As Li Feng recounted the story, Jiang Liu gradually understood what the Deity Summoning Society was all about, and what the situation was like inside the secret cave.
It turned out that inside was one of the secret altars of the Deity Summoning Society in the Ten Thousand Mountains. As for what was being worshipped, only the higher-ups knew. He was just a Jianghu martial artist who had been forced to join not long ago; of the four people guarding the cave entrance, he was the last to join.
The strongest person currently inside the secret cave is a Seventh Rank Martial Practitioner. Since it's not the day of the sacrifice, the other high-ranking members are not present. Those who went out earlier were purchasing supplies in preparation for the next sacrifice.
He then hurriedly begged for forgiveness, saying that those heinous acts were done by them and had nothing to do with him. Jiang Liu nodded noncommittally.
Finally, he said that now, including himself and the dead Chen Wei, there were eleven people inside. Upon hearing this, Jiang Liu immediately lost all restraint. These few weaklings—why be so cautious?
In a flash, he appeared at the cave entrance, Eight Steps of Trampling, and stomped down. Instantly, the three martial artists at the entrance of the secret passage felt as if they had been struck in the chest by a heavy hammer, and they spat out a mouthful of blood.
Then, three loud bangs rang out from the secret passage, and the three martial artists were blown into three pools of minced meat. As Jiang Liu's spiritual energy increased He Yuan reserves deepened, the power of this Eight Steps of Trampling grew stronger and stronger.
Ordinary martial artists below the sixth rank simply cannot withstand his single step.
Jiang Liu stood above the cave entrance, waiting for the people inside to come out. Li Feng, seeing the horrific scene at the cave entrance, immediately admired his own wise choice.
With such a commotion just now, they would definitely come out, so Jiang Liu didn't bother going in to look for them.
Not long after, a commotion was heard at the cave entrance, and six figures, led by a Seventh Rank Martial Practitioner, filed out.
The Seventh Rank Martial Practitioner shouted as soon as he stepped out of the cave, "Which scoundrel dares to cause trouble here? Aren't you afraid of death?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he immediately felt a pain in his dantian, followed by a chaotic surge of vital energy. Then he felt his meridians explode, and after that, he felt nothing at all.
The martial artists who followed behind panicked upon seeing their superior's gruesome death and scattered in all directions.
Fortunately, Jiang Liu was prepared. With an Annihilation by Thought, he enveloped the entire area, and the remaining five martial artists immediately fainted and collapsed to the ground. Jiang Liu stared at their miserable state, his expression froze. Three more had died. Sigh! So be it! They were going to die sooner or later anyway.
However, I really need to practice a lot with other people to Annihilation by Thought, otherwise it will be difficult to use the Ruyi. Hmm! It seems that the Deity Summoning Society and the White Lotus Sect are good practice subjects.
Jiang Liu woke up the two remaining martial artists from the Deity Summoning Society who were still alive. Upon waking, the two immediately scrambled backward in terror, crying out, "Don't kill me! Don't kill me!"
They seemed quite frightened. Jiang Liu shouted, "Stop! If you make another sound, I'll send you all to your deaths!"
"Uh!" The two martial artists immediately shut their mouths, staring at Jiang Liu with terrified eyes. It had just been too frightening. In complete darkness, with no one to call for help and no awareness of the outside world, this was the most terrifying thing they had encountered since embarking on the path of cultivation.
"Now can you tell me what you were doing in there?" Jiang Liu asked gently.
However, to the two martial artists, this gentle tone sounded like the voice of a demon. They quickly replied, "Inside is our altar for inviting the gods. As long as the sacrificial ceremony is successful, we can invite the gods to descend and help us create Child of the Gods. Finally, the Child of the Gods will lead us onto the path to heaven and escape this painful human world."
"Weren't you performing sacrifices all along? Did the gods descend?" Jiang Liu continued in a gentle tone.
"The sacrifice must be performed once every three months, and it must be repeated forty-nine times to be successful!"
Jiang Liu laughed when he heard this. It's just like those feng shui scams! They make you worship for more than ten years, and even if you live to see it, they'll say you weren't sincere and you have to start all over again.
"Oh? How many times have you performed the sacrifices already?"
"We have already held twelve sacrifices; we will prepare for the thirteenth sacrifice next month."
Hmm! It's been three years! It seems that we've become careless because of the long period of peace; otherwise, our defense wouldn't be so weak.
"Alright, take me to see your altar. You don't refuse to let outsiders visit, do you?"
"No, no! Our altars are open to the public; we wouldn't refuse visitors." The gods open their altars to outsiders? If they weren't outmatched, would they show them to you? The remaining two warriors, quite willingly, led the way into the secret passage.
Jiang Liu then turned to Li Feng and said, "You hurry up and come with me."
After saying that, he also walked into the secret passage. Li Feng quickly ran over and followed him into the secret passage.
Upon entering the secret passage, Jiang Liu felt a sense of suffocation; the ventilation was poor. Jiang Liu mentally complained. Several small rooms had been dug along both sides of the passage; three of them were mangled and bloodied, while the other two were clean.
After walking along the reinforced, winding secret passage for about three or four hundred meters, a bright light suddenly appeared before my eyes, revealing a spacious hall at the end of the passage.
Several lights were lit in the hall, and in the center was a huge altar. On the altar was enshrined a god Jiang Liu didn't recognize, a fierce-looking figure standing there.
The remaining two warriors, upon seeing the statue, habitually knelt there, muttering incantations.
Upon seeing this, Jiang Liu couldn't help but sigh inwardly, realizing that such theories about gods and ghosts were popular everywhere, even among martial artists.
Then they looked around at the rooms next to the hall and began their treasure hunt.