Chapter 243: Honghuang-Level Sacrifice

Xu Yang remained silent throughout, calmly sitting cross-legged in the void to recover his strength. His deep cultivation combined with the Ice Illusion's unique regenerative abilities allowed him to return to peak condition very quickly.

"Hmph, you brat, you're entirely focused on getting benefits for this boy, aren't you? But there's something I don't understand: is helping him this much truly worth it? Of course, I understand the rules of the Cold Moon Empire, but if things don't work out between you two, you'll have to bear all the consequences yourself. Tuoba Hong is from the Northern Jin imperial family. Aren't you afraid that the entire Northern Jin will hold the Cold Moon Empire accountable later?"

Although Taotie was a spirit beast and didn't interfere with human worldly entanglements, its intelligence was on par with humans. It naturally understood the pros and cons and was genuinely considering the Empress's welfare.

The Empress merely smiled and shook her head at its kind reminder: "Without A-Yang, I probably wouldn't have been able to save even these five disciples of mine. He has done so much for me along the way. No matter what I face in the future, I have no regrets."

The Empress and Taotie communicated telepathically, so no one else could hear them.

Taotie sighed deeply, seemingly having finally made up its mind to try. While the Empress certainly had her own intentions, her analysis undoubtedly presented Taotie with the best current options.

"Boy, if I sacrifice myself to you, what can you do for me?"

Taotie didn't beat around the bush; it directly expressed its desire to sacrifice itself to Xu Yang, which immediately shocked him.

"You... what did you say? Sacrifice yourself to me?"

Xu Yang was greatly astonished!

Taotie was, after all, a primordial ancestral beast. There were likely only a few hundred beings of its caliber and cultivation among the billions of beasts on the entire continent.

Throughout the countless years of the continent's history, the human powerhouses recorded to have received primordial bloodline sacrifices were few and far between. Each one was an unparalleled figure who dominated their era.

In a sense, receiving a primordial bloodline sacrifice was an unparalleled and supreme honor in itself.

Furthermore, Taotie was a superior being among the primordial spirit species. Its combat prowess was evident. Even Xu Yang couldn't fully articulate the immense benefits of receiving its sacrifice, but there was no doubt it would significantly boost his cultivation and overall strength.

In fact, during his 100,000 years of cultivation, Xu Yang had never acquired a sacrificial beast because he had never focused on it. His primary cultivation direction had always been to improve his own strength and realm, not to forcefully enhance himself through external means like sacrifices.

However, Xu Yang had now overcome the greatest bottleneck of the Ten Thousand Qi Refinement Stages, reaching the true Dao Mastery Realm. He no longer needed to worry about any negative repercussions, making the acquisition of a primordial ancestral beast's sacrificial bloodline an immense opportunity at this moment.

It was no exaggeration to say that receiving Taotie's sacrifice excited Xu Yang even more than obtaining the Dragon Source.

"It's rare for you, Senior, to have such understanding. I actually considered this method to help you recover your body a long time ago. However, I knew that asking a primordial ancestral beast to sacrifice itself is an insult to its dignity, so I didn't suggest it."

Taotie sighed softly: "Actually, I long ago concluded that you would have a much brighter future, one that will surely illuminate the entire continent. Becoming your guardian, for an old creature like me who has lived a million years in vain, might not be an insult, but an honor. Boy, enough talk, let's begin now."

Xu Yang nodded solemnly, his body flickering as he flew above Taotie's head. Both powerful figures simultaneously emitted an incredibly brilliant light, causing the entire Ice Illusion to dim in comparison.

"Oh my! This aura..."

The Empress was genuinely both surprised and worried. She was surprised because Taotie had finally agreed to her suggestion, and Xu Yang would receive this immense opportunity.

Her worry stemmed from the fear that the power generated by the sacrifice and fusion of these two beings would be too great, causing the entire illusion to collapse. If that happened, Tuoba Hong would undoubtedly seize the opportunity, and an attack during their sacrifice could lead to unimaginable consequences.

"Damn it... The illusion space is starting to tremble! Everyone, let's help the Empress! Transfer our mental energy to her; together, we can stabilize the illusion space!"

At this critical moment, Bai Lianxue spoke up, uniting over a dozen people from the two factions into a large circle to collectively transfer mental energy to the Empress.

Soon, an azure light emanated from the Empress, swiftly converging around the entire Ice Illusion. Only with their combined power was the illusion's tremor barely stabilized.

Without a doubt, when a mature primordial spirit species underwent sacrifice, the unleashed energy was as terrifying as an entire ocean pouring out.

At this moment, Xu Yang was undoubtedly enveloped by an endless essence of spiritual energy. His body also underwent further transformation and sublimation through the subtle baptism of this immense power.

"Boy, your fortune is truly extraordinary. Although Taotie isn't comparable to the two great divine beast bloodlines of the Dragon and Phoenix clans, it's still a dominant-level existence among the primordial spirit species. It's practically the strongest sacrifice your current physical body can bear. With its enhancement and blessing, you can now single-handedly contend against both Tuoba Hong and that Ghost Shadow Asura!"

The voice of the Guardian Dragon Soul echoed in Xu Yang's mind. As Xu Yang's vessel and soul guardian, the old dragon was genuinely happy for him.

The entire sacrifice process lasted a full eight hours! Naturally, as Xu Yang continuously absorbed energy during this time, his previous fatigue vanished, and his physical body reached an unprecedented level of strength.

A green light appeared in Xu Yang's soul space as half of Taotie's soul essence completely intertwined with Xu Yang's life. Simultaneously, Taotie's damaged inner core was directly transferred by Xu Yang into his own Heart Sea, where it would be repaired by the purest Dao power and a portion of true dragon essence.

"If we manage to obtain the Dragon Source this time, I will try to use its power to completely heal your injuries. However, the specific situation depends on the outcome of this battle. I must respect Mu Qingtian's opinion; if he insists on refusing, we will have to look for other opportunities."

Taotie's deep voice resonated in Xu Yang's mind: "Nonsense. My life is literally in your hands now, so of course whatever you say is right!"

Xu Yang replied, "Come on, don't make it sound like I'm bullying you, okay? Is being my guardian really such a hardship for you?"

The man and beast genuinely teased each other for a bit. After the banter, Taotie suddenly became incredibly serious, recalling the Empress Xue Qinghan's earlier words.