At this moment.
Beside the Blood Pool, behind the obscuring formation, the disciples of the Wendao Sect wore grim expressions, their fists clenched tight.
If the sight of the pool filled with bones beneath them had made them boil with rage, then the thousands of sleeping infants before them had ignited a murderous intent.
For those already dead, they could do nothing but feel regret and resentment.
But for those still alive...
It was different.
It wasn't hard to guess what the cultists intended or what the fate of these infants would be.
They were to be thrown alive into that pool to fester and rot until nothing remained but tiny bones, less than the length of an arm.
These were newborn children.
Feng Shisan gritted his teeth so hard his dry lips bled. "These beasts."
He was a Hall Master.
He was responsible for supervising Yecheng. These children were from Yecheng, and for such a tragedy to occur during his tenure without his knowledge—he had failed the sect, failed the people of Yecheng, and failed his old vows.
Song Qingshu frowned, his gaze shifting between Xu Xian and Nangong Ning. He asked in a low voice, "What do we do... now?"
Xu Xian fell silent.
This sudden variable made the situation much more difficult.
They could, of course, follow the original plan, but the cost would be watching these children die. Could any normal person stand by and watch the life or death of thousands of infants? At least, those raised in the Wendao Sect could not.
As for Xu Xian, if he couldn't even abandon the disciples by his side, how could he turn a blind eye to the fate of these infants?
But if they were to help...
How could they possibly manage it?
His thoughts raced, a silent war of dilemmas raging within his sea of consciousness.
Nangong Ning, however, did not hesitate. She said decisively, "The children must be saved."
No one disagreed. The problem was how.
Nangong Ning continued, "The original plan remains. When the Nascent Soul expert appears, we will launch an ambush. Little Grand-Uncle, you take the chance to escape back the way we came. We will stall the Nascent Soul and their Core Formation experts to give you enough time to break the formation. Once you're out, don't go to Yecheng. Go to the nearest Linfeng City to bring reinforcements..."
Xu Xian didn't object, but he asked, knowing the answer, "And what about you?"
Nangong Ning's eyes were resolute. "We'll give it everything we've got... No matter what, we must protect these children."
Xu Xian gave a bitter smile.
Protect them? How?
It wasn't one or two; it was thousands of infants. In the cultivation world of Fanzhou, storage artifacts that could hold living people and keep them alive were extremely rare. Each one was an immortal weapon with its own legendary name. None of them belonged to the Wendao Sect, and certainly none would be in the hands of people like them.
There were only eight of them.
They had to face two Nascent Soul experts, over ten in the core formation stage, and nearly a hundred in the foundation establishment stage.
Now, a thousand armored soldiers had arrived. Since the soldiers were here, who knew if Min Zhan was here too?
In this situation, there was only one path to protect these children.
A fight to the death.
Either they killed every last enemy, or the enemy killed them and the children together.
Once they chose to save the children, there was no turning back. Yet looking at them, it was clear they felt they had no choice but to save them.
Nangong Ning urged, "Little Grand-Uncle, stop thinking. This is the only way."
Xu Xian snapped back to reality and nodded slightly. He didn't try to persuade them otherwise because he knew they had their reasons, and he could empathize. He simply said cryptically, "Plans can't keep up with changes. Let's act as the situation dictates."
Xu Xian didn't refuse, so the group took it as his agreement.
They stopped talking, suppressed their auras, and focused their minds, staring intently at every movement above the Blood Pool.
After the thousand armored soldiers set down the sleeping infants, they left the area. A burly general in the foundation establishment stage, with a long blade at his hip, cupped his fists toward the black-robed core formation evil cultivators.
"The Grand Marshal said the people have been delivered. Three thousand, not a single one missing. The Grand Marshal also asked me to pass a message to your Venerable: in three days, it will be either success or death. Tell him to watch himself."
After speaking, he saluted again and strode away without the slightest hesitation.
The four or five black-robed elders in the core formation stage sneered.
"A mere foundation establishment dog dares to speak to this seat like that? I really want to kill him."
"Forget it. Even the Venerable cannot afford to provoke our Grand Marshal Min. Don't go looking for trouble."
"You few keep watch. I will go invite the Venerable."
"Go on!"
One person left, and the others began their patrol.
For Xu Xian and the others, this brought two pieces of good news.
First: Min Zhan hadn't come.
Second: The Nascent Soul Venerable was about to show his face.
Nangong Ning prayed silently in the dark. She hoped the one coming would be the Blood Infant Patriarch she had fought before. Although she had narrowly lost, she had also struck him with her sword. Her Frostbloom sword aura was not something that could be healed quickly. If it was him, she had an eighty percent chance of killing him directly.
Then, with only one left, she and Ruan Zhong could team up. Even if they couldn't win, stalling him shouldn't be an issue.
About half an hour passed.
As the Hour of the Rat approached, an aura drew near the Blood Pool. Xu Xian's Pupil of Insight shared the vision, taking everything in.
It was a man. His face was somewhat pale. He seemed to be from the same sect as Jiang Ying, both having a sickly, delicate appearance. However, despite the aura of decadence and late-stage weariness between his brows, he could not hide his sinister nature. His hair hung loose, and he wore a wide-sleeved red robe, his chest half-bare. On it was a striking sword wound that had yet to heal.
This was the Blood Infant Patriarch, a disciple of the Blood Demon Cave.
Above his head floated the words: [Nascent Soul · Late-Stage].
Xu Xian didn't dare make a sound. Sensing the aura approaching, the others also felt as if they were facing a great enemy. They even held their breath instinctively.
A late-stage Nascent Soul expert was different from those in the core formation or foundation establishment stages. Even the slightest movement could be detected. If the enemy noticed anything unusual, their obscuring formation would be seen through in an instant.
The final stealth before the kill was crucial; it determined the success or failure of the hunt.
"We greet the Venerable. May the Venerable live for ten thousand years."
The red-robed man said softly, "Rise."
"Our thanks to the Venerable!"
The man in red bypassed the others without a word. "Begin," he said slowly.
"Understood."
Several core formation cultivators retreated toward the entrance in a practiced manner.
The man in red didn't stop at the edge of the Blood Pool. He continued forward, treading through the air as if it were solid ground, until he reached the stone platform in the center of the pool. He stood there, looking up at the blood crystal overhead. His pale face, illuminated by the blood-red light, looked even more eerie.
He spread his arms and curled his thin, blade-like lips. His eyes narrowed into vertical slits like a snake's, and he laughed with a chilling, high-pitched cackle.
"Great Snake Lord, I offer you the final batch of tributes. Soon, you shall descend upon the world once more. I shall sacrifice everything for you, until you ascend as a dragon!"
"Hahaha!"
"Hahaha!"
"Jie jie jie!"
The piercing laughter echoed through the air when Nangong Ning gave the command.
"Now, move!"
Longswords were summoned. Frosty chains fell away. Swords unsheathed. They charged out.
The Blood Infant Patriarch's laughter stopped abruptly. He whipped his head around.
"Who?"
In the blink of an eye, Ruan Zhong and Nangong Ning had both reached him.
Ruan Zhong let out a furious roar.
"Beast, die!"
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