Within the Heaven-Obscuring Blood Sacrifice Grand Formation—
The massive heart serving as the "formation core" began to beat steadily.
Underground blood veins surged violently, crimson blood coursing over the bones of giant beasts.
The formation nodes lit up one after another with a blood-red glow. The souls of the dead beasts wailed in anguish, but their corpses served as sacrificial vessels, sustaining the operation of the Heaven-Obscuring Blood Sacrifice Grand Formation—laying a "cradle" for the resurrection of an evil god.
An ancient and terrifying will began to spread across heaven and earth.
Mr. Tu gazed at the blood-drenched grandeur before him, sensing the aura of ancient power. His expression shifted, a mixture of awe and disbelief stirring in his heart. Then he turned to look at Mo Hua, a cold chill rising from deep within him.
"Mr. Tu, I've succeeded."
Mo Hua's divine sense was nearly exhausted, his face pale, but he wore a gratified smile.
"Mm. You've worked hard."
Mr. Tu nodded. Then his pale, slender hand reached out and gripped Mo Hua's shoulder tightly. With the other hand, he drew out a ceremonial dagger and stabbed it straight into Mo Hua's chest.
As a cultivator at the Ascension stage, Mo Hua stood no chance of resisting. He could only watch in shock as the blade pierced his chest, his expression shifting dramatically. "Mr. Tu… what are you doing…"
Mr. Tu's gaze was cold and detached:
"You're a variable—I can't let you live."
Mo Hua's eyes widened in disbelief, both furious and shocked. "You…"
But he couldn't say another word.
From the ceremonial dagger sprouted blood-colored tendrils—like tiny tentacles—wrapping around and burrowing into Mo Hua's chest, fusing with his meridians, parasitizing his body, and completely taking control of him.
The flesh is the cage of the divine sense.
The divine sense also relies on the body as its foundation.
Once the body is controlled and sapped of vitality by the ceremonial dagger, it weakens and deteriorates. The divine sense then becomes weary and sluggish, falling into unconsciousness.
This was a twofold seal.
The Great Wilderness relic had already sealed Mo Hua's divine consciousness and the deity within his sea of consciousness.
But even so, Mr. Tu was not at ease. He drove the dagger into Mo Hua's chest again, letting those blood-soaked tendrils of corrupted will parasitize his flesh and suppress his very life force.
A Great Wilderness relic—and now the blade of blood sacrifice.
Both his sea of consciousness and physical body were sealed, thoroughly suppressing Mo Hua.
Mr. Tu was at the Ascension stage. Mo Hua was only at Foundation Establishment. The gap in cultivation and technique was simply too vast. With the sudden turn of events, Mo Hua was completely powerless. His limbs felt weak, his body limp, his divine sense fading—like he was being dragged into a deep abyss from which he could never awaken.
He collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Both his body and spirit were utterly sealed.
Only then did Mr. Tu feel truly at ease.
He hated this feeling of "uncontrollability."
Especially with Mo Hua—whatever you taught him, he learned; whatever he learned, he mastered quickly; and whatever he mastered, he applied just as fast.
It was simply outrageous.
Mr. Tu truly did want Mo Hua to "fall," but only if that fall was under his control—contained within the palm of his hand.
But now, Mo Hua was falling too fast.
If things continued at this pace, within a few short years, he might surpass Mr. Tu and become the new "favorite" of the Great Wilderness God, the next "Mr. Mo" hailed by all the demonic sects.
Mr. Tu's gaze grew cold and sharp.
That must never happen before the god is resurrected.
He could not give the god even the chance to favor this boy.
If he did, there would no longer be a place for him in the divine temple of the Great Wilderness God.
Mr. Tu had a growing premonition—no matter how diligently he had worked all these years for the god's cause, all his sacrifices and achievements could never compete with this boy in winning divine favor.
He could see it clearly now—this child, born lowly with weak spiritual roots, nevertheless possessed immense talent and insight, unusually high compatibility with the Dao… even an inexplicable power of charm.
This "charm" worked on mortals—and gods alike.
Otherwise, how could that fearsome god of the Tai Xu Sect show such favor?
That being from Tai Xu Sect treated him almost like a "beloved son," bestowing him with divine gifts as if they cost nothing.
Such things, Mr. Tu—a mere tool of the gods—could not comprehend.
But it no longer mattered.
Soon, none of it would matter.
Because…
A sinister glint flickered in Mr. Tu's eyes.
"He'll soon be mine—so there's no longer any 'you' or 'me' to speak of…"
Mr. Tu hoisted Mo Hua with one hand and walked away from the heart of the blood formation. With a thought, he summoned two half-human, half-demonic creatures, tossing Mo Hua to them and ordering:
"Take him to the Blood Pool. Follow my prior instructions."
The two demon creatures rasped, "Understood." One in front, one behind, they carried Mo Hua away, disappearing into the flesh-and-blood walls of the labyrinth.
With Mo Hua "dealt with," the unease in Mr. Tu's heart gradually faded.
But soon, another thread of doubt began to stir in his mind.
And it deepened.
He turned back to the center of the blood sacrifice, stepped onto the massive beast's bones, and carefully reexamined the formation diagrams Mo Hua had drawn—one by one, thoroughly.
He furrowed his brow.
"Indeed…"
"They were drawn exactly according to the established formation diagram. Not a stroke out of place—at most, the brushwork was slightly different. But it doesn't affect the meaning of the formation…"
These were conventionally established puzzle formation runes—profound and obscure. Mo Hua had drawn them according to the diagram, rapidly, but without error.
Still, Mr. Tu remained uneasy. He checked everything again from beginning to end. As he did, he couldn't help but sneer at himself:
"No matter how talented he is at formations, he's still just a Foundation Establishment brat, barely twenty-something."
"To be so wary of him… I might be overestimating him."
Mr. Tu chuckled coldly and let go of his concerns.
He had lived for over a thousand years. In that time, wearing a human disguise, he had dealt with all kinds of cultivators, seen every type of person.
Some he deceived, some he exploited, some he erased—each became a "stepping stone" toward his grand plan.
People were meant to be used.
Use them, then discard—or kill. Let time erase them. Leave no karmic trace.
This "Mo Hua" brat was no different.
His "task" was done. So was his "destiny."
And now, the thousand-year plan was complete. The god was about to descend—and Mr. Tu's own fate was about to transform, utterly and completely.
Blood-red light flashed in his eyes, burning with scorching ambition.
"It's time… to invite the god…"
Qianxue Continent Realm.
Qianxue Prefecture's Territory.
The day that was destined to come—unsurprisingly—had finally arrived.
True Immortal Situ's predictions were not wrong. From the moment he borrowed the Big Dipper Formation to divine the heavenly secrets, to everything unfolding before his eyes now, exactly fourteen days had passed.
In the first seven days, the progress of the blood sacrifice was very slow—slower even than before.
But in the latter seven days, it suddenly accelerated severalfold, as if someone in the shadows were spurring it on, hastening the progression of events.
True Immortal Situ's face was as calm and dark as still water.
He had realized that the mastermind behind this grand scheme—the hidden "black hand" whose moves were obscure and intentions unreadable—might be more than just one person, and far beyond what he had originally imagined.
And from that blood-red sky, he could feel a terrifying aura surging down with unmistakable clarity.
This was his...
"Death Tribulation."
True Immortal Situ sighed deeply.
Those who cultivate the Dao of Heavenly Secrets are able to glimpse truths unseen by ordinary people—they know how to seek fortune and avoid disaster, how to turn misfortune into blessings.
But because of this, they inevitably reveal too many heavenly secrets and alter the threads of cause and effect.
In time, they will suffer backlash from the very heavenly secrets they manipulate—facing divine punishment and being beset by numerous karmic tribulations.
And among all these tribulations, the most difficult to survive… is the Death Tribulation that concerns one's very Dao and life.
True Immortal Situ had lived a long life and encountered many tribulations, yet most he had managed to escape or overcome. Even in the past, when he had faced the sinister "Weird Daoist" head-on, he hadn't lost his life or broken his Dao heart. You could say he was rather lucky.
But now, the Death Tribulation had truly arrived.
In the past, he had often speculated what form his Death Tribulation would take.
He had imagined all kinds of strange and fantastical scenarios.
But never had he imagined that his Death Tribulation would come in the form of a newborn evil god.
He—a cultivator of heavenly secrets—was to confront an evil god?
Had it been under any other circumstances, True Immortal Situ would have chosen to end his own life, to die by his own hand.
He had lived long enough. Now, old and frail, he only wished for peace in life and peace in death.
If he were to fall into the hands of an evil god, then everything would become truly terrifying.
He might genuinely have to experience a fate worse than death.
But there was no choice. The vessel for the evil god's descent was the Qianxue Prefecture—a fifth-rank region with millions of cultivators. The stakes were far too high.
Now that this responsibility had fallen upon him, True Immortal Situ could only grit his teeth and bear it.
He had cultivated karma, made use of heavenly secrets, spent a lifetime turning calamity into blessings—benefiting greatly.
Now that the heavenly secrets had placed a great burden on his shoulders, he had no right to refuse.
Even if it meant sacrificing his life, it was still the best path forward.
If he were to act selfishly, shrink away in cowardice, and defy the heavenly secrets by shirking this responsibility—
The outcome would be far worse than death.
Heaven always takes back what it gives.
Every gift is marked with its cost.
That is the nature of the heavenly secrets—the principle of karma.
True Immortal Situ began to prepare for the coming ritual of the "Great Dream Heavenly Summon", and consulted with the various Void-Fusion Patriarchs, saying:
"Tonight, at the hour of the boar, I will use the Big Dipper Formation to empower the treasured artifact of the Xuanji Valley. By leveraging the mother-child heart-link, I will enter the evil god's nightmare."
"The individuals chosen to enter the dream and 'slay the god' have already been arranged."
"But this alone is far from enough. Once the lead priest begins the 'invitation of the god,' we who enter the dream will certainly face resistance from the evil god's minions. Therefore, at the hour of the boar, I ask that you all command your sects to launch a full-scale assault on the Blood Sacrifice Formation."
"Apply pressure to the demonic forces and simultaneously destroy the Huangtian Blood Sacrifice Formation to delay the evil god's descent as much as possible."
"Victory or defeat… hinges on this one move."
True Immortal Situ spoke gravely.
He had one more thing he didn't voice aloud:
"Life and death also hinge on this one move. The safety of the entire Qianxue Prefecture—and possibly the whole of Qianzhou—may all depend on this battle."
If the battle to "slay the god" failed, the fate of the countless cultivators across Qianzhou would be too dire to predict.
True Immortal Situ's expression was fearsome.
The Void-Fusion Patriarchs present also wore solemn expressions.
They all had some understanding of Master Tu's conspiracy. This was a "check" in a grand game of chess. And yet, they—fifth-rank Void-Fusion Patriarchs—truly had no way to avoid it or break the encirclement.
Their families and sects had been rooted here for generations.
These foundations had been built up over hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands of years—through the blood, sweat, and sacrifices of their ancestors and themselves.
They couldn't abandon them. Nor would they.
What's more, most Void-Fusion cultivations required the backing of vast powers—deep heritage, spiritual stones, and resources to support their paths.
To abandon their foundation would be to sever their own Dao.
Master Tu's Huangtian Blood Sacrifice Formation was an "open scheme"—a stratagem that had to be faced head-on.
These Void-Fusion Patriarchs had no choice but to confront his twisted designs directly.
Even if they were doomed to fail and fall into the evil god's grasp—they had to fight.
Besides, many of them had lived too long, their experiences and worldviews rigid, and they still harbored doubts and contempt toward this so-called "evil god" disaster.
They might believe the current calamity originated from the "evil god" of the Great Wilderness...
But they didn't necessarily believe such a god could truly shake their clan foundations, destroy an entire prefecture, or even bring about the fall of Qianzhou.
Still, given the gravity of the situation—it wasn't about fear, but about what if.
It was this fear of the "what if" that made them willing to listen to True Immortal Situ and take preemptive action.
Once all discussions were settled—
The battle to "slay the god" had a clear plan.
And the full-scale attack on the Huangtian Blood Sacrifice Formation was already being arranged in a flurry of activity.
Above the skies of Qianxue Prefecture, blood-colored clouds thickened, and the oppressive evil aura became suffocating.
A war spanning dream and reality, entangling the fate of every cultivator in Qianxue Prefecture and pulling on everyone's heartstrings—was slowly descending… with each passing moment.
…
Inside the Huangtian Blood Sacrifice Formation.
Within the Great Wilderness Blood Sacrifice Formation—
Mo Hua, who had been "sealed" through the blood sacrifice, remained in a deep slumber.
Mister Tu was also making preparations for the final birth ritual.
At the heart of the flesh-and-blood labyrinth, atop the formation's core and within the ribcage of a colossal beast's skeleton, there was a secret hall sealed in white bone.
Inside that secret hall, Mister Tu was leading several hundred Gold Core-level demon cultivators in arranging the "sacrificial offerings" required to activate the blood sacrifice.
Within the hall stood a massive altar.
Atop the altar sat a terrifying white-bone statue of an evil god, with a human face and twisted ram horns.
Around the altar, a complex blood sacrifice array had been painted.
At each node of the formation stood hundreds of ferocious and grotesque statues of Great Wilderness demonic beasts.
Each of these demonic beast statues knelt toward the central evil god statue, but their necks were twisted backward, their faces turned upward—like trays holding offerings.
The hundreds of Gold Core demon cultivators were likewise kneeling before the evil god statue, each holding a living human being in their grasp.
With both reverence and madness, Mister Tu proclaimed:
"Begin the ritual!"
Immediately, the hundreds of demon cultivators acted in unison, brutally slaughtering their "living offerings."
Their methods varied—some gouged out eyes, others sliced off noses, severed ears, decapitated heads, or dismembered limbs and gutted abdomens to extract organs...
The scene was unimaginably bloody and cruel.
After each killing, they recited incantations Mister Tu had taught them—ritualistic prayers channeling their own killing intent and the fear of the dying offerings. These were merged into a "medium" and infused into the demon beast statues before them.
This was not only the ritual to "summon the god," but also a ceremony of loyalty and devotion from the Gold Core demon cultivators.
The hundreds of demonic statues, sensing the followers' sincerity, their brutal intent, and the despair of the living sacrifices, all lit up with vicious glows in their eyes and opened their gaping, bloody maws.
The offerings—eyes, noses, ears, severed heads, limbs, and entrails—were thrown into the open mouths of the statues.
The statues bit down, gnashing and chewing.
The mix of faith, terror, and flesh was transformed into the power of the blood sacrifice, feeding the resurrection of the Great Wilderness Deity.
The blood sacrifice formation etched into the ground began to glow faintly red—growing brighter and more blinding with every passing moment.
Throughout this, Mister Tu remained devoutly kneeling before the evil god's statue.
The process lasted a long while.
Until the Hour of the Boar (亥時), when a chilling, dreadful heartbeat rang out.
A terrifying divine will—beyond comprehension—slowly began to condense upon the altar.
It was as if some ancient existence was breaking free of the shackles of the Great Dao, awakening from the river of time itself, and about to descend upon the world with unfathomable horror.
Mister Tu trembled with uncontrollable excitement, his eyes blazing with madness.
The day had finally arrived!
In a shaking voice, he began to chant:
"Heaven and earth are heartless, treating all things as straw dogs."
"The gods are heartless, treating all beings as straw dogs."
"Today, your faithful have completed the Great Wilderness Blood Sacrifice Formation. We humbly invite the Divine Lord's descent!"
"From this moment on, all living beings of the Qianxue Province shall be offerings for the Divine Lord's pleasure…"
(End of this Chapter)