"A blood sacrifice... every living being in an entire region..."
Lin Qingzhu's voice was soft, almost too soft to hear, yet everyone in the secret chamber heard her clearly.
Zhou Xuan did not look at her.
His gaze was nailed to the gaunt old man.
"Give me the specifics."
The old man shuddered, forcing a hoarse voice from his throat. "To activate the Myriad Spirit Origin Fetus... it must root itself deep in the target region's earth veins, using a blood sacrifice as the catalyst to ignite the fortune of the entire region..."
"How long?"
"Seven... seven days."
The old man's teeth chattered, his words stumbling out. "Once the Origin Fetus roots itself in the earth veins, it takes seven days to completely strip away and transfer the fortune."
"After seven days, everything on that land will be drained dry."
Zhou Xuan tapped his right index finger once against the armrest.
"How many days has Grand Hua Old Ancestor been away from the mountain?"
The old man swallowed.
"Five... five days."
No one in the secret chamber spoke.
Lin Qingzhu's face was utterly bloodless. She abruptly stepped forward, her voice tight. "There are only two days left—"
Zhou Xuan raised a hand to stop her.
Instead of responding, he kept staring at the old man.
"Once the Origin Fetus roots itself in the earth veins, what is Grand Hua Old Ancestor himself doing?"
The old man clearly had not expected that question. He froze for a moment before recovering.
"The Old Ancestor... he must use his own Dao Fruit as a medium throughout the process, guiding the Origin Source of fortune into his body."
"Throughout?"
"Yes, throughout."
The old man nodded vigorously.
"The Origin Fetus is only a conduit. What actually receives and transforms the Origin Source is his Dao