Chapter 24: The Bone Demon's Malice

The dark iron chains rattled, churning the mud and silt in the water. White bones flew together with startling speed as vortices emerged in constant succession.

Enduring sharp, stabbing pain, Ling Xuan instantly activated his Qi-Gazing Technique. His "Spirit Snake Coiling the Moon" manifested as a single vertical pupil, surrounded by a misty, indistinct aura. Ling Xuan was secretly alarmed, "A demonic soul? How could a demonic soul exist at the bottom of the Luo River?"

Just as he prepared to float upward, the little white snake darted into a vortex, and an orange halo flickered abruptly.

"An orange needle?"

Ling Xuan immediately turned around, kicked his legs hard, and rapidly channeled his Taiji Wuji. Reaching into the vortex, he snatched the three-inch silver needle. A delicate relief of a small silver snake was clearly visible on it, and its single vertical eye was a vibrant orange.

Overjoyed, he hurried to float to the surface.

Suddenly, his feet tightened—water weeds had coiled around them. He immediately swung his Twin Purple Phoenix Spirit Blades, but he found the weeds to be incredibly nimble and tough, as if possessed of a primitive intelligence; they dodged his strikes, making it impossible to cut through them.

The white bones drifted upward, connecting at a visible rate to form a humanoid monster over nine zhang tall. The water weeds resembled its long hair, and a greenish-black mist flowed madly between the bones.

The *Treatise on the Origin of Demonic Souls* flashed through his mind. If he could have spoken, Ling Xuan would have shouted, "A Bone Demon!"

Where the orange needle had been pulled, a small aperture sat in the center of the Bone Demon's brow, with green flames flickering within.

"Gurgle... gurgle..." The Bone Demon’s jaws clicked together. "Ignorant child, you have ruined my great undertaking!"

With a toss of its head, the weeds moved, and Ling Xuan felt his body lifted violently, stripped of all control. Even though he had been struggling to swim upward against a pressure that felt as heavy as a thousand jun, he was now propelled out of the water in a single bound.

Glancing around, his eyes widened. "Is... is this still the Luo River?"

The surface was a scene of utter chaos; broken wood floated everywhere, and people were thrashing in the water. On the banks, the crowds retreated in panic. In the distance, the city guard patrol rushed toward the scene at full speed. Even without the Qi-Gazing Technique, one could see the golden aura of national destiny spilling from the Bronze Pillar of the Myriad Nations Celestial Pivot.

*Snap.*

The water weeds pulled him back, and he plummeted, crashing into the Luo River. Every bone in his body felt as if it were shattering. Ling Xuan could not tell if the liquid streaming from his eyes was tears or river water; he only felt the metallic taste of blood rising in his throat.

He attempted to initiate the Snake-Form Evasion, but his ankle tightened again, and he was flung out of the water once more. Before he could even open his eyes, he heard another *snap* and was plunged back into the frigid river. Blood immediately poured from the corners of his eyes, his mouth, his ears, and his nostrils.

He reached for the nine hidden silver needles on his person, unleashing the "Spirit Snake Flicking its Tongue" technique. But Ling Xuan was stunned—the Bone Demon had no acupuncture points, only the greenish-black mist flowing through its skeletal frame. The needles were useless.

According to Imperial Physician Chao, to deal with such a demonic soul, one must reach the Divine Treasury Realm, where the Pulse-Cutting Technique serves not just for diagnosis, but to sever the connections of power within the target. Of the four arts—Observing, Listening, Asking, and Pulse-Cutting—he had only mastered the Qi-Gazing technique through the Spirit Snake Coiling the Moon; he had yet to even comprehend the other three, let alone practice them.

Gritting his teeth, he activated the Snake-Form Evasion again, his Twin Purple Phoenix Spirit Blades slicing toward the weeds.

The Bone Demon held Ling Xuan’s meager strength in contempt. It tossed its skull again, throwing him from the water and forcing him to abandon his evasion technique.

Just as he was about to be slammed back into the water, a flash of purple light appeared. Ye Ziyuan darted out, her Purple Sky Divine Flute unsheathed. The purple blades spun, and the water weeds were instantly severed.

"Gurgle... gurgle..." The Bone Demon’s head, as large as a bushel, emerged from the water. "You’ve ruined my plans—none of you shall escape!"

Seeing the skull clearly, Ling Xuan gasped; it was constructed from countless white bones.

"Go!" Ye Ziyuan shouted, grabbing the falling Ling Xuan and leaping toward the riverbank.

"Where do you think you’re going?" the Bone Demon sneered. Its skeletal hand, entwined with water weeds, lashed out. A wave of force erupted, and water splashed everywhere. Ye Ziyuan stumbled, her feet hovering over the river.

At that moment, the little white snake darted out, its small triangular head bumping Ye Ziyuan and helping her regain her footing. The skeletal hand swept past, batting the little snake into the river, where it vanished without a sound.

*Whoosh! Whoosh!*

The city guard patrol rained arrows down like a storm. *Clack, clack,* the arrows struck the Bone Demon and shattered upon contact, utterly ineffective. Instead, the Bone Demon flicked its hand, causing the river water to condense into water arrows that reflected back toward the patrol. The water weeds, sharp as blades, showered the crowd on the bank.

The weeds, acting like chains, coiled around them once more. The figure drifting toward the bank suddenly halted. Before Ye Ziyuan could be dragged away, she threw her hands out. "Go!"

Ling Xuan spun his body, his toes tapping against a wrecked pleasure boat. He channeled the Snake-Form Evasion once more, his Twin Purple Phoenix Spirit Blades flashing to deflect the incoming arrows.

*Whoosh.* A black shadow flew toward him—the Benevolent Heart Needle Case and the Purple Sky Divine Flute. He quickly snatched them, his feet finding purchase. The Spirit Blades formed rings around his wrists, and he unsheathed the flute. "Yuwen Chenglong, crossbows are useless! Get over here!"

"Keep going!" Yuwen Chenglong roared, ignoring him completely.

Ling Xuan, forced to dodge both the Bone Demon and the patrol’s arrows, bellowed, "Yuwen Chenglong, I am the Prince..."

"Young Prince, to die for the Divine Dynasty is a worthy end!" Yuwen Chenglong shouted back. "Archers, continue!"

Useless, completely useless. It seemed those bastards of the Yuwen family couldn't wait for him to die.

Ling Xuan dodged nimbly, his hands shaking as he unleashed the "Spirit Snake Flicking its Tongue," sending nine silver needles flying from his sleeves.

"Boy, do you think that works?" The Bone Demon cackled. It tossed its head, and the water weeds dragged Ye Ziyuan toward the path of the needles. Ye Ziyuan was not like Ling Xuan; she had opened her Qi Sea. Seeing the needles flying toward her, she let her dark hair loose, using it to coil around the needles and redirect them toward the weeds. "Again!"

Without hesitation, Ling Xuan threw another nine needles and simultaneously launched his Twin Purple Phoenix Spirit Blades.

"Still useless," the Bone Demon scoffed.

Before the words had faded, a flash of purple light emanated from Ye Ziyuan’s hands, and the water weeds were instantly severed—the blades she had snatched in the chaos had done their work.

"Die!" Ling Xuan shouted. He moved his hands in a continuous blur, executing the technique to drive the needles into the small aperture on the Bone Demon’s brow.

As the needles pierced the mark, a sliver of golden aura drifted out—the golden national destiny of the Sui Dynasty.

On the Tianjin Bridge, three figures leaped down in rapid succession: Imperial Physician Chao, Grand Historian Yuan, and Prince Yue, Yang Xuangan.

Imperial Physician Chao’s hands glowed with cyan light as his needles danced. "Young Prince, get back to the bank!"

"A demonic soul from Goguryeo, daring to steal our Sui Dynasty’s national destiny!" Grand Historian Yuan waved his horsetail whisk, which transformed into thousands of fine threads.

Yang Xuangan shouted, his sword erupting in golden light. "Those who steal our national destiny shall be executed without mercy!"

"If not for that boy’s lucky needle, would any of you have noticed?" The Bone Demon sneered, raising its skeletal hands repeatedly. The Luo River erupted in mist, with splashes reaching three zhang high.

On the bank, Ye Ziyuan spat out blood, a greenish-black aura emanating from it—the poison remained. She forced her internal energy to circulate, but it only accelerated the spread of the corpse poison.

Weak and trembling, Ling Xuan felt a lingering fear. He gritted his teeth and began to draw out the needles to purge the poison from Ye Ziyuan. "My lady, wouldn't it be better to be a widow? Why save me?"

"Remember, your life is mine," she glared at him with her beautiful eyes, standing up stubbornly and leaning against his shoulder. She whispered, "The Purple Sky Divine Flute is strange; use it as little as possible. The moment the purple sword was unsheathed, it nearly made my Purple Phoenix essence unstable."

The Purple Sky Divine Flute could leak the Purple Phoenix aura? Ling Xuan was secretly shocked. Was Yang Xuangan’s gift of the flute intentional or accidental?

*Hiss...*

The little white snake emerged from the water and darted back onto his arm. It was unharmed, but its head drooped and its spirit was withered, its scales coiled tight.

Turning to look at the Luo River, he could see nothing clearly through the mist, only three figures flickering around the massive black shadow.

"The strength of these three is actually this formidable?" Ling Xuan felt as if he had discovered a new world. He would have to re-evaluate the Ziyang Realm; this was completely different from the historical descriptions of the Chiyang Realm. Imperial Physician Chao had only ever spoken of medicine, never of cultivation realms. Grand Historian Yuan was described as a man who merely followed the will of his superiors, and Yang Xuangan was known only for his love of books and archery.

Yet, here they were, pressing the Bone Demon so hard it seemed to have no room to breathe.

As he stood in astonishment, Yang Xuangan’s angry roar pierced the mist. "My lords, strike together and destroy it!"

"Destroy me? You are not enough!" The Bone Demon sneered. The greenish-black aura churned, and golden energy erupted instantly. In a flash, the golden aura rippled through the Luo River, dissipating the mist.

"Beneath the feet of the Divine Capital, with the blessing of national destiny, no demon can hide. Lord Chao, Lord Yuan, strike!"

Yang Xuangan lunged forward, a golden token in his hand glowing with blinding intensity. Simultaneously, Grand Historian Yuan and Imperial Physician Chao released two beams of golden light.

From the Myriad Nations Celestial Pivot, the phantoms of three great dragons of national destiny descended. Before the golden light stolen by the Bone Demon could even form a wave, it was completely absorbed by the three dragon phantoms.

In an instant, the bones scattered. The Bone Demon revealed its true form—a soul of a Xuan-Water Black Snake. Before fleeing, it turned back to glare at Ling Xuan. "Boy, you have ruined my great undertaking. Sooner or later, I will devour you."