250: Chapter 250 Using me as a sacrifice? You're courting death!

The mountain gates swung open, revealing a path paved with high-grade Azure Spirit Jade that stretched to the edge of sight. On both sides of the road, strange peaks towered high, shrouded in swirling mist. Immortal cranes soared through the sky, and the cries of apes echoed through the mountain streams. The air was thick with the rich fragrance of vegetation and pure Spiritual Qi, and if one sniffed carefully, there was even a faint, lingering scent of pill fire.

Su Changge walked with a composed pace, his calm gaze sweeping over the surrounding scenery. The abundance of the Spiritual Vein here far exceeded his expectations. Those seemingly ordinary mountain rocks had a faint flow of spiritual gold luster within them; the gurgling streams by the roadside contained a spiritual essence that was likely more potent than the spiritual springs dedicated to the cultivation of Disciples in ordinary Sects.

The Jade Cauldron Pavilion truly had some foundation.

"Senior, please."

Li Changfeng walked half a step ahead and to the side of Su Changge, bowing slightly. His posture was humble to the extreme as he personally led the way. The Elders behind him followed at a distance of thirty feet, matching his pace step by step, even suppressing their breathing for fear of disturbing this terrifying existence whose depths they could not fathom.

The group passed through several corridors and finally arrived at a magnificent and solemn main hall. The hall used thousand-year-old agarwood for its beams and ten-thousand-year-old cold jade for its foundation. In the center of the hall sat an ancient three-legged, two-eared Pill Furnace. The body of the furnace was engraved with patterns of the sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, and vegetation. Although no fire was lit, a heavy and vast Dao Rhyme naturally emanated from it.

"Senior, please take the seat of honor." Li Changfeng led Su Changge to the most prestigious main seat in the hall, while he and the Elders stood respectfully below, not daring to sit.

Soon, trembling young Disciples served fragrant tea and spiritual fruits.

The teacup was carved from Soul-warming jade, and the tea within was a pale gold color. Wisps of misty vapor rose and actually condensed into the shapes of dragons and tigers in the air, lingering for a long time. A refreshing tea fragrance instantly filled the entire hall. Just taking a single sniff made one's mind feel clear and the spiritual energy throughout their body more active.

On the jade plate next to it were several fist-sized fruits, entirely crimson. Mysterious Dao patterns had naturally formed on the skin, and wisps of fire-element spiritual energy were so pure they were visible to the naked eye.

"This is the 'Nine Yang Dao Fruit' from the Spiritual Root in the back mountain of our Jade Cauldron Pavilion. It takes three hundred years to bloom, three hundred years to bear fruit, and another three hundred years to ripen. It contains a wisp of Pure Yang Dao Law and is somewhat beneficial to a Cultivator's Divine Soul," Li Changfeng introduced respectfully, while quietly observing Su Changge's reaction.

Such a rare spiritual item would move even a Golden Core Cultivator. If it were an ordinary Cultivator, they would likely be unable to restrain themselves by now.

Su Changge's expression didn't ripple in the slightest, as if what lay before him weren't some Heaven And Earth Treasures, but merely common Mortal fruits. He casually picked up a Nine Yang Dao Fruit, not rushing to eat it, but simply toyed with it between his fingertips for a moment, his thumb lightly stroking the natural Dao patterns on the skin.

This simple action, however, caused Li Changfeng's heart to shudder. The other party was actually appraising the Dao Laws contained within the fruit! What kind of Realm must one be in to view a Dao-infused spiritual item as ordinary? He became increasingly certain that the person before him was definitely one of those living fossils who had already touched the Laws of Heaven and Earth.

Su Changge placed the Dao fruit back on the plate, picked up the teacup, and took a light sip. The pale gold tea entered his mouth and transformed into a gentle warm current, flowing down his throat directly into his Dantian, and then dispersing into his four limbs and hundred bones. This spiritual energy was extremely pure but not overbearing, nourishing his Meridians and dispelling the fatigue of the past few days.

Only then did he speak unhurriedly, his voice remaining flat and ripple-less: "You've put in some effort."

These simple words gave Li Changfeng and the others a sense of relief.

"We wouldn't dare, we wouldn't dare. It is the honor of our Jade Cauldron Pavilion that such trivial items could catch Senior's Dharma Eye." Li Changfeng bowed even lower and cautiously tested the waters: "This Junior takes the liberty to ask for Senior's great name? And for what matter has Senior graced our remote Lingxu Wasteland with your presence?"

Su Changge set down the teacup. The jade cup collided with the tabletop, producing a crisp, slight sound that struck everyone's heartstrings.

"Su Changge."

He announced his name, his gaze passing through the hall doors to look at the distant horizon.

"I wish to borrow your pavilion's Cross-Domain Teleportation Array to go to the Cangxuan Dao Domain."

Without any circumlocution, he directly stated his purpose. This straightforward manner instead made Li Changfeng feel an absolute confidence originating from a superior.

Cangxuan Dao Domain!

Li Changfeng and the Elders' hearts shook in unison. That was a legendary great domain of the Upper Realm. Its richness of spiritual energy and prosperity of Dao methods were far beyond what a barren land like their Qingming Domain could compare to. This Senior truly was from such a place!

The flame of greed in Li Changfeng's heart burned even more vigorously. However, his face squeezed out an even humbler smile, carrying a perfectly measured amount of difficulty and trepidation.

"For Senior to use the teleportation Formation would have been a heavenly blessing for my Jade Cauldron Pavilion. It's just... sigh, to tell the truth, the core of our pavilion's teleportation Formation was destroyed during that great catastrophe a hundred years ago. The spiritual paths were severed, and it remains unusable to this day."

Su Changge's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Destroyed?

As soon as this thought arose, Li Changfeng immediately followed up, his tone extremely sincere: "But Senior, please rest assured! The ancestors of our pavilion have worked tirelessly and found a way to repair it long ago. These days, we are putting all our effort into the repairs, and now we are only missing a few key auxiliary materials. At most, at most it will take half a month, and we will surely restore the teleportation Formation to its original state!"

He looked up, his eyes full of earnestness and expectation: "If Senior does not mind, would you be willing to stay temporarily at our humble pavilion for half a month? On the day the Formation is completed, this Junior will personally see Senior off. Within this half month, everyone in the Jade Cauldron Pavilion will be at Senior's disposal!"

Half a month...

Su Changge weighed it in his mind. In this Lingxu Wasteland, every extra day spent meant another variable. But for now, this was the only way. It was better than wandering aimlessly through the wilderness.

His expression was indifferent as he gave a slight nod and uttered a single word: "Fine."

That posture was as if he were granting the Jade Cauldron Pavilion a massive favor.

Upon hearing this, a look of wild joy instantly surged onto Li Changfeng's face, an excitement that didn't seem faked. He immediately turned and barked an order to a trusted Elder beside him: "Quick! Clean the 'Qingwei Courtyard' in the back mountain where the spiritual energy is most abundant immediately, and serve with the highest specifications! All the spiritual tea, Dao fruits, jade marrow, and Medicinal Pills in the pavilion's treasury are to be sent to Qingwei Courtyard. There must not be the slightest negligence!"

He added another sentence, his voice carrying a chilling killing intent: "Pass down my Pavilion Revered Master's order: within half a month, no one is allowed to approach within a hundred feet of Qingwei Courtyard without authorization. Violators will have their cultivation crippled and be expelled from the Sect!"

"Yes!" The Elder took the order and hurried away.

With the arrangements made, Li Changfeng turned back to Su Changge, his smile becoming even more respectful: "Senior, this place is crowded and noisy, I fear it may disturb your peace. This Junior will now lead you to Qingwei Courtyard to rest."

Su Changge stood up and followed Li Changfeng out of the main hall, heading toward the back mountain.

Qingwei Courtyard was situated atop a spiritual eye in the back mountain. The exterior was enveloped by a natural spirit-gathering Formation. Upon stepping in, one could feel the pure Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi transformed into a physical mist, rushing toward them. Every plant and tree in the courtyard was a spiritual plant rarely found outside. A small stone pavilion stood by the side of a spiritual spring; the environment was quiet and elegant, with a naturally formed Dao Rhyme.

After settling Su Changge in, Li Changfeng gave another round of profuse thanks, earnestly stating that he would never let anyone disturb him, before bowing and retreating with the group of Elders.

As the courtyard gates slowly closed, isolating all prying eyes from the outside, the aura of a towering mountain that surrounded Su Changge quietly dissipated, revealing a trace of fatigue belonging to a Mortal.

He walked to a white jade bed in the courtyard and lay directly on it. A cool, smooth sensation came over him as pure spiritual energy seeped from the jade bed into his body, washing away his exhaustion.

Half a month, then half a month it is.

He would take this opportunity to accumulate some emotion points for a rainy day.

Looking at the golden sun in the sky, a ripple named "return date" was slowly spreading in Su Changge's heart. In half a month, he would be able to set out on his return journey, back to the Cangxuan Dao Domain, back to the Taixuan Sect, and see that cheap Disciple of his...

...

On the other side of time and space, so distant it couldn't be measured by distance, lay the Cangxuan Dao Domain, in the Forbidden Ground of the Taixuan Sect.

Inside a secret room wrapped in infinite space-time turbulence, Ye Qingyao sat cross-legged on a ten-thousand-year-old cold ice jade bed. Dao Rhyme flowed around her, and her aura was ethereal and unstable. Before her, a dozen or so crystal-clear space-time fragments were slowly rotating, and each fragment seemed to contain a broken world.

One month, a whole month of secluded meditation, and she had finally captured a thread of Karma belonging to a thousand years ago within the vast river of time.

Her Divine Sense sank into one of the fragments, and endless space-time coordinates were born and extinguished in the sea of her consciousness. Suddenly, her eyes snapped open, and a brilliant divine light pierced through the void!

Found it!

Revered Master's aura! The coordinate imprinted in the deepest part of her Divine Soul!

Ye Qingyao's fingertips changed hand seals, and her majestic spiritual energy poured out without reservation. The dozen or so space-time fragments were pulled by it and began to vibrate violently, attracting each other, and finally merged into one with a crisp hum!

A pitch-black crack was torn in the void. At the other end of the crack was a chaotic mess, yet there was an aura so familiar it made her Soul tremble, transmitted across the ages.

Revered Master...

A layer of mist rose in Ye Qingyao's eyes, but her expression was incredibly determined.

Wait for me, I'm coming to find you right away.

She pushed her entire body's spiritual energy, attempting to completely stabilize that crack and construct a space-time tunnel that could carry her true body through.

However, at the moment the tunnel was about to take shape, the spiritual energy in her body suddenly emptied, and the subsequent power failed. The mighty force of the Law of space-time surged back in a fierce backlash. Ye Qingyao let out a muffled groan, her face instantly turning deathly pale as a thread of bright red blood leaked from the corner of her mouth.

In the end, she was one step short. With her current cultivation, she was not yet strong enough to support a space-time channel spanning a thousand years.

The pitch-black crack slowly closed before her eyes, eventually vanishing without a trace, as if it had never appeared.

Ye Qingyao wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. The determination in her eyes didn't waver in the slightest; instead, it became even firmer.

It's okay.

Just a little bit more, just a little bit more.

In another month at most, once she had completely refined that Dao fruit, she would surely accumulate enough power to break through space-time and travel upstream!

She closed her eyes again, sinking into a deeper level of cultivation. And at her fingertips, the space-time fragment that held Su Changge's aura and served as a positioning token suddenly lit up with a faint glow and became warm.

...

Qingming Domain, Jade Cauldron Pavilion, Qingwei Courtyard.

Lying on the jade bed, Su Changge shuddered without any warning. His mind suddenly felt a slight ripple, as if a distant Karma had been touched.

He rubbed his nose and sat up, feeling somewhat puzzled.

Who was thinking about him?

He got up and paced into the courtyard, standing with his hands behind his back, looking at the many halls of the Jade Cauldron Pavilion. His heart was full of anticipation for the return journey in half a month.

He didn't know that at this very moment, inside the secret room of the Jade Cauldron Pavilion's main hall, the atmosphere was as solemn as an ice cellar.

Li Changfeng sat high in the lead position. The humility on his face had long since vanished, replaced by a near-distorted madness and greed. His gaze swept over the face of every trusted Elder below.

"You've all seen it clearly. That Su Changge's Origin is so profound and his Dao Rhyme so pure, it's the likes of which I've never seen in my life. Such an existence is simply a supreme sacrifice bestowed upon our Jade Cauldron Pavilion by the heavens!"

His voice was hoarse and excited: "Using a being like him, who contains the Origin of the Great Dao, as fuel, his flesh as the lead, and his Divine Soul as the pivot, we will surely be able to reshape the core of the Formation and for us... reopen the path to heaven!"

The group of Elders below all had the same fanaticism flashing in their eyes.

"The Pavilion Revered Master is brilliant! With such a sacrifice, why should our Jade Cauldron Pavilion worry about not being able to restore our ancient glory!"

"It's just... this person's cultivation is unfathomable. In case..."

"What is there to fear!" Li Changfeng sneered, killing intent fully revealed in his eyes. "No matter how strong he is, he won't expect that the Qingwei Courtyard he's staying in is itself the eye of our Sect's 'dragon suppressing stake'! That courtyard, while named a place of pure cultivation, is actually a cage, an Altar tailor-made for him!"

He slowly stood up, arms spread wide, his tone cold and resolute.

"Pass down the order: in three days, when the Ziwei star dims, the earth veins surge, and Yin and Yang are in Chaos, we will then activate the 'Nine-Turn Spirit Refining Formation' and perform the sacrifice!"

Su Changge stood in the courtyard of Qingwei Courtyard, feeling the lingering glow of the setting sun on his body, completely unaware that a deadly trap aimed at him had been quietly laid.

His path home was filled with unprecedented thorns and killing intent.