txolops Chapter 63 Using Ghost Bones as Bait to Lure the Enemy into the Trap
Chapter 63 Using Ghost Bones as Bait to Lure the Enemy into the Trap
Inside the Cave of Ten Thousand Ghosts, the cold wind was like a knife.
The rock walls here are covered with countless holes, and when the wind blows through them, it sounds like the howling of a thousand evil spirits, which is terrifying.
The Blood Swordsman walked with unusually steady steps.
The malevolent aura emanating from him blended seamlessly with the surroundings, as if he were one of the myriad ghosts.
Deep within the cave, on a lotus platform made of piled bones, sat a gaunt old man.
His skin was as dry and withered as tree bark, his eyes were tightly closed, and there was no trace of human life about him. If it weren't for the extremely faint rise and fall of his chest, he would have looked exactly like a dried corpse.
This is the patriarch of the Blood River Sect, True Man Blood River.
An old monster who has one foot in the Nascent Soul stage and has lived for countless years.
"You're the new elder of the Punishment Hall?"
Blood River Master did not open his eyes, but his voice echoed like a surging river.
"It is indeed your subordinate."
The Blood Swordsman bowed respectfully, his attitude respectful but not servile.
"I heard you performed well in the battle at Yunmengze and even helped Li Tianxing stabilize the situation."
Blood River Master said slowly, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger, "However, this Ten Thousand Ghost Cave is a forbidden area of the sect. If you trespass without a valid reason, even if you are an elder of the Punishment Hall, you will die."
"Your subordinate has come to present a great gift to the Ancestor."
Without wasting any words, the Blood Swordsman opened the food box in his hand.
In that instant, an extremely cold and yin energy burst forth from the box, actually overpowering the original yin energy of the Ten Thousand Ghost Cave.
Blood River Immortal suddenly opened his eyes.
Those originally cloudy eyes suddenly shot out two terrifying beams of blood-red light, staring intently at the contents of the box.
It was a palm-sized black bone fragment covered with ancient and obscure patterns, containing secrets leading to the underworld.
Ghost Bones of the Netherworld!
This is the very treasure that the Blood River Sect desperately sought in Yunmengze, only to have it vanish without a trace!
"How did this thing end up in your hands?"
With a flick of his withered hand, Blood River Immortal sent the ghost bone flying into his grasp.
He greedily stroked the patterns on it, feeling the pure Yin energy originating from ancient times, and even his breathing became rapid.
"Reporting to the Ancestor, the scene was chaotic at the time. The Netherworld Ghost Hand appeared, and this ghost bone was blown away, falling into my hands by chance."
The Blood Swordsman lied without batting an eye, "I know this item is of great importance and dare not keep it to myself. Moreover, my cultivation technique has reached a bottleneck, and only such a treasure can help me advance further. But after much thought, I think it's better to offer it to the Ancestor than to waste it myself, so that the Ancestor can help the Ancestor achieve great success. At that time, even a small reward from the Ancestor would be enough for me to enjoy endlessly."
These words were spoken exceptionally well.
He explained the source, expressed his loyalty, and also mentioned his own needs, making it seem exceptionally genuine.
In the world of cultivation, those who are without desires are the most suspicious; those who have desires are easier to control.
Sure enough, the wariness in Blood River Master's eyes dissipated considerably, replaced by a look of satisfaction.
"Very good, it's rare to find someone with such filial piety, and you're quite sensible."
Blood River Immortal put away the ghost bone, in high spirits. "With this, my Netherworld Blood Sea Scripture can finally be perfected, and breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage will be just around the corner! Tell me, what reward do you desire?"
"I dare not take credit for this."
The Blood Swordsman bowed again. "I just received some news from the Flowing Cloud Sect that someone is trying to sabotage the upcoming summoning ceremony, targeting you, Ancestor."
"Oh?" Blood River Master frowned. "Who?"
"The Flowing Cloud Sect, the Vast Cloud Sea."
The Blood Swordsman took out the sample of the tampered Soul-Guiding Talisman from his pocket and presented it to the figure.
"This was intercepted from the front lines at great risk by my subordinates. This talisman looks fine on the surface, but someone has added a special soul-locking seal inside. If it is used in a ritual, the summoned creature... probably won't obey the ancestor's commands, and might even devour its master."
Blood River Immortal took the talisman and probed it with his divine sense.
A moment later, his face turned extremely gloomy.
Although the Soul-Locking Seal was extremely well hidden, it still couldn't be concealed from an old monster like him.
"What a magnificent Yun Canghai! What a magnificent Liuyun Sect!"
Blood River Master laughed in fury, the talisman in his hand instantly turning to ashes. "I cooperated with him, granting him the opportunity to ascend, and he actually tried to stab me in the back, turning me into a ghost puppet?"
This was exactly the effect Gu Yan wanted.
The alliance between Yun Canghai and Xuehe Zhenren was based on mutual interests and was extremely fragile.
With just a little provocation and some "ironclad evidence," they can be turned against each other in an instant.
"Please calm down, Ancestor."
Blood Swordsman added fuel to the fire at the opportune moment, licking his lips, "In my opinion, since Yun Canghai is so ruthless, why don't we turn the tables on him? He wants to use the ritual against the Ancestor, so why doesn't the Ancestor use this Netherworld Bone to seize control of the ritual and sacrifice Yun Canghai and all the elites of the Flowing Cloud Sect to the Netherworld, helping the Ancestor break through in one fell swoop?"
"Let's turn the tables...sacrifice them all..."
Blood River Master muttered to himself, the red light in his eyes growing brighter and brighter, finally turning into a burst of wild laughter.
"Hahaha! Good! What a brilliant plan to turn the tables on me!"
His gaze toward the Blood Swordsman was full of admiration. "You're not only quite strong, but you're also quite clever. You're much better than that idiot Tianxing, who only knows how to act recklessly."
"From this day forward, you will be my personal disciple. I am passing on this Blood Transformation Shadow Escape Technique to you as a reward for your contribution."
Blood River Master pointed a finger at Blood Swordsman's brow, and a crimson light instantly entered.
This is an extremely profound life-saving escape technique, far superior to ordinary blood escape, and with minimal side effects.
The Blood Swordsman was secretly delighted, but maintained a respectful demeanor.
"Thank you for the gift, Master!"
"Go."
Blood River Master waved his hand, closed his eyes again, and said to Blood Swordsman:
"The ceremony will begin in three days. At that time, you will be in charge of the outer formation and cooperate with me to put on a good show."
"Yes."
Blood Swordsman slowly withdrew from the Ten Thousand Ghosts Cave.
Only after walking quite a distance did he turn back to look at the bottomless cave entrance, a cold smile curving his lips.
Three days later?
That was truly a grand celebration!
Yun Canghai thought he was plotting against Xuehe Zhenren, while Xuehe Zhenren thought he was plotting against Yun Canghai.
Little did they know, a hidden disciple was sharpening his knife, ready to wipe out these two old men, along with the filth of both the righteous and demonic paths, all at once.
……
The main camp of the Liuyun Sect.
Gu Yan's true form slowly opened his eyes, and a line of text suddenly appeared on the panel:
[Acquired advanced escape technique: Blood Transformation Shadow Technique (Beginner 0/100)]
[A similar cultivation technique has been detected. Should it be integrated into the "Evergreen and Withering Technique"?]
"They can even be fused together?"
Gu Yan was taken aback, then overjoyed.
"Merge!"
[Fusing successful. New trait acquired: Withered Tree Shadow.]
[Shadow Transformation: Allows for an instantaneous transformation of the body into a lifeless, withered tree, and enables short-distance teleportation using shadows. Also grants immunity to some physical damage.]
With a thought, Gu Yan's body suddenly blurred and turned into a shapeless shadow, instantly appearing in the corner of the tent three zhang away.
Silent and stealthy, like a ghost following you.
"nice one."
Gu Yan patted his sleeves with satisfaction.
With this trick, he, as the director and lead actor, will be able to handle the big show three days later with even more ease.