111: Immortal, God, Sacrifice

“I’ve heard of it,” Qi Shan replied, seemingly recalling something as he looked at Qin Jin with increased solemnity, and reminisced, “It is said that the human senior who founded the alliance came from the Divine Kingdom.”

“Are you very interested in the Divine Kingdom?”

He pressed, and seeing Qin Jin nod, continued, “Currently, there are no traces of the Divine Kingdom left in the Great Wilderness.”

“However, I heard some information from my previous successor.”

“Legend has it that in the era of that human senior, the Great Wilderness was even vaster, and Divine Kingdoms stood everywhere.”

“Divine Kingdoms were in constant warfare; there were not only human Divine Kingdoms but also foreign Divine Kingdoms. If strange beasts like you and I became powerful, we could also establish Divine Kingdoms and occupy a territory.”

It was clear that he could not determine Qin Chi’s race, so he used “strange beast” as a placeholder.

“There were countless kingdoms in the world.”

“At that time, in some tribes that relied on Sacrificial Spirits for survival, it was occasionally heard that powerful individuals from human Divine Kingdoms would select outstanding people from the tribes and bring them into the Divine Kingdom.”

“Later,” the unicorn sheep said seriously, “I don’t know when, but the Divine Kingdoms vanished without a trace, as if they had completely disappeared, becoming legends passed down by word of mouth within various tribes. It was said that finding a Divine Kingdom would grant one its true inheritance, allowing them to cultivate and become powerful.”

“But after many years, no one has seen a Divine Kingdom again.”

At the front, azure lightning dark halberd straightened up.

Qi Shan looked at him and calmly said, “Do you have any other questions?”

Qin Jin shook his head.

This Tu Yang Tribe Sacrificial Spirit before him had not lived from ancient times until now, but due to that ancient alliance, he knew more information.

From his words, Qin Jin had already obtained all the information he wanted to know.

“Since that’s the case, I will give you the secret method.”

“Remember,” Qi Shan’s aged voice became more solemn, “when you grow old, remember to seek out a new successor to the alliance. Otherwise, according to the previous successor, the power of vows might change, leading to an unfortunate old age.”

At this point, below, the golden mist enveloped by the lamp surged. On Qi Shan’s unicorn, the mist gathered into a fingertip-sized ball of light, which flew towards Qin Jin and hovered in front of azure lightning dark halberd.

“Just touch it with your own sacrificial power.”

Qin Jin did as he was told.

As the power of vows touched the light ball, Qin Jin perceived the ball subtly trembling and transforming into streams of information, imprinted upon his mind.

[Body Tempering]: Use sacrificial power to temper the body and enhance physique.

[Object Attachment]: Sacrificial power can be attached to special objects, with one’s own intent following along.

[Golden Body]: Construct a Sacrificial Spirit Golden Body to enhance combat power.

[Blessing]: Bless the people under the demonic tribe.

[Healing]: Heal injuries and restore oneself.

— As Qin Jin accessed this information, it was less a secret method and more a set of ways to utilize the power of vows. There were over a dozen methods in total, some of which he had already figured out in conjunction with his professional panel.

His gaze fell upon the lamp below: “Some special objects can carry the power of vows. The origin of this lamp—”

A thought flashed through his mind, and Qin Jin mused, “Is that all?”

“All?” Qi Shan, even more ethereal after transmitting the secret method, his golden mist body clearly fluctuating, said, “This is a Sacrificial Spirit’s top secret.”

“Ordinary Sacrificial Spirits only know how to temper their bodies with the power of vows, and their tempering methods are extremely crude, providing limited enhancement to their own strength.”

“Now that you know these, you can—”

At this point, Qi Shan’s voice stopped.

“I forgot, your own strength is already very strong.”

Qin Jin did not dwell on this question. “Qi Shan,” he asked, “will you continue to search for other suitable successors?”

“Yes,” the unicorn sheep nodded slightly.

He lifted his right hoof, and on the table to one side, on the map that Sheng Yi had presented and left there, a light spot appeared somewhere in the north.

“That is where my Tu Yang Tribe is located.”

“In the future, if you are willing, the people of the Si Huo Tribe are also welcome to visit my Tu Yang Tribe.”

The two Sacrificial Spirits had their final conversation in the hall. Not long after, with a slight movement of his mind, Qin Jin’s voice echoed in Xia Yanh Tiger’s mind.

“Bring the guests back.”

Outside, it was already evening. The three members of the Tu Yang Tribe, while waiting outside, had been hosted by the Si Huo Tribe and had already eaten dinner under Qi Chuan’s arrangements.

Now, upon receiving the message, they immediately returned.

Sacrificial Spirit Hall.

The three members of the Tu Yang Tribe stood at the front, while Qi Chuan and Xia Yanh Tiger were to the side.

Qi Shan’s ethereal figure, after bidding farewell to Qin Jin, dispersed into golden mist and returned to the lamp.

Sheng Yi collected it, bowed to Qin Jin, and then, at Qin Jin’s arrangement, Xia Yanh Tiger, along with over a dozen tribe members, escorted them away.

Inside the Sacrificial Spirit Hall, only Qi Chuan remained.

“Lord Sacrificial Spirit,” he looked at azure lightning dark halberd, “this Tu Yang Tribe—”

“We can befriend them,” Qin Jin’s voice rang out. With a wave of his hand, the beast skin map floated up and came before Qi Chuan.

He had already scanned the map and now said, “This map can verify some information.”

“The location of the Tu Yang Tribe is also on the map. It’s quite far from our tribe, but we can consider visiting in the future.”

“I understand,” Qi Chuan replied earnestly.

“You may withdraw,” azure lightning dark halberd waved slightly, and Qin Jin’s voice deepened, “I have some matters to consider.”

Qi Chuan bowed and left.

Inside the cockpit, Qin Jin’s Divine Intent left his body, ascended, and looked outside.

Sheng Yi and the two others, along with Xia Yanh Tiger and the other tribe members, left the tribe.

“Tu Yang Tribe, Qi Shan.” His mind flashed with the image of the unicorn sheep. “I’m afraid your journey here was not just to find a Sacrificial Spirit to succeed the alliance.”

An aged Sacrificial Spirit going to complete the final step of the alliance.

This Tu Yang Sacrificial Spirit was already old, which meant he was close to death.

If it were merely to continue the alliance’s inheritance, finding a suitable Sacrificial Spirit would suffice. Why go to such great lengths, traveling from the north where the Tu Yang Tribe was located to here, visiting tribe after tribe?

Qin Jin was almost certain that he was not only looking for a successor to the alliance but also for his own next successor, hoping to find a suitable new Sacrificial Spirit for the Tu Yang Tribe he protected!

“Human Sacrificial Spirit.”

“From Qi Shan’s demeanor, he seems perfectly suited to the duties of a Sacrificial Spirit within the alliance.”

Xia Yanh Tiger and the other tribe members escorted them all the way. After they had moved a certain distance from the Si Huo Tribe’s encampment, Sheng Yi turned back and looked at Xia Yanh Tiger: “Gentlemen, this is as far as you need to see us off.”

“How can that be?” Xia Yanh Tiger said with a serious expression, “You three left your group to visit our tribe as guests, of course, we must escort you back.”

“The Great Wilderness is full of fierce beasts and is not safe.”

“Don’t forget, we have Lord Sacrificial Spirit protecting us,” Sheng Yi pointed behind herself and smiled, “Brother Xia, I appreciate your kindness, but it’s getting late.”

“If you really escort us all the way back, you’d have to rush back overnight, which would be even more unsafe.”

Xia Yanh Tiger looked at her, pondered for a moment, and finally smiled, “Alright.”

“I heard you plan to continue exploring. When you return, don’t forget to visit our tribe as guests.”

“Of course, we will,” Sheng Yi laughed heartily, with a hint of reminiscence, “The Si Huo Tribe’s roasted meat tastes excellent.”

After a relaxed farewell, the three members of the Tu Yang Tribe departed.

Beside Xia Yanh Tiger, the other tribe members who had come along saw the group walk away and said, “Leader, are we really not going to see them off further?”

“No need,” Xia Yanh Tiger shook his head, “She isn’t bothered by our escort; rather, she wants to speak with the Sacrificial Spirit her tribe worships, and she doesn’t want us to know, which is why she refused us.”

“Let’s go back.”

With that, he turned and led the way back.

In the distance, Sheng Yi and the others’ figures moved further away.

After they had put some distance between them, Sheng Yi’s intentionally lowered voice could be heard: “Lord Qi Shan.”

“This Lord Qin Chi—”

“He will be one of the choices,” Qi Shan’s aged voice echoed behind her. “This Offering Fire Sacrificial Spirit is extremely powerful, and I cannot see through him. Observing the Si Huo Tribe, and his interactions with his people, he seems quite benevolent, not a tyrannical sort.”

“In the future, if I truly face death, this would be a good place to go.”

Upon hearing this, Sheng Yi gritted her teeth, “Lord Qi Shan, is there truly no way?”

“None,” he replied. “If the legendary Divine Kingdom still existed, perhaps there truly would be a method to extend life.”

“But now, I am starting to weaken, and the power of sacrifice cannot stop it. Everything is already fated.”

“Let’s continue our journey,” he urged. “The remaining power in the lamp can support meeting one or two more Sacrificial Spirits. After that, you must turn back.”

“On your return journey, do not forget to determine the safest route.”

“After all,” his final words faded, “someday in the future, our Tu Yang Tribe might undergo a great migration.”

After the last sentence, everything fell silent.

Sheng Yi’s eyes were a little red, and she clenched her fists, signaling the two equally silent tribe members to quicken their pace.

Sacrificial Spirit Hall.

Divine Intent retracted.

Qin Jin mentally organized the information he had acquired.

“This land was once vaster, with Divine Kingdoms standing everywhere.”

"Then, it's largely confirmed."

His eyes were serious: "The Great Barrens, this land, has experienced three eras."

"Firstly, it was the Immortal Dynasty Era!"

"The Tiancang Immortal Dynasty dominated all directions, reaching its peak prosperity. Prodigies emerged endlessly, shining brilliantly. Heavenly resources were extremely abundant, and the Human Race Martial Artists had a complete cultivation system with immeasurable potential. It was the most glorious era, possibly even heading towards unification."

"Secondly, it was the Divine Kingdom Era."

"After the Great Cataclysm mentioned by the Enlightenment Stele, the Immortal Dynasty vanished. Perhaps some methods remained. After an unknown period, new forms of civilization were born on this land: the Divine Kingdoms."

"They might have obtained inheritances left by the Immortal Dynasty, or they might have forged another extraordinary path. Unlike the Immortal Dynasty era, the Human Race was no longer the sole protagonist of the world. Other races rose, and they too could establish Divine Kingdoms. Countless kingdoms existed in the vast world, engaged in endless warfare."

Just as he was thinking of this.

Feeling something, with a slight thought, his professional panel appeared.

His gaze focused on one of the professions.

[Decipherer]

This was the new profession he unlocked when he first mastered Tiancang script.

At this moment—

Under this profession, a new category appeared.

[Ancient History]: Lv1 (0.0121%)

"A new category has been generated."

"Doesn't this mean that my general direction of inference was not wrong!"

When he awakened as a Researcher, it was also because his judgment of extraordinary powers ultimately generated the profession.

The professional panel could help him verify certain directions and information.

His heart excited, Qin Jin's thoughts shifted: "After the Divine Kingdom Era, came the Sacrificial Spirit Era!"

azure lightning dark halberd raised his head, as if looking through the dome towards the sky.

"The mountain and river Cauldron is greatly related to the Tiancang Immortal Dynasty. It might be that a formation left by the Tiancang Immortal Dynasty was triggered, and a barrier was generated outside this land. From then on, Divine Kingdoms disappeared from the world, becoming legends."

"This can explain one thing."

Qin Jin thought of more: "That Human Race ancient sage who discovered the power of sacrifice, established the ancient covenant, and indirectly brought about the appearance of Sacrificial Spirits."

"According to Qi Shan, the power of sacrifice was discovered by that Human Race ancient sage within a certain supreme treasure. It was a special power that already existed between heaven and earth."

"How could someone capable of perceiving such power be an ordinary person? They must have been worthy of being called a prodigy. And how could they have only left behind a dozen or so ways to utilize the power of vows?"

"Perhaps, he didn't have enough time."

"Not long after Sacrificial Spirits appeared, the connection with the Divine Kingdoms was severed by a prohibition. On this land, only so much information was left."

"Looking at it this way, outside the gate of that prohibition, in the wider world, could it still be a period where Divine Kingdoms stand in great numbers?"

Thinking of this, Qin's gaze fell on the professional panel.

The newly generated [Ancient History] category showed no increase in experience points.

Qin was not annoyed; instead, he was thoughtful.

"Either there's some error in my inferred direction."

"Or, the direction is correct, but the experience gained is too little to be displayed on the professional panel."

"After all, in a sense, the Sacrificial Spirit Era is far from being the third great era. It initially appeared during the Divine Kingdom period, and this land of the Great Barrens is also surrounded by prohibitions, more like a small isolated world."

Qin Jin exhaled a long breath.

He believed his inference was correct.

"Outside that prohibited gate, it might be even more dangerous than initially imagined."

"Divine Kingdoms standing in great numbers, endless warfare."

"The most important thing is—"

Qin Jin's eyes lowered slightly: "Within the Great Barrens, fierce beasts run rampant, but the actual dominant force is the Human Race."

"Fierce beasts are brutal but often solitary, and they act on instinct. The large tribes of the past all had the ability to hunt fierce beasts in groups."

"The matter of the Three-Headed Strange Python is comparable to an [external enemy]."

"The Tiancang Immortal Dynasty was originally of the Human Race. That border prohibition, now that I look at it, somehow has the implication of protecting a pure land."

"In that case—"

Inferring this far, a very terrifying thought arose in Qin's mind.

"Humans and other races coexist, with Divine Kingdoms standing side by side."

"Under what circumstances would a pure land for the Human Race need to be protected by a prohibition?"

Perhaps influenced by the Starfire Federation's ideology, Qin Chi believed that this situation might represent the worst possible outcome.

Outside the prohibition, in the wider world, no Human Race Divine Kingdoms exist anymore!

"This possibility, just thinking about it, is terrifying."

"If there are no Human Race Divine Kingdoms outside the prohibition, then are there any other Human Race remnants? How would they—"

"—be treated?"

Qin Chi's eyes rippled.

"Thinking deeper, was that Human Race ancient sage, who explored and established the Sacrificial Spirit system against the backdrop of Divine Kingdoms, a compromise? Or was it to plant a seed in advance?"

Some things are too frightening to ponder deeply.

azure lightning dark halberd raised his head, looking in the direction he had once traveled far.

"Two major and one minor, the changes of three eras, have extremely significant impacts, also representing the rise and fall of ethnic groups."

Qin did not choose to step out of the gate, unable to confirm whether his conjecture was true or false.

But this was undoubtedly the worst possible scenario.

In the past, the prohibition left by that Tiancang Imperial Daughter would also fade with time until everything disintegrated.

Then, how long could the fragments of the mountain and river Cauldron in the sky sustain themselves?

Thinking of this, Qin slightly clenched his fist.

"Currently, all I can do is cultivate."

"Continuously strive, continuously cultivate."

"If it truly is the worst possible outcome..."

Qin Jin's eyes lowered slightly: "As long as I have enough strength and status, I can even lead the Federation to view the Great Barrens, like the vast Star Sea, as a place for exploration and development, truly using the power of civilization to develop this place."

"If the Human Race no longer has Divine Kingdoms in this world."

"Then Starfire can ignite here once again."

Qin's thoughts flowed.

Unveiling a scene from the ancient history of the Great Barrens truly stirred his heart, but ultimately, in this grand world where great power belongs to oneself,

as long as one is strong enough, one can solve most problems.

A Martial Artist's resolve is firm enough.

If the world is full of suffering, then cultivate to the peak, and then sweep away the old dust.

With a slight thought, the mountain and river fragment brought back by Xia Yanh Tiger entered the cockpit and came before him.

The fire that had burned on it had extinguished, but the flame on the carved pattern still emitted a faint glow, giving a sense of warmth and hope.

"The carvings on the mountain and river Cauldron might precisely depict the scenes of the former Tiancang Immortal Dynasty, the initial rise of the Human Race in this world."

"The Human Race ancient sage discovered the power of sacrifice through a supreme treasure."

"The space within the mountain and river Cauldron can only be entered when enveloped by the power of vows."

"Could it be that the supreme treasure investigated by that ancient sage was a fragment of the mountain and river Cauldron?"

Many questions arose in his mind. Some he inferred and answered himself, while others, once arisen, were sealed deep in his heart, awaiting answers in the future.

Primal power surged forth, making contact with this fragment.

Under Qin Jin's gaze.

It suddenly became illusory, similar to the previous fragment, and followed the primal power, escaping into his Spirit Void.

After entering the Spirit Void, it solidified again, also suspended in the sky.

The two fragments met.

Under Qin's observation, a faint glow appeared, as if they were sensing each other, but no further anomalies occurred.

"These two fragments were not contiguous on the original mountain and river Cauldron."

Qin Jin thought to himself.

At the same time.

The faint light receded, and the newly entered fragment in the Spirit Void ignited with a flame.

Spirit Void gave birth to a clear fire.

The flame was still warm and harmless, but Qin Jin clearly perceived that the spiritual power within his Spirit Void, as the flame lit up, began to rapidly deplete at this moment!

That was the spiritual power being refined under the burning of this life fire. Its quantity decreased, but its quality improved!

"How extraordinary was the mountain and river Cauldron of old, that immortal treasure?"

"This is merely a fragment."

A thought flashed through Qin Chi's mind, and he completely immersed himself in it. His Spirit Void surged, continuously absorbing spiritual power and refining it!

The fire of life, using spiritual power as its guide, swayed within the Spirit Void. As Qin Jin began to cultivate, the fire of life spread from the Spirit Void and entered his physique!

Qin Jin clearly sensed the taste of being "roasted."

He felt as if his entire being was ignited.

Outside his body, soft flames rose, and he felt like he was in a melting pot, his body like steel, being forged by fire!

His own primal power, at this moment, also began to burn and refine, just like spiritual power!