Chapter 128: White Bones on the Mountain Path

The viaduct-like stone path was not actually very narrow; it could accommodate three people walking side-by-side. However, because it was suspended high above a forest of sharp stalagmites, no one would ever choose to walk abreast. Should one accidentally slip and fall, the consequences would be dire.

Although Saints like Yin Shiqi possessed the power of Cosmo to protect themselves, even if they were to fall, they would still be given quite a fright. It was an instinctual fear of danger etched deep into the human genome. Even with the mastery of extraordinary powers, they could not shake off this inherent nature.

Shun, carrying two Cloth boxes on his back, followed slowly behind and asked in a low voice, "Senior Yin Shiqi, why don't we just fly across?"

"With our speed, shouldn't it be easy to cross this dangerous path?"

He could not understand why, despite their extraordinary abilities to easily overcome such hazards, they were choosing to walk across so sluggishly.

Yin Shiqi, walking in front, looked back at the youth and said with a smile, "Shun, if a fly were buzzing around your face, annoying you to no end, would you be able to resist swatting it dead?"

"No, I would carefully shoo it away," Shun replied earnestly.

"Ugh—"

Hearing this answer, Yin Shiqi was left momentarily speechless. He had forgotten that Shun was exceptionally gentle by nature and never killed unless absolutely necessary. He shook his head helplessly and continued walking, saying, "Shun, not everyone cherishes all life as you do."

"If someone truly lives at the end of this path, we are merely annoying flies disturbing their peace. If they are an enemy, we would be caught off guard and swatted out of the sky; if they are a friend, they certainly wouldn't have a favorable impression of us. You must remember: never fly recklessly over someone else's head."

"Yes, I understand, Senior!" Shun nodded vigorously, smiling happily. His teacher was right; traveling more indeed taught one many things. What this senior had just taught him was something his teacher had never mentioned.

As they walked, Shun suddenly felt something was amiss. He thought he saw a skeleton hanging on a stalagmite below move.

"Um... Senior Shiqi..." he called out weakly.

"What is it?" Yin Shiqi continued to stride forward, showing no intention of slowing down.

"Have you ever... seen a moving skeleton?" Shun asked, nervously glancing around with trepidation.

Yin Shiqi glanced at the slightly trembling bones on the stalagmite and curled his lips. "I haven't seen a moving skeleton, but I have seen something similar."

"What is it?" Shun quickened his pace, closing the distance between them. He was quite afraid.

"I once had the fortune to visit Yomotsu Hirasaka, where I saw corpses manipulated by spirits." Yin Shiqi continued forward, utterly indifferent, ignoring the increasingly obvious movement of the bones below.

"Does that mean... these skeletons are possessed and controlled by spirits?" Shun followed closely, staring at the bones below. In just this short time, dozens of skeletons had struggled to stand up on the stalagmites. Their white, hollow skulls slowly turned as the two passed, as if staring intently with eyes that no longer existed.

"Not necessarily!" Yin Shiqi shook his head.

No sooner had he spoken than the many skeletons below opened their mandibles wide.

"Intruders, die—"

A telepathic wave entered their minds. Shun naturally assumed it was a roar from the skeletons below. Immediately after, the skeletons began clattering and climbing up the pillars supporting the stone path. Having never seen such a bizarre sight, Shun turned pale with fright. He grabbed the corner of Yin Shiqi’s tunic and trembled, "Senior, what do we do? Those monsters are climbing up!"

Yin Shiqi stopped and looked at the skeletons. "They aren't monsters possessed by spirits; they are just a pile of bones manipulated by someone else's telekinesis."

With his Sixth Sense—the Alaya-vijnana—he could clearly "see" that there were no spirits inhabiting the bones, only a faint, subtle telekinetic energy manipulating them, much like a marionette. With this, Yin Shiqi became even more certain that this was the residence of Mu of Aries. He remembered clearly that Mu had a little companion named Kiki, who was at a mischievous age and loved using telekinesis to manipulate bones to prank those who trespassed. It had to be the work of little Kiki; no one else would have such idle time.

As if completely ignoring his words, the skeletons strode forward, their joints clacking, and surrounded the two. Shun was so terrified that his face drained of color, his mind blank, having completely forgotten what Yin Shiqi had just said. After all, he was still just a soft-hearted youth who had never encountered such a scene.

Yin Shiqi shook his head lightly, gathered his Cosmo into his feet, and stomped heavily.

*Hum!*

The force of his Cosmo transformed into a telekinetic shockwave, spreading outward from them.

*Pop, pop, pop!*

Struck by the shockwave, the skeletons’ control was disrupted, and they collapsed into heaps of scattered bones on the ground.

"Is... is it that simple?" Shun was stunned.

"Didn't I tell you? They're just a pile of bones being manipulated by telekinesis!" Yin Shiqi shrugged, looking helpless.

As he spoke, the scattered bones began to reassemble like building blocks and stood up once more. Yin Shiqi looked around and called out, "Little Kiki, stop playing! Take us to see Mr. Mu immediately! Otherwise, when I catch you, I’ll give your little bottom a good spanking!"

Upon hearing this, a provocative voice drifted out from the stalagmite forest below.

"Catch me first if you can!"

Hearing this, Yin Shiqi revealed a meaningful smile. A child is, after all, just a child—lacking depth and experience. With just a simple provocation, the little one couldn't help but respond, forgetting to conceal the source of his voice.

"Let's see where you can hide now!"

Yin Shiqi splayed his fingers and made a grasping motion toward the stalagmite forest on the right. His Cosmo transformed into an invisible telekinetic hand, reaching toward the source of the voice.

"Oh no!"

Sensing the massive surge of telekinesis in the air, Kiki, hiding in the forest, realized his location was exposed. He immediately turned to run, but he was only a five or six-year-old child, his telekinesis still unrefined, and he was no match for a Silver Saint like Yin Shiqi. Before he could take a step, he felt his body tighten, caught firmly in mid-air by Yin Shiqi's telekinetic grip.