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墨書 Inktalez
Human Sacrifice
The Kunlun Mountains stretch vast and wide, a lifetime would hardly suffice to traverse them all.
Since ancient times, Kunlun Mountain has been known as the abode of immortals, steeped in many ancient myths. In Daoist culture, it is referred to as the ancestor of all mountains.
Kunlun Yaochi was established thousands of years ago, and among the Five Supreme Sects, it boasts the longest history. Nestled within the Kunlun Mountains, it is also regarded as the most mysterious by the world.
However, over seventy years ago, the Five Great Supremes united to unlock the gates of the Underworld using secret methods. They stole the Book of Life and Death from the Underworld, each adding a cycle to their lifespan. From that point on, the Book of Life and Death was managed in turns by the Five Supreme Sects, and the location of Kunlun Yaochi was no longer a secret. This continued until a tragic event occurred where many young members of the Underworld Sect collectively perished. The Underworld Sect then launched an attack on Kunlun Yaochi, which ultimately fell and met with destruction.
More than twenty years ago, Yaochi Sacred Land was besieged by various sects. Its disciples were nearly exterminated, and all elders and leaders perished in battle. At that time, Yaochi Saintess Ji Yao was supposed to be the next Yaochi Sect Leader. While in seclusion at Huan Shui Pavilion for cultivation, she heard disturbances from outside and emerged early to investigate. However, the Yaochi Sect Leader fought desperately to carve a path through the snow to reach Huan Shui Pavilion. He used a powerful formation to seal Huan Shui Pavilion, instructing Saintess Ji Yao not to come out and to notify Divine Hero Yang Sanqian for rescue.
When Divine Hero Yang Sanqian received Saintess Ji Yao's distress signal and arrived at Kunlun Mountain, all Yaochi disciples had already perished. The Yaochi Supreme was severely injured and had lost her cultivation, imprisoned in Infinite Abyss. However, they could not find the Book of Life and Death. Various sects located Saintess Ji Yao within Huan Shui Pavilion and united to break through its seal in order to execute Ji Yao and seize the Book of Life and Death. Divine Hero Yang Sanqian intervened, taking the Book of Life and Death from Ji Yao and publicly claiming he had mastered its use. He warned that anyone who dared harm Ji Yao would face annihilation at the hands of his sect's disciples.
Divine Hero enjoyed a stellar reputation in the Daoist World and had extensive connections; many sects had individuals he had saved. Numerous Daoist Grandmasters recognized his character and knew he was not reckless unless pushed to extremes. With disciples advising caution, they ultimately decided to station guards around Ji Yao, laying down five elemental seals around Huan Shui Pavilion to contain her as a means of restraining Divine Hero.
At that time, Saintess Ji Yao was already pregnant. Months later, she gave birth to a baby boy. When Divine Hero arrived, Elders from Three Supreme Sects briefly opened the seal to release the baby boy. However, that very night, he fell victim to a Blood Poison Curse with no remedy available.
Saintess Ji Yao was devastated upon hearing this news. Enraged, Divine Hero sought to slay everyone who had come into contact with the baby boy but was ultimately stopped by the Supremes of Yang Family, Sword Pavilion, and Serpent Cult. Left with no choice, Divine Hero took the dying infant away in search of renowned doctors but found none willing or able to help. Desperate measures led him to seal the Book of Life and Death within the infant's body. From then on, he occasionally appeared in Central Plains claiming that the baby had died.
For many years thereafter, Yaochi Sacred Land remained under watch by members of Three Supreme Sects, with occasional visits from other sects for inspection.
Yet those who came did not check if Divine Hero had visited Yaochi or if Ji Yao's son had appeared; rather, they were concerned whether Yaochi's Holy Land had been opened.
Kunlun Mountain, known as the ancestor of all mountains, boasts a quality of life and herbs that far surpasses any other mountain range. Even the Snake Goddess was captured by the Ming Dynasty army from Kunlun Mountain. The Yaochi Sacred Land is the most famous sect within Kunlun Mountain, earning its title of Holy Land due to the abundance and age of its herbs, which are unparalleled compared to any other sect.
Among the Five Supreme Sects, only the enigmatic Nanhai Guanyin Monastery has maintained its status over thousands of years of turmoil, alongside Yaochi. The other three major sects—the Yinshan Yang Family, Western Divine Serpent Sect, and Central Plains Sword Pavilion—have all experienced rises and falls throughout generations.
Yaochi's enduring prosperity is attributed to the Herb Garden within the Holy Land, where a myriad of flowers bloom and countless herbs compete for prominence. The sheer quantity of Holy Medicine here exceeds that of all other sects combined, allowing disciples to cultivate at a faster pace with a more solid foundation than those in other sects. They can unlock their body's hidden treasures earlier and delve into the path of enlightenment.
Twenty-three years ago, before his cultivation was crippled, Kunlun Supreme activated the Mountain Guardian Formation of Yaochi Sacred Land using supreme Taoist arts, keeping everyone at bay. Even if many sect members slaughtered all Yaochi disciples and seized their cultivation method manuals, they could not take away Yaochi's true core treasure: Holy Medicine.
Holy Medicine is rare, taking a millennium to form. Even Yaochi only dares to use it when encountering extraordinary talents. Members of the Underworld Sect are envious; obtaining Holy Medicine is akin to gaining an advantage in cultivating the Dao Yi Path. New Disciples seeking their first Entrance to the Dao desire it, as do Daoist Grandmasters.
Many Daoist Grandmasters calculated that the powerful Spirit Energy barrier of Kunlun Yaochi's Mountain Guardian Formation could last for at most twenty-three years. Subsequently, several grandmasters specializing in formations assessed the strength of the Spirit Energy and its dissipation rate to predict the exact time of the formation's disappearance.
That time would arrive in seven days.
I hurried toward Kunlun Mountain and reached the southern foothills by evening on the fifth day. At the base lay an ancient town filled with inns and taverns. Having traveled tirelessly through wind and rain, I felt weary despite my unusual physique.
The road was bustling with people; aside from local residents, most were from various Daoist sects.
This place was not far from Yaochi. Once just an ordinary village, it transformed over twenty years ago when many sects came to attack Yaochi. Some could not endure the hardships and took shelter in nearby homes for a fee. Gradually, more members from Daoist sects made their way to Kunlun over the years. The villagers recognized this opportunity and began using their savings to build inns and taverns catering specifically to Daoist sect business.
With Kunlun Mountain's Yaochi facing destruction, while entry into Yaochi Sacred Land was forbidden, valuable medicinal herbs could still be found on other mountains. Even if one couldn't find Holy Medicine, Medicine Kings could still be harvested. Most cultivators traveling from various sects would come here, including many independent practitioners who frequently visited.
"This time, representatives from all major sects have come," someone remarked. "I've heard that disciples from Three Supreme Sects will also be here, especially some talented newcomers."
"I heard it too. For this Kunlun Yaochi medicine gathering, our sect has been teaching pharmacology to every disciple for the past twenty years. Each disciple must recognize hundreds of precious herbs, including the Holy Medicine. But I can barely find a single Lingzhi mushroom on a regular day, and when I occasionally dig up a ten-year-old ginseng, it goes straight to the senior brothers. When the Holy Medicine appears, everyone will be scrambling for it; there's no way we would get a chance," another person sighed.
"Junior brother, that's not right. If a person has no dreams, what's the difference between them and a salted fish?"
"It's not that I don't want to obtain the Holy Medicine, but you don't know. Previously, our sect's leader took us to visit Wudang Mountain. During a sparring session among disciples, just one disciple from Wudang Disciple defeated all of our sect's disciples, including our most powerful senior brother. Afterward, I asked one of the Wudang Mountain disciples who that person was, and he didn't even know. That person wasn't on the top ten of the Ranking. When I inquired about their disciples' cultivation levels, I found out they were even higher than our leader! With so many people in big sects and their high cultivation levels, how can we compete with them?"
"Well... sometimes luck is also a form of strength. If it's just about fighting and killing, who would dare to compete with the Five Great Supremes? When the Underworld Sect gathers, even the leaders of the Five Supreme Sects have to be cautious; they're not gods."
I stopped listening to their conversation and entered an inn. This inn was the largest in the ancient town, with three stories and quite expensive. The first-floor hall could accommodate a hundred people, where everyone was drinking and eating, laughing together. The second floor had ordinary rooms that were closely packed together and included bathing facilities, making it somewhat cramped. The third floor had private rooms with all amenities and offered a view of the scenery at the foot of Kunlun Mountain from the rooftop.
I initially wanted to stay on the third floor, but the Shop Assistant informed me that it had already been booked by other sects long ago. The major sects weren't short on money, and neither was I; over the past two months, I had collected quite a bit of wealth from various sects. Although cultivation is far removed from worldly affairs, one still needs to meet basic living requirements.
I had no choice but to book a room on the second floor by the side and requested that meals be sent to my room. After taking a bath and having some food, I lay down on the bed to rest for a while; I hadn't slept well for several nights and was feeling quite fatigued.
After night fell, I groggily heard loud explosions outside.
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