C11 Prison Bone Corpse

After scaling a relatively intact building, Wang Yue briefly surveyed the terrain before venturing deeper into the ruins. This area, being close to the city wall, had buildings that were still in decent shape. This was in stark contrast to the Outer Sect Trial, where the absence of a city wall meant that the Myriad Qi Profound Sect's excavation left the buildings sparse and without even a shelter to escape the rain.

"It seems the Otherworld is also a normal world. I wonder what happened to cause such a collapse," Wang Yue mused.

The ruins revealed that the Otherworld's technology, or at least its architectural prowess, surpassed that of this world. The remnants of steel-reinforced concrete structures were exceptionally durable, even more so than the buildings of the other world. Many were once skyscrapers, and despite their fall from great heights, they still retained much of their structure.

Research by the Deacons had confirmed that the Death Ruins were already in this state before their descent into this world, having been abandoned for years. The Myriad Qi Profound Sect's actions had only further ravaged the already decrepit ruins.

Wang Yue had no trouble dispatching the Corpse Stealers he encountered and was cautious to avoid areas where they were known to congregate. While the Corpse Stealers themselves weren't too challenging to handle, it was nearly impossible to ensure that a few Prison Bone Corpses weren't lurking among them. In fact, areas where Prison Bone Corpses roamed openly were paradoxically safer.

"The number of Corpse Stealers is increasing. What on earth is happening?" he wondered.

Previously, Corpse Stealers would sporadically emerge from unknown places, but now they appeared in large groups, which was highly unusual and defied logic—even for creatures as inherently illogical as Corpse Stealers.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash as a stone slab was overturned, revealing a massive skeletal arm.

Prison Bone Corpse!

This creature, on par with the Qi Refining Stage, was synthesized from Corpse Stealers. Typically, it took five to seven Corpse Stealers to form one Prison Bone Corpse, which only occurred when their numbers swelled to a significant size.

The Prison Bone Corpse typically remained hidden underground, surfacing only when it detected the presence of humans nearby.

This particular Prison Bone Corpse must have sensed Wang Yue passing by, prompting it to push aside the stone slab covering it and emerge.

In contrast to the bloated and grotesque form of the Corpse Stealer, the Prison Bone Corpse was somewhat more aesthetically pleasing. Encased in a skeletal shell, it resembled a towering giant clad in white bone armor, standing over three meters tall, its menacing appearance betraying a sense of valor.

Wang Yue sprang up onto the leaning wall of a toppled building, a vantage point that spared him from any further encounters with the Prison Bone Corpse.

The creature let out a pair of howls before lunging forward with a swift charge.

The Prison Bone Corpse's movements were significantly more agile and swift than the rigid motions of the Corpse Stealer. It closed the distance to Wang Yue in a blink, its bony arm sweeping towards him in a wide arc.

Facing the oncoming gust, Wang Yue simply raised his arms, employing the Dynamic-static Clear Two-form Fist Technique. His body was as limber as if he had no bones, allowing him to narrowly evade the sweep of the creature's arm upon contact.

A large physique can sometimes be a disadvantage. Wang Yue easily got within striking distance of the Prison Bone Corpse, and his palm force struck the creature's thigh, creating a web of fine cracks.

"No good, the Prison Bone Corpse's exoskeleton is too thick. A blow like that hardly does any damage; it can't even penetrate the outer shell."

Against such a foe, the most effective weapons are heavy artillery or exceptionally sharp divine arms. Bare fists and feet struggle to breach such durable and thick armor.

The Prison Bone Corpse's strengths lay in its robust armor and immense power. While Wang Yue wasn't concerned about the power, as he was unlikely to be hit, the armor proved to be a formidable challenge.

He couldn't focus his attacks on a single area. The Prison Bone Corpse lacked intelligence but possessed keen combat instincts, making it impossible for him to break through its defenses easily.

Retreat!

Wang Yue hadn't ventured into the Death Ruins seeking combat glory. With the Prison Bone Corpse proving a difficult adversary, there was no point in squandering more time on the encounter.

With a resounding clang, Wang Yue made a split-second decision, kicking out a window that was still somewhat intact from the ruins of the building and leaping down. The architecture of the Death Ruins bore some resemblance to contemporary structures, yet there were significant differences, such as the absence of glass windows. Instead, windows were composed of steel and decayed wood, often reinforced with steel mesh.

The window he descended through was just large enough for a person to pass, but certainly not ample enough for a behemoth like the Prison Bone Corpse. Frustrated, the Prison Bone Corpse reached in after Wang Yue, only to find it grasping at thin air, unable to catch anything.

Inside the toppled building, the dimness was offset by the broken windows, which allowed enough light from the outside to illuminate the ground and surroundings. "No electrical appliances. It looks like this realm is also devoid of technological advancement," Wang Yue mused. Perhaps the overwhelming power of individuals stifled technological progress, or the presence of Talisman Artifacts and magical implements negated the need for it. It could also be that this world was inherently incapable of technological development.

Wang Yue didn't ponder too deeply on the matter. He wasn't versed in science and engineering, nor did he entertain notions of a technological revolution or nuclear weapons challenging sword immortals. Even if he did, he lacked the means to realize such ideas.

The dilapidated space was filled with decaying wooden furniture, some still retaining their original shapes but now hosting mushrooms and wood ear fungi. The walls and floor were overgrown with various shade-loving plants. The scene resembled a cave, complete with its own assortment of snakes, insects, rodents, and ants.

Just then, the light filtering through the window grew dim. A thunderous boom echoed from outside, followed by the patter of rain. "Hmm? How is it possible for it to rain so suddenly?" Wang Yue wondered. The sky had been clear when he descended, not cloudless, but certainly not overcast. In less than ten minutes since his arrival, a storm had brewed. Even with the unpredictable weather of the Spirit Domain Secret Forest, such a rapid shift seemed unreasonable.

Light green raindrops pattered down, tracing their way through the larger cracks and windows. They didn't seep into the earth but instead gathered and slowly formed a stream.

The rain was corrosive, capable of eating away at the walls of the ruins and transforming the debris into a new substance that bonded the scattered stones into one large mass.

It seemed that previous downpours had eroded and fused the fragments together, which now caused the rain to collect into a stream.

With the rain coming down outside, venturing out was no longer an option. With time on his hands, Wang Yue took an interest in following the water's path, skillfully dodging the raindrops.

The light had diminished after the rain, plunging the interior into deeper darkness. Unable to see clearly, Wang Yue had no choice but to retrieve his Smoke Congealing Canister.

The Smoke Congealing Canister, a Ten Dao Talisman Artifact, wasn't solely for signaling distress. In fact, the distress signal feature used only five of its talismans. The remaining five were for illumination, starting fires, and solar-powered recharging.

Indeed, for disciples at the Body Refining Stage, the Smoke Congealing Canister relied on solar energy for recharging, as they lacked the Genuine Qi to power it themselves.

There were Talisman Artifacts that could absorb Spiritual Qi autonomously, but those typically contained hundreds of talismans. A Ten Dao Talisman Artifact had to resort to various methods to replenish its depleted energy.

As for powering Talisman Artifacts with Spirit Stones, anyone who suggested that clearly didn't understand the value of such stones.

Even a Low Grade Spirit Stone was more valuable than a Ten Dao Talisman Artifact; it would be impractical to use them for such a purpose.

Gripping the Smoke Congealing Canister, Wang Yue pressed his thumb against its base, and a beam of light burst forth, casting a glow on the path ahead like a miniature flashlight.

"Shh!"

Suddenly, Wang Yue heard a hush sound. He quickly released his thumb, extinguishing the canister's light, and stood perfectly still, silent in the darkness.

"Be careful... The gap... The light..."

The voice was faint and sporadic, not originating from the same space, but seemingly traveling through the gap, just as his light had shone through it.

Vigilance is paramount. Wang Yue shifted his steps with caution, his focus sharpening with each move.

The layout of the surroundings was etched in his memory, allowing him to navigate with care. Even in the absence of light, there was no cause for concern. He followed the sounds, which grew increasingly distinct.

"It's fine. It's probably just a fellow disciple passing by. It's unlikely that anyone has discovered us."

"One can never be too careful. But it's also unlikely that someone is deliberately trailing us; otherwise, they wouldn't be using the light through the wall's crack."

"We still need to exercise caution!"

Wang Yue's eyes narrowed slightly, recognizing the last voice as unmistakably belonging to Hee Ziang.

What a coincidence!

He doubted that Hee Ziang's presence in such a place was to target him. This implied that Hee Ziang had abandoned his responsibilities and the Outer Sect Disciples of the Sixteen Academies to venture out alone.

Indeed, Wang Yue could simply run out and call for a Deacon, who would then apprehend Hee Ziang for questioning.

Yet, Wang Yue refrained. He was more inclined to personally incapacitate Hee Ziang. He didn't believe in postponing revenge, but he certainly wished for swift personal retribution.

A grudge with Hee Ziang could be settled, but for someone who sought his demise, death was the only answer.

Having traversed the brink of life and death, he felt liberated from certain constraints.

However, they were not in the same location at the moment. Though the gap connected them and they were likely close, he couldn't just burrow through the barrier of debris without alerting those on the other side.

The glow from the Smoke Congealing Canister was limited. He had already moved beyond the previously illuminated area. But by then, the voices of Hee Ziang and his companions had faded into the distance. Wang Yue used the Smoke Congealing Canister once more, committing the path ahead to memory.

Continuing on, he followed the path etched in his memory until he stumbled upon a spot that could be excavated.

Before long, they had broken through to the other side, revealing an even darker tunnel overgrown with moss.

This was truly underground, distinct from the spaces formed on the surface by the collapsed building. The ground was damp with mud and moss, marked by several footprints that were unmistakably visible in the light of the Smoke Congealing Canister.

"We're in luck."

These footprints confirmed that they had passed through this passage. The value of tracking them was negligible, unless a divergence in the path lay ahead.

Perhaps this was the reason they hadn't bothered to cover their tracks.