The copy has 0 error tolerance, and the last words on the ground are all wrong for me.

Chapter 472 Demon-Suppressing Blood Talisman

Zhao Yan had imagined many times what to do after entering the world instance, but he never thought it would be like this.

Despite being an S-rank world dungeon, and in the most challenging, near-out-of-control state, I didn't feel any danger while inside; in fact, I felt quite at ease.

Especially in Zhenyue City, the core of the dungeon, not only the players, but even the native cultivators of the plane did not feel any tension.

After four days of careful travel, he met up with the main force of the Administration Bureau and thought he would be assigned a task immediately and thrown into the plan to conquer the dungeon.

The reality was that after attending a few hours of training on world instances and gaining a general understanding of the plane's background and the fact that they were going to break through the Demon Realm, nothing more was said.

He asked the instructor in charge of the training what to do next.

The instructor scratched his head and told him he could try his luck outside the city and recruit others.

Before Zhao Yan could leave the city, he encountered Lei Huo, who was returning from outside the city.

Led by Lei Huo, he met with Director Gao and other members of the Wanghai Branch, and the group had a meal together in the world instance.

The only downside was that they couldn't find any scallions.

It's not the scallion you eat, it's Wu Chang, whose code name is Scallion.

As the most promising and skilled members of the Wanghai branch, they weren't worried about Wu Chang encountering any accidents on his way to Zhenyue City. They were only afraid that Wu Chang was too reckless and would go looking for trouble.

Lei Huo said that many players found Zhenyue City too uneventful and went to Shuanghu City to hunt monsters.

As a result, on the evening before last, some adorable creature was so charming that it pulled several thousand demons from the demon realm, including more than twenty demon guards and five demon generals. During the subsequent investigation, traces left by the demon king were also found in Dongshan Lake.

The original inhabitants of the dungeon who participated in the hunt suffered heavy casualties, and many players also suffered great losses. Even those who did not die in the monster's attack wasted their life-saving items or ultimate skills for job advancement.

Even more critically, the powerful cultivators within the city insisted on bringing back the young disciples from outside, preventing the gates of Shuanghu City from closing in time.

Five demon generals led thousands of demons into the outer city of Shuanghu City, causing countless deaths and injuries.

If it weren't for the timely support from Zhenyue City, and if the demon general had actually occupied the city gate area and opened the city gate, Shuanghu City would probably have fallen directly.

If Shuanghu City falls, the humanitarian fortune of Tianlan Province will be reduced by 30%, making it extremely difficult to start the sacrificial ceremony again.

The top-ranked player in the White Tower, Super Core, refused to join the Great Xuan Royal Family faction and smoothly completed the world dungeon. He was also involved in that hunt at the time.

The city gate area was able to hold out until the reinforcements from Zhenyue City arrived because Chaohe single-handedly held off three demon generals.

In return, he lost a B-grade consumable item.

When had Supercore ever suffered such an injustice? He immediately went to the Humanitarian Alliance to reason with them. The Humanitarian Alliance said they would investigate, but a day and a half passed and the investigation made no progress.

When asked again today, the reply was that the sacrificial ceremony was imminent, and the overall situation was of paramount importance; the matter would be settled slowly after the demon realm was conquered.

At this point, Lei Huo lowered his voice and said:

"It is said that Supercore participated in the two-day hunt, and with the final defense of the city, he also gave up a B-grade consumable item, in exchange for 300 contribution points. In the same two days, Sword Star gained 700 contribution points just by recruiting others."

"Before participating in the hunt, Supercore's contribution value was still ranked in the top 20. After two days of fighting, he has successfully moved out of the top 30."

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions turned strange. No wonder there was an imbalance in the super core; no one could withstand such a situation.

During the gathering, Zhao Yan also heard a lot of gossip, such as which ranked player had explored the Demon Realm and had not yet returned, his fate unknown; which ranked player encountered a wild immortal abode and gained blessings after completing it, and so on.

After listening to the explanations, he gained a better understanding of world instances.

World dungeons are very difficult. Once humans are suppressed by demonic energy, they will be unable to use skills below A-rank, their skill consumption will increase significantly, their power will be weakened, and the player's strength will decrease by at least 60%.

As long as the Demon Realm remains intact, the demon race will be endless and impossible to eradicate.

Even the most ordinary demon guards are among the top 300 in the player power rankings, and each demon general is no less powerful than a ranked player.

The four demon kings of the demon race are even at the god level. If you are unlucky enough to encounter them, even ranked players will have a nine-out-of-ten chance of dying.

However, world dungeons are also very simple. As long as you follow the peace and don't fall behind, you can be guaranteed both dungeon contributions and safety.

It was late at night when the dinner party ended.

Zhao Yan staggered back to the residential area prepared by the Human Alliance for the Celestials. This was the most restful night's sleep he had had in the four days since entering the world instance.

The world instance was scheduled to last for 100 days. Before falling asleep, he thought there would be some safe days ahead.

But to his surprise, when he woke up the next morning, before he could even wash up, Lei Huo informed him that the Ziwei Exorcising Array was about to begin and they were preparing to attack the Demon Realm.

Zhao Yan was completely dumbfounded upon hearing this news.

So fast?
On his way to the Lidi Temple, he learned from Zhao Yan that the confirmation of the start of the earth-worship ceremony was an imperial decree issued by Emperor Zhaoning yesterday afternoon.

After the earth-worshiping ceremony, the Demon-Slaying Army will be teleported from Zhenyue City to Shuanghu City to launch an attack on the Demon Realm.

The decision was made last night, and this morning we will begin the earth-worship ceremony, and this afternoon we will launch a war against the demon race.

Without any buffer time, this fast-forward-like speed not only made Zhao Yan uncomfortable, but also Lei Huo and the others who entered the world instance first.

But there was nothing they could do; they had to follow the decisions made above.

When they arrived at Lidi Temple, they saw that officials from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices were already waiting outside. The officials first checked their Demon-Slaying Army identification tags and separated the players according to their strength.

Director Gao and Lei Huo were allowed to enter the ceremony site directly, while Zhao Yan and others, guided by officials from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, went to other ceremony viewing areas.

Just as he was about to leave Lidi Temple, the official from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices who was guiding him suddenly changed his expression and pulled him aside from the gate, leading him to the side of the road.

The other officials from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices who were guarding the entrance to the Temple of Rites also stepped back, clearing the entrance.

The next moment, he saw a grand procession marching towards the Lidi Temple.

Armed with weapons and banners, the Imperial Guards led the way, each of them at least a second-rate expert, no weaker than him.

Following the honor guard, a huge yellow carriage slowly drove into the Lidi Temple.

Eight white spirit horses, each three meters tall at the shoulder, pulled the chariot. The chariot body was crafted according to the specifications of a magical artifact, and the dragon patterns on the surface formed an array, exuding an aura as majestic as a high mountain.

With just one glance, Zhao Yan knew that this carriage could be used as a palanquin or as a war chariot.

The carriage was bright yellow, and the travel was of such high rank that it was obvious that Emperor Zhaoning was sitting inside.

But when the carriage passed by him and the curtain was lifted, what he saw through it was a burly figure.

That figure was very familiar to every player in the Desolate Realm; it was Peace.

His status in the world instance was so high that he could sit in Emperor Zhaoning's dragon carriage.

Yesterday he had already learned of Heping’s extraordinary nature from Lei Huo, but hearing rumors was far less impactful than seeing it with his own eyes today.

Before he could recover from the shock, an official from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices urged him on:
"Your Excellency, it's time for us to go."

Inside the imperial carriage, Emperor Zhaoning watched as Wu Chang lowered the curtain and said:

"What were you looking at just now, sir?"

Wu Chang smiled and said, "I see a celestial being who looks familiar."

Emperor Zhaoning said, "Holding the earth-worshiping ceremony is only to activate the Ziwei Exorcising Array. To truly unleash the full power of the Ziwei Exorcising Array and break through the demon realm, the key lies in the battle within the demon realm itself."

"Outside the Demon Realm, Lü Changgeng is willing to let Da Xuan take the lead, but within the Demon Realm, obtaining the leadership of the sacrificial ceremony from the Human Alliance will depend entirely on you, sir."

Wu Chang said, "I will certainly not fail in my mission."

The imperial carriage stopped, and Wu Chang followed Emperor Zhaoning to the high platform in the center of the Lidi Temple.

The Earth Worship Ceremony was modeled after the Heaven Worship Ceremony. The altar for the Earth Worship Ceremony was also built on a high place, more than a hundred feet high, which was taller than the city walls surrounding Zhenyue City. Standing on the altar and looking down, the entire Zhenyue City could be seen.

Wu Chang saw that, under the guidance of the officials of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, the celestial beings who entered the Temple of Rites went to stand in specific positions. Each position of the celestial beings was a node of the Ziwei Exorcising Evil Array.

Looking down, the positions of the crowd resembled a star map depicted in the Twelve Earthly Branches. The preparation time passed quickly, and before they knew it, it was noon, and the earth-worshiping ceremony began.

Under the leadership of the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, after a series of complicated steps including purifying the altar, lighting lamps, announcing to the earth, offering sacrifices, praying for the earth, and securing the earth, the entire power of the Great Mystery and the fortune of humanity were gathered above the altar for the earth sacrifice.

The power of the will almost solidified, transforming into pale golden auspicious clouds in the sky.

As noon approached, the earth-worshiping ceremony reached its final step.

As Emperor Zhaoning stood at the highest point of the altar and recited the Purple Star Exorcism Incantation from the Earth Book, Wu Chang saw the dragon aura surrounding Emperor Zhaoning seem to come alive, soaring straight into the sky and disappearing into the auspicious clouds.

The next moment, the golden dragon, accompanied by auspicious clouds, rushed down and crashed into the sacrificial altar.

Roar!
The sound of a dragon's roar rang in everyone's ears at the same time.

As the dragon's energy entered the altar, golden light spread outwards along the altar, illuminating each player and lighting up the spot where they stood.

The points of light connect with each other, stimulating the luck of the players standing on them and casting their luck into the golden light.

The golden light spread outward from the Lidi Temple, causing slight tremors in the ground wherever it passed, as if Tianlan Province was a sleeping giant, gradually awakening with the golden light.

As the golden light spread throughout the spiritual energy area, the Ziwei Exorcising Array was activated. As the one in charge of the sacrifice, Emperor Zhaoning's humanistic fortune surged, and the dragon energy that originally surrounded him became richer in detail, almost like a living dragon.

Emperor Zhaoning's change was within Wu Chang's expectations. After all, Emperor Zhaoning had put in a lot of effort for today, and if he couldn't gain some benefits from it, wouldn't his efforts have been in vain?
But to Wu Chang's surprise, the nebula-shaped aura of fortune surrounding An Rong in the Human Alliance viewing area where his main body was located also burst forth with dazzling light.

Its growth momentum is as strong as Emperor Zhaoning's dragon aura and fortune.

Fortunately, Emperor Zhaoning could not see the light of destiny; otherwise, seeing An Rong's transformation, even if he didn't vomit blood, he would have dragged An Rong to share the cost of supporting Wu Chang and his group of celestial beings.

Once Emperor Zhaoning's fortune stabilized, he drew his long sword from his waist, its blade pointing directly at the demon realm.

Following Emperor Zhaoning's instructions, the Ziwei Exorcising Array gathered human fortune and transformed into a sword light that shot into the demon realm, cleaving a gap in it.

Humanity's fortune, along with spiritual energy, surged into the cracks, instantly causing some fissures to appear on the surface of the demon realm.

After doing all this, Emperor Zhaoning seemed to age ten years in an instant.

He sheathed his sword, reached out to stop Zhao Zhong from helping him up, and said, "I'm not so weak that I can't even stand up straight."

He took a few deep breaths to steady himself, then addressed Zhao Zhong and the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, among others:
"You may all leave. I have something to discuss with the master."

After Zhao Zhong and the others withdrew, only Wu Chang and Emperor Zhaoning remained on the top floor of the sacrificial altar.

Emperor Zhaoning faced the direction of the Demon Realm and said:
"The currently activated Ziwei Exorcising Array can only break open a small gap in the demon realm, allowing spiritual energy to flow in and reducing the influence of demonic energy on human cultivators by 30%."

"Reducing the impact of demonic energy by 30% only creates the possibility for a human to invade the demon realm; it is still far from truly destroying the demon realm."

Upon hearing what Emperor Zhaoning said, Wu Chang's face showed an expression of "I knew it."

He had already set up the twelve Earthly Branches auxiliary array eyes, but after the Earth Sacrifice Ceremony ended, his Kaiyang Immortal Fate quest did not show any completion notification.

There's only one possibility: the Ziwei Exorcising Array has only been activated, not completed.

The complete Ziwei Exorcising Array should break through the demon realm and expose the Heavenly Gate.

he asked:
"Your Majesty, what should we do to truly shatter the Demon Realm?"

Emperor Zhaoning withdrew his gaze from the direction of the demon realm, turned to look at Wu Chang, and said:
"Humans and demons cannot coexist. The human way and the demon way are in a state of ebb and flow. If we want to break the demon realm, we must weaken the demonic energy within it as much as possible."

Emperor Zhaoning arrived at the altar, took a talisman, and handed it to Wu Chang.

Item Name: Demon-Suppressing Blood Talisman

Item Type: Special

"Item Description: The user can activate the Blood Talisman by injecting a drop of essence blood containing primordial energy, and then bind it to the Blood Talisman. After slaying a demon, the user can seal the demonic energy within the talisman and suppress it with their own blood energy, preventing the demonic energy from dissipating and returning to the demon realm."

Emperor Zhaoning said:
"This item is called the Demon-Suppressing Blood Talisman. It is one of the methods to complete the Ziwei Exorcising Array. Holding the Blood Talisman to kill demons, the Blood Talisman will turn red due to the suppression of demonic energy for each demon killed."

"When the blood talisman turns completely red, it means that the blood talisman has been filled with demonic energy. Take the blood talisman back to Lidi Temple and purify it with the Ziwei Exorcising Array. The demonic energy in the blood talisman will then be transformed into spiritual energy."

"Once the Ziwei Exorcising Array is fully formed, it can successfully shatter the demon realm and reveal the Heavenly Gate."

Wu Chang looked at the demon-suppressing blood talisman and asked:

"I wonder how many demon-suppressing blood talismans will be needed to fully complete the Ziwei Exorcising Array."

Emperor Zhaoning said, "The Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices estimates that at least ten thousand sheets will be needed."

Wu Chang raised an eyebrow. There were 10,000 players participating in the world instance, and 10,000 blood talismans were needed to activate the Ziwei Exorcism Array. This number was clearly aimed at the players.

Emperor Zhaoning continued:
"Sir and other celestial beings are born in overseas immortal mountains, and their resistance to demonic energy is stronger than that of the Great Profound cultivators. During the Ziwei Exorcism, you celestial beings are almost unrestricted. The main force for collecting blood talismans also relies on you celestial beings."

"I am worried that the Celestials who have joined the Humanity Alliance may have other plans at the behest of Lü Changgeng. You have a very high reputation among the Celestials. I hope you will persuade them to prioritize the overall situation and collect the Blood Talismans as soon as possible."

Side Quest 3: Help the Great Xuan Royal Family gather 10,000 Blood Talismans to complete the Ziwei Exorcism Array and break through the Demon Realm. Refusing the quest or failing the quest will result in the side quest being terminated. Do you wish to accept the quest?

"The number of blood runes collected, and the quality of the demonic energy suppressed within them, will determine the progress of the mission. The current progress is 0/10. The higher the progress, the greater the reward at the end of the mission."

"Note: The quantity and quality of blood runes collected will affect the completion of main quest four, so please proceed with caution."

Wu Chang put away the blood talisman and said:

"We celestial beings entered the Great Mystery to subdue demons and protect the righteous path. Since this method can weaken the demonic path, let alone ten thousand blood talismans, even twenty or thirty thousand would be fine."

"The Celestials who join the Humanitarian Alliance are only in different camps, but they share the same ultimate goal as us, so they will not refuse."

The side quest had already progressed to this point, and since collecting blood runes overlapped with the main quest, he had no reason to refuse.

Emperor Zhaoning smiled and said, "Then I will trouble you, sir."

On the other side, in the Humanitarian Alliance's viewing area.

Just as Emperor Zhaoning had guessed, Lü Changgeng indeed had other plans.

Seeing that the Ziwei Exorcism Array had been activated, Lü Changgeng found Wu Chang's true form and whispered:

"Does Sect Leader Tang still remember the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven?"

Wu Chang nodded and said, "I remember."

Lü Changgeng took out a long sword and handed it to Wu Chang, saying:
"Once the sacrificial ceremony is initiated, it can transform demonic energy into spiritual energy. If we Earth Immortals rely solely on our power, even with the help of Celestials, it will be extremely difficult to sustain the sacrificial ceremony."

"This sword is the Heavenly Gang Demon-Slaying Sword. It can be used to kill demons and store the demonic energy within the demon in the sword."

"During the sacrificial ceremony, we will infuse the demonic energy into the ceremony and transform it into additional spiritual energy, which will alleviate the pressure on us as we reach the third stage of the ceremony."

Wu Chang examined the Heavenly Gang Demon-Slaying Sword. Unlike the simple blood talisman, the Heavenly Gang Demon-Slaying Sword was crafted by Lü Changgeng and was a genuine B-grade item.

The amount of demonic energy it can store is at least equivalent to twenty or thirty blood talismans, and it can be used without requiring the user's life essence.

Strangely enough, while the common people and ordinary cultivators of the Great Xuan feared demons, the young disciples of Shuanghu City, as well as Emperor Zhaoning and Lü Changgeng, regarded demons as treasures and fought each other for them.

He asked, "Alliance Leader Lü, can the demonic energy stored in just one sword really provide much help?"

Lu Changgeng said calmly, "One Heavenly Gang Demon-Slaying Sword is certainly not enough, so I forged one hundred and eight."

Wu Chang's eyes showed surprise. One hundred and eight B-grade items could not be completed in just a few days. The fact that Lü Changgeng was able to make such preparations meant that he had started preparing one hundred and eight Heavenly Gang Demon-Slaying Swords as a precaution, even though he did not know that the immortal's remains did not exist.

No wonder Emperor Zhaoning would issue side quests even though they were aligned with the main storyline, just to keep an eye on Lü Changgeng.

Wu Chang put away the Heavenly Gang Demon-Slaying Sword and shook his head slightly as he watched Lü Changgeng's retreating figure.

They're so stingy, they won't even give out a side quest. No wonder I'm not doing anything.

(End of this chapter)