Chapter 116: One Sacrifice Every Ten Thousand Years

Ning Xianyu’s head felt as if it were about to burst; she could not focus at all. She tried to revert Xuanyuan Tunhan back to his true form, but the pain interrupted her several times.

"System, help me."

The system hurriedly replied, "Give me these painful emotions, and I will draw them out for you, then exchange them for a packet of painkillers."

Ning Xianyu quickly agreed: "Give me the medicine to take, quickly."

As the system extracted the emotions, it provided her with a pill. Ning Xianyu felt something suddenly appear in her throat and swallowed it immediately; the pain significantly subsided. She focused on the transformation, and with a loud "poof," the little black cat turned back into the Great Demon Lord.

The white-robed man was stunned for a moment, only to be struck squarely in the face by a heavy punch. He retreated two steps, halting the spell he was casting. Ning Xianyu felt the pain vanish instantly. Seeing the Great Demon Lord standing in front of her, she heaved a sigh of relief.

Xuanyuan Tunhan turned suddenly and slashed his sword across Ning Xianyu’s body, startling her into a scream. Only after she shrieked did she realize he had merely cut away the vines that were binding her. She landed on the ground and cautiously hid behind him.

Xuanyuan Tunhan pointed his sword at the man in white: "Nian Laisheng, you have quite a lot of nerve."

Ning Xianyu poked her head out and asked in confusion, "This is Nian Laisheng, Yu Nian’s master?" Was this the legendary person who had been roped into this at the last minute? Had they been plotted against from the moment they entered Mount Shifang?

Nian Laisheng smiled: "Senior Xuanyuan, this humble daoist has always been quite timid. I deliberated for a long time before making this decision, so I hope you will forgive me."

*That sounds nice, but you didn't look timid at all when you attacked me just now,* Ning Xianyu thought, cursing Nian Laisheng in her heart. If she could, she would have rushed up to strike him a few times.

Xuanyuan Tunhan demanded angrily, "You want to detain me so that I can be sacrificed to the heavens ten thousand years from now?"

Though his malicious scheme had been exposed, Nian Laisheng remained calm, even appearing to think it was only natural: "That is exactly the case."

Xuanyuan Tunhan frowned: "You have already reached the Void Realm?"

Nian Laisheng remained smiling: "I was fortunate enough to break through to the Void Realm in the last two years."

Xuanyuan Tunhan gave a mocking laugh: "To reach the Void Realm and still hide it? Nian Laisheng, you are as cowardly as ever, though I never expected you to be so calculating." He tied his sword to his hand and snarled, "Since you have reached the Void Realm, you know what happens next. It is your turn."

However, Nian Laisheng replied, "No, it is your turn, Senior. According to the order of seniority, it is indeed your turn. I only wish to trap you here for the safety of the Six Realms of Cloud Desolation."

"You know well that to be a sacrifice, one must spend ten thousand years in the extraterritorial void to purify oneself; otherwise, it is impossible to suppress the demonic energy of the Demon Star."

Ning Xianyu immediately thought of the person in the Lingshu Secret Realm, Xuanyuan Tunhan’s grand-master. That person seemed to have stayed in the Lingshu Secret Realm for ten thousand years, only to be placed in a bottle and taken away to be sacrificed to the heavens upon emerging. According to Nian Laisheng, it seemed that a sacrifice was required every ten thousand years, and the sacrifice had to be prepared ten thousand years in advance just to suppress that Demon Star in the Demon World.

So many formidable experts, one after another, waiting in solitude in a secret realm for ten thousand years, only to wait for death?

*What is this atmosphere of extreme desolation?*

Ning Xianyu couldn't help but step forward and grab Xuanyuan Tunhan’s sleeve. Could it be that the Great Demon Lord was really next in line?

Xuanyuan Tunhan felt her nervousness and sorrow. He couldn't help but turn to look at her, and he did not shake her hand off. Instead, he turned back to Nian Laisheng and scoffed: "You are merely afraid of death. To be a sacrifice, one must have surpassed the Void-Shattering Realm. You have already far exceeded that and reached the Void Realm; you are the most suitable candidate."

Nian Laisheng shook his head: "This humble daoist does not fear death, but my cultivation is unstable. This power was obtained temporarily, like a fortress built on sand; it would crumble at a touch. I need another twenty thousand years before I am fit to be that sacrifice."

He bowed and even said to Ning Xianyu: "Fellow Daoist, for the safety of the Six Realms of Cloud Desolation, I ask that you and Senior Xuanyuan remain here to purify yourselves for ten thousand years. With your company, I imagine the Senior will not be too lonely."

Ning Xianyu had not expected that she would be involved in this as well. "But what exactly are you talking about? Why would a sacrifice be able to suppress the Demon Star?" Even now, she was utterly confused, failing to grasp the cause and effect.

Perhaps to keep her there, Nian Laisheng kindly explained: "When the Demon Star first descended, the Demon World became a purgatory. The cultivators of the Six Realms united to fight it, attempting to restore the Demon World, but all efforts were in vain."

"Until one day, a cultivator accidentally entered the life cycle of the Demon Star and sacrificed themselves to suppress its demonic energy. Only then did everyone discover a way to temporarily hold it back."

Ning Xianyu nodded: "So the method is to send a pure cultivator to be eaten by it every ten thousand years?"

This was equivalent to cleaning up a high-level cultivator and handing them over to be eaten, wasn't it? Just thinking about it was both tragic and terrifying. Imagine waiting for ten thousand years, striving to purify oneself, just to be someone's meal.

Wasn't that too terrifying?

Xuanyuan Tunhan glanced at her but said nothing.

Nian Laisheng smiled bitterly: "Indeed, but if we do not, the Demon Star will continue to expand and eventually destroy the entire world. When that time comes, the world will be plunged into misery, and the number of dead will be far more than just one or two."

So it was truly a case of sacrificing the few to save the many. It seemed that all those cultivators who had previously claimed they were going to solve the Demon Star issue and then vanished had actually gone to find a place to purify themselves. And Xuanyuan Tunhan was likely the one in charge of the operation, responsible for delivering the purified cultivators to the Demon Star.

Everyone he sent away was a friend, a fellow daoist, or even a peer. Thinking about it, to do this every ten thousand years, sending away one old friend after another—it was truly horrifying.

Ning Xianyu gripped his sleeve tighter: "Are you two the only ones left who can serve as sacrifices?"

The loss of high-level cultivators was severe. It was said that there were few left who had even passed the God-Transformation Realm, let alone the Void-Shattering or Void Realms.

Nian Laisheng confirmed: "We are the only two who have surpassed the Void-Shattering Realm."

Ning Xianyu asked again: "How did you know that this 'sacrifice' method is effective?" Was this a supreme secret? How could such a major event have never been mentioned by anyone?

Nian Laisheng replied: "Because it is a secret that only a cultivator who has surpassed the Void-Shattering Realm can know."

"Years ago, Senior Xuanyuan placed a restriction on the Six Realms of Cloud Desolation. As soon as one surpasses the Void-Shattering Realm, they automatically receive the truth about maintaining the stability of the Demon Star and the safety of the Six Realms."

"However, over the years, ever since those seniors sacrificed themselves one after another, no one else has surpassed the Void-Shattering Realm, so no other cultivator has known of this matter."

Now that only the two of them remained, Nian Laisheng felt he was not suitable, and seeing that Xuanyuan Tunhan had no intention of purifying himself, he had come to force him into it.

But Ning Xianyu felt that such sacrifices should be voluntary and not forced. If the Great Demon Lord was unwilling, she could fully understand.

At that moment, however, the Great Demon Lord spoke: "The suppression of the Demon Star has reached its limit. I just sent the last sacrifice a few days ago. From now on, sacrifices will be useless. You are simply wasting your time."

Nian Laisheng was horrified: "Does the Senior mean that the Six Realms of Cloud Desolation only have ten thousand years left?"