# Chapter 3200: The Miserable Bone Emperor
On the banks of the Santu River lay a great lake eight thousand miles long and thirteen thousand miles wide, known as the "Ten Thousand Bone Cave."
The Bone Clan possessed twelve bone seas, constituting twelve territories. Each bone sea was over a hundred times more vast than an ordinary great world.
However, the number of Bone Clan members born annually from all these bone seas combined could not match that of the Ten Thousand Bone Cave.
For this very reason, this great lake had become a key protected site for the Bone Clan.
The Bone Divine Temple was built three million miles northwest of the Ten Thousand Bone Cave, serving as the highest ruling hall of the Bone Clan.
On this vast black land, walking Bone Clan members could be seen everywhere. They fed on their own kind, slaughtering each other until complete spiritual intelligence was born.
Since losing his Divine Source, Bone Emperor's status in the Bone Divine Temple had plummeted. Not only had all his territories been swallowed by his rivals in the temple, but even the cultivators and disciples under his command had defected to other great gods.
Such was the reality!
Although Bone Emperor still possessed the strength of an Upper-Rank God, he had no choice but to tuck his tail and survive. After all, having been an ancient god who had cultivated for hundreds of thousands of years, he had offended too many powerful beings. Once his power crumbled, retribution came!
Bone Emperor had considered leaving the Bone Divine Temple, but he knew that leaving would only hasten his death.
At the Bone Divine Temple, he was at most bullied by fellow clan rivals.
Outside, his enemies from other clans wanted nothing less than to kill him.
A hundred years passed. Those Bone Clan great gods had lost interest in humiliating him further, ceasing their revenge, oppression, and venting of hatred.
But they had exiled him to the Ten Thousand Bone Cave, alongside those Bone Clan False Gods, tasked with educating newly awakened Bone Clan members and guiding them onto the path of cultivation.
"Bone Emperor, Extreme Wind Great God summons you to his divine temple for an important discussion." A Bone Clan False God, his body covered in a layer of gray human skin, spoke with a hint of mockery in his eyes.
Though he addressed him as "Bone Emperor," there was no respect in his face.
This was because the False God's backing was Extreme Wind Great God.
Bone Emperor naturally knew why Extreme Wind Great God wanted him to come. Hatred surged infinitely within him, and the humiliation made him want to destroy everything together with his enemy.
This Extreme Wind Great God was only at the Taiyi Realm. In the past, Bone Emperor would not have spared him a second glance. But now, he knew that if he still put on the airs of an ancient god, he would only be inviting humiliation.
He wanted to fight to the death, but he could not.
Three hours later, Bone Emperor walked out of Extreme Wind Great God's divine temple, three divine bones missing from his body. The whispers and laughter of two False God Divine Generals reached his ears.
Filled with mockery!
Bone Emperor halted, his bone fingers cracking as he clenched his fists. But in the end, he restrained himself, conjuring a black robe to wrap around his skeletal frame.
Returning to the Ten Thousand Bone Cave, he looked out at the boundless white bone lake. Only Bone Emperor remained here.
He no longer hid. The black robe dissolved into wisps of mist, revealing his mutilated skeletal body.
In the years since arriving at the Ten Thousand Bone Cave, Extreme Wind Great God had taken fifty-seven of his divine bones. To a Bone Clan god, divine bones were of paramount importance.
Stealing divine bones was no different from draining cultivation.
Gritting his teeth, Bone Emperor pulled out three bones and attached them to his body.
These three bones were merely Great Saint bones.
A voice suddenly rang out: "The mighty Bone Emperor, once a powerful being, reduced to such a miserable state. Are you willing to accept this?"
"Who is it?"
The flames in Bone Emperor's pupils blazed hot and bright, death divine qi seeping from his bones.
Space trembled slightly, ripples spreading outward.
Zhang Ruochen stepped out from the ripples, clad in an imposing purple robe, a jade hairpin binding his hair. His bearing was infinitely elegant, his heroic posture awe-inspiring. His very presence made even gods dare not look directly at him.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen, Bone Emperor showed no panic or anger. Instead, he restrained his divine qi, kneeling on one knee. "Greetings, Ruochen Realm Lord!"
Zhang Ruochen was slightly surprised. "You are a great god. Even when meeting a God King or God Venerable, you need not perform such a grand salute. I, this Realm Lord, am unworthy."
"You are worthy!"
Bone Emperor said, "As long as the Realm Lord returns my Divine Source, from this day forward, I will be your most loyal divine servant!"
Saying this, Bone Emperor raised his hands above his head, pressed his face to the ground, and kowtowed.
Zhang Ruochen said, "How can I trust you?"
"I am willing to offer half of my divine soul," Bone Emperor said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "So readily? It seems you have suffered much these years!"
"It is my own fault. If I had not offended the Realm Lord back then, if I had been able to follow the Realm Lord's instructions, how could I have fallen to such a miserable state?" Bone Emperor pressed his head to the ground, speaking devoutly.
Zhang Ruochen asked, "Do you not harbor resentment?"
"I did! At first, I blamed everything on the Realm Lord, hating you to the bone. But later I understood. The Realm Lord never wronged me. It was I who did not know my place, daring to actively oppose the Realm Lord. Falling to today's state is entirely my own doing."
Bone Emperor continued, "To be honest, all these years, I have been waiting every moment for the Realm Lord to appear, to become my savior and lead me out of suffering. I have even made countless promises in my heart: if the Realm Lord appears and I regain my Divine Source, even if I can only live for one hour, I would be willing."
Zhang Ruochen said, "So you endured for a hundred years for this?"
"I had to endure! I believed the Realm Lord would surely appear, because I am valuable to you," Bone Emperor said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "You are right. In this world, only those with value deserve to live. So what is your value?"
"As long as the Realm Lord speaks one word, I can self-destruct my Divine Source and perish together with the enemy," Bone Emperor said resolutely, his tone firm.
These words had probably been repeated countless times in his heart.
Zhang Ruochen smiled. "Rise!"
Bone Emperor stood up, his hands cupped in offering.
Immediately, wisps of soul light surged from his skull, gathering in his hands. He respectfully presented them to Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Most of your divine soul is in your Divine Source. What would I do with this paltry bit of soul? Keep it!"
"Whoosh!"
A Divine Source flew from Zhang Ruochen's sleeve, landing in Bone Emperor's hands.
Holding the Divine Source, Bone Emperor trembled with excitement. The bone fire in his eye sockets burned even brighter. He knelt again before Zhang Ruochen, his voice trembling. "Master, you did not take the divine soul from this Divine Source?"
Zhang Ruochen extended both hands to help him up. "You and I had no real enmity. Back in the Hundred Clans Royal City, it was entirely because you attacked me first that I took your Divine Source as a minor punishment. Now that you sincerely submit to me, I naturally trust you!"
"The saying goes, 'Trust a person without suspicion.' There is no need to take half your divine soul. That would only hinder your future cultivation."
"Master... I am willing to die for you!" Bone Emperor said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "If you truly have this intention, I, this Realm Lord, will surely help you reach the Tai Xu Realm in the future."
To subdue a great god, immediate benefits alone were insufficient. One had to promise him tremendous future rewards.
Bone Emperor's spirit lifted greatly, but he still controlled his emotions. "I dare not hope for so much!"
Cang Jue witnessed all of this, his estimation of Zhang Ruochen rising several levels.
One who could kill enemies could be called a War God, dominating the universe.
But one who could accept enemies and make them willingly submit was truly fearsome.
Was Zhang Ruochen really trusting Bone Emperor by not taking half his divine soul?
It was not that simple.
This was the method to subdue Bone Emperor!
Also, Zhang Ruochen knew that Bone Emperor's hatred for the Bone Divine Temple had reached an extreme. Even if he returned his Divine Source, he could never go back to the Bone Divine Temple.
If not the Bone Divine Temple, then he could only submit to Zhang Ruochen.
It did not take long for Bone Emperor to refine the Divine Source back into his body, his cultivation restored.
He no longer appeared as wretched as before. His divine might was imposing, his killing intent soaring to the heavens, like a demonic overlord emerging into the world.
"Since your cultivation is restored, come with me. I need to go to Fengdu Ghost City to handle a personal matter," Zhang Ruochen said.
Bone Emperor bowed. "Master, can you wait one hour? I also have a personal matter to attend to."
...
A divine temple east of the Ten Thousand Bone Cave stood ten thousand meters tall, built entirely from ink-green stone and countless white bones, emitting a foul, rotting odor.
Extreme Wind Great God sat inside the temple. On his skeletal body, fifty-seven bones shone with exceptionally bright divine light, all taken from Bone Emperor.
Through constant bone replacement and refinement, Extreme Wind Great God's divine body was now far stronger than before. He calculated silently in his heart, "Once I absorb all of Bone Emperor's divine bones, among Taiyi Great Gods, who will be my match? Hmph!"
The temple doors suddenly pushed open.
Extreme Wind Great God was furious. Yin-sha qi condensed into a pair of divine eyes, manifesting within the temple.
Seeing Bone Emperor standing at the entrance, he roared, "I did not summon you. What are you doing here?"
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
Bone Emperor threw two Bone Clan False Gods into the temple.
The bodies of the two False Gods shattered like plaster statues.
Many divine bones turned to powder.
Extreme Wind Great God's true form manifested. Two window-sized divine eyes floated above his head. He stared at Bone Emperor for a long moment, then burst into laughter. "Bone Emperor, you could not endure any longer, could you? You want to fight?"
The fall of two False Gods stirred no ripples in Extreme Wind Great God's heart. He was utterly indifferent.
Bone Emperor walked into the temple, his divine body like a small mountain, black divine mist flowing through the gaps in his bones. "I have come to take back what is mine."
Extreme Wind Great God tried to persuade him. "I know you are unwilling to accept this. After all, you were once powerful. But without a Divine Source, you will certainly not survive the next Eon Calamity. Rather than being reduced to ashes by the Eon Calamity, why not complete me? This way, you will continue to live, and in the future, you can join me in charging toward the Tai Bai Realm, or even the Tai Xu Realm you never reached."
"You are truly arrogant!"
Lightning crackled around Bone Emperor. In an instant, he reached Extreme Wind Great God, his long fist shooting out.
Extreme Wind Great God sensed something was wrong. Divine runes of rules and divine qi surged outward wildly, unfolding his Divine Realm World for defense.
"Boom!"
The two suspended divine eyes were shattered by Bone Emperor's punch, turning into two clouds of yin qi.