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墨書 Inktalez
Human Sacrifice
In the realm of Yaochi, the area surrounding the massive Mountain Guardian Barrier is littered with the bones of those—both humans and animals—who attempted to breach its defenses. Among them are those driven by greed, hoping to plunder treasures and gather medicinal herbs, as well as those who sacrificed their lives in a desperate bid to save gravely ill loved ones.
For centuries, Yaochi has been shrouded in myth and legend, rumored to be a land abundant with Holy Medicine that grants eternal youth. People are always willing to believe such tales, and in pursuit of this elusive promise of longevity, they have willingly laid down their own lives.
Beneath the mountains, various Daoist sects gathered, led by the Three Supreme Sects, while disciples from Wudang and Arched Eyebrows arrived early at the site.
Soon, the leaders and elders of the major sects convened together, with the heads of each sect gathering on one side.
“Have you heard? After a century, Emei Mountain has finally produced another talent—their senior sister possesses the grace of the Sword Saint from years past. It is rumored she may become a Female Sword Saint in the future,” said a disciple beneath a tree to his companion.
“I’ve heard as well. However, Wudang has produced three renowned swords, each wielded by formidable figures. The Wudang Sword Qi is particularly fierce; it seems we are in for quite a show this time,” replied the other.
I was hiding in the tree, listening to their conversation when suddenly, Divine Serpent Cult Leader Nangong spoke up: “Dear friends, please quiet down and allow me to say a few words.”
The crowd fell silent immediately. Nangong continued: “I am Nangong, Leader of the Divine Serpent Cult. Today marks the opening of the Yaochi Sacred Land and Mountain Guardian Barrier. All sects have gathered here for this occasion; as the barrier opens, Holy Medicine will appear in our world. The vastness of Yaochi exceeds imagination. I have conferred with the leaders of Sword Pavilion, Yin Mountain, Emei Sect, and Wudang Sect. This time, no sect leader may participate in the competition for Holy Medicine. Additionally, Elders of Qingyun Sect at or above Nascent Soul Realm are also prohibited from joining. The opening of Yaochi Sacred Land is a rare opportunity; let us give our New Disciples a chance!”
Nangong's words ignited cheers among the disciples from various sects. Initially worried that leaders or elders from the Three Supreme Sects would intervene, they now felt relieved that they could compete for Holy Medicine without such formidable opponents. Many had hoped to gather precious herbs nearby and perhaps even find a Hundred-Year-Old Medicine King; thoughts of Holy Medicine had seemed unattainable until now.
Nangong raised his hand to signal for silence again. He stated: “For the safety of all disciples from various sects, those below Foundation Establishment Realm are also prohibited from participating. Thus, only disciples at Foundation Establishment Realm, Divine Transformation Realm, and Core Formation Stage may join this expedition into the Holy Land. Anyone who dares to violate this rule will face severe punishment—those found guilty will have their cultivation abolished; those who resist will be killed on the spot!”
A murmur of discontent spread through some members of various sects as many disciples were still at Entry-Level Realm or Purple Qi Eastward Boundary stages. Their cultivation had either stagnated or their talents were too poor for further advancement; thus they had come to Yaochi seeking an opportunity to change their fate.
At that moment, some sect leaders and elders voiced their grievances: “Master Nangong, are you trying to bully Underworld Sect? Prohibiting disciples below Foundation Establishment Realm means you’ll dismiss at least half of them! Are you expecting thousands of disciples to just wait here? The Serpent Cult is large and prosperous; nearly all its disciples are above Foundation Establishment Realm. Is it fair to measure everyone by your standards?”
“Indeed! You might as well declare that only Serpent Cult members can enter! I truly do not understand how Underworld Sect has fallen under Serpent Cult’s jurisdiction. Sword Pavilion leads Daoist Sect; Wudang has historically been a pillar of Daoist Sect. Even Arched Eyebrows was once number one among Daoist Sects a century ago! How did it come to pass that a cult leader presides over such an event?”
Everyone responded in agreement, but Nangong's expression changed slightly. He had intended to use this opportunity to enhance the reputation of the Serpent Cult, but unexpectedly, it backfired.
Sword Sect Master Dongfang Jiu laughed heartily and said, "Brother Nangong, this is where you went wrong. The treasure is for everyone; even ordinary people might not be able to gather Holy Medicine inside. Why shouldn't you allow disciples below the Foundation Establishment stage to enter? You didn't consult me before making this decision."
Nangong lightly snorted and replied, "Fine, then there will be no restrictions."
The crowd murmured in discontent. When he said there would be no restrictions, did it mean that disciples below Foundation Establishment or all cultivators were allowed?
The leaders of the Yinshan Yang Family, Arched Eyebrows, and Wudang remained silent. Eastern Nine stated, "Let's stick to the old rules: only those below the Nascent Soul Realm can participate. There are no restrictions for others. Everyone should gather at the center of Yaochi Sacred Land; we are all from the Underworld Sect, so let’s not ruin our harmony."
The crowd expressed their gratitude in unison, exclaiming, "Mr. Dongfang is wise."
Dongfang Jiu looked at the shadowy-eyed Nangong with a smile. The two had already had conflicts during their last encounter at Azure Cloud Mountain. They were of equal standing and would not yield to one another; any conflict in front of their peers would inevitably lead to a loss of face.
At that moment, Dongfang Jiu added, "Although the barrier is about to collapse, if we wait any longer, it might be until tonight. Why not let Old Man help everyone break the barrier?"
Dongfang Jiu gestured for a disciple to bring him a treasured sword. The Sword Sect Disciple knelt before him with both hands holding the sword. Dongfang Jiu drew the sword, its brilliance dazzling as he struck the Mountain Guardian Barrier of Yaochi.
The Yaochi barrier had endured for over twenty years and had now weakened significantly; it was less than one percent as strong as before. When Dongfang Jiu's sword struck it, the barrier shimmered and emitted an extremely bright white light.
Everyone was forced to close their eyes against the glare. When they opened them again, a refreshing wave of Spirit Energy washed over them, starkly contrasting with the previous environment.
"The soil of Yaochi Sacred Land is inherently different from that outside. After twenty years of nurturing Holy Medicine without anyone harvesting it, I bet even the grass inside has absorbed spiritual essence!" The crowd exclaimed excitedly.
Many had already rushed toward Yaochi Sacred Land, especially towards the palace at its highest point, where treasures or ancient legacies left by Yaochi Sacred Land might await discovery.
Nangong looked at Eastern Nine and said, "Without rules, there can be no order. It seems you are eager for chaos."
Eastern Nine replied, "I have no such ambition. Haven't you already set your sights on the Daoist Sect, Nangong Master? Isn't your goal to unify it?"
One by one, people began to make their way towards Kunlun Yaochi from all directions. Yaochi, once the most sacred place among the Five Major Sects, was unimaginably vast—at least ten times larger than Azure Cloud Sect. Behind Yaochi, there was also a path leading deep into Kunlun Mountain.
I slid down from a tree and followed a group of wandering cultivators towards the mountains of Yaochi. Among them, I spotted three familiar figures: Song Qianqiu, the Sword Princess, and Cao Bohou.
Song Qianqiu was a master at the Core Formation Stage, not only excelling in swordsmanship but also possessing Daoist Arts that were elusive and difficult to counter. The Sword Princess and Cao Bohou were both more powerful than I was, being in the late Divine Transformation Realm. Facing them directly would surely end in defeat for me, so I could only follow them from a distance.
When we reached a fork in the mountain path, the group split into several directions heading towards Yaochi Palace. The area around Yaochi Palace was surrounded by barriers, with thorns and defenses resembling a Bagua Maze to prevent external intrusions.
The three of them entered a gorge along the mountain path. I slipped away from the crowd and quietly followed them. Half an hour later, as we rounded a bend in the path, I hid in the shadows and noticed that they seemed to be holding a map. On the moss-covered mountainside within the gorge, Song Qianqiu glanced at the map while exploring with his hands. Suddenly, he exerted force with his hand, causing a slight tremor in the mountain as a Sect entrance opened up.
"How does Song Qianqiu have a map of Yaochi?"
I wondered to myself as I watched them look around cautiously before entering the cave. Just as I was about to follow them in, I suddenly felt a wave of unease wash over me—danger was near!
I heard a sound slicing through the air; before I could react, I felt a sharp pain at the back of my neck.
"Oh no! I've been hit with an Acupoint seal!" I had never anticipated that while I specialized in using Silver Needles or Silver Threads to immobilize others' Acupoints at their necks, I would fall victim to someone equally skilled who had taken me by surprise.
I knew that if I raised my hand to pull out the Silver Needle from my neck's Acupoint, my blood would reverse flow and I would be instantly immobilized.
"I don't know who you are or why you attacked me," I asked calmly.
In the sky above the Gorge, a young man with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes descended. He was dressed in the attire of a Wudang Sect disciple, the very same young man I had seen at the Wudang Scripture Repository half a month ago, known as the third renowned sword of Wudang.
The young man smiled lightly at me and called out behind me, "If you don't come out now, I've already subdued him."
"Brother Lü Yan is indeed impressive; he truly deserves to be the third renowned sword of Wudang. This trip to the Yaochi Sacred Land will surely make you famous!" A somewhat familiar voice came from behind, and soon a group of people appeared before me. The speaker was none other than the second disciple of Kongtong Sect whom I had taught a lesson the previous night.
The young man named Lü Yan from Wudang remarked, "He's nothing special. I heard you're quite formidable, but with your feet rooted like living tree roots, I thought you were someone of significance."
"We meet again." The second disciple of Kongtong Sect stepped forward and then turned to the three people behind him, saying, "Master, Elder, Senior Brother, this is Yang Hao, who bullied us at the Yue Lai Inn!"
"Are you the one who injured my disciples and broke their ankles?" The elder at the front raised an eyebrow and asked.
I replied, "That's right; I taught a lesson to the disciples of Kongtong Sect. So you must be the leader of Kongtong Sect."
The elder said, "I am Yan Yangzi, the leader of Kongtong Sect."
I scoffed and said, "The leaders of the Three Supreme Sects have all agreed that their sects cannot participate in the Yaochi Sacred Land expedition. As the leader of Kongtong, aren't you afraid of being ridiculed for sneaking into the mountains?"
Yan Yangzi stroked his beard and replied, "It seems you really enjoy teaching others. In that case, I'll cut out your tongue and break your ankles as well. Let's see if you dare to teach again!"
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