Chapter 519 - 216: Insufficient Offerings
In the vast Yongyi, unnoticed by countless individuals of the Human Race, shadows streak rapidly across the sky, vanishing somewhere within the Eastern Marsh.
Inside the Grotto Heaven, the ancient altar exudes a vast aura, and atop it, the gigantic Bird’s Nest emits a cyan radiance.
Mysterious ritual chants echo from within the Bird’s Nest, accompanied by runes constantly emerging in the cyan light, forming ripples that spread outward from the altar’s center.
Around the altar’s periphery, in the wild forest, figures residing in tree nests piously bow toward the altar.
Someone-birds arrive from outside, depositing captured sacrifices onto the open space in front of the altar.
At this moment, below the altar, there are already three members of the Human Race, four Wild Beasts, and a heap of Source Stones piled like a mountain.
The three members of the Human Race are unable to utter a sound, staring in shock at this Grotto Heaven world, struggling in vain against the constraints binding them.
The ritual chant continuously tugs at their souls, as if trying to draw them into oblivion.
Before the three individuals of the Human Race stands a figure, severely injured, prostrated beneath the altar, covered in Wind Patterns, with a fist-sized bloody cavity blasted open on the abdomen, lacking one leg.
Saying they are prostrated feels more like they were thrown below the altar, their blood pooling on the ground, their body trembling uncontrollably.
In the Bird’s Nest Divine Hall above the altar, the Elder Witch Priest kneels before the Profound Bird divine statue, with the ritual chant originating from his mouth.
The cyan light on the Profound Bird divine statue gushes forth, all its runes seemingly activated, causing the surrounding void to distort slightly due to the stirring Source Power.
Though merely a statue, at this moment, it appears to have come alive, taking on the form of spreading wings, ready to soar into the sky.
The Elder Witch Priest rises and exits the Divine Hall, overlooking the sacrifices below.
"Is this the offering you captured?"
The aged voice resounds, causing several hunched figures in the forest beneath the altar to tremble suddenly.
Meanwhile, the injured figure bowing beneath the altar further collapses headfirst into the pool of blood, the once-proud Black Feathers on their shoulder tainted with filthy red, body convulsing nonstop.
The Elder Witch Priest pays no mind to the injured, his gaze settling on the bound sacrifices, not hiding his dissatisfaction.
"Three individuals of the Human Race, the highest level is only mid-stage Divine Treasure.
Four Wild Beasts, their bloodlines impure, with two not even being Tier Four."
"The great Holy Spirit has bestowed upon us the task of shepherding Yongyi. Over the centuries, as Shepherd, the beings of Yongyi have been nurtured to this state."
"We can’t even gather enough Tier Four offerings for the great Sacrificial Spirit!"
Several Hunting Sacrificial Envoys prostrate themselves on the ground, daring not to speak.
Yongyi’s deteriorating condition isn’t recent. Qualified sacrifices have become increasingly scarce, leading to capturing even non-Tier Four Wild Beasts.
Explanations are futile; the great Holy Spirit doesn’t listen to explanations, only results.
This time, altogether ten Hunting Sacrificial Envoys were dispatched, with only six returning.
One Envoy was heavily injured, failing to bring any sacrifice.
They now kneel outside the altar, forbidden by the Elder Witch Priest to utilize their blood energy to stop their bleeding, resigned to watching their blood spill away, threatening to drain their life completely.
Besides the struggling sacrifices beneath the altar, several Hunting Sacrificial Envoys are frightened stiff, sensing the Elder Witch Priest’s displeased gaze upon them from the altar.
Finally, Yu Bo can hold on no longer.
Crawling from the forest, he prostrates, "Witch Priest, the Yongyi Human Race has willingly fallen, with suitable sacrifices difficult to find among the divisions. I request to lead a team into the Giant Mountain Range to hunt Tier Four Wild Beasts."
The Elder Witch Priest’s gaze fluctuates. It’s not unprecedented to hunt Wild Beasts when Yongyi cannot supply quality sacrifices.
However, many Wild Beasts in the Giant Mountain Range do not meet the requirements to become sacrifices. The Holy Spirit prefers those possessing traces of Divine Beast Blood or a portion of Innate Qi.
Such Wild Beasts, ideally Tier Four, are rare even within the Giant Mountain Range.
The Human Race in Yongyi has been sealed within these mountains and rivers, long since losing the Martial Dao heritage of the Yongshan Bo Division era. Martial Dao has not only ceased progressing but is in decline, naturally no match for the Holy Envoy Race.
The Holy Envoy Race captures as they please, even the so-called Celestial Demon Bo Division now obediently offers tributes, anxiously wondering the identity of the Holy Envoy Race.
This is the reason he forbids contact between his people and Yongyi Cultivators, as the emissary of the great Holy Spirit, shepherding Yongyi, how can there be connections with the nurtured beings?
Even among the Human Race tribes, when those nurturing Wild Beasts catch them to eat, do they care about the Wild Beasts’ thoughts?
In the Holy Envoy Race’s view, the Yongyi Human Race are raised beasts.
The Yongyi Human Race lacks strength, with suitable sacrifices becoming increasingly scarce. They capture as they please, but the Wild Beasts in the Giant Mountain Range have powerful backing.
In the mountains reside three Tier Five Wild Beasts. In earlier times, the Holy Envoy Race had skirmished with Tier Five beasts in their pursuit.
Especially that one, Luwu, who considers itself the Giant Mountain Monarch, viewing the Giant Peak Mountain as its territory. Since the previous Elder Witch Priest began, they haven’t gained any advantage over Luwu, the Mountain Monarch.
The Yongyi Human Race may not find the Holy Envoy Race’s Grotto Heaven, but Old Luwu knows, and it has even come knocking before.
If discovered again during the hunting of a Wild Beast with Divine Beast Bloodline, it is highly likely to come knocking again.
Yet, avoiding hunting in the Giant Mountain Range, the Elder Witch Priest feels the quality and quantity of sacrifices before the altar are far too insufficient.