492: Awakening

Wind Jade and the other two landed, waved their sleeves, and amidst flashing green light, over a dozen massive Savage Beasts’ corpses crashed onto the open ground in front of the altar, piling up like a mountain.

These Savage Beasts came in various forms: black-striped giant tigers with two wings on their ribs and a single horn on their heads, ferocious wild boars covered in bone armor with tusks like scimitars, and even rhinoceros-like giant beasts with bodies comparable to small mountains… Each one exuded a fierce aura no less than, and perhaps even exceeding, that of the Red Boar from before.

A rich, bloody scent instantly permeated the air, carrying wild fluctuations of Qi and Blood.

About half an hour later, Xu Gunlong, who had rushed back with dozens of townspeople, saw this scene, his steps suddenly halted, and he gasped in cold air. The townspeople behind him let out gasps of surprise, looking at Xiao Zhuo and the others with awe and reverence.

Hunting a Savage Beast of such a scale at the edge of the Black Forest required meticulous preparation and sacrifice, yet these three had only left for a moment and returned with over a dozen?! What terrifying strength was this?

Aunt Hua merely glanced indifferently at the pile of offerings, her withered face showing no emotional fluctuation, as if she had only seen a pile of firewood.

She spoke in a husky voice, “Let’s begin.”

She tremblingly walked towards the center of the valley, reaching the edge of the altar. At some point, an ancient bone staff, embedded with a dark gem at its tip, appeared in her hand.

She dipped the bone staff into the dark red pigment, a mixture of certain minerals and herbs, already prepared in a stone mortar nearby, and began to draw intricate and ancient patterns in the specific grooves of the altar’s base.

As she drew, a vast, primitive aura gradually emanated from the altar.

“All those awaiting Spiritual Root awakening, enter the outer ring area of the altar,” Aunt Hua commanded without raising her head.

Xu Gunlong quickly urged, and the dozens of townspeople of varying ages, including Xu Kai with his expectant yet nervous eyes, carefully walked into the outermost circular area of the altar, which was composed of countless tiny etchings.

Wind Jade, Tian Yidao, and the other three Silver Edict Celestial Envoys looked at Xiao Zhuo. Seeing Xiao Zhuo nod slightly, they also walked into that area with a touch of curiosity.

Aunt Hua finished drawing, stepped back a few paces, raised her bone staff, and began to chant a sacrificial text in an extremely ancient, difficult-to-pronounce, and strangely rhythmic tone.

Her voice was no longer hoarse; instead, it became high-pitched and penetrating. Each syllable seemed to strike a mysterious node in the Void Realm.

Buzz—!

As the sacrificial text was chanted, the entire altar vibrated slightly.

Within the black megaliths that formed the altar, it was as if dormant blood began to flow, emitting a faint glow.

The mountain of Savage Beasts’ corpses shriveled and weathered at a visible speed. The vast essence of flesh and blood and Soul energy were greedily absorbed by the altar, transforming into streams of dark red blood that quickly flowed along the drawn patterns and natural stone veins, converging into the center of the altar.

The light on the altar grew brighter and brighter, finally forming a pale red, translucent light cover above the altar, enveloping the entire altar, including the outer ring area.

Within the light cover, countless intricate, star-like yet more ancient and complex illusory runes began to appear and circulate, emitting a heart-palpitating power fluctuation.

“Focus your mind, calm your Qi, and feel the resonance deep within your Bloodline!” Aunt Hua’s shout reached everyone within the light cover.

The next moment, brilliant light erupted from the center of the altar, instantly engulfing everyone in the circular area like a tide!

“Ah!”

Gasps and muffled grunts sounded one after another.

Unlike the townspeople, within Wind Jade, Tian Yidao, and the others, illusory figures of varying numbers and attributes, condensed from pure spiritual power, emerged!

These were the forms of the Spiritual Roots originally in their Dantian, now manifesting under the activation of the altar’s mysterious power!

The altar’s power did not extract or damage these Spiritual Roots; instead, it was like the most skilled craftsman performing a precise imprinting!

Vast power enveloped the Spiritual Root illusory figures, perfectly replicating the profound Dao patterns contained within them, then transforming into tangible runes, shining with various colors, and imprinting themselves onto their Physical Bodies!

Arms, chests, foreheads, backs… Runes containing different powers such as the swiftness of wind, the ferocity of thunder, the sharpness of metal, the profoundness of earth, etc., were imprinted on their bodies as if innate, beginning a deeper level of fusion with their immortal body!

Xiao Zhuo stood outside the light cover, his silver eyes flowing with light. His Spirit Group - Divine Eye was pushed to its limit, clearly seeing all of this.

His heart was even more shaken: “This altar… can actually draw upon a trace of the faint Origin power of heaven and earth? Replicate Spiritual Root Runes and imprint them onto one’s body? Truly profound and unfathomable!”

He became even more expectant of the so-called “God-given altar.”

And those townspeople, bathed in this surging energy tide, also reacted one after another.

Some glowed faintly, condensing one or two new runes;

Some of their existing runes became clearer and brighter;

For those with extraordinary talent like Xu Kai, his whole body radiated light, and new runes continuously emerged from beneath his skin, complementing his original thirty-six runes, his aura rapidly climbing at a visible speed!

This Spiritual Root awakening ceremony lasted for a full half-day.

When the altar’s light gradually dimmed, the mountain of Savage Beasts’ offerings had long turned to ash.

The light cover dissipated, revealing the figures of the people within.

All the townspeople who participated in the Spiritual Root awakening, whether successful or not, were slumped on the ground, drenched in sweat, as if they had undergone a complete transformation.

Their faces were filled with complex expressions of ecstasy, satisfaction, or regret.

This time, the offerings were abundant, and the effect far exceeded previous times.

About one-third of the youths who had never undergone Spiritual Root awakening successfully gained runes, and over ten people, like Xu Kai, who had already undergone Spiritual Root awakening, also received new rune blessings.

Xu Kai suddenly opened his eyes, stood tall, his body crackling, his spiritual might soaring like wolf smoke.

He shook his arms, and a full forty-eight runes flickered beneath his skin, interwoven with lightning and a sense of power, making him unable to resist letting out a long howl that echoed across the fields!

His strength was more than a notch greater than before!

Wind Jade, Tian Yidao, and the others also slowly opened their eyes, looking down at the additional runes on their bodies, feeling the mysterious connection between their Physical Body and these newfound powers, their faces showing expressions of surprise and uncertainty.

They could feel that these rune imprints did no harm to their cultivation; instead, it was as if they had an additional power system outside their bodies that could be called upon at any time and seemed unaffected by the environment here!

Although currently very weak, its growth potential and unique nature were enough for them to take it seriously.

Aunt Hua looked at the results, and a faint hint of relief seemed to spread across her wrinkled face, but it quickly returned to its calm, ancient well-like state.

She waved her hand, her voice tinged with fatigue: “Alright, all of you may go. Familiarize yourselves with the newly gained power; do not neglect it.”

Xu Gunlong quickly led the ecstatic and respectful townspeople, bowing deeply to Aunt Hua and Xiao Zhuo, then helping those who were exhausted, slowly retreating, each person’s face radiating the light of hope.