Chapter 501: Captured, Divine Skill, Means of Escape

Zhao Xing and Wei Tianchen were preparing to ambush Fu Mengzhen, unaware that she had already detected their presence. Equipped with a divine artifact for detecting mechanisms, Fu Mengzhen secretly began setting up her own ambush, planning to deliver a fatal blow as they attempted to leave the island. Direct confrontation was out of the question; why engage in a head-on battle when an ambush was possible? She wasn't a warrior.

"This isn't right; why is she slowing down?" Zhao Xing constantly monitored Fu Mengzhen through Wei Tianchen's All-Directions Divine Mirror. He observed Fu Mengzhen's bone ship decelerating. It stopped above the Five Fortunes Island, just outside its perimeter, activating a stealth mechanism that allowed it to merge with the surrounding clouds and begin circling the island.

"She might have sensed the unusual luck here and is being cautious," Wei Tianchen remarked, glancing at the All-Directions Divine Mirror. Fu Mengzhen's invisibility was achieved through a mechanical barrier, but Wei Tianchen's divine artifact was of the Fate Master lineage. As these were entirely different types of artifacts, Fu Mengzhen's stealth attempt was utterly futile. Likewise, Fu Mengzhen had also pinpointed the exact location of the two men on Five Fortunes Island. Her mechanical divine artifact possessed remarkable detection capabilities that even the All-Directions Divine Mirror couldn't counter. She saw their positions clearly, though she couldn't discern what they were preoccupied with. They appeared to be searching for something, or perhaps setting up spells to aid in their search. Both parties operated under the assumption that they were hidden from their opponents, yet their opponents were transparent to them.

"Something's not right," Zhao Xing muttered. After completing the setup of the Underground Palace Formation, Zhao Xing noticed Fu Mengzhen was still circling without leaving, which immediately struck him as deeply suspicious.

"Old Imperial Physician, I fear we've been discovered."

"How can that be?" Wei Tianchen countered, "The All-Directions Divine Mirror possesses inherent anti-detection properties, blocking the Great Dao of Karma and fate divination—"

"This is a Fate Master's divine artifact, isn't it?" Zhao Xing asked, tapping the mirror. "What if your opponent also possesses a divine artifact, but of a different type than yours? Imagine she possesses a mechanical divine artifact integrated with the Great Dao of Life. No creature on this island could escape her sight, and your divine mirror would be powerless to defend against it."

Wei Tianchen's eyes narrowed sharply.

"Had you used the Primordial Wheel from the start, perhaps we could have remained hidden. But now, it's too late." If Zhao Xing still possessed eyeballs, Wei Tianchen felt certain he would be casting a scornful, sidelong glance at him. Zhao Xing indeed harbored such thoughts. With his plethora of divine artifacts, Wei Tianchen was undeniably a parvenu, yet his combat instincts were decidedly average. Still, he couldn't be faulted entirely; divine artifacts could resolve ninety-nine percent of all difficulties. When Old Wei tackled problems, he would often offer a divine artifact to hire assassins or simply barrage the issue with a stack of divine artifacts. Consequently, he had never truly developed any combat instincts.

"What should we do now?" Wei Tianchen humbly inquired. He believed they should still heed Tianningzi's advice; after all, poverty often bred extensive experience.

"I imagine she doesn't realize we've seen her," Zhao Xing said. "Let's pretend we're still unaware and continue with our original plans."

What had they been doing before? Treasure hunting. So, should they continue their search for treasure, or proceed with something else?

"I'm going out for a bit." Zhao Xing pondered for a moment, then flew out of the cave. He pretended to search, wandering all over the island. In reality, he sought an opportunity to get a glimpse of his opponent. His system panel would allow him to confirm her strength and skills. Zhao Xing was currently an Eight-Tribulation Emperor Lord, and even Wei Tianchen couldn't hide from his panel's detection. Whether a God Realm practitioner could be detected remained unknown for now. If his panel failed to detect her, it would indicate unfathomable strength, making a swift escape the wisest course of action.

After wandering the island for over half a month, Zhao Xing found no opportunity. His opponent appeared extremely cautious, refusing to approach even slightly. "Caution implies her strength isn't limitless; she shouldn't be in the God Realm," Zhao Xing concluded. In truth, Fu Mengzhen paid no heed to Zhao Xing. All her attention was focused solely on Wei Tianchen. Only Wei Tianchen posed a threat; Zhao Xing was merely an ant, unworthy of her focus.

Fu Mengzhen remained oblivious, but in the third month, Zhao Xing made another discovery. While performing the Earth Store Dharma and Underground Palace Formation on the island, he also extensively searched the subterranean spaces. Three thousand meters beneath the ice pond on the southern part of Five Fortunes Island, he unearthed a wooden door a thousand meters in both length and height!

"This wooden door looks quite ordinary, made of common 'Yintan wood,' which is ubiquitous in the Hidden Bone Territory and completely unremarkable."

"But why do I find it so unusual?" Zhao Xing approached, a hint of doubt in his expression. As he drew nearer, he noticed a lock in the center of the wooden door, an equally ordinary bone lock. Yet, at its core, was a line of characters. The moment Zhao Xing saw the characters, he understood everything.

"The entire door and its lock are indeed crafted from common, readily available materials. Their distinctiveness lies solely in these characters. These were characters left by a god!"

Having resided in Fugu City for thirty-three years, Zhao Xing had not only cultivated but also diligently studied various texts and records of the Bone Yin Realm. He immediately recognized the inscriptions on the door and lock as 'Fire Source Script,' which originated from the Fire Source Divine Temple.

"Xuerui, God of Fortune, became a Self-Sovereign God after eight millennia of cultivation. Eight years into the Bone Yin Realm, she defied heavenly principles, leading to her bones dissolving, her Dao vanishing, and an unnatural death. Only her bone palm remained, suppressed beneath Five Fortunes Mountain. He who is favored by fortune shall behold her bone."

The inscription on the door's lock appeared to have been left by the Fire Source Divine Temple. After translating the characters, Zhao Xing couldn't help but feel surprised.

"Achieved God Realm in eight thousand years? That's truly heaven-defying fortune. And yet, she died here just eight years later?" To become a god in eight thousand years, Xuerui must have been a true child of fortune, the kind who could stumble upon a divine artifact simply by taking a stroll. Yet, having arrived in Yuan's White Bone Divine Domain, she perished in her eighth year.

"'Defied heavenly principles, leading to her bones dissolving, her Dao vanishing, and an unnatural death' — it sounds as though Xuerui brought about her own demise by doing something incredibly reckless."

Zhao Xing had heard numerous legendary tales concerning the Dao of Fortune. For instance, he once heard Emperor Lord Hongshan recount how, during the Era of Five Emperors, a sage from the Primordial Mound, favored by the Extreme Land, effortlessly achieved demigod status without significant cultivation or even a single tribulation. True Spirit Tribulations arose from defying the Great Dao of the universe. Strong fortune, however, meant one was favored by the Great Dao, thus bypassing all tribulations. However, this ancient sage from the Primordial Mound had an excessively smooth life. Nothing posed a challenge to him, and wherever he went, he primarily encountered good people and good deeds. One day, growing weary of his dull and monotonous existence, this sage voluntarily entered the Dark Sky Desolate Domain, intending to study the legendary Mount Minggu. For the first few centuries after entering the Dark Sky Desolate Domain, his journey remained remarkably smooth. He even stumbled upon two divine artifacts and successfully sent them back to the Primordial Mound. The method of transport was equally absurd: he simply used a paper crane technique to send them back. Not only did no one attempt to seize them along the way, but they also remained untouched by the desolate domain's spatial turbulence. His luck was simply astonishing. However, a millennium later, he vanished without a trace. Ultimately, a God Realm practitioner from the Primordial Mound confirmed that the sage had died a complete and irreversible death.

"'No matter how great one's fortune, it cannot withstand a death one actively seeks,' Emperor Lord Hongshan had stated. 'Legend has it he entered the Dark Sky Desolate Domain completely unprepared, taking nothing with him. He ventured deeper and deeper, and it's ultimately presumed he died in some forbidden zone within the Dark Sky Desolate Domain.'"

Xuerui was very likely another such example, Zhao Xing mused. Constantly testing the limits of fortune's protection, engaging in extreme challenges, he eventually learned the boundaries, and died in the process.

"'Favored by heaven, yet defied its principles, leading to bones dissolving, Dao vanishing, and an unnatural death.' A good life, deliberately squandered—is that the gist of it?" Zhao Xing pondered, looking back at the large door's lock.

"He who is favored by fortune shall behold her bone."

Zhao Xing stepped forward and pushed. The massive door remained motionless, as the characters left by the God Realm served as both a seal and a password lock formed by a divine decree. Under the divine mirror's influence, the ordinary wooden door became akin to a divine artifact itself, impossible to force open. Zhao Xing pondered, then pressed it a few times with the purple index finger bone he had attached to his hand.

*Click, click, click*

After a few casual presses, it actually opened!

"So that's what it meant?"

He who is favored by fortune shall behold her bone. Without sufficient fortune, one couldn't find the location, nor could one open the door? Stripped of its protective power, the massive door, being merely ordinary material, instantly crumbled into dust, unable to withstand the natural fluctuations of the earth veins three thousand meters below. Then Zhao Xing saw a ring finger bone, also purple. Reaching out, Zhao Xing grasped it, then removed his own ring finger bone and installed the new one. Fortune flowed through his entire body, and Zhao Xing checked his system panel. His fortune level had increased from Derivation Twenty-One to Derivation Twenty-Three. It had climbed by two ranks. While it was only a two-rank increase, this boost occurred after the twentieth rank, signifying a greater impact.

"Is it that simple?" Zhao Xing could hardly believe his eyes. He even entertained the thought, "What's the point of arduous cultivation?" He considered simply visiting such secret realms daily to seek out opportunities.

"No, I can't think like that." A sharp glint appeared in Zhao Xing's eyes. "Fortune is a gift from heaven, but I am a Sinuo, destined to contend with heaven and earth; in that, I find infinite joy. Relying on fortune is a misguided notion!"

Zhao Xing used the Great Dream Marsh to rectify his thoughts, thereby truly gaining control over the two finger bones. Otherwise, he would have become a slave to the Fortune Divine Bone. He stood in place for a while, ensuring his mind was at peace, before ascending.

The island remained calm and peaceful, with gentle breezes and wispy clouds. Wei Tianchen and Fu Mengzhen were still engaged in a test of patience, each waiting for the other to lose composure and stumble into their trap.

"Why were you down there for so long? Any gains?" Wei Tianchen transmitted via sound.

"Yes, I found another divine bone," Zhao Xing replied.

"Oh?" Wei Tianchen asked, surprised. "How did you find it?"

"I stumbled upon it while setting up the Earth Store Dharma underground," Zhao Xing explained, summarizing the process in just a few sentences. "It was that simple."

"Good riddance; the Dao of Fortune is truly a cancerous growth!" Wei Tianchen declared with disgust. "Zhao Xing, be careful not to be influenced by it. Otherwise, you won't be using the Fortune Divine Bone; it will be enslaving you."

"I know," Zhao Xing nodded. "Is that Musician demigod still observing us?"

"She's been watching constantly; all five islands are virtually encircled by her," Wei Tianchen confirmed. "However, I'm confident I can breach her formation."

Zhao Xing asked, "Oh? How would you do that?"

Wei Tianchen replied, "Before absolute wealth, all demigods are but fleeting clouds. I've assessed the situation; at least five divine artifacts can handle her."

Old Master Zhao's spiritual body suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable. That insufferable rich man was far too arrogant!

After their brief exchange, Zhao Xing resumed his search. According to the clues, Xuerui's sole remaining bone palm must have been deliberately suppressed within Five Fortunes Mountain, located near the Nine Yin River. This suggested that the remaining components must be located on the other four islands. Zhao Xing moved to another island and continued his aimless search.

In the third month after landing on the island, he discovered the middle finger of the Fortune Divine Bone. In the fourth month, he found the thumb. Halfway through the fourth month, he found the pinky finger. Three days later, he located the palm bone. It should have originally been connected to the index finger, though he wasn't sure if the Nine Yin River's turbulence was the reason for its detachment. The index finger on the palm bone had detached and drifted away, only to be found by Wei Tianchen, a demigod whose fortune was nearing the thirtieth tier. Wei Tianchen had no interest in such items; in fact, he found them distasteful. Now, however, they all proved advantageous to Zhao Xing.

*Click, click, click*

The moment all five fingers and the palm bone were assembled, Zhao Xing's fortune, previously at Derivation Sixteen, surged to an astonishing Derivation Thirty!

"Derivation Thirty fortune? Good heavens, I've truly struck gold in this life!" Old Master Zhao had only witnessed such levels of fortune in his past life but had never possessed them himself.

Assembling the Fortune Divine Bone brought more than just an increase in fortune. The divine bone also bestowed a divine fortune skill: the Reverse Fortune Palm. This was a divine skill that Xuerui had casually conceived and developed. By simply performing an air-clap towards a target, one could temporarily scatter their fortune. The exact effects would depend on the opponent's fortune level and their resilience. According to the information embedded within the divine bone, for individuals with fortune at Derivation Thirty or lower, roughly sixty to eighty percent of their fortune could be temporarily dispelled. This implied that even someone like Gu Luohe, with Derivation Thirty fortune, could have their fortune temporarily reduced to merely Derivation Six by Zhao Xing's remote strike, in the most extreme scenario. A mismatch between fortune and strength inevitably invited disaster. This divine skill effectively destabilized an enemy's standing.

How severe were the consequences? Back in the Medicine King Realm, Liang Rui, the Seventh Prince of Tianyou Kingdom, had his fortune reduced to a mere Derivation Two by two Fate Masters. He immediately suffered from disrupted meridians and qi deviation. Had Zhao Xing and Ji Si not intervened, he would have nearly died in the Medicine King Realm.

"Truly a divine skill," Zhao Xing mused, excitedly examining his palm. Crucially, this Fortune Divine Bone could be unleashed without cost, meaning its power stemmed directly from Xuerui's own Fortune Divine Bone. It required no fortune energy to activate, meaning Zhao Xing could deploy it continuously.

"An unlimited divine skill!" Zhao Xing's excitement grew. While it might have little effect on gods, for those below the God Realm, as long as the opponent wasn't too fast to be seen or launching a sudden sneak attack, this area-of-effect skill was virtually guaranteed to hit every time.

"Now I feel like the entire world is mine!" Zhao Xing's confidence swelled rapidly, and he subconsciously waved his hand toward the sky. An astonishing fluctuation of fortune surged skyward. The divine bone's vibrations coincidentally startled Fu Mengzhen, who was operating directly above, causing her to reveal herself. Her form became visible, appearing within Zhao Xing's line of sight.

Name: Fu MengzhenProfession: Dance Master, Music MasterRealm: Thirteen Tribulations True SpiritBone Body: Heavy Tax Dao Bone (452/10000)White Bone Power: Tier Thirteen (985/1000)Secret Arts: Four-String Bone Splitting, Rolling Pine Forest, Soul-Sourcing Thunder Sound, Enemy Curse, Flame-Treading Sky Burning Dance, Shadow-Shifting Thousand Illusions, Startled Swan Flowing Cloud Dance, Entangling Calamity.Fortune: Derivation Twenty-One.

Fu Mengzhen was a Thirteen Tribulations Demigod, revered as a dual master of both dance and music. The fact that flesh had grown on her lower limbs suggested a connection to the bone body secret art she practiced. The Heavy Tax Dao Bone was something Zhao Xing had never encountered. Her ability to reach Tier Thirteen White Bone Power was due to this bone body being a special, higher-tier type. For example, Bamboo Sword Venerable, despite being a Thirteen Tribulations True Spirit, had not obtained a special bone body, thus his White Bone Power remained at Tier Twelve.

Such a powerful surge in fortune had even triggered a celestial phenomenon. Although the celestial phenomenon coincidentally forced Fu Mengzhen out of her invisible state, she didn't dwell on it. Such commotions were perfectly normal when a treasure appeared. She was going to make her move anyway.

"I had intended to wait longer, but now that they've found the treasure, there's no need to delay." Fu Mengzhen immediately piloted her bone beast ship into the airspace above Five Fortunes Island.

"What dual master of dance and music? Her fortune is only on par with my previous level. Smack her!" Zhao Xing wielded the divine bone palm, sweeping it towards the now visible Fu Mengzhen. Fu Mengzhen naturally noticed the 'ant's' action. But nothing happened. Instead, the celestial phenomenon vanished.

"Ah ha ha ha!"

"A mere Eight-Tribulation Emperor Lord, even with a divine bone attached, is utterly incapable of wielding its full power. Hand it over to me, and I shall permit you to board my pleasure boat and experience a world of ultimate bliss—"

Fu Mengzhen immediately unleashed her Sound Soul Illusion Realm upon Zhao Xing. Her spell was incredibly subtle, deployed as she spoke; anyone who heard her voice would instantly fall under its influence. The Dual Masters of Dance and Music possessed truly extraordinary power, and the suddenness of the event caught Wei Tianchen, who was still on another island, off guard. Upon realizing what was happening, he immediately hurled the Azure Water Golden Divine Gourd.

However, to the surprise of both Wei Tianchen and Fu Mengzhen... Nothing happened. Zhao Xing remained standing exactly where he was, completely unaffected by the Sound Soul Illusion Realm. This was because as Fu Mengzhen's spell descended upon Zhao Xing, the formation's operation inexplicably seemed to malfunction, rendering it ineffective. All that remained was a cacophony of noise, like ghosts wailing and wolves howling.

"What's happening?" Fu Mengzhen paused, bewildered.

*Clap, clap, clap*

Zhao Xing applauded. "A fine Sound Soul Illusion Realm, quite impressive. However, it doesn't seem powerful enough to make me board your phantom vessel."

Fu Mengzhen instantly sensed something was amiss. Seeing Wei Tianchen's Azure Water Purple Gold Gourd floating in from the East Island, she immediately cast a string net, then swiftly turned her ship and fled. At that moment, Fu Mengzhen's fortune had been severely weakened. Her Derivation Twenty-One fortune had plummeted to a mere Derivation Five!

The Thousand Sound String Net she launched from her ship was crafted from 375 top-grade magical artifacts, effectively making it 375 supreme-grade Samsara Dao Soldiers. Its enemy-deterring effect was excellent; upon deployment, the string net would create a Dance Music Dharma Realm between heaven and earth. Within it, various Dance Master and Music Master Dao Puppets would manifest. Few indeed cultivated the Great Dao of Dance and Music to demigod status, let alone achieved dual Venerate positions. Due to its rarity, many cultivators who suddenly encountered this move had no idea how to defend against it. Fu Mengzhen had consistently used this technique for attack, defense, and covering retreats with unfailing success. Today, however, she found her string net's effectiveness greatly reduced. After launching, it veered off course, as if the front ranks of an army on a forced march had been disrupted by the rear, causing chaos and overlap among the magical artifacts. Not only did it fail to work, but it also hindered the bone ship's acceleration, as half of the net reversed and crashed back into the vessel.

*Zheng!*

The series of unexpected events immediately made Fu Mengzhen realize something was terribly wrong. A bone zither materialized in her arms, its body adorned with eight beast heads, each seemingly encompassing stars and land. Though the zither's bone tail was scorched black, its entire form radiated a divine aura, with even thunderous divine patterns emerging upon its surface. It was a divine artifact: the Eight Desolations Scorched Tail Zither!

A single pluck of its strings seemed to distort space itself, causing most of the water flow from Wei Tianchen's Azure Water Golden Divine Gourd to narrowly miss. Only a small portion landed on the ship. Yet, in Fu Mengzhen's eyes, this was unfathomable; she couldn't even completely evade such a simple attack? Something was wrong, terribly wrong!

*Ming Hu!*

The Eight Desolations Scorched Tail Zither immediately began to play. Solemn palace music resonated, and armored warriors riding colossal bone beasts materialized in formation. An emperor stood proudly between heaven and earth, inspiring an uncontrollable sense of awe. As Fu Mengzhen played, she appeared to be shielded within a vast army ruled by a divine emperor, heavily protected. Anyone witnessing such a display would find it difficult to muster the courage to fight.

Upon seeing this, Wei Tianchen was first startled: "The Glass Emperor's Muster Call? How do you know this piece?" Then came his fury: "A mere fiend dares to surpass court music! Die!" Five more divine artifacts materialized around Wei Tianchen, startling Fu Mengzhen so much her jaw nearly dropped. Wei Tianchen's immense wealth was enough to shatter anyone's Dao heart. Compared to him, Fu Mengzhen felt utterly impoverished. Even under these circumstances, her music became somewhat disordered. The frontline warriors were constantly vanishing, and even the divine emperor's phantom image grew unstable.

"After the Eight Desolations Scorched Tail Zither appeared, her fortune rapidly recovered, reaching Derivation Twelve after only three breaths," Zhao Xing observed from below. Fu Mengzhen's fortune rapidly rebounded after dropping to Derivation Six, primarily because she was not a true Self-Sovereign God of Fortune. Only Xuerui's palm bone, belonging to the Self-Sovereign God of Fortune. It could influence for a brief period, creating a window for attack, but its effect couldn't be sustained indefinitely.

"It appears it's not omnipotent. Experts of this caliber won't allow me a second strike. The first hit feels wrong, they'll immediately flee, and I can't pursue them." Zhao Xing calmly assessed the situation. He could only play a supporting role. To truly defeat Fu Mengzhen, it would still depend on Wei Tianchen. He wondered if the music Fu Mengzhen played bore any resemblance to a piece Wei Tianchen was familiar with. In any case, Wei Tianchen, who had been emotionally stable, immediately erupted in fury upon hearing her play and instantly unleashed five divine artifacts. The five divine artifacts appeared simultaneously, instantly shattering Fu Mengzhen's layered Dharma realms.

The instant her Dharma realm was shattered, Fu Mengzhen's hand bones suddenly turned pitch black. As if poisoned. She was indeed poisoned. From Zhao Xing's perspective, immediately after breaching her Dharma realm, Wei Tianchen cast a physician's spell: Bone Spirit Heavenly Poison.

While the past thirty-three years had restricted Wei Tianchen's personal freedom, other aspects had been exceptional. He had been provided with resources for safety and had engaged in discussions of the Dao with him at every opportunity. This led him to a new understanding of physicians, and the Bone Spirit Heavenly Poison was Wei Tianchen's unique creation. It was a physician's secret art that could be directly detonated without any medium. According to Wei Tianchen, even the most advanced cultivation methods couldn't completely purify everything that cultivators absorbed from the spiritual energy and substances of their environment. The human body itself is inherently filled with various toxins and parasitic pathogens. The absence of immediate problems is due to some being beneficial, harmless, or in a dormant state. Over countless eons, the human cultivation system has interacted with its environment to achieve a state of balance and stability. However, this does not mean they are absent. Even upon entering the White Bone Divine Domain and adopting a bone body state, this theory still held true. The core of this spell and theory could be summarized in one sentence: You are inherently toxic. Wei Tianchen's Bone Spirit Heavenly Poison was precisely the spell designed to detonate these dormant toxins.

*Dang ji!*

Struck by the Bone Spirit Heavenly Poison, her hands immediately spasmed uncontrollably. A static noise erupted, and then the majestic earthen formation of generals vanished mid-charge.

"Spirit Pivot Nine Needles: Divine Marrow Refinement!""Acupoint Bone Puppet Technique!"

Wei Tianchen, seizing the moment, deployed a set of demon-nailing divine needles, one of his five divine artifacts, which instantly pierced into Fu Mengzhen's skeletal body.

*Cha cha cha cha cha!*

A dull piercing sound resonated as Fu Mengzhen was impaled against the wall of her own bone ship. The flesh on her lower body still writhed, forming tentacles that attempted to extract