190: Chapter 190 Nighttime Robbery

In the center of the basin, the aftershocks caused by the self-detonation of the Peak-stage Tier 2 Yao Beast's demon core had subsided. The surroundings were silent, with only the mournful wailing of the mountain wind passing through the scorched tree trunks audible.

Four Beast Taming Sect Ding-squad Disciples left to guard the area were gathered around the massive corpse of the Mountain-Quaking Kui Ox, which resembled a mountain. The high-intensity labor of dismemberment had left these four Late-Stage Qi Refining Sect elites showing signs of fatigue.

"The skin and bones of this primeval exotic creature are truly tough. We have taken turns driving the ox-dissecting daggers for a full hour, yet we have only peeled off less than a third of the back armor." A gaunt-faced Disciple raised a hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead, stuck his cold-glinting short blade into the ground, and let out a long, heavy breath.

An older deacon nearby reprimanded coldly: "Do not slack off. Core Disciple Qin Wuyan has ordered that the main bone containing the Law of Vibration of this Mountain-Quaking Kui Ox must be extracted intact. This is an excellent primary material for refining high-grade Magical Artifacts and Magic Treasures. If there is the slightest mistake and the bone texture is damaged, ten heads between us wouldn't be enough to pay for it."

The four of them each took a Qi-recovery pill, sat cross-legged on the ground, and seized the time to restore their depleted magical power.

In the shadows not far away, Gu Shen stood with his hands behind his back.

"Crab, report the environmental parameters ahead." Gu Shen's intent stirred, and he issued an order to the black iron buckle at his collar.

A faint, single-player electronic voice traveled along his collarbone into his ear. Crab responded quickly: "Master, thermal imaging feedback complete. The physical energy of the four target organisms has dropped significantly; they are currently in a low-energy dormant state. Within a three-zhang radius of the giant creature's skeleton, high-density energy residue has been detected, suspected to be some kind of trigger-type alarm circuit."

Gu Shen's eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze fixed on the mountain-like corpse.

"The Beast Taming Sect truly acts with airtight precision. Core Disciple Qin Wuyan divided his forces to pursue the young beast, yet he secretly laid a trap on this mother beast's corpse." Gu Shen felt a chill in his heart.

Such Sect Prodigies have thoughts as deep as an abyss. That hidden Formation is to guard against the Yao Beasts and Cultivators from the depths of Mang Mountain who might be drawn here by the news.

However, Gu Shen was determined to succeed on this trip. The skeleton of the Mountain-Quaking Kui Ox could be called a natural damping matrix and was the best spiritual material for upgrading the Demon Bone Iron Guard and compensating for its weakness to physical resonance.

His slender fingers brushed over his face, and his True Essence exhaled slightly.

The Thousand Faces covering his face changed quietly. Within a few breaths, Gu Shen's bones and skin had transformed into the appearance of a cold-faced Beast Taming Sect Disciple wearing starry Daoist robes.

The thunder shadow boots under his feet shimmered with a faint light. Gu Shen did not deliberately conceal his tracks; instead, he stepped out generously, treading on the scorched earth, and walked straight toward the center of the basin.

"Who is it?!"

The older deacon sitting cross-legged was extremely alert. Hearing the footsteps, he instantly grasped the Magical Artifact beside him and shouted sharply. The other three Disciples also stood up in unison, all looking in the direction from which Gu Shen was walking.

Gu Shen walked out of the shadows, his starry Daoist robes rustling in the night wind.

"Junior Brothers, do not panic. Core Disciple Qin Wuyan fears changes here, so he specifically sent me back first to help you speed up the collection of the Yao bones." Gu Shen's voice was steady, his tone tinged with the cold arrogance and impatience characteristic of a large Sect's Inner Sect Disciple.

The older deacon scanned Gu Shen back and forth. The style of the starry Daoist robe was flawless, and the other party's magical power fluctuations were stable; it was indeed the Cultivation Technique of the same Sect lineage.

"So it is Senior Brother who has arrived." The deacon's tense nerves relaxed slightly, and he cupped his hands in salute. "May I ask, Senior Brother, is the pursuit on the side of the dark river going well? Has that young beast been captured?"

"The young beast is very cunning and has dived into the deep water labyrinth. Core Disciple Qin Wuyan is leading the crowd to set up an inescapable net; capturing it is only a matter of time." Gu Shen answered fluently, his footsteps not stopping, and he had already reached the side of the mountain-like Kui Ox corpse.

Observing the remains of this Peak-stage Tier 2 Yao Beast up close, Gu Shen could truly feel the primeval ferocity rushing toward him. The thick bones were like cast blue-black divine iron, and at the broken bone edges, earth-yellow Law halos faintly circulated.

"Senior Brother, wait!"

Seeing Gu Shen walking straight toward the main trunk of the Yao bones, the older deacon's expression changed suddenly, and he hurriedly shouted to stop him. "Before Core Disciple Qin Wuyan left, he laid a Bloodline Pulling Formation on the Yao bones. Without the unlocking technique personally bestowed by him, anyone who touches the Origin of the Yao bones will trigger the Formation's backlash!"

Gu Shen turned a deaf ear.

He was plotting this massive object, and ordinary storage Magical Artifacts could not contain it at all. Only by using the supreme power deep in his Sea of Consciousness could he perform this whale-like swallowing.

Gu Shen raised his right arm, splayed his five fingers, and pressed them firmly onto the Kui Ox's spine, which was as thick as a giant pillar.

Inside his Dantian Qi Sea, the Nirvana Star Core accelerated its rotation, and the deep cyan True Essence turned into a bridge, leading directly to his spiritual Sea of Consciousness.

"Collect."

Gu Shen issued a cold, hard order in his heart.

In the deepest part of his Sea of Consciousness, the ancient and heavy [Heaven and Earth Furnace] emitted a vast roar that shook the Dao. The cauldron lid opened, and a pale white fire of Law, like an inverted celestial river, gushed out from Gu Shen's palm.

This pale phantom fire carried no worldly temperature, yet it possessed supreme dominance in decomposing all things and melting Laws.

The phantom fire spread instantly, completely wrapping the dozens-of-zhang-long corpse of the Mountain-Quaking Kui Ox.

"What are you doing?!"

The four Beast Taming Sect Disciples behind were all terrified. That strange, pale flame exceeded their cognitive scope, and under the calcination of the flame, the indestructible skin, flesh, and bones of the massive Yao Beast corpse began to show a collapse like melting ice and snow.

"This person is definitely not a Senior Brother of the Sect! Form up! Kill him!"

The older deacon finally reacted. In shock and anger, the Magical Artifact long blade in his hand stirred up a sharp gale, slashing directly at Gu Shen's back. The other three also unleashed their killing moves.

Gu Shen stood in front of the phantom fire, turning a blind eye to the murderous intent behind him.

All his focus was poured into the operation of the Great Furnace. Forcibly collecting such a massive Peak-stage Tier 2 Yao bone within these few short breaths was terrifying for his Divine Sense. The Cold Jade Thunder Bone under his skin emitted a rumbling resonance of thunder, forcibly helping him share that overwhelming pressure.

Under the melting of the fire of Law, the majority of the Kui Ox skeleton became smaller and smaller, and pieces of Kui Ox Yao bones exuding a hazy earth-yellow halo were forcibly pulled into the internal space of the [Heaven and Earth Furnace].

Just at this moment.

The Bloodline Pulling Formation attached to the deepest part of the Kui Ox bone marrow collapsed on the spot because it lost its physical carrier.

"Zheng—!"

A sharp alarm, piercing the clouds, exploded in the center of the basin.

In the soil underground, the originally hidden Formation Plate erupted with starlight as brilliant as the scorching sun. A thick, crimson beam of light shot into the sky, illuminating the night sky for dozens of miles around as bright as day.

Such an eye-catching warning beam was tantamount to announcing to all Beast Taming Sect Cultivators in the depths of Mang Mountain: This place is under attack!

At the same time, the older deacon's Magical Artifact long blade had already carried the momentum of ten thousand jun, slashing down fiercely.

Gu Shen turned around, his right fist clenched, the Thunder-Magnetic Force of the Cold Jade Thunder Bone and the deep cyan True Essence of the Nirvana Star Core perfectly intertwined on his fist.

He threw a punch.

The fist wind whistled, and the airflow was forcibly squeezed out of the fist tip into a visible white air explosion ring.

"Clang!"

A deafening sound of metal clashing exploded. The heavy Magical Artifact long blade, slashing onto Gu Shen's bare fist, not only failed to hurt him in the slightest but instead, under the terrifying counter-shock force, shattered inch by inch, turning into iron filings filling the sky.

The older deacon gave a miserable cry, the bones of his arms holding the blade snapped at the root, and his whole body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, smashing heavily into the scorched earth in the distance, life or death unknown.

Seeing such powerful Physical Body Divine Might, the remaining three Disciples had their charging steps nailed to the spot, terrified and retreating again and again.

Gu Shen retracted his fist and stood still.

During this brief confrontation, the [Heaven and Earth Furnace] had already taken the majority of the complete skeleton of the Mountain-Quaking Kui Ox and its core bone marrow from its abdomen into its possession.

"What I gained today is enough for great use."

Gu Shen looked up. That crimson beam of light shooting into the sky was particularly eye-catching in the night. The high-frequency deduction of the AI Crystal warned in his Sea of Consciousness that multiple extremely powerful Spiritual Pressures were returning from the direction of the dark river at an astonishing speed.

Core Disciple Qin Wuyan had returned, already halfway there.

Gu Shen had no intention of fighting to the death with such a core Disciple at this time and place. Since his goal was achieved, withdrawing was the best policy.

The thunder shadow boots under his feet erupted with dark blue electric light.

Gu Shen's figure turned into a thunderous afterimage tearing through the darkness, galloping toward the deep, miasma-rich depths of the Mang Mountain forest without any hesitation.

By the time those few Beast Taming Sect Disciples came to their senses, the scorched earth was already empty and desolate; the trace of that terrifying bone-stealer could no longer be found.

Only a small remaining part of the Kui Ox corpse was left, telling the story of the overbearing and peerless night plunder that had just occurred in the cold wind.