The Witcher: Start with the Lord Marrying a Wife.

Chapter 580 Blood Hell Sacrifice

“This is… the loss of the source,” he murmured to himself. This phrase stirred a sense of fear and urgency within him. “If we cannot stop it in time, this world will perish completely.”

Every step he took stirred up dust, yet it could not conceal the intense sorrow and desolation.

A gentle breeze swept by, stirring up fine, corrosive dust that drifted like ghosts in the light.

In this devastated yet eerily quiet landscape, every detail seems to tell a story of a silent, devastated struggle on the verge of destruction.

David looked around and saw in the distance a large altar ruin that was once majestic and magnificent but was now a skeleton exposed. It was covered with thick blackish-brown dust and mottled rune remnants. That was the legendary "Altar of the Last Flame", which once worshipped the illustrious power of the last generation of ancient demon dukes and was also one of the important nodes connecting many other realms.

However, at this moment, it is like a corpse eroded and swallowed by time, surrounded by an aura of endless decay, making people hold their breath and dare not take a step closer.

On the edge of the storm, several enormous but extremely haggard and indistinct monsters were vaguely visible. They moved slowly and were covered in mottled wounds, a far cry from their former majesty.

These are the original Blood Demon races left over from the demon race thousands of years ago. They are the original symbols of power in this land, but now they are on the verge of death. They no longer let out the sharp roars of the past, but can only growl and groan in fear and struggle.

This scene made David feel an even heavier sense of oppression in his chest—this was not just a defeat in war, but more like a silent lament for life and the laws of time themselves!
His heart pounded so hard that it forced him to act quickly, while simultaneously pushing his body to its limit.

He understood that what he would have to face next was a new situation that was more difficult, dangerous, and unpredictable than anything before.

An existence that even the guardian deities worry about and fear, and which may not even be able to reverse the trend and break the deadlock!

"Liliana, you stay here to recover. I'm going to find out why the 'Last Grand Duke' caused this turmoil." David silently recited the mantra, and after a brief exchange with her through mental fluctuations, he once again stepped into the center of the swaying, vast, and mysterious space.

Every footstep crushed the withered branches and fallen leaves, echoing with a low, urgent sound, which contrasted sharply with the apocalyptic scene and served as a stark reminder that the road ahead was extremely treacherous!

David silently traversed this blood-soaked world of decay and calamity, following the intense primal vibrations.

His figure moved like a shadow among the cracked earth and ruins, his eyes fixed on the area ahead that was constantly emitting strong fluctuations.

The air was thick with the stench of decay and blood, which burned his nose, but he endured the discomfort, determined to uncover the secrets hidden at the heart of this storm.

As the distance closed, the desolation and despair intertwined to create a tragic picture became increasingly clear. Scattered on the ground were broken bones, some long since corroded into dark brown powder, others still bearing mottled bright red marks.

Dust rose and swirled all around, whipping up countless torn and shattered human remains. Those who were once called warriors or prisoners were now reduced to indistinct shapes, struggling in the shadow of death.

Ahead, a magnificent and terrifying altar stood starkly in the center of the desolate wasteland.

This altar is woven from the bones of tens of thousands of humans, demons, and even monsters, interwoven with numerous heterogeneous magic crystal veins that shimmer with a blood-red light like solidified crystals, making it appear as if it were a living thing—

The eerie, carved details seemed to devour the surrounding atmosphere; every spike and every crack exuded a chilling, ominous premonition.

David held his breath and approached cautiously.

He saw a colossal figure hovering atop the altar—the legendary last ancient Blood Demon Grand Duke!
At this moment, the Grand Duke's face was twisted and crazed, his eyes were bloodshot like burning flames, and his body was wrapped in countless dark patterns and corrosive runes, occasionally bursting out violent and twisted energy fluctuations.

The oppressive aura emanating from him caused the air to tremble, and the earth seemed to shudder at his roars and curses.

The Grand Duke raised his hands high and slowly drew complex rune arrays in the air.

Thousands of weak and fragmented blood demons, along with innocent prisoners and some high-ranking generals, were drawn by an invisible yet powerful attraction. They struggled helplessly, but ultimately could not escape their fate. They were naked or covered in wounds, bound and shrunken by black veins, gradually disintegrating as if their life force had been drained.

The bodies of those who crumbled began to dissolve and crack, their shells instantly disintegrating into scalding, crimson liquid energy—a pure and wild torrent of unstable blood energy. This torrent converged, firmly guided by a mysterious binding array into a massive "dark core" suspended at the center of the altar—

The last remaining irregular black crystal core, pulsating with a terrifying light.

The sinister aura emanating from this "Final Blood Demon Core" strikes deep into the soul. Its surface is covered with dense veins that seem to contain ancient forbidden secrets, and each pulsation brings forth waves of dark and cold energy.

It not only carries all the remaining power of the demon race, but is also like a living evil center that devours the will of countless lives, making people fear it, yet unable to look away. Like an abyss, it attracts and warns all those who covet it of its terrible price.

David frowned. He felt an instability from this power that far exceeded any previous crisis. It was a pure, extreme, and malevolent rampage, a harbinger of an impending devastating catastrophe.

"If it is allowed to 'awaken,' it will ignite an uncontrollable catastrophe across the entire field and even a wider area." His heart suddenly felt heavy, and he realized with absolute clarity that the current situation was far more perilous and complex than he had imagined.

A terrifying and oppressive atmosphere filled the air, and every low growl that drifted over sent chills down one's spine and was deafening.

The screams, mixed with tearing sounds, came from the depths of the disintegrating body, like the lament of a soul bursting forth when a thousand threads of fate break, or like the roaring waves of a thousand dry wells, almost suffocating one.

This horrific scene is like a hellish feast, the cruelest mockery of the dignity of life, and the word "carnival" is just a bizarre irony in a naked and deadly purgatory!

Gradually, the Grand Duke increased his speed as he began chanting the ancient incantation, which had been lost for a long time and contained extreme curse power.

Crimson symbols shot from fingertips into the surrounding void, merging with the resentment accumulated over generations on the altar, resonating with an ominous rhythm that shook the boundaries of the soul space.

Surrounding him were mutated and deformed demons screaming and howling, constantly attacking his mental defenses and pulling David into a deep vortex of despair. Yet, he fought back with unwavering willpower, as if he were in the eye of a primordial chaos storm!

At this moment, time seemed to stand still, while space was filled with an ever-expanding aura of danger.

All eyes were drawn to the "dark core," whose frequent, flickering, cold, eerie light illuminated the entire area, making it feel sinister and chilling.
The immense energy from the mass sacrifice continuously flowed into its body, causing it to become increasingly full and swollen, transforming all death and suffering into a frenzied growth force, ready to unleash a destructive storm!
David knew that if he couldn't stop it in time, the disaster would be irreversible. He gripped his staff tightly, fully focused and ready to charge into battle, showing no sign of flinching even in the face of such a horrific sight!
The crimson sky of the Blood Prison World was still shrouded in a layer of grayish-brown mist, and the wind carried the pungent smell of decay and blood, as if even the air itself was permeated with death and despair. David moved silently among the broken ruins at the edge of the altar, his steps steady and heavy.

He wore a dark patterned cloak, his face resolute, but his eyes reflected endless worry—this was the most desolate and eerie place he had ever seen since he entered the Blood Prison.

The desolate land is littered with countless severed limbs and remains, each one once a vibrant life, now devoured by the relentless passage of time.

The wind rustled through the broken bone fragments, creating a chilling, shrill sound, like the whispers of the dead or the wails of countless souls.

David felt these voices corroding his mind like a corrosive agent, but he gritted his teeth and refused to let emotional fluctuations affect his judgment.

In the shadows of a dark recess on the outer edge of the altar, a faint yet unusually firm life force caught his attention.

He slowly approached and saw a thin figure lying there. It was Arya—his ally who had fought alongside him and struggled in the Blood Prison.

Arya was curled up, her body covered in deep red wounds, with faint, glowing blood vessels flowing through them, which seemed to be slowly fading away.

She was as pale as paper, her face haggard, and her breathing was rapid and weak, each breath like a gamble with death.

David quickly crouched down and gently placed his hand on her forehead. The cold feeling was like morning frost, yet it also carried a strange warmth. He sensed that the remaining primal power within her body was struggling to resist the corrosive invasion.

"Arya, can you still hold on?" His voice was low and concerned, but also tinged with urgency and unease.

Arya struggled to lift her head, and her eyes, which had been dim but were now filled with hope upon seeing David, burst forth with a resolute brilliance like a blazing fire.

She struggled to prop herself up and responded with a trembling but clear and powerful mental message: "David...the enemy...he is forcibly fusing...the 'Final Blood Demon Core'!"
That was not a simple refining process, but a sacrifice of the entire Blood Prison, at the cost of devouring the world's very essence...

A grand ceremony to reach an even higher realm! If not stopped, he will destroy all life and turn this realm into his own source of power!

These words made the air suddenly heavy.

An indescribable sense of foreboding swept over us, almost suffocating us.

David gripped his staff tightly, tapping his pulse with his fingers to steady his rhythm. "Tell me the details. We must find a breakthrough."

Despite the excruciating pain, Aria focused her mental energy on the memories deep within her mind: "The Grand Duke frantically activated the core, using sacrificial energy to activate an ancient forbidden array, causing all those attracted to continuously disintegrate and transform into pure energy that flows into the core."

This is not merely about strengthening oneself, but about tearing apart the boundaries of time and space, exchanging 'future destruction' for 'power awakening'.

“What’s even more terrifying is that,” she continued, panting, “the core has begun to release distorted spacetime fluctuations, constantly eroding the foundation of our domain. This power has already infiltrated the outer planes. If it is allowed to continue, not only the entire Blood Prison, but even the adjacent worlds will be destroyed in a chain reaction!”

Upon hearing this, cold sweat trickled down David's forehead. He knew this was not simply an evil ambition, but a catastrophe that could rewrite the laws of the multiverse.

"How badly are you injured? How much longer can you hold on?" he asked anxiously.

"My body... has reached its limit," Arya's voice grew weaker and weaker.
"But my mental barrier can still temporarily resist the Grand Duke's control over me. I must buy time and buy you an opportunity."

“I won’t leave you to face this alone.” David’s eyes were even more determined. “Your existence is a crucial link in this war.”

I will protect you, and I will stop the Grand Duke's insane plan.

A cold wind swept across the parched earth, and as their eyes met, an unspoken vow of life and death was conveyed.

On this apocalyptic ruin, they became each other's only pillar of faith.

The surrounding space began to distort and deform due to the terrifying energy released by the core, and streaks of scarlet and twisted runes spread out from the top of the altar.

It clings to the sky and the ground like a spider web, blurring the view and making one feel as if trapped in a labyrinth of no return woven from a crimson magic web, causing one to lose their way and even experience hallucinations.

In the distance, the massive blood river, its banks breached, its mottled streams limping and remaining, stands alongside devastated trees whose branches sway like ghosts, silently recounting the painful epic of life and death alternating.

This horrific scene, like a prelude to the apocalypse, is real and puts immense pressure on even the most resilient will.

Standing in the shadows, David repeatedly reflected on his previous experiences and current situation. He knew that in the face of such a perilous situation, personal courage alone was far from enough; it was even more necessary to make full use of wisdom and teamwork.

He carefully observed the changes in his surroundings and meticulously analyzed the logic behind the Duke's actions, hoping to find a breakthrough to change the current situation.

But then he felt a dark pressure surging from the core, a pain in his chest like a sharp blade tearing through his heart—

That's not just about material power, it's tearing apart the very foundation of the soul!
"I can't wait any longer," he murmured to himself, then solemnly said to the weakened Arya, "Hold on, I will soon bring a turning point. We must prove with our actions that we have not given up any hope!"

At this moment, the chanting of the duke grew increasingly frantic, and several scorching scarlet energy rays shot out from around the dark core. These rays penetrated the void and spread to every corner, causing frequent outbreaks of strange phenomena in the heavens and earth.

Meteorite-shaped obsidian fell from the sky, merging with the raging flames to form a blazing rain of hellfire, scorching the already ravaged land until it was black and cracked, while countless vengeful spirits drifted and howled, echoing at the edge of the night!

All of this seemed like being in a hellish apocalypse, yet it also inspired the fighters to ignite their last spark of hope!
Only those who hold fast to their beliefs can see the light at the end of the tunnel in despair!

(End of this chapter)