After walking for some time, everyone saw a circular platform. On it, a skeleton sat cross-legged, holding a sword in its hand.
Wisps of mist were escaping from beneath the circular platform.
Feng Xi froze.
Why did this scene look so familiar?
That's right, it was also like this beneath the deep chasm.
Could this place also be a formation eye, also suppressing something?
Could what it was suppressing be those wisps of mist?
Yes, those wisps of mist could slowly erode spiritual power. If they spread outward, the consequences would be unimaginable.
It was likely that when the formation's power was still strong, there had been no mist leaking out here. But as time passed, the formation had loosened, and more and more mist had escaped.
But the skeleton hadn't given up. Every once in a while, it would think of a way to force the mist back, wanting to find people from the outside world to come and help.
Unfortunately, every time, the people from outside didn't dare approach the core area at all.
As time went on, the area of the Mysterious Mist Forest became larger and larger.
As for why the mist had become abnormal this time, it's probably because the formation had loosened again, causing the mist to escape ahead of time.
Feng Xi's words were soon verified by those Nascent Soul demon beasts.
Every time before the mist dispersed, this skeleton would rise like a corpse, then practice swordsmanship. The area of the Mysterious Mist Forest had indeed been growing larger and larger.
Feng Xi told Jiang Ji and the others her own guess.
Many of them didn't know about the matter of the deep chasm in Hunyuan Sect, but now there's no longer any need to hide it.
Mu Zihuai and Qin Shifeng's expressions both became somewhat stiff.
They hadn't known the reason why Shen Zhilan had been confined before. Now, after hearing Feng Xi speak of it, what little favorable impression they still had of Shen Zhilan was almost gone.
Whether she had done it intentionally or unintentionally, she had nearly caused a calamity for humanity.
Feng Xi said to everyone, "This senior used his life to guard humanity, let us bow to him in respect!"
After speaking, she was the first to kneel and kowtow to the skeleton.
Jiang Ji and the others hurriedly knelt and kowtowed as well.
After everyone kowtowed three times, they stood up again.
Liu Shaobai of Wan Jian Sect asked in puzzlement, "The formation beneath the deep chasm is still relatively stable, why has the formation here loosened so much?"
Everyone also found it strange.
Feng Xi's gaze fell on those Nascent Soul demon beasts.
Why were there so many Nascent Soul demon beasts here?
And why were they unwilling to leave despite this place being so barren?
"Did you use some kind of spiritual treasure here?"
Those Nascent Soul demon beasts all lowered their big heads, the little pebbles on the ground looked really nice!
Feng Xi: "..."
There's no need to ask, it was definitely their fault!
In the end, the Blood-Pupil Earth-Shaking Tiger scraped a few times at a place about ten meters away from the skeleton, revealing a bare vine.
There wasn't a single leaf left on it.
Even the bark on the vine branches had almost been gnawed completely away.
Feng Xi: "..."
Qin Shifeng said in surprise, "This seems to be the legendary Origin Breath Vine. It sprouts from Xirang(1) and possesses a dense life aura.
No matter how barren a place is, as long as the Origin Breath Vine grows there, it will become full of vitality."
Feng Xi suddenly understood, "I was originally wondering why the mist here was different from the one in the deep chasm. So it's because there's an Origin Breath Vine here, that's why the mist leaking out isn't as powerful."
Only no one'd expected that the Origin Breath Vine would be treated as a heavenly treasure by these foolish demon beasts and eaten.
In fact, these demon beasts had discovered the Origin Breath Vine by accident.
The Origin Breath Vine grew underground, and it emitted a smell that was very unpleasant to demon beasts, no demon beast would eat it.
A thousand years ago, tribulation lightning once descended from the sky and blasted a deep pit here, exposing the Origin Breath Vine inside.
A few demon beasts tasted it out of curiosity and from then on stepped onto the peak of beast life.
Fortunately, they still understood the concept of long-term development and didn't dig out the Origin Breath Vine's roots to eat as well.
It's also precisely because they had personally witnessed that tribulation lightning that they believed the nonsense Feng Xi had fabricated earlier.
They only believed that the tribulation lightning had come to strike the Origin Breath Vine, and since they had eaten the Origin Breath Vine, they would also have to be struck by lightning.
Although the two sides were talking about two different things, because Feng Xi had spoken ambiguously, they had taken it seriously.
At the end of the day, language is an art.
After Feng Xi discussed it with everyone, they decided to treat the Origin Breath Vine first.
The few people skilled in wood-type techniques took turns casting the Spring Breeze Turns to Rain Technique and set up a Spirit Gathering Formation around the Origin Breath Vine.
Feng Xi couldn't help with these things, so she went before the skeleton and began practicing swordsmanship.
The swordsmanship she practiced was the one used by the old man at the bottom of the deep chasm valley.
Jiang Ji and the others: "..."
They had only ever known the saying 'playing the lute to a cow.' Now they had also witnessed practicing swordsmanship in front of a skeleton.
Little Junior Sister's way of thinking would forever be so strange.
Actually, Feng Xi thought that since the skeleton had awakened once not long ago, perhaps using swordsmanship could awaken him again.
If he woke up and practiced a few moves, perhaps the mist would disperse.
After all, treating the Origin Breath Vine wasn't something that could be done overnight, this method would take effect faster.
When she practiced for the third time, the skeleton's head lifted slightly. The spirit sword held in its hand shot out, heading straight for Feng Xi.
Feng Xi was delighted and dodged the first wave of the spirit sword's attack.
She was actually feeling a bit smug right now, she was quite confident in her swordsmanship, maybe even a bit arrogant about it.
But very soon, that little bit of arrogance was suppressed by the skeleton until it vanished like smoke.
The skeleton didn't even move. That sword alone forced Feng Xi to run in circles, and this was still the result of the other party holding back.
Feng Xi knew that the gap between the two of them wasn't in their moves, but in sword intent.
The skeleton had probably comprehended thunder sword intent, one could faintly see wind and thunder attached to the spirit sword.
So this was the correct way to use sword intent.
Ling Qianting and the others had only touched the surface of sword intent.
Feng Xi was quite ashamed.
She had originally thought that sword intent wasn't very useful. After all, she had unlimited ultimate moves.
But now she knew that even if she used her ultimate moves, she would absolutely not be the skeleton's opponent.
She wasn't even qualified to be his opponent.
Seems like in the future, she still had to think of a way to comprehend sword intent. If it really didn't work, she would go to Wan Jian Sect and stay for a few more days to play with those sword intents that had chased her.
In that instant, the wooden sword suddenly hummed.
The skeleton's spirit sword fell to the ground with a plop.
The skeleton… fell apart.
Feng Xi: "..."
She was almost scared to death!
If something happened to the skeleton, who would suppress this mist?!
She hurriedly began assembling the skeleton back together. On accident, she attached a foot bone to an arm, and even put the skull on backward…
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(1)Xirang:
息壤: A magical soil in Chinese mythology that has the ability to self-expand and continuously grow.