The Blackwater Pool altar possessed a strange, insidious allure, drawing one to prostrate oneself in worship without even realizing it.
Fang You and the others, positioned at a higher elevation, remained unaffected.
However, Xiao Huan had nearly fallen prey to it. It wasn't that her mind had been twisted; she wasn't that weak. It was as if she had stumbled into an illusion. She quickly broke free from the influence and regained her senses, but a shiver still coursed through her. She had almost dispersed her energy, which would have alerted the mythical servants of this tribe.
Even a single tribal altar could subtly influence a top-tier Demigod Realm cultivator like Xiao Huan. One could only glimpse the terrifying nature of the Evil Gods.
Silently leaping over this large tribal settlement, Fang You and his group continued their advance, flying slowly at a low altitude.
They discovered more Evil God tribes.
Most tribes were smaller, numbering only tens of thousands, perhaps a hundred thousand people. During their sacrifice rituals, it was difficult for them to birth mythical servants.
However…
"There are too many tribes, and their sacrifices are extremely frequent."
"Of the dozen or so tribes we've passed, one-third are currently performing sacrifice rituals."
It seemed that for the people of these tribes, they were either sacrificing or on the verge of preparing for sacrifice.
The offerings were the bizarre entities that roamed everywhere in the vicinity.
The power of the tribal people was far inferior to the bizarre entities wandering in the Middle Ghost Realm. As long as they didn't actively attack, the bizarre entities would ignore their presence. For the tribal people, hunting wasn't difficult; the only challenge was obtaining the baptism of the Great God through the sacrifice ritual.
"But the offerings are more than just the carcasses of bizarre entities, aren't they?"
Liu Feng adjusted his nonexistent spectacles. "Evil God's minions and bizarre entities are not fundamentally different. Both are products of corrupting power. The carcasses of bizarre entities thrown into the Blackwater Pool are offerings, and the countless tribal people who fail during the ritual and turn into pus are also offerings."
"Hiss…"
Yin Luoxi's skin crawled.
Xiao Huan swallowed.
For Liu Feng, sacrifices, rituals, offerings, and minions were not commonplace, but he had indeed seen quite a bit. However, for girls like Yin Luoxi, who had 'little experience,' their worldview was somewhat shaken.
"Such an evil deed… Mentor, let's destroy all these ritual altars!"
She exclaimed.
Xing Jinglei let out a cold snort. "Foolish. We were able to discover these secrets precisely because we hid our tracks. Acting now will only alert them. Do you truly believe destroying one or two altars would be meaningful?"
There were countless Evil God altars. Destroying ten or eight of them would be utterly useless.
Yin Luoxi, having regained her senses, understood this logic. She had just spoken impulsively. Ugh, she was so angry with herself.
Even though the Evil God's minions were no longer human, no longer normal beings, after witnessing so many such sacrificial scenes, the group still fell into a somber silence.
Fang You spoke, "There will be opportunities to act."
"This is already the interior of the Evil God faction. These altars may contain some secrets of the Evil Gods. Destroying them and seizing the core components of the altars is something we will do soon."
"However, we must venture into more areas and discover more clues before our presence is detected… Even if we are to seize an Evil God's altar, we must choose a more advanced one. After all, we may only get one chance."
Tribes were merely the most rudimentary 'soldier breeding grounds' within the Evil God faction.
He had briefly observed the Blackwater altars of large and ordinary tribes and found no qualitative difference.
But above the tribes, there were still dynasties and empires.
It seemed no different from the human world.
Following some clues and traces, Fang You and his group ventured deeper into the 'Twisted Black River Faction.' As expected, they soon encountered cities far more magnificent than the tribes.
If tribes were minimalist, solely serving the purpose of sacrificial rituals, then the empires under the Evil Gods already possessed a more normal operational order and exuded a more vibrant aura.
Elite soldiers clad in black armor stood guard at the city gates like statues.
Caravans entered and exited, with carriages pulled by bizarre entities speeding along the roads.
There were also many pedestrians within the city.
Some conversed loudly, others ate, and some hawked their wares.
It was just like a normal human society.
Aside from a more rugged style and the fact that many people bore features alien to humans, it seemed like a human city.
A human city under the protection of an Evil God, free from threats, harmonious and joyful.
Fang You shivered.
If he hadn't witnessed the Evil God tribes, if he hadn't known deeply that worshipping an Evil God meant complete loss of self, he might not have found any major issues with such a life.
Thick, dark clouds hung low over this nameless city, only separated from the sky by a towering statue cast in black stone in the distance.
A winding black river flowed down from an unseen upstream, traversing the entire magnificent city.
If there was one peculiar aspect of this 'human city,' it was that the Evil God's minions residing here lived around this black river.
They drank from it, washed their clothes, bathed, and when they had nothing else to do, they would soak their bodies in the black river water, as if doing so could bathe them in the divine radiance.
The site of the altar rituals was also located in the city center, where the black river flowed.
Unlike the tribal rituals, the ritual site here was grander. Black water rose from the middle of the river, solidifying into a vast platform.
Around the platform stood imposing statues, all in postures of worship.
Further out, neatly arranged tiers gradually spread outwards, with turbid water constantly flowing down from them.
Fang You waited for a long time and finally witnessed the sacrifice ritual of this city.
When the ritual chants began, the city's operations instantly shifted, as if a calm lake had become a stormy sea in an instant.
Countless people and life forms from the city surged towards the ritual site. Their faces were filled with fanaticism as they waded through the turbid river water, step by step ascending the tiers.
Compared to the tribal rituals, this ritual, aside from having more believers and the fact that the believers' minions wore more normal and presentable attire, seemed to have no other differences.
From time to time, minions would collapse with a splat, emitting painful yet fanatical screams. Their bodies would gradually turn into pus and, washed away by the turbid river water, disappear without a trace.
"No, there is still a difference."
The mortality rate of tribal rituals exceeded 95%, while here… Fang You observed for a while. It was about 85% to 90%.
The mortality rate was still very high.
But could it be said that there were regional differences within the Evil God faction? If one ascended from a tribal person to an imperial citizen, the chance of awakening and leveling up would increase significantly. However, Fang You didn't believe these Evil God's minions feared death.
During the ritual, over a dozen new mythical beings were born.
Concurrently, mythical servants ascended the ritual steps.
Perhaps mythical servants had already transcended their cannon fodder status. He hadn't seen any mythical beings die during the ritual… Conversely, the increase gained by mythical beings through the ritual was not as significant, perhaps advancing by half a level, or one small level?
Was this insignificant? A ghost of insignificance!
Even Fang, their mentor, had to painstakingly cultivate for two or three years to condense a wisp of divinity. These Evil God's servants could achieve this just by climbing a single staircase?
Even if there were limitations, it was still too exaggerated.
"It's said that the Evil God faction has numerous mythical beings, as numerous as falling rain. Now it seems that such rumors were conservative!"
"With the speed at which these 'Evil God armories' cultivate mythical beings, they can produce dozens or hundreds of mythical realm cultivators in no time… Or perhaps, as the Evil Gods are about to awaken, their authority becomes even more terrifying."
Fang You distorted space.
An Jianyou deployed her Nether domain.
The group stood openly not far away, observing the Evil God ritual, collecting and recording intelligence.
However, they dared not get too close. The authority and terrifying might of the Evil Gods remained rather vague for now.
"One more thing. The mortality rate of the rituals is extremely high, and the populations of these tribes and imperial cities are only in the hundreds of thousands or millions. Logically, these places should become sparsely populated and decline before long."
Yet, they had not.
From one tribe to another, and within this very Evil God city, there were no large numbers of vacant rooms.
This meant that the tribes and cities were operating normally.
So, where did their population come from?
It couldn't be that they went from pregnancy to adulthood in just a few days, right?
This was unscientific and un-mystical!
But it seemed that within the Evil God faction, all rules and logic were dictated by the Evil Gods.
Fang You did not observe the birth of new populations.
They continued to venture deeper, searching for targets they could act upon.
A few days passed in a flash.
Rumble—
In the distance, energy surged.
Within the gray mist, figures that pierced the heavens and earth could be seen.
They were Demigod Dharma Images.
The ascension paths of the Evil God's servants were different from theirs, but their combat manifestations were similar.
At this moment, over a dozen Demigods and a hundred mythical beings were engaged in battle.
The fight was so intense it darkened the heavens and the earth.
"The Twisted Black River Faction, and the Shadow of Gloom Faction."
"This is the sixth factional battle we've encountered in these past few days. This time, the scale is even larger."
Fang You stroked his chin.
Yin Luoxi and Xiao Huan, from some unknown source, had acquired glow sticks and were waving them around.
"Quick, Black Master, charge their center."
"Come on, you must fight to your heart's content, fight to the death!"
"Ura ura ura ura!"
They were fired up.
To be fair, Fang You was also somewhat ignited.
The battles between the Evil God factions were fierce, which might present an opportunity.
He thought.
The communication crystal in his pocket suddenly buzzed.
The sender was the Northern Wind Sage.
As expected, they had encountered trouble.
"We broke through an Evil God city and took away a lot of valuable data and altar components. However, because of this, we are being pursued by the Evil God faction…"
Although the parties had previously agreed to mutual assistance in times of need, an elder like the Northern Wind Sage would not let the Torch Organization provide support for free. If he did so, once or twice, the only remaining goodwill between the Winterless Empire and the Torch Organization would be depleted.
The Northern Wind Sage was a seasoned veteran.
The message he sent not only included a distress signal and coordinates but also a wealth of information. They would share all the data obtained and half of the physical spoils of war.
Fang You checked, and his brow furrowed slightly. "The distance is a bit far."
In fact, they had advanced too quickly. If they had gone any deeper, the communication crystal might not have received the message.
However, he already had an idea.
He intended to split the team into two groups for action: one group to advance rapidly, and the other to roam the periphery. This would not only increase exploration efficiency but also leave a relatively safe anchor point on the periphery.
If they encountered unexpected trouble, and Xiao Huan could not directly teleport to the outside of the Middle Ghost Realm, she could use the peripheral team as an anchor for teleportation jumps.
There was no stronger anchor than the karmic connection between Apostles.
He spoke, assigning An Jianyou, Xitina, Yin Luoxi, and Xing Jinglei to go and reinforce the Northern Wind Sage and his allies.
"An Jianyou will be the captain."
"Depart immediately."
"Don't worry, at the critical moment, our team can also use spatial teleportation to reach you in the shortest possible time."
After speaking, Fang You realized he had said something redundant.
Aside from An Jianyou, the other three were all combat enthusiasts.
If he replaced An Jianyou with Chi Yan, it would be a team of terrorists. However, there had to be a steady person in the team, otherwise, he wouldn't be at ease.
"Understood."
An Jianyou clenched her fist, then glanced at the exhilarated three team members, and suddenly felt immense pressure.
…
A certain location in the Middle Ghost Realm.
Cold currents violently shook the area.
The Ice Empress pointed an icy finger, and as spatial leaps continuously expanded, it transformed into an endless pure white that filled the entire field of vision.
In an instant, hundreds of millions of bizarre entities were frozen within a pure white ice planet, thus entering eternal slumber.
The indestructible ice planet also acted as a sheer cliff, blocking the pursuers behind them.
However, from the left and right, more pursuers appeared.
Initially, they only faced two Evil God Attendants.
The Ice Empress and the Northern Wind Sage quickly heavily injured one of them. They did not linger in combat and swiftly retreated, soon leaving the Evil God Attendant behind.
… Or so they thought.
But several hours later, they were caught up by more Evil God Attendants.
They fled, and their enemies pursued, drawing countless bizarre entities.
However, at this time, the Northern Wind Sage and the others remained calm. They fled at full speed, and even high-level bizarre entities could not keep up. Only a few Evil God Attendants stubbornly clung to them.
But as long as they were not drawn into combat and did not fall into an encirclement, the problem remained manageable.
Until…
They stumbled upon a team from the Mermaid Empire.
A team that, like them, was playing a game of cat and mouse.
Then, they were surrounded by the pursuing powerhouses of the Evil God faction.
"Damn! A celestial body!"
The Northern Wind Sage cursed, constantly tearing through the encirclement of the bizarre entity tide, looking somewhat disheveled.
When they fled, high-level bizarre entities could be ignored. These unintelligent, foolish life forms could not catch up to them.
But when they were trapped within the bizarre entity tide, even an ordinary seven-star bizarre entity could cause him trouble and deplete his strength.
And there were far too many seven-star and eight-star bizarre entities around.
Furthermore, there were Evil God Attendants lurking.
The Northern Wind Sage glared at the Mermaid Empire team.
The Mermaid Empire team consisted of six people, with three at a high level, led by the Empire's Great High Priest, 'Vast Storm.'
This high-level individual also had a grim expression. "Hmph, if it weren't for you humans interfering, we would have already withdrawn from the Middle Ghost Realm! And now, encountering us is your luck. Once reinforcements arrive, we will naturally be able to escape this predicament."
The Northern Wind Sage retorted that they had also called for reinforcements, and who knew who would save whom!
"Your Majesty the Empress, the powerhouses of the Torch Organization are on their way…"
Before the Northern Wind Sage could finish speaking, the Empress, whose face was as cold as ice, rolled up her sleeves. "Since that's the case, let's counterattack and take down a few Evil God Attendants."
Northern Wind Sage: "???"
Granny, we are still in the heart of the Evil God faction, hey!
The Ice Empress, this young junior, was even stronger than him and possessed great courage. The Northern Wind Sage was willing to assist her, but Her Majesty the Empress was too fond of fighting, and sometimes he felt weary.
Can't you see that now is not the time for battle!
"Torch reinforcements, they're here!"
Several figures flew from the end of the gray mist, beyond the tide of bizarre entities.
They were surrounded by the profound rhythm of laws!
They were Torch high-level cultivators!
They were saved… uh, wait.
The Northern Wind Sage counted them: one, two, three, four. A total of four reinforcements. The number was certainly not small, but… Where were they?
Where were they?!
The fighting spirit that the Northern Wind Sage had raised drooped again.
The reinforcements tore through the encirclement and flew to their front.
He had met 'Flame of Burning Heaven…' Yin Luoxi once, and she excitedly shouted, "It's time to let these evil guys see how strong we humans are. Fight!"
The Ice Empress met her gaze.
One ice, one fire, extremely harmonious.
"Fight!" she said.
Northern Wind Sage: "?"