83: Chapter 83 The Deer King's Reminder

The bones were piled half a person high, some already weathered and yellowed, others still bearing dried bloodstains, their sheer number enough to make one's scalp tingle.

Wu Li's blood-red pupils shrank sharply.

He spread his wings, flew over, and landed beside the pile of bones.

The essence blood and Soul within those bones had been completely drained away; the bones were as brittle as rotten wood, crumbling into powder at the slightest touch of his claws.

At the very top of the bone pile, a grey-black bead was floating silently. It was the size of a fist, its surface covered in fine cracks, with faint blood-colored light flowing within the cracks, emitting an eerie aura.

Wu Li extended his claw and grabbed the bead.

The bead felt ice-cold in his hand, and a chilling power surged from his claw into his body, rushing straight to his Sea of Consciousness.

"It seems to be a treasure."

Interest sparked in Wu Li's eyes, but now was not the time to investigate.

"Interesting."

Wu Li stored the bead in his Stomach Storage, then waved his wings. A gust of wind swept across the bone pile, turning the bones into grey-white powder that was scattered by the night wind.

He turned and flew back to the iron cage, glanced at the dying members of the Human Race, and fell silent for a moment.

"Black Feather, you all eat these people…"

"Old Ancestor… we don't eat living humans…"

Black Feather said with some embarrassment.

"Then let them fend for themselves."

With those words, Wu Li flew back to the cliff side.

Here, the Crow Flock had finished eating; relying on the corpses of these Yao Beasts, many in the flock had already entered the Tier 1 ranks…

"Black Feather, from now on, you will be in charge of these newly Tier 1 Crow Flock."

"Yes!"

"Also, you all need to improve. Today you heard Lady Hua lecture on the Dao, and with these Tier 2 Demonic Beast corpses, you should meditate and comprehend well when you return!"

"Otherwise, when I really need you to do something, you will be useless!"

Wu Li finished speaking. Black Feather also nodded earnestly immediately.

While speaking, just as Wu Li was preparing to leave.

A figure walked out of the dense forest, unhurriedly, beneath the moonlight, treading on gravel as he walked towards the cliff.

Dressed in green, with deer antlers, and an expressionless face, it was none other than the Azure-Horned Deer King.

He walked to the foot of the cliff, stopped, and looked up at the mess on the ground and the Crow Flock pecking at the corpses. After a moment of silence, he spoke, his voice unhurried, as if discussing something trivial.

"All are fellow clansmen of Taiyue Mountain, why be so brutal?"

Wu Li looked down at him, his blood-red pupils meeting the gaze of the Azure-Horned Deer King.

"I gave them a quick death; that was already out of consideration for our fellow clansmen."

With Wu Li's current strength, he could have completely refined all the Feathered Eagles to death using the Colorless Profound Light, but he still gave the flock a quick death with the Yang Blade Ring. Isn't that, in a way, also a form of mercy…

The Azure-Horned Deer King was silent for a moment.

"You certainly know how to talk."

The Deer King's voice remained unhurried.

Wu Li was silent for a moment, then asked: "Then, Deer King, did you come here to listen to me talk?"

The Azure-Horned Deer King shook his head.

"No, I came to watch the show."

"Additionally, a friendly reminder: this eagle was a pet raised by Lord Tunming. Usually, this eagle contributed quite a bit of human flesh and blood to Lord Tunming. By killing it, you have severed one of Lord Tunming's external hands; he certainly won't let this go easily."

Wu Li's eyes flashed; he hadn't expected to become entangled with this Lord Tunming again.

"Now that the show is over, it's time to go back."

With those words, the Azure-Horned Deer King's figure disappeared into the dense forest. The night wind blew, and the bamboo leaves rustled.

Wu Li crouched on a withered branch, his blood-red pupils gazing in the direction the Deer King had left. He was silent for a moment, then let out a cold snort.

"Lord Tunming…"

"Just as I thought."

Wu Li had roughly guessed it when he collected the bead earlier; he didn't expect to end up facing this guy again after all this trouble.

"Old Ancestor, have we caused trouble?"

Black Feather stepped forward and asked concernedly.

"It's none of your business, let's go back."

With those words, Wu Li spread his wings and flew towards the Stone Forest. The crows followed. The noisy sound of the Crow Flock grew more distant, gradually disappearing into the night wind.

…The scene shifts. Deep within Taiyue Mountain, in a mansion shrouded in netherworld gloom, Lord Tunming was resting with his eyes closed on a throne of bones.

His body was still as withered as firewood, his grey-black skin clinging tightly to his skeleton, like a mummy dried for a thousand years.

But at this moment, rays of golden light flashed across his body from time to time. Those rays of light shone from beneath his skin, like golden snakes slithering within his body.

Every time a golden snake slithered past, his body would tremble slightly, and a wisp of grey-black Ghost Qi would steam out from his pores, dissipating in the air.

"Sizzle…"

"Argh…"

The Buddha light left in his body by Great Master Tianjiu had not yet dissipated.

Those golden rays of light were like countless needles, stabbing into his body, ceaselessly eroding his Ghost Qi day and night, causing his cultivation to be severely suppressed.

"Damn old bald donkey…"

Lord Tunming cursed in a low voice, his sound like a broken bellows leaking air.

He opened his eyes, his ghostly green eyes filled with exhaustion and malice. He looked at his withered arms and then closed his eyes again. The Buddha light was still slithering, the Ghost Qi was still steaming; he didn't know how long it would take for his wounds to heal.

Below the mansion, the remaining two Ghost Generals, Blood Butcher and Bone Mountain, knelt on the cold stone floor, not daring to even breathe loudly.

That battle with Great Master Tianjiu hadn't just injured Lord Tunming; they, the Ghost Generals, had also suffered.

Their state was not much better than Lord Tunming's.

Blood Butcher's cultivation at the Late Stage of the Yin Spirit Realm had been directly knocked down to the Middle Stage, and his ghost body was covered in cracks scorched by the Buddha light.

Bone Mountain was slightly better off, with no major issues. At this moment, Bone Mountain seemed to have thought of something and spoke cautiously.

"Lord, regarding Ghost General Ying Ci… ever since you sent him out, there has been no news. Could he have… also been killed by that bald donkey?"

Lord Tunming's eyelid twitched, but he didn't speak.

Blood Butcher heard this and took over the conversation, "Ghost General Ying Ci went to the Mass Grave, which is close to the outskirts of Taiyue Mountain. It is not impossible that the bald donkey passed through there…"

"Shut up."

Lord Tunming's voice was not loud, but it felt like a basin of cold water poured down.

The two Ghost Generals closed their mouths simultaneously and lowered their heads even further.

Lord Tunming opened his eyes, a flicker of sinister intent flashing in his ghostly green eyes.

Whether Ghost General Ying Ci was dead or alive, he didn't care.

"Bone Mountain."

Lord Tunming's voice was hoarse and low.

Bone Mountain quickly raised his head and replied respectfully: "This subordinate is here."

"Go see why that eagle hasn't brought the yin blood spirit bead yet." Lord Tunming's tone carried a hint of impatience, "Tell it to hurry up; my wounds cannot wait too long."

Bone Mountain accepted the order, his figure turning into a wisp of black smoke, disappearing from the mansion.

Lord Tunming closed his eyes, continuing to endure the torment of the Buddha light within his body.