Chapter 520 - 216: Insufficient Sacrifices (2)
The quality of the sacrificial offerings has increasingly declined, and it has been thousands of years since any Holy Decree was bestowed.
"Let’s wait until the others return."
Thinking of the four who have yet to come back, the Elder Witch Priest decided to hold off for the moment.
If the offerings are indeed poor in the end, we will have no choice but to find a solution from the Giant Mountain Range.
As time passed, a figure emerged from the forest, arriving beneath the altar and placing a captured Human Race figure down from its claws.
Intending to speak, it noticed five Hunting Sacrificial Envoys kneeling below, and another gravely injured one crawling under the altar, bleeding profusely.
Without uttering a word, it obediently went down to kneel among the other Hunting Sacrificial Envoys in the forest.
In the Bird’s Nest Temple, the Elder Witch Priest knelt beneath the Divine Statue, muttering obscure sacrificial language.
His tribe was once incomparably mighty, even had Tier Six powerhouses, guarding Yongyi for the Holy Spirit Profound Bird Race, frequently receiving the Holy Decree from the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Light bestowed by the Holy Spirit could aid in advancing to Tier Six.
But now, no holy grants have been given for over a thousand years; the last Holy Light bestowed helped him advance to Tier Five Witch Priest.
From Tier Six to Tier Five, the tribe’s overall power diminished greatly.
Besides the reduction in holy grants, the Holy Spirit has not personally manifested in thousands of years. Were it not for the occasional response, he would suspect something had happened to the Holy Spirit.
If it weren’t for the weakening of our tribal power, how could we tolerate the arrogance of those beasts in the Giant Mountain Range?
In the heyday of the tribe, even the beasts within the Giant Mountain Range would have perished.
...
When the Elder Witch Priest once again emerged from the Bird’s Nest Temple and overlooked below, his gaze swept over the present Hunting Sacrificial Envoys, furrowing his brows.
"Yu Ling hasn’t returned yet?"
Nine of the ten Hunting Sacrificial Envoys have already returned.
"Reporting to the Great Witch Priest, no, he hasn’t returned yet."
Yu Bo responded, then added, "I recall Yu Ling’s hunting area is to the north of Yongyi, possibly he went all the way west into the sandy region.
The sandy region is vast, with endless Yellow Sand everywhere; it’s normal to return a bit late."
After another month, the Elder Witch Priest emerged from the temple again.
Looking at the altar below, the number of offerings, including everyone and beasts, still didn’t amount to even ten Divine Treasures, making his expression unpleasant once more.
"Where Yu Ling went, who is guarding it?"
In the forest, Xuan Chi hurriedly flew out.
"Reporting to the Great Witch Priest, it is me."
Within the Holy Envoy Race, the division of labor among the tribal members is clear. At least at the late stage of Divine Treasure, one can become a Hunting Sacrificial Envoy.
Among the ten Hunting Sacrificial Envoys, seven are at the Divine Treasure Peak Realm, while three are at the late stage of Divine Treasure.
Among the ten Spirit Shepherds, five are at the late stage of Divine Treasure, and five are at the mid-stage of Divine Treasure.
"Go take a look."
"Yes."
After receiving the order, Xuan Chi directly flew out.
The routes for capturing sacrificial offerings by the Hunting Sacrificial Envoys are determined by the patrol routes of the ten Spirit Shepherds.
Compared to the Hunting Sacrificial Envoys who only need to go out when capturing offerings, Spirit Shepherds need to go out every thirty to fifty years.
Everything seen during their journeys is imprinted onto Jade Scrolls and then placed into the mouth of the Divine Statue.
As for where the Jade Scrolls go, it’s not their concern.
Patrolling every thirty to fifty years is also a family rule; don’t ask why, it’s just the way it is.
For thousands of years, generations of Spirit Shepherds have done it this way.
If these patrol Jade Scrolls were compiled and brought forth, it would clearly display the evolution and development of Yongyi over these thousands of years.
After leaving the boundary, Xuan Chi headed directly to the northwest.
He had patrolled the northern border of Yongyi over ten times.
He had a good relationship with Yu Ling; hence, before this sacrificial hunt, he discreetly exchanged whispers with Yu Ling; otherwise, Yu Ling wouldn’t have ventured to the north.
Xuan Chi clearly remembers, the last time he patrolled the northern territory, there was a being teeming with blood energy in the northern wasteland of Ji Land, and it could sense his probing at that time.
Besides this being, there was another in the northwest direction of Ji Land, who seemed to have just advanced to mid-stage Divine Treasure, endowed with ample blood energy.
With these two offerings, Yu Ling’s task of capturing sacrificial offerings would surely outshine the others.
Yet this time, Yu Ling is somewhat slow; everyone has returned, but he is still not seen. Could it be that he has discovered new offerings?
Xuan Chi spread his wings, his entire body transforming into a gust of wind, swiftly bypassing mountains and lakes below.
At this moment, within the Grotto Heaven.
Yu Bo kneeled below the altar.
"Great Witch Priest, I request permission to lead people into the Giant Mountain Range to gather ten Tier Four offerings for the great Sacrificial Spirit."
"Rest assured, Great Witch Priest, we will be quick and quiet, so the old Luwu won’t be aware."
Yu Bo knew that the current Holy Envoy Race was not like the past; there were only two Tier Five individuals within the clan, one being the Elder Witch Priest in front of him, and the other being the previous Hunting Sacrificial Envoy, even older than the Elder Witch Priest.
Though they were at Tier Five, their battle power was far inferior to old Luwu.
Back then, when old Luwu visited, he was probably at Tier Five Early Stage; it’s uncertain if he has since advanced to Tier Five Middle Stage.
If he gets really angry now, the Holy Envoy Race no longer has the Holy Spirit’s blessing at any given moment.
The Elder Witch Priest looked at the four Divine Treasure Humans, four Divine Treasure Wild Beasts, and the remaining few Tier Three Peak Auspicious Beast bloodline Wild Beasts, feeling somewhat helpless.
Attempts were made to capture other Divine Treasures in Yongyi, but the aura from those Divine Treasures disgusts the Holy Spirit.
This is a plea for blessing through sacrifice, not to anger the Holy Spirit.
"Great Witch Priest, why not capture more Wild Beasts with Auspicious Beast bloodlines, not just Tier Four—only Tier Three, so as not to draw old Luwu’s attention?"
Xuan Ling, led by the Spirit Shepherd, said, "The Giant Mountain Range is vast; no matter how powerful Luwu is, he can keep an eye on Tier Four Auspicious Beasts, but can he also manage Tier Three?"
"Since we can’t gather enough Tier Fours, let’s capture thirty, fifty, or even a hundred Tier Three Auspicious Beasts as offerings, and even capture humans from Yongyi.
In the Tier Three category, there are no shortage of those with abundant blood energy.
Like this sword cultivator here, his entire body emits sharp sword energy; the martial artists in his tribe might also include numerous sword cultivators; if the sword’s edge is so sharp, surely the blood energy must be substantial."
Lord Mo Ye, who was restrained, felt the sharpness of his sword energy dulled at this moment.
For so long, he had tried to break free, even considering self-destruction, to no avail.
Upon hearing the conversation, he felt a deep sense of desolation; his tribe indeed had many sword practitioners, but they had long been wiped out by that damn Celestial Monster.
They even accused him of colluding with the Huantou Race.
What a big joke; his Mo Ye Division was dedicated to sword cultivation!
The Elder Witch Priest stood on the altar, listening to the clan members speak.
In truth, the standards for sacrifices had been lowered; last time, they managed to collect ten Tier Four offerings, with other offerings like Source Stones merely embellishments.
But now, ten Tier Four offerings couldn’t even be gathered.
"Go ahead."
The Hunting Sacrificial Envoy, lying amidst the underbrush, rose upon hearing the command, while the wounded envoy who knelt by the altar suddenly regained a sharp spirit.
"Great Witch Priest, I..."
"Useless, getting counterattacked by the offerings to this extent."
The Elder Witch Priest did not even spare him a glance, turning instead to enter the Bird’s Nest Divine Hall.
...
Blazing Flame Race Territory.
The clan had long dispersed after repairing the Witch Array, leaving even the Ancestral Temple as nothing but an empty shell.
Lord Jishan could organize moving Ancestral Temples, and Shen Can naturally couldn’t let his sacrifices be in vain.
Even he himself did not contemplate self-sacrifice.
Having learned from Yann Wanyun that the bird that captured him was heading eastward, it suggested the bird’s nest was likely near the Great Marsh.
Moreover, this bird likely belonged to a colony with quite a number of Divine Treasure powerhouses within.
Although the bird’s target was blood-filled Divine Treasures like them, Shen Can still had to guard against these creatures attacking his clan members.
Fortunately, the Blazing Flame Clan people were scattered, and Yanran suffered a huge loss.
Whether there were Tier Five Martial Artists in the bird’s nest, Shen Can wasn’t sure.
If a Tier Five really came, he was prepared to initiate a big explosion.
Below the Grand Array of the Ancestral Temple, golden blood-colored energy was pulsating from a broken Beast Pill.
This Beast Pill from a Tier Six Giant Beast, even with residual energy less than one tenth, was now enveloped in dense runes.
Up to now, even though the Blazing Flame had advanced to Bo Division, Shen Can still had the courage as from his time in the jungle, to have the clan members disband and fight to the end.
As long as someone remains, what was lost will eventually return.
At this moment, Xuan Chi, who had emerged from the Grotto Heaven to search for his kind, happened to arrive at the Blazing Flame Race Territory.
Not much time had passed, yet he remembered well that there was once an individual here full of blood energy.
Gliding from high above, he gazed down below.
Suddenly, he saw a figure below also looking up at him.
In the clan land, prepared for everything, Shen Can noticed the approaching black dot, feeling a bit surprised.
This doesn’t seem like Tier Five.