Chapter 164: Come on, Open Up and Take Your Medicine

The bone pagoda was suspended above the great river, resembling a colossal mountain. With all its restrictive arrays fully activated, it struggled against the erosion and interference of the malevolent black miasma.

The tower, originally as pure and white as jade, began to sprout web-like black lines from its base, which crawled upwards, penetrating it section by section and gradually threatening to engulf the entire structure.

Lin Zhan's divine sense maintained a connection with the bone pagoda, keeping it within his control for now. However, once the pagoda truly reached the opposite bank of the river, the sheer distance would likely make sustaining it increasingly strenuous.

The operation of the pagoda's restrictive arrays had grown somewhat chaotic—doubtless the consequence of the black lines eroding its body. Anxiety stirred within Lin Zhan's heart...

Meanwhile, the chaotic battle on the opposite bank of the river had also reached a stalemate.

Those disciples who had managed to survive until now were, without exception, the elite among elites. Unless they were willing to resort to mutual destruction and fight to the death, they could only grit their teeth and engage in a war of attrition, seeing whose spiritual energy would be exhausted first, which would spell absolute defeat.

The sudden appearance of the bone pagoda above the river caused a brief ripple of panic among both factions. However, the members of Shui Xinxin's group quickly regained their composure; they were already cornered in a desperate plight, so an unexpected bone pagoda made little difference—deadly combat awaited them either way, come what may.

"Young Miss, this tower looks somewhat familiar. It's very much like Lin Zhan's..." Amidst the crowd, a blood-soaked figure flew backward, tumbling head over heels, yet still managing to shout these words to Qin Qingxuan.

Immediately following, another person crashed back to her side in the exact same manner: "I'd say it definitely is Lin Zhan's. He must be nearby."

The two individuals who had tumbled backward one after the other were none other than Fang Daguang and Lian Ming!

As it turned out, the two of them had enjoyed decent fortune. Driven by the firm belief that they had to reunite with Qin Qingxuan, they had finally tracked her down one day and stuck together through thick and thin ever since.

Since their innate strength fell quite a bit short compared to Qin Qingxuan's core team, the two of them had intensified their cultivation drive during this period, hoping to catch up as soon as possible. The unbroken chain of battles had indeed elevated their cultivation realms to a certain degree, but clearly, it was still not enough. Had it not been for Qin Qingxuan's protection, they would likely have been eliminated from the grand competition long ago.

To Qin Qingxuan, this was not a burden, but rather a responsibility rooted in the unwavering loyalty of a great clan. Out of a clan of tens of thousands, only these two or three remained by now, a thought that could not help but evoke a quiet sigh.

"Lin Zhan... could it really be Lin Zhan?" Qin Qingxuan did not turn her head to check. She feared that if she truly laid eyes on Lin Zhan, the breath she had been holding onto all this time would dissipate. Surrounded by formidable experts as she was, the slightest relaxation of focus meant death.

"The two of you stay right here and watch for any opportunity to provide backup. If it really is Lin Zhan..." After transmitting her voice secretly, Qin Qingxuan let out a soft cry and vaulted into the air. Before her body had even fully ascended, it dissolved into a blur, leaving behind only a shadowy trace of black where she had stood. This was the pinnacle movement technique of the Floating Shadow Peak—the Floating Shadow Step.

Judging by its agility, this Floating Shadow Step ranked supreme among the techniques of the five peaks, and it was precisely one of the reliances that had allowed several members of Floating Shadow Peak to repeatedly snatch survival from the jaws of despair.

Fang Daguang and Lian Ming cautiously edged as close to the riverbank as they possibly could. That previous disciple had only been swept away by the black tentacle monster because he had reached his hand into the water; the two of them reasoned that as long as they didn't touch the water, they should be safe.

However, the miasma rising from the great river had already drifted onto the bank, so they halted at the closest possible spot.

The opposite bank was shrouded in a hazy veil and could not be seen clearly. Lacking divine sense as powerful as Lin Zhan's, they were naturally reduced to viewing flowers through a fog under such restrictive conditions.

Even so, they stared intently, terrified of missing anything.

Lin Zhan spotted Fang Daguang and Lian Ming. While pleasantly surprised, he was also deeply anxious about their current predicament and hurriedly transmitted his voice: "Brother Fang, Brother Lian Ming, Lin Zhan is here! I am finding a way across. Hold on..."

Lin Zhan's voice transmission left the two of them wild with joy. It really was Lin Zhan!

"Lian Ming, we've got backup!"

"Mm, Lin Zhan has never disappointed us."

With Lin Zhan's heaven-defying capabilities, he should surely find a way to resolve the Young Miss's current impasse, right? The two of them instantly felt their hearts settle, growing much more relaxed.

Though they felt a little more at ease, Lin Zhan himself was actually plunging into a crisis at that very moment.

The black miasma was aggressively and mercilessly claiming territory across the body of the white bone pagoda. It seemed to have already succeeded by seventy or eighty percent, leaving only the spire region. In a matter of mere breaths, the entire bone pagoda would likely be completely blanketed by the black lines, and for a brief moment, even his connection with the pagoda was severed.

On the surface of the great river, the shadowy silhouette of the black tentacle vaguely surfaced, and the billowing black miasma mostly steamed upward from the spot where it appeared.

Lin Zhan grew angry. The white bone pagoda was one of his precious few crucial magical treasures; how could he allow it to suffer any loss?

He decided to test the waters by tossing an empty medicinal pill bottle toward the direction of the black tentacle. A bizarre phenomenon instantly manifested: the black tentacle seemed to have anticipated it, suddenly lunging forward and wrapping around the pill bottle, pulling it inward.

Vaguely, Lin Zhan saw what appeared to be a massive maw over there, into which the pill bottle was dragged by the tentacle.

Lin Zhan then produced several other items he had no use for—ordinary sabers, swords, weapons, and various sundries—and hurled them over one after another. All of them were captured and swallowed by the tentacle without exception.

"Who would have thought this fellow has such a huge and unpicky appetite!"

Lin Zhan wondered if he could exploit this trait to accomplish something, as the black tentacle monster seemed to have been stirred into a state of culinary excitement and was now practically craning its neck in eager anticipation.

Moreover, at this moment, the black lines covering the white bone pagoda seemed to recede significantly, distracted as the black tentacle monster shifted its attention. Seizing the opening, Lin Zhan injected a surge of control power, hauled the pagoda back, and blasted away all the remaining traces of contamination with a series of Blazing Fire Fists.

Recalling the pagoda was a precaution, just in case the efficacy of the "Floating Immortal for a Day" pills he planned to use next caused some bizarre reaction, lest the pagoda become collateral damage.

The black tentacle monster remained entirely unsuspecting. After swallowing the three pills, it still lingered expectantly, waiting for Lin Zhan to continue feeding it... (To be continued.)