Chapter 129 - 121 The Great Demonic Sacrifice Begins, All Undercover Must Die! (2300 words)_1
「The next day.」
「Early in the morning.」
On the huge bluestone square, hundreds, if not thousands, of Demon Cultivators had gathered. The Demonic Qi soared to the heavens amid a chaotic dance of fiends.
Every Demon Cultivator wore an excited expression, huddled together and discussing matters with great enthusiasm.
"The Great Demonic Sacrifice has finally begun~"
"I’ve been waiting for this day for a hundred years!"
"How many souls have you prepared this time? I’ve only got a little over three thousand..."
"A little over three thousand? Why even bother attending the Great Demonic Sacrifice with so few? Anyone who didn’t know better would think the Heavenly Demon can’t afford a proper feast!"
"Eh, it’s about the same for me. I didn’t prepare much either, just casually scraped together about five thousand souls!"
[Ding!]
[Detected someone boasting. Congratulations to the Host for gaining +66 Mana.]
...
"You people are just too competitive, unlike me. I’ve long since given up on all that! I wasn’t even going to contend and didn’t prepare a single soul. But as it turned out... an Enchantress from a wealthy family I met just two days ago insisted on stuffing more than eight thousand souls into my hands... She even said she would kneel indefinitely if I didn’t accept! I had no choice..."
[Ding!]
[Detected someone boasting. Congratulations to the Host for gaining +188 Mana.]
...
"Heh, what an unpresentable bunch, bragging about a few thousand souls!"
At the very center of the demonic crowd, a wide space had been cleared around several Elders. No one dared to approach and disturb them.
The Great Elder said, "They are young, after all. It’s inevitable, as they haven’t seen much of the world!"
The Third Elder asked, "Big Brother, how many have you prepared this time?"
The Great Elder replied, "Me? I didn’t prepare anything special. It’s just some of my old savings, probably around four or five hundred thousand. Nothing much, nothing much at all!"
[Ding!]
[Detected someone boasting. Congratulations to the Host for gaining +300 Mana.]
"As expected of you, Big Brother," the Second Elder said. "All that is just from your savings. Unlike us, who have to toil endlessly. For those miserable five to six hundred thousand souls, my back is about to break, and I’m sick to death of killing... I can’t even begin to express my envy!"
The Great Elder: "..."
[Ding!]
[Detected someone boasting. Congratulations to the Host for gaining +288 Mana.]
...
Within the crowd, Wang Xiu stood silently, listening to the incessant notifications from the System. He could truly feel the meaning of ’strength in numbers.’
When he left the Sanqing Immortal Sect, Wang Xiu was already at the peak of the fourth level of the Core Formation Realm. After his experiences in the Phoenix Perch Building, Limitless City, and a series of other events, bolstered by the power of extensive boasting, he had long since naturally broken through to the peak of the fifth level.
Now, his power was surging once again, breaking through to the sixth level of the Core Formation Realm in one fell swoop. And it was still rising. Before long, he wasn’t far from reaching the seventh level.
This feeling... is simply too awesome!
...
Unfortunately, this state of affairs didn’t last long. Ominous clouds gathered in the sky, converging overhead to form the figure of the Yinshi Evil King.
He looked down from high above. As his indifferent gaze descended, the noisy square fell deathly silent in an instant.
Almost everyone’s breathing grew ragged. No one was in the mood to continue boasting.
"The time has come!" the Yinshi Evil King’s dignified, hoarse voice echoed. "Activate the Formation!"
On the ground, countless intricate Formation patterns suddenly emerged. Demonic Light flared, interweaving in midair to form a colossal Formation that enveloped everyone within.
The next moment, the world began to spin. The surrounding scenery twisted rapidly, as if they had plunged into the void. This was a large-scale, long-distance spatial Transport Array, capable of crossing tens of thousands of miles in an instant.
The place where the Great Demonic Sacrifice was held was not within the Ghost King Sect’s branch.
...
Soon, the scenery around them stabilized. They were in an unfamiliar, primordial jungle. Ancient trees towered so high they obscured the sunlight, giving the place a grim and eerie feel.
Around the Transport Array stood twelve huge bronze pillars, engraved with dense layers of Demon Patterns. They seemed to emanate an indescribable and bizarre aura that could make one lose themselves with just a single glance.
"Something’s not right here!" Wang Xiu muttered, his eyebrows furrowing slightly.
He keenly sensed that upon his arrival, some imperceptible consciousness or force was attempting to invade his body. This aura was extremely malevolent and repelled the Daoist Magic of the Righteous Path’s Immortal Sects. If he weren’t using the Ten Thousand Demonic Transformations Art to conceal his own aura, his Mana would likely have grown restless, exposing his identity.
However, while he could resist this force, others could not.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The very instant they arrived in this space, several auras surged uncontrollably from within some of the Demon Cultivators. On the surface, these Demon Cultivators appeared sinister and vicious; they didn’t look like good people at all. But coursing within them was pure Daoist Magic, which, in this strange environment, shone as dazzlingly as the scorching sun, leaving them with nowhere to hide.
"Not good!"
"We’re done for!"
Those "Demon Cultivators" paled. Without a second thought, they turned to flee, burning their Essence Blood and using secret techniques without a shred of hesitation.
The Yinshi Evil King sneered, "Since you’ve come, why the hurry to leave?"
He flipped his hand. A dense Demonic Light surged from the twelve bronze pillars, linking together to form a cage that sealed the surrounding space. The "Demon Cultivators" who had tried to flee slammed into an invisible wall.
There was no escape.
"AAAHHH—"
A few screams rang out before they were annihilated by the overwhelming Demonic Light. Their lives and Dao were obliterated.
...
"Tsk, tsk. These disciples from the Righteous Path’s Immortal Sects never learn. Why must they send people to their deaths at every Great Demonic Sacrifice?"
"You get used to it."
"They think they’re well-hidden, but their tricks are insignificant before the methods of the Sect Master of Yin Eclipse!"
"Naive and childish..."
The Demon Cultivators watched this scene with indifference, their faces filled with disdain and cruel smiles. They were clearly accustomed to it.
Wang Xiu remained silent, his expression as natural and contemptuous as the surrounding Ghost King Sect disciples.
But inside, his heart was in a cold sweat. He felt a chill run down his spine. The Ghost King Sect members were no fools. They knew the Immortal Sects wouldn’t stand idly by during the Great Demonic Sacrifice, so they had laid a trap long ago, just waiting for them to walk into it. Undercover work! It really is a dangerous business!
...
Just when Wang Xiu thought he was in the clear, the Yinshi Evil King’s demonic sense suddenly swept over everyone. Under his Emergence Stage demonic sense, everyone present was practically transparent, with no secrets left to hide. The slightest reaction could not escape his perception.
Within the crowd, the faces of a few Demon Cultivators changed slightly as they forced themselves to remain calm.
The Yinshi Evil King’s lips curled into a smirk. He pointed a finger, and several streaks of Demonic Light shot out, landing on their heads and illuminating them. "Kill them!"
This group had clearly come prepared. They possessed special means to resist the invasion of that strange force, preventing their internal Mana from becoming agitated and exposing their identities. Having just passed the first test, they thought they were safe. They never expected the Yinshi Evil King to pull such a move, catching them completely off guard.
Without time to think, they all began to fight back, unleashing all kinds of Daoist Magic. However, in the face of so many Demon Cultivators, their resistance failed to create the slightest ripple.
In the blink of an eye, they were struck down.
...
Wang Xiu watched the scene from a distance, sighing inwardly.
No wonder, for so many years, the Great Immortal Gates have had no effective way to deal with the Ghost King Sect’s Great Demonic Sacrifice. These devils are truly cautious! If it weren’t for my Ten Thousand Demonic Transformations Art, which creates a perfect imitation without a single flaw, I might have become one of them by now!
...
"Finally, all clean!"
Having cleared out two waves of spies, the Yinshi Evil King completely relaxed.
He began making hand signs. The Formation beneath everyone’s feet lit up once again, initiating the second spatial transfer.