514: False Sacrifice, Shadow of the Immortal Abode

Under the guidance of the white-haired elder, Shen Yuanmo walked into this eerie village built from the skeletons of giant beasts.

The villagers lined up on both sides, their heads lowered, their expressions fanatical and respectful, clearing a path for him.

Eerie green flames leaped between the massive beast bones, casting elongated, overlapping shadows onto the ground.

"Lord Envoy, our tribe is the Grave-Keeping Tribe, the most loyal servants of the Heavenly Venerate."

The elder explained in a raspy voice as he led the way.

"Our mission is to guard this place for generations, waiting for and guiding predestined individuals like you—those who have passed the Heavenly Venerate's trials—to the true Immortal Mansion to inherit the Heavenly Venerate's supreme glory."

His words were filled with piety, as if being chosen to be a servant was some kind of supreme honor.

Shen Yuanmo just listened quietly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Soon, they arrived at the very center of the village.

Here was an open circular plaza, the ground paved with smooth, polished skulls.

In the center of the plaza stood a massive altar.

The altar was about ten zhang high and pyramid-shaped, also constructed from the pale leg bones of some unknown giant beasts.

Every surface and every step of the altar was covered in incredibly complex blood-colored Formation patterns.

Those Formation patterns seemed like living things, slowly wriggling and emitting a faint scent of blood and a heart-palpitating intent to devour.

"Lord Envoy, this is our tribe's Ancestral Altar."

The elder pointed at the altar, a fanatical light flickering in his eyes.

"It is also the only passage to the Immortal Mansion."

"Oh?" Shen Yuanmo raised an eyebrow with interest.

The elder became increasingly excited, his voice even changing pitch: "However, to open the passage, a grand sacrificial ceremony must be held."

"It requires you to ascend to the peak of the altar to receive the blessing of our tribe's Ancestral Spirits and the final trial."

"Only by gaining the recognition of the Ancestral Spirits will the gates of the Immortal Mansion open for you!"

He spoke with grand, flowery words.

But under Shen Yuanmo's Insight into Origin, the true nature of this altar had long been seen through by him.

Blessing? Trial? Teleportation Formation?

All lies.

This was fundamentally an extremely sinister Possession and sacrifice Formation that used living beings as offerings.

Its core function was only one thing—extraction.

Once a living being stepped onto the center of the altar, the grand Formation would instantly activate, frantically extracting their Divine Soul, Dao, Qi and blood, Origin... everything would be drained and used through the Formation core to feed some existence sleeping deep within space that required massive energy to be awakened.

If nothing went wrong, that existence should be the true trump card left behind by Heavenly Venerable of Nine Mysteries.

As for this Grave-Keeping Tribe, they were merely tools to execute the will of Heavenly Venerable of Nine Mysteries.

Shen Yuanmo sneered inwardly, but his face remained calm.

"After acting for so long, are you finally going to show your fangs?"

He looked at the elder's face, which was full of anticipation and fanaticism, and slowly nodded, his voice flat.

"Fine, I accept the trial."

"Wonderful!" Hearing this, the elder trembled with excitement.

He immediately turned around and shouted to all the villagers.

"The will of the Heavenly Venerate is about to descend! Prepare the ceremony!"

The entire village instantly boiled over.

All the villagers gathered around, kneeling around the altar, and began to chant a monotonous and eerie incantation.

Those voices merged together, forming an invisible mental storm that stirred the surrounding energy.

It caused the blood-colored Formation patterns on the altar to light up faster, flickering with an unnatural glow.

Under the fanatical gaze of the entire village, Shen Yuanmo's expression remained composed as he stepped onto the bone stairs leading to the top of the altar, one step at a time.

He walked very steadily; each step seemed to tread upon the hearts of all the grave-keepers, making them increasingly excited and frenzied.

Finally, he reached the very top of the altar.

The moment he stood still, the respectful expression on the face of the elder below instantly faded, replaced by an extreme distortion and madness.

Together with all the villagers, he raised his hands high above his head and, with all his strength, let out a final roar.

"With your Divine Soul! With your Dao!"

"Awaken my Lord!"

"Welcome the descent of my Lord!!"

Boom!

The moment the words fell, the entire altar erupted with blood-light, and a soaring blood-colored pillar of light seemed as if it would punch a hole through the sky.

Countless pitch-black chains condensed from resentment and curses, like venomous snakes seeking prey, shot out from the Formation patterns of the altar.

Densely packed and covering the sky, they coiled toward Shen Yuanmo at the center of the altar from all directions.

Upon every chain, faces distorted in pain emerged.

They emitted silent shrieks, seemingly trying to drag him into that endless abyss of resentment.

This was the beginning of the sacrifice.

However, just as those Vengeful Soul Chains were about to touch the hem of Shen Yuanmo's robe...

A faint trace of mockery finally appeared on his calm, unruffled face.

He didn't even make any extra movements; he simply opened his thin lips and spat out a single word.

"Freeze!"

With that one word, his command became law.

An invisible ripple, centered on him, suddenly spread out like ripples on water.

Chaos Domain!

In an instant, time seemed to have been paused.

The soaring blood-light solidified, and the Vengeful Soul Chains flying through the air all froze mid-air.

They maintained their predatory postures but could no longer advance an inch.

Even the fanatical and distorted expressions on the faces of the villagers below were frozen at that moment.

In the entire world, only Shen Yuanmo remained able to move freely.

"A group of pathetic tools, and you actually dare to covet my Dao?"

He shook his head contemptuously, then raised his right hand and pressed down toward the ground below.

"Now, it's my turn."

Boom!

Under this pressure, the energy flow of the entire sacrificial Formation underwent a shocking reversal.

The Formation that was originally devouring inward instantly became a volcano erupting outward.

Those Vengeful Soul Chains that had just shot out recoiled at a speed a hundred times faster than they had come.

They plunged ruthlessly into the bodies of the Grave-Keeping Tribe villagers below.

"Argh—!"

Shrill screams finally rang out, breaking the still image.

The expressions on the fanatical villagers' faces turned from frenzy to terror, and then to despair.

Their bodies shriveled at a visible rate, as if all moisture had been drained away.

Their Divine Souls, Bloodlines, and even their very existence were forcibly extracted by the backlash of the grand Formation.

Turning into streams of pure energy, they followed the Formation patterns and surged frantically toward Shen Yuanmo at the peak of the altar.

"No! This is impossible! You..."

The leading elder's face was full of disbelief; he pointed at Shen Yuanmo, but before he could finish his sentence, his body completely turned to ash.

Shen Yuanmo watched all this expressionlessly.

This energy was better than nothing to him.

But this feeling of turning the hunter into the prey was not bad.

When the last villager was drained dry and the entire altar had absorbed this massive energy, it became overwhelmed and let out a mournful wail.

"Crack... crack..."

Cracks spread across the altar like a spiderweb.

Finally, with a loud "Boom," this sacrificial Formation that had existed for endless ages completely shattered.

After the altar collapsed, a bottomless, pitch-black entrance swirling with spatial fluctuations slowly appeared in the sky above.

That was the true passage.

At that moment, Shen Yuanmo looked up toward the distant darkness.

At the end of that darkness, the outline of a dilapidated yet magnificent Immortal Palace floated quietly in the Void Realm.

With the destruction of the altar, it finally tore away its disguise and was faintly revealed.

A majestic immortal aura rushed toward him, even across the vast distance.

That was precisely the final destination marked on the dark-gold beast hide map.

The Immortal Mansion of Heavenly Venerable of Nine Mysteries.