Chapter 234: When the Music Ends and the Crowd Scatters, That

Seeing the bronze hall's door open, the other cultivators immediately surged forward, rushing toward the entrance.

The more others became frenzied,

the more fearful Zheng Fa and his companions grew.

"Go!"

Zheng Fa and Xiao Yuying exchanged a glance; Xiao Yuying understood at once. Their war chariot blazed with light, transforming into a patch of twilight clouds as they fled into the distance.

The setting-sun Sword Immortal rolled his immortal sword around Yan Wushuang and dragged him in a desperate dash toward Zheng Fa and the others.

Are you kidding?

If this bronze hall contained only the new cultivation method, that would be fine.

But there's still someone here!

A supporter of the Heaven River Elder, an ancient monster who had lived for tens of thousands of years…

Only a fool would stay!

Zheng Fa turned back and saw that many cultivators weren't truly foolish—they saw Zheng Fa and the others fleeing and realized something was wrong, so they too were running outward.

But some, blinded by greed, had already charged into the dark, gaping hall.

"Traitor!"

As the roar echoed, Zheng Fa felt every hair on his neck stand on end. He looked up—and saw the crimson mist in heaven and earth rush like swallows returning to their nest, pouring into the hall—

Before the roar faded, Zheng Fa felt every hair on his neck stand on end; he looked up and saw the red mist in heaven and earth flocking like swallows to their nest, rushing into the hall—

Zheng Fa watched in person as the bronze hall flickered—and transformed into a strange copper sword.

And the one holding that sword was even stranger—a skeleton, or rather, an incomplete one.

His skull had been shattered, with a fatal, grotesque crack running from brow to chin.

His body was missing parts—three ribs gone, only one shoulder blade remaining, and below his left knee, nothing but empty air.

Clearly, this man had once endured a terrible battle.

The only thing that made him seem less horrific was that every bone glowed with purple radiance, appearing divine and extraordinary.

The gathered crimson mist coalesced into flames within his shattered eye sockets, burning fiercely.

Those two points of flame first seemed to search—perhaps for the most authentic traitor, uh, Yan Wushuang.

But the setting-sun Sword Immortal was cunning—he dragged Yan Wushuang and ran like his life depended on it.

He flew faster than Zheng Fa and Xiao Yuying, already leaving her war chariot far behind.

The skeleton seemed to scan the area, realizing Yan Wushuang was not there. He paused, then turned toward the surrounding cultivators.

The skull seemed to scan the area, as if unable to find Yan Wushuang; it paused slightly, then turned toward the surrounding cultivators.

"All of you are traitors!"

"Execute!"

Sword qi!

Though the sun had not yet set, an endless starry sea appeared in the sky.

From the starry sea, a sword qi brimming with infinite killing intent descended from the highest heavens.

Zheng Fa was already a hundred li away from the skeleton, yet he suddenly felt a prickling pain on his scalp.

The iron-eating beasts pulling the chariot let out a mournful cry, twisting their limbs and scrambling forward in a frantic roll.

Zheng Fa turned back—

He felt as if he were watching a strange silent play.

The dozens of cultivators who had failed to escape, those closest to the skeleton—whether Nascent Soul or Golden Core—all moved with unnatural slowness.

Those cultivators who failed to escape, the dozens closest to the skull, whether Nascent Soul or Golden Core, all moved with unnatural slowness.

Zheng Fa could see the confusion, terror, and despair in their eyes.

The sword qi swept like an autumn wind, and all beings and objects vanished silently in its passage.

He watched as a Nascent Soul from the Hundred Immortal Alliance stood frozen, motionless, unmarked, untouched.

Yet when a gentle breeze passed, his body, his robes inside and out, his magic treasures—all collapsed instantly into drifting grains of sand.

But when a gentle breeze passed, the Nascent Soul's body, his inner and outer robes, and the magic treasure in his hand all collapsed at once, turning into drifting grains of sand.

"Hmm?"

"Look."

Zheng Fa pointed behind him.

Xiao Yuying turned to look.

The skeleton had stopped. The flames in his eyes had calmed, as if spent by that single sword strike.

Or perhaps he had awakened from his rage.

He twisted his head, as if surveying this world, or remembering something most important.

"Follow my master… slay the Immortals…"

He spoke suddenly.

"Slay the Immortals…"

The skeleton raised the copper sword, pointing skyward and shouting.

"Slay the Immortals!"

Everyone stared, dumbfounded.

This man, dead for tens of thousands of years, even reduced to bone, still remembered those two words: "Slay the Immortals."

The copper sword in his hand turned to ash in the wind.

The purple glow on his bones faded slowly, and he collapsed to the ground, no longer terrifying in the slightest.

After a long wait, the surrounding cultivators cautiously gathered, as if trying to determine what had happened.

Zheng Fa and his three companions exchanged glances but did not move.

"Nothing's left." The setting-sun Sword Immortal didn't even look at the site. "Under that sword… no cultivator, no magic treasure, could possibly survive."

Zheng Fa could hear the tremor in the elder cultivator's voice.

He knew Han Lao, bearing the title Sword Immortal, likely felt the terror of that sword strike more than anyone else.

Even… Zheng Fa himself was deeply sensitive to the words "slay the immortals"—ever since he suspected the Xuanwei Realm had strong ties to the modern world, he had read countless books on the subject.

Even Zheng Fa himself was highly sensitive to the words "Zhu Xian"—since he suspected the Xuanwei Realm had strong ties to the modern world, he had read many related books.

"Slay the Immortals…"

Zheng Fa couldn't help but recall his own Five-Color Divine Light, reversed and direct.

His doubts deepened further.

Indeed, though the group searched desperately—even touching the fallen skeleton—they found no magic treasure or cultivation method.

The dead cultivators should have left behind storage bags or magic treasures.

But Han Lao's judgment was accurate—nothing remained.

"Five Nascent Soul True Persons, thirteen Golden Core cultivators… died for nothing."

Xiao Yuying's tone carried a sigh, even a trace of dread.

She bowed respectfully to the setting-sun Sword Immortal, filled with gratitude.

Had he not come to warn them, she doubted she could have escaped that sword strike.

The setting-sun Sword Immortal smiled warmly at Zheng Fa.

Zheng Fa, too, bowed to him—he knew he must accept this debt.

Han Lao smiled even more broadly. He waved his hand and said, "Our luck has been decent this time… nothing at all is better than having something…"

All of them understood his meaning.

If there had been a new cultivation method to inherit, the situation would have been far more dangerous.

The group searched for a long time before finally leaving, dejected.

The once-bustling desert gradually grew quiet.

"Enough! The music ends, the crowd disperses! We're taking our leave!" The setting-sun Sword Immortal smiled.

He bowed to the two of them, his immortal sword becoming a rainbow of light that carried him and Yan Wushuang far away.

Xiao Yuying watched them depart, then turned to Zheng Fa and said:

"All that effort… for nothing."

Zheng Fa nodded, yet his face showed no disappointment—instead, he looked almost happy.

"True, we avoided a major trouble," Xiao Yuying misinterpreted his expression. She nodded. "Compared to those cultivators who died without reason, we're far luckier."

"True enough, it's avoided a major trouble," Xiao Yuying misunderstood, nodding as she saw his delight. "Compared to those cultivators who died without knowing why, we're far luckier."

He said nothing. His happiness wasn't just because of this.

He said nothing—his joy wasn't just because of this.

One month later.

In the past few days, some cultivators still stubbornly searched the area, hoping to find treasure.

But truly, nothing remained.

After a few more days, no one came here anymore.

"Younger brother! Why are we here?"

In the sky, Yuan Shijie's voice rang out, sounding puzzled.

In the sky, Sister Yuan's voice rang out, sounding somewhat puzzled.

The green phoenix landed on the ground, revealing Zheng Fa and Zhang Shijie.

Zhang Shijie also looked at Zheng Fa, her gaze filled with confusion—as if she didn't know why he had brought them here to this desert.

Yuan Shijie glanced around, then frowned and said:

"Young brother, I've heard what happened here."

"Several groups of cultivators came and left empty-handed!"

"When we flew over, we didn't see a single person for a hundred li! They've all given up."

"Then why are we here?"

Zheng Fa scanned the surroundings.

Indeed, apart from the red soil beneath their feet, there was nothing else.

No one is good!

No people means quiet, undisturbed archaeology!

"Shijie!" he pointed at the ground beneath his feet: "We came here for one purpose."

"What?"

"Dig!"

"Dig?" Yuan Shijie blinked, thought for a moment, then her round eyes lit up: "You mean there's a treasure buried beneath?"

"… "

"Young brother! How do you know that?!"

"I don't know."

"Then what are you digging for?"

Zheng Fa pointed again at the soil: "This!"

"Soil?"

"Exactly!"

Yuan Shijie looked from Zheng Fa to Zhang Shijie, muttering: "Shijie, Zheng's young brother has become too demanding!"

"… "

"He made us travel ten thousand li just to dig dirt for his mud play!"

"… " Zhang Shijie shot her a glance, then turned to Zheng Fa: "Explain your reasoning."

Zheng Fa said: "Shijie, I believe this soil holds great research value."

"Research?"

Zhang Shijie froze: "What's there to research?"

This was the greatest difference between Zheng Fa and the cultivators of this world.

For instance, Zhang Shijie had read many modern academic texts.

Yet her thinking here was much like that of the Xuanwei Realm cultivators—

Is there a magic treasure?

Is there spiritual material?

Is there a cultivation scripture?

If none existed, they would deem the place worthless.

But when Zheng Fa prepared that small notebook, he referenced mostly archaeological records.

From the perspective of modern archaeology, soil preserves vital information—sometimes even more than artifacts or texts.

Moreover, this soil surely contains strange substances—

The red color of this soil may be the blood of the Tianhe Zunzhe's followers.

How many of the dissipated ash particles settled onto this ground?

Not to mention, there's a corpse here that has remained animate for hundreds of thousands of years!

To other cultivators, this place may hold no value.

But to Zheng Fa, every inch here is a treasure.

After hearing him, Zhang Shijie opened her mouth wide, staring intently: "You… where did you come up with these wild ideas?"

Zheng Fa couldn't explain, so he just smiled.

Beside him, Yuan Shijie looked confused, her eyes glazed.

"Dig!"

Yuan Shijie looked as if she'd misheard: "Huh?"

"Do as the young brother says."

Zhang Shijie said.

Yuan Shijie opened her mouth, thought for a long while, then suddenly said: "Shijie, I think Zheng's young brother became like this because you spoiled him!"

…

Zheng Fa slowly walked over to the skeleton. The treasure hunters had indeed examined this white bone thoroughly.

But now the man seemed to have exhausted his last bit of spiritual energy, revealing no trace of the supernatural.

Naturally, the cultivators had ignored him, discarding the corpse like trash—its bones scattered everywhere.

Zheng Fa gathered each of the bones, arranged them neatly, placed them in the coffin he had brought, then bowed gently toward the remains.

(End of Chapter)