Yet the three were exceptionally cautious, and did not immediately settle beside the remains. After exchanging glances, the elder named Wu carefully flicked his finger, and a cluster of black light descended slowly toward the ground. To their great surprise, as soon as the light touched the blood-red chain, it surged with a sudden roar, blazing fiercely. Within mere breaths, the chain—seeming of great antiquity—was completely reduced to ashes. The celestial witch's skeleton, however, remained untouched, unchanged in its original whiteness, smoothness, and luster. The three elders were overjoyed by this development. Wu then, without further hesitation, drew his hand back, and the black flames instantly vanished. With a slight shift in posture, he landed precisely upon the section of bone that had been quietly observed earlier—the very bone at its center now clearly revealed a faint, shadow-like form resembling a jade scroll. The other two elders, equally excited, followed suit and gracefully descended. "Have the two of you now been able to make out what's here?" After gazing intently at the shadow within the bones for a while, the elder named Wu furrowed his brows and asked. "Not yet. The bones of the Heavenly Wizard contain a certain energy that interferes with our awareness. Though it's somewhat stronger than when we were outside the iron cage, as soon as our consciousness enters, it disperses immediately, making it impossible to clearly perceive the true nature of this object," replied the elder named Yu, gathering his focus with a touch of frustration. "My spiritual awareness is far weaker than either of yours. If even you two find it difficult, then I can hardly hope to do better," sighed the final elder. "Well, matter what it is, since it's something left behind by the Heavenly Wizard, it's likely connected to his teachings and legacy. If we simply break through and extract it, everything will become clear," said the elder named Yu, licking his lips and then offering a strange, amused smile. Then, without waiting for the other two to respond, she flashed a beam of white light, and a slender white bone sword materialized in her hands. With a swift shake, she charged it fiercely downward toward the dark figure. A loud "thud" echoed. As soon as the white bone sword made contact with the bones, the immense power it carried seemed to vanish completely—absorbed as if it had never existed—rebounded off a powerful surge beneath, sending the sword leaping upward. The sword’s sharp edge left not a single trace at the point of impact. The celestial wizard’s remains proved as hard as a diamond. Upon witnessing this, the Three Holy Witches exchanged glances and each immediately saw a look of profound surprise on the other’s face. Even the fallen remains of the celestial wizard were so resilient—testifying to the extraordinary depth and refinement of the cultivation techniques he had mastered in life. This only deepened the Three Holy Witches’ anticipation for the transmission of his teachings. Since the Spirit Bone Sword failed, it now seemed clear that ordinary treasures could not even breach the bones. Other treasures of great potency would destroy not only themselves but also the contents within. To be safe, I shall instead use a secret technique to directly extract them." After taking a deep breath, the elder named Wu firmly stated. "Wu brother intends to employ the Transmutation Technique?" The elder named Yu reacted with a slight expression of interest. "Only this technique can ensure that the relics remain undamaged while the items are successfully retrieved." Wu replied. "However, this technique demands a substantial expenditure of spiritual energy. Wu brother has already used considerable qi earlier—will he still be able to successfully manifest it now?" The third elder hesitated, then asked with growing concern. "Rest assured," Wu said, "since I have spoken thus, I am confident in my ability. Should the technique fail, the two of you may then employ other powerful measures without delay." Upon hearing this, the other two elders naturally found themselves at a loss to offer further objections. Then there appeared an elder named Wu, who first produced a crimson pill, raised his head, and swallowed it whole. After remaining in lotus posture for a while, he rose again, his face glowing with a radiant hue—his previously frail aura now seemed notably revitalized. The elder glanced at the shadow within the bones beneath him, then raised his arm, swiftly pressing a series of intricate hand seals while murmuring a complex, obscure incantation. The other two observers stood quietly by, attentive. As the incantation grew louder, the primordial qi around the blood lake trembled, resonating in an eerie, rhythmic pattern. Luminous, unidentified white characters began to appear near the elder’s body, trembling in unison with the same rhythm and emitting a low, resonant hum. When the hand seals ceased, the elder slowly extended one hand toward the bones housing the shadow. At that moment, the nearby white characters paused briefly, then suddenly became transparent. The elder named Wu, whose outstretched palm had also become translucent and gradually transparent, witnessed an astonishing scene. As his transparent fingers touched the bones, they seemed to vanish into the bone as if by an invisible force, directly plunging inward and grasping the shadow concealed within. What appeared to be an exceedingly simple action, however, caused Wu's magical energy to dissipate at an astonishingly rapid pace, leaving him pale and drenched in sweat within moments. With a soft "puff," Wu finally managed to seize the shadow with his fingers, drawing it back slowly—one inch at a time—his movements notably slower than before. Yet, as the transparent runes on his palm began to flash wildly, his palm finally drew itself fully from the bone, briefly restoring its original form. At the same instant, the runes swirling nearby also emitted a deep, resonant sound, gently pulsing before bursting into fragments. Though drenched in sweat, Wu's face beamed with overwhelming joy. "Wu brother, quickly let us examine this—perhaps it is the jade scroll that records the Master of Heavenly Wuzi's teachings." The other two elders were equally delighted, their eyes fixed intently on their companions' clenched hands, with the elder named Yu urgently speaking. Wu elder said nothing to his two companions at first, but after taking a deep breath, he lifted his hand slowly and then gently released it. There, a dark jade plaque, covered in dense, intricate spiritual patterns, lay revealed. "This...?" Yu elder was momentarily stunned. Yet before he could react, Wu elder suddenly gasped, his face pale with alarm, shouting, "Unfortunate!" and threw the jade plaque high into the air, simultaneously shooting backward. With a sharp "thud," the plaque instantly shattered, spewing forth a dense stream of black characters. After becoming blurred, the characters shot forth like a torrent in every direction, and as soon as they touched the massive floral drum beneath, they surged to life, desperately plunging into it. Though the Three Holy Witches and Spirits were greatly startled, desperately dodging, a portion of the black characters still flashed briefly and vanished into their bodies. The protective luminous aura proved utterly ineffective. The three gaunt elders were stunned, some raising one hand to chant incantations and suddenly summoning several defensive treasures from within their bodies, others shouting a low command, their forms instantly rising with a surge of black flames several cun high. Yet no matter what spells or techniques they employed, they all fell directly from the sky in a single "gurgle" sound, landing squarely upon the bones below. At this moment, black filaments now emerged all over their faces and limbs, almost covering every inch of their skin. Three emaciated elders found their bodies and true essence suddenly paralyzed, completely losing control—so much so that even the immortal embryos deep within them were tightly ensnared by dense, black filaments, rendered immobile. Under such a dramatic turn of events, the three sacred deities of Wulí naturally grew both astonished and furious. At that very moment, as the black characters embedded within the once-still, half-human, half-horse skeletal remains began transforming into slender black filaments that spread across the entire body, inching steadily toward every part of it, two glimmers of green light suddenly flashed within the hollow eyes of the massive skeleton. These green sparks swiftly rotated and then burst into two vigorous, roaring green flames. Simultaneously, a flash of blood surged through the giant’s body, instantly forming a translucent, blood-tinged aura on its surface. This aura rapidly solidified and then swiftly transformed into countless blood filaments, which in turn flashed and penetrated deep into the skeleton itself. At that very moment, an odd hissing sound erupted from within the bones, and threads of black and crimson blood, like mortal adversaries, intertwined and violently twisted, devouring each other. For a brief while, the surface of the bones shimmered with sharp, alternating flashes of black and red light, flickering in and out with restless intensity. "It's a blood-shade spirit transforming into a blood-shade corpse. That thing I just saw wasn't the heirloom of the Heavenly Witch, but rather a sealing script used by the Heavenly Stele Immortal to restrain corpse transformations." The last elder, witnessing this, instantly turned pale as a sheet, his voice rising in a startled cry. The other two elders likewise grew alarmed, desperately attempting to summon their true energy through various hand seals. Yet the black threads clung tenaciously to the meridians, like an unrelenting parasite, rendering all their techniques utterly ineffective. In short, all three elders soon grew ashen-faced. A strange, resonant cry of "Hūng" suddenly issued from the vast skeleton's open mouth. Then, as the green flames within its eyes flickered, the once motionless skeleton began to tremble subtly. The blood threads inside surged, thickening several times over, and swiftly snapped and pulverized the interwoven black filaments, absorbing and merging them into its own body. In moments, the black filaments within the skeleton vanished at a visible pace. The previously still skeleton, which had remained motionless throughout the winter night, suddenly extended a massive arm and pressed it firmly into the ground. With a deep, resonant rumble, its colossal form settled, lifting half of itself upright. This sudden movement sent the three Wuzheng Saints into a state of utter shock. Under normal circumstances, even the formidable Shashipi would not have been daunted by their combined strength. But now, in this situation—where they were at the mercy of the forces arrayed against them—the contrast was stark. Witnessing the celestial witch's skeletal form, transforming into a deadly corpse, about to truly breach the celestial dharma master's seal, all three instantly felt a surge of determination to fight to the end. Immediately, upon a powerful cry from the Wu- and Yu-named elders, their foreheads erupted with a sudden, resonant burst of cracking and shattered, each releasing a small figure who surged forth amidst the swirling mist. As for the final elder, his green light in the eyes suddenly flared, and as green glyphs shimmered across his skin, countless lush vines and plant stems surged forth from within him in a frenzy, transforming him instantly into a towering humanoid tree, several dozen feet high.