Chapter 1056: This Is My Bone

Beyond Time!

On the East Demon Feather Immortal Arts Palace Square, the Bone Cauldron roared, enveloped by constantly erupting nine-colored flames that burned fiercely. The runic symbols on the cauldron's surface flashed rapidly, all activating to intensify the flames as the refining process officially commenced.

Around them, three representatives from the various Sovereign Mountains had already stood up, their expressions grim. The other factions also felt a surge of surprise and doubt. The reversal of the situation was too sudden. They found it hard to anticipate that the Great Elder of the Immortal Arts Palace, who had initiated the ceremony, would fail despite holding such a significant advantage. After all, the Great Elder wouldn't have invited representatives from all Sovereign Mountains to witness the event without a high degree of confidence. Although the Immortal Seizing Ceremony itself necessitated inviting all Sovereign Mountains, the Great Elder must have nonetheless made thorough preparations to prevent any mishaps. Yet, an unexpected turn of events still occurred.

While no one knew how Huan Dong had managed to deceive the Great Elder and ultimately turn the tables, there was no doubt that the position of Grand Immortal Master now hung in suspense. The outcome of who would ascend to Grand Immortal Master would have different implications for the interests of each Sovereign Mountain. Some favored the Great Elder, others Huan Dong, and some remained neutral. Thus, upon witnessing this turn of events, the representatives from the Third and Seventh Sovereign Mountains, who had prior ties with the Great Elder, staggered and prepared to rush to his aid. But just as these two parties were about to act, the envoys from the Fourth and Sixth Sovereign Mountains flickered and appeared in front of them, blocking their attempt to help. They stared at each other without a word, their actions already conveying their stances. A sense of confrontation instantly arose among these four factions.

Just as these four factions were in a standoff, a rushing sound echoed from outside the Immortal Arts Palace. A group of black-robed cultivators, accompanied by some Immortal Masters, rushed in from outside. Their leader, clad in luxurious robes, was a young man. This person exuded strong killing intent, leading the cultivators behind him as they fought their way through the Great Elder's Immortal Masters who stood in their path. His speed was astonishing; he leaped up, leading the fighting parties directly above the Bone Cauldron.

The moment he appeared, the space around him twisted as three trusted Immortal Masters of the Great Elder materialized and rushed directly towards the young man. These three Immortal Masters were formidable. The moment they struck, strange immortal arts formed three pitch-black fangs, enveloped in black mist, rushing directly towards the luxuriously-robed young man. But the luxuriously-robed young man remained unfazed. Enduring the assault from the three, he took out a bell and fiercely dropped it towards the cauldron below. The bell's chime instantly resonated, and the bell itself swelled to hundreds of feet in size, completely enveloping and covering the cauldron. The aura it emitted swept in all directions. While this all takes time to describe, it happened in the blink of an eye.

After the bell descended, the three Immortal Masters' attacks struck the luxuriously-robed young man, sending him flying backward and spitting blood, but a chilling voice emerged from his mouth: "This bell signifies the stance of my Yun Family. My Yun Family fully supports Huan Dong's ascension to Grand Immortal Master."

The Great Elder's Immortal Masters around them all had grim expressions, staring intently at the luxuriously-robed young man and his group who had rushed in. Envoys from various Sovereign Mountains also turned their gaze towards them. "The Cloud Sky Bell." The bell's reputation was considerable in East Demon Feather; it was the Yun Family's ultimate treasure, a family as renowned as the Lan Family. As for the luxuriously-robed young man, his own reputation was also impressive; he was precisely the current young master of the Yun Family. Upon recognizing him, the envoys from the various Sovereign Mountains all showed peculiar expressions.

It was clearly no secret in East Demon Feather that the Yun Family's young master was pursuing Huan Dong. All factions had intelligence on it, and this young master had previously helped Huan Dong in the Immortal Arts Palace. Regardless, this had been his personal act, and with Huan Dong's capture, he himself had been expelled from the Immortal Arts Palace. Yet now, he not only arrived at a precise moment but also displayed the Yun Family's supreme treasure. This changed everything. The former only represented him personally, but now he represented the entire Yun Family. This made the struggle for the Grand Immortal Master position even more suspenseful. What truly influenced this struggle, however, was not the Yun Family or the Immortal Masters present, but the Ten Sovereign Mountains. They possessed that authority.

So, an Immortal Master from the Great Elder's faction, a middle-aged man, stepped forward and bowed with clasped fists to the various Sovereign Mountains. "Huan Dong is a traitor to our Immortal Arts Palace, and this Yun Family young master has also been deceived. As for the Yun Family's support, unless the Yun Family's Old Ancestor personally arrives, our Immortal Arts Palace will not believe it. At this moment, I implore all envoys to lend your assistance and rectify this disorder. Our Immortal Arts Palace will certainly repay this assistance in the future."

Seeing this person's words, the Yun Family young master's expression darkened. He too looked towards the envoys of the various Sovereign Mountains, clasped his fists, and spoke: "Sirs, this is an internal matter of the Immortal Arts Palace. Miss Huan Dong is not a traitor; as the former Grand Immortal Master's sole remaining disciple, and having mastered the Immortal Art of Six Thieves' Reckless Birth, she is naturally the legitimate successor! It is that Great Elder who harbors ill intentions, disregarding the traditions of the Immortal Arts Palace and seeking to usurp the position of Grand Immortal Master. His malice is extreme! I implore all of you to uphold your past stance and not interfere in the internal affairs of the Immortal Arts Palace!"

The Yun Family young master finished speaking and bowed once, his heart filled with uncertainty. He knew his family too well; the fact that he was able to take the supreme treasure so smoothly this time already indicated the Old Ancestor's attitude. If he succeeded, then the Yun Family's support would be genuine. If he failed, however, it would be considered that he had unauthorizedly stolen the supreme treasure, and the Yun Family would completely disassociate itself from the matter. He then looked up, gazing at the envoys of the Sovereign Mountains, especially those from the Fourth and Sixth, because these two factions had originally chosen to support Huan Dong after her communication with them. The envoys of the Fourth and Sixth Sovereign Mountains were also pondering. They had already done their best by blocking the Third and Seventh Sovereign envoys. Now, if they were to speak up, it would be too much. It would exceed what they stood to gain. This would create an imbalance.

Just as everyone was pondering, a low voice emanated from the seat of the First Sovereign Mountain. "Fellow Daoist Yun, since when are the affairs of the Immortal Arts Palace decided by the Yun Family?" On the seat of the First Sovereign Mountain sat an old man. His eyes were closed, and though he still didn't open them as he spoke, his voice carried weight, rumbling throughout the place. "In the ancient agreements, the affairs of the Immortal Arts Palace are to be jointly decided by all Sovereign Mountains, and our non-interference is a sign of respect. But that doesn't mean we cannot interfere; it simply means we only do so at necessary times! And now is that moment. Sirs, I propose opening the cauldron, assisting the Great Elder of the Immortal Arts Palace, and rectifying this disorder. This farce should also come to an end!"

As the First Sovereign Mountain's envoy spoke, the Yun Family young master's expression changed, while the Immortal Masters under the Great Elder were elated. They knew the First Sovereign Mountain carried immense weight. Other Sovereign Mountain envoys also seemed to be pondering. Even the Fourth and Sixth Sovereign Mountains, who favored Huan Dong, hesitated inwardly, and the scales began to tip. It seemed everything was about to be decided.

Xu Qing's voice, like a cold wind, swept and echoed throughout the square. "I object." The moment his voice emerged, it immediately drew all eyes. The old man from the First Sovereign Mountain, who originally had his eyes closed, now suddenly opened them and looked towards Xu Qing. Blood Dust's influence was significant. The Tenth Sovereign's influence was even greater. Therefore, the objection from the Tenth Sovereign Mountain made even the old man from the First Sovereign Mountain's heart skip a beat.

Under everyone's gaze, Xu Qing's expression remained calm. After seeing his Senior Brother act, he knew his guess was correct: all of this was deliberately orchestrated by his Senior Brother. So, at present, he naturally couldn't allow anyone to ruin his Senior Brother's plan. "Before I came here, the Sovereign had given an order: my Tenth Sovereign Mountain will not participate in any internal disputes of the Immortal Arts Palace. My Mountain only supports the victor!" Xu Qing spoke calmly, his gaze sweeping around. With a powerful stance, he met the gaze of the old man from the First Sovereign Mountain, not yielding an inch.

The envoys from other Sovereign Mountains fell silent one by one, their gazes sweeping over Xu Qing and the old man as they watched their confrontation. As for the old man from the First Sovereign Mountain, who was being intensely gazed at by Xu Qing, he now stared at Xu Qing and spoke hoarsely: "I'm very curious, Blood Dust, you clearly have a grudge against Huan Dong. Why are you acting this way today?"

"Compared to a personal grudge, I naturally obey the Sovereign's order!" Xu Qing spoke calmly, and then his voice turned chilling. "Furthermore, I very much hope Huan Dong becomes the Grand Immortal Master. That way, I'll have the pleasure of personally slaying her!"

The old man from the First Sovereign Mountain narrowed his eyes. After carefully scrutinizing Xu Qing for a few moments, he suddenly spoke: "If I still insist, what will you do?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Qing's expression remained unchanged. "You may try."

As Xu Qing's four words spread, an oppressive atmosphere immediately settled over the entire square. Two faint, unseen storms emanated from Xu Qing and the old man from the First Sovereign Mountain, colliding invisibly. Clearly, Blood Dust's deeds in West Demon Feather had spread far and wide; especially the death of the West Demon Child, which had deeply shaken many. Therefore, even the old man from the First Sovereign Mountain felt a turmoil in his heart when faced with Xu Qing's dominance.

Inside the cauldron, the Great Elder of the Immortal Arts Palace was also in turmoil. He had previously checked multiple times, even crushing Huan Dong's meridians, draining her blood, and laying down numerous restrictions to ensure everything was foolproof. But he hadn't expected that at the very last moment, he would be moved into the cauldron by the opponent using such a strange method, resulting in a situation where they were both being refined. Although he still had arrangements, having communicated deeply with the First Sovereign Mountain and secured their support, he was convinced that the outside world would soon open the cauldron to rescue him. But he understood that being rescued versus freeing himself would incur different costs in the future. Furthermore, he had complete confidence in freeing himself. This confidence was based on his understanding and control of the Bone Cauldron. For this cauldron, although his authority was not as great as a Grand Immortal Master's, he was confident that Huan Dong's understanding, exploration, or possessed authority could not compare to his. According to the rules of the Immortal Arts Palace, only the Grand Immortal Master and the Great Elder were qualified to use this cauldron. Now that the Grand Immortal Master had fallen, he, as the Great Elder, was naturally full of confidence.

"Huan Dong, you have no understanding of this cauldron. From the moment you entered here, your fate was already sealed! Therefore, all your schemes are meaningless!" The Great Elder spoke indifferently, raising his hand to form a spell, and the cauldron immediately vibrated. Then he flickered and shot upwards, forming hand seals to activate a specific Immortal Art for controlling the cauldron, about to escape from it. The cauldron vibrated even more intensely under the Great Elder's authorized control. A blur appeared above, and it was clear he was about to break free.

But at this moment, Huan Dong, who had only kept her head lowered, revealed a mocking smile at the corner of her mouth. "I don't understand this cauldron? Be sealed." Er Niu roared softly. In an instant, the vortex above the cauldron disappeared, and countless fleshy tendrils appeared out of thin air, spreading in all directions, completely sealing the cauldron's lid and body together. And they seemed to be of the same origin, inseparable. No matter how the Great Elder's authorized immortal art operated, it was of no use, as if his authority had become mere decoration.

The Great Elder was instantly shocked and doubtful. When he was previously drawn in, his heart had only rippled, but now the turmoil was so immense it could be described as crashing waves. "How is this possible? You're not Huan Dong. Huan Dong can't do this. You, who are you?"

Er Niu sneered. "What's impossible about it? The material of this cauldron originally belonged to me. As for who I am, I already told you this cauldron was refined from me, damn it. Who do you think I am?" Er Niu's head floated up, his expression arrogant. Inwardly, he felt a surge of emotion, recalling the time he, his master, and Xu Qing were in the imperial palace beneath Feng Hai Commandery, in the grand hall that stored immortal arts, and saw the statue of the Immortal Arts Emperor. "At that time, the old man told me to worship this Immortal Arts Emperor. I'd rather worship anything else than him. I'd worship anyone but him. It was this damn Emperor who used my third reincarnation's body to refine the cauldron back then! That was my third life! At that time, I was still very naive, unaware of the wickedness of human hearts. Wasn't it just borrowing a few treasures from various tribes? Wasn't it just borrowing the Emperor's Crown from Xuan You to play with? What a big deal was that? Even Xuan You didn't say anything, but this damn Emperor actually tried to kill me! It would have been fine if he had just killed me, but he even refined my corpse into a cauldron. The most outrageous part was wanting to inlay my skull on top of it! That was simply too much."

"Fortunately, I saw this cauldron in Huan Dong's memories. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't have found my poor, innocent third reincarnation's skeleton!" Er Niu gritted his teeth, roaring inwardly.