In the Evil Demon Forest, outside the Holy Spirit Sect's headquarters, Zhongli Wu led the way at the forefront. Behind him followed several consecrators and elders, and then the eighty individuals brought out by Zhang Peng.
Lin Xiao and other Holy Spirit Sect disciples flanked these people, keeping them enclosed in the middle. At the rear, another group was being herded along by the sect's disciples.
When they first left the headquarters, Lin Xiao had taken a quick glance and noticed that this group consisted of men, women, and children of all ages. Some shared similar features, suggesting that the Holy Spirit Sect had captured an entire village and brought them here.
The Titled Douluo walking at the front, though not releasing their martial souls, exuded a subtle pressure that weighed heavily on those behind them.
The faces of the ordinary people were filled with fear. Some children, terrified, opened their mouths wide, but the pressure from the Titled Douluo stifled their cries, leaving only tears streaming down their faces.
Lin Xiao had never seen the Holy Spirit Sect make such a grand display. Even during the mission to help Xu Jing seize power, only a few elders had been involved.
Zhongli Wu silently led the group deeper into the Evil Demon Forest. Observing the direction they were heading, Lin Xiao suddenly had a guess.
In the Evil Demon Forest, there was likely only one entity that could warrant such importance from the Holy Spirit Sect.
The light from the Holy Spirit Sect's headquarters didn't reach far into the depths of the forest. Before long, the surroundings grew dark, and occasional gusts of cold wind blew through the silent forest, sending an involuntary shiver through Lin Xiao.
"Hoo—"
A low sound came from ahead, resembling the wind that could be heard anywhere, but upon closer inspection, it sounded more like the breathing of some creature.
Lin Xiao suddenly felt an odd sensation, as if everything around him had become unreal. He couldn't tell whether it was an illusion or if he had unknowingly stepped into another space.
Another strange sound followed, like something falling into a viscous liquid and struggling within it.
As Lin Xiao sensed the changes around him, Zhongli Wu, at the front, suddenly stopped. The entire group halted as well. Without the sound of footsteps, the surroundings grew even quieter, with only the suppressed breathing of the group echoing in their ears.
The ordinary people brought here by the Holy Spirit Sect trembled uncontrollably. Even some of the sect's disciples didn't dare make a sound, lowering their heads in fear.
"Lord Ruler, you have been in slumber for a full twenty years. As promised, the Holy Spirit Sect offers sacrifices upon your awakening," Zhongli Wu's voice rang out, his soul power spreading far into the distance.
"Hoo—"
The sound, like breathing, became more pronounced. Suddenly, the entire space seemed to shake violently. The dim sky above cracked open with a massive fissure, and a terrifying wave of mental force descended like a mountain.
The elders, as if prepared, acted together to shield the group in the center. However, the ordinary people without cultivation and the soul masters whose soul power was sealed collapsed to the ground under the weight of this mental force.
Lin Xiao thought to himself, As expected. No wonder the Evil Demon Forest was unusually quiet tonight, with no soul beasts active along his journey. It was indeed because the Evil Emperor had awakened.
Twenty years.
From Zhongli Wu's words, Lin Xiao pieced together the full picture. Though the Holy Spirit Sect had two Limit Douluo, that only gave them the leverage to negotiate with the Evil Emperor. To move freely within the Evil Demon Forest, they naturally relied on other consecrators.
According to Zhongli Wu, it seemed that every time the Evil Emperor awakened, the Holy Spirit Sect offered sacrifices to it. As for what these sacrifices were…
Lin Xiao's gaze subtly swept over the crowd. The eighty carefully selected individuals, plus the "extras" at the back, were all to satisfy the Evil Emperor's appetite.
No wonder he had never seen the Holy Spirit Sect put on such a display. The last time the Evil Emperor awoke was before he arrived in this world.
The fissure in the sky grew larger, like a giant eye slowly opening. An enormous eyeball appeared before everyone.
Though Lin Xiao's mental strength surpassed that of an ordinary soul master, it was far from enough in the face of the Evil Emperor. As the giant eye appeared, the surroundings grew even darker. In Lin Xiao's eyes, the sky itself seemed to distort, and the figures of those around him began to waver, like reflections in water.
This wasn't just the effect of mental force; it was also due to the Evil Emperor's mastery of spatial abilities, combining the two to create this surreal, uncertain sensation.
Lin Xiao forced himself to focus, dispelling the disorientation in his mind. Then he saw a dark red light descending from the sky, enveloping everyone from the Holy Spirit Sect.
"You've come," a sinister voice resounded. Dark clouds churned in the sky, and the dark red light illuminated the horizon. All the soul beasts in the Evil Demon Forest prostrated themselves on the ground.
"Twenty years… quite a few new faces this time…"
The Evil Emperor's voice held no restraint, nor did it care who heard its words. With its power, it had no need to worry about such things.
"Lord Ruler, the sacrifices have been brought as promised," Zhongli Wu spoke again.
"I see them," the Evil Emperor replied. As its voice fell, the ground began to ripple slightly. Thick tendrils emerged from the surrounding space.
The moment one of these tendrils touched a youth, his body exploded instantly, turning into a cloud of blood mist that lingered in the air. Only the soul tool used to suppress his soul power fell, landing among the withered leaves on the ground.
The crowd behind, already collapsed on the ground, breathed even more heavily at the horrific sight.
The blood mist slowly rose, merging with the dark red sky. The massive fissure in the air opened and closed slowly, as if the Evil Emperor were savoring the taste.
"Acceptable," the Evil Emperor's voice echoed after a moment.
Zhongli Wu let out a slight breath, visibly relieved.
As the Evil Emperor's voice fell, the eighty carefully selected individuals began to explode one after another. In an instant, the air was filled with thick blood mist, and the pungent smell of blood assaulted everyone's senses.
A Holy Spirit Sect disciple in front of Lin Xiao, witnessing the scene, had his eyes turn bloodshot. Unable to suppress his martial soul, he released it and rushed into the blood mist, greedily inhaling the blood-soaked air.
This disciple seemed to set off a chain reaction. Soon, other disciples, their soul power surging uncontrollably, followed suit and rushed into the blood mist.
Even Lin Xiao, watching the "sacrifices" perish one by one, felt his soul power grow restless. He could almost feel it coursing rapidly through his meridians.
To his surprise, neither the Evil Emperor nor Zhongli Wu stopped the disciples' actions, allowing them to vent freely.
At last, Lin Xiao began to understand why this was considered a "joyous occasion" for the Holy Spirit Sect.