Chapter 71: Do You Have a Backstage on the Path of Cultivation?

For the next two days, Liu Yiming followed Fang Duanhe as they kept wandering the swamp, and whenever they ran into Emperor Realm skeleton monsters, Fang Duanhe cut them down with a single slash!

However, no matter how they flew, they could not get out of the swamp!

This swamp truly has no bounds!

The two sighed.

That very day, the two saw a mountain standing tall within the swamp.

The mountain was about one hundred thousand meters tall, pitch black all over, riddled with countless pits and hollows.

Finally spotting a mountain—what a feat!

Fang Duanhe's divine sense swept over it, his eyes instantly brightened, for he sensed immortal herbs and medicines within the mountain.

At last I've found a sliver of opportunity.

Fang Duanhe's expression lit up, and he immediately darted toward the mountain with Liu Yiming.

It was night, the bright moon hung high, casting rippling reflections across the swamp.

Strangely, no skeleton monsters emerged from the swamp tonight.

A chilling wind brushed by; Liu Yiming shivered, glanced around at the eerie gloom and said, "Senior, why does this place feel off? Why aren't the skeleton beings emerging tonight?"

Fang Duanhe remained far calmer: "There must be something here that the monsters dread, likely tied to that mountain."

"Then we…" Liu Yiming began, but stopped; his expression already made it clear he wanted to leave.

"Heh, cultivation is about defying the heavens; we cultivators must press forward. Timidity won't forge greatness," Fang Duanhe laughed, clearly confident in his strength.

He looked at Liu Yiming and asked, "Junior, have you ever heard a saying?"

"Senior, what saying?" Liu Yiming asked curiously.

"The bigger the storm, the pricier the fish!" Fang Duanhe said, smiling at the black mountain. "I sense tremendous opportunity within that black mountain."

"After so many days on the path of cultivation, finally a worthy chance appears—how could we retreat?"

"Stay here for now; I'll go scout ahead!"

Fang Duanhe, being chivalrous, left Liu Yiming behind and sped toward the mountain!

Liu Yiming did not follow, honestly staying put.

Unsure why, Liu Yiming felt uneasy; he glanced around, took out the hard rune talisman as a precaution, and muttered, "Hope nothing happens…"

As Liu Yiming spoke, Fang Duanhe, who had just darted toward the black mountain, suddenly turned back at breakneck speed!

His expression now panicked, he shouted at Liu Yiming, "Run, there's a great terror!"

"Damn!"

Hearing that, Liu Yiming without hesitation slapped the hard rune talisman onto himself, then drew several swift rune talismans, surged his qi, and bolted away!

Though he didn't know what occurred, Fang Duanhe's reaction made it clear something terrifying had been awakened!!

Whoosh!

Liu Yiming darted through several flashes, and, puzzled, turned back to see the towering jet‑black mountain move!

Only then did Liu Yiming vaguely realize that the mountain was actually…

a skeleton being ten hundred thousand meters tall standing between heaven and earth!

A pair of crimson eyes hung in the void, like twin moons, bathing the world in a blood‑red glow!

A terrifying aura roared and swept forward!

"Shit!"

Just a glance made Liu Yiming's scalp tingle, his whole body feeling as if plunged into an ice cave!

"Stop looking, run!" Fang Duanhe hurried past Liu Yiming and seized him.

He was indeed chivalrous, not abandoning the slower Liu Yiming!

Bang!

At that moment, the heavens and earth trembled…

The massive skeleton being took a step, its unparalleled oppressive aura spreading across the world!

Both Fang Duanhe and Liu Yiming were heavily affected; their flight was restricted as if millions of ropes tethered them.

"Damn, it's a primal being of the Half-Immortal Realm; this swamp is a cursed land!" Fang Duanhe gritted his teeth. "Unlucky to the extreme, being sent to this damned place!"

Buzz!

At that instant, a pair of enormous crimson eyes materialized above them.

The skeleton being had somehow shifted sideways, now bowing its head to stare at Liu Yiming and Fang Duanhe!

Their hair stood on end instantly, and they sped up!

Yet no matter how they flew, they could not escape its gaze!

Ha!

The skeleton being suddenly exhaled.

Fang Duanhe and Liu Yiming were blown down from mid‑air!

They fell into the muddy swamp!

Fang Duanhe spun, drew the blade on his back, instantly channeling his entire aura into the sword, even sacrificing a wisp of celestial qi from within!

Swish!

The slash ripped through, as if heaven and earth shattered with his every move!

Liu Yiming saw a dazzling blade aura piercing heaven and earth, swift and fierce, charging straight at the massive skeleton being!

The strike contained spatial‑cutting power, as if to split this world in two!

Simultaneously, Liu Yiming produced the explosive talisman, drove his qi, and thrust the talisman toward the skeleton being!

Yet, faced with their counterattack, the skeleton being merely lifted its massive hand and shattered the brilliant blade aura.

Along with Liu Yiming's explosive talisman, it also burst with a bang in those giant hands, yet it did not harm the skeletal monster at all!

The skeletal spirit brushed its palm, then slammed a palm down toward the two.

With that palm strike, a terrifying gravity field arose around the two, and space was sealed by a massive force!

No matter how the two tried to propel their Qi mechanisms to fly, they could not escape the range of this giant palm!

Boom!

The palm struck, and the two fell deep into a swamp!

A golden light shield enveloped Fang Duanhe, clearly his trump card for survival!

However, at this moment the golden shield had already developed cracks, spreading like a spider web, and it could not hold for more than a few breaths!

The effect of Liu Yiming's hard rune talisman was completely nullified under the power of this giant palm!

Fang Duanhe's slightly shocked spirit sense swept toward Liu Yiming: "That kid didn't die?"

"His fate is that tough?!"

Then Fang Duanhe saw Liu Yiming crush a talisman, muttering repeatedly as if praying, "Sect Master, save me, Sect Master, save me…"

Fang Duanhe was puzzled: what is this guy doing?

As he was puzzling over it, the giant palm pressing down on them suddenly retracted quickly!

Fang Duanhe and Liu Yiming hurriedly rose to their feet!

The two saw that skeletal spirit suddenly crawl on the ground, trembling.

"What kind of prank is this?" Fang Duanhe's face was full of astonishment and doubt.

Liu Yiming wore a delighted expression; he knew the Sect Master had arrived!!

Buzz!

At that moment, Fang Duanhe saw a sky‑covering giant palm descend from the void above!

The palm was boundlessly massive, covering the heavens and earth here!

All living beings, including that skeletal spirit, were as tiny as mayflies before this giant palm!

Terrifying! Horrifying! Shocking!

Fang Duanhe's spirit was violently shaken!

What terrifying power brought this palm down from the sky?!

As the palm struck, it paused, then gradually shrank; after shrinking to a suitable size, it immediately seized the skeletal spirit!

The massive skeletal spirit, before the now‑shrunken palm, was squeezed up like a little chick.

Roar! Roar!

The skeletal spirit wailed and struggled fiercely, emitting mournful roars!

Boom!

With a slight pressure from the palm, the skeletal spirit was crushed into fragments, its life force cut off!

Chunks of fragments thundered down from the released palm!

Having finished everything, the palm withdrew back into the void above!!

Glug—

Fang Duanhe swallowed a mouthful of saliva, his heart roiling like a stormy sea!

Oh my God!

Did this half‑immortal‑realm skeletal spirit just get crushed to death?!

Immediately, Fang Duanhe looked at Liu Yiming!

The only thing he saw was Liu Yiming with a calm, unruffled demeanor, as if he had foreseen all this!!

The kid had just been repeatedly saying, "Sect Master, save me, Sect Master…"

And then the giant hand appeared!

Shhh!

Fang Duanhe inhaled a gasp of cold air!

"Uh… this kid seems like a thigh!"

Fang Duanhe silently pondered!

He immediately went to Liu Yiming's side, smoothed his expression, and curiously asked, "Brother Liu, do you have a backstage on the immortal path…?"