Above the Great Dao

Chen Shi absorbed the Sword Qi that had slain the Shepherd Ghost into his body. This Sword Qi contained the Shepherd Ghost's blood energy, immensely powerful, and as it melded into his body, strange patterns appeared on his bones, intertwining, crisscrossing, and flickering unpredictably!

Chen Shi was utterly astonished, his head flew from his neck, coming to his front and back to inspect these peculiar patterns.

"They are very similar to the strange patterns the Shepherd Ghost used to fend off my attacks!"

He scrutinized carefully, as he had long noticed the strange patterns on the Shepherd Ghost's body, possessing incredible power that could block his Sword Qi, leaving the Shepherd Ghost unscathed.

Even more intriguingly, the patterns on the Shepherd Ghost seemed to share the same origin with the patterns on the Heaven Measuring Iron Ruler!

However, the patterns on the Heaven Measuring Iron Ruler were more profound and inscrutable, containing more complex information.

"Strange. The Heaven Measuring Iron Ruler is clearly a prehistoric relic, so its patterns should also be remnants of a prehistoric civilization. Yet these patterns are on the Shepherd Ghost."

Chen Shi was bewildered, why were the prehistoric civilization's patterns similar to those on the Shepherd Ghost?

Could it be...

He suddenly had a bold thought: could it be the prehistoric civilization had not perished?

In fact, this civilization had always existed, and the underworld creatures were their descendants?

But this idea was too outrageous. Chen Shi chuckled, shaking his head, thinking: "Underworld creatures are ghost monsters, clearly a primitive race, how could they be the creators of a brilliant prehistoric civilization?"

The blood color on his skeleton faded, yet those strange patterns remained, lingering for a while before gradually vanishing.

Chen Shi slightly activated the Blood Lake Scripture, and the peculiar patterns on his skeleton once again lit up!

"Has the Blood Lake Scripture absorbed the Shepherd Ghost's abilities?"

Chen Shi pondered, realizing that the patterns on the Shepherd Ghost were what Peng Ju referred to as Bloodline Power, implying the hidden strength within the bloodline. Underworld races often possessed such mysterious power, awakening at a certain age, granting them unique abilities.

The Blood Lake Scripture could absorb an enemy's Bloodline Power, a Cultivation Technique Chen Shi had never heard of!

The excess blood energy flowed from his bones into the blood pool behind his brain.

His blood pool expanded considerably, and perhaps in a day or two, it could become a Blood Pool.

Chen Shi saw that in the blood pool, there seemed to be a ghost monster struggling inside. Removing his head to look, it vaguely resembled the Shepherd Ghost, but covered in blood plasma, he could not see clearly.

The Shepherd Ghost seemed to be struggling to escape the blood pool, yet was repeatedly dragged back by mysterious forces.

Chen Shi shivered, this Cultivation Technique was truly sinister.

But its power was indeed great, and its cultivation speed extraordinarily fast!

During this period, Peng Ju had already slain the remaining Shen one by one, his wings absorbing the Shen's blood energy to temper himself.

He cultivated the Blood Lake Scripture, with a slightly different approach from Chen Shi.

A portion of the blood energy he absorbed was used to enhance his physical bloodline, awakening the Bloodline Power, making the tips of Peng Ju's wings shimmer golden and exceedingly sharp. While other parts of his feathers remained a mottled brown and black, with a few stray feathers occasionally mixed in.

The Blood Lake Scripture boosted his bloodline, also strengthening his physical body, making him more robust than before.

Peng Ju, full of apprehension, glanced around, as there were many Funiao Clan members here. The Funiao enjoyed watching excitement, and they had witnessed Peng Ju and Chen Shi fighting the Shepherd Ghost and the Shen.

The Shepherd Ghost was raising the Shen for a powerful family, who would surely come seeking answers. A little investigation would reveal the culprit's appearance.

Chen Shi felt somewhat guilty, saying, "Peng Ju, I implicated you in this matter..."

Peng Ju shook his head, saying, "You were able to comprehend my family's Cultivation Technique and even taught it to me, which is a great favor, how could one speak of implication? The Funiao are numerous, and the ones here do not recognize me. We must leave quickly!"

The two hurried on their way, the Funiao watching from the trees as they departed.

After another half-day's journey, Peng Ju exclaimed joyfully, "Ahead is my home!"

At that moment, a giant prehistoric relic came into Chen Shi's view.

It was a Four-legged Big Tripod, cast from black iron, rusted and skewed, with three legs deeply embedded at the mountain's base, half-buried by the mountains.

They passed in front of the Four-legged Iron Cauldron, inside which sat a giant Dry Bone, seated and towering hundreds of feet high, bound by a Chain, chained inside the cauldron.

Though the Dry Bone was large, the iron cauldron was larger.

The Dry Bone exuded a terrifying aura, appearing exceedingly dangerous.

As they passed by, the Chain clinked, the Dry Bone's head moving slowly on the Neckbone, with flames flickering in the hollow eye sockets, seemingly watching them.

Peng Ju kept his distance from the Dry Bone, as if fearing it might come to life at any moment, pointing at a big Locust Tree ahead, saying, "Our village is there! I am the fastest flyer in our village, which is why I found a courier position in the Eastern Palace!"

Chen Shi withdrew his gaze, saying, "You work in the Eastern Palace, don't you have a Divine Office? I see that every Shepherd Ghost raising livestock has a little Yaksha offering incense to him."

Peng Ju shook his head, saying, "Us couriers are liable to die outside at any moment; what Divine Office could we have? I've been a courier in the Eastern Palace for two years. Among the seven of us doing it together, I'm the only one left alive."

Chen Shi was stunned, how was life in the underworld more tragic than in the Mortal World?

They finally arrived at Peng Ju's home.

Peng Ju's home was on a big Locust Tree in front of a mountain cliff. This Locust Tree bore thirty or forty bird nest-like houses, not much different from the bird nests they had seen along the way.