Heavenly Ascension Chronicles Chapter 1037: The Ritual Offering of the Old Evil - Novel Cool

Chapter 1037: The Ritual Offering of the Old Evil

Chapter 1037: The Ritual Offering of the Old Evil

Chen Chuan nodded slightly, "Mr. Lan, you're referring to the unexplored area at the other end of the hidden repository, right?"

Lan Shengu replied, "Yes, that's the place."

His expression turned grim, and he took a deep breath before speaking, "The hidden repository should contain various supplies, metal currency, books, and even cultivation medications for martial artists. But when I explored it just now, I found that most of the items were sacrificial offerings. Some of them were even issued by the Imperial Court, bearing the imperial era and the inner court's serial numbers. Moreover, I also discovered this."

He took out a leather-like paper from his pocket, which felt slightly soft and heavy. Unfolding it, a drawing of a ghostly figure was revealed, with its body parts labeled in ancient, crimson-colored text. Some areas were annotated with internal structures, resembling an anatomical diagram.

He pointed to the text, "This is 'Wishing Script', an ancient language used by our ancestors to communicate with ghosts and deities.

Not only can this language communicate with ghosts and deities, but it can also manifest them based on one's thoughts and feelings. According to historical records, especially during the turbulent ancient times, these entities seemed omnipresent, whether in desolate mountains, lakes, marshes, or human settlements. People burned offerings and prayed, which led to an increase in the number of ghosts and deities.

According to later records, a high-ranking member of the Xuan Zen Sect compiled a catalog, stating that in Fengyuan County, now a part of Shandao, there were over ten thousand named and recorded ghosts and deities. Initially, they coexisted harmoniously with humans, but later, they oppressed and enslaved them, demanding blood sacrifices.

At that time, the entire Eastern Continent became a realm of ghosts and deities, and the common folk suffered greatly. It was only after the rise of the Xuan and Zen Sects that these entities were either driven away, imprisoned, or absorbed into the sects. The Wishing Script was also destroyed."

Chen Chuan took the leather scroll from Lan Shengu's hand and examined it. The depicted deity had a hideous expression, with fangs bared and what seemed to be human organs under its feet. It held a skeleton in its raised hands, and a partially chewed human hand hung from its mouth. The entire figure exuded a savage and bloody aura. The text on it was likely written with cinnabar mixed with the blood of some unknown creature, making it bright red and eye-catching, with distorted and bizarre characters.

Lan Shengu explained, "This text was written recently, no more than a hundred and fifty years ago. Thanks to the efforts of the Xuan and Zen Sects, there are no longer any experts in the Eastern Continent who can understand the Wishing Script. Therefore, I suspect that the ones who possess this knowledge are the 'Maka' people.

They were once a branch of our Eastern Continent's ancestors, but after a defeat, they were exiled to the ocean and intermarried with the natives, becoming the islanders they are today. As a result, they still retain some ancient traditions."

His expression grew complex as he continued, "I believe the Old Imperial Court had an agreement with these people. They allowed the return of an ancient deity worshipped by the Maka people's ancestors in exchange for establishing this hidden repository."

Chen Chuan hummed in acknowledgment. Since the repository contained sacrificial offerings, this explanation made sense. He asked, "Mr. Lan, how does this affect us?"

Lan Shengu sighed, "It's a significant issue." He reached into his pocket and took out some rubble-like fragments, "These are some of the items exchanged by Jiao Mountain with the outside world."

Chen Chuan took a glance; these were the same items he had seen when he first arrived at Jiao Mountain with Ren Xiaotian. Now, he could sense a slightly corrosive energy emanating from them.

Lan Shengu explained, "This is likely 'Divine Blood'. It's not actually the blood left behind by deities but is called so for convenience. According to some records, this is a highly energetic impurity that spills out during the process of a deity's rebirth after extinction."

Chen Chuan's gaze intensified slightly as he heard this. "Mr. Lan, can you confirm the return of a deity?"

Lan Shengu affirmed, "I can confirm it. In the past, my ancestors in the old national religion were responsible for exorcising old deities. Although there weren't many left by then, the records still exist, and they match what we see here."

He glanced at the rift, "Throughout history, the return of deities has been strictly guarded against. I suspect that the Old Imperial Court, due to its complete retreat to the interpenetration zone, no longer cared about this. They allowed the return of the old deity in exchange for this hidden repository to conceal their rift."

Chen Chuan nodded. However, it wasn't necessarily just an exchange; it was more likely that the Old Imperial Court intended to leave this trouble for Grand Prosperity. In the end, whoever suffered would be a delight for the Old Imperial Court.

Lan Shengu said, "Director Chen, as the Great Collision approaches, this deity may gradually awaken. According to records, the ancient deities varied in strength, but this one is likely an 'High Deity'.

The most crucial aspect of these deities' return is their presence in people's minds and reality. The more this 'Divine Blood' spreads, the stronger their sense of existence becomes, and the faster this deity will return. Perhaps someone discovered that these substances could be useful for biological modification, but in doing so, they unwittingly accelerated this process."

Chen Chuan pondered for a moment, agreeing with Lan Shengu's theory. These energetic substances were highly active and had a significant impact on organisms, as evidenced by the aberrant mutations of altered tissue. They could potentially aid research into simple biological modification techniques.

Lan Shengu said, "I just examined it, and the ritual here has a certain sealing effect, so we need to reinforce it and not dismantle it..."

Chen Chuan disagreed, "This ritual must be dismantled; only then can the fissure be merged by the worm mother."

"But..."

Chen Chuan continued, "If the 'gods' of the old era were to truly emerge, the people of the past could handle them, and so can we."

Lan Shengu, with urgency in his voice, said, "But the power level of the 'High Deity' might be extremely high, and it has been worshipped by the Old Imperial Court for so long. We might have to pay a significant price."

Chen Chuan looked at him and said, "Advisor Lan, you may have forgotten that the past and the present are different. With technological advancements, we have more weapons and means at our disposal. Most importantly, we have the Ring of the World, which can block and isolate these higher powers."

"So, there's no need to worry too much. Even if they were to merge and emerge, they wouldn't be of a high level, and we can handle them. However, there are some things we need to do," he glanced at the "Divine Blood" in the other's hand, "at the very least, we must stop the spread of these things and reduce the influence of this old evil."

He glanced at the fissure, "Later, I'll go there personally to check on the situation on the other side of the temple."

As he spoke, he noticed Zuan Xiansheng, Zalnik, Hu Kan, and Xu Can returning from outside.

When they approached, Chen Chuan looked at Xu Can and noticed multiple wounds and bloodstains on his body. He asked, "Old Xu, are you injured?"

Xu Can replied, "Just a minor injury."

Hu Kan spoke up, "Brother Xu is brave and decisive. I admire you, Old Hu." He then proceeded to briefly explain the situation.

After understanding the circumstances, Chen Chuan examined the two of them closely, and a glimmer flashed across his brow. In an instant, a light as brilliant as the sun emanated from his body, lasting for a moment before subsiding.

Black smoke rose from both Hu Kan and Xu Can, with Xu Can's body emitting significantly more. After taking a look, he felt much lighter.

Hu Kan was surprised to find that he, too, had traces of the black smoke on his body. He thought about it and realized it must have been the blood and flesh that splattered onto him when he delivered the final hammer blow to the Embroidered Robe Envoy.

This substance could slowly infiltrate his body, or gradually transform him. If he wasn't careful, he might fall victim to it. He rubbed his bald head, "It's hard to guard against." Then he turned to Chen Chuan, "Brother Chen, I owe you one."

Xu Can didn't say anything, but he knew he would take action to show his gratitude later.

Chen Chuan waved it off, "It's just a minor matter, don't worry about it."

"No, no," Hu Kan patted his chest, "If there's anything I can do for you in the future, just ask. Even if I can't help, I can still shout and cheer you on." His words lightened the atmosphere, and everyone around them laughed.

Chen Chuan couldn't help but smile, "I won't forget you, Brother Hu."

After asking about their situation, he turned his attention to Zuan Xiansheng and Zalnik. The two of them seemed a bit sullen and ashamed because they hadn't been able to catch up to their opponent, who was eventually dealt with by Zuan Xiansheng.

Chen Chuan inquired further and learned the entire story. It was evident that Zalnik and his partner had put in a lot of effort, and if Zuan Xiansheng hadn't intervened, they would have had a good chance of tracking down Gai Shu He.

Initially, Chen Chuan had planned to decide their next assignment based on their performance during this task. Considering their dedication, he thought about keeping them on.

The two martial artists had limited resources when they were together before, but times have changed. With the interconnected sky, supplying two martial artists is no longer a challenge. All that's needed is to sign some martial artist restraint agreements.

In fact, they were already bound by secret rituals before their arrival, but given their temperaments, they wouldn't pay much attention to agreements or consequences. The most crucial factor is having sufficient martial power to keep them in check during critical moments.

To his slight disappointment, Chen Bitong had disappeared at the hands of Gai Shu He. He had hoped that if they captured this person, he might be able to inquire about Chen Bitong's whereabouts. However, Gai Shu He, a Shen Zhi Xiang Xuanji Warrior, didn't come fully prepared this time, so even if they caught him, it might not be of much use. Perhaps next time.

Maybe one day, they could launch an attack on the Imperial Capital and personally ask about Chen Bitong's fate.

In the past, thoroughly dealing with the Old Imperial Court was indeed a challenging task, but with the interconnected sky, it's no longer just a theoretical concept. Otherwise, the Old Imperial Court wouldn't have been so anxious this time.

At that moment, Zuan Xiansheng took out an object, "When we searched Gai Shu He's hiding place, we found this."

Chen Chuan looked over and saw a black, hideous statue that resembled the gods and ghosts depicted on the leather scroll.

Lan Shengu took a glance from outside and his face changed, "This should be something from the original temple."

...

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(End of Chapter)

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