Chapter 238: Blood Slaughter Lotus, Mysterious Altar

Wood Xi was conversing with Shen Jiulong. Ning E Hu sat alone on a rock, engrossed in reading a scroll, her delicate face displaying a serene expression. Not far away, Su Yi lazily reclined in a rattan chair, eyes closed, resting.

When Jiang Tanyun and Lu Changfeng woke up, they witnessed this scene.

"How do you both feel?" Wood Xi smiled and looked at them.

Jiang Tanyun and Lu Changfeng quickly stood up and respectfully bowed, saying, "We thank Young Master for lending a helping hand. We will forever remember this life-saving grace and be eternally grateful."

Their voices conveyed genuine gratitude from the depths of their hearts.

"No need to be so polite," Wood Xi waved his hand with a smile.

He proceeded to introduce Su Yi and Ning E Hu to the two of them.

Upon learning Ning E Hu's identity, both of them were taken aback and dared not be presumptuous. They bowed to her in succession.

When they learned of Su Yi's identity, both of them visibly paused.

Previously, they had no knowledge that there was another son of the Su family, aside from the heir of the Su family in Yu Jing City.

Although they were puzzled, they did not neglect the proper etiquette and approached Su Yi to pay their respects.

Su Yi nodded slightly, collected the rattan chair, and said, "Let's go."

With that, he walked ahead.

Ning E Hu and Shen Jiulong naturally followed suit.

Jiang Tanyun and Lu Changfeng hesitated for a moment, feeling somewhat astonished. Among those present were the Palace Master of Tian Yuan Academy, the prestigious Yun Guang Marquis, and the renowned Town Suppressing King. Yet now, Su Yi, a scion of the Su family in Yu Jing City, decided to leave without inquiring about the opinions of others. It seemed overly autocratic and self-centered.

Moreover, the fact that Su Yi remained seated in the rattan chair during the introductions made Jiang Tanyun and Lu Changfeng uncomfortable, which caused their perception of Su Yi to diminish.

However, having experienced numerous trials and tribulations, they concealed their dissatisfaction and kept it within their hearts, not showing it outwardly.

"This Su young master is extraordinary and different from others in his manner and conduct. You two needn't think too much about it," Wood Xi glanced at Jiang Tanyun and Lu Changfeng and smiled, "By the way, would you both like to join us?"

Jiang Tanyun and Lu Changfeng exchanged glances and readily agreed.

Being able to act alongside the Town Suppressing King was undoubtedly a great opportunity.

Without further delay, Wood Xi led Jiang Tanyun and Lu Changfeng, catching up to Su Yi and the others, as they made their way towards the depths of the Blood Thorn Demon Mountain.

"Young Master, you mentioned earlier that the ones who besieged us were from the Yin Sha Sect. Does this demonic sect's influence resurface?" Jiang Tanyun couldn't help but ask along the way.

He was the Elder of Kong Tong Academy, with dark skin and a dignified and upright aura.

"That's right," Wood Xi casually replied, "According to the information I received, the Yin Sha Sect seems to have acquired many secrets related to the current anomaly in the Blood Thorn Demon Mountain. This time, they dispatched a group of extremely powerful individuals, clearly harboring grand ambitions."

"For instance, the corpse-controlling Daoist named Zhong Yao we encountered earlier is one of the nine Elders of the Yin Sha Sect's headquarters, a ruthless figure with a mastery of the art of controlling corpses. He has a notorious reputation at the Grandmaster Fourth Rank."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Tanyun and Lu Changfeng both revealed solemn expressions.

They had narrowly escaped disaster earlier, and the thought of encountering the ruthless characters of the Yin Sha Sect again made their hearts quiver.

"The Yin Sha Sect..." Su Yi pondered, deep in thought.

The soul jade that is related to Qing Wan's identity was brought out of the Blood Thorn Demon Mountain by Hu Yanhai.

Not long ago, Su Yi had learned that Hu Yanhai, the branch hall master of Gunzhou, had been invited to the Yin Sha Sect's headquarters, apparently for a major event.

Now, members of the Yin Sha Sect had appeared in this place, leading Su Yi to make a deduction—the major event the Yin Sha Sect was plotting might be happening deep within the Blood Thorn Demon Mountain!

And it was highly likely that Hu Yanhai was involved as well!

"If that's the case, then it's easier to handle. Perhaps when we uncover the truth behind the anomaly in the depths of the Blood Thorn Demon Mountain, we can also uncover some information related to Qing Wan's identity," Su Yi thought to himself.

Half an hour later, a figure swiftly flew out from the misty mountains in the distance.

It was a middle-aged man in a black robe, with a hawk-like nose and a face as sharp as a carved blade.

He was Pu Yi, the senior elder of Xingya Academy, a pinnacle expert at the Grandmaster Fourth Rank.

"Young Master, according to the information, there is a massive ravine thirty miles away from here, and the people of the Yin Sha Sect are currently stationed near that ravine," Pu Yi reported as he approached.

Wood Xi nodded and introduced the identities of Ning E Hu, Su Yi, and the others to Pu Yi.

Everyone exchanged greetings briefly and continued to move forward.

The air was filled with dense bloodthirst, like lingering mist that refused to dissipate.

Upon arrival, a heavy silence enveloped the surroundings, eerily quiet. They had not encountered any demonic beasts along the way.

Everyone remained alert, gripping their weapons cautiously, and proceeding with utmost care.

Even Wood Xi, the Town Suppressing King, held his golden war spear tightly, not daring to be careless.

Only Su Yi seemed completely oblivious, his hands behind his back, exuding a relaxed demeanor.

This attitude made Jiang Tanyun feel uneasy, and he furrowed his brows, reminding Su Yi, "Young Master Su, please don't be careless. This place is full of unknown dangers. In case something unexpected happens, we might not have time to come to your aid."

Lu Changfeng's tone was equally cold as he added, "That's right. Nobody knows what might happen later. It's better for Young Master Su to be cautious."

Though they appeared to be offering advice, they were also expressing their displeasure.

Ever since their first encounter, Su Yi had left a bad impression on them.

Under the influence of this preconception, seeing Su Yi's casual and lazy appearance now made them uncomfortable.

Even someone as powerful as Wood Xi and Ning E Hu had adopted a defensive stance, moving cautiously.

Yet this young man in the green robe appeared carefree, as if he were strolling leisurely in the mountains and playing in the water.

Just imagine, if Su Yi were to encounter danger, wouldn't it still be up to them to lend a helping hand?

If it weren't for their identities, Jiang Tanyun would have already shouted at Su Yi in a harsh tone.

"You should mind your own business," Su Yi replied dismissively, shaking his head.

He could naturally sense the dissatisfaction in Jiang Tanyun and Lu Changfeng's tone, but he couldn't be bothered to argue with them.

"What kind of words are those, Su Gongzi?" Jiang Tanyun's frown deepened. "We are now part of the same camp. How can we not be concerned about your safety?"

"Moreover, the road ahead is bound to be extremely dangerous. If something happens to you, Su Gongzi, how can we bear it in our hearts?"

These words carried a hint of impoliteness.

Lu Changfeng also felt displeased. They were trying to offer friendly advice, yet this kid didn't seem to appreciate it. He truly didn't know what was good for him!

Ning E Hu and Shen Jiushong couldn't help but smile. They could see that Jiang Tanyun seemed somewhat dissatisfied with Su Yi.

Or perhaps Jiang Tanyun, due to his status, treated Su Yi as an ordinary young member of the Su family in Jade City.

In his words and attitude, he seemed to be chastising an unruly junior, which inevitably gave off an air of elder acting superior.

Wood Xi had been observing Su Yi's expression all this while, and upon seeing his unchanged and indifferent demeanor, a trace of disappointment inexplicably rose in his heart.

Then, he laughed heartily and said, "Elder Jiang, you must not underestimate Su Gongzi. As the ancients say, those with thunderous hearts yet tranquil appearances are worthy of being generals. Su Gongzi fits this description."

Jiang Tanyun was taken aback, not expecting Wood Xi to speak up for Su Yi.

After a moment of silence, he nodded and said, "If Young Master Wood says so, it seems I misunderstood."

From then on, he didn't say much.

However, it was evident to everyone that Jiang Tanyun hadn't changed his opinion of Su Yi.

This was prejudice.

Once a first impression was unfavorable, it would form a preconceived bias and perception.

"Hmm?"

After a short while of continuing their journey, Su Yi suddenly looked up and gazed at the sky.

"What is that?"

Almost simultaneously, Wood Xi, Ning E Hu, and the others also noticed and turned their gazes towards the distant sky.

They saw nine enormous and eerie blood-colored lotus flowers condensed in the void.

Each lotus flower was formed by an intense concentration of bloodthirsty energy, reaching a height of nine zhang. They formed a formation resembling a nine-palace, suspended beneath the sky.

What was strange was that at the center of each blood-colored lotus flower, threads of blood-colored energy swirled and rotated like whirlpools.

Just a distant glance made one's soul tremble, and a chill ran down their spine.

"This seems to be the power of a large formation..." Wood Xi's eyes gleamed with a brilliant light, as if he had seen through many mysteries. "Let's go and take a look."

Soon, the group arrived at a massive ravine.

This ravine was like a crack in the earth, with no bottom in sight. Rolling bloodthirst gushed out from it, shooting up into the sky.

The nine enormous blood-colored lotus flowers suspended beneath the sky were constantly nourished by the bloodthirsty energy, becoming even more alluring and eerie.

What was surprising was that on both sides of the ground crack, there were ancient altars distributed, totaling one hundred and eight altars.

Each altar was pitch black, standing at a height of nine chi, and engraved with completely different strange patterns.

Dong! Dong! Dong!

As Su Yi and the others arrived, a dull drum-like sound echoed from the depths of the bottomless crack.

The sound was like the rhythm of the earth, carrying a unique and terrifying power that ruthlessly struck everyone's hearts. It made everyone's bodies go stiff, their qi and blood almost in turmoil, and some even felt the urge to cough up blood.

Only Su Yi, Wood Xi, and Ning E Hu seemed completely unaffected, as if they hadn't been influenced at all.

But when they heard this strange and mysterious sound, the three of them also showed a hint of surprise.

Nine blood-colored lotus flowers stretched across the sky, while one hundred and eight altars stood on both sides of the crack. From the depths of the crack, unknown and mysterious rhythmic sounds emanated...

Everything appeared so eerie.

"It seems that the anomaly in the Bloodthorn Demon Mountain originates from this place!" Wood Xi's eyes glowed brightly, and a trace of anticipation appeared on his brow.

What kind of secrets were hidden here?

And was it true, as the rumors said, that there was a relic buried here, containing an unparalleled treasure?

The others' emotions were also fluctuating.

Suddenly, a cold and sharp voice resounded:

"Zhenyue Wang, I have advised you before, don't get involved, but you insist on not listening. Are you really seeking death?"

Before the voice even faded, a group of figures emerged from behind a low hillside on one side of the enormous crack.