Zhang Fan was stunned for a moment. He hadn't expected Elder Cangsong to summon him for this.
The sacrifice?
Wasn't that still under discussion?
Did everyone already agree?
"Elder… did the Head give his approval?"
Zhang Fan was excited. He didn't expect to be allowed to carry out the sacrifice so soon. At least now, he wouldn't be helpless anymore.
But Cangsong sneered with disdain.
"The Head? Hmph. Daoxuan is timid as a maggot—indecisive and spineless. How can someone like him lead the sect to greatness?
He hesitates over matters of divine importance.
Has he even considered the consequences of delaying the will of the gods?
The world could be destroyed."
Zhang Fan nodded quietly.
After what they'd already witnessed, hesitation couldn't be tolerated.
Cangsong continued, voice grim:
"Since you have the favor of the gods, why would you tolerate others turning them away in fear?
What about Shuiyue's feelings? Or the concerns of some family head?
When the world collapses, will they regret it then?
By that time, it'll be too late."
Zhang Fan grew pale.
"Then what should I do, Elder Cangsong…?"
He didn't want the world to end. He didn't want to be separated from his senior sister.
Everything Cangsong said… made sense.
How could a sect leader be so weak-willed?
He had once heard that Dao Xuan was merciful, but now it seemed like he simply lacked resolve—"benevolence of a woman," as the saying went.
Seeing that Zhang Fan seemed to agree with him, Cangsong gave a satisfied smile.
He stroked his beard and said proudly:
"I've already awakened my mind consciousness, and my strength has grown immensely.
Daoxuan has been subdued. Now all that remains is for you to perform the sacrificial rite—then we can offer tribute to the gods."
Zhang Fan was speechless.
The Cangsong he had always respected—head of the Disciplinary Hall and known for his uprightness—had... killed the Sect Leader without hesitation?
That was shocking.
Dao Xuan was Qingyun's number one master.
But so what?
Cangsong had cultivated divine insight for only a few days and already surpassed Dao Xuan.
As long as we can resurrect Senior Brother… everything is worth it.
And I'm doing this for the world.
"What do you think?"
Cangsong's gaze turned sharp.
Zhang Fan shivered involuntarily, then quickly nodded.
He'd wanted to worship the gods for a long time. He'd only hesitated because of his master's resistance and Dao Xuan's silence.
But now, there were no more obstacles.
"Elder, how should we proceed with the sacrifice? Should we use a spirit jade altar or something else?"
Cangsong snorted.
"Spirit jade? How could that show the proper reverence to the gods?
I plan to use an entire mountain range to forge a Mountain and River Altar.
You'll understand soon enough. Just remember—tell no one."
Satisfied with Zhang Fan's loyalty, Cangsong departed on a cloud.
Even though he knew the sacrificial ritual, it wouldn't be right without Zhang Fan's participation. After all, without the god's chosen messenger, the gods might not even appear.
Moments later, Cangsong arrived at Dao Xuan's personal hall.
Qingyun's Sect Leader was trapped, completely immobilized by a sealing artifact. He couldn't move a muscle.
As he heard approaching footsteps, Dao Xuan opened his eyes—burning with fury.
"Cangsong! Release me!!"
"Release you?" Cangsong sneered.
"Let you interfere with the sacrifice? You had the chance of a lifetime, and you hesitated. What about the disciples? What about the Spirit Qilin?
Are you going to let the gods destroy the world before you act?"
Dao Xuan clenched his teeth.
"Even so, such things must be planned long-term!
The Spirit Qilin is of great significance. We could choose something else for the sacrifice!"
Cangsong's eyes narrowed.
"And that's why I say—you've insulted the role of Sect Leader."
"What… what did you just say?" Dao Xuan's voice trembled.
He suddenly understood.
He wants to usurp the sect.
Cangsong looked down at him with disdain.
"In my heart, only Senior Brother was worthy to lead Qingyun. You never were.
Once I resurrect him… I will strip you of your title. Until then, stay put."
With that, he extended a finger.
A golden light sealed Dao Xuan's body entirely, leaving him unable to speak.
Then Cangsong turned and walked out of the room.
Unaware that behind him, Dao Xuan's mind was in chaos.
Damn it… so this is what he planned all along.
But—Wan Jianyi isn't even dead!!
Come back! Come back, you bastard—!!
As the door slowly closed, Dao Xuan felt the last of his hope vanish.
If I had known earlier… I should have acted decisively.
Hesitation… only leads to ruin.
In the next few days, under the guise of holding the Sect Leader's command, Cangsong ordered the heads of each peak to begin construction of the altar.
They used five spiritual mountains as the foundation, and a spiritual river as the pulse.
The Mountain and River Altar began to take shape.
All of Qingyun Sect's disciples were mobilized.
The speed of construction was astonishing.
At the same time, a letter was delivered to the Ghost King Sect.
Envoy Baihu, having reviewed its contents, frowned in doubt.
"Sect Leader, are we sure this intel from the spy is reliable?"
The letter claimed that Qingyun Sect intended to use the Spirit Qilin to create a ten-thousand-year Blood Elixir in pursuit of immortality.
Even if they didn't kill the Qilin…
Just that talk of immortality was absurd enough to be laughable.
If immortality were real, wouldn't the world have already been unified long ago?
How could I be manipulated by some beast-level creature for so long?
The Ghost King stared at the letter in silence, his gaze deep and unreadable. Then he spoke flatly,
"Whether it's true or not, we'll find out. As for Qingyun Sect's strength—I'm not concerned."
The Ghost King Sect, having obtained the Heavenly Book, was far superior to most traditional sects.
Qingyun? As long as they didn't wield the Ancient Zhuxian Sword, they were no threat.
In fact, that ancient sword was precisely what piqued the Ghost King's interest.
If that was the case… then it was worth making the trip.
Besides, it wasn't just the Ghost King Sect that had received an invitation—Wandu Sect had received one too.
A few days later...
The construction of the Mountain and River Altar was complete.
Tens of thousands of divine symbols had been inscribed across five mountains according to the sacrificial formation's requirements.
The river below flowed between the five peaks in a precise, spiraling pattern.
The spiritual veins of the land were now fully connected.
The moment the final symbol was carved—
Boom!
The mountains trembled and began to shift.
Countless streams of spiritual energy were drawn in by an invisible force.
The aura thickened, turning into a fog visible to the naked eye.
Shuiyue felt the change and gasped.
"Is this the power of the sacrificial formation? I've never felt spiritual energy this rich in my entire life."
There was an old saying: Heaven blesses the sacred ground.
Training in these five mountains could easily double one's cultivation speed.
Cangsong gazed at the shifting mountains and smiled.
"This divine formation is the most basic technique I've comprehended from the gods. And even this... could be studied for a lifetime."
The other First Elders around him nodded in agreement.
Many had been skeptical about the sacrifice at first—but seeing this?
The benefits were real.
Even just this formation would help Qingyun Sect disciples grow far faster than before.
The shifting mountain range soon came to a halt.
The five peaks now stood like the five elements, perfectly balanced.
The water vein flowed through the earth vein, stabilizing everything.
The true altar had finally taken shape.
Zhang Fan stared at the altar, moved by a sudden realization. He turned to the others.
"Elders, now is the time. We should invite the Spirit Qilin to enter!"
If the altar wasn't active, it would be difficult to lure the Spirit Qilin inside.
Now, with the aura at its peak—this was the best opportunity.
Cangsong chuckled approvingly.
"Indeed. Someone, summon the Spirit Qilin to bathe in the altar's spiritual mist!"
He heavily emphasized the last four words.
Immediately, Qi Ritian led a group down the mountain to fetch the Spirit Qilin.
Meanwhile, deep beneath the spiritual lake, the slumbering Water Qilin had already sensed the powerful shift in aura.
Its massive head emerged from the water, eyes filled with curiosity.
Qi Ritian smiled politely.
"Respected Spirit Qilin, the sect has recently discovered a new formation technique. The spiritual energy has grown immensely. The Elders have ordered us to relocate you to a more suitable place. Would you be willing?"
"Roar!"
The Water Qilin gave an excited cry.
Finally!
The disciples of Qingyun Sect actually remembered to treat it properly!
It had once fought side by side with the sect's founder. It wasn't a mere pet.
Splashing out of the lake, it galloped toward the Mountain and River Altar in the distance.
With spiritual energy raining down like mist, the Qilin was already in bliss just approaching it.
If I get to sleep here every day, it'll be paradise!
The Water Qilin, full of enthusiasm, failed to notice the mocking sneers of the disciples behind it.
"Hmph, brainless thing. As soon as it hears 'spiritual energy,' it comes running. All it does is eat and sleep."
"Right? Remember how it tried to scare us the first time we met it? What divine beast—just a big cat!"
The Qilin quickly reached the altar.
The dense aura wrapped around its body, and it rolled in place contentedly, tail swishing.
What happened next was even stranger—
The Qilin's body was massive. Normally, its sheer weight would have shattered a mountain.
Yet the altar remained perfectly intact.
The Mountain and River Altar seemed specifically built to withstand its presence.
Watching it roll, Cangsong smiled.
"Now that step one is complete, it's time for step two.
Shuiyue, have your disciple bathe and change robes for the offering."
At that, the surrounding Elders paused, confused.
Shuiyue turned pale.
"What… what do you mean?"
Cangsong's expression turned cold.
"What do I mean? We are preparing to offer a sacrifice to the gods—a holy rite.
There are no married women in our sect. No other female disciple with talent matches the requirement.
Therefore, shouldn't your disciple Xueqi be the one to offer herself?"
His aura flared, weighing heavily on everyone around him.
Only now did the Elders realize—
Cangsong's power had far surpassed theirs.
Tian Buyi suddenly remembered something and cried out:
"You've cultivated the Meditation Method!"
Cangsong raised his chin proudly.
"Indeed. The god's teachings are divine.
I broke through in only a few days—something you never imagined."
"I want to see the Sect Leader!" Shuiyue shouted, unwilling to accept this.
But she was instantly bound by cold iron chains, unable to move.
From Luoxia Peak, Elder Tianyun growled through clenched teeth:
"I knew something was wrong. That's why the Head hasn't appeared—you've restrained him too!"
Cangsong didn't deny it.
"So what? An ignorant coward like him should never have led us.
I never accepted him. In my heart, only Senior Brother Wan Jianyi is the true Sect Leader!"
His sharp gaze swept the room.
One by one, the Elders fell to their knees, overwhelmed by the oppressive force of his presence.
None of them had expected this.
In just a few short days… Cangsong's strength had surpassed them all.