Originally, Ming Qi had been unable to grasp the entire situation, but after the masked figure's explanation, a great deal of clarity suddenly dawned on him.
Yu Quanzhen likely already knew what lay atop Mount Osho, but he held off until a large group of cultivators had gathered at the Magic Forest below. Then, he appeared in a different form.
Leading a large group of cultivators through the Magic Forest toward Mount Osho, everyone seemed intent on the legendary treasures of Mount Osho. However, Yu Quanzhen alone knew clearly what lay within.
Based on the current situation, Yu Quanzhen's goal was the same as the masked figure's: to obtain what they desired through a sacrifice at the Dark Dragon King's altar.
At this moment, Yu Quanzhen's Martial King True Essence tossed Lady Rose into the altar. She seemed completely engulfed by the black mist within, but in the blink of an eye, bursts of rosy light appeared within, and Lady Rose's silhouette reappeared. At the same time, a shadow flashed by, and two beams of black-gold light instantly grabbed Madam Rose and forcibly pulled her from the altar.
As the offering, right before their mouths, was snatched away, the entire altar vibrated with a humming sound, and the earth roared.
Standing proudly in the air, Dragon Thief Ye Qizon glanced at Yu Quanzhen and said coldly, "Yu Quanzhen, you've got a good plan! Do you think you can find the Dragon Kingdom with just these tricks? You've luckily entered the realm of gods and demons, which is already a great fortune, but you're not satisfied, and your ambitions are so great. As long as I'm here, you won't be able to get anything from this altar!"
Ye Qizon fluttered his black-gold wings and stood still in the air, his eyes fixed on Yu Quanzhen on the ground.
"You have indeed awakened the Dragon God bloodline."
Yu Quanzhen's expression remained calm. Although all criticism now seemed to be directed at him, he didn't look shocked at all, as if he had anticipated this situation.
Particularly surprised were the people who had originally proposed inviting Yu Quanzhen. The most unwilling among them was Madam Rose. Madam Rose, Long Zhe of the White Cloud Sword Sect, and Chi Hongyi of the Red Mang Mercenary Group stood together, keeping their distance from Yu Quanzhen. Many cultivators also distanced themselves from Yu Quanzhen.
The situation was somewhat stalemated. The only difference was that the cage held by the masked man still held a cultivator. He had just attempted to be the first to be sacrificed, but Yu Quanzhen had preempted him. Now, Yu Quanzhen's sacrifice had failed, and he was being thwarted by the Dragon Thief Ye Qizon. With Ye Qizon and Yu Quanzhen already locked in a standoff, it was impossible for Yu Quanzhen to withdraw and offer another sacrifice.
Thinking of this, the masked figure no longer hesitated. With a wave of his hand, the cage soared above the massive altar. He then released the restraining force, and the monk was instantly engulfed in the gushing black mist.
No one was left to intervene, and a chaotic commotion filled the altar. Soon, a dark speck of light flew out from the altar and landed in the masked figure's hand.
He grasped the black speck without even glancing at it. Then, smiling, he said to Master Wushuang beside him, "This sacrificial ritual is truly miraculous."
Master Wushuang smiled and said, "Of course. As long as your offering is substantial, you can obtain anything you desire. Unfortunately, what I desire is incredibly difficult to obtain."
Master Wushuang sighed and added, "Now that you're all here, don't you want to experience this mysterious power?"
He glanced at the crowd.
This was undoubtedly a truly challenging proposition. Simply dragging anyone out and throwing them into the altar could yield unexpected rewards. Such a huge temptation was especially potent for these cultivators of mediocre cultivation, who desperately needed external assistance.
For a moment, some cultivators began to grow jealous.
Young Master Wushuang's words were like a trigger. Soon, some began to quietly engage in violence, and the entire scene descended into chaos.
Observing the chaotic state of the cultivators present, Young Master Wushuang seemed quite content, smiling silently.
Ming Qi, on the other hand, remained entrenched in the Divine Diagram space. The situation was so chaotic that if he chose to leave at this moment, he might actually be dragged and thrown into the altar.
But he didn't intend to continue watching. He had a strong feeling that there wasn't just this altar on Mount Osho. There must be something else, such as the much-rumored treasure vault of the Divine Weapon Sect.
The Divine Weapon Sect possessed a vast empire, and no one would believe they left behind nothing at the time of their destruction. Since Young Master Wushuang had chosen to defy fate and be reborn on Mount Osho, there must be something truly mysterious about it.
So, Ming Qi ignored these people and quietly manipulated the Divine Map to bypass the temple and see what lay behind it.
However, quietly getting behind the temple was no easy task. Although Young Master Wushuang's three men seemed oblivious to the surroundings, Ming Qi knew they would attack immediately at the first sign of movement.
Just as Ming Qi had just about stepped out of the Demonic Corridor, he had also been within the Divine Map, yet was immediately spotted by the God-Mending Technique.
At this moment, Ming Qi understood that Young Master Wushuang's altar was primarily intended to keep everyone at bay within the temple.
Seeing that there was no way around it, Ming Qi thought for a moment before quietly exiting the temple and returning to its exterior.
The summit of Mount Osho was vast and empty. Arriving outside the temple, Ming Qi could vaguely see through his divine map the dense, deep vegetation surrounding and behind the temple. On the surface, it appeared barren.
"Could there be something hidden in the jungle behind this?"
Ming Qi wondered. Now that he had left the temple, he didn't know where to go.
After observing for a while, Ming Qi controlled the divine map and flew in a direction behind the temple. Since he was still a little confused, he decided to look around and see if he could find any clues.
After skirting the corridors surrounding the temple, Ming Qi plunged into the dense forest. It was unbelievable that such lush vegetation could grow on the summit of Mount Osho.
"Hmm?"
Not long after flying, Ming Qi was surprised to discover that behind the original temple, in the dense forest, he felt a strange presence, but he couldn't find it.