Chapter 790 - 273: Golden Skeleton
But once he summoned the Lifebound Flying Sword, the skeleton seemed to be stimulated in some way, and its attack immediately became much more violent.
Upon this discovery, Shen Wen’an did not continue to provoke it with the Lifebound Flying Sword, instead, he kept a close eye, retreating slowly towards the river while fighting.
As the water around gradually showed a hint of light, the cold threat was no longer present.
With the Dragon-Slaying Sword across his chest, Shen Wen’an used the force of the golden skeleton’s punch and dashed out of the water!
Behind him, Shen Chongming also rushed out.
The uncle and nephew stood in the void, preparing to jointly face the pale golden skeleton, but they found that it had no intention of coming out of the water.
In the rushing river, a pale golden skeleton head slightly raised, its hollow "eyes" silently watching the two.
The uncle and nephew exchanged a glance, Shen Chongming frowned and said, "It seems like it’s trying to drive us out."
Shen Wen’an nodded, feeling puzzled.
This peculiar skeleton seemed to have murderous intent only against his Lifebound Flying Sword, but otherwise, it did not intend to kill him.
"Third Uncle, do you think this creature is guarding something?"
Shen Chongming suddenly spoke.
Long ago, when they searched the mountains for Heavenly and Earthly Treasures, they occasionally encountered exotic beasts guarding treasures.
Such exotic beasts typically stayed within a certain range of the Exotic Treasure, ceasing pursuit once they left the area.
The pale golden skeleton before them was evidently the same.
Though they had escaped, they hadn’t found Xu Zhan.
They naturally couldn’t let it go at that.
"Third Uncle, here’s what..."
Shen Chongming had an idea and immediately transmitted to Shen Wen’an, "I’ll go down this side later to entangle it."
"Meanwhile, Third Uncle, find a way to go down and check if Xu Zhan is really in the ice coffin."
Shen Wen’an nodded and said, "Be careful, this skeleton is too strong."
As a Sword Cultivator, he was severely suppressed by the pale golden skeleton.
Shen Chongming, an Immortal Dao Cultivator, faced even greater difficulty.
Shen Chongming lowered his head slightly, "Don’t worry, Third Uncle, I’m only distracting it."
Once they agreed, Shen Wen’an immediately flew away using Sword Control.
On the river below, the pale golden skeleton head, seeing this, immediately wanted to chase Shen Wen’an to see what he was up to.
But at that moment, Shen Chongming suddenly dove into the river below, quickly rushing to the bottom!
The pale golden skeleton could not spare Shen Wen’an and rapidly pursued Shen Chongming.
Just as Shen Wen’an predicted, as an Immortal Dao Cultivator, Shen Chongming was no match for the pale golden skeleton in close combat.
He couldn’t even track its movements.
He could only passively rely on a blue shield, even taking out the mysterious Bone Shield he’d obtained from Celestial Sandalwood Mountain to withstand the frenzied attacks of the pale golden skeleton.
As Shen Chongming’s Qi and blood began to shake, almost unable to withstand it, the pale golden skeleton abruptly halted its assault, then vanished at an incredible speed, rushing deeper into the river!
Shen Chongming was taken aback, wanting to pursue it further and entangle it.
But he found he couldn’t match its speed underwater; in just a blink, the skeleton vanished from sight.
Shen Chongming knew this creature likely sensed that Third Uncle Shen Wen’an headed towards the location of the ice coffin at the riverbed.
Elsewhere, Shen Wen’an grimly dove deeper into the riverbed. After releasing his Divine Sense, he finally confirmed that Xu Zhan was indeed inside the ice coffin!
However, he could distinctly feel that Xu Zhan had no trace of life, and even the fluctuations of his Divine Spirit had vanished!
Before he could comprehend how Xu Zhan came to die in the strange ice coffin of the Laishui River, the pale golden skeleton charged down from above!
This time, Shen Wen’an could clearly sense the skeleton’s intense wave of consciousness, evidently a bit angry.
Seeing this, Shen Wen’an dared not entangle with it in such depths and immediately headed for the surface in another direction!
The pale golden skeleton chased him to the surface, but when it saw Shen Wen’an fly into the void again, it halted.
Shen Chongming approached.
"Third Uncle, how is it?"
Shen Wen’an shook his head solemnly, "It’s confirmed, Xu Zhan is indeed in the ice coffin."
"Moreover... he is already dead."
Upon hearing this, Shen Chongming’s expression froze.
Xu Zhan was not only his junior brother but also his brother-in-law.
A fine Fifth Realm Body Cultivator, mysteriously dead in the Laishui River only dozens of miles from Yunshui City, left him baffled.
"How... shall we explain to You’Er and Jingzhe when we return?"
"If Father learns of this..." Shen Chongming muttered in shock.
Beside him, Shen Wen’an suspiciously observed the pale golden skeleton’s head partially above the river.
After contemplating for a moment, he said, "This thing seems to be consistently preventing us from nearing the ice coffin."
"Is it guarding Xu Zhan’s corpse or the strange vortex below the ice coffin?"
Shen Chongming, upon hearing this, also looked at the pale golden skeleton’s head.
He now wished to retrieve Xu Zhan’s corpse from the riverbed, to lay him to rest, and to understand the cause of death.
But with the troublesome golden skeleton present, it seemed impossible.
After a moment’s standoff with the pale golden skeleton in mid-air, Shen Wen’an sighed softly, "Let’s return to the Black Water Pavilion and see what your grandfather says."