114: Chapter 114 The Spiritual Eye Pierces Through Illusions and Slays the City Lord! The Blood Sacrifice of a Hundred Cities Shocks a Top Secret!

[In the grooves of the altar base, over twenty porcelain bowls were arranged in a circle.]

[The bowls were filled with fresh blood that had not yet congealed; fine bubbles surfaced on the blood, which was rapidly seeping into the ground.]

[You crouch down, your Spirit Eyes of Truth-Breaking scanning the bottom of the grooves.]

[The blood flowed along channels carved with demon race runes into the deeper depths, connecting with a mass of dark red demon qi within the earth's leyline.]

["Extracting blood to nourish qi... the blood of the missing has all become fuel." You stand up. "Something is hatching underground."]

[Huo Quji threw away the white bone in his hand and stopped smiling.]

["Destroy the altar first."]

[Thunderlight gathered at Ling Qingmeng's fingertips.]

[You raise your hand to stop her.]

[The sound of footsteps came from the direction of the mine entrance, and it wasn't just one person.]

[Armor clattered, and the steps were in unison.]

[A middle-aged man wearing the armor of the City Guard walked at the very front, a black iron saber at his waist, followed by twelve armed soldiers.]

["Who are you?" The middle-aged man stood still, his gaze sweeping over the altar and the four unfamiliar faces.]

[You do not answer.]

[Under the Spirit Eyes of Truth-Breaking, this person's body was wrapped in a thin, dark red film.]

[Beneath the human skin was a demon cultivator.]

[Foundation Establishment Level 8.]

[Gu Yunxi placed her right hand on her sword hilt and took half a step back, shielding Huo Quji's flank.]

[You speak.]

["The City Guard doesn't take the main roads for patrols; why crawl into a deserted mine in the middle of the night?"]

[The middle-aged man's lip twitched.]

["This mining area is under the jurisdiction of the City Guard. On the contrary, you cultivators intruding late at night—"]

[He didn't finish his sentence.]

[You moved.]

[The moment the jinhong sword was unsheathed, the middle-aged man's human skin burst apart, revealing a true form covered in dark green scales.]

[Demon qi of the Foundation Establishment Level 8 suddenly exploded outward.]

["Kill!"]

[The twelve soldiers erupted at once, their eyes blood-red, thick demon qi surging from their bodies.]

[Huo Quji let out a roar, and the chiyan sword swept out. A wave of fire swept up three Puppet Soldiers, slamming them heavily against the rock wall.]

[Ling Qingmeng's Thousand-Thread Thunder Net fell, trapping five Puppet Soldiers on the left. Thunderlight exploded, and flesh and blood flew.]

[Gu Yunxi's sword strikes were extremely fast. Her Water Spirit Sword drew a cold flash that severed a Puppet Soldier's arm, and she immediately turned to kick away another person approaching Huo Quji's blind spot.]

[Huo Quji glanced at her sideways.]

[Gu Yunxi didn't spare him a single look.]

[But her position remained half a zhang behind Huo Quji's flank.]

[You didn't distract yourself by watching them.]

[The scaled demon cultivator's black iron saber, wrapped in corrosive demon qi, hacked down toward your head.]

[You sidestep to avoid it, slashing back with the jinhong sword, pouring Flying Swan Sword Intent into the edge.]

[The demon cultivator pulled back his saber to parry.]

[Clang—metal clashed, and sparks flew.]

[Foundation Establishment Level 8; his strength was not weak.]

[But the moment the Flying Swan Sword Intent touched it, that layer of protective scales shattered piece by piece.]

[The crimson-gold sword light slid past the side of the saber, aiming straight for his right arm.]

[Thirteen Gales Swords—Seventh Style!]

[The sword light flashed past.]

[The demon cultivator's right arm, along with his saber and hand, flew three zhang away as a pillar of blood erupted.]

[He let out a miserable scream; what gushed from the severed arm was entirely dark green pus.]

[With his retreat cut off, the demon cultivator did not run.]

[He used his remaining left hand to smash a protruding black stone on the side of the altar.]

[The entire mine tunnel emitted a dull roar.]

[The demon race runes on the altar lit up brightly, and the blood light surged.]

["Self-destruct!" Ling Qingmeng shouted sharply.]

[You pierce the demon cultivator's throat with a single strike, snatching the storage bag from his waist as you pull the sword out.]

[The rock layer overhead cracked, and debris began to fall.]

[The mine tunnel vibrated violently.]

["Retreat!" you roared.]

[The passage you came from had already been blocked by falling rocks.]

[You turn to face the blocked rock wall.]

[Army-Breaking Explosive Killing Array—Activate!]

[Twelve Astral Patterns lit up simultaneously on your body's surface.]

[Thirteen Gales Swords—All thirteen styles, executed in one breath!]

[The Flying Swan Sword Intent was compressed to its limit, and the crimson-gold sword light condensed into a blade of light, pointing directly at the center of the rock wall.]

[A single sword strike hacked down.]

[The rock wall exploded from the center, and rubble flew everywhere.]

[You didn't stop, slashing seven more times in succession, each strike widening the original path by three feet.]

[Astral energy served as a shield against the collapses on both sides, while the Flying Swan Sword Intent acted as a blade to break the path ahead.]

["Keep up! Don't stop!"]

[Huo Quji grabbed Gu Yunxi and charged forward, his chiyan sword holding up a curtain of fire overhead to melt the falling stones.]

[Ling Qingmeng brought up the rear, the Thunder-Binding Lock swirling three zhang behind her, whipping and shattering large falling rocks one by one.]

[You continuously hacked through forty zhang of rock.]

[The astral energy of the Army-Breaking Explosive Killing Array was exhausted by the eighth breath.]

[It was enough.]

[A sliver of moonlight cracked open ahead.]

[The final sword strike shattered the exit's stone wall, and the four of them filed out one after another.]

[Behind them, the entire abandoned mine collapsed with a roar, sending a wave of dust into the sky.]

[——]

[Outside the mine entrance.]

[Under the moonlight, you open the demon cultivator's storage bag.]

[A crimson token rolled into your palm.]

[Two ancient demon characters were carved on the front.]

[Lietian.]

[You clench the token tightly.]

[This was no ordinary demon cultivator outpost.]

[These were hidden agents directly under Demon Emperor Lietian.]

["Shen Ji," Huo Quji wiped the dust from his face, "there's something wrong with this city."]

[Before he could finish his sentence...]

[Torches lit up at the south street intersection.]

[The City Guard closed in from three directions, totaling over two hundred people.]

[Leading them was an old man dressed in Black Iron Chainmail.]

[Black Stone City Lord, City Lord Zhao Huaian. Foundation Establishment Level 9.]

["Audacious scoundrels!" City Lord Zhao Huaian stood with his hands behind his back. "Intruding into a restricted city defense area, destroying a military mine tunnel—you intend to rebel!"]

[You didn't look at him.]

[You were looking at his neck.]

[Under the Spirit Eyes of Truth-Breaking, a mass of black insect shadows was wriggling at the base of City Lord Zhao Huaian's neck.]

[The insect's body was flat and long, embedded in the spine, with tentacles rooted deep into the brainstem.]

[Soul-Eating Insect.]

[Once implanted, the host's consciousness is immediately wiped out.]

[The City Lord Zhao Huaian before you was merely a controlled shell.]

["City Lord," you speak, "that insect on the back of your neck—do you want me to help you remove it?"]

[City Lord Zhao Huaian's hand covered the back of his neck.]

[The spiritual pressure of Foundation Establishment Level 9 erupted in full force.]

[A thick, dark purple poisonous mist gushed from his mouth and nose, enveloping a radius of ten zhang.]

["You all must die!" City Lord Zhao Huaian roared.]

[The surrounding City Guards were caught in the poisonous mist and collapsed on the spot.]

[Huo Quji cursed, holding the chiyan sword in front of him as a wall of fire sliced through the poisonous mist.]

[Thunderlight flashed in Ling Qingmeng's hand, and a Ten-Thousand-Jun Thunder Barrier rose, shielding both Huo Quji and Gu Yunxi within the curtain of lightning.]

[You didn't retreat.]

[Phantom Raid—Activated.]

[Your figure vanished into the poisonous mist.]

[City Lord Zhao Huaian turned around.]

[It was too late.]

[The first strike broke through his protective spiritual light.]

[The second strike shattered the defensive artifact on his chest.]

[From the third to the thirteenth strike, the Thirteen Gales Swords poured out, each one accurately piercing the nodes of the Soul-Eating Insect's tentacles at his neck, spine, and lumbar vertebrae.]

[Three breaths.]

[Thirteen strikes.]

[The crimson-gold sword light shredded the wriggling Soul-Eating Insect within City Lord Zhao Huaian's body, section by section.]

[City Lord Zhao Huaian's body swelled, his skin cracked, and dark purple insect fluid sprayed from every fissure.]

[Bang—]

[The corpse exploded.]

[The poisonous mist dissipated along with it.]

[You land, the jinhong sword shaking off the insect fluid before returning to its sheath.]

[The remaining City Guards lay slumped on the ground.]

[Ling Qingmeng's Thunder-Binding Lock lashed out, binding all ten or so controlled guards who were still struggling.]

[Gu Yunxi's Water Spirit Art unfolded, a clear water curtain covering the wounded soldiers affected by the poisonous mist, washing away the toxic erosion.]

[Huo Quji turned and rushed back toward the mine entrance.]

[Holding the chiyan sword high, scalding fire-attribute spiritual power poured into the crevices of the collapsed mine tunnel.]

[Dull thuds came from deep underground as the remaining altar fragments and demon runes were turned to ash in the fierce fire.]

["Burned clean." Huo Quji sheathed his sword.]

[Gu Yunxi dispelled the Water Spirit Art and glanced at him.]

[Huo Quji turned and grinned at her.]

["Don't worry, the poison didn't get on me."]

[Gu Yunxi looked away without making a sound.]

[But the hand sheathing her sword steadied.]

[——]

[April 11th. Yin Hour.]

[Black Stone City Lord's Mansion.]

[You search through City Lord Zhao Huaian's study and pull out a copper lockbox from a hidden compartment.]

[Inside the box was a scroll of parchment.]

[A faint demon qi emanated from the surface of the paper.]

[You unroll it.]

[The title consisted of only four words.]

[Hundred-City Blood Sacrifice.]

[One hundred and eight towns in the Eastern Region were to establish blood altars simultaneously.]

[Each altar would collect essence blood to feed the leyline Demon Cores.]

[Once the one hundred and eight Demon Cores were activated at the same time, the natural barrier between the Eastern Region and the Demon Realm could be torn open.]

[At that time, the demon army would not need to pass through the border passes, but would emerge directly from within the one hundred and eight towns.]

[You roll up the parchment and put it into your storage bag.]

[Huo Quji leaned against the doorframe, watching you.]

["Is it very serious?"]

["One hundred and eight cities." You stand up. "Opening the doors at the same time."]

[Huo Quji's hand rested on the hilt of the chiyan sword, motionless.]

[After a few breaths, he spat out two words.]

["And then?"]

[You look out the window.]

[The eastern horizon was faintly turning white.]