Li Jian shouted loudly, and immediately afterwards, an aged face appeared within the blood circle.
“Li Jian, why have you summoned me?”
The aged face within the blood circle asked, its voice brimming with authority.
“Honoured Master, your disciple has encountered trouble.”
Li Jian pointed towards the golden mountain and said, “The Dragon Emperor’s inheritance lies within that mountain, but a grand formation covers the mountain, and we cannot break it.”
“Oh?” The elder glanced in the direction of the golden mountain, then scolded Li Jian. “Useless thing. I have always told you to study formations diligently. How can you fail to recognise even such a simple formation? Waste!”
At these words, the faces of the other divine sons present burned with embarrassment. They felt that Li Jian’s master was not only scolding Li Jian, but insulting them as well.
Li Jian lowered his head in shame and said, “Your disciple is dull-witted. I beg Honoured Master to instruct me.”
The elder said, “Li Jian, let me ask you this. By using divine arts to summon me, you will suffer severe vital energy damage, and the Dragon Emperor’s inheritance will be completely beyond your reach.”
“Furthermore, once your vital energy is gravely injured, your combat strength will plummet. If someone harbours ill intent towards you then, how will you protect yourself?”
Li Jian replied respectfully, “All who entered the Dragon Burial Nest this time are geniuses, especially the several supreme prodigies present. Their strength far exceeds your disciple’s. Even without using the summoning divine art, I would have no chance of obtaining the Dragon Emperor’s inheritance.”
“As for safety, Honoured Master need not worry.”
“The several dao brothers present have all sworn to safely escort your disciple out of the Dragon Burial Nest.”
The elder’s gaze swept across the faces of Qi Tian, Xiao Yichen, Chen Tianming, and the others. He asked, “Is what my disciple says true?”
“Absolutely true.” Qi Tian said, “Senior, please rest assured. The five of us will certainly guarantee Brother Li’s safety.”
“That is good.” The elder fixed his eyes on the golden mountain and said, “This place is the Dragon Burial Nest. The environment is unusual, and with Li Jian’s weak cultivation, I cannot remain here long.”
“To keep it brief, the grand formation on the mountain is called the Blood Sacrifice Grand Formation.”
“Brute force cannot break it. Human lives must be sacrificed.”
Qi Tian hurriedly asked, “Senior, how many lives are needed to break the formation?”
“Twelve…” Before the elder could finish, his face abruptly vanished.
The blood circle shattered in that instant. Li Jian immediately spat blood and plummeted from the air.
Qi Tian reacted swiftly, flashing forward to catch Li Jian and prevent him from crashing to the ground.
“Thank you, Brother Qi…”
Li Jian thanked him weakly. At this moment, his face was ashen, his spirit listless.
Qi Tian quickly produced a healing pill and offered it to Li Jian. “This is a healing medicine from our Yin-Yang Sect. Brother Li, take it quickly.”
Li Jian shook his head. “It is useless.”
“Using the summoning divine art consumes not only vast amounts of energy, but also the divine soul.”
“I will need three months of secluded recovery to heal.”
Qi Tian had assumed that Li Jian’s earlier mention of severe vital energy damage was merely to gain benefits. Only now did he realise Li Jian had spoken the truth.
Three months of secluded recovery was tantamount to a grievous wound.
Moreover, Qi Tian could see that Li Jian was now extremely frail. Without protection, even a Nascent Soul cultivator could probably kill him.
Qi Tian handed Li Jian to disciples of the Taichu Holy Land, then said, “Brother Li, rest well.”
“Mm.” Li Jian gave a faint murmur.
Qi Tian turned and approached the golden mountain. “Everyone, you all heard what Brother Li’s honoured master said. What are your thoughts?”
Chen Tianming replied, “What else can we think? Of course we break the formation.”
“Breaking it requires human sacrifices.” Qi Tian said.
“With so many people here, just seize any twelve for sacrifice.” Chen Tianming spoke lightly, as though human lives were worthless in his eyes.
“Who do you intend to seize?” Xiao Yichen asked. “Chen Tianming, if you dare touch disciples of our Butian Sect, I will not let you off.”
Wang Cong also said, “If you touch disciples of our Primordial Holy Land, I will fight you to the death.”
“You think I fear you?” Chen Tianming looked at Wang Cong. “Believe me when I say I will throw you into the formation as a sacrifice?”
“Try it if you dare!” Wang Cong’s face was full of killing intent.
Clang!
Chen Tianming raised his long sword, clearly prepared to slay disciples of the Primordial Holy Land.
“Hold on!” Wu Qinghao stopped Chen Tianming. “I have a suggestion.”
“Why not have each faction send two disciples as sacrifices?”
“How about it?”
At these words, Chen Tianming glared. “Wu Qinghao, are you bloody targeting me?”
“Have you no eyes?”
“Do you not see that our Qingyun Sword Sect has only me?”
Qi Tian’s expression darkened slightly, for besides himself, the Butian Sect had only Dragon Bodhisattva and a servant.
Qi Tian was about to say the proposal would not work when Xiao Yichen spoke.
“I think Brother Wu’s suggestion is good. I agree.” Xiao Yichen finished speaking and asked the Butian Sect disciples, “Who among you is willing to sacrifice?”
Instantly, every Butian Sect disciple stepped forward.
“I am willing!”
The Butian Sect disciples declared in unison.
Xiao Yichen was pleased. “We need only two…”
Before he could finish.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Two Butian Sect disciples leapt forward, charging straight towards the golden mountain. As soon as their figures neared it, they seemed to suffer an assault. Their bodies exploded into blood mist.
Then Wu Qinghao waved his hand, and two disciples from the Chaos Holy Land also rushed out to sacrifice themselves.
Wang Cong similarly called two disciples from the Primordial Holy Land to sacrifice.
“Brother Li, though you are no longer competing for the Dragon Emperor’s inheritance, your Taichu Holy Land cannot be absent from this sacrifice.” Xiao Yichen said.
Li Jian had no choice but to call two disciples to sacrifice.
“Chen Tianming, Brother Qi, only the two of you remain.” Xiao Yichen said with a smile.
Chen Tianming replied, “Our Qingyun Sword Sect has no one to offer. Since your Butian Sect disciples are all so willing, why not lend me two from the Butian Sect?”
Xiao Yichen said, “If your Qingyun Sword Sect has no one to sacrifice, then you may withdraw from contending for the Dragon Emperor’s inheritance.”
“Daydream!” Chen Tianming gripped his long sword. “At worst, I will slaughter two on the spot.”
At this, everyone present fixed their gazes on Chen Tianming, faces filled with killing intent.
“If you dare harm disciples of our factions, do not blame us for showing no mercy.” Xiao Yichen said coldly.
“I…” Chen Tianming was about to speak when, at that moment, two figures rushed from the distance.
Both figures carried long swords slung across their backs. Clearly, they were disciples of the Qingyun Sword Sect.
“Divine Son!”
“Divine Son!”
The two Qingyun Sword Sect disciples hurried over, faces alight with excitement upon seeing Chen Tianming.
Chen Tianming was equally delighted.
“You have arrived at the perfect moment.”
Chen Tianming laughed heartily, extended a hand, seized the two disciples from afar, and hurled them towards the golden mountain.
In the next instant, the two unfortunate souls exploded into blood mist the moment they neared the mountain.
