Sacrificial Artifact System: From Bell-ringer to the Ancestral Patriarch

The moon shone faintly, and the stars were sparse.

With the road being relatively wide and flat, traveling by night was still possible.

But to traverse the wilderness at night was immensely risky.

The wild was teeming with fierce beasts, and night was their time to be most active.

Clip-clop, clip-clop...

On the quiet road, the only sounds were those of horse hooves and the rolling of carriage wheels.

Occasionally, the roar of beasts could be heard in the distance.

Li Qian kept a vigilant watch on his surroundings.

Beyond Immortal Forest Town, the nearest city was Anling County.

At their current pace, reaching Anling County would mean arriving deep into the night.

In this world, except for provincial and county capitals... curfews were generally enforced, and city gates would have long been closed, making entry impossible.

Although there were villages along the way, at this late hour in the dead of night, it was unlikely they would provide shelter or a place to rest.

Fortunately, it wasn't deep autumn yet, and the temperature at night wasn't especially low, so spending the night outdoors was manageable. However, there was still the need to guard against wild beasts.

After travelling for more than an hour, they reached the vicinity of a village.

The village was shrouded in darkness, nearly devoid of any lit lights.

At this time, lacking entertainment, most had already gone to sleep.

"Let's rest near this village for the night and resume our journey in the morning," Li Qian suggested.

Near human habitation, fierce beasts generally stayed away... it was much safer.

They found a rather wide and flat area to park. The two carriages were arranged side by side, and the horses pulling them were tied nearby, while the two coachmen took out their spare feed to tend to the horses.

The few people inside the carriages also came out for some fresh air.

Li Qian leapt onto a nearby tree, sat on the trunk with his sword in hand, positioned high to keep watch over the surroundings.

The village was soon filled with a burst of barking dogs.

The small caravan's halt had disturbed the village dogs.

The barking in the village lasted for a long time before quieting down, though occasionally, there would still be a few barks.

However, the village remained dark, with no lights ignited, and no one came out to see what was happening.

Perhaps they didn't dare...

"Big brother, I want to go up the tree too," the little girl Yun Wen pleaded as she and two other children came to the base of the tree, looking up longingly.

"Yun Wen, don't disturb Young Master Li. Let's go have something to eat...," Lin Yun quickly said.

She knew Li Qian was keeping watch, and distractions from her daughter could lead to a lapse in attention, which could be problematic if an emergency arose.

She pulled her daughter back to the carriage.

After the three children chirped and chattered for a bit, they gradually quieted down.

After all, they had traveled all day long, and they were definitely tired from the journey. After eating, they fell asleep inside the carriage.

The coachmen and the house servants also leaned against the carriage to rest.

Li Qian, however, did not eat. He silently swallowed a Qi Blood Pill.

A single Qi Blood Pill could satisfy his physical needs for two to three days when he wasn't practicing and didn't need to restore his Inner Qi.

When traveling, he seldom ate other foods.

Because there was risk involved.

The night was as quiet as water.

As the night deepened, mist filled the air, bringing a chill.

The carriage was filled with the soft sound of snoring.

The coachmen and the two house servants of Lin Mansion were already fast asleep.

Only the coachman from Yun Mansion remained vigilant, his breath steady, still on guard.

Li Qian, with his eyes closed, leaned against the tree with his sword in arms, in a state of semi-sleep.

Any disturbance, and he would immediately sense it.

He had already woken up many times,

Each instance was merely wild animals passing by...

The village dogs would occasionally bark a few times, then it would be quiet for a long stretch.

Suddenly, a shadowy figure dashed from a distance, swiftly approaching.

Their speed was incredibly fast.

And, shockingly, they were headed straight for the carriage.

Li Qian opened his eyes abruptly, and through the dim night light, saw that the figure appeared disheveled, their aura chaotic and fierce.

They seemed like a wild beast in its ferocity.

"Is it him?"

Li Qian recognized the figure in an instant.

The Sacrificial Fire Mage in a bright red robe from Immortal Forest Town.

The Mage's robe was now tattered and worn.

"Was this after a fierce battle with an inner sect disciple from the Divine Sword Sect, and then he ran away?"

Li Qian thought to himself.

At the same time, his body moved, like an owl swooping down from the tree, drawing his treasured sword and thrusting swiftly toward the figure rushing towards the carriage.

Simultaneously, he utilized the sonic attack of the Magic Artifact Chen Bell.

Hum!

Before he even touched down, the invisible bell's sound propagated.

Like a tolling bell resounding grandly, it exploded in the assailant's mind.

The aggressor's ferocious momentum halted abruptly.

After landing, Li Qian flicked his sword, like a sprightly dragon unfurling in the night sky, penetrating straight into the man's chest.

Bang!

The sword's edge, as if striking a tightly stretched hide, barely pierced the surface.

At the same time, a burst of blood light erupted from the man, repelling his sword, a pair of blood-red eyes crazed like those of a wild beast.

"What kind of evil technique is this?"

Li Qian was startled.

His sword strike, even with the sonic attack of the bell, had not killed his opponent.

With that in mind, he did not hesitate to use his strongest move.

Secret Skill: Thousand Transformation Sword Qi.

In a flash, his robust Inner Qi burst forth from his body, merging with the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi in the air, converging into a vast array of Sword Qi centered around him, guided by his long sword.

A dazzling streak of Sword Qi, a zhang long, fiercely slashed at the mad figure.

"First, innate…"

The disheveled figure wrapped in a bloody glow uttered a hoarse and fearful voice, actually turning to flee.

But how could he escape the Thousand Transformation Sword Qi unleashed by Li Qian.

As the dazzling Sword Qi swept across, the figure was bisected while running, the sight horrifically gruesome.

"Is that all?"

Li Qian looked at the enemy effortlessly killed by the Thousand Transformation Sword Qi, somewhat bewildered.

Had he exerted too much force just now?

Feeling his Inner Qi nearly half depleted, Li Qian couldn't help but take a deep breath.

The power of the Thousand Transformation Sword Qi was abnormally great.

He speculated that, having cultivated the Pure Sword Body, it greatly amplified the effect of the secret skill.

The resting crowd had already been awakened.

The coachman was the first to stand guard at the door of his lady's carriage, nervously holding a fine iron-made smoking pipe.

Two house servants held weapons, their legs trembling.

The energy fluctuation from the recent fight was terrifying.

"Get ready quickly, we need to leave this place immediately."

Li Qian said hurriedly.

No one knew what could follow the sudden appearance of this Sacrificial Fire Mage.

Hearing Li Qian's calm voice, everyone felt an inexplicable sense of security.

Thus, they all became busy.

Li Qian looked at the severed corpse, the strong stench causing him to frown.

He had no intention of clearing it up.

Too disgusting.

However, he still went over to search carefully.

On the waist was a small pouch containing items.

It seemed that all the small jars inside were shattered.

Finally, he found a leather booklet.

It had been kept close to the chest by that person.

But the leather booklet had been neatly split in half by the Sword Qi.

Piecing it together, he saw five words on the cover - Blood Transformation and Star Absorption Technique.

He carefully flipped through it.

His brows immediately furrowed.

Judging by the content at the front, it was definitely an evil technique.

It could absorb the life essence of living beings, swiftly converting it into Inner Qi.

What was behind, surely couldn't be good either.

He was about to shatter the leather booklet with his Inner Qi but paused as a thought struck him, ultimately deciding to keep it. From his own bag, he took out a silk scarf, wrapped the two halves of the leather booklet, then placed it in the bag.

By now, the two carriages were ready.

"Let's go."

Li Qian mounted his horse, leading the convoy to continue their journey through the night.

As for the bisected corpse, the people in the nearby village would discover it and report it to the authorities.

Moreover, the inner sect disciples of the Divine Sword Sect in Immortal Forest Town were definitely pursuing this man; they might follow the trail here.

...