The ancient graveyard of the Ten Thousand Immortal Mound.
One grave mound after another rose high, looking like small hills.
Some had tombstones erected, some had sword blades stabbed into them, and some were nameless, without any marker or tombstone.
This place was located on the border of the Ten Thousand Immortal Mound, and the chill and desolation it exuded were not at all inferior to the interior of the mound, perhaps even surpassing it.
Ghostly spirits could be seen everywhere, skeletons were piled up into grave mounds, and unknown creatures let out ghostly wails from time to time.
“This is Samsara; those who show disrespect shall have calamity befall them.”
“This is the End of the Dao; those who kowtow shall receive the protection of the ten thousand Daos.”
Ghostly energy swirled around the stone tablet, incredibly cold. The ancient script exuded deathly energy, inspiring dread in all who looked upon it.
“What a load of crap. A few simple grave mounds and they dare call themselves Samsara? Isn't that a bit too arrogant?” Wang Xuanyi grumbled.
If this place had been made to look grander, more magnificent, and shrouded in ethereal immortal qi, perhaps some devout believers would actually kowtow with every step.
But this godforsaken place exuded nothing but misfortune. If anyone actually believed it, they would truly be out of their mind.
Just as Wang Xuanyi was about to step into the graveyard, the Immortal Phoenix spoke up. “Little Xuan, you'd better think this through. This ghost immortal is extraordinary. Even tens of thousands of years ago, many True Immortal experts were unwilling to provoke it.”
“Look who's talking. Aren't you going in?”
The Immortal Phoenix froze, pointing at herself. Her face was a picture of pure, innocent stupidity. “Eh? Do I have to go in too?”
“...”
After a moment of silence, Wang Xuanyi said, “You'd better stay outside. I'm afraid if you come with me, I'll have to worry about whether you'll get refined.”
“Well... could you...”
The Immortal Phoenix fidgeted, a flush appearing on her face. She mumbled, wanting to express something, but she was too embarrassed to say it out loud.
“Tsk, I really owe you. Fine, fine, take it!”
Wang Xuanyi took out ten jars of Green Bamboo Wine from his storage ring and told her, “If you finish these ten jars of wine and I'm still not back, go to the Heavenly Martial Immortal Sect and look for a female cultivator named Huo Huang. She possesses Phoenix Blood and is likely a descendant of the Phoenix Clan. She is also the only one who can help you undergo nirvana.”
“!”
The sudden gravity of his words left the Immortal Phoenix somewhat dazed. Was this really that same rascal?
“Also, hold onto this storage ring for me. It contains the Peach Blossom Immortal's immortal corpse and remnant soul. Once you find Huo Huang, she'll probably know what to do.”
After giving these instructions, before the Immortal Phoenix could even speak, Wang Xuanyi turned and stepped into the graveyard. In just an instant, the incredibly cold mist swallowed him, completely cutting off his presence.
“Has this deity... been entrusted with a heavy responsibility?”
For a moment, the Immortal Phoenix didn't know what to do, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
She was originally a sacred beast born of heaven and earth, belonging to neither the demon race nor the human race. Even after taking human form, she could never truly fit into any race.
Having lived for tens of thousands of years, she had been lonely for just as long. She had never had a friend, nor had she ever understood the meaning of the word. All she had ever known was deception and intrigue.
Only after meeting Little Xuan did she experience how wonderful it was to have someone keep her company and walk alongside her.
“Little Xuan, don't worry. This deity will definitely fulfill your final wishes... wait, 'entrusted request' is probably the right word.”
The Immortal Phoenix couldn't quite figure it out, but whatever. Being touched was one thing, but she should drink first.
“Gulp, gulp, gulp!”
Meanwhile.
After being swallowed by the black mist, Wang Xuanyi arrived before an ancient grave. Slumped over it was a massive skeletal creature. Its appearance was indistinct, and its presence was imperceptible; it could only be observed with the naked eye.
There were roughly thousands of ancient graves of various sizes in the surrounding area. Floating above each grave mound was a wisp of a ghostly spirit—some in human form, some demon beasts, and some fanged monsters...
“Those who enter this place... Samsara...”
Unwilling to waste his breath on useless chatter, Wang Xuanyi summoned his sword blade and pointed it diagonally at the white skeleton, saying coldly, “You trickster, get the hell out here!”
“...”
Boom!
The black mist dispersed, and the skeleton slumped over the ancient grave finally revealed its original form—a humanoid figure dozens of zhang tall.
Swoosh!
Two eerie red lights flickered in the skull's eye sockets; those were its eyes. Then, the massive skeleton slowly rose, and the dozens of ribs on its chest reared up, each one crawling with flowing veins of blood.
Thump, thump!
A powerful, rhythmic heartbeat echoed through the space. The nearby vital energy continuously converged toward the center of the massive skeleton's chest, where a bright red heart actually beat!
“What an ominous entity. This seat senses 'its' aura from you—the source of calamity, the root of sin.”
The skull spoke slowly, its pale white teeth clacking together. Its crimson eyes were extremely sinister and evil.
“Cut the crap! Hand over your soul brand!”
“Hahaha! This is the funniest joke this seat has ever heard!”
Instead of becoming angry, the ghost immortal laughed. It spread its skeletal palm, which was inscribed with several immortal rune secret techniques, and pressed it down toward Wang Xuanyi.
Boom!
Gravity plummeted, immortal techniques flowed, and deathly energy wrapped around every finger bone. A boundless spiritual pressure, like a boulder weighing ten million jin, poured down.
Pfft!
Wang Xuanyi spat out a mouthful of blood. Smearing blood on his fingers, he inscribed an immortal rune in his palm. Then, raising his hand, a golden palm print rose from the ground to meet the skeletal hand.
With a deafening boom, palm met palm, secret script clashed with rune, and their boundless powers fought for dominance.
Clatter, clatter!
The skeleton shattered along with the ghost immortal's arm. Tens of thousands of white bones rained down from the sky, resembling a downpour of bone.
“Hehe, with only this level of ability, you dare dream of challenging this seat? Overestimating your own strength!”
The ghost immortal chuckled. Wisps of blood clung to the bones scattered across the ground. With the beating of the heart, those bones converged once more, reforming into a skeletal hand.
A scarlet array manifested on the skeletal body as the ghost immortal attacked again. A beam of bloody light shot out from its chest. Its ribs flared open like a ferocious beast, letting out a roar as countless blood vessels spread from them.
Instantly, the space was blanketed in blood vessels. Several streams of magic power wrapped in secret scripts charged rapidly at Wang Xuanyi, aiming for a one-hit kill.
Wang Xuanyi's aura surged violently. Bringing his hands together, his magic power erupted. A lifelike True Dragon pattern appeared on his back, and a massive sea of runes gathered in his palms.
“True Dragon Art!”
With those words shouted, the True Dragon materialized behind him. Countless runes condensed on its body, and its boundless, majestic magic power surged with the ferocity of a tsunami.
“Go!”
Roar!
His words became reality. A dragon's roar shook the heavens, dispersing all the black mist in the ghost immortal's domain. The True Dragon's body blazed with golden light as if it had come to life, tearing through the ghost immortal's blood vessels and suppressing force.
“A True Dragon secret technique?!”
The ghost immortal was utterly shocked, staring at the lifelike True Dragon. Its scales shimmered brightly, its whiskers were distinct, and it was surrounded by immortal runes.
“A mere Nascent Soul Realm remnant soul dares to declare this place a domain of Samsara? Today, I shall act on behalf of Heaven and slay this evil!”
Wang Xuanyi's eyes shone with brilliant light. Yin and Yang alternated, paramita flowers bloomed, and the True Dragon coiled around him, its long roar shaking heaven and earth as if a True Immortal had descended.
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