Martial World (Web Novel)
Chapter 2083: Bones of Crystal

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Walking here, Lin Ming had seen countless skeletons that had been broken into pieces and scattered all over the Eternal Wall. There were also the bone fragments that drifted in the storm and all of these fragments originated from peerless powerhouses. But, without exception, all of them were decayed and broken.

With a horrifying passage of 10 billion years in addition to the violent energy within the storm, it was impossible for a skeleton to remain fully intact.

But, this skeleton before him was an exception.

Who was it?

All sorts of thoughts and shadows of people flashed through Lin Ming’s mind. If this skeleton didn’t come from 10 billion years ago but came from someone who had appeared hundreds of millions ago instead, then it was understandable for it to be this complete.

However, as Lin Ming probed, he discovered that his guess was wrong. This skeleton had in truth already fused together with the altar. It was a part of the altar, a peerless great array heart. Moreover, this altar had been forged from star essence and was undoubtedly left behind from 10 billion years ago.

Star essence could remain without decaying after 10 billion years.

If so, then this skeleton had been cast into the altar 10 billion years ago and this was the reason it had been preserved intact all this time.

Just this period of time alone caused Lin Ming to remove most of the figures that flashed in his mind. This skeleton must have come from someone who reached an unbelievably high boundary in the past. They might even have approached the realm Beyond Divinity, otherwise it would have been impossible for his skeleton to remain so complete.

But why was it left here for 10 billion years instead of being entombed?

Lin Ming fell silent. In fact, it wasn’t just this skeleton that was before him. Broken bones were scattered all over the Eternal Wall, and these bones all came from peerless characters 10 billion years ago who perished in the great calamity. In that great war, although the 33 Heavens had finally achieved victory, the ancient races had to pay a deep price to do so.

However, what left Lin Ming puzzled was that there must have been survivors amongst the ancient races, so how come these survivors didn’t bury the ancient powerhouses? How come they left them on this ancient battlefield and even in such a preserved state?

Even mortals hoped to be buried after their death. As for peerless martial arts powerhouses, after dying they hoped to leave behind a tomb and their inheritance. In the world of martial arts this had already become custom. This was all so that one’s inheritance wouldn’t be cut off and one’s remains could be worshipped in peace.

Lin Ming deeply sighed, a strange sorrow stirring in his mind. So many powerhouses had died and their remains had been scattered all over the abyss, their bones dancing in the storm… just how pitiful a fate was this…

Standing in front of this altar, Lin Ming quietly paid tribute to these heroes. Then, he hesitated for a moment before stepping onto the altar. Bloodstains marked it, and these bloodstains were painted into mystical totems that were spread all over the altar. Even after 10 billion years, these totems were still emitting a vast aura. This aura wasn’t a buddha-killing aura, but a certain kind of strength that stunned Lin Ming. It was a strength wrapped in warmth, dedication, passion…

Killing aura – Lin Ming had seen all kinds before. But, this sort of warm strength was something he rarely saw.

Lin Ming gently reached out a hand to trace these marks. Even though he had become considerably strong, feeling this blood left his heart racing with awe; it was hard to imagine just what cultivation the people who left behind these bloodstains had.

Lin Ming slightly hesitated, then, he stepped onto these bloodstain totems. The moment he stepped onto the totems he felt a strange strength skim over him. In that moment, his entire body seemed to become transparent, and a part of his body was locked down by this strength. Then… killing intent erupted!

This killing intent was what a mortal felt when facing a ravenous tiger. Lin Ming was startled; he suddenly held his breath!

This is…

Lin Ming remained motionless, silently revolving the energy in his body to the limit to deal with any possible dangers. However, as he revolved his energy the killing intent became increasingly terrifying, as if this entire altar instantly turned into an ominous and hellish wasteland. As for that universal love, devotion, and warmth he felt, all of it turned into overwhelming hatred!

Lin Ming didn’t doubt that once this killing intent erupted it would create a massive attack against him. This aura was mind-bogglingly strong, as if he were facing the will of all the ancient God Kings who had perished on the battlefield!

Facing such a will, it was possible he would instantly turn to ash!

In this life or death moment, a light lit up in Lin Ming’s mind. He accelerated the revolution of the power of divinity within his body to cover the power of demons in numerous layers. Meanwhile, he revolved his blood vitality to seal away the demon essence bloodline within him.

Then, Lin Ming felt the killing intent locking onto him suddenly become much paler…

Layers of strength swept over his body once more, seeming to distinguish what was within him and hesitating at the same time. Slowly, this strength hid away and the killing intent also vanished, everything returning to its previous state.

The aura that shrouded the entire altar returned to that of universal love, devotion, and warmth once more. Soaked within, Lin Ming felt total relaxation and tranquility.

Lin Ming let out a long breath. What happened just now left his palms wet with sweat.

He faintly guessed that the strength which swept over him just now was aimed at abyssals.

The power of demons within his body had stirred up the great array formation of the altar. But, the array formation had finally determined his identity, thus it had subsided.

If an abyssal were to come here, they would be instantly slain!

Understanding this, Lin Ming probed the ancient altar with his divine sense once more.

Recalling the incomplete memory fragments of Famine, Lin Ming gradually understood what occurred.

This ancient altar suppressed the array eye of the Eternal Wall, stabilizing it. And, as a vital location of the Eternal Wall, this altar was protected with layers upon layers of protections. Abyssals were simply unable to approach this area.

Otherwise, if this altar were to be destroyed then the Eternal Wall would also be in danger of collapsing. If that occurred then the consequences would be unthinkable.

Not to mention anything else, just the skeleton of this peerless powerhouse before him was a priceless treasure. Even after 10 billion years it managed to remain like glittering crystal. Even when compared to a True Divinity spirit treasure, it was much more precious.

This skeleton naturally had to be protected by the array formation.

“This skeleton, could it have been left behind by Immortal Sovereign?”

This idea popped into Lin Ming’s mind. He recalled peerless powerhouses that existed 10 billion years and thought of the Asura Road Master and Immortal Sovereign. But from what Clear and Ink said, the Asura Road Master was still alive. Then, this skeleton might be from the Immortal Sovereign.

Lin Ming slowly stepped towards the skeleton.

A skeleton would inevitably exude a gloomy and dreadful feeling. But to a martial artist this sort of feeling wasn’t worth mentioning at all. Still, no matter how a skeleton was, it wasn’t something that would give off an aesthetic sense.

But, this skeleton was different.

It was beautiful and flawless. Every inch of bone flowed with a faint brilliance, as if a curtain of moonlight was draped over it like liquid mercury. The ten fingers were held together in devoted prayer, like an angel.

This was a divine skeleton, like the most perfect art that existed between the heavens and earth.

Lin Ming was silent for a moment. He carefully spread out his sense to touch this divine skeleton. At first he was cautious, fearing that he would disturb the eternal slumber of this peerless powerhouse and also because he feared that his spiritual sea would suffer a backlash from touching the divine bone. Such a peerless character was sure to have been far stronger than he was, and if they left behind some remnant will or array formation, then it was possible he could end up injuring his spiritual sea.

However, up until Lin Ming’s sense reached the point between the skull’s eyes, he didn’t perceive any hostility at all. Although Lin Ming had absorbed demon essence, he hadn’t turned into an abyssal. The power of demons was only used by him and didn’t change the essence of his life.

On this, he was completely different from Empyrean Primordius.

Thus when Lin Ming suppressed the demon power in his body, all the array formations on the altar had quieted down. Finally this allowed Lin Ming’s soul force to touch the divine skeleton without any hindrance.

In that moment when Lin Ming probed the skull of the divine skeleton, he could feel a wisp of soul aura from the divine skeleton’s owner. It was formidable, mysterious, yet soft and pure.

Such a soft and pure soul didn’t seem like it could be from a man, but from a woman instead.

“Woman?”

Lin Ming was startled. And at this time, there was a light whistling sound as soul fires ignited in the two eye sockets of this divine skeleton.

The two soul fires within the eye sockets were of different colors. The soul fires in the right eye were pure black and the soul fires in the left eye were blue.

The pure black soul fires were like the underworld, somber and terrifying. The blue soul fires were like a hidden paradise, filled with vibrant life.

“Life and Death Samsara Laws?”

Lin Ming’s heart shook. These two soul fires symbolized the highest Laws of the Holy Scripture’s bodily universe.

Lin Ming gazed at these two soul fires in a trance. Then, the light flowing upon the divine skeleton quickened and brightened. This brilliance gradually condensed into it and formed small dots of light that spread all over the skeleton.

These dots of light were as small as grains of sand, stretching all over the divine skeleton. As they connected together, it seemed as if the entire divine skeleton was burning in the glow of a fire, becoming increasingly crystalline.

The average person wouldn’t be able to determine just what significance these dots of light held. However, what sort of eyesight did Lin Ming possess? As he saw these dots flash and shimmer, his eyes brightened with them.

Just what were these dots of light? These were clearly tight gatherings of Law runes. These runes were far too small, thus they only seemed to appear like dots of light. They were like tiny buddhist scriptures, overlapping again and again with countless numbers stacked on top of each other!

When ancient peerless powerhouses cultivated Laws, these Laws would eventually turn into runes that were carved into their flesh and blood and even their skeletons. This was the same for Lin Ming. After going through two heavenly tribulations with his Ninefall and Empyrean breakthroughs, countless Law runes were fused into his body.

However, in truth, these Law runes wouldn’t be preserved forever. As a powerhouse died and time passed, these Law runes would slowly fade away from their body.

There were also peerless powerhouses that were unwilling to have their bones be perceived by others. Upon their death, they would disperse their flesh and blood and bones, scattering away all the Law runes they possessed.

A marvelous sight was occurring in front of Lin Ming. Law runes were appearing on this skeleton that came from 10 billion years ago; it was simply inconceivable.

However, what happened next left him even more astonished.

Lin Ming stared at the point between the divine skeleton’s eyes. There, a diagram appeared, one that caused storms to stir up within Lin Ming’s heart!