The Bone Master's Appearance and the Secret of Blood Sacrifice
The hoarse voice echoed through the stone chamber, each word piercing the heart like an icicle. The Guixu water at Lin Shen's fingertips suddenly boiled, its vapor condensing into a white mist in the air, interweaving with the red light of the Red Sun Gu to form a translucent barrier. The skull knocker on the three-story tower door suddenly opened its eyes—the black liquid seeping from its eye sockets transformed into two crimson eyeballs, staring intently at his chest, as if confirming some mark.
"Guixu's bloodline... Chiyang's host..." The voice behind the door sounded again, this time with a bit of strange excitement, "After three thousand years, we finally waited for someone who can 'unseal'." Before the words fell, the three-story tower door exploded with a "boom", and amid the flying debris, a thick black evil surged out like a tide. In the center of the black evil, a tall figure slowly emerged.
The figure was covered in dark golden bone armor, black slime seeping from the cracks in the armor. With every step, the bluestone slabs on the ground shattered. Its head was a massive animal bone, its eye sockets burning with a faint blue flame. In its hands, it held a long staff made of countless tiny joints, its tip inlaid with a fist-sized black crystal. Within the crystal, countless struggling figures could be vaguely seen: the souls of the missing villagers from Qingwu Town and Miao Village.
"It's the Bone Master!" The Great Elder's voice was filled with despair. The clansmen behind him raised their peach wood swords, but when the Bone Master's gaze swept over them, the swords in their hands instantly turned to dust. "The ancient books of our ancestors were right. It really can control souls!"
The Bone Master slowly raised his staff and pointed it at Lin Shen. The black crystal suddenly emitted a dazzling light. "You thought that resealing the seal required the 'Red Sun Heart' and 'Guixu Blood'? Wrong." Its voice suddenly became sharp, like countless people screaming at the same time. "That's a lie made up by our ancestors! The real 'sacrifice' is someone with Guixu bloodline and the Red Sun Gu! As long as I devour you, I can completely break through the three layers of the seal and let the Black Evil spread throughout the world!"
Lin Shen's heart trembled, and he suddenly remembered the last words on Chen Ba's note, covered in ink—"Our ancestors deceived everyone. The truth behind the blood sacrifice is..." It turned out that the so-called resealing of the seal was a trap to lure him in. The Red Sun Gu trembled violently above his head, its red glow flickering, as if battling some force. The warmth of the Guixu water in his palm grew stronger, but it couldn't dispel the biting chill brought by the Bone Master.
"Lin Shen! Be careful!" Ah Zhu suddenly shouted, shaking the copper bell frantically. The crisp sound echoed through the stone chamber, causing the Bone Master to pause. She took the opportunity to pull out a handful of copper needles from her bosom, coated with the juice of the evil-repelling grass, and hurled them towards the Bone Master's eyes. However, as the needles approached the black evil spirit, they were instantly devoured and reduced to ash.
The Bone Master sneered and swung his staff again, sending a black blade of light slashing towards Ah Zhu. Li Ye, quick-witted and quick-handed, pushed Ah Zhu away, only to be grazed by the blade on his shoulder. In an instant, half of his sleeve turned to ash, and the flesh on his shoulder withered at a visible rate, revealing the bare bones. "Ahem... This thing... is far more powerful than the previous Gu Master..." Li Ye coughed up a mouthful of black blood, but he still held the dagger tightly, blocking Ah Zhu.
Meng Yao suddenly grabbed Lin Munan's hand and pointed at the Gu-repelling pattern on her sleeve. "Look, it's glowing!" Everyone followed her gaze and saw the silver thread on her sleeve emitting a faint blue light, which echoed with the glow of the black crystal on the Bone Master's staff. "Grandma said the Gu-repelling pattern was made from 'Bone Master's Nemesis'. Maybe it can deal with it!"
Lin Munan immediately pulled out the copied Gu-repelling paper and discovered that the lines on it were also glowing. He hurriedly distributed the paper to everyone, "Quick, put this paper on your body! It might ward off the Black Evil!" Everyone followed his instructions and placed the paper on their chests. Sure enough, when the Black Evil approached, the lines on the paper glowed blue, forming a translucent barrier that temporarily blocked the Black Evil's invasion.
The Bone Master saw the Gu-repelling pattern, and the dark blue flame in his eyes instantly flared. "These are patterns forged from the 'Bone-Suppressing Grass'! My ancestors used this grass to suppress me. I never thought anyone would know this!" He angrily swung his bone staff, and more Black Evils surged from the black crystal, charging towards the crowd. The blue light on the barrier flickered violently, as if it would shatter at any moment.
Lin Shen suddenly remembered another item Chen Ba had left in the black wooden box—a palm-sized bronze compass. He hurriedly pulled it out, and the needle in its center pointed to the black crystal in Bone Master's hand. "This compass can sense the aura of souls!" He suddenly realized that Chen Ba had long known that Bone Master could control souls, which was why he had left the compass behind. "The soul within the black crystal is the source of its power! Destroying the crystal will weaken its power!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the Red Sun Gu suddenly emitted a blinding red light and flew towards the black crystal. The Bone Master quickly swung his staff, and the black evil gathered into a barrier, blocking the red light. However, the Red Sun Gu nimbly circumvented the barrier and flew towards the cracks in the crystal—where the souls were most densely concentrated.
"Seeking death!" the Bone Master roared, and more Black Evil surged from the cracks in his armor, instantly enveloping the Red Sun Gu. The Red Sun Gu let out a sharp hiss, and its red glow shrank sharply, as if it would extinguish at any moment. Lin Shen, anxious, suddenly bit his tongue and sprayed blood, stained with Guixu water, onto the compass. The compass instantly glowed golden, and the needle spun, pointing to the weak point of the black crystal.
"Li Ye! Ah Zhu! Help me contain the Bone Master!" Lin Shen shouted, rushing towards the Bone Master, compass in hand. Li Ye immediately raised his dagger and stabbed it at the Bone Master's leg, but the dagger broke instantly when it hit the bone armor. Ah Zhu took the opportunity to shake the copper bell, and the ringing once again made the Bone Master pause. The first and second elders, along with the tribesmen, used peach wood swords to draw a simple talisman around the Bone Master. The talisman emitted a faint red light, temporarily trapping the Bone Master.
Lin Shen seized the opportunity to rush in front of the Bone Master, aiming the compass's golden light precisely at the weak spot in the black crystal—a tiny crack there, left by the Red Sun Gu's previous attack. He took a deep breath and poured all the power of the Guixu Water into the compass. The golden light surged, forming a sharp blade of light that slashed towards the crack.
"No!" The Bone Master screamed miserably, attempting to swing his staff to block the attack, but was trapped by the spell, unable to move. The blade of light instantly struck the black crystal. With a crack, a massive crack appeared in the crystal, and the souls within poured out like a tide, flying towards the exit of the stone chamber. Losing control of the Bone Master, those souls finally regained their freedom.
The moment the black crystal shattered, the Bone Master let out a deafening roar, its bone armor shattering, and the black evil spirit dissipated. It stumbled back a few steps, the dark blue flames in its eyes flickering. "I won't give up like this!" It suddenly raised its bone staff and stabbed it towards its chest. The staff instantly merged with its body, and its size suddenly increased. The black evil spirit flowing from the cracks in its bone armor became even thicker.
"It's burning its own soul to increase its strength!" The Second Elder's voice was filled with fear. "If this continues, we won't be able to stop it!"
As Lin Shen watched the Bone Master's growing power, he suddenly remembered the last sentence on Chen Ba's note: "The truth behind the blood sacrifice is the fusion of Guixu and Chiyang." He clenched his fists, a bold idea forming in his mind: perhaps, instead of sacrificing himself, the only way to truly restrain the Bone Master was to completely fuse the Guixu water with the Chiyang Gu.
He took a deep breath, opened the black wooden box, and the Red Sun Gu immediately flew into his palm. He closed his eyes and injected all the power of the Guixu Water into the Red Sun Gu. The Red Sun Gu emitted a dazzling red light, which intertwined with the golden light of the Guixu Water, forming a huge cocoon of light that enveloped Lin Shen.
When the Bone Master saw the light cocoon, the dark blue flames in his eyes instantly went out, replaced by deep fear: "The fusion of Guixu and Chiyang... this is impossible! Our ancestors said that these two forces cannot coexist!" He swung his bone staff frantically and chopped at the light cocoon, but when he got close to the light cocoon, he was rebounded by the power of the light cocoon and the bone staff instantly turned into powder.
Lin Shen, trapped in the light cocoon, felt his body swell with unprecedented strength. The warmth of the Guixu water and the searing heat of the Red Sun Gu intertwined, not only failing to repel each other but actually forming an even more powerful force. He slowly opened his eyes, and the light cocoon instantly shattered. He was surrounded by a halo of interwoven gold and red light. In his hand, he grasped a longsword formed from the condensation of these two forces. Countless Miao symbols flickered on the blade, revealing the "Guixu Red Sun Sword" recorded in ancient texts.
"Bone Master, your time is over." Lin Shen's voice was filled with unprecedented resolve. He raised his longsword and charged at the Bone Master. The Bone Master tried to retreat, but found himself trapped by the aura, unable to move. The longsword instantly pierced the Bone Master's chest. Golden and red light streamed down the blade into the Bone Master's body. The Bone Master let out a shrill roar, and his body gradually crumbled to ash, leaving only a fragment of black crystal—the final source of his power.
Lin Shen picked up the crystal fragment and found that a faint trace of black evil still remained in it. He placed the fragment on the compass, and the golden light of the compass instantly purified the black evil. The fragment turned into a white light and disappeared into the air.
The black evil within the stone chamber gradually dissipated, and the cracks on the bluestone slabs slowly healed under the halo of light. Everyone looked at the halo surrounding Lin Shen, their eyes filled with shock and awe. Ah Zhu walked over to him and wrote on the linen cloth, "We succeeded. The Bone Master has been eliminated, and the black evil has vanished."
Lin Shen stared at the Guixu Chiyang Sword in his hand. The light on the sword gradually faded, transforming into a red glow that re-entered his body. The Chiyang Gu returned to the black wooden box, and the warmth of the Guixu waters returned to its calm state. He suddenly thought of Chen Ba and silently said to himself, "Chen Ba, did you see this? We not only defended Qingwu Town and the Miao Village, but also uncovered the truth behind the blood sacrifice."
At this moment, the ground in the stone chamber suddenly shook violently. From the ruins of the three-story sealed tower, a golden light slowly rose. Within the light, a familiar figure gradually emerged—a woman in green Miao clothing, clutching a copper bell. It was Chen Ba!
"Chen Ba? You're still alive?" Lin Shen walked forward in surprise, his eyes full of disbelief.
Chen Ba wore a faint smile, but her voice was a little weak. "I knew long ago that the Bone Master would use you to break the seal, so before leaving, I injected a wisp of my soul into the Red Sun Gu." She paused, then continued, "When you fused the Guixu Water and the Red Sun Gu just now, my soul was also awakened. However, I am only a wisp of soul, and it will soon dissipate."
Everyone looked at Chen Ba, their eyes filled with reluctance. Ah Zhu walked forward, held her hand, tears streaming down her cheeks: "Sister, why didn't you tell me earlier? We thought you..."
"I was afraid you'd worry." Chen Ba gently wiped away Ah Zhu's tears. "Now that the Bone Master has been eliminated and the Black Demon has vanished, Qingwu Town and the Miao Village are safe. I can rest assured." She looked at Lin Shen with gratitude in her eyes. "Lin Shen, thank you for protecting my home."
Chen Ba's figure gradually became transparent. She took one last look at everyone and said softly, "Live well and don't let my sacrifice be in vain." Before she finished speaking, her figure turned into a golden light and merged into the Red Sun Gu. The Red Sun Gu in the black wooden box suddenly emitted a warm red light, as if responding to her instructions.
Lin Shen clutched the black wooden box tightly, his heart filled with emotion. He looked at everyone with a firm gaze, "Chen Ba is right. We must live well and protect the peace she sacrificed her life for."
Everyone nodded and headed towards the stone chamber's exit. The night was still deep, but the Miao village was no longer shrouded in fog and fear. The sky gradually turned pale, and the first rays of sunlight pierced through the clouds, illuminating the Miao village's stilt houses. A new day had begun.
The crisis in Qingwu Town and the Miao Village was finally resolved, but Lin Shen knew this was just one chapter in his "Record of Overcoming Evil." More challenges awaited them in the future. He clenched the black wooden box in his hands, silently reciting: No matter what difficulties we encounter, we will face them together, because we are partners in the "Seven-Man Night Exploration of Ghost Town."
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