Chapter 387: Tide and Disaster

Tower of Audience

In this city built around the Temple of Sacrifice, amidst countless magnificent buildings standing like scales, it was still just as conspicuous.

The ancient and vicissitudinous high tower carried a rich imperial style, massive and majestic; the five high towers were like five fingers, circling the Temple of Sacrifice, pointing straight to the sky.

Naturally, it was heavily guarded.

Likewise, it was naturally dilapidated and broken.

Since the destruction of the Eternal Empire, no one had come for an audience or worship for over five hundred years; now, shrouded in the tower's shadow, it merely retained the form of the past.

Covered in dust.

By the time this last team that had encountered Ji Jue stumbled and bumped their way to the foot of the high tower, they had lost three more people, and the cannon fodder used for scouting had also suffered several losses.

Covered in wounds, having suffered heavy damage.

The circular corridor from which it was hard to escape once entered was finally opened by a crack under the illumination of the ancient Imperial Mirror; the ruins filled with human-faced jellyfish were also passed without danger by relying on the hypnosis of the cursed music box; the streets where countless residual shadows gathered were carefully traversed with the protection of the talisman; the magnificent and eerie gallery was solved steadily through the consumption of cannon fodder...

In the vast city, it seemed empty, but in reality, it was fraught with crises; heaven knows what kind of ghost thing one might encounter if one took a wrong step.

But at this moment, a trace of luck actually rose in everyone's hearts—

—the eerie thing they had seen at first had not been encountered a second time.

Well, because Ji Jue had long since mixed in among them.

And incidentally brought them a little surprise...

After instructing the coin-minting machine to wait for him outside the station with all the loot, he followed them quietly.

He even specially took a detour to get ahead, helped them open a shortcut through the corridor, closed the door, led the path to the ruins where the human-faced jellyfish lived, and finally gathered a wave of monsters.

Just as everyone was traversing the corridor in fear, kowtowing three times every three steps, worshipping the imperial portrait piously, Ji Jue, hiding behind the picture frame, picked out the last lone Aether.

To be precise, it was a Tainted one, but it didn't matter.

Regardless of whether it was Aether or Tainted, after entering the Temple of Sacrifice, they were basically no different from being blind. They couldn't look around recklessly, couldn't listen recklessly, and were half-crippled before doing anything.

Moreover, they had just had their two ears cut off by Ji Jue...

Ji Jue was the kindest person; he couldn't bear to see people suffer, so he decisively helped him end a journey that was unlucky to the extreme—otherwise, if he kept him, he would just look around at his teammates when he had nothing to do, and if he accidentally saw him, wouldn't his cover be blown?

"You're the one."

Behind the picture frame, Ji Jue picked a person, picked the Tainted one who was lagging at the very back, and reached out without thinking.

The warning blessing like intuition had been activated just before this, but unfortunately... ever since walking into this Temple of Sacrifice, its alarm had never stopped!

Thus, just as the Tainted one thought he was slow and wanted to lower his head to kowtow in panic, he saw a hand suddenly poke out from the Emperor's laughing mouth in the painting.

Pressing on his forehead.

What the hell?!

He stood dazed on the spot: Was he too ugly, making the Emperor vomit?

"Congratulations, brother!"

In the momentary daze, a joyous voice sounded from his soul, accompanied by a violent and surging spiritual quality impact: "His Majesty the Emperor sees your sincerity and has come to take you to the Empire to enjoy blessings!"

In an instant, spiritual quality turned into a sword.

The void spiritual quality impact was also endowed with terrifying destructive power like a sharp blade, piercing through flesh, skull, and brain from the outside in.

The spirit of Pure Jun manifested, overlapping with Ji Jue's movements; under dual operation, double output, double eruption, the essence of Supreme Good and Great Tainted intertwined and collided, erupting from within the soul!

Thus, in an instant, a thousand piercings!

Covered and concealed by the shell, the soul had already shattered like a bubble, the matrix collapsed, merging into the mechanical godhood; the spiritual quality didn't even have time to dissipate before it condensed into crystals under the operation of Ji Jue and the soul shadow.

The flesh that had become an empty shell didn't have time to fall before it was dragged behind the picture frame by Ji Jue; then, Ji Jue vaulted out and landed on the ground.

In the peripheral vision of the others, he kowtowed piously toward the picture frame before him.

Everything was as usual.

As if nothing had happened.

In less than a snap of the fingers, Ji Jue's hands and the soul shadow's spiritual quality hands cooperated, completing the removal of the other's facial flesh, the making and wearing of the human-skin mask in mid-air, and at the same time, adjusting his body shape, padding it up by one centimeter; during the whole process, he took off the other's clothes and put them on himself.

Finally, when he detached from the picture frame, he swept his hand back, silently sewing the silently torn canvas back together.

Everything was over.

Under the double acceleration of the soul and the reflection, the efficiency of the natural-born master's operation was just this outrageous.

Just like this, limping along in the team, when walking out of the gallery, he sighed and cheered with everyone, and when looking at the Tower of Audience close at hand, he was moved to tears with everyone.

"Don't worry, everyone; the Lord will absolutely not let everyone down!"

The leader of Lord Wuyou's confidants had a twitching expression, restraining the pain of losing his hands, and promised again: "As long as the great plan can be achieved, everything you have lost will definitely be repaid a hundredfold or a thousandfold!"

"Of course everyone believes in Lord Wuyou's promise."

"That's right, that's right!"

"Ah, yes, yes, yes!"

Ji Jue mixed in, nodding frantically, still pretending to have a lame leg, looking around curiously.

Although he didn't know what this bunch of idiots who were still obsessed with restoring the country after several hundred years were thinking, at the very least, a lean camel is bigger than a horse; the collections and material resources of the Empire, even if they had been passed down to now, with only one ten-thousandth of one ten-thousandth remaining, were still an astronomical figure that would take a long time just to count the zeros.

Not to mention those pieces of information and secrets passed down by word of mouth.

Clearly, the intelligence work over so many years had been thorough enough; even when entering deep into the Temple of Sacrifice, there was no confusion, and all the procedures and links were already in consideration.

Including the Tower of Audience at this moment, the high tower with tight blockade, under the faint light of a talisman, slowly opened, revealing the magnificent space inside.

One could still vaguely distinguish the solemnity and strictness of the past, but after so many years, it was already dilapidated, leaving only a pile of rusted armor and tools scattered everywhere.

In the darkness that even light couldn't illuminate, it seemed there were eyes staring fixedly at these intruders, hair-raising.

The leader gave a wink, and immediately a subordinate understood, suddenly pulling up a terrified cannon fodder and running into the darkness.

Immediately, hair-raising chewing sounds and wails erupted.

For a long time, in the darkness, a few fragments like withered corpses fell down.

Ji Jue saw clearly that the moment the living thing fell into it, all the residual shadows entwined and bound by black lines here swarmed up, devouring hungrily...

However, when he looked over, they seemed to be afraid and terrified, scattering instantly, which was why only these few fragments could fall to the ground.

Ji Jue sighed silently.

After the destruction of the Empire, how many more souls were like these residual shadows, entwined by the black lines woven by the tower's shadow, unable to find release?

When the Empire still existed, could the harshness of the Law of Heaven Origin have been any better?

No wonder Feigong would be so violent after sensing the aura of the Temple of Sacrifice...

"Follow behind me, don't fall behind."

The leader held the talisman, stepping up the stairs step by step; the narrow light was taken as protection, shrouding the group, and everyone scrambled to move forward.

Ji Jue, because of his leg problem, naturally fell slightly behind, supporting each other with another Bai Lu; the other person even froze for a moment, showing him a grateful smile.

"No need to thank me, it's all what I should do."

Ji Jue smiled honestly, his supporting palm gripping tighter, fearing he would fall behind.

And his other hand swept across the wall, sensing the spiritual quality circuits everywhere beneath the wall; after so many years, they were still complete, so magnificent.

Magnificent to the point of making one feel there was absolutely no need.

It was just a verification system like a beacon, a switch, yet they went to such great lengths to create so many meaningless designs.

Wasteful to the point of nausea.

And the final door finally opened before their eyes after a long torment.

Without danger.

Arriving at the altar atop the high tower!

After the leader joyfully offered the talisman, a thread of faint light flowed and suddenly expanded, turning into a fierce light that illuminated ten thousand miles.

After experiencing so many hardships and pains, victory and success were close at hand.

After the leader of the group ecstatically offered up the tally, a wisp of faint light swirled and suddenly expanded, transforming into a blazing radiance that illuminated ten thousand miles.

Nearly dancing with joy, hugging and crying.

Well, if it weren't for the fact that some people had no hands, some had no feet, and some didn't even have eyes...

Only Ji Jue sighed silently.

Shaking his head regretfully.

This won't do!

Just this simple? Why wasn't there even a reversal at the end?

Just like watching a manga, the final climax was too flat, failing to highlight the meaning of blood and struggle; how would readers be willing to watch?

Sales would definitely bomb, right?!

Fortunately, he was here; otherwise, Lord Wuyou's autobiography in the future would lose a wonderful highlight!

Thus, the fingers behind his back flicked silently.

As if flipping a switch.

Cutting off the spiritual quality circuit that had just been opened and connected!

Without any difficulty, it was about the same as reconnecting a circuit in the workshop, even simpler than that. The nearly redundant protection and verification of the high tower had no reaction at all when facing the authority of the Hanxiang Mirror and the watch.

And Feigong, who had long been driven crazy, stabbed decisively from a distance at this moment!

Snap!

In an instant, the moment the scorching fierce light had just lit up, it extinguished without warning.

The darkness came suddenly; those smiling faces that had lost their light froze in place, looking around blankly, dazed at the situation around them.

"What's going on?!" The leader was even more terrified than the others, unable to understand, subconsciously looking at the artisan in the team.

The artisan also had a blank face, subconsciously wanting to check the altar, but as soon as he reached out, he screamed, terrified and trembling—the protection sequence that had no reaction to Ji Jue suddenly activated, a bolt of electricity shot out, instantly burning half of the artisan's body to a crisp.

He didn't even have time to react before he fell to the ground.

Painfully wailing, struggling with difficulty.

Immediately after, in the shocked eyes of everyone, the flame light... reignited?

Returning to normal.

Immediately, the crowd whose hearts had been in their throats heaved a sigh of relief, only then feeling cold sweat trickling down.

Turning back, they gave the wailing artisan a bottle of potion; it brought the dead back to life, and in an instant, he recovered sixty percent of his blood, trembling and panting.

"What exactly happened just now?" the leader asked.

"I, it might be that it's been a long time, and the spiritual quality circuit has aged." The artisan squeezed out a difficult smile: "Some intermittent issues are normal; as long as the abnormality is excluded, it will definitely—"

Snap!

Before he could finish his sentence, Ji Jue's fingers flicked again, and the reignited flame light extinguished without a trace.

In the distance, a terrified scream erupted, so shrill and sharp, making everyone's hair stand on end; the leader recognized the source of the sound and was even more terrified.

"Lord Wuyou!!!"

The leader, who had been raised by Lord Wuyou since childhood, had long since combined with Lord Wuyou's shadow law; sensing the pain and anger coming from the other end, he was panicked and confused by instinct, drenched in sweat.

Only then did he raise his palm that had just grown out, grabbed the artisan by the collar, and rebuked: "What's going on, what exactly are you doing!"

"I, I don't know what exactly—"

The artisan was crying without tears, sensing those murderous gazes, trembling, and reached toward the altar.

Just as his hand was raised, he saw the altar shake violently, a bolt of electricity flew out again, swallowing him, and he screamed in the thick smoke.

Then, the fierce light reignited!

Everyone heaved a sigh of relief, and their gazes toward the artisan became admiring; worthy of being a You-Sui elite, the efficiency is fast!

With great difficulty, after the terrified artisan crawled up from the ground, before he could speak, he heard...

Snap!

Extinguished.

This time, no one spoke.

They looked at the artisan gloomily, full of expectation and encouragement.

—Xi, you can definitely do it, right?!

"I, I..." The artisan's charred face oozed a line of winding blood-tears: "I really don't know what exactly... what exactly is going on!"

"It's okay!" Ji Jue clenched his fist, encouraging: "I believe in you!"

"That's right, that's right, everyone believes in you!"

"Keep it up!"

"Yes, keep it up!!!"

The artisan stood dazed; in his throat, a final wail was emitted, subconsciously wanting to wave his hand... the altar shook again, a bolt of electricity slashed out from the air, landing on him.

Turning his body that had just healed into a lump of rotten meat again.

Then, the light flame reignited!

"Look, it's powered on! It's powered on!"

Ji Jue clapped his hands in wonder, his eyes shining, saying decisively: "It must be the great power of the Stagnant Rot!!!"

In an instant, everyone who didn't know what was going on also nodded one after another, following him, surrounding the artisan, and started clapping.

Congratulations! Congratulations! Congratulations to you!

Under the scorching flame light, in such an eerie atmosphere, one by one, the joyous smiling faces looked just like a cult's sacrificial site.

Then, naturally, it was powered off again, again, and again.

In the darkness, the applause continued.

Everyone looked down at the artisan, cheering and shouting for him.

"I, I... this isn't right, this isn't right..." The artisan wailed, not understanding what the fuck was happening at all; there must be a problem, someone must be meddling!

Unfortunately, just as he opened his mouth, another bolt of electricity slashed over.

Rotten meat smoking.

Light reignited.

The cheering and applause became even more intense.

Is this the sacrifice of the Stagnant Rot? Too magical! Too amazing!

Just like this, switch, switch, switch, switch; in the end, everyone simply pressed the artisan onto the altar with hands and feet.

Under the bombardment of bolts of electricity, a lump of charcoal was still convulsing under the action of nerves, maintaining that intermittent light.

Always unable to complete the verification!

Vain torment.

Just as Ji Jue was completely tired of playing, the fingers behind his back quietly pulled out the poison-blade short knife he had just 'offered', and just as he was about to stab it into the back of the Bai Lu Tainted one he was supporting...

From the source of the shrill screams in the distance, a roar of unbearable anger finally came.

Lord Wuyou roared!

After being ground into meat paste countless times, the Seed of the Tiger Talisman rose suddenly, forcibly propping itself up against the gravity gaze of the giant face.

Then, pitch-black like mud emerged from the Tiger Talisman, like a palm, gripping a broken and shattered seed, forcibly catalyzing it!

In an instant, a violent flame light that reached the sky rose from the ground, magnificent and infinite, vast and raging.

Forcibly colliding with the shadow of death of the Forbidden Realm.

Such fierce light and aura...

"Flame Tide!"

Ji Jue stood dazed, losing his voice in shock; countless clues in his brain seemed to be vaguely connected together, but he couldn't figure it out.

Hard to understand.

"Yes, the disaster of the Flame Tide."

The Bai Lu Tainted one he was supporting sighed with emotion: "It took so many living sacrifices to finally be reborn from the ashes, yet it still can't return to its old appearance. It's hard to imagine what it looked like when it was complete; I suppose burning mountains and boiling seas would be nothing for it?"

His back seemed to be slightly itchy.

Unfortunately, being supported by someone, it wasn't easy to scratch.

He twisted his neck, rubbing his clothes, wanting to stop the slight itch, completely unaware of the poison blade hovering at his heart.

Stopped at a hair's breadth.

Amidst the chaos, he was particularly calm.

He wasn't Lord Wuyou's subordinate, so naturally, he wasn't as anxious as the leader.

He was just here for a job; anyway, money had to be paid whether it succeeded or not; what did the scene before him matter?

"Brother, are you okay?" He looked at Ji Jue, sensing his gradually heavy breathing, and sighed: "You've worked hard; it will take some time for the knee bones to grow back."

"No, it's okay."

Ji Jue shook his head and smiled; after a moment of stiffness, he became smooth again, his expression becoming more peaceful: "I'm just curious about this; didn't they say it had been extinguished for a long time?

How did it suddenly..."

"Lord Wuyou spent a fortune; he actually managed to contact and move that Saint."

The Tainted one beamed when talking about this: "You might not know, but Lord Xie He told me before: it's not just the Flame Tide, including the Dark Fall, Frost Knot, Blood Rain, Heaven Crack—they were all sent into the present world by that Saint!"

Facing the curious gaze of a Tainted one thirsty for knowledge, he chuckled and decided to reveal a bit of secret: "Especially the disaster of the Flame Tide!

That is a disaster crystal that rose from the Deep Abyss; it is said that when it was discovered, it had already completed its integration with the Vortex.

Unfortunately, the germination failed in the end.

Otherwise, it might have been able to hatch a unique dual Tainted seed of the Deep Abyss and the Vortex!"

Just like the Wolf of Deer-Chasing, the Usurper of the Tower, and the Evil of Tainted, no, even more so!

Tainted demons who can receive the true essence of the Great Tainted naturally possess unique status and power, and naturally have a world of difference from ordinary Tainted ones.

The reverse side of Metamorphosis and Ruin, the essence of the Deep Abyss and the Vortex, the overlap of the spirit of nothingness and the matter of collapse; if it could succeed, what kind of terrifying power could it create?!

"So that's how it is... is it?"

The Tainted one seemed shocked; as he expected, he showed an expression of disbelief, nodding with a smile that looked like a cry, sighing: "Truly amazing!"

After saying that, he looked at him full of expectation, staring sincerely and humbly, as if he could pay any price, and prayed:

"May I ask the name of that Saint?"

"That goes without saying, naturally it is—"

The Bai Lu Tainted one opened his mouth without thinking, wanting to answer, but then froze, turning back blankly.

Finally, he sensed something was wrong.

In this team, how could there still be someone who didn't know of the existence of the 【Sower】?

Thus, in that instant, he finally saw that standard smile that was flawless and infuriating.

Above the smile, pitch-black eyes.

A void.

Only pure blood-color and darkness intertwined, like a crack leading to the abyss.

Looking at him.

"Who exactly are you..."

He stiffened, dazed, unable to understand.

But when he wanted to make a move, it was already too late.

Too late.

Snap!

The poison blade was delivered; under the restraint, it easily pierced the heart; then, the spiritual quality hand extended from the shoulder and pressed onto his face.

Pure Jun piercing!

The Bai Lu Tainted one fell to the ground, convulsing; in his final struggle, he only had time to tear off half of the mask covering Ji Jue's face.

But beneath that broken face, another layer of smile emerged, the winding smile crossing the crack, connecting with each other.

Unfortunately, too much joy and sorrow had already burned into ashes.

In the darkness, there was only empty nothingness.

"So quiet."

Amidst the muffled sound of the falling corpse, Ji Jue lowered his eyes, sighing lightly, looking down at those shocked and turning faces.

Too quiet.

It shouldn't be silent.

He said, "There should be more wailing." ===== CHAPTER 388 =====

"So quiet."

Amidst the dull thud of a mangled corpse hitting the ground, Ji Jue lowered his eyes and sighed softly, looking down at those faces that were turning back in shock.

Too quiet.

It shouldn't be silent.

He said, "There should be more wailing."