This scene...
This feeling...
Yang An was suddenly reminded of his last encounter inside the Earth Spirit Stele. He had been lost in the darkness then, too, facing an unknown, terrifying presence in the shadows.
He hadn't done anything this ti. He hadn't even tried to explore its depths like before, yet the situation was identical to the last.
BZZZT!
Layer after layer of light erupted around Yang An, stacking on top of each other in an attempt to illuminate the surrounding darkness.
The Earth Spirit Stele was vanishing layer by layer, including the mirror-like reflection on the ground. It was as if he had been plunged into absolute darkness, unable to see a thing.
But a dangerous aura was rapidly approaching from within the darkness, drawing ever closer.
Everything around him seed to crack and shatter, only to fall swiftly into a dead silence.
Although Yang An had activated all his Light Magic, the encroaching darkness was not hindered in the slightest. In fact, the light surrounding his body was being steadily suppressed.
Suddenly, an imnse pressure assaulted him. It felt like space itself was crushing in on him from all directions with an irresistible, monuntal force.
In just an instant, all the light on Yang An's body dimd. He found he couldn't mobilize his Mana at all; all his Techniques had failed in that mont.
At the sa ti, an indescribable aura from the darkness had silently drawn near, appearing right in front of him!
He couldn't see anything, but the dangerous presence was now right on top of him. The hair on Yang An's body stood on end, and a chill ran down his spine.
At almost the exact sa ti, an incandescent white light suddenly filled his entire body!
Celestial Gnomon Body!
He couldn't use his Mana, but he could use the Celestial Gnomon Light within his body.
This was the only piece of good news!
Yang An's body surged with power. The searing light filled him, providing a sliver of relief to his restless heart.
But just as he activated the Celestial Gnomon Body using the Celestial Gnomon Light, a chilling aura, cold enough to freeze the soul, washed over him.
"AHHH! What the hell is this thing?! It's so cold!!"
The Bow Lady bore the brunt of it, and even her voice, reaching Yang An's ears, was trembling violently.
Even though Yang An's body was filled with the blazing Celestial Gnomon Light, under this aura, he felt as if he had been doused with a basin of impossibly icy water.
Even the incandescent white light on his body developed black patches where it ca into contact with the aura. He even lost all feeling and control over the flesh that the aura touched!
The sense of impending death instantly swept through his body and soul!
Even his Undying Body couldn't resist it in the slightest. It felt as if, once frozen, his Flesh and Blood Rebirth would fail, and he would be utterly annihilated.
At this mont of life and death, Yang An threw caution to the wind, rapidly mobilizing the stored Celestial Gnomon Light in his body and consuming it frantically.
Countless rays of incandescent white light erupted from Yang An's body, like an incredibly hot sun appearing in the darkness, trying to lt away the gloom.
And in that instant, as the light flared brilliantly, Yang An's gaze froze. He was looking at a shadow just inches away.
It was a black, human-like figure. Its face was indistinct, and its entire body seed to be tightly bound by countless chains. A massive Stone Stele pierced through its torso, fused as one with its body!
It just stared silently at Yang An, seemingly eting his gaze, without doing anything or making any movent.
But the very instant Yang An saw it, his vision plunged into darkness. He was montarily blinded!
At the sa ti, an uncontrollable stiffness spread through his body. His consciousness seed to freeze in that instant, and even his thoughts beca immobile.
Just a single glance. But that one glance had plunged Yang An into an inescapable, fatal predicant.
But just then...
BANG!
He felt like a stiff rock smashing hard onto the ground. His body seed to shatter into pieces, and an intense, sharp pain instantly swept through him, even searing his brain.
The numbness vanished. Light returned to Yang An's eyes, and as his consciousness reford, he was shocked to find he was back in the Heavenly Respect Pavilion.
It was then that Yang An also discovered the source of his pain.
His body had turned into stiff, stone-like chunks, shattered and scattered all over the place.
Fortunately, as his consciousness returned, the Immortality of his flesh also reactivated. Countless fleshy tendrils began to grow, squirm, and weave together frantically.
Two breaths later, he had finally recovered.
As his physical body reford and the pain subsided, Yang An finally looked ahead.
Elder Life Crane was sitting on the high seat, his face lost in thought.
White smoke billowed from He Tou's mouth, as if it had been branded with a hot iron. Its throat trembled as it swallowed a large cloud of white smoke, then it shook its head and turned to Yang An with a murderous expression.
'At the critical mont, the old bastard was the one who pulled out after all.'
Yang An imdiately understood. But seeing He Tou's expression, he grew tense again, his heart pounding in his chest.
'This old monster looks like it wants to eat alive.'
"Thank you, Master!"
Yang An swallowed hard, imdiately fell to his knees, and spoke respectfully.
His voice seed to snap Elder Life Crane out of his reverie.
"Go back."
Elder Life Crane replied curtly, his cold gaze fixed on Yang An.
"You are forbidden from going out for the ti being. Stay obediently within the sect, understand?"
Yang An's heart tightened. He nodded, then hurriedly got up and left the Heavenly Respect Pavilion.
After Yang An had gone, He Tou slowly withdrew its gaze from Yang An's disappearing figure and looked at Elder Life Crane.
"Old man! You must have seen it this ti, right?"
"HACK— HACK—"
It sounded like there was phlegm stuck in its throat, making strange noises as it spoke. It suddenly spewed a large fireball from its mouth, then burped, finally looking comfortable.
Elder Life Crane tilted his head, resting his chin on his hand, a thoughtful look still on his face.
Hearing He Tou's question, he first nodded, then shook his head.
"I saw it, but I didn't really see it."
"Old man! Are you still playing riddles with ?"
An angry expression imdiately appeared on He Tou's face!
'If I could control this body, I'd definitely slap this old bastard twice and smash his damn face in.'
"No. To be precise, I only saw an aura!"
"An aura? What aura?"
"The true aura of the Earth Spirit Stele!"
"..."
He Tou was speechless. It understood less and less of what this old man was saying.
"It seems we must intervene to protect this little disciple. We can't let him die!"
"Are you saying only he can see that thing inside the Magic Stele?"
"It's happened both tis he's entered. This is no coincidence!"
"How do we protect him? Lock him up?"
A look of eager anticipation suddenly appeared in He Tou's eyes.
"We take him with us!"
Elder Life Crane said slowly.
"But he's about to break through to Corpse Transformation! He's destined to die!"
"We'll try! We'll assimilate him! It's just a Flesh Mushroom body; it's fine if it's gone. Even his soul isn't necessary. It'll be good enough if he just stays alive."
"He'll be the perfect tool to scout the path for us!"
"HAHAHAHA! You're the ruthless one, old man!"
He Tou began to laugh maniacally.
The laughter echoed through the Heavenly Respect Pavilion, but Yang An could no longer hear it.
He quickly returned to his own residence, his heart filled with worry.
He had originally planned to take this opportunity to leave the Life Crane Sect, but before he left the Heavenly Respect Pavilion, it seed the old man had seen through his intentions.
"You are forbidden from going out for the ti being. Stay obediently within the sect!"
It was like a warning!
Yang An's heart grew extrely uneasy. Even as he returned, he sensed the atmosphere within the sect had beco heavier. The perpetually gloomy sky now looked like it could burst into a storm at any mont.
This was the first ti he had seen such a sight since joining the Life Crane Sect.
If he tried to leave the Life Crane Sect now, the old man would definitely find out.
But if he didn't leave, the Life Crane Sect would beco extrely dangerous once the Great Virtue Temple arrived.
Danger lay in both directions. Yang An was suddenly caught in a dilemma.
'Should I go or not?'
Lost in thought, Yang An suddenly had an idea, and his eyes lit up.
'I've got it!'
He raised his hand and looked at the Six Golden Secret Seals on his wrist.
The Secret Seal Space!
He could hide inside the Secret Seal Space and co out in a few months.
By the ti he erged from the Secret Seal Space, perhaps the turmoil at the Life Crane Sect would have already passed.
Not only that, but he could also raise his Cultivation Level inside the Secret Seal Space.
He had the subsequent Cultivation Technique, and he still had the Golden Body Skillful thod of Liberation, which he hadn't yet fused into a Dao of Destiny Technique. As long as he fused it, he could smoothly step into the Corpse Transformation Realm!
By then, even if there were any lingering dangers outside, he should have so Power of Self-Preservation.
Having made up his mind, Yang An wasted no more ti!
The Six Golden Secret Seals on his hand imdiately flew out, quickly forming a dark, gold-rimd ring in front of him.
In the blink of an eye, the entrance to the Secret Seal Space was opened.
'I wonder if the illusion, which shattered after I saw the old man in the Secret Seal Space last ti, has been restored?'
Although this was tantamount to escaping from one cage only to enter another, the Secret Seal Space was, after all, just an illusion. Right now, Yang An couldn't afford to worry about that.
'I'll go in and see!'
The next mont, Yang An's figure vanished on the spot, entering the Secret Seal Space. The entrance to the space quickly faded into nothingness.
「anwhile, in the Heavenly Respect Pavilion of the Life Crane Sect.」
He Tou's expression suddenly hardened!
"He's gone! The kid's aura has vanished!"
It turned sharply to Elder Life Crane. "He ran away!"
Elder Life Crane imdiately rose from his seat, and his figure vanished.
When he reappeared, he was already in Yang An's residence.
This was the place where Yang An's aura had last been detected before it disappeared.
He glanced around. Even He Tou stretched out its neck to look everywhere, but they found nothing.
But just then, an aura pulsed from Elder Life Crane's body, its bizarre fluctuations forming a special frequency.
In an instant, a faint golden glimr, rapidly dissipating, appeared in the empty air right before Elder Life Crane.
"He didn't run!"
Elder Life Crane reached out to touch the empty space. Countless streams of red, bloody energy emanated from his hand, enveloping the last remnant of gold.
"It's a Forbidden Artifact Fragnt!"
"Where did he get a Forbidden Artifact Fragnt?"
"It doesn't have his aura on it. It must be an ownerless fragnt."
"Then drag him out!"
"Yes! Drag him out!"
"Hehehehe—"
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