Chapter 424: Chapter 424: The Ancient Sacrificial Ceremony, Soul-Devouring Clan Powerhouses
“””
“This statue looks a bit fierce!”
Ye Feng stroked his chin, examining the statue that stood about three meters tall with eight arms and a single head, and discovered that it contained a dense evil Qi, enough to scare ordinary people to death.
Even cultivators, upon encountering such an object, could lose their senses as well.
Wang Ping’an and Long Tianxing had arrived here first. Had it not been for the protective shield of the Identity Token they carried, and the fact that their arrival had not been for long, they would have already been affected mentally, possibly turning on those around them with a knife.
Ye Feng was preparing to devour the evil Qi within the statue.
But at that moment, it got dark.
After a busy day, dusk had already settled.
Now, the sun completely dipped below the horizon.
True night had fallen.
A desolate, hair-raising cold wind blew overhead, making Wang Ping’an shiver uncontrollably. Were it not for having Ye Feng behind him, he would have run away at the earliest chance.
“Don’t panic, it’s just that something a bit eerie is about to happen.”
Ye Feng said.
He lifted his head, his expression serious.
In the sky, that gust of cold wind formed a vortex, growing denser until it eventually turned into a ghastly and terrifying illusory portal, from which strange creatures emerged.
They were clad in armor, resembling soldiers on a battlefield.
However, these figures did not wield weapons but were barehanded, forming a long line as they descended from the illusory portal to finally stand in front of the ruined temple.
They held their heads high, looking at the eight-armed, single-headed evil god.
At that moment, the evil god was resurrecting!
It broke free from the restraints beneath its feet and began to walk on air, the oppressive aura it emitted steadily growing stronger until it reached the level of a Quasi-Emperor.
The evil god looked towards the illusory portal in the sky, extending all eight of its arms.
It opened its mouth as if chanting something, but Ye Feng and his companions heard no sound.
The scene suddenly became somewhat bizarre.
“What is it doing?”
Wang Ping’an mumbled.
Ye Feng glanced at him and gestured for him to be silent.
Wang Ping’an quickly covered his mouth and then, recalling something, promptly took out a mask to wear and hid behind Long Tianxing.
Whoosh!
The cold wind from above grew stronger.
At that moment, the illusory portal solidified, with black mist pouring out, creating an even more eerie and sinister sensation.
It was as if countless caterpillars were crawling over one’s body.
“What a disgusting feeling!”
Qiao Jiaxi frowned deeply, her fists clenched tight, her aura surging, and her body radiating a golden light, boosting her momentum by tenfold in an instant.
Long Tianxing took a deep breath and entered his Dragon Transformation Form.
Ji Ziling’s hands formed seals, her body enveloped in Divine Sense Power, ready for battle.
Wang Ping’an looked left and right and eventually decided to place a large black pot over his head for added security.
As for Mole, it had dug a hole in the ground and buried its face in it, leaving the rest of its body still exposed.
Ye Feng stood with his arms hanging naturally, looking up at the black mist flowing out of the illusory portal, recalling the scenes he had seen in the ruins of that ancient city a few days ago. He found that the mist was very similar to the Soul Devouring Clan’s mist that had devoured the ancient city.
“Is it the Soul-Devouring Clan?”
His gaze grew solemn.
That ancient city had been engulfed by such a mist before turning into ruins.
Now, seeing this black mist again, Ye Feng couldn’t help but overlap the two images in his mind, confirming that it was indeed the mist from the Soul-Devouring Clan.
“Soul-Devouring Clan… Such a dense evil Qi, no, this is something even higher grade than evil Qi, yet not as potent as my Slaughter Energy. Let’s call it ‘Yin Sha Qi’ for now.”
Ye Feng watched the black mist continuously pouring from the portal, his eyes gleaming with ecstasy.
To others, Yin Sha Qi was a disaster.
But to him, it was an extremely nourishing substance!
Soon, eerie figures appeared within the black mist.
They were black beetles!
Small in size, about the same as a fist, but with a shark-like mouth akin to members of the Divine Race such as Han Yi and Han Er, their bodies also sported spikes. They fluttered through the mist, emitting a terrifying “buzzing” sound.
Over time, it could even confound the consciousness of Ji Ziling, Wang Ping’an, and others, almost causing them to faint.
Ye Feng extended his hand, protecting them with the power of Heroic Spirits.
“What a Soul Devouring Clan!”
“Are these beetles their true form?”
Yet, Ye Feng witnessed another odd scene.
These beetles were biting onto one another, strangely forming a hundred-zhang tall eight-armed, single-headed giant.
He swung his arms, coldly looking down at Ye Feng and the others on the ground.
At the corners of his mouth, a strange arc oddly formed.
“Not bad, you have even prepared some sacrificial offerings for this lord, thoughtful indeed,” the beetle eight-armed giant spoke human language, his eyes filled with scornful laughter.
The disciples, stared at by that sinister gaze, suddenly felt a chill run down their spines.
“Eh?” The evil god statue was momentarily stunned, looking left and right, but couldn’t see Ye Feng and his group at all.
To him, Ye Feng and the others seemed to exist in a different time and space; he simply couldn’t see them.
“Soul-Devouring Eye, open!”
The beetle eight-armed giant bellowed, and his entire face suddenly transformed into a pair of hollow eyes, which emitted a strange light, casting its glow over the area.
The next moment, the evil god statue finally saw Ye Feng and his group.
“They are living beings, no wonder I couldn’t see them!”
The evil god’s expression became stern.
He was a puppet sent to the Shenzhou Continent by the Soul-Devouring Clan with great effort, and although he possessed some intelligence, he suffered some damage during the crossing of dimensions, unable to see real, living beings.
“My lord, allow me to turn these living beings into dead ones, offering them to you, to become part of your body.”
The evil god took a step forward, all eight arms raised high, wielding eight Upper Grade Spiritual Artifacts. They shone brilliantly as he used them together, their power not inferior to Supreme Grade Spiritual Artifacts.
But, with a gentle wave of his hand, Ye Feng turned the evil god into mush.
Swish!
A torrent of Evil Qi gushed out, but Ye Feng pinched it with his hand, and it exploded immediately, then was devoured and refined by the Slaughter Energy.
“Slaughter Energy!”
The beetle eight-armed giant showed rage on his face.
“All of you, attack together, cut him down!”
The bare-handed armored soldiers rushed forward, but Ye Feng merely stretched out his hand, pressed down from afar, and thousands of armored soldiers collapsed on the spot, scattering with the wind.
“Divine Origin Realm strength?”
The beetle eight-armed giant’s expression turned solemn.
He suddenly realized that the young, handsome man of the Human Race in front of him was extraordinary. Not only did he have formidable strength, but he also possessed the Slaughter Energy, which was the bane of their Soul-Devouring Clan.
This man must die!
Otherwise, he would become a major threat to the Soul-Devouring Clan.
“Eight-Armed Skyscraper Fist!”
The beetle eight-armed giant swung his fists, as heavy as mountains, and smashed down together, like eight meteors falling to earth, with tremendous power.
“Scram!”
Ye Feng took out the Wind Spirit Pearl, brought the Heroic Spirit Power to its maximum, rising like a golden wave touching the sky, forcefully repelling the beetle eight-armed giant.
“This child cannot be spared!”
The face of the beetle eight-armed giant was filled with terror.
He found that he was no match for this young man of the Human Race.
He then turned around, preparing to enter the ethereal gateway to flee back to the homeland of the Soul-Devouring Clan, and to relay the news.
“One Step Qi Refining, Cosmos Resurrection.”
Ye Feng ascended to the heavens.
With the first step he took, his entire aura changed, like the Eye of the Storm devouring the powers between heaven and earth.
This “Seven Steps to Heaven” technique was a special Secret Technique, surpassing Ninth Grade Spells and belonging to the tier of Divine Skills.
Regardless of cultivation level, as long as one can comprehend it, it could be executed.
Of course, the stronger one’s own power, the more powerful the display.
“It’s the “Seven Steps to Heaven” of Emperor Beihe, how do you know this move?” the beetle eight-armed giant looked towards Ye Feng, increasingly alarmed.
He tried to flee, but as soon as Ye Feng took the first step, a mysterious force in the cosmos burst forth, locking onto the beetle eight-armed giant.
Ye Feng’s expression was cold as he continued to take steps.
“Seven Steps Heavenly Venerable, unmatched in the universe!”
After seven consecutive steps, his momentum peaked and then with a lift and forceful stomp of his foot,
Boom!
The beetle eight-armed giant was crushed to pieces, turning into countless black beetles, which quickly disintegrated into many contorted human faces and finally dissipated completely, leaving no trace.
In the world, only a large amount of Yin Sha Qi, somewhere between Evil Qi and Slaughter Energy, remained, which Ye Feng refined with his Slaughter Energy.
“Such strong Yin Sha Qi, it has actually increased my Slaughter Energy by more than tenfold, reaching a completely different level!”
Ye Feng was overjoyed, clenching his fists tight.
“Sect Leader is mighty!” Wang Ping’an clanged the pot and cheered.
Long Tianxing and Qiao Jiaxi felt a sudden drop in pressure and let out a sigh of relief.
“Hiss, what is that?” At that moment, Ji Ziling pointed at the gateway in the sky, her face filled with horror.
Ye Feng looked up to see that behind the eerie gate, shadows flickered, and then a giant red vertical pupil appeared behind the gateway, coldly watching everyone.