Evil Venerable of the Sword Dao-Chapter 154 - 051 Ancient Sacrifice

"Yes, yet not quite," Lee Xinyu hesitated.

"Then I understand. Your idea is probably similar to Ji Taichong’s, desiring to use the ancient Essence Blood and Sword Intent Crystal Stone, along with a special Condensing Method, to achieve Dual Sword Souls. You started with the ’Taiyin Talisman Scripture’ because you knew that item would ultimately be unattainable regardless. In the end, you would resort to voicing a minor goal, so that I would certainly agree to your ’minor’ request after rejecting you countless times.

This way, you would achieve your purpose."

Zhou Yan thought for a moment, and then he felt somewhat relieved.

This must be Lee Xinyu’s greatest tactic.

Only, this tactic had been seen through outright.

"Correct, that’s exactly what I meant. However, it seems now that no demands can be met, and in terms of ability, you truly are invincible in this Ancient Tomb Mountain.

Even if the ceremony of the festival is initiated and others die, it’s not certain that you would be in trouble... It seems now I truly am close to success, yet I fail. So, given that I haven’t attacked you, how about you let me leave?"

By now, Lee Xinyu had abandoned many tactics and spoke sincerely and directly.

Since she had failed, she might as well retreat straightforwardly.

"Our families, the Lee and the Zhou, have always had a good relationship; you haven’t offended me, and indeed you have provided me with much to ponder upon. Do you need the ancient Sword Intent Crystal Stone and ancient Essence Blood? I shall gift you a piece and a drop.

Whether or not this is your tactic of retreating to advance, you have now fulfilled your request.

However, if you are still active here and encounter Zhou Family members in danger, remember to lend them a hand. I think it won’t be a loss for you."

Zhou Yan pondered slightly, then directly opened the Extreme Jade Cold Light Ring and took out an ancient Essence Blood and a sealed Sword Intent Crystal Stone.

At that instant, due to the aura of these two items, Lee Xinyu’s eyes suddenly brightened again.

She suddenly felt as if ’After mountains and rivers there seems no way, but somehow a village appears with elm trees and bright flowers’. Initially, she thought she used all means and achieved nothing, but to her surprise, after seeing through all her tactics, Zhou Yan still generously offered these items.

At this moment, she looked deeply at Zhou Yan and sincerely said, "I will certainly remember this matter in my heart. If I encounter any Zhou Family members in peril, I will definitely not stand by idly.

Also, Zhou Lingzhe, this place is where the ancient ceremony of sacrifice is about to descend, and the way out lies hidden within this sealed ancient array. You are indeed formidable, but please do not overlook the calamity of this land."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yan looked deeply at Lee Xinyu and said, "Hmm, I had already known about this when I was solving the ancient array, so I didn’t dispel that hidden exit.

Thus, you may now leave in peace."

Zhou Yan spoke, and then unleashed an ancient Sword Intent, shooting it into a nearby ancient array. At that moment, the ancient array was activated and began operating again.

"So, you were in control of everything all along, and we’ve just become the laughingstocks."

Lee Xinyu sighed deeply and then bowed deeply to Zhou Yan with immense respect before retreating into the ancient array and being transported away.

At this moment, tranquility was restored here once again.

Zhou Yan looked at the scattered corpses on the ground, stepped lightly over them, and then approached Qi Yun. From his halved body, he retrieved a golden leaf akin to a golden leaf.

On this golden leaf, there were ancient runes, which seemed to connect to an Ancient-Tai Chu world, quite bizarre.

"Without sufficient strength and resources, whoever takes this will only encounter disaster."

Zhou Yan scrutinized it carefully, then directly stored the item in his Extreme Jade Cold Light Ring. The golden leaf entered the ring and, as expected, flew automatically into the flames of the Purple Flame Lotus Seed within his brow, burning naturally like the previous golden fragments.

Ancient runes danced forth, forming an extraordinarily beautiful depiction.

Zhou Yan didn’t understand this image, but he was sure that it was a trace of runes containing great Taoist essence.

He didn’t understand, but he made an effort to memorize this rune image completely.

With his intuition, he believed that such ancient runes would surely be of the utmost help to him at some moment.

...

Silence pervaded Heaven and Earth, and the wind sobbed intermittently.

In this space, the blood-colored lake water was still boiling, and on the lake’s surface, a huge shadow of a blood-colored statue remained.

Zhou Yan walked in this silent world, letting the blood-colored rain penetrate his body, as he continued searching step by step.

He hadn’t left immediately.

The ancient ceremony seemed about to start, darkening the sky and earth.

The sound of the wind sobbing, mournful and plaintive like the eerie screech of ghosts, never ceased.

This should have been a very oppressive environment, but when Zhou Yan had condensed 108,000 ancient Demon Beast Essence Qi Souls and formed his own ancient Essence Blood, with his bloodline bearing the ancient essence, Zhou Yan’s demeanor became much calmer.

Though only twenty years old, at this moment, he seemed immeasurably profound, as if he had experienced millions of years of sedimentation.

Even in front of the world-famous Ghost Rain Sword Soul, Lee Xinyu—a person he definitely had to look up to before, stripped naked, he felt hardly any stirring.

This was a transformation, an ascension.

At this moment, sensing the still existing yet barely perceptible calling in his heart, Zhou Yan stepped forward.

He had acquired the ’Taiyin Talisman Scripture,’ but he felt no pleasure, for now, he was somewhat confused about Jiang Yuning’s intent with that ancient array.

Previously, he thought he understood, but after experiencing the incident with Lee Xinyu, he realized he still didn’t understand.

The desolate sound of the flute appeared again, unknowingly.

It was like a signal’s arrival, as the flute sounded, the blood rain between heaven and earth became denser.

These blood rains, still illusory, didn’t stain Zhou Yan’s body at all, but as they passed through his body, the blood light could illuminate the structure inside Zhou Yan’s body.

Under such circumstances, Zhou Yan could even see parts of his body’s structure with his naked eyes. For example, when he reached out his hand, the blood rain penetrated his arm, and the light from the blood rain could illuminate his bones one by one.

It was a very eerie scene that, in the past, even with great strength, would inevitably make Zhou Yan feel some suspicion; but now, he simply watched this scene with profound eyes as if everything in the world didn’t exist or relate to him at all.

Following the calling voice, he walked step by step until he finally saw an ancient city, where the blood light in the sky above stood out strikingly.

Within the blood light sat a faintly discernible figure of a woman.

That woman, with her back towards him, had a desolate and lonely silhouette.

She was still playing the flute in solitude, the ancient and desolate flute sounds touching even Zhou Yan’s heart of steel with a sense of unspeakable sorrow.

He took a deep breath and walked step by step toward the woman.

At this moment, it seemed that both life and death were beyond his consideration.

...

"The ancient sacrifice has begun.

Ancient Tomb Mountain bears an awakening emperor’s spirit; once it reincarnates and cultivates anew, it could be a disaster for heaven and earth."

A woman in white clothes like snow muttered to herself while gazing at a distant scene.

Her beautiful eyes were clear and bright, dazzling like stars.

"Sister Ning, but why didn’t you wait for the young master to come together..."

A petite red-clothed girl standing next to her asked with some confusion.

"Had it been before this visit, I would have done everything... but I’ve suddenly awakened some ancient memories and learned a significant secret... I can’t be with him now."

"This... The young master has already become so strong, Sister Ning, you really needn’t have any concerns."

The beautiful red-clothed girl said softly.

"Ping’er, you don’t understand. But soon, you will."

The woman in white sighed lightly, then said, "If he could come out of the Ancient Array, there might be some hope, but the array has clearly been tampered with... this time, it all depends on his fate.

Alas... he really shouldn’t have known about that now."

"Sister Ning, what you say... Ping’er doesn’t quite understand. Ping’er is foolish, can Sister Ning clarify, to put Ping’er at ease?"

The red-clothed girl Ping’er looked somewhat helpless and worried as she spoke in a pleading tone.

"Ping’er, your talent is far better than I imagined. Just forget about this matter, forget about young master Zhou Yan, forget everything, get stronger first."

The woman in white hesitated slightly but then resolved herself to say.

"No, I don’t want to forget the young master; even if I have to give up all my talents, I don’t want to forget! Sister Ning, have you forgotten again?"

"Forget, even if we can’t, we must forget because only by doing so can we keep him safe for the time being."

"This..."

Red-clothed girl Ping’er stood there, stunned.

...

Spiritual Lotus Secret Realm.

A pitch-black shadow completely revealed its form.

"Good, the time has come, the sacrifice is about to begin.

Oddly enough, with so much ancient essence blood, he dares to respond to the call and enter the sacrificial altar; does he wish to perish along with his path and thus open the Nine Origin Reincarnation Road prematurely?"

This voice, husky and deep, yet his words, like his sword, carried an air of looking down on all beings, viewing them like mere ants.

"-my lord, your subordinate has been thoroughly investigating this matter, and finally, there are results."

The beautiful woman who had lost her eyes and arms spoke softly.

During her speech, she bowed as a gesture of reverence to this ’shadow’.

"Mm, you’ve done well. Continue to pay attention and observe for a while.

Let this little ant with some fate live a little longer; now, as the Nine Origin Reincarnation is about to begin, we should get ready as well."

The shadow spoke again.

His smile then turned somewhat eerie and unfathomable.