Time has done a positive number on the poorly-dressed tea shop girl. She became graceful with an amazing figure shrouded below her silver robe. She appeared pure and transcending; a perfect creation from the gods.
She lost her fear and stood proudly with her chest arched forward. Her eyes flashed with holy glimmers as she spoke with an elegant voice: “Who are you?”
Gu Lida rubbed his messy beard and smiled: “I’m your Ancestral Uncle in terms of seniority.”
“Master said that you were evil enough to be expelled from the temple.” She grimaced while ripples appeared in her eyes.
Alas, there was no murderous intent despite knowing that he was an evil shaman. Her eyes were still clear like two springs with the water of life. Her nature was too kind and innocent.
“Keke, seniority doesn’t matter anymore, not now and not in the future.” Gu Lida gazed at her figure with his red eyes, wanting to see through her silver robe.
However, the mist around her blocked all lights in this world.
“Begin the ceremony.” Lida withdrew his intrusive stare and smirked, thinking that the girl was a fish on the platter, no need to rush.
“For what?” She asked. Even a fool could tell that the situation wasn’t looking good. Everything here seemed to be aimed at her.
Gu Lida’s eyes had a flash of both holiness and perversion: “The power of the ceremony will awaken one strand of intent from the great god. We’ll ask him to give me the tree inside you.”
He shuddered with excitement; his dried hand reached forward, wanting to grab her delicate body. His expression said it all. Who knows if it was because of the tree or the incredible beauty? Perhaps both.
Her expression soured, aware of this old man’s intention. She raised her silver staff and gathered witch energy in order to resist.
“It’s no use, young goddess.” He took out a shining piece of animal hide. It grew bigger with diagrams depicting mountains and rivers before absorbing the energy from the staff. Its remnant force knocked her down on the ground.
He put the animal hide away and laughed loudly: “I’ll be gentle if you cooperate, keke, but if you don’t, I’ll strip you naked and throw you into the sacrificial pond. You’ll then find out what a fate worse than death is.”
His eyes brimmed with brutality. He had captured people and refined them alive in his cauldron so that he could live longer.
Many heretics nearby felt that it was a waste for a kingdom-toppling goddess to be used by this nasty old man.
Alas, none of them objected because this was the will of the heretical king. No one dared to oppose him.
A ripple suddenly appeared behind Gu Lida as he reached forward.
The guy was comparable to a late-stage Giant so he could sense this little ripple. He became tense and swiftly took out his hide again.
“Whoosh!” A hidden murderous intent intensified.
The void suddenly opened and a person dressed in green pierced Gu Lida from behind with a white-glowing spear. Blood crazily gushed out.
This happened too sudden, leaving Gu Lida grievously injured with a shattered spine. Luckily for him, his bones have been reinforced with witch runes before and were fully connected. Otherwise, that thrust earlier could have killed him.
The guy was skillful enough to shift his heart and rolled to the side before covering himself with the animal hide.
“Huh.” The ambusher was surprised and wanted to add another thrust to crucify Gu Lida.
However, the five protectors below the altar attacked in unison with their massive palm.
“Such impudence! You dare to disturb the ceremony?!” They shouted thunderously, causing the area to quake. Five heavenly palms descended from above.
However, the ambusher suddenly disappeared and the palms missed entirely.
The guy appeared and disappeared too quickly; no one could see him clearly. Not a single aura remained.
If it wasn’t for Gu Lida coughing out blood on the ground, the heretics would have thought that they were only seeing things earlier.
The atmosphere became tense. Everyone held their breath and became cautious.
A protector with a kind face looked around: “It’s Feng Feiyun. Nangong Hongyan is dead so he has that invisible cloak now. He’s hiding nearby.”
This was terrible news so everyone grimaced. The cloak could hide all auras. They couldn’t detect him even if he were standing right behind him.
“Pluff!” A heretic screamed before falling down. His head was no longer connected to his body.
No one saw who did it, only a slight ripple in space and a white flash with peerless sharpness.
The five protectors tried to attack again but the void closed once more.
“Pluff! Pluff! Pluff!” Another three heretics on the other side of the altar were slain. They never got the chance to retaliate.
The protectors were furious from being unable to do anything but watch.
The injured Gu Lida was scared out of his mind. He ran down the altar towards the five protectors before taking in nine black pills to stop the bleeding. Color returned to his face.
“Protectors, just be on guard and we’ll be fine. The brat will need to reveal his position when attacking. That’s the moment to strike.” Gu Lida had nothing but hatred.
Success was right before him but this guy came out of nowhere and nearly took his life. ‘I’m gonna refine this brat to death when I catch him!’
The fifth protector said: “Feiyun still isn’t a Giant and can only threaten us with ambushes. Keep an eye out and he won’t be able to do anything.”
Giants had impeccable awareness due to their divine intents, able to react to the slightest spatial ripple. They could work together right away and take down Feiyun at a moment’s notice.
“Yes, he’s alone and weaker than us. Seal space and force him out.” The five took out one bloodstained talisman each. They were longer than a meter with different runic engravings - nine-headed bird, Qiongqi, one-legged crane, four-pupil phoenix, and fire rat. These were the primal beasts from the legends.
The engravings were done with their distant descendants’ blood. These bloodlines were as thin as can be but still had explosive potential.
The talismans floated in five different spots in the sky and compressed the area nearby. Space seemed to be cracking.
This pressure made the captured beasts tremble and roar. The weaker ones simply exploded.
They wanted to force Feiyun out using these talismans then suppress him.
“Give up, Feng Feiyun, your cultivation is too weak to be our opponent. It’s not shameful to lose to the heretical young lord.” One protector persuaded.
“Resisting will only end in your death. If you give up, you will be part of the upper echelon, a confidant of our lord…”
“Crack!” Suddenly, iron chains were severed on top of the altar. The great architecture quaked as a stone tablet broke into pieces.
“Raaa!” A beast raged and howled, hurting everyone’s ears.
More iron chains were broken to the astonishment of the heretics. A Bi’an as big as a hill raised both of its claws and destroyed a portion of the altar. Boulders started rolling down.
The furious creature was white with the head of a dragon and the body of a tiger. Its eyes were bigger than a water jar. Its first target was one of the bloodstained talismans in the sky.
One protect screamed: “He broke the sealing tablet and the chains on that Bi’an!”
This spirit beast had the bloodline of a sacred Bi’an and had cultivated for more than 1,200 years, strong enough to take on several Giants at the same time.
It was captured by the Life Walker and sealed by numerous talismans in the form of chains and one powerful tablet. It was meant to be the main sacrifice but Feiyun had just released it.
Spirit beasts were just as smart as people so being captured for sacrificial purposes left the creature livid. It became more than ready for payback after being set free.