168: The Heavenly Demon Bone Arm and the Invitation of the Two Saints

Tianxing City, 50th Floor.

The smoke cleared, and the plaque of the Qingyun Recycling Station was hung straight again. Although it was stained with a bit of dark red blood, it was more awe-inspiring than ever before.

Secret room in the backyard.

"Endure it, it might hurt a bit."

Zhou Wannian (Han Li) held a pale bone arm that emitted a chilling coldness. This was a top-tier trophy found in Old Demon Dry Bones's Storage Pouch—the [Heavenly Demon Bone Arm].

It was said to be taken from the remains of an eighth-rank transformed demon Cultivator, the "White Bone Demon Emperor." Its hardness was comparable to a top-grade ancient treasure, and it came with "Law-Breaking" and "Tearing" attributes.

"Old Man Han, please do it! Even if you have to take these old bones apart, it's fine!"

Ling Yunxiao gritted his teeth, his forehead covered in cold sweat, but his eyes were full of fanaticism as he looked at Zhou Wannian.

"Attach."

Purple-gold Nascent Flame (it should be Nascent Flame now) ignited at Zhou Wannian's fingertips. He refined the cut of the bone arm and then pressed it hard onto Ling Yunxiao's severed arm.

"Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle—!!!"

A tooth-aching sound of flesh and blood Fusion rang out.

"Ah—!!!"

Ling Yunxiao let out a miserable scream, his whole body convulsing. But the spiritual power within him was surging wildly because the demonic power contained in the bone arm was pouring back into his Meridians, forcibly enhancing his Physical Body strength.

"Cloud Seal Heavenly Scripture · Creation Rebirth."

Zhou Wannian formed a hand seal, and countless golden runes were struck into the connection point, forcibly suppressing the backlash of the demonic power and guiding it to perfectly fuse with Ling Yunxiao's flesh and blood.

Half an hour later.

Ling Yunxiao slumped in his chair, gasping for breath.

But at his left shoulder, the newly attached arm could already move freely. Although the skin appeared an eerie pale white and the fingertips were as sharp as blades, he could feel a terrifying power within it sufficient to crush a Magic Treasure.

"This arm..."

Ling Yunxiao tried clenching his fist.

Bang!

The air was directly crushed, making a crisp sound.

"A blessing in disguise."

Zhou Wannian wiped his hands and said indifferently, "This arm is equivalent to a growth-type Lifebound Treasure. In the future, even if you encounter a Core Formation Late Stage Cultivator, you can punch right through them."

"Thank you, Old Man Han, for the grace of remaking me!" Ling Yunxiao was so excited he was about to kneel.

"Alright, there's still business."

Zhou Wannian turned around and looked at the pitch-black night outside the door.

"The tea is cold, change it for a new pot."

"The distinguished guest has arrived."

...As soon as he finished speaking.

The Restriction outside the courtyard gate fluctuated silently.

There was no grand display or entourage.

Only a woman dressed in moon-white palace robes, without any makeup but still stunningly beautiful, walked into the courtyard alone.

Twenty years had not left any marks on her face; instead, her originally slightly youthful temperament had settled into a deep-sea-like elegance and majesty.

Star Palace Young Lord (Acting Palace Master), Ling Yuling.

She walked into the front hall, and her gaze immediately fell on the young man sitting in the main seat.

He was no longer the wretched, hunchbacked old man in her memory.

But a young man who looked to be in his early twenties, with a handsome face and eyes as deep as stars.

Although his appearance had changed, that lazy yet shrewd temperament was exactly the same as back then.

"Mr. Han...?"

Ling Yuling stopped, a flash of shock in her eyes, which then turned into a bitter smile.

"So this is your true face, sir."

"And..."

She felt the terrifying Spiritual Pressure faintly emanating from Zhou Wannian, which even made the "five elements magnetic rings" inside her body resonate.

"Congratulations, sir, on shattering the core and forming the soul, attaining the Great Dao."

"Just a stroke of luck."

Zhou Wannian raised his hand to gesture, "Young Master Wen... oh no, I should call you Palace Master Ling now. Please, sit."

Ling Yuling sat down, looking at the cup of hot tea in front of her, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

Twenty years ago, she could still talk to him as an equal in the capacity of an "investor."

Twenty years later, he had grown into a giant capable of influencing the situation in the Chaotic Star Sea, while the Star Palace was in a precarious state amidst the storms.

"Old Demon Dry Bones is dead," Ling Yuling said. "His soul tablet shattered, and the Reverse Star Alliance side has already exploded with chaos."

"Yes, I killed him." Zhou Wannian took a sip of tea, his tone as flat as if he were saying he had killed a chicken. "His hands weren't clean, and he was throwing trash around my shop. He deserved to die."

Ling Yuling took a deep breath.

"What are your plans now that you're back, sir?"

"No plans."

Zhou Wannian put down his teacup and looked at her with a half-smile. "I'm just a recycling station owner. I originally wanted to do business peacefully, but who knew the world wouldn't let me be at peace."

"So, I plan to make the business a bit bigger."

"How big?"

"Big enough..." Zhou Wannian's fingers tapped lightly on the table, "...that no one dares to collect protection fees at my shop door."

Ling Yuling was silent for a moment.

She knew that Zhou Wannian was asking for a price.

"Sir."

Ling Yuling suddenly stood up and bowed deeply to Zhou Wannian.

"The Star Palace... needs you."

"Now the Reverse Star Alliance is powerful; the Outer Sea is completely lost, and the Inner Sea has been infiltrated until it's riddled with holes. My parents (The Twin Saints of Tianxing) are trapped by the Magnetic Divine Mountain and cannot leave Tianxing City even a step. Grand Elder Jin Kui is struggling alone."

"As long as you are willing to help..."

"The Star Palace is willing to hire you as the [Chief Grand Elder]. Your status will be second only to The Twin Saints, and you can mobilize all resources of the Star Palace, including the Heavenly Star Treasury!"

Chief Grand Elder.

This was almost giving away half of the Star Palace.

But Zhou Wannian shook his head.

"Just an empty title."

"I'm a pragmatic person. Can you give me what I want?"

"What do you want, sir?"

"Three things."

Zhou Wannian held up three fingers.

"First, I want to see the Complete Manual of the 'Primordial Magnetism Divine Light.' Not the abridged version, but the Original True Explanation that The Twin Saints Cultivate."

Ling Yuling's expression changed slightly. That was the foundation of the Star Palace!

"Second, I want absolute management rights over 'Floor 30' to 'Floor 50' of Tianxing City. This area will belong to me, not the Star Palace, and my rules will be the rules."

This was asking for territory to be a king!

"Third..."

A flash of light crossed Zhou Wannian's eyes.

"I want to see The Twin Saints."

"And I want to see them inside that 'Magnetic Divine Mountain'."

"I have a way to solve their 'self-imprisonment' predicament, but the prerequisite is... they have to cooperate with me on a 'small experiment'."

Hearing the third point, Ling Yuling was deeply shaken.

Solve the predicament of The Twin Saints?!

This was the Star Palace's biggest weakness currently! If The Twin Saints could move freely, what would the mere Reverse Star Alliance be? Even if the Six Paths Extreme Sage and Wan Sangu joined forces, they would have to kneel!

"Sir... is this true?!" Ling Yuling's voice trembled.

"I'm a businessman; I value integrity."

Zhou Wannian pointed at Ling Yuling's lower abdomen (where the five elements magnetic rings were planted).

"Don't you know who cured your illness?"

Ling Yuling subconsciously touched her lower abdomen. Over the past twenty years, the Magnetic Force in her body had not only stopped backfiring but had become her strongest trump card. Her cultivation had progressed by leaps and bounds, and she was now at the peak of the Core Formation Late Stage.

"Good!"

A look of determination flashed in Ling Yuling's eyes.

"The first two things, I can agree to right now!"

"As for the third... my parents actually sensed the abnormal celestial phenomenon (Nine Stars Shining upon the World) a few days ago and specifically instructed me that if you were the one who triggered it, I should invite you to the 'Peak of the Sacred Mountain' for a talk."

"Oh?"

Zhou Wannian's eyebrow arched.

It seemed that although the couple were "imprisoned," their Divine Sense was still quite sharp.

"In that case, let's stop wasting words."

Zhou Wannian stood up and straightened his robes.

"Lead the way."

"I also want to see what that 'Magnetic Divine Mountain,' which is said to restrain all Five Elements Spells in the world, actually looks like."

...Tianxing City, top floor.

This was a restricted area for Mortals and low-level Cultivators.

A huge palace a thousand feet high—the [Star Emperor Hall]—stood lonely amidst the clouds.

And deeper within the palace, there was a secret passage leading to the underground core.

"Sir, please be careful."

Ling Yuling led the way, the token in her hand emitting a soft light, splitting the thick grey mist ahead that was almost solid.

"This is the Magnetic Force..."

Zhou Wannian followed behind, feeling the heavy, oppressive, and spirit-distorting magnetic field around him.

The further down they went, the stronger the magnetic field became.

Finally, even the Nascent Soul inside Zhou Wannian felt a bit of discomfort, and he had to prop up a circle of purple-gold light.

Finally.

The view suddenly opened up.

It was a massive underground hollow.

In the center of the hollow floated a small mountain peak a hundred feet high, pitch black as ink, yet its surface shimmered with five-colored radiance.

[Magnetic Divine Mountain].

And halfway up the mountain, two people sat cross-legged.

A man and a woman.

The man was elegant and handsome, the woman dignified and beautiful.

They looked like a pair of divine companions.

But looking closely, one would see a terrifying scene:

Their lower bodies... had actually been assimilated into the black mountain body, turning into a stone-like texture!

"Father, Mother."

Ling Yuling knelt on the ground, her eyes slightly red. "Mr. Han has arrived."

"Junior Han Li greets the two Saint Lords."

Zhou Wannian did not kneel, only slightly cupping his hands, neither humble nor arrogant.

The pair slowly opened their eyes.

Buzz!

Two grey divine lights shot out, sweeping directly across Zhou Wannian's body.

"What a... what a Star Dharma Body!"

The elegant man (one of the Twin Saints of Tianxing, Ling Xiaofeng) showed a flash of admiration in his eyes. His voice was warm as jade but carried an undeniable weakness.

"Twenty years ago, Yuling said there was an extraordinary person who could organize Magnetic Force with Formations, and I've always wanted to meet you."

"I didn't expect that not only are Your Excellency's Formations divine, but you've even walked a 'Heaven-Defying path' that we cannot see through."

The beautiful woman (Wen Qing) beside him also spoke. Her gaze was softer but also sharper.

"Fellow Daoist Han, the Nascent Soul in your body... seems to resonate with this divine mountain?"

"The Saint Lord has a Wisdom Eye."

Zhou Wannian smiled slightly.

The [reverse star nascent soul] inside him was indeed vibrating wildly.

Because the core power source of the Reverse Star Pagoda was Astral Power, and the Magnetic Divine Mountain... was essentially a fallen Star Core Fragment!

"The situation of the two Saint Lords is even more serious than I imagined."

Zhou Wannian didn't exchange pleasantries; he walked forward and reached out to touch the black mountain body.

"The Magnetic Force has already eroded into the Nascent Soul Origin. If another ten years pass, you will completely become part of this mountain, which is to say... Dao Transformation."

The Twin Saints looked at each other and gave a bitter laugh.

"Fellow Daoist has a sharp eye. Since you've seen it, I wonder about the 'method' you mentioned before..."

"There is a method."

Zhou Wannian turned around, looking at these two overlords who once dominated the Chaotic Star Sea.

"But it requires a major surgery."

"Simply put, it's to... refine this mountain."

"Refine it?!" Ling Yuling exclaimed. "This is the Magnetic Divine Mountain! Not even a Soul Transformation Stage Cultivator can damage it in the slightest!"

"Who said anything about destroying it?"

A flash of crazy light crossed Zhou Wannian's eyes.

"I mean..."

"Refine it into a Magic Treasure."

"A Lifebound Treasure that can be carried around, even used to smash people..."

"And the two Saint Lords will serve as the 'Artifact Spirit' (or rather, the drivers) of this Magic Treasure, regaining their freedom."

Zhou Wannian pulled out the [void heaven cauldron] from his sleeve.

Thud!

The cauldron landed on the ground.

"I have the cauldron, the fire (Azure Blue Ice Flame), and the Formation (Cloud Seal Heavenly Scripture)."

"Plus the Nascent Soul cultivation of you two."

"Let's cooperate."

"Turn this biggest cage in Tianxing City into the strongest weapon in the Chaotic Star Sea."

"If it succeeds, the Reverse Star Alliance can be destroyed in the blink of an eye."

"If it fails..."

Zhou Wannian shrugged.

"At worst, we all blow up into the sky together, saving us from the suffering of being living dead."

"How about it?"

"Do you dare to bet on this one?"