494: Leaving Dragon Bone Town

Her face was old and weary, her eyes complex as she gazed at Xiao Zhuo. Deep within her gaze, there was shock, relief, but even more, a deep regret and apology.

"Child... This old body... miscalculated..." Her voice was ethereal, like a whisper, echoing directly in Xiao Zhuo's Sea of Consciousness. "I never imagined... the sacred runes hidden within your body would be as vast as the sea, far exceeding anyone I've ever known... The sacred power accumulated for eons in this altar, eroded by time, and only minimally consumed when activating ordinary rune altars in the past, I thought it would be enough... Who knew, it only managed to activate three-tenths of the runes within your body..."

Xiao Zhuo felt the sense of power brought by the more than a thousand new physical runes in his body. Although it far exceeded his expectations, hearing these words, he couldn't help but feel a hint of regret.

He looked at Aunt Hua's Divine Soul, which was about to dissipate, and said in a deep voice, "Senior has done her best, Xiao Zhuo will engrave this kindness in his memory. May I ask, Senior, are there any other methods?"

Aunt Hua's Divine Soul's phantom flickered slightly, seemingly on the verge of collapsing at any moment. She forced herself to speak, "Yes... go to the Spirit Kingdom... the royal capital... Holy Spirit City!"

"Holy Spirit City?" Xiao Zhuo was startled. "Didn't you say that the Spirit Kingdom had long since perished, and its cities were isolated?"

"The Spirit Kingdom... has not perished." Aunt Hua's Divine Soul revealed an extremely bitter smile. "It's just that our Dragon Bone Town... is too remote and weak... In the process of the Spirit Realm continuously expanding and the Savage Beasts growing stronger, we were long forgotten by the royal capital... or rather, abandoned... The ancient road to the royal capital was blocked by Savage Beasts and forbidden lands... We became isolated islanders..."

This truth was cruel and realistic, explaining why Dragon Bone Town was so isolated and difficult.

"But Holy Spirit City must still be there!" Aunt Hua's tone became firm, and the last glimmer of light ignited in her eyes. "That is the core of the Spirit Kingdom, the place where the belief in the sacred god is most prosperous! There must still be the Legacy of the Spirit Shaman lineage, perhaps even more complete than mine! Find them... show them the sacred runes on your body... They... will surely, like me, open the true divine-bestowed altar for you! To complete... the final Awakening!"

Her words became urgent, and her Divine Soul's phantom grew even fainter, almost transparent.

"Child... hurry and go... My time... is running out..." She urged, her gaze turning towards the town, filled with endless attachment and responsibility. "This last bit of my remnant soul's embers... must still enlighten one more Spirit Shaman for Dragon Bone Town... to protect them... for their last journey..."

Xiao Zhuo's heart trembled. Looking at this old priest who had dedicated everything to her mission and Legacy, he bowed deeply again: "Senior's righteousness, Xiao Zhuo will remember! If I reach Holy Spirit City, I will definitely seek out the Spirit Shaman lineage to fulfill Senior's wish! Dragon Bone Town... I will leave some protective power."

Aunt Hua's Divine Soul, upon hearing this, showed a completely relieved and gratified smile, nodding slightly, no longer speaking.

Her phantom dissipated like wisps of smoke, completely merging into the dim heavens and earth. Only the bone staff that had fallen to the ground proved her former existence.

Xiao Zhuo stood in silence for a moment, carefully picking up Aunt Hua's bone staff. He felt that while the new power within him was strong, it was still far from fully activating all the runes. The goal ahead was now clear—to find Holy Spirit City!

He turned and walked down the altar.

Wind Jade, Tian Yidao, and others immediately came forward. Although they were outside the light barrier, they vaguely sensed the altar's final anomaly and the chilling dissipation of power.

"Sir, are you alright?" Wind Jade asked with concern.

"I'm fine." Xiao Zhuo shook his head, briefly explained the situation, and then ordered, "Prepare yourselves, we depart immediately for Holy Spirit City."

"Yes!" Everyone acknowledged the command.

They had also seen the Spirit Kingdom map and naturally knew that Holy Spirit City was the capital of the Spirit Kingdom. Although they had questions, they did not speak much.

Xiao Zhuo then looked at Xu Gunlong and Xu Kai, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, informed them of Aunt Hua's final choice, and handed the bone staff to Xu Gunlong.

The Xu family grandfather and grandson were immediately overwhelmed with grief upon hearing this, and they prostrated themselves heavily towards the altar.

The townspeople, upon learning the news, also flocked over, their cries of sorrow filling the air, full of gratitude and reluctance to part with the old priest who had guarded their town for countless years.

Xiao Zhuo fulfilled his promise. Joining forces with Wind Jade and others, he set up some concealment and defensive Spirit Group Formations around the town. Although their power was greatly diminished in this place, they were sufficient to provide early warning and resist the harassment of ordinary Savage Beasts, thus doing their part for Dragon Bone Town.

Having completed all this, Xiao Zhuo no longer lingered.

He determined the general direction of north based on the directions Xu Kai had given him.

Six figures soared into the sky, leaving this lonely and desolate frontier town.

Behind them, in Dragon Bone Town, a phantom stream of light pierced through the wooden wall of a wooden house and shot into the brow of a young girl who was tidying up her room.

After bidding farewell to the Xu family grandfather and grandson, and with the send-off of the townspeople, the six individuals, including Xiao Zhuo, transformed into six faint streams of light, rushing northward.

Beneath the grey sky, the land was desolate and silent, with only jagged mountains and twisted withered trees interspersed, forming an eternally oppressive tableau.

The ancient aura pervading the air grew denser, and the omnipresent suppression targeting immortal power and Divine Sense also seemed heavier.

Although Xiao Zhuo's Divine Thought was greatly restricted, he could still cover an area of several hundred feet. He carefully sensed every inch of land they passed over, as well as the occasional scattered ancient ruins or beast packs.

He had not given up on his search for the Time Spirit Root. In Dragon Bone Town, he had confirmed that those with "Spirit Script" talent must possess a Spiritual Root. This might be a characteristic of the Human Race in this Realm.

However, along the way, he only saw countless Savage Beasts, but not a single Human Race member.

"It seems I'll only find them in the cities of the Spirit Realm," Xiao Zhuo mused, placing more of his hope on the unknown Holy Spirit City.

The journey was not smooth.

In the wilderness of the Spirit Realm, Savage Beasts ran rampant.

After flying for only an hour, a sharp shriek tore through the silence.

From a twisted black forest below, a monstrous giant beast suddenly sprang out! It was over ten feet long, covered in bone spikes, resembling a centipede but with a bird's head!

The malevolent aura it exuded was immense, comparable to a Cultivator at the Great Perfection of the Integration Stage in the outside world. Wherever it passed, space subtly warped, bringing with it a piercing whooshing sound, as it lunged directly at the six figures in mid-air!

In the outside world, such a vicious creature would be a demon king, capable of stirring up a bloody storm.

However, it encountered six beings, each at least at the Heavenly Immortal Realm.

Without even needing Xiao Zhuo to act, Tian Yidao, on the flank of the group, his eyes flashing with cold light, pointed his fingers like a blade and casually swiped forward!

Whoosh—!

A subtle yet incomparably sharp silver immortal power thread flashed and vanished, as if it had cut through space.

The giant centipede-like Vicious Beast that had lunged into mid-air suddenly froze, and then its massive body neatly split into two halves along its central axis. Ink-green, foul-smelling blood and internal organs poured down like a torrential rain, crashing into the black forest below, causing a commotion and the roars of other Savage Beasts fighting over the corpse.