Master, and you still say this isn’t a dual cultivation technique?

The once mysterious, spiritual energy-rich locale had transformed into a desolate wasteland. Yellow sand stretched endlessly, the air steeped in solitude.

Suddenly, a surge of killing intent struck from behind. Instinctively turning around, Xiao Lingchen saw a skeleton wielding a sword charging toward him.

He dodged the attack with ease and struck back with a fierce palm. The skeleton shattered into dust!

But his action seemed to have triggered a taboo. A series of eerie “crackling” sounds echoed around him—something between the grinding of bones and the gnawing of ants. It sent shivers down his spine.

As far as his eyes could see, skeletons began clawing their way out of the sandy earth. Lifeless and emotionless, they gripped swords and lunged at him!

“Damn it, is this really the True Martial Space I entered?” Xiao Lingchen grumbled helplessly. “Where are the twenty voluptuous, scantily clad immortal maidens? Even one would be better than these skeletons!”

Seeing the skeleton soldiers closing in, he drew the Phoenix Sovereign Sword. With swift strikes, he cut them down once more!

But as soon as one batch fell, another emerged. Then another after that! Skeletons kept rising from the ground in an endless stream, growing more numerous with each wave.

Worse still, each new batch was stronger than the last! At first, they were only at the Spirit Gathering and Spirit Sea Realms. But soon, skeletons at the Spirit Platform and Dao Palace Realms appeared!

After Xiao Lingchen had slain hundreds of thousands, even Delusion Breaking Realm skeletons emerged. He didn’t want to waste time on them—he had come to the True Martial Space to seek opportunities, after all.

With that in mind, he leapt into the air, intending to fly away. But a restriction prevented it—flight was impossible here!

Left with no choice, he cleaved through the skeletons before him with a single strike. Then, activating Phantom Step, he relied on footwork to escape.

But he soon realized the sheer number of skeleton soldiers was staggering! They stretched across the wasteland as far as the eye could see, filling every inch of the barren land.

The only way out was to carve a bloody path through them! Steeling himself, Xiao Lingchen brandished the Phoenix Sovereign Sword and charged forward!

“Help!”

“Someone, save me!”

A cry for help rang out ahead. Looking over, Xiao Lingchen saw a refined young man in white robes surrounded by countless skeleton soldiers, teetering on the brink of death.

Upon spotting Xiao Lingchen, the youth frantically called out, “Fellow cultivator, save me!”

Xiao Lingchen was mildly surprised. There were others in the True Martial Space? Without overthinking it, he fought his way toward the youth.

At the last possible moment, he rescued him!

“Thank you, fellow cultivator! I’m Guan Xunzhi. May I have your name?”

“Xiao Lingchen.”

As he swung his sword, Xiao Lingchen asked, “How are you in the True Martial Space?”

“True Martial Space?” Guan Xunzhi paused, then seemed to realize something. “Do you mean the True Martial Continent, Brother Lingchen?”

“You’re quite the joker! Since we were born on the True Martial Continent, of course we’re here. Why wouldn’t we be?”

“Unless… Brother Lingchen isn’t from the True Martial Continent?”

At those words, Xiao Lingchen’s heart tightened. True Martial Continent? Could the True Martial Space actually be a real continent in this world, not just an isolated secret realm?

Shaking his head, he replied, “I’m from the Tianqian Continent.”

Guan Xunzhi murmured “Tianqian Continent” under his breath, pondering it. Then he shook his head. “Never heard of it.”

“Oh, I’m a disciple of the Lingxiao Sword Sect,” he added. “I was on my way home to visit family when I passed through here. I never expected to get trapped like this.”

“Thankfully, Brother Lingchen came to my rescue—I’m endlessly grateful!”

“Let’s save the gratitude for when we’re out,” Xiao Lingchen said curtly.

With the skeleton soldiers growing ever more numerous, he decided to carve a path out first. With a powerful sweep, a surge of sword qi erupted, obliterating hundreds of thousands of skeletons ahead.

Then, grabbing Guan Xunzhi, he fled forward. But they hadn’t gone far when Guan Xunzhi suddenly panicked.

“Brother Lingchen, stop! Stop right now!”

Puzzled, Xiao Lingchen halted.

Guan Xunzhi explained, “My home is to the west. You’ve been leading me east this whole time—I’m getting farther from home! Please, take me west! I beg you!”

Xiao Lingchen sighed in exasperation. With enemies on all sides, it hardly mattered which way they went. Shrugging, he turned westward and charged forth!

He led Guan Xunzhi onward, covering dozens of miles and slaying countless skeletons. Gradually, the skeletons grew stronger—some even surpassing the fifth level of the Delusion Breaking Realm!

Left with no choice, Xiao Lingchen unleashed his trump cards. The Nether Roar Thunder Drum hung in the sky, unleashing bolts of heavenly thunder!

Godslayer Sword Technique, Thunderous Wrath, Heaven and Earth Manifestation—he deployed every divine ability in his arsenal. But as the skeletons’ strength climbed, even he began to struggle.

Dragging along a burden like Guan Xunzhi made it harder to fight freely. He resorted to using the Cauldron of Creation to clear the way ahead.

Under the Radiant Jade Sundial’s time acceleration, he pushed Phantom Step and Instant Flash Technique to their limits, pressing forward!

“It’s strange—you said you’re a disciple of some sword sect, right?” Xiao Lingchen couldn’t help but complain during a lull. “Why are you so weak?”

In his view, anyone who could join a sect should have some talent. A sword sect, especially, would have strict standards, and sword cultivators were known for their exceptional combat prowess among peers.

Yet Guan Xunzhi seemed utterly powerless! Forget Delusion Breaking Realm skeletons—even a Spirit Platform Realm one could send him to his grave.

Guan Xunzhi scratched his head sheepishly. “To be honest, though I’m a disciple of the Lingxiao Sword Sect, my focus is on the path of medicine.”

Xiao Lingchen blinked, even more confused. Joining a sword sect to study medicine?

Guan Xunzhi sighed, his tone tinged with sorrow. “Here’s the story. I grew up in a poor family. My father has been plagued by a stubborn illness, bedridden for years, suffering day and night.”

“To cure him, I exhausted our family’s wealth seeking renowned doctors, but none could heal him. So I came up with a plan: join a cultivation sect, learn the art of medicine, and cure my father myself.”

“I’ve got decent talent—especially in swordsmanship—so I entered the Lingxiao Sword Sect. But to heal my father, I didn’t join the main peak lineage focused on swordsmanship.”

“Instead, I chose the Pill Peak lineage, which specializes in alchemy and healing, and took up the path of medicine.”

“Over a dozen years have passed, winter turning to spring, and I’ve finally achieved some success. I came down the mountain to return home and treat my father’s illness.”

“I never expected to get trapped here. I’m sorry for burdening you, Brother Lingchen. If you can get me home and I cure my father, I’ll repay you handsomely!”