Mysterious Ritual

Half a day later.

Su Ye walked through the deathly silent mountain forest with a wooden expression. At this moment, he was incredibly frustrated, wishing he could pin the guy calling out to him to the ground and grind him into the dirt, over and over again.

Damn it.

After controlling someone, couldn't you at least make them run?

Why did it have to be walking?

The Great Wilderness was vast; was this guy trying to make him walk until the end of time?

Actually, Su Ye wasn't being controlled at all. He was merely feigning control to see who was behind this and why they were pulling such bizarre stunts.

As for danger?

Su Ye wasn't too worried. If the culprit were truly powerful, they wouldn't be targeting a common village of less than a thousand people; they would be going after tribes with tens of thousands of members.

Soon, following the call echoing in his mind, Su Ye arrived at a mountain range.

The mountains were eerie, devoid of any sound—not even the chirping of insects or birds.

Passing through the mountains, Su Ye reached a massive valley. The space inside was vast, and there were many people gathered within this wide expanse.

These people were all kneeling on the ground, their expressions dull and vacant, all bowing toward the deepest part of the valley.

Seeing the people kneeling before him, Su Ye immediately realized that these were the missing villagers from the empty settlements.

He cast his gaze toward the depths of the valley. There, a massive altar stood, and upon it sat a figure. Beside the figure was a colossal Ancient Bronze Pillar, covered in strange patterns that radiated a profound and mysterious power.

When Su Ye's eyes fell upon the giant pillar, his gaze went blank for a split second. This wasn't his act; it was a genuine lapse in consciousness.

In that instant, his mind seemed to enter another world—a glorious and sacred realm where divine radiance permeated the heavens and earth. Bathing in that light, he felt as if he were transforming into a deity, leaving him intoxicated.

This power was incredibly strange, capable of assimilating a person's consciousness, but for Su Ye, who possessed the Samsara Eye, this level of power was not enough to control him.

Mysterious patterns emerged within his pupils, allowing him to see what the naked eye could not: the giant pillar on the altar was emitting fine filaments, and these filaments were connected to every single person in the valley.

"This is... the power of faith?"

Su Ye's expression shifted. As someone from a tribe, how could he not know about the power of faith? It originated from the mental energy of all living beings.

In this era, there existed a special entity known as a Sacrificial Spirit. Through rituals, living beings offered their mental energy to the Sacrificial Spirit, and in return, the Sacrificial Spirit protected them.

This was especially common among the human race. Because humans were born weak, every human tribe—and even some villages—had their own Sacrificial Spirit for protection.

But the scene before him...

This was definitely not a normal sacrificial ritual.

"Huh? You weren't purified?"

Suddenly, a voice of surprise rang out. The middle-aged man in black robes sitting on the altar opened his eyes. His gaze was incredibly deep, as if it contained the terrifying phenomena of the sun, moon, and stars. He looked at Su Ye and smiled with disdain: "Looking at your age, you're likely only at the Spirit Transformation Realm. Tell me, little one, what are you doing here?"

Since the boy before him hadn't been controlled, it was clear he hadn't been controlled from the start. He hadn't come here under duress; he had come of his own volition.

Whether the boy was confident or arrogant, since he had come, he wouldn't be leaving.

The black-robed man waved his hand, and the world seemed to lose its color. A roar echoed through the heavens, and endless black clouds gathered above the valley. Within those clouds, a terrifying phantom of a demon god emerged, stretching out a massive hand to grab Su Ye.

Su Ye looked up at the phantom in the sky and felt a terrifying, overwhelming force. At the same time, he saw a horrific scene of mountains of corpses and seas of blood. This was the exact opposite of the sacred vision he had seen earlier; the world was filled with carnage, countless people were wailing, and the entire world had turned into an apocalypse.

It was eerie and terrifying.

Su Ye steadied his mind, runes blooming all over his body as he dodged the giant palm. His expression was grave, runes swirling within his eyes.

The opponent was at the Spirit Transformation Realm, and by borrowing the power of faith, he possessed enough strength to rival a prince.

Hum.

The runes on Su Ye's body stirred the heavens and earth, and endless radiance shot into the sky. Within that light, a massive, ferocious bird appeared.

Wind-Chasing Sparrow.

This was one of the inherited treasures of the Wind Clan.

Su Ye seemed to transform into the ancient beast, the Wind-Chasing Sparrow. He spread his wings and soared into the nine heavens, tearing the giant hand apart.

A gale rose.

The runes on Su Ye's body flared, allowing him to command the wind of the world. Runes coiled around his arms, and his hands transformed into talons, ripping through the void.

Of course, it wasn't truly tearing the void, but the power was so immense that it distorted the air, creating a visual illusion.

Five razor-sharp wind blades sliced through the black clouds, slaying the demon god phantom within. The raging wind swept through, scattering the clouds.

Su Ye was shrouded in wind, allowing him to stand proudly in the air, looking down at the figure on the altar with a sharp gaze.

"You have some skills. No wonder you came here despite knowing the danger."

Seeing Su Ye break his treasure art, the black-robed man didn't seem overly wary. Instead, he smiled, sizing Su Ye up. "To have such terrifying cultivation at your age, it seems you come from a major power. Did your elders never tell you to mind your own business when you're out and about?"

"No. My elders only told me: when you see injustice, roar, and when it's time to act, strike. Today, I am going to strike, slay you, and uphold justice."

Su Ye spoke, his words ringing with conviction, before he dove down to slaughter the black-robed man.

"Uphold justice, you say?"

The man in the black robe sneered, his expression one of utter disdain, before he reached out a hand toward Su Ye. The void rippled, condensing into a massive handprint made of spiritual energy.

This was the Art of Materialization, a very common precious technique. Though common, its power was anything but; especially with the added blessing of the power of faith, he could easily borrow the strength of heaven and earth, making that giant hand appear truly terrifying.

The massive palm erupted with brilliant radiance, and the space around it seemed to solidify, making Su Ye feel as if he had fallen into a swamp, unable to move.

As the formidable palm swept toward him, Su Ye felt his breathing hitch, as if he were suffocating. The terrifying power left him unable to muster any resistance.

This was the power of faith—mighty and mysterious, far beyond what ordinary strength could compare to. It was enough to easily defy the heavens and punish the superior, let alone when Su Ye was currently a mere peak Blood-Moving Realm cultivator.

The realms for cultivators are divided into the Blood-Moving Realm, Heavenly Passage Realm, Spirit Transformation Realm, Inscription Realm, Array Formation Realm, Venerable, and so on.

Currently, Su Ye's strength was at the Blood-Moving Realm, while the black-robed man, though at the Spirit Transformation Realm, was comparable to the Inscription Realm by utilizing the power of faith. The gap between them spanned three major realms.

"Break!"

Su Ye let out a loud shout. His internal blood energy surged, erupting with terrifying force, and the invisible power binding him was shattered instantly.

The explosion of his 100,000-jin limit strength caused the void to roar violently. The blood flowing within his body surged like a rushing river, emitting sounds like rolling thunder.

What a terrifying physical body. To actually trigger a tremor in heaven and earth—it seems he is no ordinary Blood-Moving Realm cultivator. I must flee as soon as I kill him.

The black-robed man cursed his luck inwardly. He had not expected to run into such a monstrous existence. Although he knew the person before him must have a heaven-shaking background, he had no intention of letting him go.

He rose from the altar, and at the same time, a terrifying power erupted from within his body. It was as if a god were awakening, causing the very heavens and earth to roar in agony.