Chapter 169 Bai Heng completely loses his composure, Sikong Changfeng launches the "Touching th

laugh--

The thin, continuous sound of being pulled out, so sharp it could send shivers down your spine, continued.

It's not like drawing a sword from its sheath.

It doesn't feel like a sharp weapon cutting flesh.

It's more like someone using extremely steady and meticulous techniques to slowly remove the most crucial pin from a deeply embedded door hinge.

slow.

quasi.

And it cannot be interrupted.

In front of the Taiji Hall, the little bit of life that had been barely maintained by the wind, the movement of clothes, breathing, and whispers gradually quieted down in the sound.

No one dared to speak.

No one was willing to even blink.

All eyes were fixed on a spot an inch off Bai Heng's right chest, on Su Changqing's two fingers.

Because everyone knows—

The third bone is emerging.

And this time, it's even different from the previous two.

The first two lateral sacral vertebrae and the circumflex vertebrae are more at the level of "moving the Dharma body" and "disordering the bone sequence". Those who understand know how powerful it is, while those who don't can only see the guide being injured, the white-robed man bleeding, and the visitor from the Heavenly Gate losing face.

But this particular bone of the Chengmen Gate is different.

This is an unusual bone in the "Boundary Bone" layer that Bai Heng himself admitted to. It is one of the core bones that enabled the Guide to "inherit the boundary," "connect with the boundary," and "stand in front of the gate to look at the human world."

in other words--

This bone is more than just a "bone".

It's more like permissions.

Like a key.

Like a boundary gate component polished deep within the Dharma body of the guide.

If we say that removing the first two bones was more like hitting Bai Heng, disrupting his order, and stripping him of his dignity.

Once that one is truly separated from the body—

It's not about damaging one's dignity.

It's the root cause.

Bai Heng himself understood this better than anyone else.

So at this moment, he was completely tense.

He still appears to be standing.

Although his white robes were disheveled and stained with blood, they remained upright; although his face was terribly pale, his features were still cold and hard; even with a missing shoulder bone and a missing piece of his neck, he was still like a white longsword that had been smashed and cracked, yet still stood up with difficulty.

But only he himself knew.

What is my current state?

The pain in that area of ​​my right chest is more than just pain.

Instead, it's a mixture of several distinct sensations: emptiness, numbness, swelling, astringency, and chaos.

After Su Changqing cut the bone that was binding the gate, the surrounding bone structure that was originally tightly interlocked with it suddenly lost a button that was interlocked the deepest.

They did not collapse immediately.

But everything began to loosen subtly.

When Su Changqing followed the pattern outwards, this looseness was no longer just looseness.

It began to "scatter".

First, a very subtle sense of the boundary was drawn out from the surface of that bone.

Immediately following is the lingering effect of the door sensation attached to it.

Further on, countless tiny, skeletal pathways that were originally attached to it, used it to bear pressure, used it to change order, and used it to catch up with "that one blow above" were all pulled up together.

This feeling is very similar to someone slowly pulling out the deepest hook in your chest cavity.

It doesn't just come out on its own.

It will also cause all the threads, tendons, and the places that should be securely attached to it to tremble along with it.

Bai Heng's forehead was sweating more and more.

The sweat didn't just seep out drop by drop.

Instead, apply a thin layer on the forehead and sides of the bridge of the nose, then slide it down the cheeks.

He wanted to endure it.

But I just couldn't help it.

Because this is something on a completely different level from the first two bones.

The first two pains were painful, but more importantly, they were "injuries to the Dharma body".

As Chengmen Jiegu moved, even the "sense of certainty about the boundary" in his chest, which he had always taken for granted, began to waver.

It was a rare and terrifying sense of loss.

It's as if you're standing in front of a door that would always be open for you, and suddenly someone takes a section off the hinge of that door.

The door is still there.

You're still standing.

But you already know in your heart—

The "as it should be" relationship between you and the door has cracked.

For a fleeting moment, Bai Heng even experienced a brief period of disorientation.

He recalled the feeling of being reshaped, smoothed out, and given a "higher status" when he was first engraved with the Guiding Gate Pattern, Supporting Gate Pattern, Illuminating Life Bone, and Connecting Guiding Bone.

At that time, he didn't feel that it was a deprivation.

I only felt that it was an honor.

It is an "ascension" that transcends the mortal realm, the old self, and all the cognition of ordinary cultivators.

But now, as the same bones are being dismantled one by one, he truly realizes that this so-called upgrade is actually more like a kind of "being assembled".

And now-

Su Changqing is unloading these components one by one.

In front of the Taiji Hall, as the voice continued, everyone's emotions were raised higher and higher.

Lei Wujie was the first to break down, whispering:

"Why haven't they come out yet?"

"Is this one so hard to pull out?"

Wushuang's gaze remained fixed on Su Changqing's fingertips as she softly said:

"It's not hard to smoke."

"It's because it carries a lot of things."

Lei Wujie was taken aback: "Hold what?"

Wushuang thought for a moment and explained it in the most down-to-earth way:

"Like a main tenon that's stuck very deep in the kitchen."

"You can't pull it out too hard, or the surrounding pieces will break off all at once."

"You have to loosen it while pulling it along, and then lift it along the grain."

Lei Wujie's eyelids twitched as he listened.

You're really trying to link everything to chopping vegetables, manual labor, or disassembling mortise and tenon joints these days.

But the problem is-

Surprisingly, he actually understood it.

He glanced at Bai Heng again, almost subconsciously.

Sure enough, Bai Heng's current condition is much worse than the previous two times.

It's not just that his face is white.

Even the corners of his lips and eyes were taut, as if every inch of his bones was aching.

Xiao Se, however, saw something amiss from a different perspective.

"The energy around Bai Heng is dissipating."

Sikong Changfeng, who was staring intently, immediately perked up upon hearing this.

"It's good that it's over, it's wonderful that it's over!"

Xiao Se glanced at him sideways.

"Can't you worry about something else first?"

Sikong Changfeng said earnestly:

"I care about that."

"The more his vital energy dissipates, the more crucial his foundation is, and the higher the value of the project."

"And this also means that once he's actually in the cage, he won't be as likely to cause trouble, and our maintenance costs will decrease."

Xiao Se: "..."

Row.

Now you not only know how to price, but also how to calculate subsequent maintenance.

Li Hanyi held Su Xiaonuo more securely in her arms, and finally looked at her more closely.

It wasn't that she was worried Su Changqing would make a mistake.

Rather, she could sense that after this bone was separated from his body, Bai Heng would probably enter a completely different state than before.

She didn't care what happened to Bai Heng.

What she cares about is—

Will Su Changqing see more things "behind the door" because of this?

After all, last night, he had already touched the vague star points on the outer edge of the Thirty-Three Heavens and even higher within that boundary anchor.

The boundary bone on the guide's body is clearly more active and closer than the boundary anchor.

If we take it apart, we might be able to find a more complete "road".

As soon as this thought arose, when Li Hanyi looked at the bone being pulled out again, the coldness in her eyes faded, replaced by a quieter contemplation.

She suddenly understood why Su Changqing was so patient with this talent.

It's not just valuable.

Instead, it's the value path.

……

Bai Heng finally couldn't hold back any longer, and a very low, hoarse groan escaped from his throat.

He wanted to hold it in.

But I couldn't hold it in.

The moment that sound came out, many people in the square changed their expressions.

Because this is different from the previous two times.

The first two times, no matter how disheveled he was, he still managed to maintain the facade of a "guide".

This time, however, even before the Chengmen Bone was completely detached from his body, the pain and sense of disorder forced him to speak.

What does this mean?

This means that this bone is of far greater significance to him than he previously showed.

Sikong Changfeng almost reflexively flipped open the ledger and whispered to the clerk recording the information:

"remember!"

"Before Chengmen's bones had separated from his body, Bai Heng had already lost his voice."

"This sentence should be bolded."

The man's wrist ached from writing, and sweat beaded on his forehead, but he still gritted his teeth and wrote each stroke carefully.

If Bai Heng knew that his muffled groan had been highlighted and recorded, he would probably vomit blood on the spot.

In fact, he is about to throw up now.

Because most of the boundary bones of the Chengmen have already emerged.

Su Changqing didn't force it.

He is "rising".

First, start with the bone tip, then the bone pattern, and then gradually separate the few strands of boundary meaning that are most tightly attached to it.

It's like someone peeling out a white jade bone hook that's been set very deep and tightly from the space between the sternum and the body's structure, inch by inch.

With each inch peeled away, the feeling of "carrying something" on Bai Heng's chest lessened by an inch.

And that missing inch will immediately transform into an even stronger feeling of emptiness, exploding simultaneously along the ribs towards the heart, the back, and the back of the neck.

He suddenly understood what he had said earlier.

When the life bone moves, it means that "life consciousness is stripped away".

When the iliac crest moves, it means "the perception of going up is being pulled".

The feeling that the boundary bone of the gate brings at this moment is more like—

Someone slowly pulled a beam from your body that was meant to support the whole world.

You're still standing.

The building hasn't collapsed yet.

But as you already know, once that beam completely detaches, the entire building will begin to slowly tilt.

Fear seeps out layer by layer in this process of "knowing that it will happen even though it hasn't fully happened yet".

Therefore, Bai Heng finally did more than just ask for a halt.

He even subconsciously raised his hand, trying to press down on Su Changqing's wrist.

The movements were not significant.

It was more like an extremely desperate and instinctive act of obstruction.

But he had only raised his hand halfway—

Su Changqing then glanced at him.

Just for a moment.

Bai Heng's hand seemed to suddenly lose its strength, stopping in mid-air, unable to press down no matter what he did.

"Don't touch it."

Su Changqing said calmly.

"If this bone structure is too disordered, it's easy for it to crack if pulled out."

Bai Heng's breath hitched.

He no longer cared whether the statement meant "he was in the way" or "he was genuinely worried that a fracture would affect his value."

The two reasons, when put together, were so reasonable that they disgusted him.

And what's even more terrifying is—

He actually didn't dare to touch it.

They could only watch helplessly as Su Changqing continued.

Lei Wujie, watching from the side, couldn't help but rub his arms.

"That's terrifying..."

"What's so terrible?" Sikong Changfeng immediately replied.

"The boss is dismembering his company?"

Lei Wujie nodded vigorously.

"No, it's just that he took it so seriously that I'm less likely to say things like 'I'm tough' in front of my boss in the future."

Sikong Changfeng was taken aback, then nodded in deep agreement.

That makes sense.

"You need to rephrase things differently in the future."

"For example—this person has a stable structure and a large potential for development."

Xiao Se: "..."

You are completely beyond saving.

Wushuang, however, seemed to have truly learned something from it. She gazed thoughtfully at the bone shadow being slowly pulled away from Bai Heng's chest, and whispered:

"The real difficulty wasn't breaking off the connection."

"It was completely removed."

Lei Wujie glanced at him.

"Don't tell me you're going to cut vegetables the same way from now on."

Wushuang calmly replied, "It will be better."

"..."

Fine.

Lei Wujie completely gave up on communication.

……

finally--

After a wait so long that everyone felt every breath was slowed down, Su Changqing gently lifted his fingertip.

laugh!

The last soft sound faded away.

The bone that Bai Heng had desperately tried to press deeper, bury more chaotically, and even used three energy channels to cover it up, finally separated completely from the body.

As soon as it came out, the sunlight seemed to shine on its surface.

It is longer and more complete than the previous two bones.

The bone is an extremely thin and translucent cold white, like polished ice jade, yet more resilient than jade. The middle section is slightly straight, while the two ends are slightly curved. One side is engraved with extremely fine and dense patterns, while the other side seems to have a layer of flowing, ethereal light naturally growing on it.

From a distance, it really does look somewhat like a small, exquisite key.

Or rather—

Bone key.

The entire room fell silent for a moment.

Many people even forgot to gasp in surprise.

Because this bone structure is so special.

Even someone who knows nothing about this can tell at a glance that it is different from the previous two.

That wasn't the kind of weapon with an aggressive feel like "Sharp Bone" or "Dharma Body Bone Fragment".

Rather, it carries a deeper, more profound, and more intimate meaning than the very concept of "connection," "acceptance," or "threshold."

Just like when you see it, you instinctively feel: this thing has really touched a higher door.

Su Changqing took it in his hand, but didn't rush to put it away. He just casually flipped it over and let it spin between his fingers.

Sunlight fell upon it, casting a very faint, cold white streak.

Sikong Changfeng's eyes widened in astonishment.

"nice one……"

He said those three words almost subconsciously.

After speaking, he quickly coughed, trying to appear more composed.

But the light in those eyes could no longer be hidden.

This is good stuff.

Truly good stuff.

Leaving aside its monetary value, the presentation and story alone are enough to elevate the "Bai Heng Special Session" to a new level.

And, most importantly—

It is the third one.

It was the one that Bai Heng himself most wanted to hide and least wanted to have removed now.

What does this mean?

This means that Bai Heng has truly been dismantled to the "roots".

He's not losing parts.

He is losing the qualification component of "Guide".

In front of the Taiji Hall, Bai Heng swayed slightly.

This time, it wasn't just a slight stumble.

It's really starting to feel unsteady.

After the bone fragment of the Chengmen Gate was removed from his body, the sense of support that he could barely maintain in the area of ​​his chest suddenly felt as if a piece of it had been emptied out.

The several meridians in the body that were originally connected by this bone suddenly seemed to have their joints severed.

It won't collapse completely immediately.

But it was enough to make him lose that sense of stability that "I am still the guide" for a while.

That feeling was deadly.

Because from the moment Bai Heng embarked on this path, he relied on this system to "act as a guide."

Now that this thing is being pulled out one by one, what does it resemble?

He himself didn't know.

Thus, Bai Heng's face was no longer just pale.

For the first time, his entire being, from his eyes to his posture, truly displayed an almost empty, dazed state.

It's not a dissipation of the soul.

It's like something that's been holding you up inside has been ripped off, bone and all.

Li Hanyi's eyes narrowed.

"He's about to have a breakdown."

Xiao Se also noticed it.

"It's more troublesome than the collapse of the Dharma body."

"Hmm." Li Hanyi said softly, "If the Dharma body is in chaos, it can still rely on its bone structure and cultivation to hold on. But if the mind collapses, the body will be empty first."

Su Xiaonuo didn't quite understand what "heartbreak" meant, but seeing Bai Heng standing unsteadily, she couldn't help but ask in a low voice:

"Mother, is he going to cry?"

Li Hanyi glanced down at her, her voice very soft.

"More or less."

Bai Heng, who was in the middle of the field, was indeed about to lose his composure.

He stared intently at the Chengmen Bone in Su Changqing's hand, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something.

Before I could even open my mouth, I felt a sweet taste in my throat.

puff.

He finally vomited the fourth mouthful of blood.

This time, it was heavier than the previous times.

Blood fell onto the cracked white jade bricks, seeping down along the fine cracks, like fine silver-red branches blooming on the square.

Su Changqing looked at the bone in his hand, then at Bai Heng.

Finally, he offered a comment.

"This one is really good."

Bai Heng's vision went black.

He's almost completely destroyed.

So the first thing you said was that the bones were good?

Sikong Changfeng, now fully focused, slammed his hand on the account book and shouted:

"Gentlemen!"

"The bone at the junction of the uterus and the ligament has detached from the body!"

"From this moment forward, the 'Bai Heng Special Performance' will be officially upgraded with additional seating!"

"Furthermore, this shopkeeper announces—"

His voice rose, and each word was clear.

"Limited-edition exclusive seats added!"

Seat Name: Touching the Bone!

"Only the most distinguished guests are permitted to observe the Chengmen boundary bone up close, subject to Mr. Su's approval—"

As he spoke, his eyes lit up, and he even got the rhythm just right.

"Even just a light touch with your own hands!"

The entire audience erupted in uproar!

"What?!"

"You can even touch it?!"

"You can even touch the vertebrae at the junction of the vertebrae?!"

"Are you crazy? That's the guide's bone!"

"It's precisely because it's the bone of the guide that it's worth it!"

"I want to order!"

"Get out of my way! I was here first!"

"..."

The already incredibly heated atmosphere almost instantly boiled over after the words "Touching the Bone" were mentioned.

The powerful and wealthy people in the front row were all green with envy.

They originally thought that being able to sit close, see clearly, and hear Bai Heng reporting the bones was enough to make the ticket price worthwhile.

Who would have thought that Sikong Changfeng would actually add such an outrageously crazy new project as "Touching the Bone" on the spot?

It's worth it!

This is something that was actually taken directly from the guide!

What does touching it mean?

This means you didn't just see the fall from a height.

You touched the bone that fell from a height with your own hands.

This kind of experience is so unique that you probably can't find another one like it anywhere in the world, let alone anywhere in the universe.

Xiao Se closed his eyes and after a long while slowly uttered a sentence.

"Sikong Changfeng".

"You're really dark-skinned."

Sikong Changfeng, however, felt no shame whatsoever; on the contrary, his face was full of righteous indignation.

"This is a rare opportunity."

"Resources are precious."

"Naturally, there should be a reasonable stratification."

"Besides, whether or not I touch it depends on Mr. Su's mood, doesn't it? I'm just making a pre-sale plan."

Xiao Se: "..."

You've really done a fast job with this pre-sale plan.

Lei Wujie, envious, asked in a low voice:

"Third brother, can I touch it too?"

Sikong Changfeng glanced at him sideways.

"you?"

"Pay the bill for that bowl of minced meat you chopped up earlier first."

Lei Wujie: "..."

Wushuang stood to the side, her gaze fixed on the boundary bone of the Chengmen. After a moment, she whispered:

"The boss probably won't let anyone touch this bone easily."

Sikong Changfeng was taken aback.

Why?

Peerless Path:

"Because it's not just valuable."

"It might also be pointing the way."

Upon hearing this, Sikong Changfeng immediately became more sober.

Yes!

He was almost overwhelmed by the words "touch the boundary and inherit the bone".

Since the Chengmen Jiegu (a type of boundary bone) can support a gate and connect to a boundary, it is naturally even more valuable for Su Changqing to follow it up to the higher gate.

Thinking of this, Sikong Changfeng immediately changed his mind and instructed the waiter:

"Let's start with 'Touching the Bone', but add this sentence afterward—the final interpretation right belongs to Mr. Su."

The waiter wrote it down with a blank expression.

He has learned it now.

When working at Changqinglou, no matter how outrageous the things are, just take notes.

Bai Heng, upon hearing "Touching the Bone of the Realm," finally broke down completely.

It wasn't vomiting blood.

It is not that the Dharmakaya is out of order.

But the last vestige of cold, silvery order in his eyes shattered completely in that instant.

He looked at the Chengmen Bone in Su Changqing's hand, and listened to the people around him discussing "how to get seats by touching it, whether it's worth making a reservation," and felt as if something had pierced his chest.

Is this really me?

Is this the guide?

This is the "higher qualification" he relied on when he looked down upon the lower realms and determined the fate of each realm.

Now, it has been taken apart and is in other people's hands, becoming something that VIPs can reserve, pay extra for, and wait in line to touch.

At that moment, Bai Heng wasn't even sure if what was bothering him was the bone being removed, or the way these people viewed it.

Yes.

When you are high above everyone else, everyone thinks that every bone in your body is mysterious, sacred, and should not be touched.

But what if someone pulls you down from the sky, disassembles you, shows you, and explains you—

Then you're nothing more than "something".

It's just that this one is a bit more expensive, a bit rarer, and has a stronger story behind it.

Bai Heng's lips trembled, and he suddenly felt as if something was blocking his throat.

Then, he slowly raised his eyes and looked at Su Changqing.

That glance no longer held only shock, anger, and humiliation.

There was also an extremely deep sense of bewilderment.

It's like someone who knew exactly who they were and where they belonged, but suddenly had their most crucial bone removed and could no longer find their original place.

Su Changqing, however, seemed completely oblivious to his bewilderment.

He simply weighed the Chengmen Bone in his palm, as if testing its weight.

Then, he nodded.

"This one is a bit heavier than the previous two."

"good."

After he finished speaking, he turned to look at Li Hanyi.

"Winter clothes".

"Um?"

"Take this back to the Evergreen Realm and keep it for me."

Li Hanyi glanced at the bone and nodded.

"it is good."

She didn't ask what she was going to do with it.

Because she knew that since Su Changqing had spoken up, he must have already made arrangements for where this thing would go in his mind.

Maybe take it on your way.

Perhaps it can be used to repair the boundary.

Maybe we can leave them for now and use them together later when we find the more complete ones.

In short, it's definitely not something you can just hold onto and look at for nothing.

Su Xiaonuo's eyes lit up immediately when she heard "bring back to Changqing Realm".

"Father!"

"May I take a look first?"

Su Changqing glanced at her and chuckled.

"Not now."

Why?

"It's also dirty."

"Oh……"

Little Nuonuo immediately understood and nodded earnestly.

"Then show it to me after you've washed it clean!"

"OK."

The father and daughter spoke with perfect naturalness.

But everyone else in the room felt as if their minds had been violently shaken.

Chengmen Jiegu.

The third bone was removed from the body by the guide.

They regarded it as a treasure that had fallen from the sky.

When it came to Su Changqing, his first reaction was actually—

It's still dirty, let's wash it first.

This art style is truly unique.

Bai Heng finally couldn't stand any longer. His knees buckled, and with a thud, both knees hit the ground.

This time, it wasn't because of the rules for the guide.

It wasn't because Su Changqing was forcibly suppressing it.

Rather, it was his own internal disorder and mental collapse, coupled with the real "slippage of the Chengmen sense" after the Chengmen bone separated from his body, that made it difficult for him to even barely stand upright.

When both knees landed, the white jade cracked brick trembled slightly again.

And Bai Heng, as a whole, finally truly transformed from a "white-robed guide" into a "person kneeling on the earth."

The shell of the guide was completely cracked.

Sikong Changfeng watched this scene and slowly exhaled a long breath.

Then, almost without pausing, he turned to a new page in the ledger.

"Bai Heng Special Session"

"Pre-orders are now open."