"What is a mutant?" Fengyun Wujian fixed his gaze on Mo Li, his eyes sharp and penetrating.
Mo Li sighed deeply, stood up, and turned to him. "Follow me."
Mo Li moved aside a patch of dirt from the corner, revealing a rusted iron plate beneath. With effort, he pried open the square iron plate, revealing a dark, cavernous hole beneath. A narrow stone staircase spiraled down into the abyss.
Fengyun Wujian rose to his feet, astonished by the sight of the underground cavern. Mo Li waved for him to follow, then began his descent. Fengyun Wujian trailed behind him. The stone steps were steep, narrow, and treacherous, making Mo Li's frail body seem as if it might tumble at any moment.
"What is this place?" Fengyun Wujian asked.
"Don't ask too many questions. You'll understand when we get there," Mo Li replied coldly.
For a warrior, seeing in the dark was second nature. After an unknown amount of time, the elder suddenly stopped on the staircase.
"What's wrong?" Fengyun Wujian asked, looking at the elder.
"That is the tomb of the sinners. We never step on the soil there," Mo Li said coldly.
Fengyun Wujian fell silent. He moved around Mo Li and continued down the steps.
"You're not the first to think of merging with this world. Look at their fate, and you'll understand what you should do," Mo Li's stern voice echoed from behind him.
Fengyun Wujian did not look back, but pressed on. Soon, he arrived at an arched doorway, stopping in his tracks. Before him lay an enormous underground pit. Upon seeing it, Fengyun Wujian was too stunned to speak.
In the darkness, this was the only place illuminated, with specks of greenish phosphorescence floating in the air, becoming denser the closer they got to the ground. — It was the will-o'-the-wisp of dead bones.
Fengyun Wujian could hardly believe his eyes. In this vast underground pit, every inch of space was filled with skeletons covered in green spots. These bones were strangely different, their lengths far exceeding that of normal humans. Each skeleton was unique, with most having a thin, elongated vertebra that extended down to the soles of their feet. Some had sharp bone spurs protruding from their backs, while others had their palms replaced by beastly claws.
Fengyun Wujian, in a daze, unintentionally stepped forward, the sound of bones snapping beneath his feet. These skeletons—thousands of them—bore expressions of extreme agony. Many of their skulls were completely deformed, no longer resembling humans.
"Look at them. These were once our kind. After practicing the demonic arts and merging with this world, this was their fate," Mo Li's voice drifted in the darkness. "They died in agony, with bodies that no longer resembled human form."
The sound of footsteps echoed through the darkness, and it seemed Mo Li had already left.
Fengyun Wujian bent down and picked up a greenish head. Long fangs grew from the mouth, and a small horn protruded from the forehead. Weighing it in his hand, he gently set it back down.
In the vast underground tomb, Fengyun Wujian moved like a ghost, weaving between the skeletons.
Near the wall, Fengyun Wujian discovered writing that covered the entire surface, etched deeply into the rock:
"I, though facing death, have no regrets."
"Hatred! Hatred! Hatred! Kill the gods! Kill the demons!"
"Oh, my homeland, when can I return?"
"The humiliation I have suffered in this life shall be remembered. In my next life, I shall make them pay."
"To those who come after me, my kin, if you find my remains, please return them to our homeland. I miss it so much—the fresh air, the moist soil..."
"Cursed heavens! When will my people be freed from this hellish prison? I have labored to master the demonic arts. If I ever escape, I will bathe the heavens and the demons in blood!"
"Why can't my people understand my suffering? Kill! Kill! Kill! Hatred! Hatred! Hatred!"
"I willingly entered this demonic prison, enduring eternal suffering, only wishing for the peace of my people! May the heavens protect them!"
"Though I endure endless trials, I will be reborn, return to this place, and never rest until the demon race is destroyed!"
...
The words were heart-wrenching, and Fengyun Wujian stood in silence, his clothes soaked in sweat before he even realized it.
Behind a mutated skeleton, over two meters long, Fengyun Wujian found small writing: "I created the 'Hundred Refinements Demonic Art,' drawing endless demonic energy into my body to form a true demon's body. Though this method does not suit our race, I refused to let my blood be wasted. The method's incantation is inscribed beneath my remains. If any of my kin find it, they must be cautious. Practicing this art will turn one into a demon's body, subject to the torment of countless demons. Think carefully before practicing. If one day we can escape, please bring my remains back to our homeland. We will be forever grateful."
Fengyun Wujian hesitated for a long time before carefully memorizing the incantation.
With this knowledge, Fengyun Wujian opened other skeletons, and beneath each, he found either long or short magical incantations. Counting carefully, there were 365,412 skeletons in the pit, and 365,000 incantations—though some were damaged and unreadable, leaving only 412 unusable.
Having memorized the 365,000 incantations, Fengyun Wujian found himself standing at the center of the vast pit, his eyes once more surveying the nightmarish mutated skeletons. He bowed deeply, then retraced his steps back to the water prison.
Lifting the iron sheet covering the entrance, Fengyun Wujian was shocked to see Mo Li, almost unrecognizable. The elder had aged dramatically in his absence.
Once with a head of black hair, Mo Li's hair was now entirely white, his face covered in deep wrinkles that seemed almost impossible for a living person. His eyes were clouded, obscured by hanging skin, and his robe was torn and ragged, with flesh hanging off in places, almost devoid of blood.
"You didn't return, so I replenished your true energy for you," the elder said calmly, as if it were a trivial matter.
Fengyun Wujian's heart ached. For so long, he had despised this elder, but in that moment, he realized how wrong he had been.
He quickly rushed to Mo Li's side, placing his palm against the elder's back. The sealed true energy surged into Mo Li's body.
"It's too late," Mo Li weakly but firmly pushed his hand away. His eyes glanced at him. "I'm going to die soon. That much cannot be changed. I've lived for so long, but there's one regret I've never been able to fulfill."
"What is it? I'll help you," Fengyun Wujian said, his heart heavy. He had not expected that in his absence, the demon race had inflicted such harm on the elder.
Mo Li sighed faintly. "When I die, if possible, please return my remains to my homeland."
Fengyun Wujian's soul trembled. He remained silent for a long while.