Chapter 1621: Blood Sacrifice

Above the sheer cliff.

Zhu Wudao and others had already crossed the mountainside, ascending a stone path that led directly to the top of the cliff.

This path was the quickest of all the stone routes, but it was by no means short on restrictions. Even with the formidable powers of the four, including Zhu Wudao, they felt mentally exhausted and had to stop once to rest midway.

They were getting closer to the top of the sheer cliff, but couldn't see what was there because a circle of crimson mist hovered below the summit. The mist was dense and didn't dissipate, blocking their view. Other restrictions were also present between them and the mist, and the source of the crimson mist remained unclear.

The four joined forces, breaking through layers of restrictions, and finally reached the area beneath the crimson mist.

Looking up, they observed that the mist was thick, like an intractable, viscous liquid. Not only did it obstruct their vision, but when they tried to cast divine abilities like 'Spirit Eyes', they were all thwarted.

Zhu Wudao concealed the golden light in his eyes, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Due to the Strange-faced Person, the Crying Spirit Cave Lord was more familiar with Zhu Wudao, standing closest to him, shoulder to shoulder. The Sword-backed Man stood to their right, at the same level but maintaining some distance. Mo Xingdao, on the other hand, remained at the very back of the group, rarely offering opinions, giving the impression of being detached.

The Sword-backed Man sent a wisp of his divine sense into the mist. The mist, like a persistent malady, spread towards him along his divine sense. Feeling an eerie chill, the Sword-backed Man dared not delay, instinctively severed the connection with his divine sense, turned to Zhu Wudao, and spoke.

“Fellow Daoist Zhu, what kind of restriction is this crimson mist?”

At the beginning of their ascent, the Sword-backed Man and the others had openly tracked Zhu Wudao, clearly intending to share in the opportunities. Unsure of Zhu Wudao's intentions, they had to guard against him turning hostile. The atmosphere at that time had been most tense. However, throughout the climb, Zhu Wudao never showed anger, seemingly not minding others sharing the spoils. They worked closely together to break through layers of restrictions, and the atmosphere gradually eased, allowing communication to resume.

Therefore, when trouble arose, the Sword-backed Man unceremoniously asked for Zhu Wudao's opinion.

Zhu Wudao gazed at the mist, pondering, and said, “If I'm not mistaken, we should now be standing on the Heart Refinement Path of the Formless Immortal Sect disciples.”

“Heart Refinement Path?” the Sword-backed Man repeated the three words, deep in thought.

From the name, the purpose of the Heart Refinement Path could be inferred, but they had felt nothing unusual along the way. Furthermore, if it was a Heart Refinement Path prepared by the Formless Immortal Sect for its disciples, it implied that this sheer cliff was certainly not a forbidden area, and anyone could approach it. Could it be that the Formless Immortal Sect deliberately set up the teleportation array here to mislead people? The Sword-backed Man was convinced that Zhu Wudao's ascent to the cliff top was not without purpose, and the Heavenly Concord Palace teleportation array must be at the very summit.

“For the Heart Refinement Path to have become like this, this final restriction must be nearing its end…” Zhu Wudao shook his head with a hint of emotion, then, without any defense, stepped into the crimson mist. Seeing this, the three also followed suit.

As soon as they entered, the crimson mist reacted, swirling violently and converging around them, emitting a strange fluctuation. The next moment, a long howl suddenly echoed from within the mist. The howl was like thunder, continuous and ceaseless. A large hole suddenly appeared in the center of the mist, with the alternating gleam of magical artifacts and divine abilities. The howl brought forth an invisible fluctuation which, with the assistance of other magical artifacts, pierced through the mist and then rapidly spread outwards, driving away the remaining crimson mist until it was completely cleared! Zhu Wudao closed his mouth, and the howling abruptly ceased. The Crying Spirit Cave Lord and the other two also withdrew their techniques, eager to ascend to the top of the sheer cliff.

After breaking through the final barrier, the top of the sheer cliff was revealed before them. Then, they were all dumbfounded. The summit of the sheer cliff was completely empty! The area was perfectly flat, clearly man-made, but there was no teleportation array as they had imagined, not even a single pavilion!

The Sword-backed Man's eyes darkened. “Fellow Daoist Zhu, what’s going on?”

“No need to worry, Fellow Daoist,” Zhu Wudao said with confidence. “The Immortal Palace is the greatest secret of the Formless Immortal Sect; how could the teleportation array be openly displayed to everyone? After the demonic unrest, the Formless Immortal Sect completely sealed off the teleportation array, so we will still need to exert some effort to activate it.” He truly was after the teleportation array! The Sword-backed Man's expression softened slightly.

“Can the teleportation array directly transport us into the Immortal Palace?” Mo Xingdao couldn't help but ask.

Zhu Wudao stepped forward and said, “The Formless Immortal Sect dominated the Central Continent precisely by relying on this teleportation array leading to the Heavenly Concord Palace, firmly controlling the Immortal Palace. Had it not been for the calamity of demonic unrest, perhaps no one would have been able to challenge the Formless Immortal Sect's status to this day.”

Hearing this, the Crying Spirit Cave Lord remained somewhat uneasy. “Are you certain the teleportation array is intact?”

“Although the Immortal Palace was later occupied by both the Daoist and Buddhist sects, the teleportation array’s location within the Immortal Palace is extremely hidden, making it almost impossible to find from the other side, unless the Formless Immortal Sect itself destroyed it…”

As Zhu Wudao spoke, he walked to the center of the mountaintop, looking around. Then, he flicked his finger, sending out a streak of flowing light. Within the light seemed to be a crystal stele, but before anyone could get a clear look, it flashed and vanished underground.

Mo Xingdao and the other two couldn't help but give Zhu Wudao another look. This man knew far too many secrets! As fellow inheritors of the Formless Immortal Sect, the others paled in comparison to Zhu Wudao, leading them to suspect that he might possess more than just the Golden Aspect lineage's inheritance. This was understandable; the Golden Aspect lineage, having occupied Mount Quyang and integrated into the Heavenly Hao Tower, didn't have to hide. Not only was their inheritance fully preserved, but they could also use the Heavenly Hao Tower's name to collect other relics of the Formless Immortal Sect.

The moment it plunged underground, the crystal stele divided into four; its main body fell straight down, while three phantoms shot in three different directions, reaching the edges of the platform. Zhu Wudao turned to face the three and said, “If you wish to enter the Immortal Palace, lend this old man a hand first!”

The three exchanged glances, all without objection, and followed Zhu Wudao's guidance. They each landed above one of the three crystal stele phantoms, extended their divine sense underground, and sensed the steles' positions. Zhu Wudao stamped his foot heavily, rising about a *zhang* (approx. 3.3 meters) into the air. He surveyed the area from above for a moment, then his fingers moved like a wheel, instantly completing an extremely complex hand seal, which he cast towards the crystal stele underground.

A muffled thud echoed from within the sheer cliff, followed by ten thousand rays of brilliant light bursting forth from underground. These radiant lights did not shoot into the sky but, guided by some force, converged at the locations of the four crystal steles, transforming into four colossal steles of light that stood proudly atop the sheer cliff!

The four flashed and landed above the steles of light, sitting cross-legged. Led by Zhu Wudao, they all performed the same secret art. Before long, another anomaly occurred: the three outer steles of light emitted thick beams of light, injecting them into the core stele of light beneath Zhu Wudao, while they themselves grew increasingly dim. By combining the power of a unique treasure and the four individuals, this central stele of light became increasingly solid, almost tangible.

A bright halo rippled outwards in all directions; light waves, like water, enveloped the entire summit of the sheer cliff. An astonishing scene unfolded. Under the illumination of the light, shimmering brilliance suddenly appeared on the previously empty platform, revealing the illusory form of a magnificent ancient palace.

Zhu Wudao was positioned directly in front of the main entrance of the ancient palace's illusory form! As the light waves rippled, the ancient palace's illusion also swayed, indicating it was not a solid object.

The three showed surprise, activating their divine sense to scan the area, but the feedback remained that it was empty! Soon, they realized that as Zhu Wudao continued his work, the ancient palace's illusion became clearer and clearer, gradually being drawn from the illusory into reality.

The peculiar restrictions and the fantastical, dream-like spectacle captivated their attention. The shimmering brilliance and light waves converged. The ancient palace's illusion became increasingly distinct, with details now visible.

The ancient palace had no superfluous decorations on its exterior, and its doors were tightly shut. It appeared to have no separate halls, and its vast space could easily accommodate a teleportation array! As the ancient palace's illusion reached a state of being half-solid, half-illusory, Zhu Wudao's breathing also became rapid.

Just then, the ancient palace suddenly experienced a violent tremor. Everyone's expressions changed as they watched a corner of the ancient palace's eave crumble. Zhu Wudao, however, ignored it, instead speeding up his actions.

The shimmering brilliance fluctuated violently, and the ancient palace's illusion trembled with increasing frequency and greater amplitude, causing immense damage to the structure. Eaves broke off one after another. Cracks were clearly visible on the walls and pillars. Finally, a damaged ancient palace appeared before them, fortunately not yet collapsed.

Zhu Wudao put away the crystal stele and flashed to the palace entrance. Just as he was about to push the doors open, he suddenly felt a scorching sensation in his right arm. Hidden within his sleeve was a strange wooden carving. Aside from lacking the Five-Element Crown, its form was similar to the statues worshipped by the Gu God Cult members.

The wooden carving was entirely pale. But at this moment, a crimson hue suddenly spread over its surface. Zhu Wudao paused almost imperceptibly, then pushed open the ancient palace doors!

***

Outside the Formless Immortal Sect, in the heartland of the Southern Barbarian Two Prefectures. After years of development, the Gu God Cult's influence had spread over an increasingly wide area.

At this very moment, all members of the Gu God Cult had received a divine oracle. They gathered before the statues of their deity, consuming immortal medicine, and everywhere were scenes of madness and demonic chaos. The immortal medicine made them feel as if they were floating among immortals.

The divine oracle further brought hope of life to all cult members, indicating that the Immortal Palace would open today, welcoming devout believers into the True Void Immortal Realm to forever enjoy immortal blessings!

Following the chaotic frenzy, an even more horrifying spectacle unfolded. They praised their deity, and after losing their final vestiges of sanity, they began to slaughter each other before the statues. Corpses lay everywhere, blood flowed like rivers! Countless villages were utterly annihilated, turning into realms of endless ghosts.

The divine statues sat amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood, their rough features stained crimson by the blood, becoming eerily grotesque. Blood on the ground silently flowed towards the statues, and along with the souls, was completely absorbed by them.

Even in the cultivation world, where mortals were often regarded as ants, this was a terrifying blood sacrifice of unprecedented scale and brutality. If news of it spread, it would surely shake the entire world!

The night moon seemed to be draped in a veil of crimson. Under the moonlight, some black-clad figures moved through the desolate villages, busy with some activity; these individuals appeared to belong to a mysterious force.

As time passed, one by one, the divine statues, having drunk their fill of blood, gazed upon the world with malevolent eyes.

If someone were to observe the heartland of Southern Xinjiang from tens of thousands of feet high at this moment, they would see that within the areas controlled by the Gu God Cult, the stone statues acted as nodes. Their energies pulled at each other, collectively outlining an incredibly complex and vast mystical grand array!

In the middle of this grand array, within a gloomy stone cave, two black-robed figures sat cross-legged facing each other, guarding a divine statue. The blood-red hue stained the statue and cast the cave in a crimson light, illuminating two sinister and terrifying faces.

“The grand array is complete!” the person to the left of the statue exclaimed softly, his voice betraying unconcealed excitement. “Envoy Lord must have already entered the Formless Immortal Sect by now; the Sacred Sovereign will surely reign over the world!”

His companion, however, was not so optimistic, a hint of hesitation in his expression. “Legend says the Sacred Sovereign was sealed by the Formless Immortal Sect in the Immortal Palace, which is in the Immortal Palace south of the Southern Sea. With such a vast distance between us, can our blood sacrifice here truly help the Sacred Sovereign break the seal?”

“Of course it can!” The person on the left raised his head and glared fiercely at his companion. “Heaven, Earth, and Humanity! The Formless Immortal Sect once channeled Southern Xinjiang's earth energy into the Immortal Palace to seal the Sacred Sovereign. Why wouldn't we succeed by using human blood sacrifice to break the earth energy array? We should also thank the Daoist and Buddhist sects for clearing out the Formless Immortal Sect, leaving the nodes unguarded, which gave us an opportunity! Envoy Lord disguised himself as an inheritor of the Formless Immortal Sect, rallying heroes and confusing all sides. Even if we are exposed, we can calmly withdraw and plan anew. Achieving several goals with one move, it is truly a brilliant strategy!”

“You and I have both cultivated the Formless Immortal Sect's inheritance; it's not an exaggeration to say we are inheritors ourselves,” the companion said with a self-deprecating smile.

“Mere expediency!” the person on the left snorted, a look of disdain on his face. “The Sacred Sovereign's methods are profound beyond comprehension. We both contributed to his rescue. Though our merits are not as great as Envoy Lord's, even a small reward would be enough to transform us completely. How can a mere few divine abilities compare to that?”

As the two conversed, the divine statue completely transformed into a blood-red human figure, then suddenly opened its eyes. The person on the left felt an involuntary shiver in his heart upon seeing the gaze of those malevolent eyes, instinctively retreating a few steps.

The statue gazed north, establishing a connection with some entity.

***

At the Formless Immortal Sect, Qin Sang moved with caution, silently arriving at the base of the sheer cliff.

Looking up, he observed Zhu Wudao and the others at the cliff top, busy with an unknown task. They had cleared the restrictions on one of the stone paths, presumably thinking that no uninvited guests would enter the Formless Immortal Sect anytime soon, and thus left no obstacles. This stone path was now clear. Qin Sang slowly ascended, commanding the Heavenly Eye Butterfly to use its full sight, searching inch by inch along the stone path. Finally, he detected something unusual at a stone pavilion halfway up the mountain.

No need to guess; it must be True Man Zilei and Yue Lingtian hiding there, quietly waiting for the remnants of the Formless Immortal Sect to activate the teleportation array. After a brief contemplation, Qin Sang found a hidden spot and stopped as well.

He raised his left hand, the back of his hand facing upwards. With a slight thought, complex divine markings suddenly appeared on his left arm. The power of the divine markings converged towards the back of his hand, and gradually, a blood-moon pattern emerged.

This divine marking was left by the Ghost Mother, a bone-seeking secret art of the Witch Tribe. Qin Sang prepared to activate it now.

Searching for the remains of the Witch Tribe's Spirit Transformation cultivator was also one of his goals. If the blood-moon pattern showed any abnormality, it would indicate that the Spirit Transformation remains were nearby.

To be honest, Qin Sang wasn't very confident that the bone-seeking secret art would still be highly effective after countless years, especially in finding the remains of someone he had never met. Was the Witch Tribe's bloodline truly that special?

However, after the blood moon appeared, Qin Sang changed his mind. Within the blood moon, there was a very special aura. “Could it be the aura of that Witch Tribe Spirit Transformation cultivator?” Qin Sang wondered in surprise.

Unless one obtained a personal treasure of the Witch Tribe's Spirit Transformation cultivator, it would be impossible to extract such an aura. The Witch Tribe was also skilled in the art of blood refinement; even their Natal Gu-worms incorporated blood refinement techniques. Had the Ghost Mother truly found a relic that a Spirit Transformation cultivator had blood-refined? It seemed her painstaking search across three major domains for over two hundred years had not been in vain.