Thump...
A faint, hollow heartbeat, as though it came from another world, drifted up from the deepest underground.
The sound did not travel through the air. It was a tremor that directly shook the soul, causing even the star paths within Hyuga Xiao's Tenseigan, as he watched coldly from the attic, to ripple slightly.
He could "see" that beneath the Ancestral Shrine, the living coordinate formed from the resentment and life force of countless Branch House members had awakened after devouring the life essence of more than a dozen Main House elders.
And at this moment, the bloody slaughter he had personally instigated on the surface was offering up the most crucial sacrifice for this grand "welcome."
The thick stench of blood, mixed with the burnt smell left behind by chakra eruptions, was swept up by the night wind and rushed into their nostrils. To ordinary people, it was the foul stench of hell, but to Hyuga Xiao, it was the scent of a catalyst burning.
[ Ding! ] [ High-energy life essence infusion detected. Arrival coordinate charging efficiency increased by 30%! ] [ Estimated arrival time reduced from 25 days to 20 days! ]
The system prompt rang coldly in Hyuga Xiao's mind.
Time had been forcibly compressed by a full five days!
Faced with this sudden development, there was not the slightest hint of panic on Hyuga Xiao's face, nor even a trace of gravity.
Instead, the corners of his mouth slowly curled upward, forming a sinister yet fanatical arc.
"So... it still needs sacrifices."
He murmured softly. Reflected in his azure eyes was the bloody meat grinder below, gleaming with understanding and excitement.
His original plan had been to let those foolish Hyuga Main House members use their own life force to ignite the Beacon,