185 - We Agreed On Experiencing Life, So Why Did You Immortals Become Real?

Chapter 185: I... I Want to Become Immortal! After leaving the Sect of Ten Thousand Paths with Jiang Xin, Xiao Mo followed the map provided by Blood Phantom to journey toward Kongnian Temple. During his year at the Sect of Ten Thousand Paths, Xiao Mo learned a fair amount about the Western Region. The Buddhist sects and demon cults in the Western Region have been locked in conflict for countless millennia. Throughout these tens of thousands of years, both the Buddhist sects and demon cults nearly faced annihilation multiple times, only to bounce back when teetering on the brink of extinction. During this period, innumerable temples and demon sects were lost to history. Yet, only one temple and one demon cult have withstood the tests of time. The temple is none other than Kongnian Temple. The demon cult is the Black Lotus Cult. In today's Western Region, the Buddhist sects are led by Kongnian Temple. Although there is no defined leader among the demon cults, Black Lotus Cult is recognized as the foremost of the top ten demon sects. After departing the Sect of Ten Thousand Paths, Xiao Mo spent a month no longer avoiding people as he once did. Despite being merely a cultivator at the Foundation Stage, Foundation Stage cultivators are scarce in this world, let alone those who have reached the Altar Stage. Therefore, as long as Xiao Mo kept to himself, others generally stayed away as well. Xiao Mo didn't always travel with Jiang Xin by flight and would occasionally walk on foot. Mainly, he had three months and felt no rush, wanting to explore the Western Region and spend more time with Jiang Xin. Otherwise, once she entered Kongnian Temple, who knew when they might meet again. Half a month later, Xiao Mo and Jiang Xin passed through a small village. According to the map, crossing this village would save a substantial amount of time. However, shortly after entering, Xiao Mo sensed something amiss. There were no villagers in sight. Proceeding further, they discovered signs of a struggle and bloodstains scattered throughout. Soon, Xiao Mo and Jiang Xin noticed lost souls wandering aimlessly, bound in chains. "Xiao Mo." Seeing this, Jiang Xin instinctively clutched Xiao Mo's sleeve, her face paling slightly. "It's alright." Xiao Mo reassuringly patted her hand, his focus sharpening as he gripped his saber. At that moment, Xiao Mo noticed something drawn on a nearby white wall. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be a magic array. Despite his frequent loss of memories and insights from living various lives, Blood Phantom had taught Xiao Mo not only the sword arts but also crucial knowledge in other areas to prevent him from being duped. Thus, Xiao Mo recognized it as a Spirit Sacrifice Array. As they moved further, he observed similar arrays repeated on walls and on the ground. These formations weren't randomly placed. They connected to form a larger array pattern. It became clear to Xiao Mo that the entire village had been massacred for a blood sacrifice. Blood sacrifices are a common practice among demon cultivators. Such events are not uncommon in the Western Region. Even Blood Phantom had performed blood sacrifices before, though she looked down upon those using mere mortals, choosing only cultivated souls. According to Blood Phantom, "Those who embark on the path of cultivation must contend with the heavens and others. If they fall to me, it simply means they were unlucky failures." Xiao Mo concentrated, using the knowledge imparted by Blood Phantom to swiftly locate the eye of the Spirit Sacrifice Array. Though it wasn't his business that someone decided to sacrifice a village, he felt compelled to intervene. The array wasn't of high caliber; likely placed by a cultivator at the Dragon Gate Stage at most. Even if confronted, Xiao Mo was confident he could defeat them. Otherwise, if a Golden Core Stage cultivator had set it up, he wouldn't have been able to enter the village. Upon finding the array's core, Xiao Mo struck it with his saber, shattering the anchor. Instantly, the chains binding the souls shattered, releasing those with weaker attachments who returned to the Dao and entered the cycle of reincarnation. Others with deeper attachments drifted beyond the village, remaining tethered to this world. For Xiao Mo, a mere Altar Stage demon cultivator, not a Buddhist monk, there was little else he could do. "We should leave," Xiao Mo said to Jiang Xin. "Alright," Jiang Xin acknowledged, quickly following him. ... Meanwhile, a hundred miles south in a desolate mountain, a man's eyes suddenly opened. "Senior brother, what happened?" A practitioner from the River of Forgetting Sect approached cautiously. "It's unexpected. The Linggan Village where I set up the Spirit Sacrifice Array has been destroyed by a meddlesome cultivator!" said the man named Guangcuo, his eyes flashing with malice. "Is that so?" Hu Hui grumbled. "I'll take people to deal with it." "No need," Guangcuo shook his head. "One less village doesn't matter; we have more important things to do." With those words, Guangcuo rose and walked towards the cave exit. Not far from the cave lay a field with a magic array— the main formation for the Spirit Sacrifice Ritual. Guangcuo had slaughtered over sixty villages, each with its own Spirit Sacrifice Array, all to aid someone in achieving the Foundation Establishment. That someone, seated at the heart of the array, was Qian Zhenhao. And tied up before him was his best friend, Tang Kuang. "The time has come, Zhenhao. Begin," Guangcuo instructed. Qian Zhenhao stood, gripping his long sword, his gaze unsteady. "Don’t dawdle. Master has high hopes for you, willing to accept you as a direct disciple, but you know the rules. To inherit the master's legacy, you must first kill a close relative. Don’t disappoint us," Guangcuo remarked indifferently. Qian Zhenhao swallowed hard, his sword aimed at Tang Kuang's heart. "Fourth Brother, I never thought you'd do something like this." Tang Kuang, looking at his brother, felt only sorrow and absurdity, his eyes devoid of despair. "Sorry, Third Brother, but... I want to become immortal!" With those words, Qian Zhenhao thrust his sword. Tang Kuang's pupils contracted, and he quickly took his last breath. His blood flowed along the engraved lines, gradually filling the entire array.