The jagged rock walls were etched with peculiar patterns that resembled rune inscriptions but weren't quite that, giving off an indescribable sensation — an unsettling feeling that settled deep in one's heart.
Not far from Chu Feng, there were also piles upon piles of white bones. Though they didn't come close to the ocean of corpses found in the Myriad Bones Graveyard, the sheer number before him was still staggering.
"Wow, so much Essence Origin! Quick, help me absorb it all!" Egg Egg was ecstatic, as though she'd stumbled upon a treasure trove.
"Wait — that ghost is watching us!" Chu Feng tensed. Behind those heaps of white bones, he had just spotted a figure.
It was a beautiful woman, dressed in a silk gown, her long hair pinned up neatly behind her head. She was elegantly attired with refined makeup, and at this moment she stared at Chu Feng warily while sobbing uncontrollably.
This was the so-called ghost — or more precisely, it was a Divine Sense left behind after death. Her body was nearly translucent, flickering with a faint ghostly glow. It was unmistakably not a physical form.
But upon closer inspection, Chu Feng felt a jolt of surprise. There was something familiar about this beautiful woman's features. She bore a striking resemblance to the Su Rou sisters.
"Are you...?" A startling possibility flashed through his mind, and he hurriedly spoke up.
"Whoosh!" But the moment Chu Feng opened his mouth, the Divine Sense flickered with fear. Her form turned, and she drifted away in an instant, vanishing from sight in the blink of an eye.
"That Divine Sense has no intelligence — only instinct. Whatever you ask, she won't answer, because she has no memories left."
"Besides, she's probably been dead for a very long time. Her Divine Sense is about to dissipate, and her current power is far too weak to hurt you, so there's no need to worry about her."
"Right now, help me devour these Essence Origins! So many complete cultivator corpses — the Essence Origin within them is incredibly dense. It'll definitely give my cultivation a massive boost. I might even be able to reach the peak of Spirit Martial!"
Egg Egg reminded him. Her method of cultivating by devouring Essence Origin was truly terrifying. Earlier, Chu Feng had let her absorb the Essence Origin of two hundred adult Ghosthorn Beasts, and that alone had given this girl — who had no cultivation whatsoever — strength on par with his own. She had already reached Spirit Martial Eighth Stage. If she devoured the Essence Origin from these bones, she could very well break through to the peak of Spirit Martial.
"Mm."
Chu Feng nodded without another word and began absorbing the Essence Origin from the remains. An invisible force radiated outward, and from within the mountain of white bones, invisible wisps of gas began to rise — this was Essence Origin, invisible to the naked eye and detectable only with Mental Power.
Layer by layer, the Essence Origin surged into Chu Feng's body, all of it devoured by Egg Egg. In the spiritual world, the girl sat cross-legged as though meditating, refining the Essence Origin, and her cultivation was skyrocketing.
"Quick, quick — go find her physical remains! Anyone capable of condensing a Divine Sense must have been at least at the Xuan Wu Realm in life. If I can refine her Essence Origin, I'll definitely be able to break through to the Yuan Wu Realm!"
After devouring all the bones in the area, Egg Egg had indeed reached Spirit Martial Ninth Stage. She grew even more excited, becoming increasingly convinced that this place was an ancient tomb brimming with extraordinary benefits.
"You girl, this is just too abnormal."
Chu Feng was utterly speechless. By all rights, his own cultivation speed was already considered heaven-defying, but compared to this girl, it was practically nothing. In half a day, she'd gone from having zero cultivation to Spirit Martial Ninth Stage — that was beyond terrifying.
Speechless or not, Chu Feng didn't slow down. Gripping the Spirit Realm Compass, he shot deeper into the cave, following the weeping sounds to locate the woman's remains. As he searched, curiosity prompted him to ask, "Where did all those bones come from? Judging by the look of them, they must have been dead for quite some time!"
"Isn't it obvious? Whether by accident or on purpose, those were all sacrifices who intruded into this ancient tomb," Egg Egg replied.
Hearing this, Chu Feng was secretly alarmed. Though those people had long been reduced to white bones, the Essence Origin they left behind told him they had been Yuan Wu Realm cultivators in life. That so many Yuan Wu cultivators had perished here was proof enough that this ancient tomb was incredibly dangerous.
However, with the Spirit Realm Compass in hand, hazards could be anticipated, so Chu Feng wasn't overly worried. His thoughts drifted back to that beautiful woman. He had a premonition that she might be connected to the Su Rou sisters.
"Could she possibly be the mother of those two girls? If so, does this place serve as the tomb of the City Lord's wife?"
But after a moment's thought, something didn't add up. If the beautiful woman truly was the Su Rou sisters' birth mother — Su Hen's wife — how could she be buried here, without even a gravestone? And why would she be weeping so miserably?
With these questions swirling in his mind, Chu Feng made his way through the cave. Guided by the Spirit Realm Compass, he finally heard those heart-wrenching sobs once more. And when he drew closer, he was stunned to discover that beside the beautiful woman, there was indeed a set of physical remains.
The body had long since decayed into white bones, but the clothing still clung to them — tattered, yes, but unmistakably the same silk gown the beautiful woman wore. This was clearly her physical corpse.
"Excellent! It really is a Xuan Wu Realm corpse. Only the First Level, but it'll do. Once I refine it, I can definitely break through to the Yuan Wu Realm!" Egg Egg's joyful voice echoed in his mind.
"No. You cannot refine this woman's Essence Origin," Chu Feng stopped her. Though he couldn't be certain, he felt strongly that this beautiful woman might very well be the Su Rou sisters' birth mother. He had no intention of disturbing the remains of a friend's mother.
"Are you out of your mind? I'm just absorbing Essence Origin — it won't damage her remains. Besides, she's been dead for ages. The Divine Sense she left behind has no intelligence and is growing weaker by the moment. It'll dissipate before long."
"If I refine her Essence Origin, I'll reach the Yuan Wu Realm. That would be enormously beneficial for both you and me. You're already at Spirit Martial Eighth Stage and can defeat Yuan Wu cultivators."
"But if I were to merge with your body and lend you my power, you could reach the Yuan Wu Realm yourself. At that point, even a Yuan Wu Third Level expert might not be your match. Do you really want to pass up an opportunity like this?"
Hearing Egg Egg's argument, Chu Feng couldn't help but waver. The Yuan Wu Realm — if Egg Egg could truly lend her power to him and elevate his strength to that level, the temptation was immense.
Because based on his current strength, if he could reach the Yuan Wu Realm, forget Yuan Wu Third Level — he could probably fight even Yuan Wu Fourth Level cultivators. Such overwhelming combat power was something Chu Feng deeply desired, especially with the one-year duel already counting down.