Sword Sect Outer Sect

Chapter 261 The Fall of the Golden Core
In fact, the so-called sacrificial ceremony of the Yang family should be a kind of Nuo ritual passed down from generation to generation.

In ancient times, the number of cultivators was very small. Not to mention immortal techniques, the ancient people had hardly ever even seen immortals.

But plagues have existed since the beginning of time, and evil spirits have no pity for ordinary people.

Death and loss, grief and pain, make people want to do something, even if they don't know if it will make a difference.

Thus, in order to exorcise evil spirits and ward off plagues, this Nuo ritual for praying for peace arose, hoping that the "Nuo gods" they imagined could drive away evil spirits and protect them.

As time has passed, this Nuo ritual has almost disappeared.

It seems that only the Yang family still adheres to this very ancient tradition.

This Nuo mask from the Yang family is probably an ancient artifact that has been passed down from a very early time.

Speaking of which, in the legends associated with Longtan Mountain, the two Golden Core cultivators who fought to the death there had a close connection with the Yang and Hu families of this place.

One of the Golden Core cultivators, after being investigated and confirmed by the Hu family, was an ancestor of the Hu clan.

The other one is very likely an ancestor of the Yang family.

However, Yang did not acknowledge this.

It's really strange.

This Golden Core cultivator has no known origins. Right now, everyone thinks he is most likely an ancestor of your Yang family. Even if he isn't, there's no need to deny it so explicitly.

With such a vague concept, the name of the Yang family would become more renowned.

After all, in a place as small as the State of Chu, a Golden Core cultivator is already the strongest.

However, the Yang family has always denied this matter, and it seems that only in recent generations of cultivators have they begun to change their tune.

At this moment, spiritual light also appeared in the clouds above Longtan Mountain.

The spirit cloud has begun to capture all the scenes from across the entire Longtan Mountain Range.

Even cultivators from outside the region who cannot be present in person can see the scene through the Spirit Pearl.

The scene of the Yang family's sacrificial ceremony was the focus of everyone's attention at this moment.

Boom, boom, boom.

The drumbeats were deep and ancient, while the bells and chimes were clear and melodious.

Incense was burning on the central altar, and sacred fruits were offered.

The sacred wine was poured onto the ground as an offering to the Nuo god.

The clan head of the Yang clan recited the sacrificial text aloud with intonation, recounting the achievements of the Yang ancestors in establishing their roots here, and praying to the Nuo gods for their blessing and prosperity.

Yang Yuerong, wearing a mask, was among them, occasionally raising her eyes to look at the audience seats, her gaze searching.

The general process of Nuo ritual mainly involves performing a story.

Although there is no explanation, it is relatively simple and easy to understand.

It is said that when disaster struck, the people of Yang prayed to the Nuo God for protection. In the critical moment, a Nuo God actually descended and destroyed the disaster.

The process was short and quickly came to an end.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

Han Yuan's seat was on the side of the passageway. A rogue cultivator walked by and bumped into him for some unknown reason.

"It's alright." Han Yuan was rather oblivious and didn't pay any attention, continuing to focus his gaze back on the center of the walled building.

Song Yan glanced at the man; judging from his robes, he was a rogue cultivator.

After that, he left in a hurry.

It wasn't because he was petty; he simply noticed that several cultivators in different attire, sitting in various viewing areas of the Great Enclosure Building, almost simultaneously rose and left their seats at some point.

It's not unusual for someone to leave at this time; some cultivators need to prepare for other matters within their respective lineages.

The Yang Clan's sacrificial ceremony is about to end, and the Golden Core cultivator will give a brief speech for the final competition and explain the rules.

Song Yan frowned slightly, a strange sense of unease still rising in his heart.

Inside the enclosed building, the sacrificial ceremony finally came to an end.

In the very center of the viewing platform, the Golden Core cultivator from the Lingfu Sect slowly stood up.

His face was gentle, yet he possessed an air of authority.

Song Yan temporarily suppressed his unease and looked at Master Ye Ding.

The other party's voice resounded throughout the entire compound: "Fellow Daoists..."

However, no sooner had he finished speaking than a strange thing happened!
The Golden Core cultivator's expression suddenly changed, his brows furrowed, and his previously gentle and peaceful demeanor instantly turned wary.

Suddenly I looked up and gazed at the sky.

"Um?!"

Almost simultaneously, the elders and Foundation Establishment disciples of various sects inside the Great Enclosure Building also sensed something and involuntarily looked up.

Above the sky, a strange, blood-red hue had quietly spread out, seemingly out of nowhere.

The crimson blush spread rapidly, like ink dripping into clear water, and in the blink of an eye, it shrouded the entire sky in a scarlet veil.

Before anyone could react, in the next instant...

hum-

Sixteen dazzling beams of spiritual light shot into the sky from eight main directions surrounding the Great Enclosure Building and eight secondary directions of Dragon Pool Mountain.

They gathered above the large walled building.

A giant array suddenly took shape.

Spiritual patterns surged, and strange fluctuations began to spread from the sky.

An evil aura pressed down, and all the cultivators in the Great Enclosure felt their spiritual energy stagnate.

"not good!"

Before this, many people may have been confused and mistakenly thought it was some kind of special opening ceremony.

But it would be foolish to still think that way now.

After a brief moment of deathly silence, the entire compound instantly descended into chaos!
"what happened?!"

"Who's causing trouble..."

"With a Golden Core cultivator in charge, do they have a death wish?"

Exclamations of surprise and roars, along with the buzzing sounds of magical artifacts being unsheathed, filled the air.

boom--

Just then, a terrifyingly powerful surge of spiritual energy erupted from the viewing platform!
Everyone stared intently, and amidst the chaos, a golden beam of light shot up from the ground and soared into the sky.

"Master Ye Ding..."

The Golden Core cultivator from the Spirit Talisman Sect they were talking about broke through the formation at the top of the Great Enclosure Building and fled into the clouds.

He...fled.

He actually tried to escape!

Behind it, two streaks of blood-red light, carrying equally terrifying spiritual pressure, followed closely and disappeared into the clouds.

"That is……"

Inside the large building, all the cultivators froze, and then an extremely strong sense of panic quickly spread among the crowd.

"Demonic cultivator."

"Two demonic cultivators at the Golden Core stage!"

Boom!

Above the clouds, a deafening roar that shook Longtan Mountain suddenly erupted.

Two intense beams of light, like two crimson suns faintly merging above the clouds, instantly spread out a terrifying energy shockwave.

The blood-red cloud churned violently, as if it would be blown away at any moment, but it never dispersed even slightly.

The ground shook violently, and the large enclosed building also swayed violently.

However, the cultivators on the ground could only see the flashing light in the clouds, but could not see what the situation was.

After only a short while, the noise from the clouds stopped.

The group of cultivators looked up.

Two figures slowly descended from the crimson clouds.

One was fat, the other thin; both wore blood-red Taoist robes.

Suspended in mid-air, both men wore sinister smiles as they looked down at the cultivators inside the large building.

The skinny Taoist priest held a round head in his hand.

The severed area of ​​the head was clean and free of blood.

It was none other than Ye Ding, a Golden Core cultivator from the Lingfu Sect!
"died……"

The monks below were all shocked and filled with despair.

"A Golden Core cultivator... just like that, dead?"

The noise and commotion vanished, and the large enclosed building fell into a deathly silence.

What followed was a silent sense of despair.

how could this be...

The array beneath the blood-red sky was still in operation, suppressing the spiritual power of the cultivators present.

Golden Core cultivators are already dead, how could they possibly survive?

All the monks felt as if they had fallen into an ice cellar.

midair.

"This Feather Poison is truly terrifying."

The thin Taoist priest toyed with the severed head in his hand and casually remarked, "This person just now seemed unable to even self-destruct his golden core..."

"That's natural."

The fat Taoist replied, "Even a Nascent Soul cultivator would have a hard time encountering this thing, let alone someone who is only a Golden Core cultivator."

"Isn't it a bit of a waste to use this on such an unknown person?"

"You don't have to pay with spirit stones."

The skinny Taoist gently licked the corner of his mouth, his face full of ecstasy.

"call……"

He casually tossed the head of the Golden Core cultivator in his hand, and the head fell from the sky, rolling away to some unknown mountainside.

The two demonic cultivators at the Golden Core stage suddenly raised their heads at the same time and looked up at the sky.

The situation in Longtan Mountain has been under the observation of the spirit cloud.

However, for now, they are being held hostage by demonic cultivators.

The fat Taoist priest hovered in mid-air, his demonic energy churning around him, merging with the spirit clouds he controlled to form a strange field.

"Fellow Daoists, please calm down."

He cleared his throat and smiled kindly.

Before all the cultivators of the Chu Kingdom, he slowly spoke: "We regret to inform you that the Dragon Pool Gathering may not be able to continue."

"This place, along with the other beautiful mountains and rivers of Chu, will all be taken over by the Demon Ruins!"

"You can rest assured and wait for orders. The Demon Ruins will reshape the Chu Kingdom. The process may be a little rushed, but it is a good deed."

The thin Taoist priest slightly raised his hand, his fingertips pointing lightly, and the crimson light surged, further enhancing the power of the entire formation.

His smile remained unchanged, and his voice was still polite.

"This is a fortunate event. From now on, the land of Chu will be under the protection of my Demon Ruins."

"Fellow Daoists, please await good news. Now that we have returned to the Demon Ruins, we will sweep away the dust of the past and free you from the suffering of the Nine Meridians' conflict!"

Is that really the case?!
The demonic cultivators have truly made a comeback...

Upon hearing this, the cultivators in the entire enclosed building were immediately plunged into fear and chaos.

Hu Haotian, the head of the Hu family, feigned panic but kept a close eye on the situation, especially Yang's condition.

His gaze swept across the center of the altar in the walled building, finally settling on the elder of the Yang clan, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes.

"The Yang family's fate is sealed today!"

Yang Yuerong stood in the crowd, feeling cold all over.

For some reason, she didn't seem to feel much fear when facing death.

Perhaps it's because being hidden among the crowd and in the shadows gives one a strange sense of security.

Looking around the Great Enclosure Building, they finally spotted the group of cultivators from the Dongyuan Sect.

"Look out for each other and don't act rashly."

Several elders of the Dongyuan Sect on Longtan Mountain were near the viewing platform. Among these disciples, Xu Ziqing, who was both a disciple and an elder, was naturally the backbone.

However, Xu Ziqing was at a loss for what to do.

If a Golden Core cultivator wanted to make a move, he could easily annihilate the entire Great Enclosure Building, including all the cultivators within, without much effort.

Moreover, the other party consists of two Golden Core demonic cultivators.

The other four team leaders, along with Foundation Establishment disciples Li Yi and Song Yan, protected the Qi Refining disciples behind them.

Among the crowd, Lin Qing looked somewhat surprised and puzzled.

He felt a chill run down his spine as soon as the demonic cultivator appeared.

It has changed, it has really changed.

The invasion of the Demonic Ruins has begun earlier than planned...

In his previous life, although he had not participated in the Dragon Pool Mountain Gathering, he had heard about the situation. The demonic cultivators had not shown up at all, and the Dragon Pool Mountain Gathering should have ended perfectly.

Thinking back to the casual conversation Song Yan had with her a few days ago, Lin Qing couldn't help but feel horrified.

The timing of the Demon Ruins invasion has truly changed!
Shao Sichao hid at the back of the crowd, his face showing no panic or tension. He simply looked up at the two Golden Core demon cultivators in the sky and occasionally glanced at Song Yan.

Beneath his wide sleeves, he pulled out a talisman from his palm, ready to unleash its power.

Unlike Lin Qing's astonishment, Song Yan frowned slightly, feeling somewhat puzzled.

"Something's wrong..."

These two Golden Core cultivators said that this place would be taken over by Demon Ruins cultivators, but in reality, the number of Demon Ruins cultivators that can be sensed at present is not very large.

At least compared to the righteous cultivators gathered and besieging this place, they are somewhat lacking.

Of course, the possibility that these two Golden Core cultivators might attack them cannot be ruled out.

However, it is also puzzling why these two Golden Core Realm demon cultivators would announce the invasion of the Demon Ruins cultivators in such a high-profile manner.

The spirit cloud spread widely, and Qiyuan Prefecture, where Longtan Mountain is located, is situated in the central part of the Chu Kingdom and is not far from various sects.

Several Golden Core cultivators arrived upon hearing the news, and it didn't take long.

If it weren't for the other Golden Core cultivators present, one would always feel that these demonic cultivators were testing something.

Even the Golden Core cultivators from Xuan Yuan Sect and Xuan Jian Mountain arrived in the short time that Song Yan was pondering.

A powerful bolt of lightning descended from the sky, and the two Golden Core stage demonic cultivators dodged to the side, barely managing to avoid it.

At the same time, a tear appeared in the blood-red sky, and two beams of light pierced through the clouds and arrived.

The Golden Core cultivator from the Xuan Yuan Sect, dressed in a golden Daoist robe, stood floating in the air, stepping on a phantom of a black tortoise.

The Golden Core cultivator from Suspended Sword Mountain wore a dark blue Taoist robe, with countless spiritual lights transforming into a sword feather cloak. Wherever he passed, traces of ice crystals appeared in the blood clouds.

The cultivators of Xuan Yuan Sect and Xuan Jian Mountain were overjoyed.

"It's Grandmaster Chen Ya!"

"And there's also our Grandmaster Li Luo from Suspended Sword Mountain!"

Chen Ya, a Golden Core cultivator from the Xuan Yuan Sect, roared angrily: "You demonic cultivators are like chickens and dogs! You don't know what's good for you!"

A massive sound wave swept through the entire valley, and the cultivators of the Great Enclosure Tower, who had been suppressed by the demonic array, suddenly felt a sense of lightness, and even the flow of spiritual energy within their bodies recovered somewhat.

Above the dome, the thin Taoist priest summoned a withered black short staff, from which spiritual power surged, and countless black ghost heads immediately appeared.

The fat Taoist priest then flipped his palms, and a vast amount of demonic energy gathered in the sky, condensing into a long, illusory river.

Amidst the bloody storm, countless black phantoms emerged.

Lightning, sword energy, ghost skull, Yellow Springs.

At this moment...

There were actually four Golden Core cultivators fighting in the sky above Dragon Pool Mountain!

(End of this chapter)