Chapter 610 - 417: 6 Desires

A massive amount of black soil surged forth before Fang Qingyuan’s palm. It poured out from his Immortal Mansion—soil that the mansion had not yet had time to absorb. Over the past six months of continuous collection, some of the black soil had always been left over, piling up little by little until it formed a mountain, saved for later use.

The transparent barrier before Fang Qingyuan was a one-way shield—things could exit, but not enter. This was merely an observation room; if anything else were allowed in, it would likely be instantly buried by the black soil.

The expanse of black soil stretched for tens of miles. At its very bottom lay an unknown abyss, like a deep-sea maelstrom, that possessed a powerful suction. If one were to fall into the black soil, the pull they experienced would be proportional to the amount of Spiritual Qi in their body—the more Spiritual Qi, the stronger the suction.

That was why, even though Fang Qingyuan prided himself on his formidable Body Refining Technique and strong resistance to Earth Element Techniques, he dared not physically enter the black soil. He could only rely on the Spirit Attachment Technique to contact the trapped Ghost Cultivator.

’But such a massive vortex has been operating for ten thousand years; its structure must be both stable and intricate. If a large amount of black soil from the same source were to suddenly gush out and pour into it, wouldn’t that disrupt its function?’

And so, as Fang Qingyuan poured out the black soil from his Immortal Mansion, his Divine Sense detected that the suction from the expanse of soil before him had noticeably faltered.

Inside the Bone Cage, the voice continued to issue from the body of the mutant Dragon Worm:

"Now! The moment has come."

The spectral light in the Ghost Cultivator’s eyes flared. He, too, sensed that the immense suction from the outside world, which held his Bone Cage in a death grip, had weakened by more than half.

Although he didn’t understand how this strange being had accomplished it, that did nothing to dampen his craving for freedom. Witnessing the most significant change in sixty years, the Ghost Cultivator became momentarily crazed.

"Bone be my boat to sail the black soil! I offer my soul! I burn my flesh! Go!"

Following his short chant, the Ghost Cultivator suddenly produced a multitude of souls. They seemed to pour endlessly from the black bowl in his hand as he took them out and forced them into the Bone Cage.

These souls, once belonging to Cultivators, let out roars of defiance—a sorrowful wail before their impending annihilation. But no matter how they clung to the mortal world, they could not escape their final demise. As the souls merged into the Bone Cage, the mutant Dragon Worm that Fang Qingyuan possessed could clearly feel the cage begin to move.

It started with a tremble, then a difficult lurch, and finally a rapid shuttle. In just a short time, the Bone Cage had transformed into a White Bone Spiritual Boat, hurtling forward.

"To the left!"

It was pitch-black within the soil, impossible to distinguish up from down, let alone north, south, east, or west. The Ghost Cultivator’s Divine Sense couldn’t possibly scan the entire tens of miles of black soil. Thus, although the Bone Cage was moving, it was going in the wrong direction.

But Fang Qingyuan, with his dual perspectives, could see the way most clearly. Not wanting the Ghost Cultivator to wander aimlessly through the black soil, he had no choice but to speak up and guide him.

Heeding the reminder from the Dragon Worm that Fang Qingyuan possessed, the Ghost Cultivator sensibly changed course to the left. And so, within the black soil, a ten-foot-tall sphere of bone silently altered its trajectory as it advanced.

"A little more to the left... that’s good. Now a bit to the right."

Inside the Bone Prison, the mutant Dragon Worm gave constant directions, which the Ghost Cultivator followed to the letter. With the two of them cooperating, the short journey of a few miles was over in no time.

"THUD!"

A loud noise erupted in front of Fang Qingyuan. The Bone Boat, piloted by the Ghost Cultivator, had slammed violently against the transparent barrier.

The sound startled Qiqi, who opened her eyes. All she saw was Fang Qingyuan beckoning with his hand, and the bone sphere from several miles away instantly appeared before him.

’What happened?’

Qiqi couldn’t understand. But by this point, Fang Qingyuan had already achieved his objective and stopped the flow of black soil from his Immortal Mansion, so she had missed the truly shocking scene.

Inside the Bone Prison, the Ghost Cultivator’s withered face lit up with joy. The sensation of the prison striking something solid was something he hadn’t experienced in decades.

"What is that ahead?"

The Ghost Cultivator lowered his head and glanced sideways at the mutant Dragon Worm in the corner. Fang Qingyuan’s consciousness could clearly sense the Ghost Cultivator’s malice. Clearly, having escaped the depths of the vortex, the man’s arrogance had surged.

The Dragon Worm that Fang Qingyuan possessed paid the malice no mind. He never believed that a villain like a Ghost Cultivator could be won over with a few kind words.

"It’s the exit. But if you want to leave, you’ll need to agree to one condition."

"What condition? I’m listening."

"That golden lotus in your hand looks quite nice. How about you give it to me as payment for your rescue? After all, I’ve invested a good deal of time and neglected my own business for this."

"Fair enough. But what if I refuse? Are you not going to let me out?"

Inside the prison, the Ghost Cultivator’s flesh was gaunt and shriveled. His sallow eyes, set deep in sockets beneath high cheekbones, stared intently at the mutant Dragon Worm.

"I told you before, I don’t care if you’re dead or alive. If you refuse, you’re welcome to test my resolve."

Under the Ghost Cultivator’s gaze, the mutant Dragon Worm’s coiled body trembled instinctively, but the voice that came from it remained steady.

After a few moments, the Ghost Cultivator closed his eyes, hiding his true emotions. "Fine. I agree."

’Whether the Ghost Cultivator truly intended to keep his promise or not, Fang Qingyuan was determined to have that golden lotus. If the man was just paying lip service, then he would simply have to take it by force.’

In the room on the other side of the barrier, Fang Qingyuan selected a silver-gray mask, etched with arcane patterns, from the vast collection within his Immortal Mansion and slowly fastened it over his face.

’The Ghost Cultivator must not see my face. This matter is too sensitive. I can’t have the Great Zhou Academy catching wind of this and accusing me of colluding with a Ghost Cultivator.’

The mask was a Second-Order Top-grade Magical Artifact, capable of blocking the probes of another’s Divine Sense. Unless their cultivation level far surpassed his own, no one could hope to break through the barrier of his Divine Sense and see his true face.

"Qiqi, Jinbao, get ready. Our guest is about to make his entrance."

Fang Qingyuan’s solemn voice echoed through the stone chamber. At his command, Qiqi’s form vanished as she hid herself in the shadows behind Jinbao.

Jinbao, for his part, swelled and transformed, revealing his true form.

Fortunately, this stone observation chamber overlooking the Abyss of Black Soil was quite spacious—as large as a public square from Fang Qingyuan’s past life. It was just big enough to accommodate Jinbao, who, after stretching out, stood nearly thirty feet tall.

At this moment, Jinbao’s muscles rippled as he stood protectively before Fang Qingyuan. His eyes shot out a brilliant golden light, and his fur flowed with a dense Gold Spirit Power that was truly intimidating.

Seeing that both Spirit Beasts were ready, four enormous Dharma Aspects silently materialized around Fang Qingyuan.

And with that, the White Tiger Probing Step, the Vermilion Bird Flapping Its Wings, the Black Tortoise’s Coiling, and the Cyan Dragon Soaring.

Each Star Realm True Spirit Dharma Aspect was even larger than Jinbao. When these behemoths appeared, the once-spacious stone chamber suddenly felt cramped.

Sensing that the four Dharma Aspects were even more powerful than when he was at the Fourth-Layer Golden Core, the corners of Fang Qingyuan’s mouth curled into a smile.

As his own cultivation level increased, the area of his Immortal Mansion expanded. As the Immortal Mansion grew, so did the number of stars in the Star Realm above it. This, in turn, meant that the combat power of the astral aspects he could manifest grew ever stronger.

It was a completely synergistic relationship. Fang Qingyuan could sense that his Star Realm True Spirit Dharma Aspects were now a third larger than they had been six months ago, back when he was still at the Fourth-Layer Golden Core.

For these Dharma Aspects, size was a direct representation of combat power. Fang Qingyuan estimated that with the enhancement from the Star Realm’s True Spirit within his Immortal Mansion, each of these four aspects could trade blows evenly with a demonic beast at the Golden Core Perfection Level, like Qiqi.

With the four great Dharma Aspects now coiled around him, Fang Qingyuan felt his confidence surge. He reached out, aiming for a distinct Array Pattern on the barrier to his side, and began to channel his Magical Power into it.

As his Magical Power surged in, the Array Patterns on the stone wall began to glow. Accompanied by a CREAKING sound from an unknown source, the transparent barrier before him was suddenly overlaid with a pattern resembling the eight trigrams, as if awaiting Fang Qingyuan’s command.

’Just as I thought. This secret observation chamber must have a way to retrieve things from the Abyss of Black Soil. It would be foolish for it to only be for watching.’

And so, Fang Qingyuan reached out and made a grasping motion toward the Bone Cage. In the next instant, a massive pulling force surged out, drawing it inside.

As if passing through an illusory bubble, the ten-foot-tall sphere of bone penetrated the barrier that normally permitted only passage out, not in.

As the bone sphere came to a steady halt, the mutant Dragon Worm inside the cage let out a strange laugh.

"My mission is complete. Fellow Daoist, I look forward to our formal introduction."

The words had barely faded when the mutant Dragon Worm convulsed and died. The Spirit Attachment Technique was not without its costs. In addition to the soul fragment contributed by the Spirit-Attaching Person, it also consumed the life force of the possessed creature. This was manageable if the creature’s innate life force was strong. But for a weak demonic beast like the mutant Dragon Worm to have sustained Fang Qingyuan’s soul for so long was already quite an accomplishment.

Now, only the Ghost Cultivator and the two mutant rat beasts remained within the Bone Prison.

"Freedom...?"

The Ghost Cultivator muttered to himself. With a flare of his nostrils, he inhaled the deathly aura released by the freshly-dead Dragon Worm. A bone-piercing chill then began to emanate from his body.

Overcome by this invasive chill, the two mutant rat beasts also died in terror. Their flesh and blood withered in an instant, their entire life essence transferring into the Ghost Cultivator.

"Then let’s see the price of this freedom."

As the Ghost Cultivator spoke, the Bone Cage—which had imprisoned him for sixty years, but had also protected him for just as long—finally shattered. Like tired birds returning to their nest, the fragments flowed back into the Ghost Cultivator’s voluminous robes.

Then, his vision was filled by five fantastical and beautiful behemoths.

"A pleasure to meet you. You may call me Liu Yu. And how should I address you, my Ghost Cultivator friend?"