Ji Xia took a deep breath, fully aware of the eerie and formidable methods of the Dark Priest.
Just a glance at the inky black droplets with tiny hands on the priest's body could plunge any mortal into a nightmarish abyss.
Shi Yu continued, "Moreover, this gateway to the treasury is constructed from a grand array of countless sacrificial spirits. Without the Dark Priest's permission, no one can enter."
Ji Xia's thoughts stirred: Countless sacrificial spirits?
He had a peculiar fondness for sacrificial spirits. After all, the ones in Yanxiang Pavilion were devoured and subdued by the Great Sun Suppressing Spirit Furnace. Not only had this granted Ji Xia complete control over the furnace and an immensely powerful cultivation technique, but it also accelerated the furnace's evolution into the Imperial Furnace of Elemental Refinement, saving him numerous resources.
If this black treasury gate is truly composed of sacrificial spirits, perhaps I could gain some benefit from it.
He wanted to use the Great Sun Spiritual Eye or the Mystical Mirror to investigate further but feared arousing suspicion from the powerful figures nearby. Thus, he restrained himself.
Shi Yu led Ji Xia deeper into the treasury to a smaller display rack, pointing to several items on it. "These are all top-tier divine artifacts. You may choose one."
Ji Xia released a thread of spiritual energy, examining the items closely. The quality of these divine artifacts was indeed remarkable, far surpassing anything Ji Xia had seen before.
"The treasures in the Sacrificial Spirit Pavilion are certainly invaluable. However, their strength lies in quantity. Most of the nations the pavilion has destroyed aren't powerful enough to possess supreme-grade divine artifacts. Even so, these artifacts represent the crowning jewels of entire nations and clans."
"Not even the scions of grand families in Da Fu possess such treasures. This is the privilege of serving the Revered God," Shi Yu explained as she pointed at the items.
Ji Xia nodded, scrutinizing the artifacts. Each emitted powerful spiritual energy, and a few radiated an aura so intimidating it made Ji Xia's heart tremble.
A green bracelet caught his eye, adorned with a ferocious Xuanfang beast's head—a clear indicator of its exceptional nature.
I already have two Xuanfang pouches and a mysterious spatial gourd of unknown value, though it's sealed with a restriction that only Zhang Yi can lift.
The Xuanfang pouches are sufficient for now, but in the long run, their limited space—barely the size of two small rooms—will become inadequate.
After some contemplation, Ji Xia's gaze shifted to a white longbow. Its body was pure white, with a magnificent relief of a tiger-bodied, ox-headed mythical beast coiled around the bow's arms. The spiritual energy emanating from the bow surpassed that of all the other treasures on the rack.
After deliberating, he picked up the white longbow and thought, I should choose an artifact that can immediately enhance my combat abilities. I'll address storage limitations when the need arises.
"This bow is called the Mournbeast Bow. The mythical beast depicted on it is the Mournbeast," the Dark Priest's distant voice echoed. "I acquired it from the throne of the Hundred Beast Nation after its destruction. You have sharp eyes; this bow is among the finest treasures in the treasury in both power and value."
Ji Xia turned and bowed to the Dark Priest. With a flick of his wrist, the Mournbeast Bow disappeared into his Xuanfang pouch.
The Dark Priest, still prostrate before the Revered God's idol, murmured softly, his words carrying clearly to Ji Xia and Shi Yu some distance away. "You may leave now. When the Revered God requires your service, I will summon you."
Ji Xia was stunned. That was it? After all the effort, the threats, and the temptations to bring him here, they simply handed him a priceless artifact and sent him on his way? No elaborate ceremony of devotion? Was the Sacrificial Spirit Pavilion in the business of charity, helping impoverished cultivators?
Sensing Ji Xia's confusion, the Dark Priest's low voice resonated again: "When you assimilated the sacrificial spirits, you became the Revered God's slaves. Without the permission of this idol, should you dare to stray beyond a hundred miles, the assimilated spirits will be reborn within you, consuming your flesh, soul, and spiritual foundations."
Ji Xia's brows twitched as though gripped by fear.
Shi Yu cast him a glance and remarked, "Let us go. Do not fear the Revered God; what He takes is far less than what He gives."
Ji Xia nodded gravely, though inwardly he was elated. This terrifying Dark Priest assumes I have assimilated the sacrificial spirits and believes he can control me effortlessly!
But little does he know, I haven't assimilated them; I've devoured and suppressed them. Rebirth? Impossible. And even if it were possible, with the Great Sun Suppressing Spirit Furnace, I'd welcome it. Another round of devouring would only accelerate the furnace's evolution!
Shi Yu led Ji Xia to the idol. After bowing reverently, the Dark Priest cast an array pattern beneath their feet.
Without another word, Shi Yu guided Ji Xia through the same winding path they had taken to enter. Emerging from a flash of white light, Ji Xia found himself back in the desolate area filled with dark blossoms swaying in the breeze.
This time, instead of her massive spider form, Shi Yu walked beside Ji Xia along the alleys and streets of the city. It was now deep into the night, the streets quiet save for patrolling soldiers who, upon recognizing Shi Yu's noble presence, bowed and moved aside without a word.
The silence between them lingered until Ji Xia broke it. "What exactly do we, the assimilators, need to do for the Revered God?"
Hearing Ji Xia utter the Revered God's name, Shi Yu's face turned solemn with reverence. "We must offer flesh and blood in sacrifice to Him. We must build the bridge for His descent. In return, He grants us power and perfect bodies."
Ji Xia thought for a moment, then asked, "When will I have a perfect body like the one you transformed into earlier?"
Shi Yu glanced at him and replied, "That body was earned by sacrificing the flesh of hundreds of thousands of souls from a small nation. When you offer such a tribute to the Revered God, you too shall receive a perfect body."
Ji Xia appeared pensive.
Shi Yu suddenly chuckled. "You think it's easy to slaughter hundreds of thousands of people? The Sacrificial Spirit Pavilion isn't yet powerful enough to challenge Da Fu openly. Reckless killing would only provoke Da Fu's vigilance, so we must resort to other means."
Ji Xia's eyes gleamed faintly as he feigned curiosity. "How did you accomplish it?"
A hint of pride flashed across Shi Yu's face. "Do you know of the small nations east of Da Fu? Among them was a weak kingdom called Zhou Qing. When a Zhou Qing assassin mysteriously killed several Da Fu overseers, I seized the opportunity."
"Though the incident was shrouded in mystery, I reported to the royal court, claiming that internal strife among Zhou Qing's factions led to the murders."
"Infuriated, a prominent figure from Da Fu dispatched powerful warriors with spiritual artifacts to Zhou Qing, slaughtering half of its population. I, hidden in the shadows, laid down an array to offer their flesh as tribute."
Shi Yu recounted her deeds with smug satisfaction, seemingly reliving the thrill of her cunning.
Ji Xia's expression remained unchanged as he asked casually, "Why would the people of Zhou Qing dare to kill Da Fu's overseers? Surely there was more to the assassin's story. Did you interrogate him?"
"I captured him, intending to question him thoroughly, but he was a deathsworn warrior who took his own life before I could begin. It doesn't matter, though. The secrets behind the act are irrelevant. All I needed was the blood and flesh of those weaklings to offer to the Revered God."
Ji Xia's face darkened slightly as he narrowed his eyes and murmured, "Oh."