Chapter 3465

Ye Liuyun merely smiled and did not attack the old man again. Instead, he resumed chatting with the big-bearded martial cultivator.

“What realm are these stone puppets at?”

“One level higher than yours! Its realm can change. Whoever fights it, it will always be one level higher than its opponent.

You really might be able to beat it. Its realm is lower, but it has a treasure! We don’t stand a chance. All we can do is waste time here, waiting for someone else to go in so we can reap the benefits!” the big-bearded martial cultivator said.

“Go give it a try. He’s right—you might really be able to defeat that stone puppet! If you find a way out, don’t forget to take us with you. We’ll definitely reward you handsomely!”

At that moment, the martial cultivator with the highest realm also chimed in.

As for the handsome reward he mentioned, Ye Liuyun certainly didn’t dare count on it. He’d be lucky if he didn’t kill the man later. However, if the stone puppet’s realm really was only one level higher than his, then he could indeed give it a try.

He used his Golden Eyes to examine the situation inside the three stone chambers in advance. He discovered that the chamber on the left contained a meditation cushion, though he couldn’t tell what use it had.

The chamber on the right contained a suit of armor and a long spear. Judging by their grades, both were seventh-grade Void-rank treasures. The central chamber contained a crystal-clear piece of white jade, which did not seem to be a graded treasure either.

Still, since the items had been placed side by side here, their value was probably at least comparable.

At that moment, the Book Demon suddenly told Ye Liuyun through his sea of consciousness, “The one on the left should be an inheritance of cultivation techniques. The one on the right is a treasure, while the one in the middle is a Jade Divine Bone for body refinement. It can strengthen all the bones in your body!”

“Jade Divine Bone? What kind of heavenly treasure is that?” Ye Liuyun had never heard of the term before.

“It isn’t exactly a heavenly treasure. It’s jade-transformed bone cultivated by certain powerful physical cultivators. The power contained within it can be absorbed and used to strengthen the bones,” the Book Demon explained.

“Then could the soul of that powerful cultivator still be lingering inside it?” Ye Liuyun immediately suspected a trap. He couldn’t let some deceased expert scheme against him just because he coveted a treasure.

“With the power of your soul as it is now, along with the Myriad Gods Token, whose soul could possibly hurt you?” the Book Demon countered.

“That’s true! Then I’ll try the central stone chamber!” Ye Liuyun made his decision at once.

But the Book Demon sighed again. “What a waste! You don’t know when to be greedy. Aren’t you going to take the other two treasures as well? What if that cultivation technique is related to Spatial Force? Besides, these people can’t get inside anyway. You might as well take everything.”

“Uh... That makes sense!” Ye Liuyun did not argue and immediately headed toward the central stone chamber.

However, the other martial cultivators all tightened their grips on their weapons and prepared for battle.

“What? Will the stone puppet attack you as well?” Ye Liuyun noticed their movements and immediately stopped to ask.

“The stone puppet won’t. But while you’re fighting it, some vengeful spirits will appear here and attack us!” the strongest martial cultivator explained.

“Vengeful spirits or illusions?” Ye Liuyun wondered.

“Will those vengeful spirits attack me?” Ye Liuyun continued asking.

“No, they won’t. You can rest assured about that. While you’re fighting the stone puppet, no one else will have a chance to interfere!” the martial cultivator assured him.

Ye Liuyun thought it over, but still felt he should prepare himself properly, lest he be ambushed by someone or something else. He wasn’t a child who would believe everything people told him.

Only after making his preparations did Ye Liuyun move forward again. The sixth-grade Void-rank short sword was already circling around him, ready to attack at any moment.

The stone puppet remained motionless until Ye Liuyun came within thirty feet of it. Only then did it suddenly open its eyes and look him over. Its realm immediately changed to the third level of the Grand Void Realm, just as those martial cultivators had said.

However, it also noticed the short sword and immediately drew a huge axe from its back. The axe had originally been nothing more than an ordinary stone, but it suddenly released the aura of a seventh-grade weapon and moved to block the short sword. Clearly, it would not allow Ye Liuyun to defeat the stone puppet by relying on a treasure.

But immediately afterward, the Myriad Gods Token in Ye Liuyun’s sea of consciousness radiated golden light, indicating that the illusion here had begun to intensify again. Behind him, the martial cultivators suddenly began attacking one after another, striking at empty air.

Those attacks passed through the air and naturally struck the martial cultivators nearby. The group soon descended into chaos, fighting the nonexistent vengeful spirits with great enthusiasm.

“As I thought, it’s an illusion! This works out quite well. With them held up by the illusion, they won’t have time to fight me for the opportunity.”

Just as Ye Liuyun was thinking this, the stone puppet opposite him moved as well, throwing a punch straight at him.

Worried that there might be a trick behind it, Ye Liuyun did not dare meet the first punch head-on. Instead, he dodged it with Spatial Force. But the stone puppet’s Spatial Force was not weak either, and it immediately followed up with another punch.

This time, Ye Liuyun had a clear idea of how powerful the punch was. He immediately circulated his divine essence and the power of heaven and earth, then punched back.

With a bang, Ye Liuyun’s punch sent the stone puppet staggering backward.

Ye Liuyun raised his hand and was about to punch again, but the stone puppet suddenly erupted with a terrifying aura of pressure, frightening him into immediately retreating to evade it.

Yet the stone puppet did not press its advantage. Instead, it respectfully saluted Ye Liuyun and made an inviting gesture.

“What does this mean? Does it consider me to have passed?” Ye Liuyun wondered, still confused.

“What are you waiting for? Go in! You defeated it, so it has become your guardian,” the Book Demon urged him anxiously through his sea of consciousness.

“Oh!” Ye Liuyun replied and cautiously walked toward the stone door. The stone puppet turned around, took up its great axe, and faced outward, keeping Ye Liuyun and the stone door behind it under guard.

“That went smoothly!” Ye Liuyun did not relax until he had entered the stone chamber.

At the same time, everyone else also stopped fighting and looked toward Ye Liuyun. However, the stone puppet was now at the ninth level of the Grand Void Realm. Even with their treasures, they were no match for it, so none of them dared to act rashly.

Still, several more martial cultivators had been killed in the battle just now. The people nearby silently claimed all their resources for themselves, tossed the bodies aside, and made more room.

After Ye Liuyun entered the stone chamber, the stone door immediately closed again.

He promptly grabbed the Jade Divine Bone and sensed it. Sure enough, it contained an extremely dense special energy.

He stored the Jade Divine Bone in his spatial world and tried to leave, only to suddenly discover that he could not open the stone door.

“Damn it! Could this place be trying to trap me here until I die?” Ye Liuyun panicked a little.

“What are you panicking for? My guess is that you’ll be able to leave only after refining the Jade Divine Bone!” the Book Demon analyzed.