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墨書 Inktalez
Human Sacrifice
Listening to the conversations of the crowd until they faded away, I stowed away my attire and changed into my Daoist Robe, joining the disciples of the Azure Cloud Sect who were making their way deeper into Herb Valley.
Upon reaching the depths of Herb Valley, I found myself surrounded by towering peaks, ethereal clouds, and lush trees.
From time to time, disciples would encounter fierce beasts in the forest. I witnessed a group of disciples dismembering a robust striped tiger, dividing its meat among themselves while storing its bones in a Medicine Basket, as high-quality tiger bones were also a valuable medicinal ingredient.
I left those individuals behind and pressed onward into Mountain Valley, feeling the temperature rise steadily, sweat already forming on my face.
"Is there only one person?" A sudden voice interrupted me, and I stopped in my tracks as a group of people surrounded me from all sides.
At that moment, I was not wearing a mask. With eight thousand Outer Sect Disciples present, although I had previously fought against some of them, only a few hundred had watched. Most did not recognize me; even those who did would not regard me highly with so many people against one.
I nodded and said, "Yes, just me. Are you planning to rob me?"
"Since you know, then obediently hand over your belongings," replied the leader of the group, a young man.
"Are you their leader?" I asked him.
"That's right," he answered. "Hand over all the medicinal herbs you've collected along the way and any money or valuables you have on you, and I might let you pass."
"You saw for yourself that I discarded my Medicine Basket to hurry along. Where would I have any herbs?" I replied.
"So you're forcing me to kill you then?" the young man said.
"Isn't it a bit excessive for this senior to kill someone just because he couldn't get what he wanted?" I asked.
The young man replied, "Along the way, many have already been killed by their own sect. Over fifty people died when entering Herb Valley. Losing one more won't matter to the sect."
"In that case, go ahead and make your move," I said.
Seeing that I wasn't afraid, the young man looked at me suspiciously and asked, "Who are you?"
I replied, "Just an unknown nobody."
"What did you mean by what you just said?" he inquired.
"Don't you understand what I meant by asking you to make your move?" I countered.
"Are you not afraid of dying?" he pressed on.
I answered, "Of course I'm afraid. Who isn't afraid of death when pushed to the brink? But do I have to die?"
"Damn it, you're playing with me!" The young man was furious and swung a punch at my face. I slapped him hard, sending him flying, his white teeth scattering from his mouth.
Seeing their leader attacked, the others drew their swords. I dashed toward the young man with incredible speed, secretly channeling my strength and suddenly struck his Dantian with Dao Qi. His Dantian shattered, rendering him unable to cultivate any longer.
The young man let out a heart-wrenching scream as he struggled but couldn't break free from my grip.
"Come any closer, and I'll kill him," I said coldly, gazing at the crowd.
"Yang Hao, you are bold!" At that moment, a sharp voice rang out. On the mountaintop stood two young boys in green clothing, both around twelve or thirteen years old—Elder Hong's Dao Children.
"So it's Brother Ma. Can't you see that so many people want to kill me?" I asked.
"I only see you disabling his cultivation; I don't see him trying to kill you," Brother Ma replied.
I let out a sneer. "It's merely a matter of your own lack of skill. Should I wait until I'm dead for you to acknowledge it? If it were you in my position, what would you do?"
Brother Ma narrowed his eyes. "What are you even comparing yourself to me for? Release him immediately and restore your cultivation, or don't force me to take action."
"Brother Ma is quite imposing. If it weren't for your age, I'd think you were the sect leader with such grandiose words," I retorted, staring at him.
"What are you looking at? You merely stole a spirit herb from Azure Cloud Mountain. Killing you would dirty my hands; I think it would be better for you to take your own life," another Dao Child chimed in.
At that moment, a tremendous roar echoed from the nearby mountain, the sound so loud that it sent shockwaves through the surroundings.
"Senior Brother, it seems the Dragon's Essence Flower is about to appear. We should hurry," one Dao Child urged.
Brother Ma nodded and turned to me. "When Master kindly took you in, I thought of letting you go home since you're older than us. I never expected you to be so ungrateful; you've truly disappointed me."
The others looked at me, believing Brother Ma's righteous criticism, their eyes filled with disdain.
Brother Ma rushed deeper into Mountain Valley with his junior disciples, looking down from above as he said, "You better reflect on your actions here. No one has the authority to strip you of your fellow disciples' cultivation, and the rest of you should take care of yourselves."
After the two Dao Children left, I leaned closer to the young man and whispered, "What are the names of those impressive kids beside Elder Hong?"
The young man's face turned pale as he replied, "The one in charge is called Ma Yuan, known as Brother Ma. He has a lot of prestige in the Outer Sect and is rumored to have been selected for the Inner Sect a year ago. However, due to his age, he continues to stay by Elder Hong's side. The other one is Wang Xing; he looks down on us disciples. He's exceptionally talented, having reached the late stage of the Purple Qi Coming from the East Realm at just twelve years old."
"I see, thank you for letting me know." I patted the young man's arm and turned to walk toward Deep Valley. After taking a couple of steps, I returned to him.
The young man was startled and exclaimed, "Please don't kill me!"
I said, "Why would I dare to kill you? Brother Ma and Wang Xing have already given their orders. I'm here to ask if you want to kill me."
"I wouldn't dare; it's my fault for not recognizing greatness," the young man replied.
I chuckled lightly and vanished from everyone's sight at an incredible speed.
Moments later, I emerged from the dense mountain forest into a vast basin in the distance. Standing above the basin, it resembled the terrain of Futu Ridge. Surrounding the interior of the basin was lush vegetation, with a river encircling its center. In the middle of the river stood a small volcano, where faintly visible red lava bubbled inside. Surrounding it was a group of Azure Cloud Sect disciples.
Inside the volcano, the bubbling red lava surged violently, and in its center rose a piece of lava stone adorned with a flower that appeared to be burning with flames. The flower glowed red all over and emitted an enchanting color; it had almost no leaves, only a thick root buried in volcanic ash.
"This is the once-in-a-thousand-years Dragon's Essence Flower. I've been in Azure Cloud Sect's Outer Sect for five years and have never been here before. I didn't expect there to be such a place deep within Herb Valley," one disciple remarked.
"Indeed! Who would have thought that such an incredibly precious Dragon's Essence Flower would grow inside a volcano? It is said that the Dragon's Essence Flower is born from the marrow of an ancient true dragon that fell, gaining spiritual essence from sunlight and moonlight—a miraculous flower that can greatly enhance cultivation. Most importantly, it can extend one's life by thirty years; it truly is a Holy Medicine!" another disciple added.
"But the flower is a bit far from us. It has its own Spirit Energy protection, and trying to pick it from a distance is simply impossible. If we’re not careful, we could fall into the lava and be reduced to ashes," many people expressed their concerns. The Treasure was so close yet unattainable.
A young man said, "The one who discovered this place first was Senior Brother Xiao Yan. Without him, we wouldn't have found it here. With Xiao Yan's strength, picking the Dragon's Essence Flower should be a piece of cake."
Although everyone looked enviously at the Holy Medicine, knowing that obtaining it and handing it over to the Elder would change their lives forever, making them stand above others, they were hesitant to take that step. It was better to wait for Xiao Yan to collect the Dragon's Essence Flower and then observe the reactions of others.
Thus, everyone unanimously agreed to let Xiao Yan pick the medicine.
Xiao Yan appeared to be an honest young man. He was unremarkable in appearance and dressed simply, showing no signs of anything special. Yet this very person had swept through the Azure Cloud Sect's Outer Sect for ten years without encountering a rival; no one dared to challenge him.
Xiao Yan picked up a few pieces of volcanic rock from the ground, preparing to throw them into the lava. Just before the limestone sank into the lava, he stepped on it, using this method to reach the stones in the middle of the volcano and pick the Dragon's Essence Flower.
At that moment, a child's arrogant voice rang out: "You don't need to do anything."
Ma Yuan and Wang Xing, two Dao Children, walked up from the foot of the mountain with haughty expressions, looking down on everyone around them.
Ma Yuan said, "A waste who has cultivated for ten years without reaching Inner Sect levels shouldn't even think about obtaining the Dragon's Essence Flower. Let me handle it."
Seeing that the newcomers were two esteemed disciples of Elder Hong, no one dared to retort. The young man beside Xiao Yan was about to speak when Xiao Yan stopped him. With a gentle expression, he said, "Since Brother Ma has an interest in the Holy Medicine, then please go ahead and collect it."
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