Another day and night passed in this manner.

  The day of the blood sacrifice had arrived.

  The sky was overcast and oppressive, the heavy air making it difficult to breathe.

  A massive altar, a hundred meters wide, stood in a forested area east of the Imperial Capital.

  The area was filled with ruins and debris, with dust half-burying the remnants of what once was a glorious settlement. The once vibrant banners now hung tattered and gray, swaying in the wind.

  The altar was already inscribed with a large array that covered its entire surface. At the edges of the array, twelve smaller circular arrays were evenly arranged. At the center of the array stood an elderly priest dressed in a heavy robe adorned with colorful bird feathers.

  He resembled a dormant bird, standing motionless with his eyes closed, holding a long, slender feather about a meter in length, waiting for the most auspicious moment.

  As the hour approached.

  The priest looked up at the gloomy sky, his expression tense, and turned to Gao Luo, who stood not far away. "Bring them up," he ordered.

  With a wave of Gao Luo’s hand, the girls were carried up to the altar. Their heads were covered until they were placed in their respective positions on the altar and the covers were removed.

  The sudden exposure to daylight made them squint, and when they saw their surroundings, they huddled together in fear.

  Nan Gong Huan had subtly prepared them mentally, reigniting a glimmer of hope in their hearts. But given the current situation, that hope seemed incredibly slim.

  They could only pray that someone would appear at this very moment to stop the Divine Blood Hall’s sinister plot.

  "Wait, Huairou... is she also with the Divine Blood Hall?" Dai Sisi, who was closest to Jiang Huairou, immediately noticed her standing side by side with Gao Luo.

  Given Jiang Huairou’s haughty expression, it was hard not to suspect her involvement.

  "Huairou, you deceived me!" Nan Gong Huan continued her exaggerated act, looking utterly heartbroken.

  Jiang Huairou finally turned to look at Nan Gong Huan and walked up to her, sneering, "Of course I deceived you. Who knew you’d be so gullible? Let me be honest with you—the incident in the Sasu Forest where you encountered the Divine Blood Hall? That was also my doing. I just didn’t expect you to be so troublesome, managing to take out all my men." The more Jiang Huairou thought about it, the angrier she became.

  Although Nan Gong Huan had explained that a powerful figure had intervened and killed everyone, there were no traces of particularly strong spiritual energy left at the scene. If a truly powerful person had acted, there would have been unmistakable signs of their presence.

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  "But now, you’re still trapped in my grasp," Jiang Huairou said, her demeanor completely changed. The gentleness she once displayed was gone, replaced by sheer arrogance.

  "Escaping your grasp seems pretty simple to me," Nan Gong Huan said casually. The shackles on her wrists somehow loosened on their own, falling to the ground with a crisp clang.

  She then stood up, stretching her limbs as if preparing for a fight.

  The shackles hadn’t been removed by her but by the Moon Sovereign, who had been secretly assisting her. This was a signal that the Order Team had begun their operation!

  There was no need for her to keep up the act anymore!

  As soon as the shackles fell, the Divine Blood Hall’s minions surrounded her, wary of her escape.

  "Nan Gong Huan, you can’t escape. Just accept your fate as a sacrifice!" Gao Luo shouted.

  Nan Gong Huan finally noticed his presence. He stood with Jiang Huairou at the edge of the altar, not far from her.

  Oh, she had almost forgotten about him. These two had been colluding all along, and it was time to teach them a lesson. Otherwise, it would be a waste of the day and night she had spent in captivity.

  A mysterious smile curled on Nan Gong Huan’s lips. In a flash, she appeared in front of the two and delivered two swift, merciless punches, leaving them both stunned!

  Gao Luo managed to stay on his feet, but Jiang Huairou wasn’t so lucky. She spun around and fell to the ground, struggling to get up.

  "Nan Gong Huan!" Gao Luo covered his face, his expression darkening as he glared at her. He hadn’t expected her to be so fast!

  "Yes, I’m here. Did you not get enough? Should I give you a few more punches?" Nan Gong Huan waved her fist, and Gao Luo actually took a step back in fear.

  Realizing his retreat, his face turned even uglier, more chaotic than an overturned dye vat.

  "All of you, get her! Pin her down where she belongs!" Gao Luo barked. At his command, the Divine Blood Hall’s underlings swarmed forward!

  This wasn’t the first time Nan Gong Huan had faced so many people. She moved with agility, weaving through them effortlessly.

  "Hurry up and restrain her! The auspicious time has arrived—we can’t delay!" the priest urged.

  Missing the auspicious time would mean waiting indefinitely, and all their preparations would be wasted!

  Nan Gong Huan moved along the edge of the two-meter-high altar, a faint smell of blood reaching her nose.

  At that moment, a leopard-man swung his claws, tearing through the altar’s edge. A human head rolled out from the gap.

  Everyone froze for a moment. Nan Gong Huan instinctively looked toward the gap and saw countless stacked limbs!

  Her heart raced. Combined with the current environment, she had a bold guess.

  Could it be that they had slaughtered an entire village for this sacrifice?

  The villagers’ bodies were buried beneath the altar. The Divine Blood Hall had built the altar directly on top of a pile of corpses, which explained the overwhelming resentment in the Ghost Curse Array!

  The girls watched as Nan Gong Huan dodged and weaved, praying that she could disrupt the sacrifice.

  "Humph, start the blood sacrifice without her. We’ll catch her later. She can’t escape. Missing the auspicious time would be worse," Jiang Huairou commanded.

  The old priest said nothing more. His aged, bloodshot eyes gazed at the sky as he began an exaggerated ritual dance, using both his hands and feet.

  "I’ll go too," Gao Luo said, charging forward. But a large blade suddenly flew through the air, severing his arm in an instant. Blood gushed out like a fountain!

  "Ah—!" Gao Luo clutched his severed right arm, quickly trying to bandage it.

  But the person who had thrown the blade wasn’t about to let him off!

  "Gao Luo, Jiang Huairou, you two malicious disciples. It seems I’ll have to expel you from the academy."

  The Moon Sovereign had arrived!

  Dressed in a gray robe, he looked like an ordinary old man, his aura completely concealed.

  "Moon Sovereign, expulsion isn’t enough. They should be—erased from the continent," Ye Sangeng’s voice followed. The Order Team captain walked in, dressed in a sharp, practical outfit. With a wave of his hand, the blade spun back toward him.

  On its return, it conveniently severed Gao Luo’s other arm!

  "Ahh!" Gao Luo screamed in agony, his balance faltering as he lost both arms. He tried to flee but stumbled aimlessly, unsure of where to go!