Unexpectedly, Xiang Beifei managed to slip right under their noses without them noticing!
The celestial maiden Guanghui really wanted to loudly inform these two idiots that a fourth human had just infiltrated, but the voice of Xiang Beifei echoed in her mind: "Come in."
She was filled with resentment, utterly unable to reveal the truth, and could only take a step forward, entering the passage.
After passing through the entrance enveloped by twelve wings, Uncle Liang and the others seemed to arrive at a sacred mountain, where the scenery was enchanting and lush with foliage. The mountain resembled terraced fields, with a pool of clear water every few steps, emitting a soothing aroma with a gentle steam rising from it.
"The air here smells so delightful! Living here would be so blissful," commented Uncle Liang.
Uncle Liang appeared utterly immersed in the mountain’s atmosphere, inhaling deeply, fully absorbed by its charms, even forgetting the purpose of his visit.
Jiang Shan and Jiang Feng felt similarly; even though they had exceptional composure, their strength was too feeble to remain calm here. It seemed there was an inexplicable force paralyzing their nerves, making them feel joyous and enamored with the place.
"If you wish to reside here, you definitely can. I’ve brought you here to offer you a better life," Wu Tian said with a smile.
"Really?" Uncle Liang asked excitedly.
"Of course, but this is a sacred place. Your status is too low, bodies laden with impurities. Only by cleansing these impurities and undergoing a ritual can you earn the Divine Lord’s approval," Wu Tian explained.
"Please tell us how we can do it!" Uncle Liang eagerly asked.
"It’s quite simple. Step into the sacred pool, and it will perform a complete ritual for you," Wu Tian said.
Wu Tian pointed to the clear waters, which started to ripple, misty and ethereal, creating a delightful ambiance.
Upon hearing this, the three moved involuntarily towards the nearest pool. As they reached its edge, bubbles suddenly began to appear, followed by sprays of water shooting out like fountains.
These jets didn’t fall back into the pool, instead floating mid-air like tentacles, gently swirling and wrapping around Uncle Liang’s limbs and neck.
"Are you willing to offer yourself entirely to the Divine Lord?"
Wu Tian had already begun to display a sinister grin.
"We are willing," Uncle Liang responded hazily.
"So which ritual do you plan to accept? Flaying? Deboning? Or slowly bleeding to death in agony? Or perhaps organ extraction, amputation? Being compressed by steel plates lined with needles... As humans, you bear sin from birth. You must choose the most painful ritual for your soul to transcend, thereby gaining the Divine Lord’s approval and being eternally by its side," Wu Tian elaborated.
With a gentle wave of Wu Tian’s hand, the tentacles from the clear pool slowly transformed into various execution tools: pointed deboning knives, long tweezers, and even human-shaped boards lined with needles, each needle a foot long, capable of penetrating through a person’s body when compressed!
These execution tools are exceedingly sharp, inflicting excruciating pain on humans while preserving their consciousness, gradually dulling their senses until they crumble.
The more pain experienced in life, the stronger the power bestowed upon the Huangquan monsters in the afterlife!
For pain is the source of Huangquan’s power!
"Have you decided which ritual to choose?"
Wu Tian relished tormenting those led here, who foolishly thought they’d cultivated their moonprint to its fullest, allowing them to ascend and become superior beings, but in reality, what awaits them is terrifying agony!
"Which ritual to choose?"
Their minds were blurry, though strangely aware of the ritual’s painful nature, a frightening force clouding their thoughts and making them willing to accept it.
They couldn’t make up their minds.
"Allow me to offer some advice! Old man, choose the ritual of needles piercing your body; you should opt for deboning, while the Clan Leader of Changpan Valley should undergo skinning!" Wu Tian suggested with a cruel smile.
The three seemed to have no objections, agreeing in a muddled fashion.
Wu Tian waved his hand, and all the water column instruments slowly enveloped their bodies; the needle-lined boards already clamped Uncle Liang from both sides, while the sharp deboning knives started piercing Jiang Shan and Jiang Feng at the base of their necks!
But just at that moment—
A beam of light echoed in the air, and all the torture devices abruptly halted in mid-air, unable to advance an inch further.
"I came just a few seconds late, and it’s starting so quickly?"
Xiang Beifei furrowed his brows, then snapped his fingers with a loud crack!
At the moment Uncle Liang and the others heard the snap, they felt a shock coursing through their minds, snapping them out of their dazed state.
Where once stood a holy mountain, there was now no trace of sanctity left; upon closer inspection, they discovered the mountain was made entirely of various bones, some still clinging with flesh, as if freshly hewn. They stood upon a massive skull.
The ground vaguely revealed human remnants, even many shriveled heads, wrapped only with a thin layer of skin, appearing as if drained of blood, with skin pressed tightly against bone, unable to find peace even in death.
Yet, the blood and flesh weren’t solely human; they included remnants of various desolate beasts and Yi Tribespeople, slaughtered by the Meat-Winged Monster and piled here.
The pool that seemed so clear moments ago was actually filled with fresh blood, bubbling like boiling liquid, yet refusing to coagulate. The air now lacked any freshness, entirely consumed by the nauseating stench of blood!
This was nothing short of a horrific hellish killing ground!
"This place... my god!"
Uncle Liang, upon witnessing this scene, almost leapt in fright, nearly crashing into the steel needle plank meant to squash him flat.
"What’s going on? Why did it feel like we were suddenly bewitched?" Jiang Shan asked, trembling with fear.
They still remembered Wu Tian’s words crystal clearly — Wu Tian intended to torture them in every gruesome manner for some so-called baptism, yet somehow, they all seemed eager to embrace such torment without a hint of resistance.
"Illusions, you can’t fend off these illusions." Xiang Beifei calmly surveyed his surroundings.
Uncle Liang gasped, but was quickly choked by the foul stench, coughing for quite some time before spitting disdainfully and pinching his nose, asking in horror, "So were all the people of Changpan Valley tortured to death ?"
"Yes," celestial maiden Guanghui replied.
Thinking of how he was nearly pierced through by the long steel needle plank, Uncle Liang and the others shivered involuntarily. If it weren’t for Xiang Beifei, they might have lost their lives here!
"Guanghui, what’s going on? Why is there another human here?"
Wu Tian suddenly noticed a stranger among them, who managed to break the illusion, sensing something amiss, and demanded an explanation.
But he quickly realized in terror that he was suddenly unable to move, as if some powerful force had immobilized all his strength!
"Who are you?" Wu Tian, smelling danger, dramatically changed in expression!
Xiang Beifei glanced at Wu Tian calmly, then turned to celestial maiden Guanghui to ask, "Is he more familiar with this place than you are?"
"No, my rank is higher, I know more," celestial maiden Guanghui answered.
"Then he’s of no use."
Xiang Beifei nonchalantly snapped his fingers again!
The two steel needle planks initially aiming to clamp Uncle Liang abruptly sped over, surrounding Wu Tian!
"What do you plan to do? Celestial maiden Guanghui, what are you doing? Stop this human!"
Wu Tian looked in shock and anger at the two steel needle planks, having used such torture instruments to torment humans for years, he knew all too well what these planks meant.
Just as he finished speaking, the two steel needle planks clamped down forcefully on Wu Tian’s entire body!
A scream echoed around.