Shi Kangjian, with his hands and feet bound tightly by hemp ropes, was lying on the altar in the attic of Lu Gui's residence, his mouth open, staring blankly at the ceiling.
He had long since lost consciousness, his body covered with deep cuts inflicted by Lu Gui with a dagger.
Blood poured continuously from the wounds, meandering and trickling onto the complex array of symbols surrounding the altar.
"Too slow."
With dagger in hand and eyes bloodshot, Lu Gui stood at the edge of the altar, looking up at the projection of Dusheng Village's map hovering above the altar, and shook his head.
Filling the Formation with Mana from the human sacrifice required a duration neither long nor short. On the map projection, the red dot representing the Fierce Ghost wandered incessantly at the fringe of Dusheng Village. It appeared and disappeared intermittently, each reappearance edging closer to the village.
