River God Sacrifice

Two months passed in a flash.

The three siblings controlled seven Truth Destroyer Type-1s. With constant harassment, the Returning Truth Sect's peripheral forces and Fetal Respiration Realm disciples killed by the Truth Destroyer Type-1's arrows numbered a staggering nine hundred and sixteen!

This was only because the Returning Truth Sect, unable to bear the harassment, had proactively abandoned Longevity King County and Huai Lake County half a month ago, holding fast to Jiuzhai County.

Otherwise, this number could have been multiplied several times!

Even so, the Returning Truth Sect could be said to have suffered a significant blow.

The Returning Truth Sect governed three counties with a total population of just over four hundred thousand. Among them, the peripheral military force, mainly composed of the county soldiers controlled by the Life Execution Hall and Might Execution Hall in the three counties, numbered more than six thousand, all well-trained soldiers.

The Returning Truth Sect's official disciples, including Inner Disciples at the fourth level of the Fetal Respiration Realm and above, elite disciples at the seventh level of the Fetal Respiration Realm and above, stewards, and True Disciples, Hall Masters, and Elders who had reached the True Qi Stage, totaled only three hundred and forty-nine!

Among those killed by the Truth Destroyer Type-1's arrows, most were from the six thousand-plus peripheral military force, but it still dealt a great blow to the Returning Truth Sect.

Having successively abandoned the territories of two county towns, the Azure Jade Gate and Guangyuan Prefecture City were like hungry wolves, each devouring a county, forcing the Returning Truth Sect into the 'corner' of Jiuzhai County.

At this rate, the Returning Truth Sect would become history in at most half a year.

However, Jiuzhai County was full of mountains, hills, gullies, and extremely dense forests.

Easy to defend, difficult to attack!

The Returning Truth Sect held fast to Jiuzhai County, making it difficult for either the Azure Jade Gate or the major gangs in Guangyuan Prefecture City to advance further.

After a month and a half of fierce attacks, with heavy losses and little results, the Azure Jade Gate and Guangyuan Prefecture City each turned to consolidating and managing their new territories, only blockading the Returning Truth Sect without launching further attacks.

The Truth Destroyer Type-1's revenge, however, had not ended.

Five Truth Destroyer Type-1s roamed Jiuzhai County, killing anyone belonging to the Returning Truth Sect without exception!

These Returning Truth Sect disciples had mostly grown up from handyman disciples like Lu Qingshan, with a slim chance of survival. Their families suffered greatly from the Returning Truth Sect's exploitation, and they were originally on the opposite side.

But as they stood out from the handyman disciples, were promoted to official disciples, and gained power beyond ordinary people, they transformed into vested interests. They turned into the very group they once hated and resented the most, maintaining the Returning Truth Sect's rule to preserve their superior status and vested interests.

This almost Gu-like method of cultivation was the foundation of the Returning Truth Sect's rule over the three counties for more than two hundred years.

These people had extinguished their conscience and nature. Even if they weren't full of evil, they were certainly not good. Lu Qingfeng killed them without the slightest hesitation. He remembered that when the three siblings were fleeing into the mountains, they were relentlessly pursued by these Returning Truth Sect lackeys, nearly driven to desperation and death in the wilderness.

Lu Qingfeng had told Lu Qingshan that in at most three to five years, they would be able to take revenge and destroy the Returning Truth Sect.

Now, less than two years after escaping, they had already pushed the Returning Truth Sect to the brink of destruction.

Jiuzhai County.

The once-in-a-decade 'River God Sacrifice' began.

Legend has it that more than two hundred years ago, a River God in the Chengyang River was evil. It would often stir up storms, slaughter humans, and create monstrous waves. The Founding Ancestor of the Returning Truth Sect descended, fought the River God, and finally signed a contract with it—

Every ten years, the banks of the Chengyang River would sacrifice newborn infants to the River God, and the River God would ensure favorable weather along the banks.

Favorable weather was not necessarily guaranteed, but the once-in-a-decade 'River God Sacrifice' had been passed down.

This day.

Was the day the River God Sacrifice began again.

At the Blackwood Village section of the river, seven or eight male and female infants were placed in wooden basins, their feet facing the sky, carrying their ignorance of the strange world, and were placed into the vast Chengyang River, drifting with the water!

Starting from Blackwood Village, along the banks of Dianshui Village, Huangyan Village, Pingyan Village, and Ningkou Village, all those born on the third day of the third month of the year were placed in wooden basins and floated downstream.

The parents of these infants were either numb, timid, or fiercely struggling, and were beaten to death alive.

In the end.

Dozens of infants, either sleeping soundly or crying loudly, floated towards the lower reaches of the Chengyang River.

Along the northern bank, Returning Truth Sect disciples guarded to prevent anyone from intercepting the infants halfway.

In the past, there had been no shortage of desperate villagers who tried to secretly rescue their children, only to be drowned in the river by the Returning Truth Sect.

But this time, a change occurred at the very beginning of the 'River God Sacrifice'!

At the five major river sections, five figures appeared almost simultaneously. These five people were all dressed in black robes, completely covering their bodies. As soon as they appeared, they came riding the wind, grabbed the infants on the river, and then flew away!

"Black-robed man!"

Luo Junxia was guarding the Ningkou Village section of the river on orders when he suddenly saw the black-robed man appear, and was immediately shocked.

Ever since witnessing the black-robed man's archery skills that night two months ago, and being constantly harassed by the black-robed man during these two months, the Returning Truth Sect members had long become startled birds!

The appearance of the black-robed man immediately caused a commotion among Luo Junxia and the Returning Truth Sect disciples behind him.

The disciples showed hesitation, and some even retreated silently.

The black-robed men who had appeared during this period were superb archers, each of them being an arrow god, and countless souls had perished under their arrows.

Who wasn't afraid? Who dared to stop them?!

"Like a dog catching mice!"

"Shoot the arrows!"

Luo Junxia didn't expect this black-robed man to have designs on the River God Sacrifice as well. His face was extremely ugly, but he didn't dare to retreat. With a wave of his hand, he ordered the thirty disciples behind him to fire their bows and crossbows!

The art of archery sounds simple, but it is not easy to be skilled and accurate.

In order to deal with the black-robed man, the Returning Truth Sect disciples worked hard to practice archery, intending to resist.

After two months, the effect was minimal.

At this moment, more than half of the arrows deviated by tens of meters, which was ridiculously exaggerated. Only a few arrows landed near the black-robed man and the infants, but the black-robed man waved his hand gently and deflected them to the side.

Completely ineffective.

"Waste!"

Luo Junxia drew his bow and shot an arrow, aiming straight at one of the wooden basins. He was also a True Qi Stage expert, and this arrow was above average. If it landed, it would definitely hit the wooden basin and pierce the infant in the wooden basin.

But then he saw the black-robed man holding a crescent moon scimitar, waving it casually, and eight blades flew out, blocking all the arrows behind him.

After that, he quickly disappeared with the infants into the depths of the jungle on the opposite bank.

"It's that move again!"

Luo Junxia gritted his teeth.

That night, Zhao Zhou died, suffering a fatal wound from a sharp blade, which was caused by this move. The black-robed man was fierce, and Luo Junxia hated it secretly, but he didn't dare to pursue.

Not only the Ningkou Village section of the river.

In other sections of the river upstream, forty-two infants were rescued at the same time!

"Black-robed man!"

On Yellow Ganoderma Mountain, Zhuge Chongyang's face was extremely gloomy. During these days, he ordered the Returning Truth Sect to fortify their defenses, giving up the two county towns without hesitation.

All for today's River God Sacrifice!

He didn't expect that the 'black-robed men' who had been wandering in the forest on the north bank had unknowingly gone to the south bank and rescued the infants who were of great use to him.

Even Zhuge Chongyang couldn't help but feel a surge of anger.

"Sect Leader, there are a total of five black-robed men. They can't run far with the babies. Do you want to send someone to chase them?" Xia Zhengyang, one of the elders of the Returning Truth Sect, asked tentatively, his white beard trembling.

"No need!"

"Since they want to do good deeds and accumulate virtue, let them save enough!"

Zhuge Chongyang laughed angrily and said in a deep voice, "Order Jiuzhai County, all infants under one year old should be sent to Yellow Ganoderma Mountain!"

"Yes!"

Xia Zhengyang cupped his fist and responded, and went to give the order.

The Returning Truth Sect's demonic actions were truly outrageous. They had extraordinary martial power in their hands, and the villages under their jurisdiction had no power to resist, or even the will to resist.

Infants under the age of one were sent to Yellow Ganoderma Mountain one by one.