Sacrifice
When Wen Zheng opened her eyes again, the cell where she was imprisoned had changed drastically.
This time, the prison was heavily guarded and the space was cramped, unlike the previous one where a group of people were locked up together.
Wen Zheng turned her head and looked around. She didn't hear any sound. The surroundings were deathly still. She struggled to sit up and looked at the cell next door.
On the left was a young woman, huddled in a corner with her arms crossed. When she saw Wen Zheng looking over, she bared her fangs and glared back fiercely.
Wen Zheng pursed her lips and turned to look to her right. The person was lying on the ground, covered in blood, and unrecognizable.
After thinking for a moment, Wen Zheng moved to the left and asked the girl next to her, "Were you also sacrificed?"
As soon as she asked the question, the girl looked fierce and almost pounced on her to bite her.
Wen Zheng touched her nose and lay down on the ground to regulate her breathing.
I wonder when Mu Qing will come to rescue us, and if she can come soon.
In prison.
Lin Su and her senior sister Lu Yun, both array cultivators, fell to the ground, their bodies covered in wounds.
They tried their best to stop her, but still couldn't stop Chiyue from taking Wenzheng away. The two felt guilty and remorseful.
Lin Su suffered repeated setbacks, which damaged her Dao heart. Coupled with her physical injuries, she fell into a deep sleep and never woke up again.
He collapsed, and Lu Yun could only try to calm his junior brothers and sisters down and help Lin Su heal her injuries.
Chi Yue's kick was too heavy, and Lin Su's Dao heart was damaged. If he doesn't get treatment soon, his cultivation will probably collapse.
While helping Lin Su with her treatment, Lu Yun worried about how to get out of the house.
She had just finished healing her wounds when the cell door was smashed open by a long sword, the blade covered in frost and radiating a chilling aura.
"It's Immortal Venerable Mu! We're saved!" A disciple recognized the sword with the white frost as Taiqing at a glance and excitedly rushed out of the cell.
Lu Yun looked up in disbelief. The Taiqing Sword had been taken away. Mu Qing was holding a long sword, and many ghost clan members lay dead at her feet. She looked up.
Seeing that all the disciples of the Immortal Chasing Sect were here, Mu Qing's mood improved.
Just as he was about to check on Lin Su's condition, Lu Yun immediately knelt in front of her and said urgently, "Immortal Mu, Wen Zheng has been taken away by Chi Yue, who said she was sent for a sacrificial ceremony."
Mu Qing had already heard about the Ghost Clan's sacrificial ceremony in the past few days. He had no intention of holding the ceremony tomorrow and only wanted to leave with the disciples of the Immortal Chasing Sect as soon as possible.
Lu Yun looked up at Mu Qing's expression, and his heart sank when he remembered Wen Zheng saying that she was just a menial disciple.
It seems unnecessary for Immortal Venerable Mu to intervene, given that he is merely a menial disciple.
She lowered her head, unconsciously biting her lip until it bled. After a moment, she said in a deep voice, "Not only Wen Zheng, but Senior Brother Qi was also taken away. He is Elder Jianfeng's personal disciple."
Sword Peak's status in the Immortal Pursuit Sect far surpasses that of other peaks. If the Sword Peak elder knew that his disciple had been sent for sacrifice, he would probably come to kill the Ghost Clan.
"We'll discuss this later. I'll take you away first." Mu Qing cut off their shackles with a single sword stroke and led the group away.
Lu Yun helped his injured junior sister and followed her away.
The ghosts guarding the road were all lying motionless on the ground. Several chilling sword energies on the walls had not yet dissipated, and the black clouds that had been floating everywhere, exuding ghostly energy, had also disappeared.
The group followed Mu Qing for a whole night, and only stopped to rest after leaving the Ghost Clan's territory.
Lin Su's condition was very bad. Her spiritual energy was rapidly dissipating, and her whole body turned red like a boiled shrimp, with a frighteningly hot body.
Her disciple, who was carrying her, couldn't stand the heat and threw him to the ground.
Seeing Lin Su being left behind, Mu Qing stopped and said, "Rest where you are." Then she walked towards Lin Su.
Lu Yun put down his junior sister and looked at Lin Su with a conflicted expression.
She could tell that Lin Su was in bad shape, but Wen Zheng's situation was equally critical.
Lin Su was her senior brother, and out of respect for their shared sect, she couldn't interrupt Immortal Venerable Mu's rescue efforts. However, Wen Zheng was also a good person, willing to give up his limited number of pills and even shield her and Lin Su from Chi Yue's attack.
A life-saving grace must be repaid.
Having made up his mind, Lu Yun took a deep breath and walked over to Mu Qing, saying, "Immortal Venerable, it's already dawn. The Ghost Clan's sacrifice is about to begin. We've already left the Ghost Clan's territory. Where is Senior Brother Qi...?"
She wanted to remind Mu Qing to go and save people. If he could go, he would definitely be able to save Wen Zheng and Senior Brother Qi.
Mu Qing's expression remained unchanged as she helped Lin Su stabilize her cultivation level: "The sect leader sent me to rescue you. I cannot abandon you for the sake of two people. I must get you to a safe place before I can go back."
Lu Yun: "It's very safe here now."
Mu Qing didn't speak, but looked at the ghost clan members who were hurrying away not far away. They were all running towards the territory of the War Ghost Clan. Many of them were still carrying human limbs, and some were chasing after the fleeing cultivators.
If they hadn't been hiding in the concealment formation, they probably would have ended up like this.
Lu Yun's face turned pale, and he stopped speaking.
Mu Qing continued to heal Lin Su's injuries, but her eyes inadvertently glanced in the direction of the War Ghost Clan.
Outside the palace of the War Demon Clan.
The demons gathered around the altar, looking up at the three pillars standing on it. The demons considered the number three auspicious, and the pillars were carved with the demons' unique Netherworld Flower, its blood-red color looking very ominous.
Wen Zheng was not in prison for long before she was bound hand and foot and dragged to the sacrificial altar. The two people next to her were also brought over.
The three were forced to kneel in front of a stone pillar. There was a groove in front of the pillar, which was covered with dark brown marks.
Wen Zheng lowered her head and sniffed, and a fishy, foul smell hit her. She almost vomited and turned to look at the two people beside her.
One was a fierce ghost woman, and the other was covered in blood and unconscious; this must be the Senior Brother Qi that Lin Su and the others were talking about.
Looking at the other person's condition, Wen Zheng sighed. He was so badly injured that it was questionable whether he could even wake up, let alone escape.
On the sacrificial altar, a person holding a skull mask performed a bizarre sacrificial dance to the jarring music. Wen Zheng said to the ghost woman, "Hello, my name is Wen Zheng. Shall we cooperate to find a way to escape?"
She's a member of the demon race, so she should be familiar with the current situation and know how to escape.
The ghost woman gave her a wary look: "Why should I cooperate with you?"
Wen Zheng sighed: "Friend, at a time like this, who else besides me would be willing to cooperate with you?"
We're all members of the Ghost Clan, but everyone else is watching the show from below the altar while you're waiting to offer sacrifices on the altar. Don't you feel like a failure?
Understanding Wen Zheng's meaning, the ghost woman snorted coldly: "There is a passage under the sacrificial altar that leads to the tombs of past ghost kings. You can try to escape through here. Also, I am not your friend. My name is Mu Xinxin."
Wen Zheng's eyes lit up after obtaining the crucial clue. She glanced around and noticed that no one was paying attention to them, probably thinking they couldn't escape.
After all, it was simply a pipe dream for three people who were bound hand and foot to untie themselves and break through the encirclement of numerous demons.
Their blind arrogance gave Wen Zheng an opportunity. She took out the short sword that Mu Qing had given her earlier, quietly cut the rope, and after the rope loosened, she threw the short sword forcefully at Mu Xinxin's feet.
The iron dagger fell to the ground with a crisp sound, which wasn't jarring amidst the shrill music, but some people still noticed it.
A demon soldier looked over, and from his line of sight, it was easy to see the short sword lying on the ground. Wen Zheng stared at the demon soldier, holding an explosive talisman in her hand.
If discovered, immediately throw it out to attract attention, then smash the funerary flower under the statue and escape.
As the short sword fell to the ground, Mu Xinxin glanced at Wen Zheng in surprise, about to ask her a question, when the ghost soldiers looked at her. She leaned to one side and pressed herself against the short sword.
The demon soldiers glanced at the scene but found nothing amiss, and continued watching the people performing the sacrificial dance.
Wen Zheng breathed a sigh of relief, relaxed her grip on the talisman, and said to Mu Xinxin, "Quickly untie the rope, let's go together."
She didn't know what was going on inside the Ghost King's Tomb, so it would be best to bring someone she knew with her.
Mu Xinxin didn't reply. She used her short sword to cut the rope, loosened her muscles and bones, and whispered, "Opening the Ghost King's Tomb requires the cultivation of the Nascent Soul stage. You just need to break the Netherworld Flower under the statue on the platform."
Wen Zheng: "..."
Friend, why didn't you tell me something so important sooner?
If she had attacked just now, wouldn't she have been dead?
The atmosphere froze for a moment, then Wen Zheng continued, "What is your cultivation level?"
Her question came suddenly, and Mu Xinxin stopped what she was doing and looked at Wen Zheng: "The cultivation of the Ghost Clan is different from that of the Human Clan. I've probably reached the Golden Core stage of the Human Clan. By the way, what is your cultivation level?"
Wen Zheng awkwardly turned her head away, not daring to meet her gaze: "Mid-Foundation Building stage."
The voice was soft, but loud enough for Mu Xinxin to hear clearly. She stared wide-eyed at Wen Zheng in disbelief: "Say it again?"
"Mid-stage Foundation Building".
Mu Xinxin: "..."
Her silence lasted even longer than Wen Zheng's, her eyes swirling with emotions of shock, disbelief, and complexity, finally settling on an expression that seemed to say, "How dare you do this?"
Mu Xinxin was very cautious; even at the Golden Core stage, she dared not run away rashly. Wen Zheng, who was only at the early Foundation Establishment stage, was even bolder than her.
Moreover, the other party showed no fear whatsoever, staring at the statue as if about to shatter the ghost flowers beneath its feet.
Mu Xinxin thought for two seconds, then threw the short sword back: "The cooperation is over."
Wen Zheng asked in confusion, "Why?"
Mu Xinxin sneered and said sarcastically, "The Nether Flower requires Nascent Soul stage cultivation. What makes you think we can escape? Your Foundation Establishment stage or my Golden Core stage?"
She practically called them both useless.
Wen Zheng wasn't angry at being scolded like that. She comforted him, saying, "Don't worry. Just because we can't break it doesn't mean others can't. There are quite a few people here who are at the Nascent Soul stage or above. They can break it."
Mu Xinxin looked at Wen Zheng with the eyes of someone looking at an idiot, sighed deeply, and turned her head away, not wanting to look at her.
Wen Zheng's persuasion was in vain. She lowered her head and sorted out all the talismans she had drawn since entering the Ghost Clan. Because she was worried that her drawing skills would deteriorate, she would draw twenty talismans every day to practice.
Although the problem with his cultivation caused all the talismans to turn into explosive talismans, greatly reducing their power, the ghost race is most afraid of fire, so the explosive suits should have some restraining effect on them.
She was too weak to fight her way out, and with a seriously injured person holding her back, the only way to escape was through the Ghost King's Tomb.
What she needs to do now is to get the Nascent Soul stage members of the Ghost Clan to take action and shatter the Nether Flower.
After thinking for a long time, Wen Zheng's empty eyes came back to life. She held all the talisman paper in her hands. The thick stack of paper was too much for one hand to hold, so she could only divide it in half to her other hand.
Having prepared everything, Wen Zheng called out to Mu Xinxin and said to her, "I will make my move later. Once the Ghost King's Tomb is opened, you take my senior brother and run away together."
The declarative tone startled Mu Xinxin for a moment. She shook her head to make sure she hadn't misheard, then frowned and asked, "You made a move?"
Wen Zheng nodded.
Mu Xinxin was stunned. She, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, was making a move? Are all human cultivators this valiant?
Mu Xinxin looked at Wen Zheng with a complicated expression, then nodded in agreement.
With her worries resolved, Wen Zheng looked down at the ghost clan members watching the sacrificial ceremony below the stage.
Generally, those with good physiques and appearances are the strongest among the demons. These people are powerful and can obtain better corpses to have morticians repair them.
Wen Zheng's target was also this group of people. They were strong, and seeing ants so much weaker than themselves provoking them, they would definitely not be able to resist taking action.
Worried that one might not be enough, Wen Zheng picked out a few more.
On the other side, after helping Lin Su stabilize her Dao heart, Mu Qing took out the spirit boat and prepared to leave with everyone.
A familiar figure appeared in front of the spirit ship. Mu Qing frowned: "Wei Ming."
Wei Ming's body was swollen, and his skin was filled with ghostly energy. The heavy ghostly energy covered his pale skin, making him look extremely terrifying.
"Immortal Master Mu, don't be in such a hurry to leave. Why don't you stay and keep an old friend company?"
Mu Qing's face turned cold, and she summoned the Taiqing Sword, thrusting it forward. The longsword pierced through Wei Ming's body, but he seemed to feel no pain, laughing heartily.
"It wasn't for nothing that I devoured so many ghost clan members, Immortal Lord Mu. How do I look now? Do I have the strength to fight you?"
"Enough with the nonsense." Mu Qing raised her hand and struck again with her sword.
Wei Ming's body was covered in sword wounds, and the chill caused the ghostly energy from the wounds to overflow. Wei Ming's figure also shrank. He retreated in panic, grabbed a floating black cloud and swallowed it in one gulp.
"Cannibalism among their own kind?!" Lu Yun exclaimed in surprise, unable to help but say, "Devouring one's own kind goes against the natural order, and you will be punished."
Wei Ming had long since shed his human identity and become a member of the ghost race, but he didn't see it that way. On the contrary, he felt that he was still human and that eating two ghosts was nothing.
Upon hearing someone say that he would suffer retribution, Wei Ming smiled and said, "I only ate a few unformed ghosts and I'm already going to suffer retribution? What about the Ghost King? He's planning to sacrifice the entire ghost race."
Mu Qing, who had been interrupting Wei Ming's devouring of the black cloud, immediately asked upon hearing this, "What do you mean?"
Wei Ming grinned and said, "Immortal Venerable Mu, do you remember when I said that the Ghost King obtained a treasure? He sacrificed his clan and his cultivation level increased greatly."
"The Ghost King wants to become an immortal."
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