Chapter 681 — Dry Bones Repay the Ring

The folk of the Village of Hidden Remnants had fared no better. To guard these tens of thousands, they had fought head-on against perils from every direction the whole way, and they were spent. Shen Mu looked at Xing An. Xing An was opening his chest, taking out several arms and legs, unstrapping his own legs and arms and fitting on new ones.

Once he had changed his body, he took out some divine blood and exchanged his own. "I can fight.

" Xing An, blood exchanged, said coolly, "But there are too many withered divine and demonic bones. I cannot protect you for long.

My supply of body parts in the chest is limited as well. And I have one more condition. " He looked at the Alchemist and said gravely, "I ask the Jade-Faced Poison King to thoroughly cure the hidden affliction in my body. If you refuse, I turn and leave this instant.

" The Alchemist frowned. "If I refuse, where can you go? You cannot leave Taihuang Heaven.

You cannot return to Jingping.

" Shen Mu sighed.

"He can leave Taihuang Heaven. Once the south-pointing chariot was built, it marked out for him the road to Taiming Heaven. Xing An is a clever man; he must have thought of it.

" Xing An smiled. "Right now, I alone can save you.

So will the Poison King grant my condition? " "Fine.

" The Alchemist said with alacrity, "I will write out the prescription for you. You must fight to the death. " Xing An shook his head.

"No. If my life is in peril, I will withdraw.

I will not spend my life here.

" The Alchemist sneered.

"If you will not fight to the death, what use are you to me? You can forget about getting the prescription from me!

" A keen light flashed in Xing An's eyes. Just then, as though they had received some command, the divine and demonic skeletons came howling toward them!

Xing An turned and left. His voice came from far off: "You will have need of me yet!

" He flew swiftly away, abandoning them all.

The Butcher drew his blade and cried in a loud voice, "Fight to the death!

" Blade aura surged skyward.

The other gods likewise brought out their divine weapons, gritted their teeth, and fixed their eyes on the onrushing divine and demonic skeletons. Worn out as they were, the lives of tens of thousands of the Gifted hung upon them, and they had long since put their own lives and deaths beyond their concern.

More and more divine and demonic skeletons came, closer and closer. Those towering skulls trod upon the sea of magma, racing swift as flight; each footfall raised towering waves, a terrifying sight.

The Venerable God Sang Ye suddenly laughed. "Brother Pang Yu, if these little ones can survive, many of them will surely cultivate to godhood, won't they?

" True God Pang Yu, carrying the First Ancestor on his back, laughed. "Of course.

This generation of youngsters is far cleverer than we were, and far more capable. Among them, no fewer than our forebears will cultivate to godhood or demonhood, and some of them will reach heights we could never attain. " The gods all laughed. "Then even if we die fighting for them, it is worth it!

" The Butcher roared with laughter and shouted, "Village Head, Granny, escort them on ahead.

We will hold the rear for you. Are the two of you confident you can deal with the perils ahead? " Granny Zhu turned solemn and said gravely, "Until death.

" "Good!

" The gods bellowed and charged to meet the oncoming divine and demonic skeletons, shout after shout shaking heaven and earth.

The Village Head sighed and said in a low voice, "Let us go.

With all the cultivation of my life, I will open the road for you!

" Scarcely had his words fallen when the sea of magma suddenly boiled, great bubbles burbling upward. The Village Head's heart lurched. His vital essence took the form of four limbs; he held his sword still and watched the upheaval in the magma sea.

Splash—magma shot skyward, and a colossal bone dragon burst from the sea of magma, its whole body clad in tattered armor.

Behind the bone dragon, divine and demonic skeletons came racing, armored and helmeted, leaping out of the magma sea, a thousand of them at least! The Village Head's face went pale, and the vital-essence hand that gripped his sword trembled. And upon the brow of that armor-clad bone dragon's vast skull stood a divine-demonic skeleton draped in a tattered cloak, holding a battered tally-axe. It suddenly swung the axe and laughed aloud: "Soldiers of the Southern Dipper Star Division of the Southern Heaven, flatten these demons and monsters for me!

" Whoosh—countless divine and demonic skeletons leapt up from above the Village Head and the others, howling as they charged at the skeletons locked in battle with the Butcher, Pang Yu, and the rest.

The Village Head stared blankly and turned to look. The army of skeletons collided with the army of skeletons, and at once shattered bone flew in every direction! The skeletons that rushed past them were plainly a well-trained army, drawn up in battle formations, mowing down all before them like a knife through melons and vegetables, and in short order they routed the other side utterly! Everyone was stunned by this turn of events.

The Village Head turned back, and suddenly saw the bone dragon lower its skull. The skeleton general standing on the skull set down his tally-axe and bowed, saying, "Wei Liao, Military Commissioner stationed in Taihuang Heaven, of the Southern Dipper Star Division of the Southern Heaven under the Kaihuang Heavenly Court, pays his respects to my benefactor!

It is a rare thing to see my benefactor again—though I never thought we would meet under such circumstances. " Though he was a skeleton, without flesh or blood, he possessed an extraordinary bearing and a gallant, heroic spirit.

From his voice alone one could picture that in life he must have been a mighty and remarkable divine general! The tens of thousands of people were bewildered, at a loss. Suddenly a voice came from the crowd: "Military Commissioner Wei Liao is too courteous.

Please rise. " As one, the crowd looked toward the voice, and saw Shen Mu step out from among them. The young Sect Master bowed slightly, his hands raised in an empty gesture of support that touched nothing.