After issuing his orders, half of the Dark Priest's form dissolved into droplets of black liquid that morphed into bubbles, enveloping each of the robed figures.
With a burst of overwhelming power, these black-robed figures became blurred streaks of motion, vanishing from the hall.
Ji Xia took a deep breath. He could keenly sense the formidable strength emanating from these individuals.
Many among them exuded the aura of the Spirit Wheel realm, with spiritual energy so dense that it was likely they had inscribed at least five Spirit Marks upon their wheels.
Others emanated an oppressive might that overwhelmed Ji Xia's spiritual energy, leaving it flickering and unstable.
"Many of these black-robed figures are Spirit Masters," Ji Xia mused, quietly estimating the strength of the Temple of Sacrificial Gods.
The most powerful figure, beyond a doubt, was the Dark Priest. Moments earlier, he had effortlessly obliterated a Spirit Master as if crushing an insect.
At least half of the black-robed figures were Spirit Masters. The remaining practitioners, even if only at the Divine Ability realm, were at its peak—far beyond what ordinary practitioners could contend with.
As the Dark Priest led the others away, the temple hall became silent. Only Ji Xia and Shi Yu remained before the imposing statue of the Shadow Sovereign.
Shi Yu cast a sidelong glance at Ji Xia before seating herself cross-legged in front of the idol. She silently began circulating her spiritual energy in cultivation.
Ji Xia remained stoic, betraying no emotion. He also sat down, methodically practicing the Golden Crow Primordial Saint Scripture, refining his spiritual energy and storing it in the Great Sun Spirit Furnace.
Hours passed in stillness—seven or eight in total. Shi Yu finally rose, retrieving a gray cloth from her sleeve. Bowing reverently to the statue, she began carefully wiping its surface clean.
Ji Xia observed her coldly.
"Lady Shi Yu," Ji Xia suddenly spoke. "I once heard someone address you as 'Lady Prefect.' Where exactly is your fiefdom located?"
Shi Yu descended from the statue after completing her task, bowed again, and turned to Ji Xia.
"My fief lies 900 miles south of Fengfu, in a river valley. It's called Shui Jin City."
Ji Xia's expression shifted slightly, as if gaining clarity. "I've heard that Fengfu has countless cities. For one to be granted as a prefectural fief, Shui Jin City must have been remarkably prosperous."
Hearing this, Shi Yu's expression grew impatient, her tone chilling. "Shui Jin City was indeed prosperous—a population nearing 400,000, home to numerous migrant clans. But now it's being rebuilt, and the responsibilities vex me to no end."
"Hmm?" Ji Xia caught the implication. After a pause, he asked, "So Shui Jin City… no longer exists?"
Shi Yu fixed her gaze on Ji Xia, her pale face twisting into a grim smile. With a sickly beauty, her demeanor exuded a peculiar charm.
She brushed a stray lock of hair from her forehead, her tone soft yet chilling. "Not everyone is as talented as you, capable of assimilating tens of thousands of Sacrificial Spirits to easily gain entry into the Temple of Sacrificial Gods."
Ji Xia's brow furrowed, his expression subtly shifting.
"I could only assimilate a little over a thousand spirits!" Shi Yu's voice turned sharp, her sickly aura intensifying.
"But I needed power!" she snapped. "With my meager thousand spirits and weak cultivation, how could I hope to catch the Dark Priest's attention or gain entry to serve the Shadow Sovereign?"
Ji Xia's eyes grew colder as he grasped the implication. He asked plainly, "So what did you do?"
Shi Yu laughed—a laugh steeped in madness. "I had a city of 400,000 people. All I had to do was offer them to the Temple of Sacrificial Gods. Once their blood was spilled, the Dark Priest naturally noticed me."
Ji Xia's gaze turned icy. "So, you sacrificed your entire city of 400,000 people to secure a place here?"
Shi Yu's face twisted further, her beauty now tinged with an unsettling mania. "I sent the city's garrison and Spirit Talisman Masters to hunt monsters, leaving the city defenseless. When the time came, I allowed the two rivers flanking Shui Jin City to burst their banks.
"The flood drowned the entire city, killing everyone within it—men, women, and children."
She spoke with a mix of emotions—fear, regret, and above all, resolute determination.
"How much power could you possibly need?" Ji Xia's voice was icy.
Shi Yu turned away, her tone frigid. "That's none of your concern."
Ji Xia nodded slowly, his eyes narrowing. "Indeed, it isn't."
He glanced toward the temple gates, murmuring, "It's been nearly a day now. They should have gone far enough by now."
Shi Yu frowned at his cryptic remark. "Why are you making idle conversation? The Temple of Sacrificial Gods isn't a place for chit-chat. Everyone here has a single goal: to serve the Shadow Sovereign and obtain power. Only a novice like you would waste time on trivialities."
Ji Xia ignored her, closing his eyes and resuming his meditation.
Time passed again, another eight or nine hours slipping by in silence.
Shi Yu suddenly broke it. "You, too, must have craved power to assimilate so many spirits. What drives you?"
Ji Xia opened his eyes, meeting Shi Yu's gaze without answering.
Shi Yu laughed bitterly. "So secretive. Fine, then. Let me tell you why I seek power—so I can kill someone."
Her laughter faded, replaced by a murderous gleam in her eyes. "To kill my father."
Ji Xia's expression remained impassive as he listened.
Shi Yu's tone grew venomous. "I was born from my father's drunken abuse of a slave. My mother died from his cruelty while pregnant with me.
"Perhaps out of guilt, he had me cut from her corpse and saved my life with a talisman. He even let me keep my mother's surname, as if that could erase his sins."
Ji Xia listened silently, his gaze steady.
Shi Yu lowered her head, her voice trembling with hatred. "His tyranny, cruelty, and evil shaped my first thirty years. So I vowed to become even more vile, more ruthless. One day, I'll turn him into a limbless wretch and keep him with pigs and dogs!"
She paused, glaring at Ji Xia. "What are you thinking?"
Ji Xia stood slowly, his expression unreadable. "I'm not interested."
"What?" Shi Yu blinked in confusion.
"I don't care what he did to you."
Ji Xia's voice dripped with scorn. "When villains harm one another, the ones who truly suffer are the weak and innocent.
"I have no interest in your sob story."
His lips curled into a chilling smile. "I'm only interested in severing your head."