"Not a mistake, but you have already triggered the mechanism, kid, prepare to die!"
At this moment, Ren Yuanhao, trapped in the Black Water Prison, heard this voice and felt a chill run down his spine. His blood surged, and cold sweat poured down his face!
"Who... who are you? What have you done to Ye Lan and the others?"
The masked man coldly snorted and added, "Kid, you should say goodbye to these three beautiful ladies."
The masked man clearly understood that he had fallen into these people's trap. However, since descending the mountain, he had captured three more seemingly good bargaining chips. Without waiting for a reply, he cut off the communication, carried the three women, and fled towards the secret passage.
...
At that very moment, the assembly grounds of the Scarlet Sky Sect had descended into chaos. The surroundings were filled with the sounds of hurried footsteps and explosions, with flames soaring into the sky and earth and stones flying. The novice disciples, witnessing this scene, were instantly filled with terror and fear, scattering in all directions. Those with a bit of skill, however, could not stop Dongfang Ji and the others.
Dongfang Ji sent two impudent disciples flying with a single palm strike, his true qi surging. He instantly leaped above the altar.
On the altar stood several wooden pillars, with firewood doused in gasoline piled below. Two men and three women were tightly bound to these wooden pillars. Behind the pillars, on a massive log, a black blade pinned a man of about fifty to it. Even on this overcast day, the corpse exuded a strong stench of decay. Dried blood trickled down the log, coagulating into a bizarre totem.
In the pile of ashes below the log, a corpse, whose belly had been ripped open by wild dogs, lay scattered. The gruesome sight sent chills down one's spine.
Undoubtedly, the two deceased men were Qi Daxian and Tu Xingsun, who had come to rescue people that day. The men and women on the wooden pillars were Liu Yu, Xiao Chong, Liu Furong, Yu Nü, and Shui Jing Nü.
Dongfang Ji fell silent, as did the men who had charged up with her. This scene was like a sacrificial ritual of a barbarian tribe, utterly devoid of the sanctity and mercy expected of a sect!
Two altar guards, seizing the moment when everyone was stunned, drew their swords and charged, but they were frozen by Dongfang Ji's imperial aura!
"Speak, where is your sect leader now!"
"I... I, I don't know~"
The two men, shaken by Dongfang Ji's presence, retreated repeatedly. But after a few steps, they bumped into about a dozen masked men in black robes.
"Th-thank goodness, it's the Twelve Guardian Guards of the Sect!"
A faint smile finally appeared on the faces of the two men, but it was pierced by the twelve pairs of cold eyes.
"Get lost, useless trash."
The leader among the twelve guards spat at the trembling duo. The twelve then drew their swords and encircled Dongfang Ji and the others in a crescent formation!
"I'll ask you one more time, where has your sect leader hidden!"
Dongfang Ji, merely by exerting the pressure of his Foundation Establishment realm, caused the swords in the hands of the Twelve Guards to tremble!
"Is the Sect Leader someone you old hags can just demand to see?" The leader drew his sword horizontally. "You lot have trespassed into a forbidden area, disrupted the Scarlet Sky Sect's funeral sacrifice ceremony, causing widespread panic. We, the Twelve Guards, have the right to eliminate you!"
The Twelve Guards gripped their swords, seemingly having escaped Dongfang Ji's pressure. Their flickering sword energies shone with a chilling light, pressing towards Dongfang Ji and his group. Unexpectedly, Dongfang Ji made no move. His wrinkled face was etched with a terrifying killing intent. The Twelve Guards felt their hearts suddenly accelerate, as if something had pierced their skin and grasped their heartbeats.
What immense pressure this was!
"I'll ask you one more time, where is the Sect Leader now? If you dare to be evasive again, don't blame me for being merciless!"
Dongfang Ji's words were like ice picks hanging upside down. With each syllable, the air before the Twelve Guards seemed to drop several degrees. Initially, these twelve could still maintain an imposing air of punishment, but in an instant, they wilted.
The novice disciples, witnessing this, were even more frightened and huddled together. Just then, a dark shadow floated in from the main gate of the assembly ground. Three women, resembling celestial beings, were thrown before Tu Xingsun's corpse. The Twelve Guards, seeing this, immediately knelt, and the panicked disciples followed suit.
Because their savior had returned!
"Disciples greet the Sect Leader!"
The voices rose in unison, as if this phrase contained some exhilarating power. The eyes of all the disciples lit up with the reverence of believers.
"Everyone, rise." The masked man raised his hands, and the feeling of receiving worship filled him with a sense of absolute control over his destiny. Once all the disciples had risen and calmed down, he slowly turned to face Dongfang Ji, clapping continuously. "Dongfang Ji, I didn't expect you to be so perceptive even at your age. Not only did you see through my plan, but you also played along with it. If I hadn't felt uneasy and come down the mountain to investigate, I fear my Scarlet Sky Sect would have been destroyed by you."
Dongfang Ji's gaze was fixed on the three unconscious women. He said coldly, "If you dare to touch these three women, I guarantee that this time next year will be your death anniversary."
"What a pity, you'll likely be disappointed. Your fighting strength, to confront my sect, isn't that a bit presumptuous?" The Sect Leader covered his mask and let out a nearly crazed, sinister laugh. "I know you're still pinning your hopes on a man trapped in the Black Water Prison. But let me tell you, the Black Water Prison was rebuilt six months ago. It's impossible for that fool to come out of there alive. Oh, and by the way, if you accidentally trigger a mechanism inside, there will be some unexpected surprises!"
...
Ren Yuanhao sat on a stone stool, resting, and sneezed repeatedly.
The male voice from the communicator earlier had worried him immensely. However, he had been relentlessly pursued by a giant boulder. It was only by a stroke of luck that he managed to escape it at a turn, gaining a moment to breathe.
The communicator could no longer connect to Ye Lan and the others, and a sense of foreboding slowly crept into his heart.
But what he hadn't anticipated was that even the stone he was sitting on was a damn mechanism!
By the time he realized it, he could feel a distinct vibration in his feet!
"Holy crap!"
Ren Yuanhao abruptly stood up, activating the Drunken Moon-Gazing Steps to their maximum. He flew along the wall, and the ground beneath him began to crack and sink, while a massive spiked board descended from above!
The spiked board gleamed with a spine-chilling light. As Ren Yuanhao clung to the wall like a gecko, he cursed, "Damn it, which son of a bitch is so unethical? Not only is there a spiked board overhead, but the ground is constantly sinking. Even if it's sinking, there are still human-height drops of sulfuric acid hidden within!"