What shocked the group wasn't the scale of the sacrificial altar but its brutality.
In the middle of the vast flat ground on the mountaintop stood a table made of yellow pear wood. Just like the offering tables seen on ordinary days, it was filled with all kinds of tributes. In the center of the tributes was an incense burner, but the incense that used to be lit on it was long gone.
Behind the table was a large - scale sacrificial altar. In the middle of it was a stone stele as tall as a person.
The stele stood there all alone. The bloodstains on it made it easy to tell what had happened here before.
The group was stunned by what was in front of them. They stared at the stele for a long time, unable to say a word. Li Jiuge took several deep breaths, but still couldn't control the reaction of her body. She turned around and ran away, retching.
Ji Yuchen knew how disgusting this scene was. He stepped forward and stroked her back to comfort her.
"It's okay..." He comforted her over and over again, but Li Jiuge retched until her eyes were red.
Seeing this, Feng Xingzhi turned to look at Ji Yunxi. He saw that her face was as pale as paper. He stepped forward and held her hand, only to find that her hand was extremely cold.
"Xixi, are you okay?"
"… I'm fine."
She suppressed the discomfort in her heart and looked up at the sacrificial altar. There were so many bloodstains. How many people had the prefect harmed? Why were all these bloodstains on this stele, as if... they had been smeared on.
Ji Yunxi remembered that just now Yue Hongshan had shaken her head and said she knew nothing. Now she didn't believe it at all. The bloodstains on this stele were definitely from more than one person, which meant that the sacrifices here had definitely happened more than once. So how could Yue Hongshan know nothing?
Having made up her mind, she walked up to Yue Hongshan, pinched her chin, and sized her up from side to side. "Miss Yue, you are indeed very good - looking."
Yue Hongshan didn't believe this was a compliment. She just stared with wide eyes and shook her head frantically.
"But do you know how many people's flesh and blood are behind your beauty?"
Her words made Yue Hongshan's heart skip a beat. She trembled and replied, "No... there isn't..."
Ji Yunxi stood up. "I wish I could tear your whole family into pieces, but even that can't calm the anger of the heavens. However, the heavens are kind - hearted. I can give you a chance to atone for your sins."
Yue Hongshan's eyes lit up. She nodded quickly. "As long as you don't kill me, I'll do anything. Will you spare me?"
"That depends on how much you can tell me." Ji Yunxi raised her eyebrows. "Do you know the rules and procedures of the sacrificial ceremony?"
Yue Hongshan's smile froze. Obviously, she knew.
Although she had never seen the sacrificial scene, once when she passed by her father's study by chance, she had heard her father talking to someone about the sacrifice. Her father's words at that time had filled her with fear, and she couldn't tell Ji Yunxi these things.
"I don't know." She looked at Ji Yunxi with a sincere look, hoping the other person would believe her.
Ji Yunxi didn't really care if what she said was true. She nodded with a smile. "Since that's the case, you're of no use. Why don't I kill you right now, or sacrifice you to the heavens in our way."
After hearing this, Yue Hongshan collapsed to the ground. "You, you can't sacrifice me! There are particulars in choosing a sacrifice!"
In her panic, she actually blurted out these words. Feng Xingzhi immediately stepped forward and pointed his sword at her. "Tell me, what particulars?"
Yue Hongshan closed her eyes in despair. She didn't expect that Ji Yunxi's provocation would make her say these words.
After a moment of silence, she said in a low voice, "My father once said that the blood of the sacrifice should be used to wash the stele during the sacrifice. If the weather changes greatly after a stick of incense has burned, it means that the mountain god doesn't like this sacrifice, and this person can't be used for the sacrifice."
Ji Yunyi was slightly surprised. "There are restrictions on this mountain. We can't use spiritual power to create the illusion of clouds and rain. What should we do?"
These words suddenly woke Ji Yunxi up. She thought that spiritual power couldn't be used on Guangwu Mountain, but what about divine power? There were two kinds of divine power in her body. Although one of them was sealed, the other was her own.
She turned around and walked towards the sacrificial altar. She murmured to herself, "Although I've never used divine power before and don't know what the consequences will be, I have to use it in this emergency..."
Feng Xingzhi watched her walk away slowly and muttering to herself. He immediately guessed what she wanted to do. He quickly grabbed her. "No!"
His voice was so loud that Li Jiuge and Ji Yuchen, who were still not fully recovered, were both startled.
"What are you doing? Why are you so harsh to Xixi?" Ji Yunyi was a little unhappy. He stepped forward and wanted to pull Feng Xingzhi's hand away.
Feng Xingzhi ignored him. He just stared fixedly at Ji Yunxi with an unyielding determination in his eyes. "Ji Yunxi, I said no."
Since he knew he could call her Xixi, he had never called her by her full name again. But now the situation was so serious that he had to call her name seriously.
Ji Yunyi was also a little confused. What on earth was going on?
He wanted to ask, but was stopped by Ji Yuchen who was walking from afar. Ji Yuchen shook his head at his younger brother, indicating that he should listen to Feng Xingzhi's explanation first.
Then they heard Feng Xingzhi say, "Xixi, I know what you want to do, but I won't allow it. Spiritual power can't even be used on Guangwu Mountain. How can you use divine power?!"
Everyone suddenly understood. Not only did Feng Xingzhi think it was not okay, but Ji Yuchen, Ji Yunyi, and Li Jiuge also disagreed.
"Yunxi, big brother will never allow it."
"Yunxi, second brother also disagrees."
The two elder brothers' faces darkened. They rarely treated her with such a serious attitude.
Ji Yunxi looked at their attitudes and smiled helplessly. "I know what you're worried about. It's nothing but the seal in my body. But I've never used divine power before. Who can be sure it won't work?"
Feng Xingzhi still didn't give in. "What if something goes wrong? Why should we take this gamble!"
He couldn't control his temper.
Ji Yuchen saw that Feng Xingzhi's eyes were red. He stepped forward and tugged at Ji Yunxi's sleeve. "Yunxi, the prince is not right."
Ji Yunxi looked into Feng Xingzhi's eyes and only then noticed the sadness on his face.
It seemed that he had already anticipated the failure of this matter. Ji Yunxi felt as if her heart had been tightly squeezed.
"Azhi... calm down..."
She stepped forward and reached out to touch Feng Xingzhi's face. "Look at me. I'm still fine. Don't be so nervous."
Feng Xingzhi lowered his head and saw the real Ji Yunxi. He finally came to his senses and silently hugged her.
Normally, Ji Yuchen and Ji Yunyi would definitely separate the two of them, but this time they also noticed that something was wrong with Feng Xingzhi, so they just let the two hug each other.