The fourth layer, old bones

Old Weng looked at the glittering golden entrance, retracted the house-sized skull, which reverted into his Ghost Head Staff, and then strode inside.

Xiao Ming and Han Qingfeng exchanged glances, then cautiously entered the fourth level.

Looking around, they saw that this fourth level was not large, only about the size of one room. After scanning the area, the situation inside was clear at a glance, with no visible dangers.

Instead, the room was filled with soft golden light, making the entire room feel warm, as if they had entered a hot spring.

More importantly.

There were numerous Origin Stones scattered on the ground!

The Origin Stones were densely packed, one after another; in fact, even the ground of the fourth level was covered with layers upon layers of Origin Stones.

And all these Origin Stones emitted astonishing spiritual energy, clearly indicating their excellent quality.

The spiritual energy leakage they had sensed at the entrance earlier was coming from these Origin Stones.

Old Weng had already squatted down, holding the Origin Stones from the ground and fiddling with them. After a moment, he exclaimed in surprise, "These Origin Stones are all of high-grade quality! We're rich, we're really rich now!"

"Hahahahaha!"

Old Weng let out a triumphant laugh, while his hands worked nonstop, frantically prying out the Origin Stones from the ground one by one and stuffing them into his storage bag.

Han Qingfeng was startled.

Xiao Ming also looked astonished.

All the Origin Stones in the room were high-grade quality?!

These were extremely rare Origin Stones!

According to the exchange rate between Origin Stones, one high-grade Origin Stone was equivalent to one hundred mid-grade, or ten thousand low-grade Origin Stones!

And the number of Origin Stones in the room was at least a thousand!

The wealth and resources contained in this fourth level were indeed astonishing!

However.

Xiao Ming and Han Qingfeng did not immediately collect the Origin Stones; instead, they simultaneously and coincidentally looked towards the center of the room.

There, stood a dim, altar-like platform, half a meter high.

The platform was empty and looked unremarkable, but all the golden light and spiritual energy in the room revolved around it.

Clearly, this platform was the core object of the room!

Without thinking, Xiao Ming activated his inspection function, and immediately, the information about this platform appeared one by one:

Name: Lingyao Sealing Array

Attribute: Sealing-type special item

Description: Three hundred years ago, righteous cultivators battled the evil expert, Old Man Shi Gu. Old Man Shi Gu's physical body was shattered, leaving only a wisp of his primordial spirit.

The righteous cultivators were unable to completely destroy Old Man Shi Gu's primordial spirit, so they sealed him in Lingyun Cave, hoping to use the array and the passage of time to gradually wear down Old Man Shi Gu's primordial spirit... After reading the platform's information, Xiao Ming's pupils suddenly constricted!

So this platform was the Sealing Array!

And it was sealing an evil expert named Old Man Shi Gu!

Then.

What was the deal with those high-grade Origin Stones on the ground?

Were they the power source for the Sealing Array?

Thinking of this, Xiao Ming immediately became uneasy, because Old Weng, that old geezer, was frantically collecting the Origin Stones from the ground!

He was destroying the seal!

Xiao Ming was about to go forward and stop him, but he suddenly saw that Old Weng had, at some point, approached the platform. He stood up in confusion, observing the sealed platform with his head bowed.

"Old Weng, I sense something is wrong with this platform, come back quickly!" Before Xiao Ming could speak, Han Qingfeng suddenly frowned and said.

He also sensed something was wrong with the platform!

"What's wrong? You two probably don't know yet, but this platform is cast from a whole piece of Lingyao Crystal Stone," Old Weng turned to look, saying proudly,

"Lingyao Crystal Stone is much more valuable than Origin Stones. If we can move this platform out, we'll hit the jackpot!"

As he spoke.

Old Weng even stretched out his hands greedily, continuously caressing the platform array, his expression looking more comfortable than if he were touching his lover's body.

Seeing this.

Han Qingfeng frowned and quietly retreated.

Xiao Ming reacted even faster, retreating directly to the entrance.

At the same time, Xiao Ming continuously scanned the room, looking for the withered bone's fortuitous encounter.

Han Qingfeng's script attribute panel clearly stated that he would find a withered bone here, and then discover the Golden Book Jade Page on one of the withered bone's ribs.

However.

This room was not large; apart from the platform and the Origin Stones on the ground, there was nothing else.

Where was the withered bone?

While he was wondering.

Suddenly, the platform stirred.

The platform rattled and then rapidly sank. A moment later, the platform disappeared, leaving only a deep, dark hole.

Then.

From the large hole, a dusty, cobweb-covered, ancient withered bone slowly rose.

This withered bone was not the usual white, but pitch black, covered with various strange patterns, and above these patterns, golden incantations were inscribed.

The moment he saw the withered bone, Xiao Ming immediately understood.

This should be Old Man Shi Gu's corpse!

Looking again, he saw that one of the withered bone's ribs was very different from the other bones; this rib actually appeared jade-green.

Clearly!

The so-called Golden Book Jade Page was hidden inside this rib!

Xiao Ming subconsciously wanted to rush over to contend for the rib, but he suddenly realized that Old Weng's situation was very abnormal!

He saw him staring blankly at the suddenly emerging ancient withered bone, his face vacant, and his eyes somewhat unfocused.

He was like a statue.

"Old Weng?" Xiao Ming asked tentatively.

Old Weng showed no reaction.

After thinking for a moment, Xiao Ming picked up an Origin Stone from the ground and hurled it forcefully at Old Weng's head.

Whoosh!

The sound of rushing wind echoed.

The Origin Stone slammed heavily into Old Weng's face, and the powerful force shattered the Origin Stone, yet Old Weng still made no response.

Seeing this scene, even a fool would realize that something was wrong with Old Weng!

Upon seeing this, Xiao Ming immediately gripped the tiangang sword in his hand, while Han Qingfeng also looked cautious, warily watching the dazed Old Weng.

Just then.

Old Weng moved.

He first stretched his body, then lowered his head to look at his own limbs, as if feeling something.

The next moment.

His gaze fell upon the Ghost Head Staff in his hand, and then he raised the staff and squeezed it fiercely!

With a "bang"!

The sturdy staff was actually crushed in his hand. After the staff shattered, thick black mist and a black skull emerged.

This was the ghost creature Old Weng had refined!

Old Weng opened his mouth and inhaled, sucking all the black mist into his mouth. Then, he struck like lightning, grabbing the pitch-black skull and also throwing it into his mouth.

Crunch, crunch, crunch!

He quickly devoured the skull!

"Tsk tsk tsk, although this thing can restore a little bit of my strength, it tastes ordinary, not very good," Old Weng remarked, curling his lips after finishing.

Then.

He turned his head to look at Xiao Ming and Han Qingfeng.

Xiao Ming then noticed Old Weng's abnormality.

The old man's face was, at some unknown point, covered with strange patterns, identical to the patterns on the ancient withered bone.

And his old eyes had now turned a chilling grayish-white.

He was definitely not Old Weng!