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Chapter 128 Sacrifice Ceremony
"If that thing falls... it'll be really bad, right?" Xu Xuanling didn't understand these things, but she instinctively knew that it was definitely not a good thing.

"Look, even the flesh pillar is deforming!" Fu Jiaolu said while pasting blood oranges onto his body.

More muscle tissue grew from its center, overlapping each other like a dense network of cables. They gradually expanded, eventually forming a structure similar to a mushroom cap. However, it was the opposite of a mushroom, with the flat side facing up and the raised side facing down.

The center of the canopy is still the spire, like a thin needle pointing at the membrane bubble above.

This change... seems strangely familiar.

"Who exactly is the enemy?" Ajiu asked, somewhat bewildered. "How can we eliminate this thing?"

By now, Chang'an City was a scene of devastation. Hundreds of intestines hung from the sky on every street, like nooses, constantly absorbing the flesh and blood of the residents, until they themselves became oily and slippery. Eventually, all the "nutrients" converged into the membrane vesicle, giving birth to a monster about to be born.

He wanted to stop it, but didn't know where to begin.

The cultivators in Chang'an probably thought the same way... The things in the sky were too far away for them to reach, and the things on the ground were just piles of flesh, so cutting them into pieces wouldn't make a difference. The only thing that could be considered an enemy was probably the intestines that kept falling from the sky.

The membrane bubble on the top of my head is still descending.

Its surface has gradually transitioned from a slight bulge to a hemispherical shape.

Now everyone can see clearly what the dark figure inside is...

It looked like a huge heart, beating incessantly.

An umbrella-shaped tray, a heart, a forbidden fusion, Gildre's black magic book... A series of thoughts flooded Chen Xuan's mind, and he finally realized why this meat tower looked so familiar.

Isn't this the same structure as the flesh altars I saw in another world?

At that time, the demon that resembled a human centipede filled the copper basin with its own blood and cursed him. Now that I think about it, the one cursing him was probably not a demon, but something else... Sacrifice was the means to trigger this response.

Curses are probably not the only effect.

Black magic also relies on sacrificing the heart to gain extra lifespan.

What kind of response would we get if we sacrificed a city with a population of one million?
Chen Xuan didn't dare to think about it.

However, this gave him an idea: "Perhaps this is a sacrificial ritual. Liu Shuyue, don't you think this tower looks like something?"

Liu Shuyue couldn't remember for the time being.

"Was the altar you once set up also like this?"

She was taken aback. "You mean...dark magic?"

At the time, she was in the desolate wilderness, and the conditions were quite rushed, so the altar she set up was also quite rudimentary. The basin was a villager's rice bowl, the support was made by wedging tree branches with stones, and the four candlesticks were replaced with torches... Nevertheless, she basically met the requirements of the black magic.

A scene flashed through Liu Shuyue's mind: a strange heart emerged from the amniotic fluid, fell into the umbrella, and was pierced by the spire, just as she pierced the dragon's heart with a dagger and offered it to the altar.

"What about the candlestick?"

The moment she asked the question, a violent explosion suddenly rang out!

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and discovered that the tops of several tall towers in the city center had just exploded! Flames were burning fiercely on the tops of the towers, like huge torches!
Chen Xuan quickly identified five burning candles, one more than the required number for the altar. Although they were slightly off-center and didn't completely encircle the altar, the requirements of black magic emphasized sincerity over form.

The Moon Gazing Tower showed no abnormalities, indicating that infiltrating the Immortal Alliance's headquarters was no easy task. However, the other towers shared a similar structure, with semi-open areas at the top. If deliberately set on fire, the draft could easily spread the flames.

It's likely that someone planted explosives on it beforehand.

"Could it be that there are more than just these four cultivators whose positions have been occupied?" Liu Shuyue asked in surprise.

"In fact, there's no one left alive in the entire Qingge Sect," Chen Xuan said in a deep voice. As for how many Qingge Sect cultivators are still lingering in the city, no one can say for sure.

But this act of arson also convinced him of his deduction.

Attacking the heart is pointless; if they break the membrane beforehand and cause the heart to fall off, the conditions for the ritual will still be met. What they should do now is destroy the altar.

That is, the Tower of Flesh and Blood!
Liu Shuyue clearly thought the same thing as him, "Extinguishing the fire seems unlikely, how about destroying the tower?"

“It’s worth a try.” Chen Xuan looked up at the blood-red sky again. “No matter what, we need to hurry.”

Although others did not quite understand the reasoning behind it, since the immortal master and immortal teacher had reached an agreement, they were naturally willing to comply.

"Senior brother, can you still walk?" Ajiu asked, pulling up the talisman deer.

"Don't worry! I'll take care of it!" he said, patting his chest. "This little injury has already healed."

Chen Xuan quickly divided the team into three groups. One group stayed behind to occupy high ground and provide firearms support, mainly consisting of villagers from Mala Village. Another group stayed by the pit to provide backup, consisting of himself, Xu Xuanling, and Ahua. The last group attempted to approach the Tower of Flesh and Blood, which contained Liu Shuyue and Ajiu.

It's not that he's unwilling to be on the front lines.

To get over this trap, we must use the Wind-Riding Talisman. Currently, the only one skilled in its use is Liu Shuyue. And it's certainly more agile for Liu Shuyue to fly with Ajiu than with herself.

Unexpectedly, they encountered trouble right from the start.

Just as Liu Shuyue took flight, a large number of roots suddenly burst forth from the bottom of the pit—this time it was at least not intestines, but the fleshy tendrils formed by strands of muscle were no better. They were countless times more agile than the former, relentlessly chasing after Liu Shuyue. At the same time, a large number of intestines fell from the sky, almost forming a curtain around the flesh tower.

It was difficult enough to avoid the roots entangled, let alone have to keep an eye on those swaying intestines. Liu Shuyue had no choice but to retreat with Ajiu.

"No, I can't get close at all!" she said, shaking her head after landing. "I'll try to attack from the outside!"

Should we start from the outside?
Chen Xuan was slightly startled, "Wait... which move are you going to use?"

At this moment, Liu Shuyue had already risen from the ground, throwing her sword with her right hand. Seven-colored rays of light immediately burst forth from the sword, just like her posture when she slew the dragon that day—

The True Sword to Slay Demons!

Sword light condensed from the void, causing the surrounding spiritual energy to surge wildly, as if a storm had been unleashed.

Liu Shuyue pointed forward, her floating sword carrying countless rays of light as it slashed towards the giant altar. The altar seemed to sense the danger, and numerous roots converged to form a wall of flesh and blood. Even more impressively, many hands extended from this wall of flesh, blocking the incoming light!

In an instant, the earth shook violently, as if the altar itself was shaken by the force of the attack. Countless roots were severed, only to be replaced by even more. It was indeed a massive demon; its seemingly impervious roots were as fragile as withered branches and rotten wood before the Demon-Slaying Sword. But it was simply inexhaustible. The sword light gradually dimmed and finally disappeared dozens of meters away from the tower.

Liu Shuyue returned to the edge of the pit, her face showing signs of fatigue.

"How many years of your life did you just use up?" Chen Xuan asked, frowning.

“It’s only a hundred years.” She smiled, indicating that there was no need to worry. “It’s okay, the dragon will give us even more.”

But these lives were obtained through dark magic. Even if the curse was suppressed by the Saintess's abilities, it is unknown whether there will be any other side effects.

To be honest, Chen Xuan was extremely surprised, though he didn't show it on his face. He hadn't expected that the Demon-Slaying True Sword, capable of cleaving the great demon Azure Dragon in two with a single strike, couldn't even touch the altar! The difference between the two was obvious.

"What should we do now?" Ajiu asked anxiously. "Even the Immortal Master couldn't hurt it, so there's even less chance for us."

"We need to figure out how to deal with these fleshy tendrils first." Chen Xuan wasn't panicked. He knew the trouble was huge and there was no use in rushing. "Otherwise, it will keep blocking all attacks for the altar."

But what should be done? Bringing over the hunting troops from Mala Village might help distribute the firepower, but the shop isn't in Chang'an City, and it might be too late to call for reinforcements.

"Sect Leader Chen! What are you doing here?" Suddenly a familiar voice came from afar.

Chen Xuan turned his head and saw that the other party was actually Xu Yuanqing, the governor of the Immortal Alliance. Although he looked somewhat disheveled and his hair was messy, he did not appear to have suffered any harm. He was not alone; he was followed by a group of cultivators, at least thirty or forty in total.

That's right... This is the headquarters of the Immortal Alliance, so there's never a shortage of cultivators here!

(End of this chapter)