fog, and fell straight down on the old and dilapidated village below.

Although the evil aura of Black Stone Ridge is strong and its mystery is abundant, it is far inferior to this place below!

Before us lies Shou'an Village, an old village hidden on the edge of the western city!

Evil energy is turbid, yin energy is accumulating, death energy is deeply rooted, and evil sources are firmly established!

The sinister atmosphere, the concentration of malevolent energy, and the bizarre layout of this place far exceed those of Black Stone Ridge by several times!

It is a living graveyard and a den of ten thousand puppets, completely assimilated by evil spirits and sealed by death energy!

A faint hint of solemnity flashed across the old man's eyes.

The strange events at Black Stone Ridge were merely a superficial disturbance. The real evil spirits and the true source of the hidden dangers were actually hidden in this neglected old village of Shou'an!

"Evil forces have seized control of the land, and countless puppets have been created... When did such a nascent form of evil emerge in the Southern Region?"

He had intended to continue, but now he had no desire to go to Black Stone Ridge.

Once a decision is made, the course can be changed in an instant!

The golden light suddenly changed course, breaking through layers of high-altitude gales, and swooped down from the clouds with a vast and ancient Daoist aura that suppressed all ages!

Om-!

The golden light faded, the wind stopped, and the clouds calmed.

An ancient and upright figure, exuding an unfathomable aura, silently descended to the top of the tallest old locust tree outside Shou'an Village.

He stood atop the tree, hands behind his back, overlooking the desolate ancient village swallowed by black mist, where a bloody massacre was taking place.

The old man's eyes were calm, taking in all the strangeness and evil.

Shouan Village.

This catastrophic predicament, capable of wiping out the younger generation in the Southern and Eastern Regions and overturning an entire territory,

At this moment, the mysterious old man sent by Zhongzhou to investigate this place finally witnessed it with his own eyes.