"A ritual?" Ye Han froze.
"Indeed," the aged voice responded gravely. "If I am not mistaken, these two Otherworldly Demons are using the inner disciples of Profound Sun Sect as sacrificial offerings.
"They are using their blood to summon a terrifying Otherworldly Demon from another realm!"
"This…" Ye Han's face stiffened in horror.
The Otherworldly Demons before him were already terrifying enough. Who knew what kind of monstrous entity they might summon?
Ye Han estimated that if these two Otherworldly Demons succeeded, the entire Profound Sun Sect would face annihilation.
"Master, is there any way for us to stop them?" Ye Han asked in his mind.
He wasn't a cold-hearted person. If he were truly indifferent, he would have fled long ago.
After all, his master—a formidable figure—was still in his mind. While this pervasive black fog could trap the inner disciples of Profound Sun Sect, it would never hold back Ye Han's master.
"There are many ways, but none that you can accomplish. Your current strength is still too weak," the elder's voice replied lightly.
"Still too weak?" Ye Han's face paled. Lowering his head, a flicker of despondency passed across his features.
"You need not worry too much," the aged voice reassured, as though perceiving Ye Han's thoughts. With a soft sigh, the voice continued, "This place is not far from Profound Sun Sect. I suspect that in just a little more time, the elders of the sect will arrive.
"Once they intervene, eliminating these two Otherworldly Demons won't be a problem."
"But…"
Ye Han pressed his lips together. His gaze shifted to the mountain peak not far away.
There, piles of corpses lay in the open—roughly two to three hundred bodies in total. They were all inner disciples of Profound Sun Sect.
Just fifteen minutes earlier, these people were still alive. Yet now, they were nothing more than cold, lifeless remains.
It was worth noting that the entire inner trial had started with just over a thousand participants.
Here alone lay two to three hundred dead. Factoring in those who had fallen elsewhere, it was safe to estimate that nearly half of the participants had already perished.
Having witnessed this tragedy unfold before his eyes, Ye Han had countless times wanted to charge out and save others. But each time, his master stopped him at the last moment.
After all, Ye Han was only at the early stage of the Qi Condensation realm.
Even if he rushed out, he would only add another name to the body count. It would make no difference to the overall situation.
"The world of cultivation has always been this brutal," the elder's voice said, attempting to console Ye Han. "You must learn to adapt. It is not—"
Before the elder could finish speaking, something happened on the mountain peak.
One of the Otherworldly Demons suddenly ceased its actions and turned toward the remaining 400 or so Profound Sun Sect disciples.
Clang!
With a single wave of its hand, a pitch-black blade light, dozens of meters long, streaked forward.
Shhht!
In an instant, dozens of inner disciples were decapitated like mere blades of grass.
Blood spurted from the necks, staining the ground beneath them crimson.
The headless corpses stood motionless on the black pillars before slumping lifelessly.
The blood, as though drawn by some unseen force, did not flow randomly but instead trickled steadily toward the nearby blood pool.
With the addition of fresh blood, the blood pool's glow intensified further, growing even more radiant.
"Despicable!"
"Otherworldly Demon, dare you face me in honorable combat?"
"Killing disciples of the Profound Sun Sect? One day, I will lead a charge into the Demon Realm and eradicate all Otherworldly Demons!"
The remaining Profound Sun Sect disciples, witnessing the horrific scene before them, had bloodshot eyes filled with rage. They wanted nothing more than to break free and fight to the death with their captors.
Unfortunately, bound tightly to the black pillars, no matter how hard they struggled or tried various techniques, they couldn't free themselves.
They could only watch helplessly as one comrade after another fell before their eyes.
Some of them, however, had faces drained of all color, their expressions filled with despair.
The Otherworldly Demons were killing at an alarming pace. Each attack claimed the lives of dozens, sometimes more than a hundred disciples. At this rate, they feared they wouldn't last until the sect elders arrived.
By then, all of them might already be dead.
"Don't worry; it will soon be your turn," the Otherworldly Demon that had just struck said with a sinister smile. His chilling gaze swept across the captives, sending shivers down their spines.
To them, it felt like a monstrous predator had locked onto them as prey.
"Damn it!"
Not far away, hidden in the shadows, Ye Han's eyes burned red with rage. As he watched dozens more of his fellow disciples fall, a nearly tangible aura of killing intent began to gather around him.
If he were strong enough, he would have charged out and slain these two Otherworldly Demons on the spot.
"Conceal your killing intent!"
The aged voice in his mind immediately warned him.
But it was too late.
"Hmm?"
The Otherworldly Demon who had just attacked sensed something and turned his head toward Ye Han's hiding spot.
"So, there's still a human rat hiding here."
The Otherworldly Demon sneered, his expression growing more sinister as he started walking toward Ye Han.
Though his steps seemed unhurried, he moved with shocking speed.
"Not good!"
The elder's voice cried out in alarm. "Disciple, retreat quickly!"
Ye Han didn't hesitate for even a second. Rising from the shadows, he activated all his power and bolted in the opposite direction with everything he had.
Despite his speed, the Otherworldly Demon was faster.
In the blink of an eye, the Otherworldly Demon closed the gap, raising a massive hand to strike. This was an Otherworldly Demon at the Profound Elixir Realm, and his attack was devastating. Once it landed, Ye Han would have no chance of survival.
From a distance, many of the bound disciples couldn't bear to watch the impending scene and closed their eyes.
"Disciple, I have no choice but to intervene. I will use your body to escape this place. However, after this, I may need to slumber for some time," the elder's voice said, determination in his tone.
"Master, I've dragged you into this…" Ye Han responded, filled with guilt.
Because of his momentary recklessness, both he and his master were now in mortal danger.
"No—"
Before the elder could finish speaking, a golden flash lit up the battlefield.
Clang!
A figure bathed in radiant golden light suddenly appeared. Moving faster than the Otherworldly Demon, he positioned himself between Ye Han and the attack. Calm and composed, he raised his hand to meet the strike, exuding an aura that seemed to lift the heavens and bear the earth.
The palm strike radiated immense weight and grandeur, suppressing everything around it.
Boom!
A thunderous crash echoed across the battlefield as the two palms collided. The clash of energies rang like the toll of a great bell, reverberating through the area.
Terrifying shockwaves erupted from the point of impact, spreading wildly in all directions and shaking the earth itself.
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