Chapter 423: Sacrificial Grounds, Cultists, Roadblocks

“————!?”

The sudden voice jolted all Seven-Star Professionals who had been immersed in Wang Yi’s explanation, causing them to tense up immediately.

Only Old Ling seemed to have detected the other party’s presence earlier, raising his eyes to gaze directly ahead.

It was at this moment that the others belatedly realized they had already traversed the previous path and arrived at a vast space.

This was a sacrificial ground.

A spacious and eerie sacrificial ground enclosed by walls on all sides, with an extremely high ceiling, resembling an enormous underground cavern.

At the very center of the sacrificial ground stood an altar.

The altar was large and tall, covered in patches of black stains that emitted a faint bloody scent, revealing how much blood had soaked into this altar over time.

Especially at this very moment, a massive cluster of blood was suspended above the altar, gradually seeping into it under the guidance of a crimson greatsword floating mid-air.

As the blood infused the altar, blood patterns and cracks began to appear across its surface, as if something was about to emerge from within, making the air in the entire sacrificial ground exceptionally oppressive and heavy.

Witnessing this scene, all Seven-Star Professionals including Old Ling tensed up completely.

Because they knew what this scene represented.

Wang Yi’s expression drastically changed as he shouted:

“Bad news! That crimson greatsword is the Great Sin Blade! A Divine Artifact representing death!”

“It’s guiding the sacrificial ‘blood’ to break the Seal!”

“Stop it quickly!”

Hearing this, no one present hesitated, all erupting with astonishing Auras and presence simultaneously.

But just as the group of Seven-Star Professionals prepared to launch their assault, several figures appeared before the Great Sin Blade on the altar, halting their movements.

There were three figures in total.

On the left was a youthful girl with crimson eyes who swept a glance over the Seven-Star Professionals as if searching for something, then quickly withdrew her gaze with an expression of utter disappointment.

On the right stood a burly brute holding an axe radiating terrifying presence in one hand and a black box in the other, staring down at the Seven-Star Professionals with sheer ferocity in his eyes.

Standing in the center was a middle-aged man with an indifferent expression and calm eyes, resembling an emotionless machine.

They were unmistakably the Li Family.

The girl—Li Qingqing.

The brute—Li Wu.

And the source of everything, the mastermind behind it all, the instigator—Li Feng.

“We’ve been waiting for you.”

Li Feng spoke these words with utterly placid tone.

Despite facing human top-tier existences that far outnumbered their side—all uniform Seven-Star Professionals including the Guardian Deity Old Ling—Li Feng’s voice remained completely unfluctuating, without a trace of fear.

“Li Feng!”

Wang Yi shouted.

The other Seven-Star Professionals also locked their auras onto this Commander of 『Sin』, the highest authority of the Li Family, not concealing their intent to take action in the slightest.If it weren’t for Li Qingqing’s crimson eyes fixed unwaveringly on them, sending chills deep into the hearts of the Seven-Star Professionals, they might have already taken action.

Clearly, these pinnacle human figures were wary of Li Qingqing.

Or rather, they were wary of the wielder of this Divine Artifact.

A being who could single-handedly overpower a Nightmare Species Mutant while holding a Divine Artifact—even someone like Old Ling dared not act rashly.

Moreover, Li Wu stood nearby, holding the Pandora’s Box, a weapon of mass destruction, making the human elites hesitate for fear of collateral damage.

Thus, both sides fell into an eerie stalemate.

It was Li Feng who broke this fragile calm first.

“In my youth, I once stumbled into an ancient battlefield in a near-death situation,” Li Feng began, speaking as if the numerous Seven-Star Professionals and even Old Ling were invisible, continuing his earlier narrative.

“It was a desolate ancient battlefield, hidden at the base of a cliff, forgotten for countless years.”

“In a moment of peril, I fell into it and miraculously survived, allowing me to explore that ancient battlefield.”

“The origins of the ancient battlefield are untraceable, with not even a hint in human history.”

“But there, I witnessed the Great Sin Blade enshrined at its deepest point, along with a mural.”

Li Feng’s words successfully diverted everyone’s attention.

“An ancient battlefield enshrining a Divine Artifact? And a mural?” Wang Yi exclaimed in astonishment.

“Correct,” Li Feng replied calmly. “According to the mural, the Great Sin Blade was enshrined by a group of cultists from a very distant past. That ancient battlefield was their domain.”

Cultists.

As the name implies, they were fanatics with aberrant beliefs and behaviors, worshipping evil entities that should not be revered, adhering to creeds and actions intolerable to human reason.

Such beings were not uncommon in this world.

Some humans, upon witnessing the terror and horror of Phantom Demons, instead of feeling reverence, developed faith and worship, viewing them as deities with fanatical madness.

These types had appeared many times throughout history.

For the Phantom Demons they revered as gods and for their beliefs, they would betray humanity, abandon the Base Cities that raised them, align with Phantom Demons, and commit unimaginable, horrifying acts.

For instance, they would willingly become blood sacrifices, offering themselves to be consumed by their worshipped Phantom Demons.

They would engage in human trafficking, abducting and capturing humans to offer as tributes to their Phantom Demons, aiding their growth.

Historically, there were numerous instances where cultists invaded human Base Cities, plundered populations, or lured Phantom Demons into urban areas, causing widespread destruction and countless disasters and tragedies.

Li Feng was now referring to such beings.

Undoubtedly, the Spirit Demon Abyss King—who once turned the land into a hellscape and is the only Terror Species to manifest in the world—had the qualification to be worshipped by these cultists.

Li Feng had accidentally entered the stronghold of cultists who worshipped the Spirit Demon Abyss King, learned their history there, and obtained the Divine Artifact they had enshrined.”The murals clearly depict the account of the Spirit Demon Abyss King being sealed, as well as the method to break the seal.”

Li Feng revealed this secret to everyone present.

“It was also at that time that I was able to undergo a complete transformation, developing an obsession to revolutionize, to change this world, and to alter my own circumstances.”

Li Feng spoke of the event that had completely transformed his entire life in a matter-of-fact tone.

As if it were something trivial, hardly worth elaborating on—such a monumental matter was explained by Li Feng in just a few words.

This left the group of Seven-Star Professionals feeling deeply uneasy, with a faint sense of fear and trembling.

Only Old Ling listened quietly to Li Feng’s words and did not speak until this moment.

“Your circumstances deserve sympathy,” Old Ling said coldly. “But the method you chose to bring about change is undoubtedly wrong.”

“Is that so?” Li Feng showed no concern for Old Ling’s accusation and replied calmly, “Then let me ask you, Guardian Deity, if I were to use the so-called correct method you speak of, would it be possible for me to change my circumstances, alter my life, shift the world’s structure, and overthrow the control that you lofty great beings and family powers hold over the world?”

Li Feng shook his head.

“Of course not.”

“You are the ones who set the rules. The so-called correct method is merely acting within the rules you’ve established—how could it possibly overthrow the rules you’ve created?”

“You regard yourselves as righteous, openly controlling everything you need, while those of us who wish to break free from your control and take a share from you are labeled as evil, ostracized and exiled by you.”

“Since that’s the case, in order to topple righteous figures like you who have set the rules, our choice is to become the evil that breaks them.”

“This is a revolution.”

Li Feng’s words were met only with Old Ling’s increasingly icy gaze.

“Even if it means the destruction of humanity and rivers of blood?Old Ling’s questioning was answered with Li Feng’s ever-calm response.

“Even if it means the destruction of humanity and rivers of blood!”

A murderous aura instantly filled the entire space.

“You will not succeed.”

Old Ling began to release his astonishing Aura bit by bit.

The other Seven-Star Professionals did the same, awakening their power and entering a combat-ready state.

In contrast, the Li Family showed no reaction at all.

Li Qingqing seemed completely uninterested in Old Ling and the others.

Li Wu looked at them as if they were a group of overconfident individuals, his eyes filled with pity.

As for Li Feng?

He took a step forward.

A strange, eerie, and sinister force gradually transformed into ripples, rising from his body.

“The seal will take a little more time to break.”

Li Feng’s voice, cold and mechanical, slowly rang out.

“Before that, let me show you the true power I’ve hidden for nearly forty years.”

The sinister and eerie power fluctuations formed a dark mist behind Li Feng.

Within the mist, it seemed as though a Demonic Beast had opened its eyes—ferocious and terrifying.

…

Time returned to the present.

Su Ming had already arrived at the Wang Family Cemetery and reached the entrance to the Underground Ruins.However, just as Su Ming was about to enter the Underground Ruins, a figure appeared and stopped him.

“It’s you?”

Su Ming looked at the figure blocking the entrance to the Underground Ruins and spoke with some surprise.

There, the man clad in black and wearing gauntlets pushed back his hood, revealing his true face.

His gaze, fixed on Su Ming, was filled with profound resentment.

The newcomer was none other than Su Ming’s acquaintance—an Underground Professional with whom he had fought twice and shared a deep Destiny.

The third-ranked member of the Ten Demons—Crow.

(End of Chapter)