Chapter 211 They Are Dying!

The human bones on the altar were of their ancestors, the very cultivator who had cursed the Liang family back then. Of course, they preferred to call themselves curse masters. It was said that this ability was obtained by their ancestor in a dangerous place, and ever since, the Murong clan had completely risen. If it hadn't been for the Liang family's intervention back then, the Murong clan would likely have dominated the entire Eastern Wilderness by now! Alas, there were no "ifs." Their ancestor, merely having glimpsed the path, had encountered those bandits from the Liang family! If the Murong family hadn't relocated this branch in advance, they might have perished long ago. Thus, they fled into the deep mountains with their ancestor's legacy. Fortunately, heaven favored the Murong clan. Over ten thousand years ago, a genius appeared in the clan. Although he couldn't further develop the power of curses, he found a way to revive the Old Ancestor! For over ten thousand years, elite disciples of the Murong clan, generation after generation, had nourished the Old Ancestor's remains with their vital blood, only to die themselves. To ensure the purity of their bloodline, they all married within the clan. Cousins, siblings. Even parents and children. For revenge, they no longer cared about such things! While the purity of their bloodline was maintained, the disciples' lifespans were greatly reduced, even less than ordinary mortals. By their current generation, they were almost on the verge of extinction! However, their efforts were finally about to bear fruit. Now, only the last talisman was missing! Within a month at most, the Old Ancestor would be fully resurrected! Then, under the Old Ancestor's leadership, they would reclaim what rightfully belonged to them, and the Murong family would regain its former glory! The sacrifices of Murong Tie and others were regrettable, but they were worthwhile! The descendants of the Murong family would forever remember them, just as the disciples who died before them for the sake of reviving the Old Ancestor. Suddenly, as if sensing something, the clan leader glanced towards the cave entrance again. The next moment, a peculiar combination appeared in his sight. At the front of the procession was a young cultivator, followed by four men of similar age. These five individuals' cultivation was not high, appearing to be only at the Qi Refining realm. However, that was not the point. The crucial detail was that the four men were carrying a gleaming, polished large coffin on their shoulders! Perched on the coffin was a small fox and a small creature, indistinguishable as a dog or a wolf. Following behind the procession were three spirit beasts: a tall, magnificent white horse; a pure white celestial crane; and a resplendent, multicolored peacock. The clan leader and the few villagers who had come to report were bewildered. What in the world were these? Why hadn't the cave entrance's grand formation triggered an alarm when they first entered? Wait a moment... Something was wrong! What the little fox was gnawing on... Why did it look so much like the keystone of the formation at the entrance? Damn it! Not "looked like"! It was exactly that! The clan leader and the villagers immediately took a few steps forward, assuming defensive postures. These things had appeared too strangely! They had to stop them! They absolutely could not allow them to disrupt the Old Ancestor's resurrection ritual! They were prepared to pay with their lives for it! At Er Ha's signal, the group of five stopped about ten meters away. "Our allies are bleeding!" Er Ha extended a paw and pointed at the people around the altar. "Get to work!" "Yes, Brother Ha!" The group of five responded, gently placing the coffin on the ground. Then, with extremely kind smiles on their faces, they began to walk towards the altar. The illusion of the cavern was somewhat dim, and the group of five was shrouded in a layer of shadow, appearing rather dark. Yet, strangely, their rows of small white teeth seemed to defy the laws of optics, appearing exceptionally dazzling! "Halt!" the clan leader commanded sternly. "If you take another step forward, don't blame me for being impolite!" Due to their reckless practices, their cultivation talents were limited, and their realms were not particularly high. However, dealing with five mere Qi Refining rookies was more than enough. The reason they hadn't attacked immediately was to avoid making noise that would disturb the disciples performing the ritual. "They are injured," the leader of the group of five pointed at the people around the altar. "They need treatment." His words seemed to activate some mysterious power. The clan leader and the few villagers were horrified to find themselves suddenly unable to move! Their true qi, their curse power, everything felt sealed! They couldn't move their bodies at all, and they couldn't even speak! They panicked. They hadn't seen the opponents use any means, yet they were immobilized... If they were truly interrupted, the Murong family's ten thousand years of sacrifice would be in vain! "Don't be nervous, we are professionals." The leader of the group of five gently patted the clan leader's shoulder. "They will no longer be in pain soon." With that, the group of five walked towards the altar. Upon reaching the vicinity of the altar, the disciples performing the ritual were also immediately affected. They couldn't move! Their mouths couldn't open at all! For some reason, despite the smiles appearing friendly and kind, they sent chills down their spines... Approaching, the group of five began to scrutinize the individuals, seemingly contemplating whom to "treat" first. Er Ha and the little fox hopped down from the coffin. The peacock beside them stretched its neck, ready to play music. Suddenly, an ancient and majestic voice boomed, "What insignificant beings dare to run amok in my Murong family's territory!" A mass of dark green light shot out from the pile of white bones, striking the group of five fiercely. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! The bodies of the group of five, like kites with broken strings, crashed heavily in front of Er Ha and the others. They lay on the ground with their eyes tightly shut, motionless. A faint dark green aura enveloped their skin, and their breathing grew increasingly weak... "Damn it! You dare to touch my people?!" Er Ha instantly became enraged and was about to fight to the death! "Brother Ha," the peacock, the designated death assessor, intervened. "The life forces of these five are extremely weak, they could die at any moment. The priority now is to save them!" "Retreat!" Er Ha gritted his teeth and hatefully issued the order. Then, with one person in each mouth, he tossed the group of five onto the backs of the three spirit beasts and flew away with the coffin. As Er Ha's army departed, the Murong clan members inside the cave finally regained control of their bodies. "Old Ancestor...?" the clan leader, disbelief in his voice, ran to the altar and tremblingly asked, "Your... your spiritual consciousness has awakened?" "Indeed," the ancient and powerful voice emanated from the white bones again. "However, it will still take some time to fully revive. Forcing an intervention earlier has delayed my resurrection. Send in another batch of disciples." After giving the instruction, the white bones fell silent. The clan leader dared not delay. After instructing the disciples to continue the ritual, he also sent the villagers who had delivered the message to find more disciples.