Chapter 61 Sacrifice

  After all, for the sake of annexing the Lingzong Sect, Lan Yun Zhenren had been planning for many years. When everything was under his control, a variable suddenly appeared. Although this variable seemed to have little impact on the overall situation (at least that's what he thought), it was still better to confirm it.

  "Gentlemen, please take a rest at the back mountain for now. Tomorrow will be the second round of the trial. Remember that tomorrow's theme is Linghuo. As for how it will be tested, I won't elaborate here. Just look at your jade cards and input a true yuan force into them. The results will appear in four colors: red, yellow, green, and black. Those with red and yellow can continue to participate tomorrow, while those with green and black, please leave."

  The old Daoist's words were quite elegant, but the faces of some of the cultivators below immediately changed color. It wasn't until now that most people realized this trial was actually an elimination round.

  Suddenly, waves of light appeared on the square, and the appearance of black and green lights was always accompanied by sighs and helplessness. However, Sun Ming was puzzled - how could a failed trial be like losing a close relative? Fortunately, at this time, yellow light flashed from the Lingxing and Lingyu spirit tablets, and the elders all breathed a sigh of relief. Sun Ming's master saw the confusion on his face and asked.

  "What's wrong with you standing there tomorrow?"

  "Master, I don't understand something. Why do these eliminated craftsmen sigh so much? Is winning or losing in a competition really that important?" Sun Ming asked doubtfully.

  "Hehe, your performance just now really made me look at you in a new light. The top three of this trial will be able to choose any material from the Holy Alliance's warehouse, and all the top ten will receive guidance from the seniors of the Holy Alliance's equipment repair school. You know, for these small door schools' equipment repairers, this is a rare opportunity."

  "What's the big deal? Is there something impressive?" Sun Ming said, with Yun Zhongzi Master here, in the entire cultivation world and even the immortal world, who has the qualifications to teach me alchemy, but on the surface still pretending to be nonchalant.

  Ling Xing had a defeated expression on his face, looking at Sun Ming with an almost idiotic gaze and said: "I don't know if you're really stupid or pretending to be stupid? That's the sacred alliance's Qixiu lineage!"

  "What's wrong with the artifact refinement of the Holy Alliance?" Sun Ming was still pretending to be stupid on the side.

  "Hehe, let me explain it to you. The Sacred Alliance's Qixiu and Danxiu are collectively known as the Sacred Alliance's Double Oddities. Although Danxiu doesn't have much to do with us for now, Qixiu is indeed very formidable. According to the Supreme Elder of the Alliance, among all the artifact-refining sects in the entire cultivation world, only one can rival our Artifact Spirit Sect - and that's the Sacred Alliance's Qixiu. It's said they even surpass us. Moreover, the Sacred Alliance's Qixiu is rumored to possess the ancient true refining method for artifacts, which is truly formidable." Tianyi explained slowly.

  "But even if the Sacred Alliance's Qixiu lineage is powerful, it's still part of the Sacred Alliance. As a disciple of Qilingshan, I am now and will be in the future. I won't go to any Qixiu lineage." Sun Ming said firmly, but instead of receiving encouragement, he heard laughter.

  "What are you old men laughing at?" Sun Ming asked in puzzlement.

  "Haha, Lingming, it seems that you've been possessed by the scriptures of our sect. Although my sect has sealed off the mountain, we don't oppose exchange between different sects. Otherwise, how would the senior elders of our sect have sent us two to reside in Xuan Du Star?"

  "Yes, it's just that you've agreed to go to the Holy Alliance with Kong Wu Lao Dao for a period of time to cultivate the art of refining instruments. We won't blame you for that. Mutual exchange is originally the best driving force for the progress of refiners. In the early days when our ancestors first created the Instrument Spirit Sect, the techniques were not as advanced as they are now. The achievements we have made in recent days are inseparable from the efforts of our predecessors who sought to learn from others." said Mu Xin Dao.

  "Why was the mountain still sealed later?" Sun Ming asked in confusion; "If it was so severe back then, why seal the mountain again."

  "This piece of history that has been sealed for thousands of years, you wouldn't know anything else about it except for the Dao Demon War back then. So today, I'll just make it clear to all of you." said Mu Xin Dao.

  "A thousand years ago, the Great War of Dao and Magic began. At first, it was just like any other war, with small-scale skirmishes here and there, nothing out of the ordinary. But as time went on, the situation spiralled out of control for us cultivators. Planet after planet fell, enraging the then-Alliance Master, Gong Shi San Ren. He ignored the agreement between the Dao and Magic factions that Saints would not participate in the war, and personally dispatched ten Saints to scout ahead. The result was chilling - only one returned, severely injured, and soon died after bringing back news."

  "Ten scattered immortals? Are they all dead? What's so formidable about the demonic path that it can have such an effect?" Just as Sun Ming was about to ask, Ling Yu on the side asked first.

  "It's not a thing, it's a demon head, a real demon head. Later, it was said to have descended into the world through the reverse channel." Yu Ting said with a bitter smile.

  "Reversing the same path? Descending to the mortal world, didn't he have the cultivation of a spiritual demon in the demonic realm? How could such a thing descend to the mortal world through reversing the same path?" Ling Xing exclaimed, her small face filled with fear.

  "Yes, at that time, no one expected that such a terrible demon would be helping the demonic path's cultivation. For a while, the entire cultivation world was in a state of panic, and there were even scenes where cultivators begged for mercy from the demons." Tianyi seemed to know something as he sighed and said.

  "What happened later? What happened then?" Sun Ming asked anxiously, after all, anyone who heard such a thing would be deeply attracted to it.

  "It's related to our Qilingshu later on, anyway." Mingxin said with a look of melancholy.

  Later, with the advent of the demonic path, our Qiling Sect's then leader, Yan Lian True Person, disregarding the objections of the elders at that time, insisted on refining the first sealed magic treasure in the cultivation world, the Demon Refining Vessel.

  "Refine the Devil Bottle." When Sun Ming heard this, his facial expression froze, and then it was a face of grief and indignation.

  "What's wrong with the Alchemy Bottle? Why isn't anyone saying anything?" Ling Xing and Ling Yu asked from the side.

  "The Demon Refining Bottle is a forbidden artifact for our sect, although some disciples with ulterior motives have always known the method of refining it. However, since our founding ancestor obtained the refining method from an ancient cultivation site, only one has been refined, and that was over a thousand years ago to deal with that spirit demon." said Dusk Court.

  "The most difficult part of refining this treasure is not the method, but the materials. It requires forty-nine cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage or above to sacrifice their lives during the refinement process. Once the bottle is complete, it will naturally contain the fierce Heavenly Fire, capable of purging demons and rivaling top-grade immortal artifacts." Sun Ming knew the refining method for this Demon Purification Bottle and slowly spoke it out.

  "Could it be that the former leader of the Flame Sect really refined this thing? Seventy-seven forty-nine is the fusion period and above for cultivators, and must also be an alchemist. The sect back then actually paid such a great price for the peace of the cultivation world." Ling Xing said, her eyes already welling up with tears.

  "Tomorrow, I didn't expect that your sect would also have such a generous and tragic event, it's really admirable." Yun Zhongzi said.

  "In that year, including the leader, forty-nine alchemists sacrificed their lives to successfully refine the Demon-suppressing Vessel and subdue the evil spirit. Our sect, Qilingshen, was then praised by the Holy Alliance as the number one alchemy sect in the cultivation world. Unfortunately, after a great war, our sect suffered heavy losses and had to seal off the mountain for a thousand years. Who would have thought that a thousand years later, some despicable people would come to challenge us? It's truly disheartening." Tianhuo sighed.

  "Haha, why be so sentimental, Tian Huo Shidi? Since someone values this empty title, let them take it and go. What's the big deal? Our Qiling Sect has paid too much for this name." Tian Huo said with a smile.

  "Master, what happened to the Magic Refining Bottle later?" Sun Ming asked.

  "Heh heh, this Magic Bottle later became the heirloom of our Qīng Líng Sect, passed down through generations. I wonder who has it now?" asked Mù Xīn with a smile.

  "The token of the sect, well, that's it. I still want to take it back and study it, see if there's a way to achieve the same effect without paying such a heavy price. Otherwise, the deaths of those 49 seniors would be in vain." Sun Ming said with a smile.

  "Heh heh, as long as you have this intention, after this matter is over, when you return to the sect, just tell Tian Yan that I let you borrow it to take a look. That kid shouldn't be unwilling." Zan Xin said with some relief.

  "Yun Luan, come here for a moment." Lan Xian True Person beckoned to Mu Rong Yun Luan who was standing aside.

  "Master of the Alliance, you're looking for me? Is there something going on?" Murong Yunfan replied excitedly, clearly thrilled to have just stolen the spotlight from Sun Ming.

  "How about it, are you confident that you can take the first place in all three trials?" Lan Xian Zhenren was quite amiable at this moment, just like a kind old neighbor.

  "Hmm, of course there's information. That disciple from the Instrument Spirit Sect almost caught up to me just now. Hmph, you've offended Mu Rong Yun Luan, and I'll let you taste the flavor of failure." Just thinking about Sun Ming, Mu Rong Yun Luan's heart was stirred with waves of emotion, but thinking about his expression just now made him even angrier.

  "I'm sure your master has also told you that, although this trial is a foregone conclusion for you, it's essential to go all out and make those turtles from the Qilingshan Sect know who the true 'Number One Artifact Repair School' is." Lan Yunzhu suddenly regained his usual haughty demeanor as he spoke to Murong Yunrui.

  "Got it." Although he didn't quite agree with the sect's methods in his heart, he still casually agreed.

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