Chapter 591: Ice Phoenix Ancient Saint Body
Zhang Ruochen naturally could not remove his mask, saying, "Since the proprietress lacks trust to such a degree, let us first trade one Sacred Stone. Tomorrow, I will bring enough Spirit Crystals to trade for the remaining two Sacred Stones."
A look of disappointment appeared in Duanmu Ya's eyes.
However, Duanmu Ya did not force him. After all, his strength was evident. If she angered him, would she not be creating a formidable enemy for no reason?
Mu Lingxi, however, had no such reservations. She walked directly toward Zhang Ruochen, exclaiming sharply, "Zhang Ruochen, how long will you keep pretending? Since you are still alive, why do you not dare to show me your true face? Do you distrust me that much?"
"Zhang Ruochen?"
Zhang Ruochen's expression was very calm. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly as he said, "Your Highness the Saintly Maiden, I am afraid you have mistaken me for someone else."
"Swish!"
Zhang Ruochen extended a hand, his five fingers forming a claw shape. From five zhang away, he took one of the Sacred Stones from the bronze tray and tucked it into his sleeve.
Then, he turned and left, walking away from the Wu Wang Inn.
"Zhang Ruochen, don't go..."
Mu Lingxi activated her movement technique and quickly gave chase.
But by the time she reached the outside of the Wu Wang Inn, she had already lost sight of Zhang Ruochen.
Duanmu Ya came up behind Mu Lingxi, somewhat worried, and said, "Lingxi, this person's figure is indeed very similar to Zhang Ruochen's, but it may not necessarily be him. The dead cannot be brought back to life. Why must you be so persistent?"
Mu Lingxi bit her lips tightly. Her eyes were very sore, and her heart ached intensely. Crystal-clear tears flowed as she said dazedly, "Aunt, why is this? He was standing right across from me, yet he did not dare to remove his mask. Does he really distrust me that much?"
Duanmu Ya said, "You are the Saintly Maiden of the Sacred Sect. There are still many great matters awaiting you. I cannot stand by and watch you sink like this. If you cannot pull yourself together, I will send a message to the Great Priest right now and have him send someone to take you back."
Mu Lingxi seemed not to hear Duanmu Ya's words at all. Instead, her gaze grew even more resolute. She said, "Aunt, prepare an altar for me. I want to undo the seal on my body myself. As long as I recover my cultivation, we will see how he can shake me off."
"No, it is too dangerous for you to undo the seal with your own strength. It will also damage your cultivation. You should return to Gu Yue Cliff first and let the Great Priest undo the seal for you," Duanmu Ya strongly opposed.
But Mu Lingxi was very stubborn. "Qingyun Commandery City and Gu Yue Cliff are separated by hundreds of thousands of li. By the time I undo the seal and return, who knows where he will have gone? The world is vast, and the sea of people is boundless. If I miss this chance, finding him again will be harder than reaching the heavens. He is avoiding me now, which must mean he has encountered some difficulty and does not want to involve me. Aunt, help me this once. I beg you."
Duanmu Ya remained unmoved, not wanting to see Mu Lingxi act foolishly.
"Aunt, do not force me."
Mu Lingxi took out the Saint Moon Token from her Space Ring and held it in her palm.
The Saint Moon Token flew up, transforming into a bright, clear moon that hovered above Mu Lingxi's head, making the aura on her body immensely powerful.
At this moment, she was like a majestic Saint, standing before Duanmu Ya.
In an instant, the temperament of Mu Lingxi's body became very cold and sharp. She said, "In that case, I now command you, in the name of the Saintly Maiden of the Moon-Worshipping Cult, to prepare an altar for me. Tonight, I must undo the seal on my body."
Duanmu Ya had no choice but to kneel and salute. "I pay my respects to Your Highness the Saintly Maiden."
Mu Lingxi put away the Saint Moon Token and quickly stepped forward to help Duanmu Ya up. She said, "Aunt, you should understand that I am also forced to do this. I have no other choice."
"You have even used the Saint Moon Token. What more can I say? Since you have made up your mind, I will help you this once. I hope it does not harm you."
Duanmu Ya stared deeply at Mu Lingxi and finally realized that this girl's feelings for Zhang Ruochen were so deep. It was truly a tragic fate.
After several hundred years of development, the Moon-Worshipping Demon Sect had a very strong influence in Qingyun Commandery City, controlling a large area of the city.
Duanmu Ya led Mu Lingxi to a relatively desolate area in the northern part of Qingyun Commandery City and entered a manor covering eight hundred mu.
This manor was a secret stronghold of the Moon-Worshipping Demon Sect, where many demon sect experts were hiding.
"Swish!"
A slender figure in black, carrying a sword on their back, flashed out from the manor and knelt on one knee, bowing to Duanmu Ya and Mu Lingxi.
"I pay my respects to Your Highness the Saintly Maiden, and to the Chief of the General Hall."
This person wore a tight black outfit and a black hooded cloak. Their waist, wrists, and legs were wrapped in a layer of metal soft armor. From head to toe, only two bright eyes and a pair of slender, snow-white hands were exposed.
Mu Lingxi glanced at her, seemingly recognizing her, and said, "Junior Sister Zi, long time no see."
The woman in black just nodded, without much to say.
Duanmu Ya said, "Zi Qian, rise first. Take us to the altar."
The woman in black was none other than the female assassin from the Underworld Gate, Zi Qian.
However, after the battle at the Water Bottom Dragon Palace, the Underworld Gate had offended Di Yi and had to join the Moon-Worshipping Demon Sect to seek refuge. Naturally, Zi Qian had also joined the Moon-Worshipping Demon Sect, becoming the leader of a sub-hall.
At the very center of the manor stood a nine-meter-high circular altar. It was built from thousand-jin boulders, and on the edges of the boulders, strange inscriptions were carved.
Duanmu Ya had already given orders that a sacrifice would be held in the manor tonight at the fourth ke of the Zi hour.
Thus, the followers of the Moon-Worshipping Demon Sect immediately began preparing the sacrificial offerings. Followers from various sub-halls purchased livestock and barbarian beasts throughout the commandery city, sending them all into the manor and placing them on the altar.
The fourth ke of the Zi hour was the dividing line of the day, and at the same time, the moon in the sky would appear at the very center.
The Moon-Worshipping Demon Sect worshipped the Moon God. Performing the sacrificial ritual at the fourth ke of the Zi hour would allow them to communicate with the Moon God and obtain the power to undo the seal.
As the fourth ke of the Zi hour drew nearer, the manor's protective formation was fully activated.
"The sacrifice begins."
Duanmu Ya gave the order.
The demon sect followers on the altar immediately swung their butcher knives, slaughtering all two thousand two hundred livestock and three hundred sixty-seven barbarian beasts on the altar.
"Rustle!"
The beast blood flowed out like a small stream, running into the grooves of the altar and converging at the center, forming a churning pool of blood.
Moonlight fell from the sky, shining on the center of the blood pool, making the blood appear exceptionally red.
Mu Lingxi stepped onto the altar step by step, circulating her true qi throughout her body, beginning to assault the seal. The skin on her body grew whiter and whiter, like flawless porcelain.
"Crack!"
Her delicate body developed fine cracks.
Between the cracks, intense radiance emanated. The surging true qi within her seemed about to tear her body apart.
Just as she reached the critical point, Mu Lingxi took a step forward and entered the blood pool. Her body was completely enveloped by the blood, sinking to the bottom of the pool.
The power of the sacrifice drew the moonlight from the sky, converging it into a pillar of white light that poured into the blood pool. The blood and moonlight intermingled, producing a strange force that gathered toward Mu Lingxi in the blood pool.
The demon sect followers around the altar had long been cleared away, leaving only Duanmu Ya and Zi Qian, dressed in black.
Duanmu Ya grew tense, her eyes fixed on the towering altar.
She was well aware that using a sacrifice to undo the seal was very dangerous. A slight misstep could lead to backlash. However, Duanmu Ya also believed in Mu Lingxi's ability. With her control over power, she should be able to succeed.
They waited until the eighth ke of the Zi hour. The blood in the pool began to spin wildly, making a "splashing" sound, forming a vortex.
Suddenly, from the center of the vortex, a flawless figure flew out, merging with the pillar of moonlight.
At this moment, Mu Lingxi's body was completely naked, exquisite and translucent, smooth as jade. Every inch of her skin radiated a moon-white brilliance.
In the air, strands of spiritual mist spontaneously condensed, wrapping around her.
Seeing Mu Lingxi's true form, Zi Qian was filled with awe. She said, "Only an innate sacred jade can cause heaven and earth spiritual qi to transform into spiritual mist and wrap around it. Could it be that Her Highness the Saintly Maiden has a Saint Body?"
If a person possessed a Saint Body, they would be no different from an innate sacred jade.
Duanmu Ya nodded. "The Ice Phoenix Ancient Saint Body. Even within the Mu Clan, it has been a long time since anyone awakened the bloodline of the ancient Ice Phoenix."
Duanmu Ya had seen Mu Lingxi's true form before, but at that time, Mu Lingxi was still very young, just a little girl.
When she undid the seal and flew out of the blood pool, even Duanmu Ya was shaken and felt breathless.
The current Mu Lingxi possessed a kind of eerily beautiful, immortal-like countenance, like a Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden descending from the moon to the mortal world. Even Duanmu Ya, who was also a woman, felt a hint of trembling fear.
Even Luo Shuihan, whom the "Eastern Region Wind and Cloud Report" had evaluated as the number one beauty of the new generation in the Eastern Region, was probably slightly inferior to her.
Mu Lingxi stood on the altar. Her jet-black hair gently fluttered in the breeze. Strands of moonlight, like silver gauze, fell upon her, making her appear even more eerily enchanting.
On her brow was a small red phoenix mark, like a drop of blood, rising and falling on the surface of her skin.
If one observed closely, they would find that the red phoenix mark was filled with a mysterious icy power, like a living Ice Phoenix, ready to fly out from her brow at any moment.
Gradually, Mu Lingxi became familiar with the power within her. The phoenix mark on her brow sank down, transforming into an Ice Phoenix that hovered at the center of her Qi Sea.
Because she had to go undercover at the Martial Market Academy, Mu Lingxi's body and cultivation had been sealed, so she had never known her true strength.
Only now, with the seal undone, were the results of her years of cultivation fully revealed.
"Finally, I have regained my true form. So it is the third transformation of the Fish-Dragon realm. First, I will open the first Saint Meridian."
Mu Lingxi sat cross-legged at the center of the altar and began to circulate the Eight Wastelands Six Directions Skill. A phantom of an Ice Phoenix emerged, transforming into a pair of phoenix wings that wrapped around her body.
The third transformation of the Fish-Dragon realm was not Mu Lingxi's full strength. She could still push upward.
Opening one Saint Meridian would allow her to reach the fourth transformation of the Fish-Dragon realm.
Opening two Saint Meridians would allow her to reach the fifth transformation of the Fish-Dragon realm.
...
Mu Lingxi did not know exactly how much power she had accumulated. Perhaps she could open one Saint Meridian, or perhaps two, or even more. The deeper the accumulation, the stronger the power unleashed when the seal was undone.