Li Wuxin’s eyes narrowed slightly as he heard Ye Ling’s words. He turned to look in the direction of the castle and said with a solemn tone, "There is a greater crisis there?"
Ye Ling replied, "You could say that… the high-ranking members of the Dragon Department who defected to the Shadow Hall are all there, seemingly performing some kind of ritual. Bai Wujue, whom we just dealt with, was merely a guard."
Speaking of Bai Wujue, Ye Ling suddenly remembered him and looked towards where Bai Wujue had been lying. All that remained was a layer of skin; Bai Wujue had vanished without a trace.
Seeing Bai Wujue escape, Ye Ling was taken aback. He asked Tian Ling, "Where did Bai Wujue go?"
Tian Ling, while eating a lollipop, indifferently pointed towards the castle and said, "He ran that way."
Seeing Tian Ling’s nonchalant expression, Ye Ling felt a headache coming on. "Didn't you help your senior brother keep an eye on him?"
Tian Ling innocently replied, "I thought Senior Brother deliberately let him go, so I didn't bother. Besides… he's the young master of the Shadow Hall, and Bai Wujue is one of the Twelve Pillars of the Shadow Hall. It wouldn't be appropriate for me to intervene."
Hearing Tian Ling’s words, Ye Ling sighed slightly. "You know your position clearly at times like this. Fine, if he ran, he ran. It’s not a big deal."
The monk could run, but the temple couldn't. The Shadow Hall was clearly up to something significant in that castle, and even if Bai Wujue escaped the quarry, he wouldn't willingly leave the castle.
Moreover, when Ye Ling made his move, he had also set up a barrier around the valley. Now, the valley could only be entered, not exited. Even if Bai Wujue escaped, he would only live a little longer; there was no real difference.
Without dwelling on the matter, Ye Ling saw that the Dragon Department’s special individuals in the quarry had already begun hunting the Shadow Hall’s special individuals. He no longer paid attention to this place and headed towards the castle.
Tian Ling and Li Wuxin followed closely behind.
The castle was the main battlefield for this operation.
Inside the castle, a shrunken Bai Wujue walked unsteadily through the corridor, his expression as dark as it could be. He muttered to himself, "You dare, Ye Ling! I’ll remember you! Just you wait!"
Bai Wujue gritted his teeth as he spoke, glancing back to ensure no one was watching before pushing open the door at the end of the corridor and heading towards the spire where the high-ranking members of the Dragon Department were gathered.
The entire spire had only one room at the very top, with a spiral staircase below. Every five steps along the walls, there was a skull lantern, burning with a faint green flame, making the atmosphere extremely eerie.
In the room at the top of the spire, six high-ranking members of the Dragon Department who had defected to the Shadow Hall sat around a formation. Each occupied a cardinal direction, and an inexplicably oppressive aura emanated from them.
The Dragon Department high-ranking members present were all elderly, nearing their twilight years, barely a step away from the grave. Yet, at this moment, each of them appeared like twenty-year-old youths, brimming with vitality.
Those who reached the pinnacle of the Dragon Department’s hierarchy had essentially reached the peak of power. They lacked nothing – power, wealth, or women. There was virtually nothing left in the world that could attract them. Therefore, making them betray the Dragon Department was almost impossible.
However, the Shadow Hall was able to offer incredibly tempting stakes that moved them.
The Shadow Hall promised them eternal life.
This was a promise that almost no one could refuse. Upon learning of the conditions offered by the Shadow Hall, the vast majority of the Dragon Department's high-ranking officials defected without hesitation, betraying their country and the interests of the Dragon Department.
Only a select few, like Liao Hong, remained steadfast, resisting the temptation, and were ultimately sent to the quarry to perform hard labor.
The room was utterly silent, save for a mass of dark red light swirling in the center of the formation, as if something was being gestured into existence.
At this moment, Bai Wujue pushed open the door and entered. The high-ranking members of the Dragon Department in the room opened their eyes as Bai Wujue entered, and they saw his pale complexion.
One of the Dragon Department high-ranking members asked with concern, "Elder Bai, what's wrong? Did something happen outside?"
Bai Wujue's expression was icy. He did not respond to the Dragon Department member's concern but strode into the formation and examined the dark red mass of light in the center. He sneered, "The power is sufficient. The sacrifice ritual can commence. We welcome the Venerable One's descent!"
One of the Dragon Department high-ranking members nearby exclaimed in surprise, "Sacrifice ritual? Isn't this the Eternal Life Formation?"
Bai Wujue glanced at the Dragon Department high-ranking member and sneered, "Did you really think I wanted to recruit you useless individuals? Your so-called Dragon Department is like an ant before the Shadow Hall, not worth mentioning! The only reason I recruited you was to annoy the Demon Palace."
"You fools, do you think you deserve eternal life? It's better to become nourishment for the Venerable One's descent!"
Hearing Bai Wujue's words, the expressions of the six Dragon Department high-ranking members around him changed drastically, and they exclaimed, "Bai Wujue, how dare you deceive us?"
With that, they dared not remain in the formation and tried to escape. However, they found that they could not control their own bodies and could only watch as the formation activated!
Bai Wujue laughed, "There's no need to struggle. You cannot escape… willingly become nourishment. The Huaguo Dragon Vein’s luck that has accumulated within you is the best food for the Venerable One's descent!"
Boom!
As Bai Wujue finished speaking, the formation in the spire erupted with blinding light, piercing through the roof and soaring into the heavens!
The six Dragon Department high-ranking members within the formation instantly turned to dust!
Simultaneously, the various precious treasures Bai Wujue had placed in the castle for the ritual began to glow, contributing energy to the formation.
The energy formation buried beneath the castle also activated, and the energy of the surrounding leylines was instantly drained!
The forests within a radius of tens of miles were reduced to dust!
This location was meticulously chosen by the Shadow Hall as the summoning site, with abundant energy, excellent feng shui, and most importantly…
The defenses of the cosmic barrier in this part of space were extremely weak!
With a slight impact, it could be shattered in moments!
This way, individuals within the universe only needed to perform a specific ritual here, coordinating with the outer realms, to allow powerful beings from the outer realms to descend!
Bai Wujue watched the blinding light of the formation and the shattered space in its center, laughing heartily. He knelt down towards the fractured space, excitedly exclaiming, "Your subordinate, Bai Wujue, welcomes the Venerable One!"
As Bai Wujue spoke, an immensely powerful aura surged from the shattered space!
Then, a woman of unparalleled beauty, dressed in red, emerged from the fractured space.
Her black hair cascaded like a waterfall, and her expression was devoid of emotion. Her gem-like, magnificent eyes held only indifference, giving her an aura of untouchable distance.
Seven-colored radiance swirled around the woman, and space itself shattered and healed due to her presence.
Bai Wujue knelt on the ground, staring blankly at the woman in red emerging from the fractured space, completely stunned.
So beautiful…
He swore he had never seen such an ice-cold beauty!
Ultimate power, ultimate beauty!