Chương 161: Holy Lady (2)

Cultivators started to arrive one by one. They glanced at the ones who entered first with furrowed brows. They could not believe they survived. For the longest time, there have been several rules for how to enter the great dip. One is to wait till a gush of water shoots out three times before one can enter. But these people did not obey them. How are they still alive? Many wondered, but the group, mostly hooded except for one of them who was veiled, stood aloof from others.

"May fellow cultivators identity themselves," a heaven seeker said, but the blood witch could not be bothered by them.

"Let's go," she waved her hand and several doors opened. They walked straight for one door as though they knew what was behind it and disappeared behind it.

"Oh, energy manipulator," the man who spoke said and entered the same door after them. In all honesty, the doors were based on luck. Even though you had been here before, there is no saying what is behind the same door no matter how many times you pick it. Taking the same door as them was because he felt that this bunch knew something he did not. Like him, many chose to follow after them and others took different doors. Behind the crowd, Ku Nam stared at the door Ku Jian had taken with solemn eyes. That was his cousin. He would recognize the way she walked out of a crowd of many, talk more with half her face exposed under the veil.

"She is alive," he said and Lady Mai glanced at him.

"Who?" she asked.

"Jian,"

"Oh. She is with that energy manipulator? Was that Nti Anem?" she asked.

"No. That energy manipulator was definitely a woman," Ikan De said.

"Let's go," Ku Nam said and made for a door.

"Why don't we take the same door as them?" Lady Mai asked, "Those she is with seem to know where they are going,"

"No, this is a matter of luck," Ikan De said.

"Ku Jian is walking with a bunch of people may not necessarily be safe. When has following anyone she follows been safe? We do not know the energy manipulator or why she is with them. It is stupid to follow. Besides, my cousin only cares for what she cares for. There is no guarantee she will save your life or tell you how to save your life when it comes down to it," Ku Nam said and they walked through a door.

The blood witch led her group through tunnels till they stood before another door. There was only that sole door there so; it made one wonder why it existed. The blood witch waved her hand and the door opened allowing a howl to reach their ears.

"Stay behind me. We have no time to be fighting useless things," she said and rushed forward. Anything that stood in her path died instantly. This made Ku Jian slightly tense. She believed in her instinct and it told her that something was wrong with the blood witch's actions. They were heading for the treasures just like others here, but if she killed everything without letting them fight and learn, then what was the need of bringing this many people? She could have come here herself and gotten what she needed.

They reached a wide cave soon enough. On the walls were ethereal ores. Their purity was high. She saw as the other apprentices moved round picking from the walls and she frowned. Looking at the faces of the others who were there, they did not at all seem bothered by this. Why bring eight people to pick ores? She thought and the next second she paused. There were nine people not counting her who came here today. Nine. This was the number for the circle ritual. Nine, excluding her.

She made to move from the centre of the hall and found her body frozen in place. She glanced at the circle they made around her and rested her eyes upon the blood witch who had joined the others to take down their hood.

"I knew there was no way you intended to just teach me your skills," Ku Jian chuckled.

"You don't seem shocked," the blood witch stared at her. Ku Jian ignored the piercing eyes of the apprentices looking at her as though they wished to tear her apart; especially the girl she tried to kill back at the village, and concentrated on the blood witch. His was her ritual. She was the only one she was concerned about.

"Oh, I saw this coming when you indulged me a lot. I just did not know what it is you wanted and when you would make your move," she said and the blood witch applauded her as other cultivators arrived. She waved her hand and the tunnel was sealed by earth after they entered. The cultivator saw this and paused, then made for the ethereal stones but their body could not move.

"Be good and stand aside," The blood witch waved her hand and they were dragged back from the circle and glued to the cave wall.

"What do you think you are doing?" Several heaven-seekers rotated their core but as though cursed, they could not draw on their energy.

"Be careful to not offend those you should not, energy manipulator," one of them warned coldly but the blood witch only flicked her wrist and they lost their ability to speak.

"Witch, not energy manipulator," she corrected, "You are only alive because I need blood for this ritual. What better than yours?" she asked and they paled. They realised that they were baited here. This old thing opened the door by waving her hand because they would recognise the energy swirling around an energy manipulator and make to follow them.

"What do you want?" Ku Jian asked.

"Power. Do you think I would let you draw from the blessings of the holy lady; you, a cultivator, if I did not have use for you?" she asked.

"Of course, I knew. You all look down on cultivators yet you actually let me learn your art? I would be a fool to not have suspected something wrong. It did not help that you fawned on me a lot. The kind of pride your apprentices hold, it had to come from somewhere, and who else but their master could they mimic? You, who are so full of pride, would fawn upon me? Rubbish," Ku Jian said. She may look relaxed right now, but tension quaked her bones.

"Oh? Yet you stayed and learnt either way?"

"Why not? I have use for your arts," Ku Jian replied.

"Your arrogance never ceases to amaze me," the blood witch said and nodded to the others who started their spell. Ku Jian felt the weight of their spell instantly, but she was not going to wait for death. She closed her eyes and felt their connection to her using her cultivation. Then she locked unto them and started to mutter a spell. The blood witch's eyes widened instantly.

"Cultivation and magic... you really are a special girl," she smiled, "But you will die here no matter what. The holy lady has willed it,"