Chapter 520: Prepare the Blood Sacrifice and Summon the Demon Kings

Having climbed over the shock, Lan Caiwei slowly exhaled and looked at Chen Chu with admiration. "I didn't expect you to have such an impressive record!"

Chen Chu shook his head. "Actually, my victory at that time was somewhat lucky. If Akunus' avatar had persisted a little longer, I might have lost due to the explosive force."

Chen Chu was not being modest. Although the Dragon Emperor form was powerful, it could only sustain the explosive power of Akunus’ avatar for a few minutes.

However, despite his modesty, Lan Caiwei and the other three, who had already been shocked by Chen Chu's achievements several times throughout the day, did not believe him.

To them, he was simply a monster.

Lan Caiwei grew serious. "Chu Batian, with his unparalleled talent, has clearly already caught the attention of the Purgatory Demon Clan. He has probably earned the highest level of bounty. If so, then Jin Chengmin’s unusual reaction upon hearing his name is definitely suspicious.

"Still, since they are older generation cultivators, we cannot ignore their past contributions. We should not make rash judgments without evidence."

Chen Chu nodded. "Of course. I just found his reaction a bit strange.

“Whether he’s friend or foe, following him will reveal the truth. If he's really working with the enemy, he will be eager to pass on information.

"Otherwise, if he waited until we dealt with those colossal beasts, it would be harder to track Chu Batian's whereabouts in detail.

"However, if Jin Chengmin really turns out to be a problem, then Yuan Fei cannot be ruled out either. We need to split into two groups.

"Captain, why don't the four of you take one route and pretend to investigate the situation with the colossal beasts? In areas with surveillance, have one or two people show themselves to keep Yuan Fei at ease.

"As for me and Brother Chu, we’ll follow up and check things out to avoid any mistakes."

"Alright, be careful. High-level cultivators are in sync with the world and have keen senses, so it’s best to keep a distance of over a kilometer."

Right after their discussion, their squad flashed out of the area, splitting into two groups and disappearing into the night.

Shrouded by the Dark Veil, Chen Chu and Qingqiu Minghui blended seamlessly with the surrounding forest darkness.

Although this special ability from the Double Void Pupils did not enhance combat power, it was extremely useful in situations like this.

Within Chen Chu's control range, their qi was restrained, fluctuations were erased, and the density of darkness ahead formed a thin black veil, obstructing the view of those nearby.

In such circumstances, unless someone possessed the Insightful Eye like Chen Chu, which made their vision sensitive, even an advanced cultivator like Jin Chengmin would be unable to detect anything unusual.

The truth was that Chen Chu himself was also somewhat surprised by today’s discovery.

Initially, he only planned to familiarize himself with the situation and complete this small mission. After that, he would have used the Phantasmal Ocean Demon to alter his life aura and delve into the depths of the mythical world. But unexpectedly, he ran into a concerning issue upon arrival.

In fact, earlier on the fighter jet, Chen Chu took note of Qingqiu Minghui mentioning that the person in charge of the mine here was a cultivator from an older generation.

𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

This was because back at Base One, he had specifically reviewed information on traitors. Those documents mentioned that most of the recent traitors were older-generation cultivators whose progress had already stagnated for a long time.

Since the beginning of the New Era, apart from a few exceptional freaks with outstanding talent, each generation of cultivators had shown better aptitude for cultivation than the last due to the progression of the times.

This phenomenon was similar to biological evolution. The increasingly dense transcendent energy of the world made the genes of each new generation more compatible with cultivation than the previous one. This was also why the number of cultivators had significantly increased over the years.

Many individuals with cultivation talent in the past were actually equal to the average genius in current schools, such as Lu Haitao and Li Wenwen. As a result, after spending twenty to thirty years cultivating diligently to reach the advanced stage, the individuals often found it difficult to grow even stronger.

For Chen Chu, minor realms like the middle or late stages of the Seventh Heavenly Realm could be surpassed with ease, but for these individuals, breaking through could take years. Moreover, due to the lack of compatibility with the True Martial Phantom, they could remain stuck right before a major realm transition for ten years or even a lifetime.

Despite their diligent efforts and the incredible abundance of transcendent energy in the mythical world, cultivation was not merely about accumulating energy; it was a transformation from human to godhood.

Every Heavenly Realm was a metamorphosis, a leap of essence, and a change in the structure of power. Thus, when cultivation progress slowed or even stalled, many advanced cultivators felt despair and struggled to accept it.

Having grown accustomed to immense power and witnessed the higher-tier power of kings capable of world-shattering feats, it was only natural for them to yearn for more. However, it was also under those same circumstances that the selfish and extreme would fall for the temptation of the demon cult or the Purgatory Demon Clan, choosing to betray humanity. By selling what could seem like insignificant information, they received resources worth several realms more, forcibly advancing their cultivation.

High-quality god-level or even law-based resources did exist within the Human Federation, but their quantity was limited and reserved for those with superior talent and greater contributions to the Federation.

Of course, this didn't mean that older-generation cultivators were inherently untrustworthy. In the past, there had also been instances of geniuses betraying the Federation after entering the battlefield, though these cases were far less frequent.

After all, there tended to be a few bad apples within a large and diverse environment.

***

After leaving the mining site, Jin Chengmin swiftly passed through areas with surveillance cameras, pretending to patrol the surroundings. However, he gradually ventured deeper into the dark forest of the mountains.

Once he was beyond the surveillance range of the mining site, Jin Chengmin cautiously continued his act, appearing to survey the area and occasionally standing on hundred-meter-tall trees to scan the surroundings. As he traveled, he also killed over a dozen fierce level 4 and 5 creatures, each over ten to twenty meters in size.

It wasn’t until he reached a forest exuding a rotting stench about a hundred kilometers away that excitement finally showed in his face.

He dug out a gray stone disk from under a dead tree and then retrieved a black diamond-like object from within the tree trunk. Right after, he carefully placed it at the center of the disk.

Instantly, a dark force spread out, and strange runes on the disk began to glow, forming a shadowy black phantom in mid-air.

The eerie two-meter-tall phantom let out a chilling laugh, followed by a stilted voice speaking in the Federation language. "Jin Chengmin, what do you want from me?"

After a brief pause, Jin Chengmin replied, "Does your previous offer still stand?"

The shadow moved in the air, laughing eerily and coldly. "What offer?"

"If I provide accurate whereabouts and information about Chu Batian, will I still receive a portion of the Demon God Blood?"

The shadow froze momentarily. With a serious tone, it asked, "What? You found Chu Batian? Where is he?"

"I can't disclose the exact location at the moment."

The shadow quieted down for a moment. It then coldly responded, "How do I know your information is reliable?"

"I have no reason to deceive you. I am certain that the person is Chu Batian. Only a freak of his caliber could break through to the Eighth Heavenly Realm before the age of twenty,” Jin Chengmin replied firmly.

The shadow was stunned. "What? He’s already broken through to the Eighth Heavenly Realm? That's the equivalent of Eight Demonic Marks!"

Its previous intelligence indicated that Chen Chu was only at the late stage of the Sixth Heavenly Realm.

However, for a man considered to be so much of a freak that even the head of the assassination department, Demon King Barus, had to take him seriously, it wasn't surprising for him to have advanced rapidly to the level of Eight Demonic Marks.

An intense surge of excitement radiated from the shadow.

Jin Chengmin deeply said, “For half a day, I can precisely track his whereabouts. However, before that, I need you to fulfill your promise. I want the Demon God Blood."

He was confident because he was the one who had deliberately lured the colossal beasts over. His original goal was to attract two geniuses and then sell the information to members of the Purgatory Demon Clan who were hidden in the area. However, he didn’t expect to reel in a big catch like Chu Batian.

The black phantom responded gravely, "This involves Chu Batian and the Demon God Blood, making this a matter of great importance. I have to report this to the demon king.

"But don’t worry. As long as your information is accurate, you will definitely receive the Demon God Blood. I guarantee it in the honor of the Purgatory True Demon Clan.

"Now, go back and stabilize the situation there. Monitor Chu Batian’s movements and meet me here again in three hours."

After pacifying Jin Chengmin, the shadow instantly vanished.

Meanwhile, over ten thousand kilometers away, figures emanating dark energy moved in and out of a cliff shrouded in dark mist deep within the mythical world.

Inside a room within the mountain wall, a thin figure from the Purgatory True Demon Clan approached a nearby altar. The figure was just over two meters tall and had demonic eyes that were filled with suppressed excitement.

Hum!

Energy crystals lit up one by one, and the purgatory demon runes glowed. An invisible force pierced through the void, establishing a connection with a distant point.

Soon, black demonic qi spread in the air, converging into a massive, indistinct figure.

Katoto bowed his head respectfully. "Greetings, Demon King. I have an important report."

"Go on,” Dayianna replied indifferently.

"It's Chu Batian. Chu Batian has been spotted near the Expansion Division's Seventh Legion. One of my informants discovered him."

Boom!

An overwhelming pressure erupted from the shadow, stirring the atmosphere and shaking the entire mountain wall.

"Are you certain it’s him?"

"It is definitely him."

The pressure exuded by the Demon King made Katoto lower its head even more. "I’ve recently connected with the informant. Two years ago, he provided valuable information that allowed me to successfully assassinate a human genius and several cultivators at the Seventh Demonic Mark.

"Considering he has a history of betraying his own kind, he has no way back and cannot be collaborating with the humans to ambush us."

The cunning humans retaliated when the Purgatory Demon Clan assassinated human geniuses. They often set traps to ambush and kill many of the demons’ elite forces. Their minds were further emphasized in the demons’ recent failed invasion of Blue Planet, which cost the lives of three demon kings.

Hence, the Purgatory Demon Clan had become more cautious in their assassinations. Even a powerful demon king like Dayianna dared not be careless.

"We have finally found that human,” Dayianna replied with strong killing intent.

Katoto respectfully added, "Demon King, he is currently within the human's sphere of influence, and it’s said that Chu Batian has already broken through to the Eighth Demonic Mark. I don’t have complete confidence in handling him alone."

"There's no need for you to act this time. I will visit him myself. Due to their positioning and strategy within the human sphere, he would be able to quickly get back up from kings. We must strike with overwhelming force and eliminate him instantly."

“Katoto, prepare the blood sacrifice for summoning two demon kings.”

"We need two demon kings to kill Chu Batian?" Katoto’s asked in shock.

In previous assassination missions, only top-level human geniuses with king-like potential or significant royal heirs warranted the action of a demon king. But now, to kill Chu Batian, the assassination division was planning to mobilize two demon kings together.

Dayianna’s tone deepened. "That human has the potential of a demon king. Because of him, our clan has already lost three demon kings.

"Be it to end his potential or avenge Kaotoros and the others, that human must die. Now, go. I will contact Augusta to join in. The blood sacrifice will be activated in half an hour."

"Yes, my lord." Katoto bowed respectfully.

Though the Purgatory Clan had been around for over a hundred thousand years, they still had no modern technology. However, their research into cultivation, transcendental powers, and transcendent strength had reached unparalleled heights.

They could even use a blood sacrifice to warp space-time and tear open a stable passage for summoning king-level warriors like demon kings.

Over the years, if the human race hadn't obtained legacies from ancient ruins, which gave them explosive growth and high-level power, and succeeded in the initial fusion of technology and rune power, they would never have been able to contend with the Purgatory Clan.