Chapter 785: Digging Up Bones

Pan Yun pushed open the gate of Fengqi Courtyard and took out a hoe and a spade from her space, handing them to Xue Shao and Wang Cong.

Over the years, her vast spiritual realm space had accumulated all sorts of random things.

Xue Shao and Wang Cong stared blankly at the tools in their hands: "What is this…?"

Pan Yun pointed to the empty ground beneath the phoenix tree: "Dig!"

Digging?

Wang Cong, raised as a Daoist Priest, couldn't help but overthink—he stiffly scanned the surroundings.

Xue Shao had already started digging; if you didn't understand, dig—once you dug it up, you'd know why.

Wang Cong glanced around, then widened his eyes: "A yin-nourishing ground? Little Master, you're insane—daring to set up a yin-nourishing array inside the Academy!"

Seeing Miao Zhen said proudly: "I designed this array. If I hadn't mentioned digging, who would've guessed this was a yin-nourishing array? They'd just think it's nurturing the tree!"

Wang Cong's lips trembled slightly: "Who would ever think someone would nurture yin beneath a phoenix tree?"

Because phoenix trees are yang in nature.

But why nurture yin beneath a phoenix tree?

Wang Cong narrowed his eyes, heart pounding: "You—you didn't nurture some kind of malevolent spirit, did you?"

Pan Yun tapped his head: "Stop guessing. Dig faster—you'll know once you dig it up."

Wang Cong nervously glanced outside the courtyard, told Miao He to shut the gate, then hurriedly joined Xue Shao and Tao Yanbai in digging.

Xiao Hong had been uneasy since entering Fengqi Courtyard; as soon as they started digging, she paced in circles around the phoenix tree, her spirit visibly shattered.

Hong Yan was the first to notice something was wrong—seeing her face pale and body trembling, she grabbed her: "What's wrong? Did you stumble into some evil spirit array those stinking Daoist priests set up in the Academy?"

"No, no…" Xiao Hong stared fixedly at the pit where Pan Yun and the others were digging, her heart clenched as if crushed in a fist, her head splitting open like a smashed watermelon.

She could no longer bear the pain—she screamed, clutching her head, collapsing into Hong Yan's arms: "It hurts, it hurts…"

Pan Yun immediately dropped her spade and rushed forward, pressing her hand against Xiao Hong's head, pouring endless yuan energy into her.

The flood of yuan energy surged into her soul-identity, slightly easing the pain etched into her soul—but it still burned unbearably.

Seeing Miao Zhen also rushed over, instantly setting up a separation array around the three—but the effect was minimal.

Miao He paced frantically, helpless: "Why is she affected so severely?"

Pan Yun frowned—she hadn't expected this either.

Miao He picked up Pan Yun's spade and joined the digging: "Hurry up and dig out her bones—maybe then it'll stop."

Xi Jin paced in circles, then found a winnowing basket nearby to help shovel dirt.

Xue Shao and Wang Cong froze mid-dig, looking up at her in disbelief: "What?"

Once they realized what was buried beneath, they exchanged glances and dug faster.

Originally, to avoid detection, Pan Yun and the others had dug extremely deep—they dug for a long time before reaching the coffin.

No, it couldn't even be called a coffin—it was merely a long wooden box.

The exposed part gleamed black-gold; when the spade struck it, it rang out with a sharp, metallic *ding*. Wang Cong, seeing it, muttered: "Damn, yin-sunken wood—this sound… must be ten thousand years old? Used as a box for bones…"

Though it shouldn't be, Wang Cong suddenly felt a pang of envy toward Xiao Hong—why?

Why was Little Master treating her so well?

Xue Shao didn't recognize the value—he had no idea how rare and precious this wood was. Seeing something unearthed, he immediately eased his movements, digging from the edges, and soon lifted the entire long box out.

The four of them each took a corner and lifted the box out.

By now, the pit reached their necks; the box was heavy, and they strained hard to lift it.

The long box was about one and a half meters long and eighty centimeters wide. Xue Shao glanced at it, raised an eyebrow slightly—it didn't look like a coffin, more like a qin case.

As soon as the box emerged, Xiao Hong snapped her head up, eyes blood-red, nails suddenly elongating. She furiously swatted away Pan Yun's hand on her head and lunged to claw at her face—but Pan Yun seized her wrist, yanked her down, and pinned her shoulders.

"Xiao Hong! If you can't control yourself, I'll seal you inside a talisman!"

Xiao Hong screamed in agony, blood tears sliding from her eyes: "It hurts, it hurts—kill me, kill me! No, I want to tear you apart, I want to tear you apart!"

Pan Yun held her shoulders down, voice steady: "I know, I know—you're suffering. Your bones are incomplete. The soul-nailing spikes drove through your body into your soul. The ones on your body are gone, but the ones in your soul remain. And your soul is fragmented. I know you're in agony—but you must endure. Endure while I pull them out. Otherwise, you'll never recover your memories, never escape the soul-nailing spikes."

Pan Yun turned to Wang Cong: "Open the box!"

Wang Cong immediately peeled off the yellow talisman sealing the box and lifted the lid.

A skeleton lay before them.

The bones were arranged in human form, but the box was too short, so some were crooked—yet clearly identifiable. Wang Cong, familiar with bones, instantly noticed which pieces were missing.

But more striking than the bones were the four pieces of yin-nourishing wood placed atop her head, heart, abdomen, and soles of her feet.

These four pieces of yin-nourishing wood were unmistakably familiar—identical to the one on his person, clearly Qingshan-made.

Wang Cong stared, dumbfounded, internally cursing: Thank goodness I'm the one standing here—if my father or master were here, you'd be dead.

Using your own soul-nourishing yin-nourishing wood to nurture bones—could this wood still be used?

Xiao Hong finally saw the skeleton—her mind exploded with pain, the sight alone making her writhe.

Even as Pan Yun held her down, she arched her back in a silent, agonized howl. Countless fragments flashed through her mind—but she couldn't grasp a single one.

Seeing Miao Zhen acted swiftly—she snatched the yin-nourishing wood from inside the box, then felt beneath the bones for four array stones, and immediately set up a sealing array around the box, ordering everyone out.

Xue Shao and the others obeyed instantly, stepping back—inside the array, only Seeing Miao Zhen and Pan Yun, still pinning Xiao Hong, remained.

Hong Yan tried to step forward, but Wang Cong grabbed her: "You can't go in—soon we'll need a soul-summoning banner. Right, Little Master, do you have a soul-summoning banner?"

Of course they did!

Pan Yun flung Xiao Hong into the box, instantly summoning a soul-summoning banner and planting it—dark winds surged around them.

Wang Cong dragged Xue Shao and the others far back, heart pounding, muttering: "Crazy, crazy—summoning a soul into a corpse inside the Academy…"

No sooner had he spoken than he felt the flow of spiritual energy.

Wang Cong stiffened, belatedly realizing. (End of chapter)