The moment they stepped into the passage, Sū Yàn felt the surrounding aura completely change—no chilling dampness of miasma, nor the gentle warmth of a Spirit Vein Node, only a heavy pressure that spread with the glow of the purple ores. With every step, his bones felt gently squeezed, and even breathing became more labored.
The blue light afterimage continued to lead the way, about three feet ahead. Its radiance, mirrored by the purple crystal ores lining the passage walls, cast shifting patterns of light on the ground. Sū Yàn gripped his Spirit Light Claw Bone, concealing the Evil Bone Core Fragment against his person. Simultaneously, he spread the Spiritual Qi from the Spirit Bone Fragment around himself. The smooth, mirror-like walls of the passage offered no visible cracks, yet he constantly felt as if unseen eyes were watching him from the shadows, a single misstep leading to danger.
After walking for about a hundred feet, the passage suddenly presented a fork. The purple crystal ores in the left passage emitted a dim light, and the faint sound of flowing water could be heard from within with a "huā lā lā" sound. The purple crystals in the right passage glowed brightly, and several withered herbs lay scattered on the ground. The herbs' scent was similar to the Miasma Clearing Grass but more refined, indicating someone had been here before.
The blue light afterimage hovered at the crossroads for a moment before finally flying towards the right passage. Sū Yàn followed without hesitation, stepping into the right path—the sound of water from the left passage was too eerie, and it lacked any Spiritual Qi fluctuations, instead exuding a hint of malevolence, making the right passage clearly safer.
Along the walls of the right passage, twisted patterns similar to the Black Bone Marrow gradually appeared. However, these patterns were interspersed with shimmering purple crystals, originating from the same source as the purple crystal ores. Sū Yàn reached out to touch a pattern, feeling a cool sensation on his fingertips. The pattern seemed to actively absorb a trace of his Bone Power, and then faint characters appeared on the wall: "Source of Evil Bones, at the end of the purple crystals; Deficiency of Spirit Bones, hidden within the blood array."
"Blood array?" Sū Yàn's heart leaped. His Father's texts had mentioned blood arrays as wicked formations that used a cultivator's vital blood as a guide, mostly for confinement or sacrifice. If the third Spirit Bone Fragment was hidden in a blood array, it would likely be extremely dangerous.
Just as he was about to proceed, the Evil Bone Core Fragment in his palm suddenly grew hot. The evil energy within the fragment resonated strongly with the patterns on the wall. The purple crystal light within the patterns surged instantly, forming a purple light wall in the middle of the passage, blocking his way. Within the light wall, countless tiny bone shadows writhed, like trapped Evil Bone Worms, seemingly lunging towards him.
"This is... a Warning Formation?" Sū Yàn immediately condensed a Bone Shield in front of him, but found the light wall had no offensive power, merely flickering as if conveying some information. He attempted to inject the blue light from the Spirit Bone Fragment into the light wall. The wall's flickering instantly became regular. Every three flashes, a brief image would appear—
First image: A blood-red altar. On the stone platform in the center of the altar lay a Spirit Bone Fragment emitting a blue light—the very third fragment he was searching for.
Second image: A mysterious Black Shadow stood beside the altar, holding a black Bone Sword, battling an entirely crimson Evil Bone Beast. The beast's power far surpassed the Fourth Order, and the Black Shadow was gradually losing ground.
Third image: The blood array surrounding the altar suddenly activated, its crimson light engulfing the Spirit Bone Fragment. The Black Shadow and the Evil Bone Beast were simultaneously swallowed by the light, and the image shattered.
"The third fragment is indeed in the blood array! And the Black Shadow, he's also looking for the fragment and encountered a high-level Evil Bone Beast!" Sū Yàn was shaken. Although the images on the light wall were brief, they clarified the clues for him—the end of the right passage led to the blood array and the Source of Evil Bones, and the Black Shadow had likely already fallen into the danger of the blood array.
At this moment, the light wall suddenly dissipated, and the purple crystal light within the wall patterns dimmed considerably, as if exhausted. The blue light afterimage moved forward again, faster than before, as if urging him to hurry. Sū Yàn did not hesitate and quickened his pace into the depths of the passage—he not only had to find the third Spirit Bone Fragment but also understand the Black Shadow's identity. If the Black Shadow was truly related to his Father, he could not stand by and do nothing.
After walking for about half a stick of incense, the light at the end of the passage suddenly brightened, and a dense aura of evil energy assailed him, more terrifying than any evil entity he had encountered before. Sū Yàn immediately stopped and hid behind a purple crystal ore, stealthily peering outside the passage—
Outside was a massive crimson cave. In the center of the cave, an altar made of crimson rock was carved with dense blood patterns, the very blood array shown in the light wall. On the stone platform in the center of the blood array, the third Spirit Bone Fragment glowed blue, but was firmly trapped by crimson light, impossible to retrieve.
Beside the altar, the mysterious Black Shadow was fighting an entirely crimson Evil Bone Beast—the beast resembled a fierce tiger but possessed three heads, with crimson flames burning in the eye sockets of each head. It was the Fourth Order Evil Bone Beast, the "Three-headed Evil Bone Tiger," its strength comparable to a late-stage Cultivator in the Bone Tempering Realm!
The Black Shadow's black Bone Sword was already covered in cracks, and the malevolent aura surrounding him had dimmed considerably, clearly indicating a prolonged battle. His body bore multiple signs of damaged bone. The Three-headed Evil Bone Tiger's attacks grew increasingly ferocious. Each swipe of its claws carried a dense evil energy, forcing the Black Shadow to retreat repeatedly, and he was on the verge of being struck by the tiger's claws.
"I can't wait any longer!" Sū Yàn's heart pounded. He gripped his Spirit Light Claw Bone, concentrated all the Bone Power from his dantian onto the tip of the claw, and simultaneously infused the blue light of the Spirit Bone Fragment and the black glow of the Evil Bone Core Fragment into the claw bone. The claw tip instantly glowed with dual blue and black light, more potent than any previous attack.
He burst from behind the purple crystal ore, shouting, "Senior, I've come to help you!" Before his voice even faded, he charged towards the Three-headed Evil Bone Tiger's back. The Spirit Light Claw Bone whistled through the air, soaring towards the neck bone of the tiger's middle head—it was the Evil Bone Beast's weakest point, and the area the Black Shadow had been trying to attack in the light wall image before.
The Three-headed Evil Bone Tiger sensed the attack from behind and roared, attempting to turn and defend. But the Black Shadow seized the opportunity, using his last ounce of strength to thrust his black Bone Sword into the eye socket of the tiger's left head. "Roar—" The Three-headed Evil Bone Tiger let out a shrill howl. The flames in its left head instantly extinguished, and its movements became sluggish.
Sū Yàn seized this fleeting chance. His Spirit Light Claw Bone struck the neck bone of the Three-headed Evil Bone Tiger's middle head with a "crack"—a crisp sound. The hard neck bone was directly shattered, and crimson evil blood sprayed out, falling into the blood array, making its light even denser.
The Three-headed Evil Bone Tiger became utterly enraged. Its right head lunged towards Sū Yàn, who quickly retreated but was still grazed by the tiger's claws on his arm. His Bone Shield shattered instantly, and a sharp pain shot through the bones in his arm.
The Black Shadow saw this and immediately shouted, "Be careful! Its evil blood can activate the blood array, don't get splattered!" At the same time, he pulled out a black bone shard from his embrace, injected it with evil energy, and threw it at the tiger's right head. The bone shard exploded, and black evil mist temporarily obscured the tiger's vision.
Sū Yàn endured the pain in his arm, condensed a Bone Blade, and threw it at the tiger's right head. The Bone Blade, carrying blue light, accurately pierced the tiger's eye socket, and the flames in its right head extinguished. Having lost two heads, the Three-headed Evil Bone Tiger's aura instantly weakened. Its massive body fell heavily into the blood array, twitched a few times, and then was completely still.
Sū Yàn breathed a sigh of relief, slumping to the ground, panting heavily—the recent attack had depleted over half his Bone Power, and the injury to his arm had left him weak. The Black Shadow stumbled over to him, looking at the corpse of the Three-headed Evil Bone Tiger on the ground, his hoarse voice tinged with exhaustion, "Thank you... Sū Yàn..."
Sū Yàn looked up sharply, staring at the Black Shadow, "You know me? Who exactly are you? What is your relationship with my Father, Sū Zhènhǎi?"
The Black Shadow was silent for a moment, then slowly raised his hand, dispelling the malevolent aura that enveloped him—a scarred face appeared before Sū Yàn's eyes. And this face was exactly the same as the one he remembered of his Father's friend, the Qingyun Sect elder who disappeared ten years ago, "Uncle Lin"!