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Human Sacrifice
On Yaowang Mountain, hundreds of people surrounded me and Douding, who lay at my feet, his life force rapidly fading, his face pale as death.
Blood oozed from the gaping wound in his left chest, and his body convulsed uncontrollably.
In the Daoist Sect, nine out of ten are solitary, which is why its members tend to be selfish, only considering their own interests. Douding grew up eating the food of many families; although he had learned to read others' expressions, he had always maintained a peaceful mindset, avoiding conflict and thinking of others first.
The villagers of Niujia Village all cherished Douding, including Mr. Chang. He feared that Douding would be harmed in this dangerous world, so he never intended to teach him Daoist Arts, wanting him to live an ordinary life, unlike his own tumultuous existence.
To the villagers at the foot of the mountain, he was a deity. Yet everyone who saw his bald head wanted to reach out and touch it, out of friendliness or affection.
Everyone from Qingliang Temple had come down the mountain to make a living due to life's pressures; only he remained on the mountain, fetching water, cooking meals, and cleaning the candlesticks.
His smile touched everyone around him; however, he ultimately could not escape being hunted down by a group of ruthless Daoist Sect members.
Meanwhile, I had promised him and Wu that we would take him to the amusement park to ride roller coasters and Ferris wheels.
Si Tu Nan looked at his subordinates with reproach: "Who told you to kill?"
With red eyes, I turned to Si Tu Nan and said, "He is just a child! We have tried every means to protect him, yet you insist on killing him. Why is that?"
Si Tu Nan had no words, but among the crowd behind me, someone spoke up: "An ordinary person—if he dies, he dies. How different is he from those villagers who were killed?"
It was the Purple-Clad Youth who spoke. As soon as his words fell, a scream pierced the air as a figure grabbed his shoulder and lifted him beside me and Douding. It was Zhang Jianzi, who had left Niujia Village that morning.
Zhang Jianzi crushed the Purple-Clad Youth's shoulder with a grip so tight that his fingers sank into flesh. The youth screamed in pain as Zhang Jianzi suddenly slapped him hard on the temple. Blood erupted from the other ear of the Purple-Clad Youth as brain matter splattered; he collapsed beside us and was kicked into the bushes by Zhang Jianzi.
Zhang Jianzi knelt before Douding, his expression filled with sorrow as he called out Douding's name.
Douding's face was pale; he looked at Zhang Jianzi and smiled faintly. "Uncle, I thought I wouldn't see you again. Why did you leave without saying goodbye?"
Zhang Jianzi cried, "It's my fault, Uncle shouldn't have left you behind. I still want to take you to see the performers in the Jianghu."
Douding replied, "And the people from the Funeral Troupe walking on stilts. You know, every year during the Ceremony, I sit on stage, and others won't let me play with these things."
Zhang Jianzi insisted, "I will definitely take you to see it, I promise."
"Then let's make a pinky promise," Douding said, curling his finger.
Zhang Jianzi extended his rough palm, hooking his finger with Douding's.
"Pinky promise... if we break it, we'll hang for a hundred years... no changing." Tears dripped from Zhang Jianzi onto Douding's hand.
As Zhang Jianzi poured Dao Qi into Douding's body, he realized that Douding's heart had been pierced, and he had lost too much blood; his life force was completely gone and could not be revived.
Douding looked at him and curled his finger as well. His complexion was pale, and his eyes were filled with reluctance. Zhang Jianzi hooked his finger with Douding's as Douding said softly, "Pinky promise..."
Zhang Jianzi watched as Douding closed his eyes, peacefully as if he had fallen asleep.
Zhang Jianzi raised his head to look at Si Tu Nan and said, "Is the Martial Dao Classic really that important? How many innocents have you killed to obtain it? You have caused me and my brothers to turn against each other. I hid from you for ten years, yet you still won't let me go. Now you've killed Douding—do you feel no guilt at all?"
Si Tu Nan gazed at Zhang Jianzi and replied, "The Daoist Sect was founded by Laozi; the secret manuals can grant immense power to those capable of wielding them. If you had handed it over earlier, this wouldn't have happened."
Zhang Jianzi let out a bitter laugh. "If it truly granted invincibility, your Serpent Cult would have been wiped out by me long ago. Why would I still be hiding?"
"With your talent, being able to comprehend even one-tenth of the scriptures is already your limit. How could someone of your lowly status compare to the likes of my master?" Si Tu Nan said.
"I may be ordinary and lowly, but I refuse to be anyone's lackey. I initially chose to avoid the world to spare the innocent, but it seems I was wrong. Since you wish for the Martial Dao Classic to appear in this world, then I will show you," Zhang Jianzi replied.
He turned to me, and I coldly said, "Don't worry about me; I'll handle those behind."
"Haha, how arrogant! A mere child who hasn't even reached Entry-Level Realm dares to challenge us, dozens of people!" a group mocked.
I took the silver arrow that Douding had been holding and suddenly pierced it through my palm. The pain tore through me as blood flowed freely, and a tide of black characters spilled from the wound. Countless runes emerged from beneath my skin, forming circles of light around me.
A bloodthirsty impulse ignited within me; I craved to kill everyone I saw. I turned to face the members of the Serpent Cult, who looked at me in horror, as if I were a reaper emerging from the darkness.
Whoosh!
A crossbow bolt whistled through the air toward me but suddenly curved away before reaching me, as if blocked by some invisible force.
"How is this possible? He doesn't have a trace of Dao Qi on him! What kind of sorcery is this?" someone exclaimed in shock.
In an instant, everyone aimed their crossbows at me. The bolts froze mid-air before reflecting back at an even greater speed. In moments, disciples of the Serpent Cult fell like leaves in a storm, while others drew their swords and lunged at me.
I grasped one person's sword tip, and Black Script flowed from my body into theirs. Their face turned gray as they convulsed and collapsed.
Seeing this, the remaining members turned to flee. I pursued them relentlessly, cutting them down one by one. Each person’s eyes revealed boundless fear before death; some cursed and insulted me while others begged for mercy.
Those who had been shot with crossbow bolts did not die easily; members of the Daoist Sect could use Dao Qi to heal their wounds and protect their vital points.
I dismembered these individuals piece by piece with my sword, turning them into a bloody pulp without leaving a single survivor.
Not far away, on the hillside, Si Tu Nan and Zhang Jianzi were locked in a fierce battle. As an elder of the Serpent Cult, Si Tu Nan was nearly seventy years old and possessed extraordinary skills. Although Zhang Jianzi had the Martial Dao Classic, he was only in his forties and had only recently joined the Daoist Sect. His time spent on the Entrance to the Dao was even longer than mine, and it was clear that he had not fully mastered the Martial Dao Classic. It was already impressive that he could hold his own against Si Tu Nan.
Seeing that I had brutally killed all his subordinates, Si Tu Nan's eyes revealed a look of fear at the changes in me.
With a furious roar, Si Tu Nan pushed Zhang Jianzi away with a palm strike, creating distance as he pulled something from his robe. He ignited it with Dao Fire, and with a whoosh, a red light shot into the sky and exploded.
"Calling for help?" Zhang Jianzi scoffed and threw a punch at Si Tu Nan. Their fists collided with a loud crack, bones breaking as Si Tu Nan was sent flying backward.
Zhang Jianzi seized the opportunity to follow up with a kick aimed at Si Tu Nan's head. Si Tu Nan raised both hands to block but was knocked to the ground, spinning and crashing against the rocks.
Grabbing onto a boulder with one hand, Si Tu Nan lifted it high and hurled it at Zhang Jianzi. Zhang Jianzi responded with a punch that shattered the stone into pieces.
As stone fragments flew through the air, Si Tu Nan lunged forward with a dagger aimed at Zhang Jianzi's heart. Zhang Jianzi reached out to grab Si Tu Nan's wrist, twisting it sharply. Si Tu Nan let out a scream as he was kicked in the head by Zhang Jianzi, flying seven or eight meters away, blood streaming from his ears.
Si Tu Nan gasped, "The Martial Dao Classic truly excels at countering Daoist Sect techniques."
As he retreated into the wild thicket, sounds began to emerge from all directions, indicating that many people were rushing toward this location.
Zhang Jianzi did not pursue further; instead, he turned to me and said, "We need to leave quickly; otherwise, we'll be trapped when the Serpent Cult arrives."
Furrowing my brow, I felt the power granted by the Book of Life and Death alerting me to many people approaching.
I glanced at Douding lying quietly on the ground and felt an overwhelming hatred for the Serpent Cult. I recalled my first encounter with such dark power at Futu Ridge when I saw Li Fugui trying to revive Huzi with his own blood while gathering black runes in his hands and pressing them into Douding's body.
But Douding showed no reaction whatsoever.
The Book of Life and Death had the ability to control life and death but lacked any revival capabilities. Douding's heart had been destroyed; Huzi had survived primarily because Li Fugui's blood had completely repaired his body, and now Huzi's veins flowed entirely with Li Fugui's blood.
I sensed that the runes I had infused into Douding had sunk like a stone into the sea, showing no signs of resurrection.
Douding was truly dead. Never had I desired to see Li Fugui appear before me more than at this moment, to tell me that Douding could still be saved.
Behind me, countless arrows shot forth. Zhang Jianzi was taken aback; he picked up a sword from the ground and swept it across, sending arrows flying and breaking them into pieces. Yet, more arrows came, with no way to defend against them.
I clenched my fists, my eyes turning completely black. I let out an unprecedented roar, my toes leaving the ground as I was slowly lifted by an increasing number of runes.
Then a powerful shockwave spread out in all directions, like a surging tide, more like a blade. All the wild grass and trees around me were snapped, and the arrows fell to the ground.
Zhang Jianzi protected Douding's corpse beneath my feet, while hundreds of people rushing from afar were cut in half. Even the rocks were cleaved in two, and the remaining individuals hurriedly dropped to the ground to avoid disaster.
Meanwhile, Si Tu Nan, who had fled to a distance, was terrified and looked at me in confusion.
I clawed towards Si Tu Nan with my fingers splayed. From hundreds of meters away, Si Tu Nan was immediately pulled towards me.
In a panic, Si Tu Nan fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a white paper figure. Chanting incantations, he bit his tongue and sprayed blood onto the paper figure before shouting, "We welcome the Master’s arrival!"
The white paper figure erupted into flames as an old man in a red cloak appeared. His robe was embroidered with a golden snake, and his hair was gray, cascading down to his waist.
Flames engulfed the old man as he struck towards me with one palm. I countered with my own palm but was blasted away with a loud crash, slamming into the hillside. The Black Secret Script on my body flickered erratically; I spat out blood as the black characters retreated like a tide, hiding beneath my skin.
"This is bad," I thought grimly; this was already my limit.
Si Tu Nan addressed the Red-Robed Elder, saying, "We welcome Master Dao Body’s arrival. My subordinate has failed in his duties; I hope for your forgiveness."
The Red-Robed Elder radiated an aura of light. He glanced at me with slight surprise and flicked his fingers as if to take my life. Zhang Jianzi stepped in front of me and threw a punch that sent him staggering back several steps.
"Are you the Leader of the Serpent Cult?" Zhang Jianzi asked, his face filled with shock.
The Red-Robed Elder replied, "Indeed. Hand over the Martial Dao Classic you possess, and I can spare your life."
"The power of the God Serpent Cult Leader is truly daunting. It seems you are seeking the Martial Dao Classic to challenge the Five Great Supremes. If you want the scripture, go get it yourself!" Zhang Jianzi said as he pulled an ancient book from his robe and tossed it into the air.
The God Serpent Cult Leader looked up at the book, and with a slight movement of his mind, it flew into his hands. He quickly opened it, only to find the pages completely blank. He snorted angrily, and in an instant, the book turned to ashes in his grasp.
Meanwhile, we had already vanished from the hillside, fleeing deeper into Yaowang Mountain. Zhang Jianzi carried Douding's lifeless body on his back, and I followed closely behind.
I noticed blood trickling from the corner of his mouth; clearly, the God Serpent Cult Leader's earlier attack had inflicted serious injuries on him. I too felt weak from using the forbidden powers of the Book of Life and Death just moments ago.
"Brother Zhang, you carry Douding's body and escape sideways while I head towards the Qinling Mountains from this direction. We are both injured, and with you carrying Douding, we will only drag each other down," I said.
Zhang Jianzi glanced back at me and nodded. "If we survive this, you can no longer rely on that self-harming power you've been using. It has already drawn the attention of the Serpent Cult, and your hair has turned white—it's clear that it comes at a cost."
I nodded in agreement, bidding farewell to Zhang Jianzi as I ran deeper into Yaowang Mountain. I looked back at Douding lying on Zhang Jianzi's back, my heart aching intensely.
"Remember this, people of the Serpent Cult: as long as I am Immortal, there will be no peace for you. You will pay a thousandfold for what you have done today. You will regret ever coming into this world; I swear it."
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