CHAPTER 231: A MASSIVE MOUNTAIN OF SKELETONS

Seeing several eyes on him, Nantian Yijian formed a hand seal and chanted, "Invoke, Empowerment of Myriad Arts."

He stepped toward Lu Chen. With each stride, the light around his body grew brighter. By the time he reached Lu Chen, a soft yellow radiance had completely enveloped him.

Bathed in this pale glow, Nantian Yijian looked as if he had experienced a massive leap in cultivation. Even his long black hair now shimmered with a faint yellow tint.

Red Fox opened her eyes and studied the glow surrounding him. It was unlike the aura of any Wish Power cultivator she had known, but she knew for a fact that anyone capable of radiating this light could only be a legendary Wish Power cultivator.

She chuckled softly. "Not bad, brat... You can not only control your own Wish Power, but you've even formed your own Wish Power tribe with it. This is a true leap toward the heavens. Do you finally understand how formidable Wish Power is? Do you still think Wind Dragon's Elemental Spirit Body is all that strong?"

Nantian Yijian scratched his head with a goofy grin, dispersing the glow slightly. "Haha, no, no... Cultivating Wish Power is enough for me. Especially after seeing that golden phantom summon a giant and Lord Wind Dragon's wind-blade barrier fail to stop it, I really think Wish Power is amazing."

Wind Dragon had been watching the radiance with satisfaction until Nantian Yijian's words hit him. "Nantian Yijian..."

With a furious roar, he lunged, claws raking through Nantian Yijian's hair. "You little brat! I just taught you a lesson, and now you're spouting nonsense again?"

Azure energy hissed from his nostrils, his face twisting in rage. He pressed the back of Nantian Yijian's head with his claws, pulling and snarling, his body exuding a thick azure aura. Dark patterns etched themselves into his scales. He looked as if he were forcing Nantian Yijian to kneel.

Nantian Yijian staggered under the pressure and collapsed to the ground. "No, no, Lord Wind Dragon, I was just joking! Your Elemental Spirit Body is still incredibly strong!"

Struggling to rise, he scrambled backward, pleading. "Your defeat earlier wasn't because you failed to overcome the limits of your spirit body. It was definitely due to the quality of the spirit qi!"

Wind Dragon roared again. "Nantian Yijian... If you can't watch your tongue, then just shut up."

His eyes slowly shifted back to blue, while stormy breath hissed from his nostrils. His whiskers and mane shimmered with azure light.

"This is only making it worse," Red Fox murmured, her red eyes glinting as she licked her claws and smirked. "Brat, do you realize you just misspoke again? But I like your style."

"Hmm? What did I say wrong this time?"

"You should have said he was defeated honorably. He might even appreciate that..."

"Really? Let me try," Nantian Yijian said. He slapped the ground with his right palm, leapt back, and rose to his feet. "Lord Wind Dragon, you weren't beaten like a dog earlier. You were honorably defeated. That spirit body used an ancient spell, so victory through it was hardly fair."

The words struck like a spark. The black patterns on Wind Dragon's azure scales thickened instantly, and a wild black aura surged from him, consuming the surrounding light.

In an instant, Wind Dragon swelled three zhang, projecting a dark-blue spirit qi across the ground. Energy hissed from his nostrils as he stepped forward, smashing a massive claw into the earth and sending shockwaves through the ground. He fixed his gaze on Nantian Yijian. "Nantian Yijian... You really have a sharp tongue. You speak without the slightest restraint."

"Lord Wind Dragon, what are you doing? Stay away from me!" Nantian Yijian slid backward and collapsed again, eyes wide at the dark-blue glow. "Why is black light coming from you? Why do you look so... scary?"

Wind Dragon didn't answer. He snorted coldly and closed his eyes briefly. When they opened, a layer of black radiance covered them. He gaped his blood-red maw, exhaling icy breath toward Nantian Yijian, and pressed one massive claw onto his chest, radiating a terrifying, almost demonic aura.

Nantian Wan'er watched anxiously. She glanced at Lu Chen, as though she was asking him to intervene. But Lu Chen remained still, merely reaching out to gently stroke her hair.

Nantian Yijian screamed at the top of his lungs. "Lord Wind Dragon, spare me! Lady Red Fox was the one who taught me to say that! Please, spare me!"

An immense burst of Wish Power erupted from his Heavenly Pool, forcing him free from Wind Dragon's claw.

He scrambled to his feet, covering his head, and bolted northward without looking back. Wind Dragon winked at Lu Chen, roared, and gave chase.

He barreled through the area, carving a wide path straight through the ashen-white forest.

Seeing Nantian Yijian sprinting northward, Jun Laoye quickly sheathed his Earth-Shattering Spear and rushed after him. "Little Jian, slow down! Don't provoke another Blood Soul Beast along the way."

Nantian Wan'er's gaze stayed fixed on Nantian Yijian. Feeling Wind Dragon's sheer destructive power, her worry deepened. She turned to Lu Chen, who seemed completely unfazed, and asked, "Lu-gege, aren't you worried about Brother Yijian? He's reckless and inexperienced. What if more Blood Soul Beasts appear? Won't that be dangerous?"

Lu Chen lightly twirled the vines in his hand, entirely unconcerned by the chaos Wind Dragon had caused. "Don't worry. Wind Dragon has gone after Little Jian."

From his perspective, Wind Dragon's insight rivaled that of an Earth Core Realm cultivator. There had to be a reason for his actions.

He turned to Nantian Wan'er. Seeing her worried expression, a fond smile tugged at his lips. Taking her small hand in his, he said, "Wind Dragon may look ferocious and violent, but deep down, he's gentle."

He explained further, "He's chasing Little Jian to protect him. Wan'er, look closely at those spots. Wind Dragon's movements earlier were all aimed at clearing potential dangers for Little Jian."

He casually pointed out several areas, hidden beneath thick dust, where dormant Blood Soul Beasts had been sealed by Wind Dragon's spirit qi.

Looking at the path Wind Dragon had carved, Lu Chen now understood the purpose behind the dragon's bold actions. After Jun Laoye had departed, the road revealed a series of sealed skeletal remains, each housing a trapped Blood Soul Beast.

Extending his hand, Lu Chen pressed on the skeletons beneath him and opened a portal into the small world. The Green Sovereign Divine Tree's vines rushed out, wrapping around the bones and transporting them into the small world.

Watching him, Nantian Wan'er finally understood Wind Dragon's earlier gaze. She pursed her lips, then chuckled softly. "I thought Lord Wind Dragon was genuinely angry. I didn't expect him to have this playful side."

She stroked Red Fox and glanced at Wind Dragon, who continued to roar fiercely. "But Lu-gege, we should move quickly. That creepy sensation is growing stronger. With Lord Wind Dragon causing such a ruckus, more Blood Soul Beasts are bound to appear nearby."

"Then let's go. I've already confirmed the first tablet's location. It's in the direction Little Jian is heading."

Lu Chen gathered his vines with a hand seal, nodded to his three avatars, and leapt into the air as the radiance of the divine ability beneath his feet flared brightly. He swept Nantian Wan'er into his arms and dashed north.

Rushing ahead close to the ground, he moved swiftly. Each time his foot touched down, a Stone Wall Formation erupted. Once Lu Chen and Nantian Wan'er were safely away, his three avatars detonated the formations, sending clouds of dust to cover the exposed skeletons.

Lu Chen and his avatars collected the sealed skeletons along the way, while relentlessly casting Stone Wall Formations, raising wave after wave of dust to bury every skeleton uninhabited by Blood Soul Beasts.

Halfway through, Nantian Yijian's anxious shout rang out. "Boss! Boss, come quickly! There's a mountain of skeletons here! It's huge!"

Exchanging a glance with Nantian Wan'er, Lu Chen said, "A mountain of skeletons? Hold on tight, Wan'er. We need to move faster."

Blue light erupted from his ankles, doubling his speed. The three avatars took over his work, racing through hand seals to cast Stone Wall Formations and unleash the Divine Tree's vines in rapid succession.

Three breaths later, Lu Chen arrived at the edge of a ravine and spotted Nantian Yijian in a panic. Glancing back, he saw his avatars bury the last remaining bones before spreading out in three directions, remaining alert for intruders.

Lu Chen released Nantian Wan'er's hand and stepped forward, astonished. "Little Jian... is this the mountain of skeletons you were talking about? Are you joking? This isn't a mountain. It's a whole mountain range of skeletons."

Jun Laoye nudged Lu Chen, gesturing for him to move forward first.

Slightly puzzled, Lu Chen activated his Divine Eye. What he saw made him stop. The mountain range of skeletons stretched endlessly from east to west, so vast that its far end was barely visible.