Starting as the heir of a marquis's mansion, I gained access to a summoning system.

The footsteps were unhurried, one after another, treading on the dark golden bone wall, carrying a sticky sensation that made one's teeth ache.

Dongfang Weiwo shielded Lin Xiaoman behind him, the marrow fire on his dark gold longsword illuminating the area within several feet. The bone wall reflected everyone's shadows, like a group of twisted human figures writhing on the wall. Wu Wudi had already reached the front, his broken sword held horizontally in front of his chest, his tattered shirt soaked with sweat and blood, but his eyes still shone with a frightening light.

"Here it comes," he said.

Something emerged from the depths of the tunnel.

It used to be a person.

Two legs, two arms, a head—the outlines were all correct. But all its skin had been peeled away, revealing dark red muscles and grayish-white periosteum. A thin layer of dark golden liquid covered the muscles, flowing slowly through its body like some kind of living bone marrow. Its right arm was exceptionally thick, nearly twice as thick as its left, its muscles riddled with countless pores, each containing extremely fine bone spurs that were constantly expanding and contracting.

Its face no longer had any features, only a smooth sheet of flesh, with a horizontal slit running through the center, making a sound like a human's as it opened and closed.

"Lu... Demon... God..."

When those three words came out of its mouth, it seemed as if it had used up all its strength.

Dongfang Weiwo's eyes sharpened.

"Do you know the Demon God Lü?"

The thing didn't answer, only repeated the name, dark red liquid seeping continuously from the horizontal cracks. It took a step forward, raised its right arm, and all the holes in its arm opened at the same time, sending dozens of bone spikes flying like a storm.

Wu Wudi took a step forward, his broken blade unleashing a curtain of blades. Bone spikes struck the curtain, clanging and shattering. But a few pierced through the gaps in the curtain, embedding themselves deeply in Wu Wudi's left shoulder. Without even flinching, he grabbed the bone spikes with his left hand and pulled them out, drawing a spray of blood.

"This thing contains divine and demonic essence," Wu Wudi spat, "but it's incomplete. It's like it was forcibly injected into its body."

"Thirty years ago," Yan Fei suddenly said, "when Lu Moshen entered the corridor, he brought a group of people with him. Wan Wujiu said that he wanted to cross the bridge, but Lu Moshen wouldn't allow it. However, given Wan Wujiu's personality, how could he let it go so easily? He must have sent someone to follow him in."

"These people were sent by Wan Wujiu to track down the Demon God Lü," Chuan Ying continued. "They were corrupted by the divine and demonic essence in the corridor and turned into this state."

Dongfang Weiwo's pupils contracted slightly.

Wan Wujiu guarded the corridor for thirty years, not to find the entrance. The entrance was beneath Mount Wanshou; as the master of Mount Wanshou, how could he not know? He was looking for the group of people he had sent in. Or rather, what those people were carrying.

"There's something on him." Dongfang Weiwo stared at the living creature's right arm. "It's embedded in the bone. I can see it with my bone domain perception."

His skeletal perception was exceptionally clear within this medullary canal, revealing the skeletal structure of the living creature in minute detail. In that unusually thick right arm, a bone that didn't belong to him was embedded between the ulna and radius. It was long and slender, with a pointed end, like a key.

"It's a bone key."

The creature seemed to understand; it suddenly lashed its right arm at its own chest, tearing its muscles open, but no blood flowed. It then grabbed its right elbow and twisted it forcefully.

Click.

Its entire thick right arm was torn off by itself.

A large amount of dark golden liquid gushed out from the broken surface. The liquid fell to the ground and surged towards the east like living things.

"Watch out!" Lin Xiaoman shouted.

Dongfang Weiyi had already drawn his sword. Marrow fire spread from the sword to his feet, and with a stomp, a dark golden ring of fire rippled outwards from him, evaporating the surging dark golden liquid. The liquid emitted a piercing shriek, as if countless tiny voices were screaming in agony at the same time.

The creature threw away its right arm, which instantly turned into a pool of dark golden liquid upon hitting the ground. The liquid then condensed and contracted, eventually transforming into a bone-white key that lay quietly on the bone wall.

It did not pick up the key.

It charged eastward toward Weiwo, its remaining left arm lashing down like an iron whip. Its speed was incredible, leaving a trail of afterimages in the dark golden light.

Chuan Ying suddenly lunged out from the side, using his palm as a knife to strike its left arm heavily.

This palm strike used all the sword intent he could muster, the edge of his palm like a blade, forcefully cleaving the living creature's left arm in two. But it seemed to feel no pain, using the force to twist its body and sweep its left leg towards Chuanying's waist.

Wu Wudi delivered a follow-up kick from the side, sending it flying and crashing into the bone wall, where its entire body became embedded.

It tried to crawl out, but Yan Fei had already arrived. The old sword pierced its back, sealing all the remaining dark golden liquid within the wound. It twitched a few times, then finally stopped moving.

Dongfang Weiwo walked up to the bone-white key, bent down and picked it up.

The key felt cold to the touch, and the divine and demonic skeleton within him resonated strongly with it. It was a tiny tip of the tailbone, polished into the shape of a key.

"This is the tip of its tailbone," Lin Xiaoman said, her voice tinged with unease. "It's equivalent to the 'final bone' of the entire ancient god-demon skeleton."

Dongfang Weiwo stared at the key, the markings on Lu Moshen's map appearing in his mind.

The entrance to the corridor is the coccyx, and the end of the corridor is the Ruins of Return. This bone key is very likely the key to passing through the final section of the medullary cavity. Lu Moshen carried it with him when he entered the corridor, but for some unknown reason, a portion of it was stolen by Wan Wujiu's men. That man was corroded by the marrow fluid here, living for thirty years, yet he still couldn't get out.

"This key was left behind by the Demon God Lü." Dongfang Weiwo put the bone key into his bosom. "He left in such a hurry that he even lost the bone key."

"So we need it to enter the Ruins of Return." Wu Wudi kicked the corpse of the living creature. "So for the past thirty years, this thing has been blocking our way? Killing anyone who tries to enter?"

"It's waiting." Dongfang Weiwo looked into the depths of the tunnel, "waiting for the Demon God Lü to return. But the Demon God Lü hasn't returned. So it's mistaking everyone who comes in for the Demon God Lü."

"How much is left in there?" Chuan Ying asked.

Yan Fei carried the old sword forward for a while, then squatted down to examine the marks on the inside of the bone wall. After a moment, he stood up, his expression slightly grim.

"Not many. But I saw three different footprints. One was the one from before. And two more, bigger and deeper."

"Can you judge their strength?"

"At least at the peak of the Reincarnation Realm," Yan Fei said. "Having been eroded by marrow fluid for thirty years, he may have already broken through to the Undying Realm."

Wu Wudi suddenly laughed.

"Good thing."

He cracked his neck. The broken sword spun in his hand, the hilt slick with animal and his own blood, almost too slippery to hold. He simply tore off a piece of his robe and used it to secure the hilt to his palm.

"I've been fighting my way here, and I haven't had enough yet."

Dongfang Weiwo nodded.

"Walk."

The group proceeded through the dark golden marrow passage.

The tunnel was narrow, only wide enough for two or three people to walk side by side. Dark golden droplets of liquid, like sweat, occasionally seeped from the bone walls on both sides. Dongfang Weiwo used his marrow fire to clear the way, and those seeping droplets turned into mist in the flames, faintly carrying a sweet fragrance that would make one dizzy if smelled for too long.

"This smell is poisonous," Lin Xiaoman warned. "It's a toxic mist from the evaporation of divine and demonic marrow fluid, which is extremely harmful to those without divine and demonic skeletons. The three of you mustn't inhale it for long."

Yan Fei tore off a strip of cloth to cover his mouth and nose. Chuan Ying and Wu Wudi did not—not out of bravado, but because their injuries were too severe, and the numbing sensation of the poisonous fog actually relieved some of their pain. But Dongfang Wei knew that these two wouldn't last much longer.

He quickened his pace, silently calculating the distance in his mind.

They walked another three miles.

The spinal canal suddenly widened, revealing an oval-shaped chamber. In the center of the chamber, two tall bodies stood back to back. Like the previous living creature, they were skinless, their muscles covered in dark golden marrow. But they were much larger, each as tall as two people, with limbs as thick as pillars, and shoulder blades turned outwards, forming two rows of bony wing-like plates.

They didn't turn around.

But Dongfang Weiwo heard the voice clearly.

Those two things are talking.

"The newcomer..." one of them said in a low, hoarse voice, like bones grinding against bones, "Did you bring the key in...?"

Another chimed in immediately, her voice shrill: "He brought it in. And the keeper of the token. The master will be delighted."

They slowly turned around.

Four empty eye sockets lit up simultaneously, like four eerie blue flames. Thirty years of imprisonment and erosion had completely robbed them of their human minds, yet they still retained the instinct to obey.

"Owner……"

"Lu the Demon God..."

The two living creatures moved at the same time.

Wu Wudi was the first to step forward. He chose the taller one on the left, and swung his broken sword straight at the opponent's face. The creature blocked the attack with its upturned shoulder blade, and with a loud bang, sparks flew everywhere. Wu Wudi was jolted back three steps, blood seeping from his tiger's mouth.

"Damn, this thing is so hard."

Chuan Ying and Yan Fei attacked simultaneously, intercepting the other one.

Chuan Ying used his paws as blades, while Yan Fei used his sword as a secondary weapon. The two attacked from the left and right, taking turns. The creature's bony wings acted like two enormous shields, blocking all attacks. Occasionally, one wing would open, forcing the two to retreat.

Dongfang Weiwo held Lin Xiaoman's hand.

"You stay here." He looked into her eyes.

She nodded without saying anything more.

Dongfang Weiwo drew his sword and charged into the battle.

After the eighth fragment of his left arm returned to its place, his divine and demonic skeleton had been integrated into both arms. At this moment, he unleashed his full power, and marrow fire surged from his palms into the sword, causing the dark gold longsword to expand to nearly ten feet in length, with every ancient array pattern on the sword burning with fire.

He seized the opportunity when the two creatures turned around and slashed at them with his sword.

The sword light drew a dazzling arc in the dark golden cavity, slashing towards the gap between the two living beings. Instead of killing one first, it used this sword to separate the two enemies.

The bone wings collided with the sword light, producing a deafening roar.

The two living creatures retreated simultaneously, their four eerie blue eyes throbbing violently.

Wu Wudi, Yan Fei, and Chuan Ying pressed forward.

Dongfang Weiwo, sword in hand, charged straight at the figure on the left.

"Smash it!"

With its marrow fire erupting at full power, the sword no longer aimed for the bone wings, but instead pierced upwards into the softest part of its lower abdomen. The sword penetrated half a foot, and the creature let out a roar that was not human, its body opening up simultaneously and spewing out a large amount of dark golden poisonous mist.

Dongfang Weiwo held his breath, gritted his teeth, and turned the hilt of his sword.

The marrow fire exploded within its body.

The creature's body was torn apart from the inside, and dark golden flames spewed out from the various holes, causing it to burn like a collapsing bone tower.

The other living creature abandoned Yanfei and Chuanying, turning to pounce on its burning companion.

The eerie, shrill sound echoed from within the flames.

"The pact to bury the bones... has not yet been made..."

The flames engulfed it.

A brilliant, dark golden light filled the chamber, swallowing everyone's shadows. When the light faded, only two piles of grayish-white charred bones remained, along with two small, dark golden beads that rolled out of the ashes.

Wu Wudi picked it up and took a look.

"The Divine Demon Marrow Bead." He turned to look at Dongfang Weiwo. "This thing has the same aura as your eighth fragment before it fell apart."

Dongfang Weiwo took the marrow bead; a faint dark golden liquid was flowing inside.

"Keep it." He handed the marrow bead to Lin Xiaoman. "This thing will be useful."

Lin Xiaoman wrapped it in a piece of cloth and tucked it into her bosom.

The chamber returned to quiet.

The marrow passage continued to extend forward, deeper and darker. A chilling wind blew from the depths ahead, carrying the scent of the Myriad Star Domain and the earthy smell of the Heavenly Martial Continent.

The atmosphere of two worlds blends together in this corridor.

"We're almost at the exit," Dongfang Weiwo said softly.

Just as he finished speaking, a soft sound came from the marrow passage far behind him.

Something has come in.

Then came a very soft laugh, as effeminate as a snake.

"We've found you."

Wan Wujiu.