Chapter 948: The Deadmire
That was Bai Xiaochun's assessment based on everything he had heard just now, as well as the things he had learned back in the Wildlands.
Even if his analysis was not completely accurate in every aspect, he was confident that it was relatively correct….
And he couldn’t help but think about the gravekeeper…. The truth was that, even back in that spectacular battle in the Wildlands, everything had gone according to the gravekeeper’s plans!
“He really set everything up perfectly!!” Bai Xiaochun knew that the gravekeeper had actually hoped to kill the Celestial during that battle. Now, it seemed obvious… that the gravekeeper’s killing intent was showing through in this backup plan!
This situation with the bone galleon had only unfolded because of the original failure to put an end to the Celestial!
“That’s why he gave me his command medallion. It was to keep me safe as I passed through the Deadmire, but also… to make sure I wasn’t killed during the final phase of this plan with the Celestial!” Bai Xiaochun was completely shocked, and simply couldn’t imagine what kind of mind could come up with such a convoluted and meticulous plan!
“The Celestial… is definitely going to lose again!” After all of these realizations, Bai Xiaochun was feeling more and more uneasy. He didn't care about the Celestial, and was fairly certain that the man would be able to keep Du Lingfei safe. What Bai Xiaochun was worried about was Hou Xiaomei.
“Back when I saw Hou Xiaomei on Heavenspan Island, I don't think she had been possessed. But the next day… that strange, sinister aura I sensed was no illusion!
“Just now, there were definitely soul fluctuations inside of her body, which means she hasn’t been completely consumed…. The only way to save her is to get her soul out of that body!” Unfortunately, it was to his bitterness that he realized that his current cultivation base wasn’t high enough for him to participate in the fight.
Even the shockwaves from the fighting were too destructive for him to handle. Vision swimming, he stumbled up the staircase, leaving deck 3. At the top of the stairs, he looked around and found that he was on deck 2!
He almost turned to head back down the stairs. However, based on the fluctuations coming from the fighting down there, he knew that he couldn’t go back. Even as he stood there trying to decide what to do, the twin Master Cloud Lightnings stumbled out of the staircase, followed by Guru Spirit Immortal. As for the other Nascent Soul cultivators who had entered the bedchamber during the fighting, most had been killed by the destructive shockwaves of the battle.
The Celestial had placed Du Lingfei and her group into his bag of holding, keeping them safe.
Deck 2 was just like Bai Xiaochun remembered it. The rocking chair was there, slowly moving back and forth, with the two corpses kneeling in front of it in their strange, partially-fused state. Everything else was rife with sinister frigid qi.
But there was something different about the situation this time. Bai Xiaochun was no longer in the Nascent Soul stage. After glancing at the scene, he sent his divine sense out and onto the rocking chair. In that instant, it stopped moving.
He took a step closer.
Last time, he had been very interested in the two corpses, and had been almost fatally attracted to the auras of the Undying Codex and the Live Forever Codex which remained on them.
Unfortunately, at that time, he had not possessed a deva cultivation base, and had been virtually overwhelmed by fear and a sensation of crisis. As a result, he had eventually just fled for his life.
But this time, things were different. He was well aware that he would most likely not get a third chance to observe this scene, and therefore, he needed to take advantage of the moment.
Without any more hesitation, he hurried over toward the rocking chair. As for the twin Master Cloud Lightnings and Guru Spirit Immortal, they reacted differently. This was their first time here, so as soon as they stepped out into the room, they looked around in shock.
By the time they noticed Bai Xiaochun, he had already reached the skeletons and grabbed ahold of them. In that moment, his expression flickered.
The moment he touched the skeletons, he could sense the Undying Blood inside of him suddenly surge to life. At the same time, a majestic sensation of qi and blood erupted from the golden corpse which had cultivated the Undying Codex. That aura immediately rushed into his hand, and a moment later, he had another drop of Undying Blood inside of him!!
He couldn’t have been more shocked by what happened. However, now was not the time to think about practicing cultivation. Therefore, he suppressed his surprise and quickly put the two corpses into his bag of holding.
“What was that you just grabbed, Bai Xiaochun!?” Guru Spirit Immortal said, his eyes glittering. Despite the fact that they were in a moment of critical danger, the old man still could not suppress his greed.
As for the twin Master Cloud Lightnings, if they hadn’t already come to know a bit about Bai Xiaochun’s background, they would have reacted the same way. But right now, with the Celestial only one deck below, they didn’t dare.
Bai Xiaochun completely ignored Guru Spirit Immortal. After putting the corpses into his bag of holding, he shot toward the next staircase. Last time, he had been unable to return to deck 1, but now that he had a deva cultivation base, he was able to identify the method to do so.
However, even as he began to move, Guru Spirit Immortal stepped over to block his way.
“We’re all devas here, Bai Xiaochun! Since we all arrived at the same time, we should split any treasure evenly! You think you can just take it all for yourself?!”
“Screw the hell off!” Bai Xiaochun was worried about Hou Xiaomei, and was also privy to many other secrets that no one else was aware of. Therefore, he had no patience to deal with an irritating old man like this.
He immediately utilized his Mountain Shaking Bash, shooting forward with incredible speed, and simultaneously unleashing shocking pressure. Guru Spirit Immortal’s face fell, and he quickly dodged to the side.
With that, Bai Xiaochun passed him and sped up the staircase.
The twin Master Cloud Lightnings followed behind, and Guru Spirit Immortal did as well, with various expressions flashing across his face.
In almost the exact same instant that Bai Xiaochun stepped onto deck 1, deck 2 exploded, sending wood splinters flying around in all directions. At the same time, the fight between the Celestial, Gongsun Wan’er, and Ghostmother spilled over into the former location of deck 2.
Deck 1 looked just like it had before, without the slightest change. The fascinating, life-like mural could still be seen on the bulkheads. Of course, Bai Xiaochun had already looked at it in the past. Therefore, he barely glanced at it before rushing toward the next set of stairs, which led up to the main deck.
As soon as the twin Master Cloud Lightnings and Guru Spirit Immortal reached deck 1 though, they were immediately drawn into the mural.
Bai Xiaochun ignored them. In the blink of an eye, he was in the cabin above deck 1, and then… out on the main deck of the bone galleon!
The sky was murky and dim, and the ship was surrounded by a sea of bones. There were three flags visible, with three enigmatic ghost faces on them, rippling despite the lack of any wind…. Because of everything he had seen, because of the pressure weighing down on him, and because of the aura of the Deadmire that he recognized, the final, last bit of hesitation in him disappeared.
“We really are back in the Deadmire….” he murmured. Even as he looked around, the twin Master Cloud Lightnings and Guru Spirit Immortal stumbled out onto the deck, coughing up mouthfuls of blood.
Moments later, three other figures burst out onto the main deck!
“You can’t escape, Ghostmother!” Gongsun Wan’er shrieked. “I will consume you!!” As she shot toward Ghostmother, the expressionless Celestial also advanced. Between the two of them, they continued to shove Ghostmother backward across the battlefield!
Moments later, the handful of lucky cultivators who had survived the trial by fire began to emerge. When they found themselves on the main deck, and saw the fight going on in the air above them, they trembled with shock, and some even cried out loud in alarm.
“Heavens! That’s… that's the Celestial!!”
“Where… where are we?!”
“The exit led to a ship? How is that possible?!?! What is this place? Are we even still in the lands of Heavenspan…?” Bai Lin and Zhao Tianjiao were present, although they were badly injured, and were being held up by Big Fatty Zhang.
The only one who didn't react with complete surprise was Song Que…. Trembling, he looked around in disbelief, and then glanced over at Bai Xiaochun for confirmation.
“We're in the Deadmire.” Bai Xiaochun said, his mood dropping rapidly with every moment that passed.