“General Tu, Siro Country has been dominant for a long time, and they do have some capabilities. As far as I know, in addition to the firearms from before, Southern Qi also has more powerful firearms,” Lu Qing said with a smile, his hands clasped behind his back.
“Oh? There are even more powerful firearms?!” Tu Hong narrowed his eyes upon hearing this.
“That’s right. According to reports from our Dark Star, those new firearms can even pose a considerable threat to Divine Transformation Realms. They were clearly designed to restrain the Beast Suppression Army,” Lu Qing replied indifferently.
“However, while these firearms from Siro Country are powerful, they consume a vast amount of red crystal stone. The refining of red crystal stone is very difficult, and the production of red crystal stone in Southern Qi may not be enough to meet their consumption in a short period. Therefore, Southern Qi has secretly colluded with Dark Star, hoping to transport refined red crystal stone through Dark Star’s channels.”
“Dark Star?” Tu Hong frowned slightly, then let out a cold snort.
“These remnants are getting more and more audacious. It seems that once this matter is resolved, it’s time to eliminate these rats.”
“I’ve already sent the message back in advance. Several of Dark Star’s transport routes have been cut off, but there was still one that slipped through,” Lu Qing said slowly, fanning himself with a folding fan.
“Where?”
“It’s at City Lord Xiahou’s place. Those Dark Star members caused quite a stir in Yu Hai Pass, with several Divine Constables even losing their lives. Even two of City Lord Xiahou’s Dragon Beard Teng Snakes were not spared.”
“Oh? Could it be that a Dark Star Envoy was secretly accompanying this route?” Tu Hong’s face showed a hint of surprise.
“That is currently under investigation, but it’s highly unlikely to be the work of a Dark Star Envoy,” Lu Qing shook his head slightly.
“The Dragon Beard Teng Snakes are City Lord Xiahou’s most prized possessions. Having lost two, he is already enraged and has sent a message asking us to investigate this Dark Star team.”
“If it wasn’t a Dark Star Envoy, then this matter is worth investigating,” Tu Hong said coldly.
“I’ll leave this matter to you. Anyone who dares to betray the country and collude with the enemy at this time, leave none alive as a warning to others.”
“Don’t worry, General Tu, I will arrange for people to search for them,” Lu Qing nodded, a slight smile on his face.
Not long after, the ferocious roars from the camp rang out once more.
*
*
Northern Land.
Wan Jun City.
As a vital border city in the Northern Land.
Wan Jun City was currently the frontline for resisting Northern Yan, and also the location of the Southern Qi army camp.
Within the vast Wan Jun City, numerous elites from various major factions within Southern Qi had already gathered, not to mention countless elite soldiers from the army.
Inside a large, luxuriously decorated manor in the city.
Black-robed figures moved through it from time to time.
On the streets near the manor, passing pedestrians, upon seeing these black-robed figures, mostly avoided them from a distance as if they were snakes and scorpions, not daring to have any interaction with them.
These black-robed individuals were members of the Tianluo Sect, and this manor was the Tianluo Sect’s stronghold in the city.
It gathered a large number of Tianluo Sect experts.
The Tianluo Sect was one of Southern Qi’s top factions, but compared to that title, what was even more infamous was its bloody and terrifying doctrine, which could absolutely be described as notorious.
Normal people rarely wished to have any connection with these lunatics, lest they invite trouble upon themselves.
At this moment, within the manor’s residence, in a side hall of the back courtyard.
The hall was dim, without any light.
The original furnishings in the hall had long disappeared, making the already spacious hall seem even more empty.
Within the vast hall, only six large black cauldrons were placed in the central area.
The cauldrons were over a person’s height and large enough for three people to embrace.
Inside the cauldrons was sticky, crimson blood, from which strings of bubbles constantly rose and then burst, emitting a strong, pungent, bloody odor that filled the entire hall.
And in the center of the six large cauldrons sat a white-haired old man.
The old man was bare-chested, his body as thin as a dried corpse. His chest and back were tattooed with bizarre black lotus flowers and green female faces.
As he breathed, the black lotus flowers slowly swayed, opening and closing like living things, and the female faces on his chest even opened their tightly shut eyes, revealing crimson pupils, giving one a chilling feeling.
The old man’s eyes were closed, and his hands were arranged in a strange posture.
Then, he took a deep breath, and the blood in the six black giant cauldrons beside him immediately began to boil.
Streaks of bloody mist floated up from the cauldrons, gathering into painful human faces and ferocious strange beasts, as if letting out silent roars.
All of them looked at the old man in the center with venomous expressions.
However, as the old man inhaled again, these bloody Qi floating in mid-air immediately surged towards him as if being pulled, completely entering his nose and mouth.
And the black lotus tattoos on his body, as if nourished, emitted specks of black luminescence, becoming even more lifelike.
The female face tattoos also seemed to come alive, slowly moving across his skin, even emitting charming giggles.
At the same time, the old man himself was also undergoing a transformation. His emaciated figure, like an inflated balloon, became full at a visible speed.
His messy white hair was also continuously stained black.
In just a few breaths, his white hair magically turned into long black hair.
His gaunt figure also became robust, and his wrinkled skin regained its luster. The entire person transformed from an old man with one foot in the grave, nearing his end, into a strong, middle-aged man in his early forties.
The burly man stood up, stretching his vibrant body, and glanced at the empty black cauldrons. A cold expression appeared on his face as he spoke in a deep voice.
“What’s wrong with this batch of offerings? Not only has the quality declined, but even the quantity cannot compare to before.”
Two black-robed figures immediately walked in from outside the hall, knelt down with a thud, and spoke with reverence and fear.
“Reporting to the Sect Master, this place is different from the Western Regions. It’s truly difficult to gather the usual offerings. Please forgive us, Sect Master…”
The coldness on the burly man’s face intensified, and he narrowed his eyes, saying coldly, “What? Have you become useless just because you left the Western Regions? If it’s this kind of quality next time, then I’ll use the two of you!”
Upon hearing this, the two high-ranking Disciples immediately turned pale, and promptly prostrated themselves repeatedly, continuously saying, “We will definitely work hard, and next time we will certainly not disappoint the Sect Master…”
“Scram.”
As the burly man uttered a single word, the two felt a sense of relief and immediately got up, hastily retreating from the hall.
“Wait.”
But just as the two had exited the hall, the voice from within the hall rang out again, causing their bodies to stiffen. Large beads of cold sweat appeared on their backs, and they turned back somewhat rigidly.
“Sect Master, do you have any other instructions?”
“Where are the Beast Transformation Warriors I told you to find in the army camp?”
“Reporting to the Sect Master, we have found a few. They are currently being held in the manor’s dungeon.”
Hearing that it wasn’t the disaster they had imagined, the two men’s suspended hearts finally settled, and they responded respectfully.
“Bring them over.”
“Yes, Sect Master!”
This time, the two did not delay and immediately withdrew.
In less than a quarter of an hour, seven Beast Transformation Warriors, bound by thick iron chains and with ferocious, half-human, half-beast faces, were brought into the great hall.
With a creak, the hall doors closed, and the hall once again plunged into darkness.
However, as the burly man, or rather, Rashid, the Sect Master of Tianluo Sect, flicked his sleeve, several bright flames ignited from the six great cauldrons, instantly dispelling the darkness in the hall.
Roar...
The seven bound Beast Transformation Warriors, with bloodthirsty eyes, fixed their gaze on Rashid. If not for the iron chains, they would probably have lunged at him directly.
Rashid’s gaze fell upon these Beast Transformation Warriors. With a flick of his finger, he shattered the chains on their bodies. The unrestrained Beast Transformation Warriors let out a violent roar and charged towards Rashid.
A powerful aura, belonging to the Grandmaster Realm, emanated from Rashid.
The seven Beast Transformation Warriors immediately stopped in their tracks, a hint of fear flashing in their eyes, but soon their bestial nature overwhelmed their reason, and they charged forward again.
“Hmm? They can actually resist the Grandmaster’s pressure.”
Seeing this, Rashid’s eyes narrowed, and a hint of surprise appeared on his face, but soon he smiled as if he had seen something interesting.
“Beast Suppression Army? Let this Sect Master see what exactly they are?”
As he spoke, he raised his palm and gently pushed it out.
Instantly, the seven Beast Transformation Warriors, who could rival the Middle Stage and Late Stage of Bones Transformation, were pressed to the ground as if burdened by a thousand catties.
Rashid made a grasping motion in the Void Realm, and two Beast Transformation Warriors were already suspended before his eyes. As his hand clenched.
The two Beast Transformation Warriors, with two thuds, turned into two masses of bloody mist.
He took a deep breath, and the two masses of bloody mist were immediately absorbed into his body.
Rashid’s eyes were slightly closed, and he tilted his head as if carefully sensing something. Soon, he opened his eyes, and a glimmer of light flashed within them, as if he had discovered something surprising.
“Such rich Qi and blood energy! No, it’s not just Qi and blood energy, there’s another, stronger energy.”
As he muttered to himself, an indescribable excitement appeared on his face.
“Although I know what this energy is, its purity can already be considered a top-grade offering.”
The Tianluo Sect required suitable offerings to nourish their Bloodline.
The reason they devoured their own kind was naturally because the flesh and blood of their own kind were the most compatible for nourishing the Bloodline.
But the energy discovered within these Beast Transformation Warriors was even more compatible, so how could he not be surprised and delighted?
The Beast Suppression Army of Northern Yan had countless such Beast Transformation Warriors, which were undoubtedly excellent blood sacrifices for him and even the Disciples of the sect, capable of greatly accelerating their cultivation speed.
As various thoughts flashed through his mind, he had already extended his hands, shattering the bodies of the several Beast Transformation Warriors prostrate on the ground, turning them into bloody mist and absorbing them into his body.
While enjoying the pleasure these blood mists brought him, other ideas had already formed in his mind.
“These are just Beast Transformation Warriors comparable to Bones Transformation. I hear that there are also high-level elites in the Beast Suppression Army who can rival Divine Transformation Realms. I wonder what those elites will taste like?”
“And my little Kamura, perhaps the compatible offerings lacking for the Shadow Phantom Body can also be found here…”
The more he thought, the more intense the smile on Rashid’s face became. He immediately shouted loudly.
“Come, send a message to the Saint, tell him to return immediately.”
“Yes, Sect Master.”
The respectful reply of the Disciples immediately rang out from outside the hall.
“Once Kamura’s Shadow Phantom Body reaches Major Achievement, perhaps I can also try to take that step. The peerless Great Grandmaster, hmph, I, Rashid, may not fail.”
Rashid’s eyes were filled with excitement.
Everyone knew that Kamura was the Saint he had chosen from thousands of ghost children. Both his Bloodline talent and his Heart-Nature were of the highest caliber.
If he hadn’t chosen the most difficult Shadow Phantom Body, his Realm would certainly not be merely at the initial Divine Form, perhaps he would have already entered the Middle Stage of the Divine Form Realm.
But the reason he chose the Shadow Phantom Body was due to his secret urging.
As long as Kamura entered the Grandmaster Realm with the Shadow Phantom Body, he would be his most perfect offering, and also the key to his attempt to break through to the peerless Great Grandmaster.
This was also why he almost used half of the entire sect’s power to search for offerings for him.
Only when Kamura entered the Grandmaster Realm earlier could he implement his plan faster.
The discovery on these Beast Transformation Warriors undoubtedly allowed him to find a shortcut.
Just as he was fantasizing about personally entering the fray during the next battle between the two armies to find suitable Beast Transformation Warriors, hurried footsteps sounded from outside, interrupting his thoughts.
“This is bad, Sect Master, this is bad…”
A panicked voice rang out from outside the hall door.
Rashid frowned slightly, and with a wave of his hand, the tightly closed hall door opened.
Two high-ranking Disciples, pale and urgent, rushed in.
“What’s wrong?!”
“It’s the Saint… the Saint, something happened to him…”
Whoosh...
The two Disciples spoke incoherently, but before they could finish, they felt a chilling aura engulf them. The two looked up and saw Rashid’s face already before them, staring at them with a gloomy expression, like still water.
“What happened to the Saint?!”
“Just… just received news, the Saint and Tuo Mi Guardian… both of them died…”
Bang—
The high-ranking Disciple who spoke, just as the last word left his lips, his entire body had already turned into a mass of bloody mist.
The other Disciple, his cheeks stained red with blood, stood dumbfounded, his crotch already wet.
Seeing the uncontrollable icy killing intent in Rashid’s eyes, he subconsciously turned and ran towards the outside of the hall.
But just as he turned around, his entire body was clutched by a large black hand, and with a bang, he too turned into a mass of bloody mist.
And Rashid’s figure had already disappeared from the hall.
Ten-odd breaths later.
Inside the main hall.
Baru, the Grand Elder of the Tianluo Sect, and several other Protector higher-ups, all cautiously watched Rashid, who was gloomy and exuded a strong killing intent, from above the main hall.
After a long while, Baru was the first to break the silence.
“Sect Master, regarding the Saint, I have already sent two Protectors to investigate. We will definitely get to the bottom of this.”
“Furthermore, the Saint’s strength is not weak, and with Tuo Mi Guardian present, it’s difficult for ordinary people to pose any threat to them. This matter might not be true, please do not be angry, Sect Master.”
“Hmph, no need to waste effort. Kamura and Tuo Mi’s life tokens have already shattered. Clearly, both of them are dead.”
Rashid held a black crystal riddled with cracks in his hand. With a slight squeeze, the entire crystal turned into dust and slipped through his fingers.
He closed his eyes, and slowly uttered a sentence through clenched teeth.
“Aren’t there still living ones? Bring them over immediately. I want to know what exactly happened?”