The sky in this world is always gray, no matter day or night, whether it is sunny or rainy, there is always a thin layer of smoke floating in the sky. Even if the lead clouds in the sky were like ink and the torrential rain was like a note, Du Shen could feel the gloom shrouded in his head.

The world lacks life, or more precisely, it should be popularity. Whether it is a city lined with houses, a rich and quiet town, or a vast countryside, it seems sparsely populated. Most of the figures who went out for activities were young, and they could hardly see the gray-haired old men.

Du Shen has been in the world of Sage for almost three months. Although I have been traveling, my main energy is actually spent on self-cultivation.

This world is very unfriendly to the Daofa, and the appearance may be the layer of smoke and dust floating in the air. Du Shen was in the world of Reima before, and it took a short time to be promoted from the early stage of the Yuan Infant to the late stage. The improvement is too fast, and it is a bit of a seedling to fuel. Now that he has descended into the world of rejecting Taoism, Du Shen also deeply feels the vanity of the foundation.

In the past three months, Du Shen has been making up for the shortcomings of his cultivation. It is foreseeable that it will take a long time for him to completely consolidate Yuan Ying in the future.

Recently, Rock City was slightly livelier than usual, with an undercurrent running from the city to the surrounding towns and villages. So much so that in the end the entire city-state was mobilized.

There's really nothing out of the ordinary. The lord of the castle is buying living creatures from all over the world, intending to sacrifice to the gods on the night of the moon recently.

The city-state of Locke regularly sacrificed to the gods every year. A long time ago, only a large number of livestock and animals were used. Later, with the sharp decline of various animals, living humans began to be used about 100 years ago.

The annual Great Rite Festival is to please the gods. Although it is necessary to sacrifice the living, everyone can still bear it. However, the sacrifice that the lord of the castle is preparing to hold this time is not a regular big sacrifice. Rather, it is through sacrifices, expecting the gods to reward the good. Therefore, the two chambers of commerce entrusted by the city lord this time were a little sneaky when they went around collecting sacrifices.

Although the two chambers of commerce deliberately withheld the information. As the servants went on a buying spree for livestock and live prey, as the chamber of commerce inquired and bought the old and sick. The news that the lord wanted to sacrifice privately was still spreading throughout the city-state.

Everyone knows about it, but no one objects or blames it. Everyone has long been numb to a tradition that has lasted for more than 100 years. Anyway, the private sacrifice of the city lord will not force the elderly to draw lots, and then become sacrifices. Although the Chamber of Commerce is collecting the sick and the elderly, it is also purchased with real money. Others are voluntary, and people don't want to meddle.

However, in recent times, many civilians have paid special attention to their diet, daily life and safety. They tried to avoid getting seriously ill or being seriously injured by their relatives so as not to be betrayed as a sacrifice by their relatives.

The castle lord's intention to make a private sacrifice became known. The two chambers of commerce are worried about the change, so they raise the price and speed up.

Within a few days, the commoners heard a statement: the sacrifices needed by the city lord had been gathered, and the sacrifices had ended.

At dusk, a convoy emerged from a manor near the city. The convoy was mighty, guarded by cavalry, and headed for a deserted valley to the northeast. Many of the vehicles in the convoy were very special, looking like prisoner cars, and the outside was covered with rags or wooden planks, so that people could not see the contents of the prison cars.

The convoy was parked in the wilderness, with a lush mountain range nearby. The lord of the city, Karga, stepped out of the carriage and led the escort to the center of the convoy.

In the center, several minions were ready. They set up bonfires and placed clay pots. Together, they dragged a deer-like creature out of a prisoner cart. The majestic deer struggled incessantly, and was held down by the minions. They cut the stag's neck and released fresh blood into the clay pot.

After a few moments, the stag stopped convulsing and the wound stopped dripping blood. A few servants put half-filled clay pots on top of the campfire and heated them up.

The lord of the castle stood by the campfire and watched until the blood in the clay pot boiled.

The lord of the city took out a ball of silk cloth from his bosom. He cautiously opened it and picked up the irregular stone inside. The lord of the castle walked up to the clay pot and gently threw a stone less than the size of a fist into the clay pot.

The dark red blood in the pot churned more and more, almost splashing out. The black-red mist rises from the clay pot, entrenched in the mouth of the pot, and does not drift away.

It didn't take long for the ground to shake and become more and more obvious. The camel beast that was pulling the cart was disturbed, roaring in a low voice, and stomping on its hooves.

A clearing next to the campfire suddenly cracked, and an altar that seemed to be made of huge animal bones emerged from the ground.

When the earthquake subsided, the lord of the castle calmed his men a little and ordered the people to send sacrifices. Under the command of the city lord, the prisoner carts were opened one after another, and first all kinds of live animals were dragged out of the prisoner carts by the soldiers. Various animals, with different roars but not much struggling, seem to be the result of their bodies being paralyzed by drugs.

Soldiers lined up to carry or carry the animal into the center of the altar. The altar is a bit like a cauldron, concave towards the center. As soon as an animal landed on the altar, translucent blue flames suddenly emerged from the altar. The goat-like animal floated in the flames and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Goats, large birds, beasts of prey with sharp teeth and claws...... The various animals were thrown into the spacious altar, struggled twice in the flames, and then all disappeared.

First animals, then people. Or an old man with a dead face, or a disabled person who is shivering, or a sick person who is weak and weak. One by one, the humans were dragged to the altar and pushed into it.

The translucent flames grew bluer. Strong or weak, old or young, as long as it falls into the altar, the sacrifice only makes two screams and disappears.

At the level imperceptible to the mortal eye, in mid-air, a blurry red shadow always hovered above the altar. The red shadow flickered, sometimes pausing above the altar, sometimes flying into the air of the mountain hundreds of meters away.

When all the sacrifices were delivered, the red shadow flew over the altar. A smart, pure, invisible force, like steam, rose from the altar and burrowed into the red shadow's body. The red shadow slowly swelled up, eventually turning into a tall figure.

The figure was dressed in a long robe, covering his hands and feet. It wears a wooden helmet and does not show any skin. It was as if from the helmet of the beast's head, an indistinguishable voice came from the male and female: "Lord of the city-state of Locke, what are you begging for?"

The city lord Kaga hurriedly got down on one knee, and the humans around him followed suit. Kaga looked up at the huge figure in the air and pressed his right hand to his heart: "Great Finsil, I beg you to grant me a longer life and greater strength. ”

Finsel was silent for a while: "The creatures you sacrificed are scarce in quantity and of low quality. I can give you more power, but only five years longer for you. ”

As he spoke, a dark red mist stretched out of Finsel's wide sleeves like a rope the thickness of a finger, and connected to Kaga's chest.

Kaga snorted, and at first seemed to be in pain, then his face was full of pleasure, and then he was excited.

Kaga, who should have continued to feel comfortable, suddenly snorted in pain, and his body shook slightly. A cloud of blue light appeared in mid-air, shooting towards Finsel from about sixty meters away.