Chapter 54: Sacrifice

While Wang Liang was dividing up the spoils, the battle on the nearby field was also drawing to a close. Unlike their previous fight against the army of ghost soldiers, this time they were up against a mountain patrol led by the Demon Tiger, composed entirely of lesser demons. Although the aquatic ghost soldiers had lent a hand, the main force was still the regular troops. Moreover, at the beginning, the Wild Boar Mountain Whale had launched several fierce charges, breaking through parts of the battle formation. As a result, they had taken some losses.

Once the fighting ended, General Hua quickly ordered the wounded to be carried away for treatment and directed the hunters to deal with the lesser demons. It seemed the Demon Tiger had turned every creature on Demon Ridge’s Jingyang Hill into a demon; the variety was astonishing—carnivorous wolves, snakes, and foxes, herbivorous rabbits and goats, as well as scorpions, lizards, pangolins, bats, and other creatures. The skin, bones, and flesh of these demons were all valuable materials. General Hua instructed his men to dismember the bodies, selecting every useful part—tendons and bones for weapons, hides for armor—everything could be brought back. The blood-rich flesh was set aside to be cooked for lunch, so the soldiers could replenish their strength.

At this time, Wang Liang and several other players approached, carrying the corpse of the Wild Boar Mountain Whale. “This is the body of a great demon. See if it’s of any use,” he said.

Hearing this, City God Lu, General Yu, and the Magistrate of Yanggu all came over. Except for the magistrate, who was a mortal, the others possessed some cultivation and saw at a glance that the blood, organs, and hide of this beast were all rare treasures. They had expected Wang Liang to keep the massive beast for himself after slaying it, but, to their surprise, he brought it here to share.

They knew all too well that if Wang Liang and his companions hadn’t lured away the Wild Boar Mountain Whale, their formation would likely have been shattered, resulting in even greater losses. What they didn’t know was that Wang Liang would have preferred to keep the beast, but the system had already allocated them thirty percent of the spoils and closed off further division of the Wild Boar Mountain Whale. Not even the players with logistics skills could do anything—the carcass couldn’t be processed, and the flesh couldn’t be used for cooking. In this situation, what choice did he have but to hand over the corpse?

General Hua and his men were delighted. “Excellent! Just right to restore the brothers’ strength,” General Hua said. He had hardly finished when City God Lu interjected, “Why not let us handle this? I happen to have some ancient sacrificial spices here. With such a blood-rich boar as an offering, the army will be well rewarded. The souls of the fallen will be strengthened by this sustenance, so they can join my ghost troops as underworld envoys.”

At that, General Hua said no more—he had to consider the dead, after all. He nodded, and no one else objected. After all, the beast was so large, there would be plenty to go around. City God Lu didn’t forget Wang Liang and his group either. He said, “Thank you for bringing the boar to us. As for the lesser demons, once we’ve sorted their remains, you can come and exchange for anything you need.”

The players were elated—this meant the exchange channel was open, and all manner of good things would be available. Wang Liang didn’t stand on ceremony. “I’d like some flesh. That last fight was too close for comfort, and I plan to summon a helper,” he told City God Lu.

“No problem. See those processed corpses? Take as much as you need,” General Hua said, pointing to the battlefield.

Normally, the remains of these lesser demons would be burned to prevent further trouble, for who knew what other tricks the Demon Tiger might have? If the bodies were left, they might be turned into zombie soldiers or ghostly troops. Better to burn them. But since Wang Liang needed some flesh, this was a perfect use for what would otherwise be wasted.

Without another word, Wang Liang hefted his executioner’s blade and strode over. The regular soldiers were working in groups of three: two carried bodies, while the third stripped them of valuable flesh and hide. Once done, the remains were thrown onto a pile. Over a thousand lesser demons had been stacked into five towering heaps, and Wang Liang noticed that atop these mounds were some ancient skeletons, long decayed—remnants left from the previous battle with the ghost army.

Wang Liang said nothing about that. He surveyed the five heaps and chose the tallest before walking over. Standing before the mound, he flipped his hand, and a heart the size of a human head, still pulsing, appeared in his palm. This was the Heart of Savagery, a purple-grade summoning item he had obtained earlier.

He’d seen Zhao Gongming command summoned creatures in battle and knew that such beings, once called forth through special items, would stay with their master until death. The master had to provide food, shelter, and sometimes even assist in improving their cultivation or equipment. Wang Liang hadn’t intended to use this so soon—after all, he wasn’t sure what a Savage Raptor or Savage Tyrannosaurus was, or how to help them grow. If he summoned one and left it idle, it would be a waste; if he used it prematurely, it might be a loss. Better to wait until he understood more.

But now, after experiencing the terror of the Demon Ridge boss and seeing the players’ ranks thinned, he realized they needed more powerful allies if they were to make it to the end. And so, he made up his mind and went to the corpse mound.

Slashing a few bodies open with his executioner’s blade, he buried the still-beating Heart of Savagery beneath the pile. Then, flipping his hand again, he took out the Heart’s Essence Blood he’d just acquired—a mass the size of a human head, scalding hot in his grasp. He pressed the essence blood onto the Heart of Savagery, and instantly, the system’s voice rang in his ear:

"Sacrifice to the Heart of Savagery has begun. Please choose a summon type: 1. Savage Raptor, 2. Savage Tyrannosaurus..."