Chapter 534: Chapter 534: Relief

In total, more than thirty people boarded the Flying Ship.

Bai Mo glanced around. Only seven or eight of them could be considered his peers.

Including himself, that was fewer than ten people. It was a clear sign of the hardship to come, as they were expected to handle the majority of the Pill supply for a grand sacrifice.

Due to his unusual schedule, Zhu Tong hadn’t integrated into any of the small cliques.

He stood with Bai Mo at the Flying Ship’s rail, looking down upon the mountains and rivers below.

「The Flying Ship had been away from the sect for over a day.」

The Array on the ship glowed brilliantly, emitting a sharp aura that shattered the astral winds ahead as it thundered forward.

Along the way, Divine Beings were seen observing them. Seven of them gathered together and released a divine light, attempting to block their path.

Before their divine light could even get close, the Flying Ship had already crashed through it. The light shattered like colored glass, leaving behind a clear, azure sky.

The seven Divine Beings scrambled to descend into the landscape below, vanishing to parts unknown.

Suddenly, Zhu Tong pointed downward and exclaimed:

"Hey! That Divine Being down there, the one whipping the waves to speed along—isn’t that one of the ones who just tried to stop us?!"

Bai Mo followed his finger and looked down. He saw a brilliantly golden, crocodile-headed Divine Being lashing the river’s waves with a long whip.

The surging waves carried it forward at lightning speed.

The other Sect Disciples on the Flying Ship also looked down.

"Heh, managing to get ahead of us... This fellow seems to have some skill. Why don’t we capture him?" someone suggested.

As if it had heard the suggestion, the Divine Being below glanced back over its shoulder, then leaped into the river.

After a few turbulent splashes, its figure vanished completely.

Only then did the Red-Eyed Steward speak up with a rebuke.

"Our mission is of the utmost importance. Do not cause any more trouble!"

Only then did the group of Sect Disciples let the matter drop.

Zhu Tong curled his lip and muttered to Bai Mo, "This ship definitely has offensive capabilities. What a shame."

The Flying Ship continued on, the headwinds compressing and rumbling against its bow.

After another day of travel at this pace, they arrived at Five Elements Ridge, a lush and verdant mountain range.

Numerous Sect Disciples were coming and going, and an Array had been set up to block prying eyes. It was rumored that an Elder Level figure was even stationed here.

As everyone leaped down from the Flying Ship, their bodies were immediately scanned twice by Divine Thought. Only then did someone come out to receive them.

"Junior Brother Wen, I’ve brought the people."

The Red-Eyed Steward stepped forward, exchanged greetings with the disciple who had welcomed them, and introduced Bai Mo and the others.

"For this grand sacrifice, the preparation of many resources will depend on these disciples."

The disciple nodded.

"They are all elites of the sect."

He said nothing more after that single sentence, and Bai Mo’s group was led through the mountains.

Along the way, Bai Mo’s gaze swept over the sides of the mountain path, where he saw numerous Spirit Medicines. Ah Er repeatedly tugged at his pant leg to alert him.

Judging by the density of the Spirit Medicines, they were clearly not growing naturally, but had been intentionally planted.

Tian Ru stomped heavily. He had the same thought and intended to probe the secrets of the soil.

Their guides changed several times, and the disciples were each lost in their own thoughts until they were led before a thick, heavy stone door.

"This is a tomb entrance!?"

Beside him, Zhu Tong’s expression changed slightly.

"So we really are holding the ceremony inside a tomb..."

The Red-Eyed Steward stepped forward to help open the tomb entrance, while Bai Mo whispered:

"Senior Brother, why the change in expression?"

Zhu Tong lowered his voice.

"Great tombs are full of strange things. Why do you think the Cultivators of the Golden Jade Peak lineage live such short lives? It’s related to the things found inside tombs..."

BOOM!

With a heavy rumble, the incredibly thick tomb door lifted, revealing a pitch-black passageway.

A five-colored mist permeated the passageway, emanating a unique aura.

The group walked in, immersing themselves in the five-colored qi.

After passing through the long tomb passage, they discovered that it was not at all what they had imagined.

What met their eyes was an incredibly vast stone chamber where disciples skilled in craftsmanship had already completed a tall, eight-sided sacrificial altar.

’They must have knocked down the walls between the original tomb chambers to create such a space.’

Dark passageways led out from the four sides of the stone chamber, each guarded by disciples to prevent unauthorized entry.

There were also some Cultivators with impure auras wandering about, occasionally exchanging a few words with the Sect Disciples.

These were the descendants of the tomb owner’s followers.

HUM! HUM!

Suddenly, two humming sounds rang out as the ground trembled. Countless rays of light spilled from the four walls, filling the air with a profound aura.

Zhu Tong breathed a sigh of relief.

"This place is truly extraordinary. It lacks the ghostly, sinister atmosphere of a typical great tomb. Instead, it’s grand and majestic. The master of this place was truly worthy of one who showed signs of ascending to godhood."

Meanwhile, Bai Mo overheard the Red-Eyed Steward’s conversation with another person.

"The tomb’s master is waking more and more frequently. This is a good omen!"

"The sect’s grand sacrifice consumes countless resources and manpower. His Lordship’s condition is also of critical importance."

"His own path to the Dao is at stake, so the tomb’s master naturally won’t be careless..."

As Bai Mo listened, he lightly nudged the vigilant Ah Er beside him with his foot.

"What are you spacing out for? Take out the gourd!"

’As a Sect Disciple, it isn’t appropriate for me to be openly collecting the five-elemental origin qi in a place like this. It’s better to have my Spirit Beast do it.’

At his command, Ah Er hurriedly pulled the shriveled Qi Storage Gourd from its chest.

The moment it took the gourd out, it had a puzzled look on its face, unsure how to use the thing.

It fumbled with the gourd, squeezing it randomly with its paws. Just as it was about to ask Bai Mo for help, it felt a gentle suction from the gourd’s mouth.

The five-colored qi began to pour into the gourd.

Ah Er breathed a sigh of relief. It watched as the gourd’s body gradually plumped up and its color grew more vivid. Delighted, it hugged the gourd and followed Bai Mo around.

Behind them, Tian Ru and the others reacted in their own ways. Some were indifferent, merely examining the bas-reliefs in the stone chamber.

Others, like Tian Ru, were absorbing the five-elemental qi into their bodies with each breath.

The expression on his face grew increasingly ecstatic.

Bai Mo walked over to a mural and examined its bas-relief carvings.

The carvings depicted numerous auspicious symbols: Divine Maidens ascending to the heavens, dragons and phoenixes bringing prosperity, and exotic beasts paying tribute. It was a rich and complex tapestry.

Even though Bai Mo was no expert in this art, he could still appreciate the exquisite skill of the artisan.

The very spirit of the divine figures and exotic beasts seemed captured within the stone.

Zhu Tong walked over, his expression grave.

"This isn’t an ordinary carving. There’s an Array embedded within it!"

A thought struck Bai Mo.

"I heard the layout here follows a standard formula."

Zhu Tong nodded.

"Which means the Array is part of a legacy, passed down from ancient times."

Bai Mo asked, "Senior Brother, can you tell what this Array is for?"

Zhu Tong touched it, tracing the lines and observing it for a long while before finally voicing his theory.

"It seems to be for channeling or drawing something here."

’When a Divine Being is born, there are no divine messengers or auspicious beasts to deliver a decree, announcing it to the heavens and the earth.’

’It simply means someone in the world has stepped onto the Divine Dao.’

’If the Array is meant for channeling, what could it possibly channel?’

Both of them fell silent.

Bai Mo furrowed his brow, recalling the depictions of sacrifices he had seen. He suddenly asked:

"The divine light during the sacrifice—where does it come from?"

Zhu Tong jolted, realization dawning on him.

"Of course, it’s the divine light!"

"Regardless of where that divine light comes from, the transformation into a Divine Being, the formation of a divine body, is accomplished precisely through that light."

"Junior Brother, look. The divine light is drawn into the bas-reliefs, and the divine figures and exotic beasts upon them gain a faint spark of life, allowing them to move..."

"In the sacrificial paintings we’ve seen, the background decorations... they’re alive!"

Having enlightened each other, their spirits soared.

Bai Mo quickly looked at a carving in the relief, the Child Fanning Fire Painting. Smoke was depicted rising from the Pill Furnace over the fire.

’Could you really refine Pills using divine light?’

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