Earlier, when she saw the tribulation clouds form above the royal palace, she had already guessed that the one undergoing tribulation had to be Yi Tianxing. Who else but him could possess such a foundation to withstand seven tribulations at once? Only with such immense depth could one successfully merge all seven souls in a single go. This was undoubtedly a massive leap in the Dharma Aspect Realm, a process that many cultivators might spend years, even decades or centuries, to complete.
Such speed could only be described as monstrous.
Yet, the Tong Empress felt no fear—only deepening reverence. A strange sense of awe welled up within her, turning into sincere admiration. The stronger he was, the more she believed in him. That respect came not from fear, but from the soul itself.
"TongEmpress, is there something important?"Yi Tianxing raised his gaze to her, asking calmly.
She had come to disturb him even while he was in seclusion—this alone was enough to show that whatever she held in her hands was of grave importance, something beyond her power to decide.
"There is, Your Majesty."The Tong Empress took a deep breath and began recounting everything the Calamity Hall had uncovered—without omitting a single detail.
"The alien tribes are once again joining forces. Worse yet, they're planning a mass sacrificial ritual, with humans among the offerings—alongside poisons and ferocious beasts. Whatever it is they intend... it's a grand gesture meant for us."Yi Tianxing's pupils narrowed slightly, a cold smile tugging at his lips."A sacrifice... But to whom? And for what?"
It was not hard to guess that the only thing capable of uniting these normally fractious alien tribes was the sudden and aggressive expansion of Great Yi. This expansion had caused a deep sense of crisis among them, prompting a rare coalition. It was clear they were planning something big, and he could say with 90% certainty that the target was Great Yi.
"According to the scouts from Calamity Hall, the sacrificial offerings are being gathered at a mysterious altar. As for its exact location... we have yet to pinpoint it." Tong Empress continued.
"So it is a ritual altar," Yi Tianxing muttered, eyes flashing with gravity.
Over the years, he had learned one thing: anything involving a ritual altar was never simple. Those who made use of such altars were usually powerful cultivators—or even divine or demonic beings of legend.
He recalled the Scorpion People and their altar; the dark altar he encountered with Nannan; the altar seized from the Trolls; the Blood Demon altar seen during the war with the beastmen. Without exception, every one of those altars had possessed mysterious and terrifying power.
There was one unifying factor: sacrifice.
These altars required sacrificial offerings to grant powerful rewards—treasures, wishes, or strength. Without sacrifice, there would be no response. Clearly, they operated under some unknown set of rules.
But what were these altars, really? What did they represent?
No doubt, many alien tribes possessed some understanding of them. But for the human race—devastated by past disasters and the mass sealing of their powerhouses—there was little knowledge left. Most survivors had been weak civilians, and the alien massacres had nearly extinguished human civilization.
Great Yi had rebuilt from the ashes. Thanks to the people's efforts and the establishment of the Book Repository, human civilization had once again bloomed. Knowledge and wisdom were preserved, and even new philosophies were born.
But records of ritual altars remained extremely rare.
And yet, in human history, ritual sacrifice had always played a critical role. It was part of rites and propriety, the foundation of morality and civilization. In the system of rites, sacrifice held supreme importance. The ritual altar was its core—no altar, no proper rite.
When kings changed, they ascended altars to perform sacrifices to the heavens and legitimize their rule. Family clans also conducted sacrifices, but without building altars. Ordinary clans didn't have the right. To set up an altar would be considered overstepping and would harm one's karmic fortune.
Only the nobility and royal families were qualified to establish ritual altars, and even then, only for grand ceremonies. The rules were complex and esoteric—ordinary people knew little of them.
To worship the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors or deities of the heavens, an altar was absolutely required.
On the Eternal Continent, the weight of an altar carried even more significance—clearly symbolizing something greater.
The fact that the alien tribes gave such importance to the altar spoke volumes.
When an altar was involved, nothing was ever simple.
"Still, even if there's a mighty being behind every altar, they can't act directly. With Heaven's Dao sealing the world, any attempt to intervene would trigger heavenly punishment," Yi Tianxing said calmly.
He didn't believe these beings being worshipped could personally intervene. That was unlikely. But they could offer rewards in return for sacrifices—rare treasures, or miraculous medicines capable of rapidly increasing cultivation.
No matter what the alien tribes were plotting, this was clearly a major threat.
"Cao Zhengchun."Yi Tianxing called out.
"Your servant is here,"came the respectful reply from outside the door.
"Notify Zhuge Liang, Elder Huang, Strategist Jia, and the others to gather at the Hall of Heavenly Judgment."
"Yes, Your Majesty,"Cao Zhengchun replied decisively before disappearing swiftly.
"Let's go,"Yi Tianxing glanced at Tong Empress and rose to his feet.
Together, they headed for the Hall of Heavenly Judgment.
Cao Zhengchun's transmission was swift. Before long, Jia Xu and the others had arrived.
Only a few people were present in the hall—Yi Tianxing, Tong Empress, and his top strategists. No one else had been summoned.
"Tong Empress, recount your findings to everyone,"Yi Tianxing said.
"Yes, Your Majesty."Tong Empress nodded and repeated the information for the group.
A deep silence followed.
Not from shock, but from intense mental calculations. Each person began dissecting the information and forming strategies.
"Your Majesty, clearly the alien tribes are unwilling to bow to Great Yi's immortal cities. But since they can't break them by force, and none of them wish to suffer heavy losses, sacrifice is their most viable option. The only question is—to whom are they sacrificing? Regardless, their aim is to destroy our cities. This cannot be ignored."Elder Huang exhaled deeply, his scholarly bearing exuding righteous qi and wisdom.
"Well said,"Jia Xu nodded."The reward from this ritual will definitely pose a threat. As far as I know, many alien tribes worship demonic gods or powerful ancestors. Each tribe may have its own altar. But if they're uniting for this—then it's likely they're using a neutral altar, not owned by any single tribe."
"That's right," Zhuge Liang added."Given their mutual distrust, this must be a ritual site that all of them see as neutral and fair—most likely an abandoned altar in the wilderness. Rather than wait for their move, we should take the initiative."
He exchanged a meaningful look with Jia Xu—both had already come to the same conclusion.
"Your Majesty, I believe this could be an opportunity,"Zhuge Liang said calmly."If the alien tribes were scattered, rooting them out would cost us dearly. But now, we have a chance to lure them all into one place. This is a rare chance to eliminate them in one strike. We should turn their scheme against them."
"Then what of the human captives?"Elder Huang frowned."The alien tribes are planning to sacrifice millions of human lives. If we attack without a plan, it would be a massacre."
Zhuge Liang replied,"We'll save them. Before we strike, we'll encircle the ritual site, use divine arts to cast a thick fog, and send in scouts to rescue the captives amidst the confusion. Only then will we launch our assault."
Clearly, this was already part of his calculations.