Sacrifice

Zhong Shenxiu followed Feng Xi'er up the mountain, already on full alert.

Suddenly, a commotion came from ahead. The earth caved in without warning, transforming into a gigantic trap.

From underground, dozens of earthen spikes, each as long as a spear, thrust upward. It was clearly some kind of Daoist art—or Western magic!

Feng Xi'er gave a soft shout. A surge of magical power welled up around her, transforming into a multicolored feathered robe that shielded her. She remained utterly composed in the face of danger.

At the same time, countless vines surfaced above the pit. They rapidly intertwined, forming a huge lid that descended from the sky, seemingly intending to lock the vanguard of those caught in the trap inside a cage.

"Kill!"

Zhong Shenxiu had hidden at the back of the formation. Along with several other lucky survivors, he had avoided being struck by the magic. But several dark figures nearby let out furious roars and charged over.

They wielded spears and charged with savage force, carrying the awe-inspiring air of a battle formation. A cavalryman in front of Zhong Shenxiu, relying on the fact that he too had reached Xiantian, drew his saber and met them head-on.

With a clang, one spear knocked the saber flying, while another spearhead pierced straight through his chest.

"We can't meet them head-on."

Zhong Shenxiu dodged to the side, only to see a burly man pursuing him.

After chasing one another for a short distance, the two naturally opened up a separate battlefield.

The burly man pursuing him roared repeatedly. His face was rugged and primitive, and his short golden hair stood up spike by spike. He shouted angrily, "Wood of the Blacklight Knights, here to pass judgment on you today!"

"Pass judgment on me?"

Zhong Shenxiu let out a long howl. His right hand shot out in a claw, True Qi surging three feet outward like the gigantic claw of an Azure Dragon, seizing toward his enemy.

A faint ring of white light radiated from Wood's body. He showed no fear, sweeping his spear horizontally and shattering the move. He did not even bother with the aftershock, instead attacking Zhong Shenxiu directly. It was as if he had cultivated a technique that gave him skin of bronze and bones of iron; his defensive hard-body skill was no weaker than Tang Xiuzhen's.

True Qi? No, that's not right. This is something Western... Battle Qi? It's somewhat similar to the Eastern legends of hard-body techniques reaching Xiantian. Its battle prowess is unparalleled, though it lacks a few subtle changes and turns...

Zhong Shenxiu's combat experience was extraordinarily rich. He immediately changed his moves and engaged Wood in a fierce struggle.

He unleashed Azure Dragon Probes the Clouds Hand, his movements shifting unpredictably like an Azure Dragon Emerging from Water. His moves changed with astonishing speed. With Nine Transformations of the Cloud Dragon, he avoided clashing head-on, instead slowly wearing down his opponent's Battle Qi while searching for an opening.

Bang!

After dozens of exchanges, he closed in. His figure suddenly vanished before the spearhead, appearing at Wood's left side, and one claw struck his waist.

Once True Qi was released, the enemy collapsed limply, his face still twisted with fury.

"Sorry... I don't have much time left."

Zhong Shenxiu's face grew even paler. His entire skin had taken on a blackish-purple hue, as if it were slowly turning into the rigid flesh of a corpse.

The Blood Moon Night had been his greatest ordeal to begin with.

If he had not cultivated the incomplete Daoist art to the peak of the third level, he probably would not even have been able to suppress it temporarily. It would have already emerged to cause trouble.

At that moment, another clear whistle rang out from ahead.

Countless vines flew in all directions. Nine throwing knives transformed into streaks of light and shot across a hundred paces, killing an enemy in black robes who wore an ornate mage's robe.

It was Feng Xi'er. She had finally fought her way out of the trap and slain the principal enemy.

Seeing this, the knights did not retreat. Instead, they roared even more furiously and charged forward. "For the glory of the Blacklight Knights!"

"Hmph, stubborn fools!"

Feng Xi'er delicately pointed her fair hand. Every time one of her fingers fell, a knight was pierced through by a throwing knife and died on the spot.

"This can't go on."

Zhong Shenxiu looked at a knight charging toward him with a fanatical expression, fearless of death. He gave a furious roar. "Kill the enemy and serve the nation!"

His long saber thrust out. He did not dodge or evade the knight's stabbing sword; the saber and sword entered their bodies simultaneously.

Pfft!

The opposing knight's head flew off, yet his face wore an expression of satisfaction.

A sword had pierced Zhong Shenxiu's chest and passed completely through him. He, too, slowly fell.

"I never expected the Su Family to have someone of such fierce temperament. Truly loyal and brave."

Seeing Zhong Shenxiu fall, Feng Xi'er sighed, but said nothing more. To her, wasn't treating the soldiers well normally meant to make use of them now, consuming them and having them risk their lives? Thus, she merely shouted, "Move up!"

At this point, only a dozen or so armored soldiers remained. Led by Tang Xiuzhen, they followed behind Feng Xi'er with solemn expressions, knowing that the Altar Ruins lay just ahead.

When they arrived, there would surely be another great battle!

Tang Xiuzhen was drenched in blood and seriously wounded. When he looked toward where Zhong Shenxiu had fallen, a trace of delight appeared in his eyes.

That pretty boy was finally dead.

Black Mountain's Great Rift.

Zhong Shenxiu's chest was covered in blood. He looked almost like a corpse as he reached this vicinity, and he became somewhat dazed, seemingly recalling that moment from his youth when he had been arrogant and unyielding and come here to stake his life.

Earlier, he had chosen to fake his death and escape.

Under the influence of the Vengeful Spirit, his body had already become nearly zombielike, so naturally it no longer possessed the vital weaknesses of an ordinary person.

Even with a sword through his chest, he could remain completely unaffected.

He even suspected that, even if his heart and head were gone, as long as the Vengeful Spirit remained inside him, he could continue living.

It was an exceedingly strange state.

Moreover, his aura was nearly identical to that of a dead person, making it highly suitable for concealing his presence.

Now, beneath the crimson moonlight, an eerie aura filled the mountains and plains.

He furtively crawled behind a mound and gazed downward.

At some point, a bizarre miniature stone platform had been rebuilt atop the Altar Ruins.

It was pitch-black all over, yet it also seemed to be composed of countless writhing pieces of flesh, forming one massive gate after another.

One door-shaped symbol after another was branded into the gates, seemingly leading to countless spaces and universes.

A careful look was enough to make one dizzy and see stars.

On the altar, Dilia wore a black robe and performed all kinds of twisted, grotesque movements with her limbs. She muttered mysterious incantations without pause, currently opening the long-severed Ancient God Sacrifice.

At the perimeter.

Fisher led a group of knights and mages, desperately intercepting Feng Xi'er as she fought her way through.

What a fine show.

Zhong Shenxiu thought to himself as he carefully observed the altar again, estimating the progress of the sacrifice.

With the Earl's knowledge of the occult, he naturally knew that what the woman was doing was merely opening the gate.

And the gate had not yet been opened.

Even... she isn't the main subject of the sacrifice. She only has the status of a priestess.

The one who will truly receive the gift beyond the gate is someone else?

Accompanying Dilia's incantations, some of the flesh at the edges of the altar slowly writhed and gathered toward the center, gradually transforming into a blood-red gate.

From beyond the gate came a terrifying aura, seemingly crossing countless spaces and dimensions to reach this place.

The mere leakage of that aura caused the surrounding space to ripple. The world seemed to transform into the underworld in an instant, its very nature altered.

The Westerners were jubilant, loudly offering praise, while Feng Xi'er's expression turned pale as she recalled a rumor.

The Unseeable Ancient God!