This sacrifice.
His cultivation first rose to the peak of the Spirit Transformation Realm, and the three Blood Spirit Soul Sacrificing Banners from the Su Family evolved into Heavenly Dragon True Fate Banners, their power several times greater than before.
He even broke through the Su Family's restrictions in one fell swoop.
How could the power of the heavens compare with the Su Family's? Once he decided to break the restrictions, they shattered.
However, Lin Shuguang did not know that the moment the restrictions on the Blood Spirit Soul Sacrificing Banners were broken, the Su Family, far away in the imperial capital, immediately sensed the anomaly coming from them.
A Clan Elder stationed at the Ancestral Shrine summoned someone and asked, "Whose hands are the Blood Spirit Soul Sacrificing Banners in?"
"Reporting to you, Clan Elder, they are in the hands of Su Lengyue, the daughter of the third branch."
"Forget it. There's no need to report this. She must have noticed already." The Su Family Clan Elder spoke slowly. Since this matter was connected to Su Lengyue, he seemed to have no need to worry too much.
"Ancestor, did something happen to the Blood Spirit Soul Sacrificing Banners?" the other person asked with a bow.
The Su Family Clan Elder pondered for a moment. "The restrictions I personally placed on them back then have been broken. I can't deduce anything from the karma involved for the time being."
"They were broken? If someone could break your restrictions, Ancestor, doesn't that mean their strength is at least no weaker than yours?" The other person was somewhat startled.
The Su Family Clan Elder reassured him, "There's no need to panic. Lengyue is no ordinary person. Besides, she has His Majesty's protection. Nothing should go wrong in Xuanyuan City... As for breaking my restrictions, I'm afraid it wasn't done by human strength."
"What does Ancestor mean?"
"When the restrictions were broken, I intended to intervene, yet I sensed no aura of Martial Dao Will at all. There are probably two possibilities. Either some ancient power was triggered, or someone used some kind of divine artifact."
"Could it be because our Su Family has just received His Majesty's favor, and someone wants to cause trouble in secret?"
"At a time like this, whoever dares cause trouble is effectively making His Majesty unhappy. But this matter is full of oddities... Just tell Lengyue not to leave the imperial capital for now."
"Yes, Ancestor."
On the other side of the Su Family, a cold-faced young woman toyed with a long whip. Without looking up at the attendant beside her, she said indifferently, "I told Su Beichen to come see me. Why hasn't he appeared yet?"
The attendant replied in a low voice, "Reporting to you, Young Miss, Young Master Beichen is still in the Central Province. He says he is ill and temporarily unable to leave."
"What nonsense! While I was in seclusion, that brat took my Blood Spirit Soul Sacrificing Banners without a word. It's been months, and he still doesn't dare come see me." Su Lengyue gripped the blood-red whip and slowly rose.
She did not tell the attendant that she had just sensed that three of the Blood Spirit Soul Sacrificing Banners she had refined had completely severed their connection with her mind.
Back then, Su Beichen had "borrowed" three of her Blood Spirit Soul Sacrificing Banners. After all, he was her younger brother, so she had allowed him to take them, turning a blind eye as she let Su Beichen go to the Central Province.
But he had not returned for months. He had even kept delaying her orders and refused to come to Xuanyuan City.
Previously, Su Lengyue had thought Su Beichen was afraid she would settle accounts with him over "borrowing the banners." Only when something happened to the three Blood Spirit Soul Sacrificing Banners today did she realize that matters had already strayed from what she had imagined.
She said indifferently, "Tell me everywhere Su Beichen has gone since the beginning of this year, and everything he has experienced."
After a while.
Su Lengyue spoke. "Prepare the carriage."
"Young Miss." The attendant was startled and hurried after her. "Where are you going?"
"Demon Mountain first."
"Demon Mountain? Young Miss, something just happened there. Wouldn't it be unlucky to go now?"
"Stop talking nonsense. Hurry and prepare the carriage!"
Lin Shuguang stood guard inside the Spatial Altar. After his strength rose another level, he could sense the majesty existing between heaven and earth even more clearly.
"This world is unfathomably deep."
While sighing in admiration, Lin Shuguang also made a decision.
He would not run anymore. He would stay!
The people of the Demonic Moon Sect had sacrificed to an evil god. If he killed them and used them as sacrifices, he would likely obtain plenty of good things.
Lin Shuguang was not interested in the low-level disciples of the Demonic Moon Sect. For one thing, they had little value; for another, killing them would waste his energy.
Capture the leader first!
Although Lin Shuguang could not defeat Marquis Gu, that did not mean the Demonic Moon Sect had no capable core members like the Blue-Clad Youth.
At present, everyone in the Demonic Moon Sect surely thought Lin Shuguang was hiding and did not dare show himself.
But Lin Shuguang was bold because of his skill. Though he knew there were tigers on the mountain, he chose to walk toward the tiger mountain.
At a time like this, sneaking back into the Demonic Moon Sect's lair was certainly something they would never expect. It would instead make it even more convenient for Lin Shuguang to kill and sacrifice them.
"As long as I seize the right moment, this reverse operation will definitely maximize my gains."
He still had at least eight hours before his night watch shift. That was more than enough time for Lin Shuguang to carry out his assassination plan.
Taking advantage of the Demonic Moon Sect disciples patrolling nearby being off guard, Lin Shuguang emerged from the Spatial Altar.
He switched his Dao Patterns to Dark Prison, and his aura immediately became far more subdued. It seemed perfectly suited to the dark, cloud-shrouded sky, blending seamlessly into the surrounding shadows.
Lin Shuguang went deeper in one straight line. He slipped through the shadows like a fish in water and began investigating the Demonic Moon Sect's experts.
The ordinary disciples likely had not received the evil god's gifts. Thus, even if he killed them, he would be unable to obtain any valuable treasures from the Heaven Sacrifice Talismans. Only those evil priests who had won the evil god's "favor" were truly valuable.
About twenty or thirty li from the town controlled by the Demonic Moon Sect, a team composed of Demonic Moon Sect disciples was searching for Lin Shuguang's whereabouts.
There were three men among them, and their clothing was indeed quite different from that of the Demonic Moon Sect... Lin Shuguang guessed that these three were certainly subordinates of Marquis Gu.
The target was confirmed.
Lin Shuguang equipped the Dao Patterns of Dark Prison and continued sneaking forward.
Unlike when he had equipped Dark Prison at the Profound Connection Realm, Lin Shuguang, now at the peak of the Spirit Transformation Realm, finally sensed the marvel of Dark Prison.
Where there is no light, I am the walking Demon God.
"Senior Brother Gu, what in the world has that thief become? We've searched for so long, yet we still can't find him." Of the three men, one was short and had a birthmark on his left cheek. His face was full of impatience. He had been cultivating peacefully in the Demonic Moon Sect, only to have his routine disrupted by this sudden chaos. Anyone would be displeased.
The man in the middle, who wore an earring in his right ear, said with an evil smile, "Don't you find it interesting? The key to the treasury was in our people's hands, so how did that person get inside? How did he steal it? Especially the second door—it still had the Protector's spiritual restriction, yet he managed to steal it without anyone noticing. What does that tell us?"
"What does it tell us?" The other two turned to look at him.
The earringed man spoke indifferently. "There's a mole among us."
"Watch your words!"
"How could that be!"
The birthmark-faced man and "Senior Brother Gu" cut him off bluntly. "The Marquis acted personally back then. If it had been one of our own, how could he possibly have failed to discover it? Besides, only those few people can break the Protector's restriction. They're all the Marquis's trusted subordinates. Even if we betrayed him, those people would never betray him."
"Damn it. The Marquis was originally planning to offer a sacrifice tonight. Now the sacrificial offering is gone, so what the hell are we supposed to sacrifice? I was still waiting to win the favor of the evil god."
The earringed man looked at the birthmark-faced man in surprise. "What? Are you about to break through?"
The birthmark-faced man replied blandly, "Soon." Yet his gaze shifted toward "Senior Brother Gu."
Senior Brother Gu said indifferently, "Get ready and prepare to leave. The Marquis personally laid a net that covers heaven and earth this time. We don't have much time either. If we delay too long, it will certainly arouse suspicion from outside. If we also draw the Black Prison here, I'm afraid things won't end well."
"What's there to fear?" the birthmark-faced man sneered. "I heard a group of newcomers has come to the Black Prison. If they dare come, I'll be the first to chop off their heads. Let's go and see whether those women have found any useful information."
As he spoke, he stood before the door and made a move to open it.
"Boom!"
Just then.
A hand violently smashed through the door from outside and clamped around the man's throat with precise, overbearing force.
Before the other two could react, the door exploded, and the wood splintered into countless fragments.
The birthmark-faced man's entire body seemed to be seized and crushed by an irresistible force. He was thrown ten meters backward and slammed heavily into the wall behind him.
"Crack—" "Crack—" "Crack—"
Countless cracks appeared in an instant.
The birthmark-faced man's body was embedded in the wall. Blood streamed from his seven orifices as the opposing force shattered every meridian in his body.
"You... Pfft!"
He spat out mouthful after mouthful of blood.
In the utterly silent room, the sound was especially piercing.
Senior Brother Gu and the earringed man came to their senses at the same instant.
"Attack!"
The moment the two shouted angrily, before they could even draw their weapons—
Rumble!
The entire private room shook violently!
Ten meters away, Lin Shuguang's figure seemed to drag out a surging, scorching wave of air as he performed a Draw and Slash!
The air screamed sharply from the friction of his incredible speed.
The terrifying power of the Spirit Transformation Realm was absolutely incomparable to Lin Shuguang's strength when he had been at the Profound Connection Realm.
In an instant!
Man and blade became one!
Along the path where he swept forward horizontally, the walls on both sides seemed to be ravaged by a savage force. They exploded in midair, and countless cracks spread outward.
The howling gale nearly filled the entire private room in an instant.
It blew the clothes of "Senior Brother Gu" and the earringed man into a furious flutter.
Their eyes widened in horror, reflecting Lin Shuguang's cold, murderous approach—he descended in an instant, bringing his blade down from above like a Demon God suppressing the world.
Suddenly.
In that heart-pounding moment, "Senior Brother Gu" and the earringed man felt as if a hand had seized their hearts and wrenched them tight.
They could not dodge!
They could not even afford to dodge!
The blade shattered the heavens, while an explosive gale roared beside their ears... From Lin Shuguang's arrival to the eruption of that slash, everything happened within one-thousandth of a breath.
Faced with such a breathtaking display of power, the two men had no time to be shocked, much less to wonder about Lin Shuguang's origins.
The threat of death was right before their eyes!
"Clang—"
The sword left its sheath. "Senior Brother Gu's" longsword had emerged only one-third of the way when, with a "pfft," his head flew high into the air, blood spraying across the earringed man's face, which was filled with terror.
"Pfft—"
The sound of flesh being severed rang out again.
One slash, two lives!
Lin Shuguang steadied himself. As the two headless corpses collapsed beside him, he turned and casually flicked the longsword that was still falling through the air with one finger.
The longsword let out a sword cry.
It shot away like a hidden weapon.
"Pfft—"
It pierced straight through the heart of the birthmark-faced man embedded in the wall.
Within the time of two breaths, all three men had been killed.
Lin Shuguang remained utterly calm. He tossed the three corpses into the Spatial Altar and sacrificed them on the spot.
The three men had brought him thirty drops of Golden Dew, equivalent to one hundred and twenty years of lifespan.
Lin Shuguang curled his lips and accepted it reluctantly.
He took one step forward and vanished.
Ten minutes later, the Demonic Moon Sect disciples who had been sent away returned to the inn. When they saw the gruesome scene, every one of them was horrified.
"It's him! It's that man!"
"He hasn't left!"
"Quick, quick! Go to the rear mountain and notify the elders!"
Somewhere in the town.
Sword shadows flew everywhere. Lin Shuguang faced the enemy alone, his aura soaring like a rainbow after equipping the Sky-Breaking Axe. Like a God of War, he faced the combined assault of five experts at the peak of the Spirit Transformation Realm and never fell behind.
The Sky-Breaking Axe was different from Dark Prison.
Dark Prison focused on concealing one's blood energy and was suited for assassination.
The Sky-Breaking Axe, however, was like a God of War returning. It emphasized the imposing might of one man holding the pass against ten thousand, with blood energy soaring like a rainbow.
Under Lin Shuguang's furious roar, the five experts at the peak of the Spirit Transformation Realm were actually intimidated. Though they possessed the numerical advantage, they were inexplicably being suppressed and beaten by Lin Shuguang alone.
"Fight to the death! Use the secret technique!" One of the five hardened his expression, his ferocity surging.
With an angry roar, he seemed to unleash a thunderclap!
In the next moment, the other four beside him changed just as he did. Their arms swelled as if filled with air, and the chests of all five turned blood-red, with crimson patterns of light seeming to flow across them.
The blood energy of all five erupted simultaneously.
They unleashed roars like savage beasts.
"Kill!"
The five lunged forward madly!
Lin Shuguang's gaze sharpened. He could tell that these men had likely used the power granted after the sacrifice.
"The evil god's power is rather interesting."
He took the three banners out of the Spatial Altar.
The Heavenly Dragon True Fate Banners!
You can temporarily increase your strength, and so can I!
If you have the guts, then let's clash head-on!
This was Lin Shuguang's first time using the upgraded Blood Spirit Soul Sacrificing Banners.
He threw out the three banners.
They hovered around Lin Shuguang. As they resonated with some corresponding magnetic field, Lin Shuguang's blood energy erupted with a roar like a furnace. At this moment, even his Demon God Body faintly seemed to be confronting the laws of heaven and earth here.
The True Fate Realm could also be called the Realm of Laws.
Upon reaching this realm, Lin Shuguang could unlock his Demon God Body.
Although he was currently at the peak of the Spirit Transformation Realm, with the might of the Heavenly Dragon True Fate Banners, he raised his strength infinitely toward the True Fate Realm.
Aside from not yet mastering the power of laws, his physical body and strength were no different from those of someone in the True Fate Realm.
"Boom!"
Facing the five men charging toward him, Lin Shuguang's eyes were indifferent.
He brought down a vicious, murderous slash!
The oncoming man's swollen body exploded like a balloon being forcibly crushed, blood spraying wildly.
The bones throughout his body emitted a chain of explosive cracks.
"Pfft—"
Every bone in the first man's body shattered, and blood burst from his seven orifices.
Under such a domineering and merciless slash from Lin Shuguang, there was absolutely no chance he could survive.
Lin Shuguang turned his hand and delivered another slash.
The other four men's massive bodies were sent flying as if they were goose feathers. The terrifying Saber Light had reached the pinnacle of power, and countless blades of light came crushing down.
"True! Life! Realm!" someone cried out with the final astonishment of his life.
In an instant! Their physical bodies were smashed apart, leaving them no place to be buried!
Before you continue