He soon found out the answer to his question as he heard a loud noise coming from somewhere nearby. He turned his head towards the direction of the sound and saw a tall man dressed in a black robe enter the chamber through a hidden passage. The man had a stern expression on his face, and his gaze was cold and indifferent as he stared at all the unconscious children lying on the floor.
The man walked past Asher without paying him any attention and walked up to the altar. He then kneeled down before it, placed his palms together, and closed his eyes, as if praying.
Asher felt like he knew this person. However, he couldn't remember where or when he'd met this man. But there was no mistaking it; he had definitely met him before. And he had a strong feeling that the man was related to him in some way. However, Asher couldn't remember what kind of relationship they shared.
'Why does this man seem so familiar to me? Where have I seen him?' Asher thought to himself as he observed the man's face. 'Wait... isn't that... Li Wang!? But why is he here?'
He remembered killing Li Wang's son in the sect recruitment trial. However, he didn't see Li Wang after that incident. As far as he knew, Elder Harrius had told him that Li Wang went back to the clan after being humiliated by him. So what was he doing here? And why was he acting so reverent towards an altar?
"Great ancestor... Please hear my prayers..." Li Wang spoke in a solemn voice with his eyes closed. "Your descendants have gathered the thousand children as you requested... Now please give us your guidance once more."
'A thousand children?' Asher thought to himself as he looked at all the children lying on the ground. 'What does that mean? Wait... Are they planning to sacrifice these children to revive someone?'
Just as Asher finished thinking this, a bright light shone from the altar. The skulls hanging above the altar began to glow with a bright red light, and the bones scattered on top of the altar began to glow as well. Soon, the runes carved on the walls glowed with a crimson hue, as if they were alive.
After he finished speaking, a few dozen people in black robes entered the chamber through a hidden passage. They all had their whole bodies covered by the hooded cloaks, so Asher couldn't see their faces. However, there were a few who stood out among them. They were all exuding powerful auras that were far above Li Wang's cultivation realm. And among them, Asher recognized one of them.
It was the same woman who had hypnotized all the children and lured them into the cave.
She was standing next to Li Wang with a flute in her hand. She had a cold expression on her face as she stared at the children lying on the ground, and there was no sign of sympathy or pity in her eyes.
Seeing her expression, Asher felt an intense hatred rise within him. This woman had used a hypnotic technique to lure children to sacrifice them. He couldn't forgive her for doing such a horrible thing. And he was one of them, unable to do anything about it. 'Damn it... I've been too careless.' Asher cursed himself in his mind.
'I should've contacted Cai Yan and Nadia sooner.'
Li Wang then turned towards the woman and said, "Li Fengyin, you have done a good job. Without your help, we wouldn't have been able to gather all these children so quickly. I thank you for that."
"Kekeke, my great-great-granddaughter... You are truly worthy of being part of the Li Clan. I am very proud of you." The ancestor's voice spoke once again, sounding pleased. "And your contribution shall not go unrewarded. Once I return, you will receive the best cultivation techniques of the past. With them, you shall become one of the most powerful people in the world."
Hearing the ancestor's words, Li Fengyin bowed towards the altar and replied, "I thank you for your benevolence, great ancestor."
"Now then, all of you, begin the ritual!"