"Well, she said that she was seriously injured in the Soul Temple last time and has not recovered yet. It would be embarrassing for her to participate in the ceremony to worship the gods. If her injuries cannot be cured, she will not participate at all." Guan Qingyun said helplessly.
"Forget it, she can go or not, just ignore her. She is just a chief priest of a lower-level temple. Does she really want to ride on our heads and shit and piss on us?" said the hot-tempered priest angrily.
No one else responded. This sacrificial ceremony was originally prepared for Mu Hanyan. If she didn't participate, what would be the point?
"How many more pills does she want?" Guan Xiu Jin asked after a moment's silence.
"Same as last time, one hundred Tianluo Shenhun Pills and one hundred Zhengyang Shendao Pills." Guan Qingyun said with a wry smile.
Mu Hanyan's appetite was so big that he couldn't even begin to speak.
"What, another two hundred pills? Why doesn't she just go and rob them?" Kong Renhe cursed with a glare on his face.
"Is there any room for negotiation? Can it be less?" Guan Xiujing was unusually calm and asked Guan Qingyun again.
"I think, probably, maybe, it can be a little less." Guan Qingyun recalled that Mu Hanyan's attitude this time seemed not as firm as last time, so he speculated and said.
"Tell her that we only need fifty Tianluoshenhuan pills and fifty Zhengyangshendao pills. No more. Also, this is not us asking her to participate in the ceremony of worshiping the gods. This is compensation for our inconsiderateness in taking her to the Palace of Divine Souls last time, which caused her to be seriously injured." Guan Xiujin finally made the final decision.
Things have come to this point, and he has no choice but to draw his sword. Even though he knows that Mu Hanyan is taking the opportunity to blackmail him, he has no choice but to accept it. However, he cannot lose face. He must have an explanation for giving her the elixir.
"Yes, father, I will go and discuss it with her." Guan Qingyun was actually very angry, so he stood up and walked out.
This time, the delay didn't last long. Guan Qingyun soon returned with good news. Mu Hanyan agreed to the condition that as long as she got the pills, she would immediately sign up for the ceremony. She also knew that these fifty Tianluo Shenhuan Pills and fifty Zhengyang Shendao Pills were already the limit for Guan Xiujin and the others. If they didn't stop while they were ahead, they were afraid that they would really fail.
However, for Guan Xiujing and others, this is not good news - is there anyone in the world who would cheer loudly after being ripped off? It would be strange if there were.
Next, everyone sold everything they had, almost even their ancestral home, and finally managed to collect enough pills.
After receiving the pills, Mu Hanyan did not go back on her word and immediately asked Gao Weihu to sign up and prepare to participate in the sacrificial ceremony.
There was still one day before the sacrificial ceremony, and Mu Hanyan was not idle, but devoted herself to cultivation.
Although he accidentally tricked Guan Xiujing and others, the calmness and confidence that Guan Qingyun had shown before still made Mu Hanyan more vigilant.
This time, for Guan Xiujin and the others, this was probably their last chance. They should be well aware of this, so they would definitely give it their all. Mu Hanyan never underestimated any opponent, and at a time like this, she certainly wouldn't underestimate the enemy.
As the sun rises, the tall and majestic hall of the Temple of Life is shrouded in golden morning glow.
Five competition platforms stood in the wide square in front of the temple. On the center platform, An Xiujin and other high priests were dancing to perform the Great God Dance. However, with the sound of a bell that was vast, deep, and lingering, their Great God Dance also came to an end.
"I declare that the competition begins!" Guan Xiujing shouted loudly as soon as Kong Renhe and others stopped.
The powerful voice echoed for a long time, and the entire City of Life was filled with thunderous cheers.
An Xiujin and the others quickly left the arena, wiping sweat from their lips as they left. To seize this last chance to force Mu Hanyan to hand over the Five-Colored Soul Orb, they had fought tooth and nail, rising at dawn to hold the ceremony. They'd been dancing with the gods on an empty stomach, exhausted and sweaty.
However, thinking that they would soon get what they wanted and overcome the crisis, although they were tired, there was still a strange excitement on their faces.
"Is everything arranged?" Guan Xiujin asked softly, looking at the priests who then walked onto the competition stage. Mu Hanyan was among those priests.
"Don't worry, Master Priest, everything has been arranged. No matter how strong Mu Hanyan is, this round of competition will be enough to exhaust her." Kong Renhe said confidently.
The temporary sacrificial ceremony this time was certainly held to deal with Mu Hanyan, but for him, it might be a good opportunity to ascend to the position of right priest, so he also put in a lot of thought and hard work.
"Then I feel relieved." Guan Xiu Jin nodded and said appreciatively, while secretly giving Guan Qingyun a wink.
Although Guan Qingyun only took two days to comprehend the mysteries of the Qiankun Life and Death Seal, and should have no problem surpassing Mu Hanyan, it's always better to be safe than sorry. Kong Renhe was so dedicated and meticulous in his arrangements, and he was naturally very satisfied.
Poor Kong Renhe, he had no idea that his efforts were only to make things easier for others. If he knew, he wouldn't know what to think.
The lingering sound of the bell gradually faded away, and Mu Hanyan and others walked onto the competition stage one by one according to the order they had drawn lots.
Standing opposite her was an elderly priest who was nearly 70 years old. He had an arrogant look on his face and looked like a powerful man.
His name was Zhou Shucheng. Mu Hanyan only knew his name when she drew lots just now. In fact, it was not just him. Mu Hanyan had never heard of any of the other nine priests on the competition stage.
This is no wonder. After the competition in this sacrificial ceremony, the new candidate for the right priest of the Temple of Life will be decided. For any priest, this is a great opportunity to bring honor to his family and rise to fame. Therefore, many priests who were training outside received the news and rushed back as soon as possible. There were also many strong ones among them, and Zhou Shucheng was one of them.
According to information Gao Weihu had gathered, Zhou Shucheng was born in the Tianyang Temple and ascended to the rank of Divine Heart Priest over two hundred years ago, voluntarily relinquishing his position as Chief Priest to join the Temple of Life. While his aptitude wasn't particularly exceptional, he had a long life ahead of him, and through over two hundred years of diligent cultivation, he had reached the rank of an eighth-rank Divine Heart Priest.
However, this was only his apparent strength. Some speculated that he had long since reached the level of a tenth-rank Divine Heart Priest. It was simply that as he lived longer, he became increasingly indifferent to fame and fortune, and more absorbed in cultivation, thus never revealing his true strength to outsiders. Of course, his so-called indifference to fame and fortune wasn't absolute; he was equally unable to resist the allure of the position of Right Priest of the Temple of Life.
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