Chapter 391 - 366: The Fairy Ruins Again_1

"Alliance Hierarch, regarding the investigation you assigned me on the Changsheng Sect, there has been recent progress," Li Quan reported to Lu Yan in his study.

Li Quan, who by now had already achieved the Master Peak in his cultivation level, was far exceeding his own prior ambitions. Although in the grand scheme of the Martial Alliance he was not notable, he now commanded a large intelligence agency and held great power, which gave him high spirits.

He frequently told those around him that following the Alliance Hierarch was the wisest decision he had made in his life.

"Tell me more."

Lu Yan said.

They discovered the Changsheng Sect after they took over Jinzhou.

After investigating, it was found that this sect had already materialized and was quite active during Fang Family’s administration in Jinzhou.

The main followers of this sect were ordinary citizens and low-level martial cultivators. Its doctrine about a life free of disease, disaster, suffering, and pain.

In this chaotic era, it attracted a myriad of ordinary people who worshipped day and night.

It was said that after an ordinary person had worshipped Lord Changsheng, they really did become free of illness, and even gained greater strength.

Upon hearing about this, Lu Yan immediately knew something was off.

His first thought was of the Fairy Ruins.

Back in Nanjiang, the mountain people who worshipped the statue of the Immortal Lord had a similar effect.

The fact that led those mountain people to become feverishly insane.

He was extremely alert to the Fairy Ruins, and he had to investigate this matter occurring within his territory.

However, when Lu Yan first took over Jinzhou, it seemed that the Changsheng Sect was quite cautious and concealed themselves for a period of time. Recently, they have started becoming active again.

"The branches of the Changsheng Sect are spread throughout Jinzhou now. There are at least tens of millions of followers. And I suspect that the recent cases of missing young girls are related to the Changsheng Sect," said Li Quan.

"The missing girls are related to the Changsheng Sect?"

Lu Yan’s eyes grew cold.

Recently, he received news of the frequent disappearance of young girls from various townships.

Moreover, these girls had one thing in common; they had just turned fourteen and were unmarried.

Lu Yan had even sent out martial hunters to investigate, but there had been no progress so far.

"In the Nanjiang Fairy Ruins, they organize a grand ceremony, requiring martial cultivators as offerings. Could it be that the Changsheng Sect is kidnapping these girls for a similar purpose?"

With thoughts rapidly racing in his mind, Lu Yan’s eyes grew even colder.

In his territory, he absolutely would not permit such things to happen and neither would he allow such destabilizing sects to exist.

"If the case of the missing girls is related to the Changsheng Sect, it could be a breakthrough. Li Quan, investigate this to the fullest. If there are any further disappearances of girls, report to me immediately," Lu Yan instructed.

"Yes!"

Li Quan bowed and left.

Three days later, Li Quan rushed in with a report, that in Sanxi Town of Baixi City, a young girl had just gone missing. The family had reported the matter, and their informant found out immediately, used a flying alien beast to report it to Li Quan, who then immediately came to see Lu Yan.

"The map!"

Lu Yan said.

It seemed that Li Quan had already prepared, he took out a map from the Sumi Mustard Seed Bag and handed it to Lu Yan.

This Sumi Mustard Seed Bag, naturally, was a reward given to Li Quan by Lu Yan.

Li Quan ran an intelligence agency, having a Sumi Mustard Seed Bag, made his work more convenient.

Lu Yan opened it and quickly memorized the location.

"I’ll take a look personally."

No sooner had the words fallen than Lu Yan’s figure disappeared.

Baixi City, three thousand miles east of Wu Mountain, Lu Yan reached quickly with his speed.

Hovering over the town of Sanxi, he spread his spiritual sense throughout the area, covering a radius of a hundred miles.

"Oh Xiao Xuan, where could you have gone? How can your mother go on living without you..."

Lu Yan saw a woman in the town crying.

The missing girl was likely from this family.

"Hmm? These villagers?"

Lu Yan’s spiritual sense detected, in a small village tens of miles away from Sanxi Town, some villagers had strange patterns on their bodies, like tattoos.

The number of patterns weren’t many, mostly just a few that showed through on their necks.

Ordinary people might just find it curious and might not pay much attention, but Lu Yan instantly recognized that these patterns were strikingly similar to those of the mountain people who worshipped the Fairy Ruins in Nanjiang.

At the same time, he also discovered that in the homes of these villagers, they were worshipping a peculiar wooden carving.

The carving depicted a creature with a human body and a bird’s head.

"I found them, they’re here."

All of a sudden, Lu Yan’s eyes lit up.

His spiritual sense sensed two girls bound hand and foot in one of the homes, unable to move at all.

The two girls’ eyes were red and swollen, having obviously been crying for a long time.

"The higher envoy will be here to pick them up tomorrow. This time we have provided two offerings, Lord Immortal Envoy will certainly reward us, right?" an old man with white hair said. Lu Yan noticed that seven or eight patterns were inscribed on this old man’s body.

"There will certainly be rewards. Ever since we began worshipping the Immortal Lord, I’ve felt stronger, my skin smoother, and I’ve become younger. As long as we faithfully worship the Immortal Lord, achieving eternal life in the future may not be a dream," an old woman looking at herself in a bronze mirror said, her eyes full of greedy light.

"Immortal Envoy? Seems like it really is the Fairy Ruins without a doubt. Which of the nine Fairy Ruins in Da Chu, I wonder,"

"Aiming for eternal life? How naive. Even the immortals themselves cannot live forever. Right now, they are using you, giving you some benefits. But once they no longer need you, who knows if they will drain you dry," Lu Yan said, shaking his head slightly.

But these ordinary people were ones he couldn’t be bothered with.

He landed on a large tree outside the village, waiting quietly.

As soon as a day had passed,

The next evening, two people arrived at the village, taking away two girls.

These two people, covered in tattoos, brought the two girls onto a huge flying alien beast and soared into the sky, flying east.

Lu Yan quietly followed, not making a move.

Attacking now would simply alarm the enemy. He wanted to see where their headquarters was, and then take them all down at once.

There is a huge mountain range known as Fengming Mountain, located by the sea on the east side of Jinzhou.

The two men, with two young girls, flew into Fengming Mountain.

"A colossal city has been built inside Fengming Mountain, something I’ve never heard of."

Lu Yan trailed behind them and then saw a massive city deep within Fengming Mountain, filled with numerous buildings, each inhabited with people.

At least several hundreds of thousands of people lived within this colossal city.

Lu Yan hovered in the air, hidden within the clouds, letting his spiritual sense envelop the massive city.

He noticed that many people within the city bore patterns on their bodies.

At the center of this colossal city was a massive altar.

The area surrounding the altar was engraved with will power patterns.

The two men ushered the young girls into a detached courtyard.

Lu Yan discovered that there were already one hundred and eight girls detained within this courtyard.

These girls were weeping, their faces fraught with terror and uncertainty, having no idea what fate awaited them.

"The number of sacrificial offerings is finally sufficient. At least we’ve accomplished our task before the sacrificial ceremony."

"In seven days, the sacrificial ceremony will take place. I wonder if we will be able to behold the true face of the Ascended Immortal then."

"I’ve heard that the Ascended Immortal will descend during this event, that must be true."

The few continued their discussion, their eyes radiating fanaticism.

"Seven days it is; I’ll wait for seven days."

A cold glint flickered across Lu Yan’s eyes.

He sat hovering in the air, remaining still.

In the blink of an eye, seven days had passed.

Dong Dong Dong...

Gong and drum sounds echoed from within the city, and hundreds of thousands of residents swarmed towards the altar at the city’s heart.

Then they knelt down around the altar with reverent deference.

In the middle of the altar, a metal statue of several meters tall, with a bird’s head and a human body, was situated.

Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh...

Suddenly, six figures descended onto the altar.

"Greetings to the Immortal Envoy."

Hundreds of thousands of voices resonated in unison.

"Bring up the sacrifices."

A young man robed in crimson bellowed out.

This man bore no patterns on his body, indicating he was a martial cultivator by profession.

"Bring up the sacrifices."

"Bring up the sacrifices!"

Several voices called out.

Quickly, a line of one hundred and eight weeping girls, their faces filled with trepidation, were led onto the altar.

"Didn’t they say an Immortal was going to appear? Looks like they didn’t. Guess I’ll have to make the first move."

Lu Yan’s figure materialized mid-air. Walking on stardust, he swooped down like a shooting star in the night sky.

"Who’s there?"

An elderly man by the altar immediately noticed Lu Yan.

This old man was a superior cultivator in the Primordial Spirit Realm.

Thud!

Before the old man could finish speaking, an arrow pierced the top of his head, reducing him to fragments.

Thump!

Lu Yan dropped down, his feet smashing onto the statue. The remarkably sturdy metal statue instantly disintegrated into powder.

The Heavenly Earth Power surged, shielding the one hundred and eight girls to prevent them from being accidentally harmed.

"You’ve desecrated the statue of the Immortal Lord. You’re seeking death! Kill him!"

The young man in red hysterically roared. Of course, he himself was frantically retreating.

With one stroke causing the death of a Primordial Spirit cultivator, such power was far beyond his capability of opposing. Despite being a Spiritual God of the First Turn, he was no match for Lu Yan – escape was his only viable option.

"Get back here."

Lu Yan used his right hand to make an empty grab at the young man, executing the Dragon Leading Hand from the True Dragon Nine Strikes.

The young man’s body was seized by an invisible dragon claw and hurled towards Lu Yan.

"Lord Immortal Envoy, save me..."

The young man bellowed, scared out of his wits.

Although he made desperate attempts to struggle, it was all in vain - all he could do was bellow.

Originally, Lu Yan wanted to kill the man in one stroke, but hearing his desperate cries for help, he instead decided to restrain himself. He applied just a bit of pressure with his fingers, causing the bones in the young man’s body to creak as if they were about to shatter, scaring him into even more frantic wailing.

"Release the Immortal Envoy."

"Kill him. Kill him!"

Around the altar, hundreds of thousands of people, like a maddened mob, rushed towards Lu Yan.

Those at the forefront of the mob were covered in patterns, their eyes radiating fanaticism.

"Scram!"

Lu Yan bellowed. With this shout, he set Heavenly Earth Power into motion, creating ripples that radiated outwards.

Thud Thud Thud...

Those at the front—a couple of hundred people, whether equivalent to True Body Realm cultivators or Master Level Cultivators—all fragmented instantaneously.

Yet, the people behind them did not fear death. They continued to charge at Lu Yan, shouting that they died for the Immortal Lord in the hope of receiving immortality.

With no other option, Lu Yan was forced to rise into the air with the young man and the one hundred and eight girls. Landed outside the city, a few Martial Arts avatars materialized to guard the young girls in the center.

Kawk, Kawk...

From the depths of Fengming Mountain, several sharp cries echoed. Three fireballs rapidly flew in their direction.