Chapter 34: Broken Bone, Fusion

Darkness.

Desolate, devoid of vitality.

Boundless darkness shrouded everything, dominated everything, all things were nothingness, all things had not been born, nor had they ever existed.

In the endless darkness, a strange object appeared.

Murky mist, inside it countless agile glimmers flickered. The glimmers shattered the darkness, bringing change to the deathly, endless darkness. Infinite possibilities erupted, and something profoundly mysterious happened.

The skull throbbed with excruciating pain, as if the entire brain had been shoved into a juicer and frantically squeezed.

Amid the pain, something like a tide surged from deep within the brain. In the darkness, light appeared—vigorous, unusually agile light. The intense light transformed into two intertwining spirals of streaming light, howling as they rushed toward that murky, chaotic anomaly.

Wu Tie's consciousness suddenly cleared.

He was in boundless darkness, his consciousness residing within the two intertwining spirals of flowing light; before he could even make out the surrounding darkness, the flowing light collided with that murky, chaotic anomaly.

In the next instant, Wu Tie merged with an extremely faint, near-extinct remnant of consciousness.

This consciousness—or rather, it could not yet be called consciousness, merely a projection left by a tattered awareness. He had been weakened to the extreme; endless ages had almost completely erased him, leaving only a faint, elusive trace that merged with Wu Tie's consciousness.

Wu Tie felt an inexplicable joy, an inexplicable naturalness.

It was as if he himself were a grain of sand, a drop of water, returning to the natural realm of mountains and rivers. Everything unfolded as naturally as water finding its channel, without any stiffness or stagnation.

That joy, springing from the depths of his soul, made Wu Tie burst into loud laughter. In the darkness there was no sound, only Wu Tie's boundless delight and comfort spreading into the endless dark—thus a tremendous boom rang out, and the surrounding darkness shattered.

There was wind, water, earth, fire, gales and thunder, wind, frost, rain and dew; a vivid, tender prototype of a world flashed before Wu Tie's eyes.

In the dark firmament, at an immeasurable distance, countless clusters of sacred, solemn, ancient, primordial light flickered. These light clusters resembled gigantic eyes, staring at Wu Tie from afar, filled with malice and brimming with endless greed.

The afterglow of the world's prototype, together with those gigantic light clusters flashing past, caused Wu Tie to snap his eyes open.

He saw Shi Lingqing's beautiful face; she leaned close to Wu Tie, greedily and nervously staring at the Broken Bone pressed against Wu Tie's neck.

Wu Tie felt an overwhelming hunger; every cell in his body seemed to have shriveled into a thin skin, desperately needing sufficient nourishment and energy to satisfy their craving.

His body convulsed violently; Wu Tie gaped his mouth, like a fish thrown ashore, breathing with difficulty. His throat kept emitting a "ge-ge" sound; the terrible hunger almost drove him mad.

Shi Lingqing clung tightly to his neck; Wu Tie could not move, only able to emit a hoarse "hu-hu" pant.

"Young master? You didn't just faint, did you? How come you're awake again?" Shi Lingqing smiled sweetly, her fingers pinching Wu Tie's arm repeatedly. The blood vessels in his arm had completely dried up—no drop of blood remained, the vessels pressed tightly together, and his whole body had slimmed considerably.

The Broken Bone emitted a faint glow.

Wu Tie could sense a faint, elusive emotion within the Broken Bone.

The Broken Bone inexplicably took a liking to Wu Tie, as if some aura on his body had stirred its joy.

When Old Tie threw Wu Tie toward the Broken Bone, it drew out half of Wu Tie's blood, for the Broken Bone needed his blood. Having been weakened to the extreme, it required Wu Tie's blood to awaken a spark of its own vitality.

But the Broken Bone was cautious; it took only half of Wu Tie's blood, knowing that "he clearly understood," taking more would inflict great harm on Wu Tie.

And now, Shi Lingqing violently bled Wu Tie.

The Broken Bone chose to drain all of Wu Tie's blood.

A mysterious force from within the Broken Bone merged into Wu Tie's body, making him feel extreme hunger—precisely because of this trace of power. His body twitched; every muscle and tendon writhed, his withered viscera convulsed, and his belly emitted a loud "gu-gu" rumble.

Shi Lingqing looked at Wu Tie in astonishment.

Wu Tie, withered all over like a corpse, yet he was still laughing?

How could he still show a smile at this moment? Shi Lingqing's gaze swiftly fell upon the Broken Bone.

"What kind of treasure is this ancient relic?" Shi Lingqing widened her eyes, cautiously extending a fingertip to touch the Broken Bone.

"Sss"—the moment Shi Lingqing's tender fingertip touched the Broken Bone, a wound deep enough to reach the bone appeared on her tip for no reason. The Broken Bone then exhaled a razor‑sharp aura that sliced straight through her finger.

Shi Lingqing screamed, jerking her hand free from Wu Tie's neck and trying to retreat hastily.

Her severed finger was violently sucked onto the Broken Bone, clinging fast; no matter how hard she pulled, she could not break free from the terrifying suction emanating from the Broken Bone.

The Broken Bone pressed tightly against the wound on Wu Tie's carotid artery, and also clung firmly to Shi Lingqing's finger.

Within Shi Lingqing, the immense vital essence from Hong Laolao surged violently, turning into a fine mist of blood that continually flowed into the Broken Bone. A faint sheen lit the Broken Bone's surface; within that pale glow, countless agile points of light danced and flickered.

This light was exactly the same as the murky, chaotic light clusters Wu Tie had seen in that endless darkness.

Full of change, full of vitality, brimming with countless possibilities.

Shi Lingqing shrieked shrilly, then slammed her right hand down hard upon Wu Tie's chest.

Before her palm could land, Shi Lingqing's body suddenly went limp, collapsing flat on the ground. The Broken Bone's light grew ever brighter, more agile points of light continually flashing forth. The Broken Bone was drawing Shi Lingqing's vital essence, and with it, its own spark of life kept recovering.

"No, no, this shouldn't be… like this…" Shi Lingqing shrieked shrilly, her agile eyes brimming with fear and despair.

Originally she had everything under control, Wu Tie's little life in her grasp, the ancient treasure or the ancient sage's body—all should have been hers. She ought to have left this secret realm laden with spoils, found her backing within the Changsheng Sect, then risen smoothly through the ranks, commanding wind and rain in the Changsheng Sect…

A splendid life awaited her; she could already envision her future brocade‑like existence.

How could she possibly collapse here?

Her whole body sore and weak, the vast vital essence kept flowing from her fingers into the Broken Bone. Shi Lingqing screamed, continually trying to rise, but the harder she struggled, the faster her vital essence poured out, leaving her ever more feeble.

"Is it you playing tricks? Is it you playing tricks?" Shi Lingqing lay limp beside Wu Tie, glaring at him and shouting in exasperated fury.

Wu Tie watched Shi Lingqing; within the Broken Bone, strands of strange energy kept flowing in, making his body ever more "starved." He felt his viscera turn into a vast void, constantly emitting a tremendous suction, as if it wanted to draw his entire flesh and blood inside.

Wu Tie had no doubt that, if he failed to obtain external replenishment, he might truly be sucked apart by the void within him.

Hanging against Wu Tie's chest, pressed to his flesh, the "Chiyou's Tooth" trembled violently, inexplicably shaking. Wu Tie lowered his head with difficulty to gaze at the Chiyou's Tooth—a foot‑long snow‑white fang blazing with blinding white light, while a faint aura of terror continually seeped from it.

"Terror"?

This Bear clan's heirloom treasure was like a living thing emitting "Terror"!

Quite inexplicably, Wu Tie slowly raised his withered, reed‑stick‑like arm, seized the Chiyou's Tooth, and pressed it firmly against the Broken Bone.

"Crack!"—a crisp sound; the extraordinarily sturdy, steel‑shattering, water‑proof treasure Chiyou's Tooth shattered spontaneously, turning into countless fine white threads that continually merged into the Broken Bone.

The halo around the Broken Bone grew ever brighter, countless ultra‑fine points of light appearing and vanishing within it.

The Broken Bone shuddered violently, thread after thread of infinitesimal foreign energy continually seeping into Wu Tie's body.

Wu Tie drew a deep breath.

The air before him roiled violently; visible streams of sparkling light kept pouring into his mouth. Cool, vital energy circulated through his body, giving Wu Tie a familiar sensation—just as during his Foundation Establishment training, when such energy would continually flow from the air into his body.

When previously practicing the foundation-building style, Wu Tie only felt something in his body, never truly confronting this strange energy.

But this time, due to the anomaly brought by the broken bone, Wu Tie 'personally witnessed' the entire process of this strange energy seeping out of the air.

Threads of crystal-bright flow continually poured in, Wu Tie's withered cells gradually plumped up, drop by drop of fresh blood continually sprouted from the bone marrow, blood began to flow in the dried vessels, and his withered body gradually regained a hint of moisture.

Shi Lingqing, meanwhile, was screaming, constantly struggling, but the suction coming from within the broken bone grew ever more terrifying; she trembled as she raised her right hand, wanting to sever the fingers stuck to the broken bone, yet just as she lifted her arm, a wave of weakness swept through her, and she flopped limp onto the ground, unable to move.

"Can you tell me why this is?" Shi Lingqing tried several times, but she could never free herself from the broken bone's confinement.

Watching Wu Tie's withered form gradually regain its plump moisture, Shi Lingqing gave a dry laugh, trembling as she asked the nearby Wu Tie.

Wu Tie stared blankly, then shook his head.

How would he know why?

This broken bone, after sucking away half his blood earlier, had simply been too lazy to bother with him, who desperately wanted to escape.

Who would have thought that Shi Lingqing brought him to the broken bone's side, slit his major artery to bleed him, after which this broken bone suddenly 'acknowledged' him!

A slight sting prickled his brow, and Wu Tie could clearly sense that lingering emotional projection within the broken bone.

Originally, this broken bone did not take to Wu Tie.

But when it had drained his entire body of blood, the broken bone acknowledged Wu Tie, recognized him.

If one must insist on a difference, perhaps it was Wu Tie's consciousness, in that darkness, merging with that lingering emotional projection within the broken bone.

"I really don't know what happened." Wu Tie looked earnestly at Shi Lingqing: "This thing is very sinister."

Clear tears slid from the corners of Shi Lingqing's eyes; she looked at Wu Tie with eyes brimming with tears, her former allure and bewitching charm vanishing instantly, as if she had transformed from a sinister mandrake blossom into a pure, immaculate midnight cereus flower.

Her bearing changed abruptly; such a huge shift left Wu Tie stunned.

Shi Lingqing looked at Wu Tie with tear-filled eyes and softly said: "Young master, you won't hold Lingqing's offense against me, will you?"

Wu Tie remained silent.

He didn't know how to speak, how to respond to Shi Lingqing's words. Even though Shi Lingqing now appeared so 'pure-hearted,' 'innocent,' Wu Tie could not forget the terrible things she had done before.

Nine Palm Order, Red Granny, Elder Wu, Luo Lin, Shi Dian, Qiao, Ding… these people, in the end, all died because of her.

Because she directly and indirectly killed so many people, how could Wu Tie dare to provoke her?

Wu Tie gave a 'courtesy-born' smile and said nothing.

Shi Lingqing's gaze 'clear' upon Wu Tie: "Lingqing is merely a small woman who wishes to live peacefully, seeking no fame or glory, only tranquil years……"

Wu Tie looked at Shi Lingqing and sighed in his heart.

He remembered clearly that when he had just seized Red Granny's life essence, the disdainful, arrogant, overbearing Shi Lingqing had not spoken like this.

"I am merely a frail young woman; what I desire is merely a strong man who can cherish me, love me, protect me……"

Clear tears streamed down as Shi Lingqing spoke emotionally to Wu Tie.

The two lay less than a foot apart on the ground; Shi Lingqing exhaled like orchids, her visage lovely as a flower—had it been an ordinary man, he would long ago have sunk into her tender words.

Alas… Wu Tie's age hasn't yet reached that point.

Shi Lingqing's whole repertoire of flirtatious tricks was thrown at a clueless green-headed youth—it was all for naught.

"Lingqing's home destroyed, her people dead, and she has been bullied and humiliated by enemies to such a wretched state…… In the future, Lingqing fears she may have no way to go on living…… young master……"

Shi Lingqing looked pitifully at Wu Tie.

Within her, the life essence taken from Red Granny had been drained ninety-nine percent, leaving only her own innate life energy.

Extreme weakness continually emanated from within her; like Wu Tie just before, her vision darkened in waves, her whole body went limp and powerless, several times she nearly fainted.

Wu Tie remained silent; he had already sensed the final thread of spiritual undulation transmitted from that lingering emotional projection within the broken bone.

A very complex spiritual undulation, filled with rich emotion.

But Wu Tie could not yet comprehend the information hidden within this rich emotional undulation…… he is still too young, whereas this broken bone has endured far too many years, far too many events.

It is like a centenarian lecturing a babbling infant about his life—how could Wu Tie possibly understand?

Having devoured Chiyou's Tooth and stripped Shi Lingqing of all foreign life essence within her, the broken bone suddenly turned into a beam of strong light, which 'whoosh' pierced Wu Tie's neck.

The strong light raced along Wu Tie's arm, wherever it passed his skin emitted dazzling radiance, leaving a clear trail of its motion.

In the end, the broken bone arrived at Wu Tie's left index finger and fused with its first phalanx.

The first phalanx of Wu Tie's left index finger burst forth with brilliant strong light; after a while, the strong light gradually faded.