### Chapter 3: Demon Empress Frost North Snow (3)
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“In the far eastern sea, there’s a grand temple so vast, it makes the universe look like a speck of dust.
It has existed for eons, longer than any of us can fathom.
No one knows when it will show up or vanish, and the meaning of its existence? Well, that’s still up for debate.
But one thing is certain:
If you want to know the will of the deity, you have to go through the temple.
This expansive continent has been torn apart by the conflicts of the three races for so long that many have forgotten why they even exist in this world.
They’ve also forgotten that there’s a power more terrifying than the might of the three races—
And that’s the will of the gods.
The Flowerless Palace took root on the East Sea Islands solely to uncover this secret, waiting for the day when the truth would finally come to light.”
The Great Palace Master spoke softly, weaving the tale like a bedtime story. “These were the words passed down to me by the previous Sect Leader.
Now everyone knows about the temple’s existence.
Though I’ve been inside the temple for almost a day, each breath and every blink still fills me with awe at its grandeur.
I can’t help but wonder, without the power of the gods, how could such a magnificent place be built in the vast, deep sea?”
White Peach couldn’t help but chime in, “But what do those fishermen have to do with the temple? Why keep them around?”
“You see, during my years of seclusion, I’ve been researching everything related to the temple, looking for a way to harness its power.
Fortunately, I’ve discovered the source of that power.”
The Great Palace Master clapped her hands,
And two disciples dragged a scruffy-looking man from the side, presenting him to everyone.
In a room off to the side of the main hall, it looked like there were quite a few others dressed just like this man.
What puzzled Lin Nan and the others was that they weren’t making a peep, just standing there like cattle waiting for the slaughter.
Fatty took a glance and gasped.
“Whoa, those are the same folks I saw in the cave!” he whispered to Lin Nan.
Lin Nan responded, “Let’s keep it down for now.”
Luo Ying and White Peach exchanged confused glances at the Great Palace Master’s actions—bringing out a regular person? How would this display the source of the temple’s power?
The corridors of Ling You Palace were lined with statues,
Each one so lifelike and elegant, it felt like they could pop out at any moment to give you a shock.
The two disciples brought the man to a muscular, half-n*ked boy statue, commanded him to kneel, and one of them raised a sword high, aiming it at the man’s neck.
Their action was definitely a shock for the crowd.
With a swift slice, the sword cleanly took his head off,
bl**d erupted like a fountain, splattering everywhere, with a good portion dousing the statue. The absurd red-and-white horror show was chilling!
The four weren’t prepared for a public execution; who could have guessed those two disciples would end a life so efficiently, painting the pristine hall in crimson like a true slaughterhouse?
Before the stunned group could react,
An eerie phenomenon unfolded.
The bl**d-soaked statue suddenly started to twitch, its joints screeching like a rusty machine as it trembled in place.
At that moment, the bl**d on the ground seemed to gain a mind of its own, pooling under the statue’s base,
And as the statue feasted on the bl**d, its movements became more fluid.
Until the body on the ground was nothing but desiccated bones,
The statue finally took its first normal step.
And then, without a care in the world, it bolted forward, barreling towards a two-meter-high suspended staircase. If it didn’t stop, it might just plunge headfirst down!
But just as its foot hovered over the edge, another “crack” echoed, and it fell limp, turning back into a statue again.
If the group hadn’t witnessed that eerie, bl**d-draining dance, they would’ve thought the statue standing at the stairs had always been there.
“Did you see that? Short-lived as it was, the temple’s power was successfully triggered by the bl**d of a slave.”
The Great Palace Master raised her hands, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Lin Nan was beginning to connect the dots,
That massive stone wall behind the Great Palace Master adorned with a sea map—what if it wasn’t just a map but a formation? To unlock the temple’s power completely, they would need a LOT of human bl**d.
“Boom…”
A thunderclap echoed in his mind.
Including the nearly a thousand dazed captives still locked away near the main hall, and those fishermen, split into seven groups and scattered across seven islands by Ren Dan and company during the storm,
Their numbers, combined with all the disciples of the Flowerless Palace, were bordering on ten thousand!
The Great Palace Master’s plan was shaping up to be rather ambitious!
If using human bl**d was the key to fully activating the formation and then mastering the temple’s power, why pretend to be dead halfway through? Such convoluted tactics seemed a tad confusing.
From the circumstances, it seemed downright redundant.
Because the logic was already clear.
When the Nightmare Beast left Nightmare Island, the temple appeared on the surface of the sea, and the Flowerless Palace arrived, looking to trigger the formation with heaps of bl**d.
With the Great Palace Master’s powerful charm, she didn’t need to fool anyone, unless—
She was avoiding something…
But so far, Lin Nan hadn’t found enough clues.
At this moment, not just Lin Nan, but everyone else too began to reckon that the Great Palace Master’s goal was to awaken the entire temple with human bl**d.
White Peach suddenly drew her weapon dramatically, pointing it at the Great Palace Master in disbelief, her voice shaking,
“Great Palace Master, all these years, I’ve viewed you as a respected mentor! But why… why have you become so deranged?!”
The Great Palace Master gazed at her with a smirk, calmly responding, “Because you don’t really understand what kind of person I am.”
She clapped her hands,
And not only White Peach but even Luo Ying who had drawn her dark sword, along with Lin Nan and Fatty, suddenly felt their bodies turn to jelly.
“Thump, thump…”
One by one, they collapsed to the ground, their minds still aware, but their bodies? Completely paralyzed, not even a finger could twitch.
What kind of trickery was this?
Not just the four of them,
At that very moment, fishermen on those seven islands also tumbled to the ground, their bodies frozen except for their eyes which obeyed their commands.
“I don’t want to argue with you, after all, the main show is about to begin!” the Great Palace Master smiled.
“Your Highness, the time is nigh,” Ren Dan stated.
The Great Palace Master nodded, “Excellent, let’s execute the plan. Remember, we need to see bl**d.”
She glided over to the four,
“This beautiful moment feels incomplete without sharing it. How about we all watch what spectacular events unfold on those seven islands together?”
…
P.S.: Lunch is here! Please throw in some votes!
