Chapter 226 - 162: Underground Altar
’No matter how I think about it, something is wrong.’
’So, the imperial court must have deliberately hidden and covered up the relevant information.’
"Alright, we’re here."
At the sound of Inspector Fang’s voice, the group finally came to a halt.
By now, they had walked past the piles of bones and arrived at the center of the space.
Here stood a structure that resembled an altar.
Inspector Fang pointed at the altar and said, "That altar is what you’ll be dealing with next."
The men looked up in the direction Inspector Fang was pointing and saw an altar that stood over five zhang tall. Its surface was as smooth as a mirror and carved with one intricate Rune after another. As if alive, the Runes flowed with a faint red light, inspiring a sense of awe in all who beheld it.
At the top of the altar was a stone stele, engraved with some obscure text whose meaning was indecipherable.
Nevertheless, it looked quite solemn and majestic.
"What is this?"
one of the Military Officers asked.
"What is this? You don’t need to know. Don’t you understand that the more you know, the faster you die?!"
Inspector Fang shot a glance at the officer who had spoken and snorted coldly.
The Military Officer shivered in fear, lowered his head, and didn’t dare ask another question.
Just then, a faint, trickling sound caught Fang Yue’s attention. His gaze involuntarily shifted toward the altar before him.
He saw a stream of fresh blood flowing from one side of the altar’s base. The moment it touched the pedestal, it was sucked inside.
As the blood was absorbed, the crimson text on the stone platform grew even more brilliant.
"Guard the perimeter for me. If anyone approaches the altar, kill them on sight!"
Inspector Fang’s gaze swept over the men as he spoke in a cold voice.
’Will someone else really show up in a place like this?’
Hearing this, Fang Yue scoffed inwardly. ’We must be deep underground by now. If not for the temple in the city, what other way is there to get down here?’
Fang Yue immediately began to survey his surroundings, but the underground space was immense, and the distant areas were shrouded in darkness, making it impossible to see clearly.
Just then, Fang Yue suddenly heard a clamor of shouts from the distance.
Soon after, more than ten men dressed in black emerged from the darkness.
"Heh heh, your Observatory sure reacted quickly. You want to reinforce the seal? Too bad this place has already been defiled by the blood of thousands. This seal will surely be broken today."
Embroidered on their black robes were the two characters "Wu Cheng." They were clearly subordinates of Prince Wucheng.
Furthermore, these men in black radiated explosive, unrestrained auras. Among them were five or six Qi Sensing Martial Masters!
Fang Yue’s eyes flickered as a thought couldn’t help but surface in his mind.
’Could this be why Prince Wucheng’s Rebel Army hasn’t sent any experts to fight during their siege these past few days?’
’After all, if a force like this had been deployed, they might have already breached Xiahe County Town.’
"I was just wondering where to get some Martial Artists’ heart blood. What an unexpected surprise to find some here. Kill them and we’ll break this place," the leader of the black-robed men sneered, then charged with his subordinates toward Fang Yue and the others in front of the altar.
The blood of ordinary people can only weaken the altar’s defenses. To truly break it requires the blood of Martial Artists, or even Martial Masters.
He had originally planned to use the blood of his own men, but now that he had these Military Officers...
it would save him a lot of trouble.
In the span of a breath, the two sides clashed.
A ferocious battle began. Although Fang Yue and his companions were not weak, they were not only outnumbered but also generally lower in cultivation compared to their opponents.
However, for some unknown reason, Fang Yue felt that the man in black he was fighting, despite exuding the presence of a Qi Sensing Martial Master, was actually much weaker than the two he had killed previously.
It felt as if he possessed immense power but was unable to fully unleash it.
Because of this, Fang Yue and the others managed to barely hold off their opponents’ attacks.
"Dammit."
The leader of the black-robed men had a grim expression, clearly enraged.
He had thought that with their superior strength and numbers, they could easily kill these imperial dogs.
But he hadn’t expected them to be so tenacious. The time it took to drink a cup of tea had passed, and the fight was still at a stalemate with no progress made.
This caused a flicker of annoyance to rise in his heart.
Immediately, the leader in black joined the fray.
This man was stronger than the other men in black. He had a burly frame with bulging muscles, and had clearly practiced some kind of Martial Arts Secret Technique. His muscles looked as if they were cast from steel, exuding a sense of unparalleled, savage power.
"BANG! BANG! BANG..."
He threw a punch, instantly shattering a Military Officer’s head. Blood splattered as an agonized scream rang out.
But he didn’t let up. With another punch, he sent another Military Officer flying.
Next, the man charged toward Fang Yue.
His fist was like a steel whip. When he punched, the very air seemed to compress, creating a harsh, grating sound as if space itself couldn’t bear the strain.
Fang Yue’s expression turned grave. The attack was too fierce for him to dodge, so he immediately threw a punch to meet it.
As he punched, all the power in his body roared. His Qi and blood surged, and for a moment, he seemed to transform into a giant white tiger.
"BOOM!"
Their fists collided. An explosive sound echoed in all directions as a visible shockwave spread out.
Fang Yue grunted and stumbled back three steps.
The leader in black didn’t fare much better; he was forced back five steps before he could steady himself.
Clearly, in a contest of pure strength, he was actually inferior to Fang Yue!
The expressions of the other men in black all changed.
"Hmph, I didn’t expect you to have a tough one hiding among you! Heh heh, so young... I wonder which great family you’re from. A pity you’re going to die here!"
The leader licked the blood from the corner of his mouth, a bloodthirsty smile spreading across his face.
The man took a porcelain vial from his robes and, without a second thought, chugged its unknown contents.
"Not good!"
Fang Yue’s pupils shrank. The man’s aura suddenly turned violent and began to climb rapidly. His body visibly swelled, quickly expanding to a height of one zhang, like a giant.
"RAAAWR~~"
The man in black roared at the sky. A layer of scales emerged on his fists and skin.
The scales were pitch-black and covered in small spikes, giving him a ferocious appearance.
Fang Yue was shocked. He never imagined his opponent would show signs of bestial transformation.
No matter how he looked at it, the man was now far more terrifying and harder to deal with than before.
"Hahahaha, you little bastard, die."
The leader in black let out another long roar and charged at Fang Yue once again.
The man’s body was now enormous, towering over Fang Yue by half a meter. His muscles bulged, and he looked like a Demon God descending upon the world, filled with terrifying power.
Such power was far beyond what an ordinary Qi Sensing Martial Master could achieve.
Seeing this, Fang Yue’s expression darkened.
’If I retreat now, this man could easily slaughter the remaining Military Officers. Then I’d have to face even more enemies alone.’
’Of course, if it really comes to that, I’ll just flee immediately.’
’His aura is strong right now, but not yet unbeatable.’
"Kill!"
Fang Yue took a deep breath and roared. His power erupted once more as he pushed off his feet and charged his opponent again.
He threw a punch, his Qi and blood churning, as if he were swinging a mountain.
"BAM~"
The two forces collided head-on with a deafening bang, causing an explosion of Qi and blood.
But this time, the leader in black only retreated a single step.
In contrast, Fang Yue was pushed back five steps, his body swaying slightly.
’So strong! But it’s not a hopeless fight!’
The fighting spirit on Fang Yue’s face blazed. His Qi and blood erupted again, burning like a Flame. The surging Qi and blood roared and rampaged through his body, letting out a series of booming sounds.