Chapter 406: The Second Feeding of the Divine Bone

The Wind Demon, which had once forced King Baoshu to personally intervene, wouldn't truly be constrained by a small stone pillar.

In ancient and medieval times, the Wind Lion Statues served as markers, indicating to the Wind Demon where it "should" tread lightly. After all, within the former main peak of the Misty Sect, the spiritual herb fields near the fissures were more fragile than humans, so the immortal sect had to establish clear rules for the Wind Demon.

When the Wind Demon encountered the Wind Lion Statues' barriers, it would feel a degree of discomfort, making it reluctant to approach. It was akin to an electric fence in a nature reserve; it wouldn't kill a lion, but it would cause pain, keeping the animal confined to its own territory.

However, "should" does not mean "must."

"Reluctance" also doesn't imply "inability."

With the Misty Sect now defunct, it was far easier for the Wind Demon to break through the Wind Lion Statues' restrictions than before.

Yet, He Lingchuan beckoned to the Wind Demon with a finger. No one could mistake the meaning of that gesture: "Come at me."

So the Wind Demon charged. Fighting in such a confined space, it managed to compress all its wind force into a vortex less than five feet wide, so much so that Fu Shanyue, standing in the cave above, didn't even have his robes ripple. However, the vortex emitted an ominous whirring sound; each rapidly spinning gust of wind within it was like a steel blade, pulverizing anything it touched.

It headed straight for He Lingchuan. The powerful airflow it carried with it threatened to pin him against the wall, leaving him immobile and exposed to countless slicing wind blades. Under such wind pressure, He Lingchuan found it extremely difficult even to raise his blade, let alone engage in combat.

How does one fight against wind?

Even Fu Shanyue, who was rushing over, grew tense, preparing to offer immediate support. "To cause him so much trouble, this fellow can't be a fool, can he? He likely has a trick up his sleeve." Fu Shanyue had an ominous premonition.

Just as the Wind Demon was about to engulf He Lingchuan, the man suddenly vanished. He disappeared into thin air, rather than being pulverized. The full force of the wind slammed into the stone wall. As a result, this hard rock face, weathered by countless years of wind and frost, was gouged out, forming a hole one foot deep and three feet in diameter, amidst a grating whirring sound! If that had struck a body of flesh and blood, wouldn't it have instantly erupted into a mist of blood?

Meanwhile, He Lingchuan himself reappeared behind the Wind Demon, precisely where the Wind Lion Statue had cracked!

Fu Shanyue's pupils contracted slightly. "Teleportation?"

This was an ability achieved through divine power, not martial skill. Of course, He Lingchuan possessed no such teleportation skill. Instead, as he set down the Wind Lion Statue, he secretly slipped a Shadow Cicada Exuviae beneath the stone carving. With the activation of the "Proxy Substitution" technique, he and the Shadow Cicada Exuviae swapped places.

How the Wind Demon had unleashed its might over an hour ago was attested by hundreds of lives lost. Therefore, directly confronting such a host in the Wind Demon's territory was certainly not something a normal human could accomplish.

After the swap, He Lingchuan did not immediately flee. Instead, he pushed off with his toes and charged directly at the Wind Demon! They were only about ten feet apart, and his speed was so great that this distance vanished in an instant. This caused Fu Shanyue, who had been rushing, to pause, utterly bewildered as to why this person, after so much effort to escape, would turn back to face certain death.

The Wind Demon had missed its target and was about to make a turn – after all, it wasn't human and couldn't maneuver as nimbly as He Lingchuan – when its enemy lunged from behind. The long blade at his waist flashed out, delivering four cuts in the blink of an eye! He Lingchuan could sever seven raindrops with one strike at Zhao Pan's front-line camp, so executing a four-hit combo here was child's play. A faint gleam of light illuminated the stone chamber as all four consecutive slashes landed on the Wind Demon's back.

Fu Shanyue's brow furrowed deeply. "Humans cannot cut wind. His opponent couldn't be so lacking in basic knowledge, and there was no elemental force attached to his weapon. So, what then?"

Yet, the Wind Demon let out a deafening howl. Fu Shanyue, who knew it well, was suddenly startled: This howl was filled with agony! Portions of the Wind Demon's body, where He Lingchuan's long blade had struck, actually peeled off as if they were physical objects! Though they dissipated in an instant, Fu Shanyue was confident he hadn't misseen: the Wind Demon's body had indeed been severed multiple times by a single blade!

"This young man can actually cut the wind?"

He Lingchuan gripped Fusheng, the blade almost one with him, sensing the weapon's simultaneous agility and lethal power. Facing the Wind Demon, a sudden realization dawned on him: Fusheng's "Void-Shattering" attribute was effective against the Wind Demon! It could cleave through anything formless and bodiless. If ghosts were considered "formless," then the Wind Demon clearly fell into the category of "bodiless."

The Wind Demon's body was now only half its original size. In pain and fury, it unleashed a wind blade at He Lingchuan. Though invisible and traceless, it was capable of cutting flesh and bone with ease. He Lingchuan, having anticipated this, didn't wait for the Wind Demon to turn after his four-hit combo. He braced one hand on the ground, pushed off the stone wall with his right leg, and spun around like a swallow, moving to its side. One punch warrants a defense against a kick; this wind blade was perfectly dodged.

Before the Wind Demon could recover, and wary of its wind pressure, He Lingchuan didn't wait for it to revert to its original form. He immediately delivered two more slashes, directly rending it into pieces! The Wind Demon shrieked, its form suddenly dispersed, transforming into a chamber full of swirling gales! It finally understood: its most powerful humanoid form was ineffective against this opponent. "Then I'll disperse into my true form. Though weaker, I will surely shred this fellow into countless pieces!"

True energy flowed through He Lingchuan's dantian, and he immediately raised a protective aura. He felt his protective aura being rapidly carved away, unable to tell how many wind blades had struck him. Fortunately, the Wind Demon's power greatly diminished when it dispersed into a whirlwind, and he had advanced his cultivation level after gaining enlightenment at Sanxinyuan, otherwise, he might not have withstood such rapid depletion. Oh, and his heart-protecting mirror was also functioning.

As the great winds roared through the chamber, the divine bone necklace suddenly emitted a faint red light. Immediately afterward, the wind sweeping past He Lingchuan was directly absorbed by it.

"What in the world is that?" The Wind Demon, disbelieving, agitated its wind power again. But no matter how much it sent, the divine bone necklace absorbed it all, refusing nothing. In just about two breaths, the divine bone seemed to transform into a massive black hole, intent on devouring the entire whirlwind!

By then, it was too late for the Wind Demon to escape. It struggled to flee outwards, but couldn't resist the pull of the black hole behind it, being sucked in with a whooshing sound.

Fu Shanyue, who had just reached the stone chamber, was horrified. He lunged at He Lingchuan, his body and water-splitting dagger moving as one. "Stop!" His strike, filled with shock and fury, was incredibly powerful. Just as it was about to land, He Lingchuan parried with his blade. With a clang of metal, both men staggered back two steps. The divine bone necklace finally ceased its voracious consumption and quieted down.

He Lingchuan, sharp-eyed, noticed Fu Shanyue was clutching a small object in his left hand. It was a palm-sized... Wind Lion Statue? At such a moment, whatever he revealed wouldn't be meaningless.

"It's the last Wind Demon in the world; it would be a shame to kill it." This Wind Demon had been with Fu Shanyue for a long time, and he was now heartbroken.

He Lingchuan said chillingly, "What does that have to do with me? If you can't manage your own pet, don't blame others for helping to discipline it."

Fu Shanyue drew his water-splitting dagger with a backhand motion. "Give it back, or this will be your grave."

He Lingchuan also beckoned him. "Come and get it yourself." What the divine bone necklace had consumed, it wouldn't spit out.

The atmosphere in the stone chamber suddenly grew tense. However, just two breaths later, the sound of falling rocks came from outside. It was unclear whether it was caused by mountain winds or if someone was approaching.

Fu Shanyue's expression shifted, and he suddenly lowered his dagger. "Fine, I'll let you off this time."

He Lingchuan found it amusing but didn't bother to argue. He covered his face with a mask, rushed out of the stone chamber, and with two bounds, reached his rock goat, leaped onto its back, and rode away. The divine bone necklace was no longer glowing or emitting heat, evidently satisfied after its recent feast. Today, it had devoured two excellent items.

Fu Shanyue stepped out of the stone chamber and saw no one outside, only the whistling wind. He descended the terraced steps, rushed to the edge of the fissure, and then looked at the half-foot-tall miniature Wind Lion Statue in his left palm. Its carving was more exquisite than others of its kind within the mountain.

"Come out."

Several wisps of mountain wind intertwined, forming a miniature Wind Demon less than three inches tall. So, the divine bone necklace hadn't completely absorbed it earlier. But this Wind Demon was now only the size of a spinning top, sometimes coalescing, sometimes dispersing, barely able to maintain its form—a truly pitiful sight. Its small size made it appear less fearsome. Who could have imagined this thing had devoured countless human lives just an hour ago?

"What kind of magical artifact did that boy use to leave you in such a state?"

The Wind Demon whined in complaint. Fu Shanyue listened for a while but couldn't make much sense of it, only understanding that the young man had unleashed an astonishing suction force, absorbing more than half of the Wind Demon's essence. If he hadn't arrived in time, the Wind Demon would certainly have been completely consumed.

"Never mind. Rest up quickly," he said, pointing at the fissure. "You didn't wipe out the guard team entirely, so they'll come back to investigate. In a few days, this whole area will be swarming with people from Baoshu Kingdom."

The Wind Demon immediately darted into the fissure and vanished with a whoosh. From now on, it would enter a state of hibernation, replenishing itself using the wind energy from underground. Just one or two doses of Meridian Divine Wind would be enough for it to recover.

Fu Shanyue took out the wooden bottle and glanced at it twice, his face etched in thought. "Why did that boy throw the Dragon Marrow back? Why did he smile so strangely? Did he return it because he deemed it worthless? Does that mean he knew exactly what it was?"

Fu Shanyue silently put the bottle away and went to a stone chamber on the opposite side of the mountain path to meditate. This way, he would immediately spot anyone who entered the Wind Demon Mountain's interior. He needed to guard the Wind Demon.

A bird of prey flew overhead, and Fu Shanyue immediately retreated deep into the stone chamber.

When He Lingchuan caught up with the caravan, Second Boss Shi was directing his men to clear the remains left by the guard team. He Lingchuan nodded and said, "Second Boss, you are truly honorable."

Second Boss Shi was actually a little worried. "Brother He, are you sure the Wind Demon won't reappear? There's no cover on this road, and even the guard team couldn't withstand its attacks. If that thing returns, wouldn't our small caravan be swept away instantly?"

He Lingchuan did not mention what happened in the immortal sect's ruins, merely reassuring him, "It only attacks its enemies, and it's also severely wounded. It shouldn't reappear for some time."