Chapter 511: Evil Cultivation (2)

Chapter 511: Chapter 337: Evil Cultivation (2)

Her Spirit grew hazy, her Qi and Blood circulating on their own as illusions seemed to appear around her.

An intense feeling of mania and agitation washed over her; even Ning Qiyang, an Innate Martial Artist, found herself affected.

“Demon Ghosts appear; the world crumbles.”

“The heavens are unkind; the earth is unjust.”

“…”

Ning Qiyang, however, could control herself. The ordinary Believers around her could not. They reacted with frenzied excitement, scrambling to their feet. Their eyes were bloodshot, their expressions twisted and savage, and they hysterically repeated the chant in a low roar.

Ning Qiyang’s expression flickered. She immediately rose as well, schooling her features and pretending to chant in a low voice.

She saw the eight black-robed figures holding infants arrive before the high platform. The tallest among them reached out and tapped the platform. A mechanism seemed to trigger, and eight hollows appeared on its surface.

The eight black-robed figures placed the struggling, wailing infants into the hollows. Then, the tall figure tapped the platform again.

SNAP!!

The sound was accompanied by what seemed to be the crackle of flesh and bone. The infants’ cries came to an abrupt end.

GURGLE GURGLE!!

Then, crimson blood flowed down through channels on the high platform.

Inside the mountain cave, the bloody radiance intensified. On the nine-story pagoda, the right arm of the Yin Mother Statue, which appeared to be made of Blood Jade, grew even more intensely crimson.

“Demon Ghosts appear!! The world crumbles!!”

“The heavens are unkind!! The earth is unjust!!”

“…”

All the Believers were consumed by an extreme fanaticism. Feeling no guilt whatsoever, they felt only that some inner shackle had been released.

‘These monsters!!’

A savage glint flashed in Ning Qiyang’s eyes, but before she could react, the tall, black-robed figure spoke again, his voice like a rhythmic chant.

“The time has come for your devotion! Offer your flesh, blood, and souls! Merge with the great Yin Mother, and you will be reborn in another world—ageless and Undying, free from sickness and disaster! Death is life, and life is death!!”

The voice of the robed figure echoed throughout the cave. Then, the circle of black-robed figures lining the walls began to move.

They threw back their black robes, revealing weapons that glinted coldly. But they did not attack. Instead, they drew the weapons and tossed them toward the crowd of frenzied Believers.

One by one, the Believers picked up the weapons.

SQUELCH!!

When the first frenzied Believer plunged a weapon into the person beside them, the gush of blood, the acrid stench, and the crazed killing intent were like a spark to a powder keg.

Everyone descended into a mad brawl, fighting and killing each other. Viscous blood flowed onto the ground, from which vines resembling blood vessels began to sprout, rapidly consuming the flesh and gore that littered the floor.

‘This is bad!!’

Ning Qiyang dodged the attacks of several zealous Believers, her expression changing dramatically.

She had never imagined that they had gathered the Believers not to relocate them, nor to pass down some directive, nor even for a routine Evil Cultivation ritual—but to use the Believers as a blood sacrifice to feed the Evil Cult Statue!!

‘Believers are the foundation of any Evil Cultivation. This insane act is tantamount to suicide. Or… because their operations have been exposed, are they preparing to abandon their activities in Heqing Dao entirely and conduct a full-scale relocation?!’

‘Relocating an Evil Cultivation isn’t as simple as just moving the Evil Cult Statue to another place.’

‘Moving a complete Evil Cult Statue inevitably creates a significant disturbance. Even with a master of Escape Techniques at the Divine Techniques realm, such a commotion would be nearly impossible to hide. Otherwise, back when the Evil Cult Statue in Guming County was accidentally exposed, the organization behind it would never have had the power to simply let it be dealt with and not intervene.’

‘It wasn’t that they didn’t want to act—they couldn’t!’

‘Now, with two of the Six Pillars here in person and spies covering every corner of Heqing Dao, the slightest disturbance will be exposed. The risk of moving the Evil Cult Statue at a time like this is unimaginable.’

‘A confrontation with the Imperial Court’s forces would be all but inevitable.’

‘Are these people behind the scenes really preparing to clash head-on with the Six Pillars, who carry the weight of an imperial mandate?!’

‘This discovery sent a chill down her spine. Such intelligence is crucial; it has to get out, no matter what. And now that the Believers have started killing each other, I can’t stay hidden any longer.’

‘I need to use the emergency contact method to send the message immediately, then find a way to escape. Even if I can’t escape, I have to hold out for a while. With the Divine Techniques of those two lords, they will definitely be able to lock onto my position and ensure my safety.’

However, just as she was about to act, a sinister, eerie child’s laugh echoed in Ning Qiyang’s ears.

“Hee hee hee, a ‘rat’ did sneak in after all. See? I told you. Devouring the Believers at this juncture carries a huge risk of exposure.”

In that instant, her body froze as if struck by an Immobilization Technique. Uncanny palms emerged from the ground—Ghost Hands escaping from Hell—and wrapped themselves tightly around her body.

She struggled to turn her head and saw two figures in black robes and cloaks standing in a corner of the cave, though she didn’t know when they had appeared.

One was very short, seemingly a child. The other was tall and built like an iron pagoda. The one who had just spoken was the child.

‘A master of Divine Techniques?!’

Ning Qiyang understood immediately. With her unshakeable will, she assessed the situation, and a look of grim resolve appeared in her eyes.

‘Even if I die, I must get the intelligence from this place out!’

‘This is my duty as one of the Twelve Earthly Branches of the Celestial Net Department.’

‘Besides, these monsters who align themselves with evil deserve their just punishment!’

BOOM!!

She seemed to activate some kind of Secret Technique. A shadowy Primordial Qi erupted from her body as blood trickled from her seven orifices.

As her Primordial Qi flared, the Transformation Technique disguise unraveled. Her figure grew taller, her skin fairer. The middle-aged face of Zhang Qiu Fen gave way to a sharp, heroic face framed by short hair.

The Ghost Hands wrapping her body were thrown off by the instantaneous burst of power. She reached a hand toward her own heart, as if to trigger some hidden Technique she had prepared in advance.

But in the next moment, a feeling of powerlessness washed over her. Her fair, firm skin rapidly wrinkled and shriveled. Her black hair fell out in clumps. Her clothes aged in an instant, becoming filthy and tattered. Foul-smelling pus trickled from her armpits, and her body emitted a nauseating odor. Even within her own consciousness, a feeling of self-loathing began to bloom.

Calamity Technique: Celestial Human Five Declines!

Under the terrifying Divine Techniques of a master, a mere Innate Martial Artist—especially one not skilled in direct confrontation—had little power to resist.

SQUELCH! SQUELCH!!

One Ghost Hand after another pierced her decaying body. Her Spirit and consciousness were fading fast.

“One of the Celestial Net Department’s Twelve Earthly Branches, is it? For a mere Innate Martial Artist to infiltrate this deeply without being detected… the Imperial Court really does have some talented people. Any closer, and our location would have been exposed.”

“Aren’t you going to let the statue absorb the corpse? The flesh and blood of an Innate Martial Artist is a fine sacrifice.”

“There’s no need. One of the two who came this time is Marquis Xuanping, Jin Ce. You should be aware of his Divine Techniques.”

“The Nine Seals of Heaven and Earth, you mean? A monstrous ability, indeed. Backed by an imperial mandate, he can ignore the costs to the greatest extent. It’s troublesome. It seems some intelligence will inevitably be exposed this time.”

“It doesn’t matter. We were prepared for this before the operation began. They won’t find us any time soon.”

“Then, dispose of the body. Leaving it here will be a problem.”

“Of course…”

In the last moments before her consciousness faded, Ning Qiyang heard fragments of their conversation. Then, she sank completely into an endless darkness, never to awaken.

「Elsewhere.」

Heqing Dao, Celestial Net Department Garrison Command.

Yang Zhongyuan was having tea with two men. Despite being the Governor of Heqing Dao, he was seated in a subordinate position, personally pouring tea for his two guests.

One of them was a tall man with a rugged face. He wore no official uniform, only a simple black robe. He had a full beard and shoulder-length black hair, and his mere presence was intensely intimidating.

One of the Six Pillars of the Court, Marquis Wei Lie, Wan Fayan.

The other man wore a white robe. He was of average height, with a face as handsome as jade and an elegant, graceful demeanor. He looked like an ageless, noble scholar, but his eyes held an incredible depth.

The other of the Six Pillars of the Court, Marquis Xuanping, Jin Ce.

The men were drinking tea and discussing the latest developments in the Heqing Dao investigation when suddenly, the handsome, white-robed man’s brow furrowed slightly, drawing the attention of both Yang Zhongyuan and Wan Fayan.

“Si Snake’s Life Fire has been extinguished.”

Jin Ce said softly.