The Blade-Wielding Legend
Chapter 272 - 184: The National Sacrifice and the Ascender_2

Chapter 272: Chapter 184: The National Sacrifice and the Ascender_2

Yan Jiuling nodded, "That’s right, this item relates to some secrets. To be honest, I am also conducting research on it. Its origins involve the rites of state sacrifices."

"Although each dynasty had its state sacrifices, they were all different. It’s difficult to speak of the Xia and Shang dynasties, but the Zhou dynasty was the first to use the term ’social and agricultural deities.’ Zhou rituals were quite elaborate, inheriting the practices from the Xia and Shang, as the saying goes, ’The Zhou dynasty oversaw both predecessors, and how splendid was their culture...’"

"By the end of the Zhou dynasty, the rites and music had collapsed, and the state sacrifices by the dukes each had their own emphasis. For instance, the states of Qi, Lu, and the three Jins worshipped the Five Emperors and the Qi Land Eight Gods..."

"As for the Chu State, they solely believed in the Three Emperors: the Yellow Emperor, Emperor Jun, and Emperor Zhuanxu, while also worshipping ten divine figures such as East Emperor Taiyi, East Lord, Cloud Lord, Xiang Jun, and others..."

"In Qin territory, the emphasis was more on their chief deity, the Lesser White Emperor, who is also the deity of our western Hua Mountain. Hence, when the Han Emperor rose in rebellion slaying the white snake, the snake was said to be the offspring of the White Emperor, symbolizing the fall of Qin..."

"When the Han Dynasty was first established, new rites were created, and decrees were sent out for divine sacrifices from all regions to enter Chang’an, to be worshipped together with the deities of the former Qin." The "Records of the Grand Historian: The Book of Feng Shan" also says, ’the Liang witches perform sacrifices to heaven and earth... the Jin witches to the Five Emperors, the East Lord, the Cloud Lord, Si Ming... Qin witches to the local deities, Wu Bao... the Jing witches to the main hall, the primal witches, Si Ming...’"

Secret Blessing of the Han Palace!

Li Yan instantly understood; this was the origin of Ye Kuran and the Shang Mountain lineage...

Yan Jiuling continued, "By the end of the Han Dynasty, as chaos gripped the land, the Proper Xuan Sect emerged, along with the disturbances caused by Fang Xian Dao, the original sacrificial rites of the Han Palace were stopped, and the related witch sacrifices returned to their regions. This item is a Jing Witch Token..."

While speaking, the corners of his mouth revealed a smile, "I’ve been interested in these ancient sacrificial rites since I was a child. I have collected quite a few of such items at home. It’s a pity I have to travel to the Capital for the civil examination, otherwise I would have invited Young Hero Li to view my collection."

Li Yan spoke earnestly, "If there is time, I will certainly pay a visit."

Listening to Yan Jiuling’s words, he had a premonition.

These things might just be related to the Ascenders.

As they talked, the sky had darkened, and the moon was just rising.

Suddenly, there came the sound of chaotic footsteps outside the Taoist Temple, and there appeared an elderly Taoist, striding in with numerous daoists following.

He was tall, with a full head of white hair and a beard, his features honest and kind, and his complexion rosy. Despite appearing to be of an advanced age, he walked with great vigor.

Li Yan’s expression changed slightly upon seeing him.

He could sense that the elderly daoist had no discernible scent, which was a sign of a Martial Artist who had achieved Dan Strength, indicating that the other party was at least a Dan Strength master.

This was rare in the Mystical Sect, given that Cultivators still primarily focused on spells.

"I am Jing Xuzi, the abbot of Chunyang Temple. I am honored to meet all of you," the elderly daoist’s voice was warm, and there seemed to be a rumble of thunder in it.

Despite his gentle demeanor, there was something about it that was so imposing that it struck awe in everyone’s hearts.

"Greetings, senior!"

Everyone quickly paid their respects.

Even Sha Lifei packed away his playful demeanor.

After all, they were all from the Mystical Sect of Guanzhong; after some mutual introductions, they even found some connections.

It turned out that the elderly daoist and Qingyangzi, the temple priest of the Xianyang City God Temple, were close friends. With this connection, their conversations naturally grew more intimate.

Jing Xuzi sighed, "This time I must also thank Young Friend Li. If not for your warning, a great disaster might have erupted."

"This Drought Demon has been stirring trouble since the late Tang Dynasty and was suppressed on Dragon and Tiger Mountain. When the former dynasty split into North and South, the land fell into turmoil, and it disappeared without a trace."

"The Law Enforcement Hall in Chang’an lost more than half its strength, and a great deal of manpower and resources were spent to bring it to Hua Mountain. If something had happened here, how could Chunyang Palace face safeguarding Hua Mountain?"

Li Yan quickly returned the gesture with modesty, "It is the Goddess Mao who gave the warning; I merely passed on the message."

"There is no need for modesty; the ability to communicate with God is not something everyone possesses."

Jing Xuzi waved his hand and took out a small wooden box, "This creature was slain thanks to your warning, I dare not claim credit for it, so I present this as a token of my gratitude."

As he spoke, he opened the small wooden box under the curious gaze of everyone.

Inside was a creature resembling a lizard, elongated, about a foot long, with six feet and two protrusions on its back.

"Is this the Feiyi?"

Li Yan’s eyes showed a hint of curiosity, "This is a creature of legend from the ’Classic of Mountains and Seas,’ I never thought I’d see it with my own eyes."

Jing Xuzi nodded and replied, "It is but a Feiyi juvenile."

Li Yan, somewhat puzzled, asked respectfully, "Please forgive my ignorance, but what use does this creature have? It is not a demon, yet does it not carry the aura of evil spirits?"

"Hahaha..."

Jing Xuzi stroked his beard and laughed, "Between heaven and earth, both Yin and Yang have their own Dao. Feiyi is born from calamity, and though it brings disaster, it is also a sign of fortune."

"The evil spirit energy has been cleansed by us, suppressed at the peak of Hua Mountain, and will disperse in three days."

"This Feiyi corpse is also a Heavenly Spirit Earth Treasure; it can cure all kinds of madness and epilepsy, as well as all Gu worms. Dry it and grind it into powder, and taking just a dose can heal you!"

Upon hearing this, Li Yan’s eyes immediately lit up.

According to this, this thing was truly remarkable.

Medicines that can instantly treat a particular disease are already considered divine medicine, not to mention its power to kill Gu worms.

In the future, if he encountered a master of witchcraft and Gu, he would now have a method of salvation.

"Then I won’t be polite, junior."

With such a gain, Li Yan naturally would not miss the opportunity, and he accepted it with respect.

Jing Xuzi smiled as he stroked his beard, "This is what you deserve. In addition, on the day of the treasure vault opening, you, my young friend, may be the first to select."

Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan quickly expressed their gratitude upon hearing this.

It was well known that the order of selection after the treasure vault opened was of great significance. Generally, the Proper Xuan Sect took precedence, followed by various Magic Veins, and those from side doors with Tokens chose last.

By then, only scraps and leftovers would remain.

There was no helping it, this was the Mystical Sect, and the rules between heaven and earth had always been such: the strong feast on meat, while the powerless drink soup.

"Young friend, feel at ease to stay here, and if there is anything you need, you can speak with Yu Fengzi; I am busy with many affairs, so I will not disturb the rest of you Cultivators."

After these instructions, the old Daoist hastily left, obviously with important matters to attend to.

Everyone exchanged smiles; just arriving at Hua Mountain, they had already encountered such an opportunity, clearly a good omen.

Just then, Yan Jiuling hesitated, bit his teeth, and with hands clasped, said, "Young Hero Li, there is something I would like to ask for your help with."

After a conversation, Li Yan felt a very good impression of Yan Jiuling and smiled, "Please speak, Brother Yan."

Yan Jiuling clasped his hands and said, "My mother contracted mental illness three years ago, and despite consultations with famous doctors to no avail, even seeking help from those of the Mystical Sect was useless. She is mad all day long and cannot even feed herself."

"As her son, my heart aches. I have searched high and low across the mountains, praying to the Divine for my mother’s recovery..."

Li Yan understood his intentions immediately and smiled, "Don’t worry, go ahead with your examination in the Capital, our group is just about to leave Guanzhong."

"Your home is in Yiling, right? Send a letter, and we will stop by and treat her en route."

According to Jing Xuzi, this Feiyi corpse, once dried and ground to powder, required only a small amount to cure diseases, so helping someone out was no big deal.

"Thank you, Young Hero Li."

Yan Jiuling was full of gratitude, "I have a modest family fortune and will not let you all suffer any loss."

Having said this, he hurried back into the room to write the letter.

Li Yan smiled slightly and looked towards Sha Lifei and Wang Daoxuan.

"How about we head to Ezhou afterwards?"

"Sure, I’ve been wanting to experience the lands of Jing Chu..."

...

The next day, before dawn had fully broken, Li Yan was already up.

Hua Mountain was a Cave Heaven Blessed Land; though the Taoist Temple was not a spiritual acupoint, a session of martial arts practice left him feeling refreshed and invigorated.

At that moment, a young Taoist disciple came in to report, "Cultivator Li, there’s someone asking for you outside."

Li Yan quickly went out and indeed, it was someone he knew.

The visitor was none other than Manager Wan, and someone alongside him who surprised him, none other than the master and disciple from the Mei Mountain teaching within the Jing Chu delegation...