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Chapter 418: The Evil Altar

"Yes," Bei Qingsi nodded.

"Put your hand in and try to catch the stars you like," Zhong Shan said, smiling at the basin.

Bei Qingsi looked at Zhong Shan, a complex emotion flickering in her eyes.

"Go on, try it!" Zhong Shan urged with a playful smile.

"Alright," Bei Qingsi nodded gently and dipped her hand into the basin.

The reflections of the stars seemed to fall into her palm as she reached in.

"Catch them, catch them!" Zhong Shan encouraged.

Bei Qingsi's hand grasped at the water as if truly capturing the stars in her hand. She did this several times, each time finding joy rather than boredom, gradually brightening her mood.

"I caught them, I caught them!" Bei Qingsi said with a smile.

Seeing Bei Qingsi's happy expression, Zhong Shan smiled warmly.

Unknowingly, a long time had passed.

Zhong Shan glanced at the sky and said to Bei Qingsi, "Keep this. At least every night, you'll have the starry sky with you."

"Thank you," Bei Qingsi said, smiling as she placed the black basin on her lap.

"Alright, I should go now. If your suitors find me, I'll be in trouble," Zhong Shan said with a slight smile. He bid Bei Qingsi farewell and made his way down the mountain.

As Bei Qingsi watched Zhong Shan's receding figure, her previous smile faded. Biting her lip, she watched until he disappeared from sight, tears slipping down her cheeks and into the basin, creating ripples in the water.

Three days later, leaders from different regions gathered in the valley, each bringing people who had recently activated their Divine Seals, converging in Wu City.

Zhong Shan strolled through the city with Old Zhao.

"Marshal Zhong, I know you're a smart man and an excellent persuader," Old Zhao said during their walk, making it hard for others to overhear.

"Old Zhao, whatever you need, just say it," Zhong Shan replied.

"I suspect we might have arrived at the headquarters," Old Zhao said gravely.

"Oh?" Zhong Shan looked puzzled.

"I saw some high-ranking officials from the Jin Dynasty. Many of them hold real power, and I've met them before," Old Zhao explained.

"Old Zhao, are you suggesting that the Jin Emperor is the so-called 'master'? That the Jin Dynasty is full of Demon Legion members?" Zhong Shan asked, surprised.

"It's very possible. So, with just those thirty-some people from the Longevity Realm, we can't kill the master," Old Zhao said, looking around cautiously.

Zhong Shan frowned.

"What do you suggest, Old Zhao?" Zhong Shan asked, still frowning.

"We need all the people from the Longevity Realm to come here, and quickly. I have a feeling that the master's grand plan is nearing completion," Old Zhao said.

"And?" Zhong Shan asked curiously.

"These people from the Longevity Realm are too arrogant. They definitely won't want to come. That's why I need you, the strong persuader, to convince them. If they fail, they can flee. But if we fail, we'll face the master's punishment. We can't afford to lose!" Old Zhao said, looking directly at Zhong Shan.

Zhong Shan understood the gravity of the situation. He nodded and said, "I'll do my best to convince them, Old Zhao. We must succeed."

Old Zhao nodded, his face showing both determination and anxiety. The stakes were high, and failure was not an option.

"Marshal Zhong understands!" Zhong Shan nodded.

Then, Zhong Shan continued to stroll through the streets for a while. In a store marked with the character 'Rong,' he left a message before leaving. It was a shop belonging to the Da Rong Merchant Guild.

At the gathering of the group:

"We must go!" Zhong Shan declared.

"What can't I handle?" Bing Xuan retorted coldly.

The other members of the Longevity Realm shook their heads, evidently very confident in their abilities, given their many experts at the Convergence stage.

Zhong Shan looked at everyone, shaking his head before focusing on Bing Xuan. "The Jin Emperor is at least of the Imperial Realm. If he is indeed the demon leader, are you confident you can handle him?"

Bing Xuan sneered.

"What if the Jin Emperor has the Divine Seal, further increasing his power to the Emperor Realm? Can you handle that?" Zhong Shan continued.

Upon hearing this, everyone frowned.

"Indeed, your cultivation levels are high, but don't forget, we're in Wu City, surrounded by thousands of troops and numerous Convergence stage generals. If they activate their Divine Seals, how many can you handle?" Zhong Shan said earnestly.

The crowd hesitated after hearing Zhong Shan's words.

"Martial Uncle, you are the most familiar with this area. Please inform the other three factions of the Longevity Realm and have them come here quickly!" Bei Qingsi suggested.

Bing Xuan looked at Bei Qingsi and then at Zhong Shan, frowning heavily before finally nodding in agreement.

Jin Dynasty, Imperial Palace, Court Hall

A man in black robes sat on the throne, wearing a flat crown, his face extremely pale with a hint of green light emanating from his eyes. He was the Jin Emperor.

In the long court hall, only one person stood in the ministers' area—Monk Sekong.

The grand doors of the hall were closed, and only the two of them were present.

"Sekong, how are things progressing?" the Jin Emperor asked calmly.

Sekong replied with utmost respect, "Those who were supposed to come have mostly arrived. Nine groups of people, their hearts and souls have all been delivered to the altar, along with about three thousand people with activated Divine Seals."

"Three thousand? Heh, these are the ones who were captured and implanted with the Divine Seal during their cultivation, right?" the Jin Emperor asked nonchalantly.

"Yes! These are not the ones trained from childhood. There is a chance they might betray us," Sekong replied respectfully.

"Well, then let them observe the ceremony," the Jin Emperor nodded.

"But? How can they observe the ceremony alongside the death warriors?" Sekong frowned.

"The dragon vein's fortune has already weakened significantly. If it's not enough, we can use their blood, flesh, and souls to supplement it. Those who wake up can be used by me," the Jin Emperor said calmly.

"Understood!" Sekong nodded, immediately grasping the emperor's intention.

"When I begin, I must not be disturbed by any external forces, or all will be lost. Although your cultivation is low, you are the one I trust the most. Take my token and guard Wu City. Do not let anything interrupt my dark ritual," the Jin Emperor commanded.

"Yes!" Sekong responded immediately.

"The time is set for tomorrow night, the night of the full moon," the Jin Emperor declared.

"Yes!" Sekong bowed with utmost reverence.

The day after Bing Xuan left, Old Zhao summoned everyone.

"Follow me to meet the master immediately!" Old Zhao's eyes flashed with concern.

The group, now aware of the grave situation, moved quickly, prepared for the impending confrontation with their formidable foe.

Upon hearing Old Zhao's instructions, everyone was slightly taken aback. So soon? Their Martial Uncle had only left a day ago!

"When can your people reach more of the Longevity Realm members?" Old Zhao asked, looking worriedly at Bei Qingsi.

"It should be soon! At least the stronger ones should arrive shortly," Bei Qingsi replied, frowning.

"Alright, follow me later, and don't say anything until we meet the master. Don't speak a word," Old Zhao instructed.

"Understood," everyone nodded.

They followed Old Zhao out of the small courtyard. They were in the eastern courtyard, while other courtyards were also filled with people. The leaders merely exchanged nods and led their groups out of the valley in silence.

Outside the valley, Sekong was waiting.

"You are the last group. Follow me quickly!" Sekong urged.

"Alright," everyone nodded.

Soon, Sekong led them to the imperial palace. Outside the palace, a eunuch took over Sekong's task and led the approximately one thousand people into the palace.

As they entered, Sekong noticed someone among them—Zhong Shuai! Sekong found Zhong Shuai's back familiar but couldn't quite place it. In the meantime, the group had disappeared from Sekong's sight. He shook his head, dismissing the thought, and returned to his duties.

Zhong Shan followed the thousand people deeper into the palace. The surroundings were filled with restrictive formations, seemingly to prevent external threats, and there were many guards stationed around.

The eunuch led them to a hall with a large underground entrance. The group descended into the hall, illuminated by numerous night pearls.

Below, Zhong Shan found a massive underground space, twice the size of a soccer field he had seen in his youth. It was a vast underground chamber.

The edges were lined with people, around nine thousand in total.

However, the number of people was not the main concern. What lay in the underground space was horrifying. Strange, sinister-looking trenches crisscrossed the floor like runes, connecting to three large pools at the edges.

Three enormous pools, each filled with something vile. One pool contained soul stones, including the ones Zhong Shan had recently submitted. The second pool was filled with human hearts, a massive mound of hearts numbering in the millions, congealed with blood and crawling with maggots.

The third pool was even more horrific—filled with dead infants, still attached to their placentas, indicating they were ripped from their mothers' wombs. The sight was beyond gruesome.

These pools, filled with unspeakable evil, were connected by the trenches to a central circular jade platform. The platform emitted a faint yellow glow and was inscribed with many jade runes, looking incredibly eerie.

"This is an altar!" Mr. Corpse whispered to Zhong Shan.

Zhong Shan's expression hardened. The situation was worse than he had imagined. The evil nature of the altar, combined with the grotesque offerings in the pools, indicated a dark ritual of unimaginable malice.

Everyone stood in stunned silence, the horrifying scene rendering them speechless. The sinister energy in the chamber was palpable, sending shivers down their spines.