The Solitary Path to Divinity

"I see. Very well," Ethan said after a long silence. "Those who wish to continue fighting, step up. Those who don't, stay with me, and we'll figure something out together." He moved to stand beside Leo, then swept the crowd with a stern gaze. "If you choose to stay, don't complain later about your fate. Otherwise, my Blazing Sun Sword won't be so forgiving."

"I'm staying," growled a burly, bearded man. "One in ten? That's insane. I wouldn't even know if I'd last to the end."

"Same here," another cultivator chimed in. "That Palace brother was right. Even if we die here of old age, it's better than getting butchered on that Array or teleported into some demon's lair. And if we find the bastard behind all this — that's a win."

The first to speak were the ordinary disciples from various sects — those with the least strength. But soon, the expressions of the core disciples changed. If all the ordinary disciples withdrew from the duels, only core disciples would remain. Without the ordinary disciples to take the fall... none of them could be certain of victory. The odds were simply too low.

After weighing their options, the core disciples abandoned the idea of stepping onto the Teleportation Array and fighting to the death one by one. The odds were simply too low. And Leo was right — someone was controlling the Array. Even if they were teleported, who knew where they would end up? It might be even worse than this place.

"Alright, Brother Leo," Kane said, crossing his arms. "This Teleportation Array is beyond me — I can't make any sense of it. We've all made our decision. Go ahead and give it a try. Whatever happens, no one will hold it against you later." We don't have any better ideas. If we really can't find a way around this Array, we can always go back to the old way — one out of ten."

Leo nodded. The Barrier-Breaching Insect had been stirring restlessly in his spirit beast pouch for some time. Now that all two hundred and seventy-some cultivators had voiced their stance, he didn't hesitate. He stepped forward and gave the pouch a gentle tap.

The insect shot out like a black lightning bolt, heading straight for the Teleportation Array.

Leo's eyes narrowed. The insect landed exactly on the dark mass that even magic artifacts couldn't breach — the green-black light. The plump, round insect was black all over. From a distance, it looked like it had been swallowed by the darkness. But with his Mystical Sight Technique, Leo could see the tiny creature biting down on the black light, chewing vigorously, swallowing.

"Damn it! A Barrier-Breaching Insect — extinct in the cultivation world for ages! How does a mere Qi Refining cultivator have such a rare creature? What rotten luck!"

Beneath the dark mass, the green-armored skeleton cursed in frustration. Within moments, the insect had devoured a third of the dark mass. The skeleton wouldn't be able to hide much longer. Once it started using its spiritual power, its position would be exposed beyond doubt.

"So there really is a demon lurking behind this!" Ethan and the others could feel a sinister, bloodthirsty aura seeping through the gap in the dark mass, even from several dozen meters away. Many tightened their grips on their weapons, ready for battle.

Just as the Barrier-Breaching Insect had eaten most of the dark mass, the thing exploded.

"Back!" Leo's heart leaped. He quickly recalled the insect. It wasn't useful in direct combat, but in situations like this, it was worth more than any core disciple. He treasured that unassuming little creature more and more.

Boom!

The crowd gasped in horror. From the burst of dark light emerged a green-armored skeleton wielding a long bone spear, riding a Bloodshadow Lizard nearly twice the size of any they had faced before. As the dark light faded, a blood pool about three meters square was revealed in the spot where the mass had been. A banner bearing a skull pattern stood planted in the pool, fluttering without any wind. Countless vein-like lines seemed to be drinking the blood from the pool.

"Heh heh. Not bad, you little brats. You actually saw through my plan." The skeleton threw back its head and laughed, its voice grating and horrible. Two flickering purple flames burned in its hollow eye sockets. It pointed its long spear at Leo. "Especially you, boy. Don't worry — I won't make your death too ugly. After I've used up your blood and essence, I'll tan your skin into a fine banner."

"Junior Brother Leo, you were right all along," Ethan said, his eyes gleaming. "It seems those spirit stones hidden under the dark mass are what really power the Teleportation Array. The skeleton was using a trick to fool us. I actually believed we needed blood and souls to activate it. But more likely than not, the real purpose was to use all those cultivators' blood and essence to refine that banner in the blood pool."

Ethan and Kane's eyes gleamed. Like Leo, they were locked onto the spirit stones embedded in the Array's grooves. Neither of them knew much about formations, but they had heard enough to know that most formations were powered by spirit stones or other spiritual materials. Formations driven by a cultivator's blood and soul were rare — found only in the strange formations of certain dark cultivators and ghost cultivators recorded in ancient texts. A Teleportation Array powered by blood and souls? They had rarely heard of such a thing. Now, seeing those spirit stones, they knew at once — this was the Array's true power source.

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"It looks like we've found the real way out," Leo said. "But first, we have to deal with this skeleton."

"It's made us kill so many of our own! Kill this demon!"

"Kill it!"

"Kill me?" The skeleton sneered. "That depends on whether you have the ability. If collecting blood and essence one by one weren't so tedious, do you think I would have given you the chance to gather together?"

The skeleton dug its legs into the Bloodshadow Lizard's flanks. The beast charged like the most intelligent warhorse, straight at a group of a dozen cultivators. They scrambled backward. Just the size of this lizard alone told them it was far more dangerous than the ones they had fought before. And the skeleton that had tamed such a beast — surely it was no ordinary foe.

Ethan roared, pointing two fingers like a sword at the skeleton. The Blazing Sun Sword transformed into a streak of fire, flying straight for the skeleton's skull.

"Not a bad sword," the skeleton said with a grunt. It flicked its bone spear and deflected the Blazing Sun Sword by several feet. Its mount moved with incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, it was upon the group of cultivators. The spear flashed. Several cultivators raised their weapons to block, but the force was overwhelming — their weapons were knocked aside. The spear's shadow danced, and five or six cultivators suddenly had bloody holes in their throats. The lizard swung its head and sent another cultivator flying.

Everyone was horrified. The green-armored skeleton was this powerful? Ethan was already acknowledged as the top expert among all the Qi Refining cultivators here — his Blazing Sun Sword was so formidable that no one dared face it head-on. Yet the skeleton had brushed it aside with a single spear stroke. And right before everyone's eyes, seven cultivators had been slaughtered in the span of a few breaths. If several magic artifacts hadn't attacked simultaneously, the dozen or so cultivators closest to the skeleton would surely have lost their lives.

"We have to work together to kill this skeleton!" Leo shouted, his voice hoarse. "If it escapes, no squad will be able to stand against it. Core disciples to the front, ordinary disciples behind. Rotate positions. First, separate the skeleton from the lizard!"

Even against Ethan and his Blazing Sun Sword, or against Draven, Leo had always believed that with careful planning, he could at least defend himself. But the green-armored skeleton's combat strength was beyond anything he had anticipated. If it got away and they encountered it again later, it would mean certain death. Against absolute power, all schemes were useless.

The cultivators shuddered at the thought. Facing this skeleton alone — even Ethan, that reckless peak Qi Refining prodigy, turned pale.

They had to take advantage of their numbers and kill the skeleton now. Otherwise, the consequences would be disastrous. Almost simultaneously, the same thought flashed through everyone's mind.

Aside from Draven and a few others who had already been teleported away, and the core disciples who had died on the Array, there were still twenty-five core disciples present. The remaining cultivators were mostly at the peak of Qi Refining. Over two hundred and seventy cultivators fighting together — that was a terrifying force.

More than twenty magic artifacts attacked the skeleton from multiple directions.

"Damn it!" The purple flames in the skeleton's eyes flickered erratically. It hadn't expected these human brats to react so quickly. Several magic artifacts struck its green armor. Though the armor held, the impact still rattled the skeleton.

The green-armored skeleton was deeply frustrated. If it weren't for the fact that his Nine Cycles Soul Refining Art had reached its final stage, his strength degraded to the late Ghost Soldier level, how could he be surrounded by such insignificant opponents? These cultivators were weak enough on their own, but the weapons of the twenty or so leading them posed a real threat. I need to kill a few of them first, he thought. At the very least, I can't let them surround me. Otherwise, I'll fall to a bunch of nobodies.

The enormous Bloodshadow Lizard screeched in pain. While the skeleton was being attacked by more than twenty magic artifacts, the lizard was being pummeled by dozens of high-grade and top-grade spirit artifacts. Though the lizard's dark blue scales hadn't yet been breached, its monstrous physique was starting to show signs of wear as more cultivators joined the assault.

Wind blades, fireballs, lightning — wave after wave of spirit talismans were hurled at the skeleton and the lizard, nearly burying them. But to everyone's horror, the green armor absorbed all the damage. The lizard, however, had suffered some minor wounds.

"Looking for death!" Enraged, the skeleton swung its bone spear in a wide arc, knocking aside several spirit artifacts aimed at its head. The spear didn't stop — it swept toward the dozen cultivators in front of it.

"Earthen Armor!"

"Ice Wall!"

"Diamond Shield!"

The terrified cultivators activated their defensive techniques and scrambled backward. But none of them could outrun the Bloodshadow Lizard. The skeleton's bone spear swept across. Earthen Armor, Diamond Shield, Ice Walls summoned by talismans — all shattered with a single strike. The dozen cultivators at the front were cut in half at the waist. Black light flickered along the bone spear. Their deaths were gruesome. Among the fallen were two core disciples. Their magic artifacts fell to the ground and were quickly snatched up by quick-handed cultivators.

"Senior Sister Quincy! Use your whip to trip the lizard's legs. Now!" Leo's expression changed. The skeleton's strike was unstoppable, and the lizard was too fast. If the creature broke free, they would never trap it again. If they didn't take this chance to surround and kill it, such an opportunity wouldn't come again. As he spoke, Leo hurled dozens of Iron Thorn Vine seeds.

Quincy acknowledged with a grunt. Her spirit whip shot out like lightning, wrapping around the lizard's hind leg.

Amidst the hail of spirit artifacts and talismans, Leo and Quincy's attacks were hardly noticeable.

Got it! Quincy's face lit up with joy. The whip had successfully entangled the lizard's hind leg. But her joy was short-lived. "No! This lizard is too strong. I can't hold it!"

The lizard thrashed and screeched, nearly breaking free of Quincy's whip. Then dozens of Iron Thorn Vines exploded into growth, binding the lizard's legs. Though the vines snapped one by one under the creature's struggles, they bought Quincy a precious moment to catch her breath.

At that critical moment, a core disciple from the Ten Thousand Beasts Pavilion also activated a black rope magic artifact, which wrapped around the lizard's front left leg.

The skeleton was shocked. It swung its spear to cut through Quincy's whip and the black rope.

"Core disciples! Use your magic artifacts to hold the skeleton back!" Ethan and the other core disciples had all survived fierce battles. Having finally trapped this enormous Bloodshadow Lizard, they weren't about to let the skeleton interfere.

Led by the Blazing Sun Sword, more than a dozen magic artifacts flew straight at the skeleton's head, having witnessed the terrifying strength of its green armor.

The skeleton grunted. It raised its left hand and summoned a hazy gray shield to protect its head. A series of crashes followed. The gray shield visibly thinned with each impact.

Crack!

At that moment, a Lightning Spear came crashing down, shattering the skeleton's gray shield and stabbing straight for its crown. The skeleton was startled. To ghost cultivators, lightning-based cultivators were the most terrifying. Though Ethan's Blazing Sun Sword was immensely powerful, it posed less of a threat than this lightning-imbued spear.

With no other choice, the skeleton swung its bone spear and knocked aside the formidable Lightning Spear.

"All lightning cultivators, focus on the skeleton! Metal-type cultivators, attack the lizard!" Lowell felt a surge of pride. After being overshadowed by Ethan and Leo for so long, he finally had a chance to shine.