Chapter 6081

The moment Jared cleared the cave mouth, the world outside had already changed.

The Sacred Mountain was no longer a place of pilgrimage.

It was a living altar.

High above, eight towering pillars of blood-red light pierced the sky, arranged in a perfect octagon around the summit. Crimson currents arced between them, forming a vast net that shimmered over the entire mountain.

The air tasted metallic.

Every breath carried the faint tang of iron.

Pilgrims lay sprawled across the slope, clutching their chests as blood tried to surge backward through their veins. Some screamed. Some prayed. Some simply trembled, eyes wide with animal terror.