Free Web NovelChapter 398: Chapter 398: Yun Ji, Die
"Sprite, Sprite."
"Yes, I’m here, Host."
"Is this Snow Mink Beast female a Saintess?"
"No."
Qiao Xixi paused. "How were you so fast? Are you sure you checked properly?"
"Host~ I spent so long upgrading, I had to make some progress! This Snow Mink female really isn’t a Saintess. Not only is she not a Saintess, but she also has no fertility at all."
’How is that possible!’
The Snow Mink female had just told her that she had already given birth to several cubs. Qiao Xixi didn’t think she would lie about something like that.
’Then there’s only one possibility. That pool of water from yesterday really did drain her fertility!’
"Then is there anything wrong with her body?"
"Nope. Other than having no fertility, she’s perfectly healthy."
Qiao Xixi looked at the Snow Mink female with a touch of sympathy. ’Losing her fertility as a Saintess must be a huge blow to her.’ She didn’t want to be the one to break the news, especially since the female was otherwise healthy.
In the silence, Qiao Xixi saw Sunxiao and the others approaching from another path.
Upon seeing Qiao Xixi, Feiyan started to walk toward her, but he was stopped by two Beast Guards as soon as he stepped out of line.
"Go that way. Your designated spot is over there."
Feiyan frowned, a flicker of anger igniting in his light brown eyes.
’This damn Beast King City, with all its secretive nonsense. I really can’t stand it anymore!’
Sunxiao and the others all turned to look at Feiyan. Just as they were about to stop the impulsive male, Feiyan took a step back and returned to the group.
Jin Ling and the others were a bit surprised. They hadn’t expected Feiyan to use his head at a critical moment.
Catching the looks from the other males, Feiyan snorted. ’I might be impulsive, but I know how to consider the bigger picture. I was just testing the Beast Guards’ attitude. If they hadn’t stopped me, wouldn’t I have been able to get over to Qiao Xixi’s side?’
He turned and met Qiao Xixi’s gaze. Having witnessed the whole exchange, she gave him a thumbs-up. ’Nice one. The silly fox has made some progress. He deserves some praise.’
The silly fox was so happy his ears twitched.
The Sacrificial Platform was situated in a wide, open space behind the main hall of the royal palace.
The entire platform was built from massive blocks of black stone. It was surrounded on three sides by stone walls carved with Cloud Thunder Patterns and Phoenix Totems, the lines rough and sharp.
In the center of the platform lay the bones of some unknown beast, covered in complex patterns that looked both mysterious and eerie.
Qiao Xixi and her group were led to the base of the platform. Looking around, she saw that over a thousand beastmen had come to attend the ceremony today.
’It makes sense.’ The Snow Mink female had mentioned earlier that she came from a medium-sized tribe, and they alone had sent about twenty males with high Beast Soul Star Ranks.
She had said it was a rule in Beast King City: outside beastmen, even those attending the ceremony, were not allowed entry if their Beast Soul Rank was below five stars.
Even for females, unless they had a special status, only those with high-grade fertility or above were permitted to come.
Qiao Xixi was surprised to hear this, because the Wing Clan beastman who delivered the message to the Black Panther Tribe hadn’t mentioned any such requirements to her.
As time passed, the sun reached its zenith.
The Beast King, dressed in a red beast-hide skirt, walked onto the Sacrificial Platform.
Her gaze swept slowly across the faces of the beastmen, pausing for a moment when she saw Qiao Xixi standing in the crowd.
Qiao Xixi happened to look up, meeting the other woman’s eyes.
As their eyes met, Qiao Xixi felt a chill.
When she tried to get a clearer look, the Beast King had already averted her gaze.
Qiao Xixi frowned. The distance was too great for her to be certain if the Beast King’s hostile glare had been directed at her.
"Today is the Grand Sacrificial Ceremony of Beast King City. We will pray to the Beast God to forever grant us abundant food, health, and strength."
"ROAR!"
The beastmen below the platform roared in excitement, the sound so powerful it made Qiao Xixi’s chest tremble.
Suddenly, a shadow fell from the sky. The crowd of beastmen looked up in confusion to see a white phoenix, shimmering with iridescent colors in the golden light, flying toward them.
His wings were immense, and with each beat, one could even make out the individual, glossy feathers. His long tail, trailing like silk ribbons, was especially so beautiful it turned heads.
He flew over the heads of the crowd and landed slowly on the Sacrificial Platform.
A flash of colorful light later, the white phoenix before them transformed into Yun Ji.
Today, he was not in his usual white feathered robes, but a moon-white sacrificial gown. The fabric was as light as a cicada’s wing, and as he stood there and moved, the hem of his robe fluttered, making him seem like a deity.
His long hair was unbound, cascading over his shoulders and back, nearly blending in with his snow-white robes.
His features were so handsome they were almost otherworldly, his skin as fair as the finest suet jade. Standing on the platform, he was like a ray of cold, sacred moonlight.
The Beast King was the first to act, crossing her hands over her chest and bowing to Yun Ji.
"Holy Priest."
The beastmen below the platform quickly followed suit, bowing as well.
Yun Ji lifted his lashes slightly and said only to the Beast King, "The sacrifice. Begin."
Hearing this, the Beast King turned and walked off the platform.
Holding a white feather, Yun Ji stood in the center of the platform, chanting an unknown incantation. His long fingers waved the feather in slow, solemn movements. Every lift of his hand, every arc of his bow, was precise and elegant, completely detached from the mortal world.
His eyes were slightly closed, his expression focused and devout. A faint halo of light seemed to envelop him, making him as holy as a god from the highest heavens—so much so that no one dared to look at him directly, only to gaze in reverence from afar.
Suddenly, a wind picked up. Qiao Xixi looked up and saw that the once-bright sky was now covered by a layer of dark clouds.
The Beast King’s expression changed. "What is happening?"
Yun Ji’s eyes snapped open. Deep within his pale pupils lay a thick layer of worry.
His gaze swept slowly past the direction where Qiao Xixi was, and then, as if having made a decision, he suddenly spread his arms wide.
The dark clouds in the sky abruptly coalesced into a raging gale that dove straight for Yun Ji.
This sudden turn of events made everyone present pale.
"Wh-what is going on?"
"Have we angered the Beast God? Is the Beast God going to punish us?"
"Look! The Holy Priest has been swept up!"
Qiao Xixi stared in shock at Yun Ji, who had been swept into mid-air by the massive black whirlwind.
"Sprite, Sprite, what’s happening?"
Before Qiao Xixi could get a reply from her Sprite, a terrifying voice—deep, hoarse, and imbued with immense dark power—resounded from the sky.
"You wish to suppress me, to trap me forever? Dream on! Yun Ji, die!"
Along with the voice came a terrifyingly powerful force, like a great mountain pressing down on everyone’s heads, rendering them unable to move.
"Xixi!"
Sunxiao was the first to break through the oppressive pressure with his beast soul energy, and he sprinted toward Qiao Xixi.
Qiao Xixi didn’t know Yun Ji’s purpose in teaching her those abilities, but he was, at the very least, half a teacher to her. With her teacher in trouble, she couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.
Qiao Xixi formed a hand seal. "Wind, rise!"
A great gust of wind rose from the ground, flying abruptly toward the black cloud that had enveloped Yun Ji.
Yun Ji’s cool, detached eyes widened in shock as he looked in astonishment at Qiao Xixi, who stood facing the wind.
In that instant, the mark between his eyebrows burst forth with a blinding halo of light. It rapidly enveloped the black cloud, and the two clashing forces tumbled away, speeding off behind the royal palace.
