Chapter 2

As the Blood Luo Formation circled and ground, the blood light on the sacrificial tower surged and swirled like demonic flames, turning the night sky a deep blood red.

Just as Wula Su had stepped down, another stone cave burst into bright light. A tall and strong youth leaped out excitedly, his hands raised high. Behind him, a massive blood python, as thick as a person and several zhang long, coiled around his body, emerging with a presence that reached the heavens.

It was actually a Blood Python Battle Soul.

A person who fused with a Blood Python Battle Soul not only possessed boundless brute strength but also had the potential to cultivate poison-based powers, making them incredibly powerful.

The youth was so excited he could hardly contain himself.

The first two successful Battle Soul summonings were so strong, and the crowd below the Star Platform erupted in cheers once again. This was definitely a good omen, indicating that the Sky Demon Tribe would soon see the rise of many powerful warriors, who would become formidable hunters that would strike fear into the hearts of hunters from other tribes.

People were discussing excitedly, the sound waves rising and falling.

The youth with the Blood Python Battle Soul displayed his power for a while before stepping down proudly. With the successful fusion, he was looking forward to reporting to the Sky Demon Elite Pavilion and receiving the full support of the tribe. The crowd below was in a frenzy, surrounding the youth.

The Blood Luo Crystal Formation in the sacrificial tower continued to operate, and one by one, the stone caves below the tower lit up.

One by one, figures leaped out in wild joy, showcasing their newfound strength to the tribal members below the Star Platform.

The light flared up thirty-five times. Some of the youths had fused with the Iron-Bodied Mole Beast, others summoned the Ice-Fire Giant Ape, and some summoned the Lightning Eagle.

Even those who only managed to fuse with the Fox-Tailed Demon Battle Soul were far more powerful than ordinary hunters...

The Great Elder's eyes were filled with great joy.

The Great Elder had never expected this year's sacrifice to be so successful.

Every year, many sacrifices were unsuccessful. Last year, the year was unfavorable, and more than half of the attempts failed. But this year, it seemed as if the heavens were helping, with the light flaring up thirty-five times in succession, almost reaching the pinnacle of perfection. How could this not make people ecstatic?

The cheers from the tribal members below the Star Platform pushed the entire Sky Demon Festival to its most intense climax.

...

Only one stone cave remained.

Only Zhou Lu, sitting in Cave No. 33, remained motionless, his anxiety and unease growing.

The other youths had already successfully summoned their Battle Souls and were celebrating below the Star Platform. Even the blood light on the sacrificial tower had gradually dimmed, but Zhou Lu still showed no signs of movement, his hands forming the Heart Concentration Seal with visible anxiety.

The Great Elder's brows slowly furrowed.

Below the Star Platform, the excited voices gradually subsided, and the tribal members looked nervously at the sacrificial tower. Chief Huerle, touching his graying hair, was so nervous that he was sweating, his heart pounding.

"Everyone else was so successful this year, could it be that only Zhou Lu has failed?"

With a light "click," the hundred breaths had passed, and the Blood Luo Formation was about to slowly stop.

Chief Huerle's heart leaped, his brows rising in anxiety.

In previous years, after the Blood Luo Formation operated for a hundred breaths, the Blood Luo Crystals in the hands of the thirty-six youths would have exploded, either in success or failure. But this year, Zhou Lu's Blood Luo Crystal remained intact, neither successful nor failed, making him a strange anomaly.

Such a thing had never happened in previous sacrifices.

"What's going on?"

On the Star Platform, the Great Elder Ouyetu's brows were tightly furrowed, extremely surprised. He hadn't expected this year to be so unusual. The Blood Luo Formation had already circled once, and there was still someone whose Blood Luo Crystal hadn't exploded?

"What should we do?"

The Great Elder finally gritted his teeth and, under the surprised gazes of the tribal members, slowly raised his bone staff again. A powerful aura suddenly emanated from his body, enveloping the sacrificial tower.

The massive Blood Luo Formation, like a huge millstone, began to grind again.

There were thirteen elders in the tribe, each responsible for the Sky Demon Festival sacrifice for one year. After thirteen years, it was the Great Elder's turn again. Since this year's sacrifice had been so smooth, it had ignited the Great Elder's strong desire for perfection. He wanted to achieve a flawless and perfect outcome this year, creating the most glorious moment in the tribe's history through this sacrifice.

Despite only Zhou Lu remaining, the Great Elder was willing to activate the Blood Luo Formation again, hoping to have all thirty-six youths successfully summon their Battle Souls. He wanted to prove to the tribe that he, as the Great Elder, could bring perfect prosperity to the tribe.

The blood light on the sacrificial tower surged and swirled like demonic flames, and time ticked by, the air below the tower almost solidifying.

Thirty breaths...

Fifty breaths...

Ninety breaths...

Under the anxious gazes of thousands, the Blood Luo Formation had again turned for a long ninety breaths. Everyone understood the Great Elder's thoughts, and the tribal members were as tense and eager as the Great Elder, hoping for that most glorious moment in history to arrive.

But another ninety breaths passed, and everyone was almost unbearable with impatience, yet the remaining youth in the sacrificial tower still showed no signs of movement.

On the Star Platform, the Great Elder's face turned ashen with anxiety.

The massive Blood Luo Formation was operating for just one person.

Activating the Blood Luo Formation once required a huge cost. Each breath of the formation's operation consumed a large piece of precious Blood Luo Crystal, and such a piece of Blood Luo Crystal was enough to buy three hundred hunting horses.

Zhou Lu's delay in summoning a Battle Soul was equivalent to the waste of tens of thousands of fine warhorses.

If Zhou Lu ultimately failed to summon successfully, the Great Elder would have wasted a vast and astonishing amount of wealth for nothing.

"Ten breaths left."

"Five breaths left."

"Three breaths left..."

The Great Elder's anxiety and anger had reached a boiling point, and Chief Huerle was drenched in cold sweat, his fists clenched, a voice roaring in his heart:

"Zhou Lu, still not successful?"

Suddenly, a beam of light burst into the stone cave, and Zhou Lu shivered as if in a climax. A faint dark red shadow flashed and entered the surging blood light of the sacrificial tower, then shot straight down into the Blood Luo Crystal, and finally disappeared into Zhou Lu's body through his hands.

The Blood Luo Crystal finally exploded with a "pop."

The entire venue fell silent for a moment, and then the tribal members below the Star Platform began to stir:

"Successful?"

"Finally successful!"

Chief Huerle was overjoyed, letting out a long sigh of relief. His arms, tense from the anxiety, were now sore and weak.

The Great Elder, imperceptibly, also let out a sigh of relief...

...

Zhou Lu felt a mysterious life force suddenly appear in his dantian. This life force transformed into eerie purple flames before his eyes, spewing and swirling, creating endless illusions that kept rushing toward his face. The burning flames, enveloped in countless illusions, dyed his vision a seductive purple.

"Did I finally summon a Battle Soul?" Zhou Lu felt the heat in his body and guessed excitedly, "Could it be a Fire-Attribute Demon Beast Battle Soul?"

After countless days of worry, Zhou Lu's heart was now filled with joy. He suddenly opened his eyes and, dancing and leaping, jumped from the stone cave to the Star Platform.

"Ha, I did it, I finally fused with a Battle Soul... Wait, this, this is..."

Zhou Lu was stunned.

The crowd fell silent.

All eyes were on the youth who had finally succeeded after so much effort.

Below the Star Platform, Chief Huerle, with a worried look, pushed his way to the front, his heart in his throat, feeling as if he couldn't breathe. His eyes widened as he looked at Zhou Lu, but his brows slowly furrowed.

No matter how he looked, Zhou Lu seemed to have a sneaky, suspicious air about him, more like a thief planning to steal chickens than a hunter proudly displaying his strength.

"What is Zhou Lu up to?"

On the Star Platform, Zhou Lu's face was twisted, his plump body fidgeting. Unable to resist the countless urging gazes, he raised his hands like the others, and a beam of light flashed above his head.

The tribal members were stunned.

Chief Huerle was also speechless, shocked by the scene before him.

People saw Zhou Lu standing there like a plump wick, with a small, fist-sized purple flame burning quietly on his head.

"Is that Zhou Lu's summoned Battle Soul?"

Everyone was dumbfounded.

In the past, the tribe had seen some unusual Battle Souls, such as someone summoning a powerful defensive turtle shell, a spirit-possessed ancient tree, and even a skeleton...

But a flame as a Battle Soul was far beyond everyone's understanding.

What could such a small flame be used for?

The crowd gaped in shock.

Zhou Lu's plump face was scrunched up, his body bound in fine-scaled armor, breathing heavily. He hadn't expected his dream to come true, and what he had seen in his dream the previous night was real. He had summoned not the towering, intimidating demon beast Battle Soul but the flame used for roasting.

Zhou Lu was so depressed that he gritted his teeth. He didn't know what such a small flame could be used for. Looking around the Star Platform, he saw a long, hanging banner on the side. Zhou Lu hurried over, flicked his hand, and the flame appeared on his fingertip.

Zhou Lu resolutely brought his finger close to the banner.

Sizzle...

Sizzle...

The flame flickered a few times, the flame tongue reluctant to move, splitting to the sides, and the flame curled back. The banner and even the tassels at the bottom remained untouched.

"Huh? How is this possible? This flame can't even ignite the banner? Zhou Lu, who had hoped to create a grand scene with a big fire, was so anxious that he was sweating. He tried again, bringing his finger close to the banner.

Sizzle...

Sizzle...

The flame flickered a few more times, but the banner still showed no signs of burning.

"This, this..."

Zhou Lu's face turned red with frustration.

Below the Star Platform, the silence was oppressive, and suddenly, someone led the way, and countless tribal members burst into laughter, the sound reaching the heavens.