[Bonus chapter]Chapter 34: Sacrifice

Chapter 34: Sacrifice

Jiang Lei was hopeless, he knew that there is no way that he can continue surviving, now he just wants that at somehow he gets to save villagers , he questioned Wu Xiu's intentions. "What proof do you have that you won't harm the villagers here if I agree to sacrifice myself?"

Wu Xiu's eyes narrowed, her voice icy as she responded, "I have no reason to lie to you, Jiang Lei. If I desired, I could have killed you and everyone in this village already. Why would I bother lying?"

Jiang Lei's gaze remained unwavering, his tone resolute. "No, you do have a reason. If your intention was to kill me, you would have done it by now. We wouldn't be having this conversation. I know you want me to willingly sacrifice myself for whatever purpose you have in mind, and that's why you haven't killed me yet. If you can't make me believe that you won't harm villagers , then it doesn't matter even if you torture me to death; I will never willingly sacrifice myself."

Wu Xiu considered Jiang Lei's words, she remained silent for a moment . After a moment of silence, she finally spoke, her voice laced with solemnity. "Jiang Lei, the greatest taboo for us cultivators is to swear upon heaven. I swear on heaven itself that I won't harm anyone in this village if you are willing to sacrifice yourself."

Jiang Lei studied Wu Xiu's face, searching for any sign of deception. The weight of the oath hung heavy in the air, and he knew that his decision would determine the fate of the villagers and himself.

Jiang Lei, resigned, he was filled with grief, nodded helplessly. His voice barely above a whisper, Jiang Lei made a condition. "First, you have to save Huang Wei. If you don't save him, don't expect me to cooperate with you."

Wu Xiu looked at Jiang Lei coldly for a moment, then raised her hand. An icy layer formed over Huang Wei's wound, abruptly stopping the bleeding and initiating a rapid recovery in his body. Jiang Lei watched in awe as Huang Wei's condition improved.

"All your wishes are fulfilled," Wu Xiu declared in a chilling tone. "Now it's your turn. Follow me and sacrifice."

Huang Wei, who regained a little consciousness, immediately protested, "No, Lord Wei, don't listen to her!" He attempted to move.

But he was suddenly overwhelmed by an intense, icy sensation coursing through his body. It was as if extremely cold water had replaced his blood. He fell unconsciousness again.

"Huang Wei!" Jiang Lei shouted, attempting to reach his friend, but Wu Xiu blocked his path. 

She warned him sternly, "Don't waste my time, Jiang Lei. He's not dead, just unconscious. But if you don't follow me right now, he will surely die."

Jiang Lei cast a sympathetic glance at Huang Wei, his heart heavy with concern. But he didn't have any choice, with a deep breath, he steeled himself for what lay ahead.

Wu Xiu ascended into the air, and Jiang Lei suddenly felt an invisible force wrap tightly around his body. It was as if an unseen rope had tied around him, and he was forcefully pulled into the sky.

The wind rushed past him, whistling in his ears. Normally, he might have felt very excited about flying in air, but in his current situation , there was no room for even the slightest hint of joy.

Wu Xiu's speed was so astonishing that Jiang Lei felt like they had been in the air for mere seconds before they landed in front of Wu Xiu's residence.

As they touched down, Wu Xiu turned to Jiang Lei, her eyes filled with a excitement.

"Jiang Lei, come quickly," she urged impatiently, gesturing for him to follow her. It was as if she couldn't wait to witness Jiang Lei's sacrifice, She was like a child eager to play with a new toy.

Jiang Lei's gaze locked onto her, a deep-seated hatred burning within him. At this time, he has just one wish—to strangle Wu Xiu with his bare hands. He clenched his teeth, suppressing his anger, and silently followed her into the ominous depths of her residence.

Wu Xiu led him to same path, both of them again stopped against the wall and Wu Xiu made a portal in the wall again and both of them teleport to the dark place.

"Follow me."Wu Xiu's body shined with golden glow, she made her way to the temple, and Jiang Lei had no choice but to comply, trailing behind her as they approached the mysterious temple.

Jiang Lei and Wu Xiu finally arrived at the temple. The ominous feeling that had gripped Jiang Lei on his previous visit also returned. The goddess idol stood there, eternally smiling, seemingly untouched by the events unfolding before it.

Wu Xiu approached the idol and knelt down before it. Her voice resonated through the temple as she prayed with fervor, "Bless your devotee, goddess, grant me success in my sacred task." She bowed deeply.

Wu Xiu rose from her prayer and turned to face Jiang Lei. She looked at him with sinister eyes. "Jiang Lei," she commanded, "approach the goddess and declare your willingness to sacrifice yourself."

Jiang Lei took a deep breath, "Before I make this sacrifice," he began, "I have some questions. You can consider it as my last wish, I don't want to die without knowing the reason."

Wu Xiu's gaze remained cold and unyielding. She shook her head firmly. "No, there will be no questions before the sacrifice. You will declare your willingness first, and then I shall answer."

Jiang Lei sneered in his mind, "you will answer me after I sacrifice, Oh right, you will answer my ghost right."

But it doesn't matter, what's his opinion is, he doesn't have any say, he accepted his fate.

Jiang Lei felt a shiver run down his spine as he stepped forward, his heart was beating fast but his mind and steps very very calm and steady. He stood before the goddess idol, its unchanging smile seeming to mock his condition.

Summoning all his courage, he raised his voice and spoke, "Goddess, I am willing to sacrifice myself." The words hung in the air, and it echoed in the temple.

Jiang Lei closed his eyes, ready to utter the words of sacrifice. He believed that death would immediately follow his declaration. However, to his bewilderment, nothing happened. Instead, a chilling, maniacal laughter echoed in his ears, sending shivers down his spine.

"Hahahahaha!"

Jiang Lei wanted to turn back and ask what's going on but suddenly, a powerful suction force enveloped him. 

Jiang Lei's body began to shrink rapidly,"what the hell is happening to my body." Jiang Lei was very frightened from this sudden situation.

He shrinks until he was no larger than the size of a nail. 

Before his shocked eyes, a massive, crimson pearl, more than ten times his current size, appeared. It pulsed with an eerie energy, and before he could react, the pearl drew him into its depths.

"Hahahaha, Li Wei, I have finally won, I won and you lost, Hahahahaha...."

Inside the confines of the massive, crimson pearl, Jiang Lei felt trapped and powerless. His first instinct was to resist. He clenched his fists and began to punch the walls of the pearl, but to his disappointment, his efforts were in vain. The pearl seemed unbreakable and his attempts to break free, had no effect.

Wu Xiu's cold voice echoed within the pearl, her words like a chilling whisper. "Stop your futile attempts, Li Wei. You will never be able to break through this barrier. If I so desire, I can end your life in seconds while you remain trapped. Remember, you are alive because I am feeling generous today."

"You can ask me questions you want before I start the process to kill you, but remember to not enrage me with your questions, I can still make your life worse than death before killing you."

Jiang Lei paused, realizing that it was really vain to effort in breaking this pearl, he resigned, "Fine, since you're willing to grant my last wish, then answer me: Why me? Why did you choose me to be sacrificed? We don't even know each other."

"Hahahaha, What an irony this is."Wu Xiu laughed madly as if she heared any joke,"You are here to kill me, and now you are reduced on the verge of death by me, and you are still asking me, why am I killing you."

"What a cruel twist of fate, Hahaha..."

"Wait, you must have misunderstood, I don't want to kill you, I don't even know you, I just met you in this village, I never had any enimity with you, Wait...are....did you know me in the past, I forgot."

"Hahahaha, you are so silly Li Wei, you don't understand anything, but if we look closely it is not your fault, both of us were played by her, she erased both of our memories.

"Memories Erased?What are you talking about, Who erased my memories?"Jiang Lei got very confused, why is he dying a death where he doesn't even know the reason behind it.

Wu Xiu looked at her with pity in her eyes, "This life is very cruel to both of us, it played a very dirty joke on us, we were never supposed to cross our ways, but see now, both of us are thirsty for each other's blood.

"What are you talking about, Can you stop playing around, if you want to answer, simply answer my questions." Jiang Lei roared angrily.

"You are very poor Jiang Lei, you are dying and you don't even know that you were tricked by her, you have helped me so much, so I'll fulfill your last wish before killing you."

"Do you remember pheonix."

"No "

"Pheonix Bloodline."

"No, Just shut the hell up and kill me, don't irritate me anymore."Jiang Lei roared.

Wu Xiu shook her head, "I don't know anything about you, your past, Li Wei is just a name I used to approach you, you should wonder that how did I know that you will loose your memory, it's because...I have also been through this."

"I also stumbled upon this monument and reached this Trial level but unfortunately I failed the trial, and I got trapped here for one decade."

"Do you even know how does it feel to get trapped in a place like this." Wu Xiu shouted loudly, she was looking like she got mad, her eyes became red.

"I tried my best to leave this confinement, but couldn't, a barrier has surrounded this village, stopping anyone from leaving this place."

"A Barrier." Jiang Lei murmured under his breath.

"Yes, A barrier."Wu Xiu again calmed her emotions and returned back to her normal cold voice,"I tried to break the barrier but I failed but I assumed from the power of the barrier that If I somehow reach to the Core Formation Stage, I will be able to get free from this place."

She stopped for a while, sighed and looked at the idol of goddess, "I wasn't talented enough to reach Core Formation Stage just with my cultivation, but I wasn't afraid because I had this pearl, I got this from the idol of this Goddess."

"I realised that it can help me get stronger, It feeds on the blood and energy of other living beings and feed that energy to me, to get stronger."

She looked at Jiang Lei frustratedly, "But everyone around here was mortal, I killed many bandits here but the energy they provided was so limited that even if I killed everyone present here, it wouldn't be enough to get breakthrough to the Core Realm.

I had lost all my hope, but you arrived, When I sensed your energy I was very shocked that how can there be a cultivatior here but then I realised that you are also like me, you have also come to pass the trial."

"I was scared, I thought that you will kill me, but I saw that energy you were releasing was very weak, it turned out that you were just at mortal realm."

Wu Xiu looked at Jiang Lei with a smile," I saw a hope in you, I immediately planned to kill you, and rest you know.

Jiang Lei listened to her, his head was buzzing with so much information, he can't believe that there was so many plannings, just to kill him," Last question, If this pearl can kill me, why this all drama, you could simply catch me and kill me, why all this."

Wu Xiu's eyes showed fear in her eyes that surprised Jiang Lei, She continued, " I was killing some bandits, when a bandit got frightened, he asked me to kill him, but to not throw him on that pearl."

"I didn't listen and just threw him on that pearl, I saw that the pearl not only feed on his blood and flesh was sucked, but even the soul, and the energy it provided me wse way more than I ever had before "

"I got very excited from this discovery but it was still not enough for me to breakthrough in this place where the aura is so thin.

She looked at Jiang Lei with a brutal glint, I hope I have answered all your questions, and now you are more satisfied for your death, " Thank you for your sacrifice Li Wei."

She waved her hand, and dark red eerie mist started emerging in the pearl.

"Aaaaah"

A shrill and loud cry echoed in the pearl, Jiang Lei felt like he is being stabbed by thousands of swords, he quickly held his head and knelt down.

The pain was so overwhelming that he couldn't think about anything, suddenly he started feeling difficulty in breathing."

"AAAAAH"

Jiang Lei lied on the surface of the pearl, struggling, but he was completely helpless, he couldn't even breathe.

He started feeling dizzy and his eyes gradually closed.

Author's Note- I am very sorry friends my exams have started and I can't make two chapters daily for sometime, but I'll try my best to make one chapter daily and update some bonus chapters as well sometime, thank you for your all love and support.