Chapter 738: Prodigies as Sacrifices, Kinsmen as Food

Chapter 738 -190: Prodigies as Sacrifices, Kinsmen as Food

How utterly insane!

…

In the short time it takes for half an incense stick to burn.

The Zhang Tianhao in Zhang Tianyu’s hands had become a withered corpse, nothing but skin and bones.

Yet his hollow eyes remained wide open, unable to rest in peace.

Even at the moment of his death, he couldn’t comprehend why his most trusted cousin and his most revered Ancestor would deliberately lure him into a perilous place, trigger the Pollution Power within him, and then… Devour him like livestock.

“THUD.”

Zhang Tianyu expressionlessly released his grip, casually tossing the light, withered corpse onto the ground covered in decaying leaves.

He slowly closed his eyes, savoring the surging power within his body as a look of intoxicated and twisted pleasure appeared on his face.

Then he opened his eyes, his gaze falling upon the corpse.

He didn’t move an inch. With a mere thought, a flame as black as ink shot out from the depths of his pupils and drifted lightly onto Zhang Tianhao’s withered corpse.

“WHOOSH—”

Although the black flame lacked scorching heat, it was incomparably tyrannical, erupting into a fierce blaze the moment it touched the corpse.

In just a few breaths, the corpse on the ground, along with the surrounding dead leaves, was reduced to a pile of ash. A gust of wind scattered it into the endless, blood-red forest, as if it had never existed at all.

The sky was still a suffocating, dark red, like a giant bruise hanging overhead.

Zhang Tianyu walked slowly over the withered yellow grass. He seemed to be on a leisurely stroll, but his expression was terrifyingly indifferent.

He glanced back at the spot where Zhang Tianhao had turned to ash, his eyes devoid of any emotion. He asked silently in his heart:

‘Ancestor, why did Zhang Tianhao undergo a Demonic Transformation so easily after being controlled to madly absorb this realm’s Heaven and Earth Spiritual Mechanism? Although his temperament was unstable in the past, he was still a prodigy of the clan. His willpower shouldn’t have been so weak.’

“Yu’Er…”

That ancient, sinister voice once again echoed in the depths of Zhang Tianyu’s Sea of Consciousness, tinged with a worldly-wise mockery. “Haven’t you noticed yet… this Profound Origin Secret Realm has long been a Desolate Land. The Spiritual Mechanism of this realm has already been completely polluted.”

“Polluted?” Zhang Tianyu paused.

‘Isn’t the world outside the Profound Origin Secret Realm also polluted?’

‘What’s the difference between inside and outside the Secret Realm?’

“To be precise, the ‘pollution’ here is ten, even a hundred times stronger than in the outside world!”

The Ancestor’s voice grew greedy and excited. “To ordinary people, this is a deadly, gut-rotting poison…”

“I had already planted a Demon Seed in Zhang Tianhao and the others. Their Demonic Transformation was only a matter of time. I merely used a Secret Technique to temporarily suppress it.”

“Once the suppression is lifted and they’re allowed to recklessly absorb this realm’s Heaven and Earth Spiritual Mechanism, which is filled with violence and resentment, it’s like pouring oil on dry firewood. The ‘Pollution Power’ in their bodies will naturally be unleashed completely.”

“This is also why I stopped you from absorbing this realm’s Heaven and Earth Spiritual Mechanism…”

The Ancestor warned, “You are the perfect vessel; you cannot become a Fallen Demon now. You must remain completely lucid. Even if your power stagnates for a time, you must wait patiently for me to Devour all that ‘food’ before I can forge the most perfect demonic body for you.”

“Understood.” Zhang Tianyu’s long eyelashes lowered, his gaze trembling slightly as he buried the last shred of his ‘human’ emotion deep in his heart.

“Go and wait ahead in Black Cloud Valley. It’s the only path to Burial Immortal Valley, and more prey will pass through there.”

Zhang Tianyu nodded slightly and replied obediently, “Yes!”

However, just as he had taken two steps—

Suddenly!

His expression changed abruptly. He stopped, having keenly sensed an unusual fluctuation in the air.

Behind him, a sharp sword gleam tore through the red mist, speeding toward him from the distance.

Although the sword gleam was swift, it carried a sense of weakness and instability.

An imperceptible, cold smirk touched the corners of Zhang Tianyu’s mouth before vanishing instantly. With a flick of his sleeve, he slowly turned around, his face already a mask of alarm and vigilance.

“BZZZT!”

The sword gleam dissipated, landing about sixty feet behind him and revealing the figure of Sword Traceless.

This prodigy from Celestial Sword Mountain, normally so incomparably arrogant, was now in a wretched state.

His face was as white as paper. He staggered a few steps upon landing, nearly collapsing.

His right hand was pressed tightly against his left shoulder, where his clothes were torn. Fresh red blood seeped continuously from between his fingers, dripping onto the withered grass.

“Jian?”

Zhang Tianyu feigned astonishment, taking two quick steps forward before stopping at a perfectly calculated safe distance. “You’re injured?”

He frowned, feigning disbelief. “On this trip to the Secret Realm, with so many prodigies gathered, who could have injured you, Sword Traceless, so grievously? Was it Princess Zhaohua, or Xiao Ziye?”

“Hmph!”

A venomous glint flashed in Sword Traceless’s eyes as he ground out, “It was Wang Yiyi… and that bitch from the Four Symbols Palace, Su Wenqin! She claimed to have formed an alliance with me to kill Wang Yiyi and Lin Xiao, but at the critical moment, she turned on me, colluding with those two in a sneak attack…”

“If I hadn’t reacted quickly and used a Secret Technique, I’m afraid I would have already become another soul claimed by their blades!”

“Su Wenqin from the Four Symbols Palace?” Zhang Tianyu’s expression was indifferent, his tone carrying a trace of dismissive reassurance. “Don’t take it to heart. They’re all just mere jesters, destined to become sacrifices anyway.”

He glanced at the surging Spiritual Mechanism in the surroundings and suggested, “Jian, the Spiritual Mechanism here is exceptionally abundant. Your injuries are quite severe. Why don’t you meditate here and heal? I will be your Guardian.”

“Once you’ve recovered seventy or eighty percent of your strength, we can go find them and settle the score.”

With that, he went straight to a spot on the grass about a hundred feet away from Sword Traceless and sat down cross-legged.

Seeing Zhang Tianyu do this, Sword Traceless’s tense nerves relaxed slightly.

He hesitated for a moment. Being naturally suspicious, he still retreated another few dozen feet to increase the distance before finally sitting down cross-legged.

“Thank you, Zhang.”

Sword Traceless took an Elixir that emanated a medicinal fragrance from his robes, swallowed it, and then closed his eyes to circulate his Profound Skills.