Chapter 1041: Eliminating the Old Evil
Chapter 1041: Eliminating the Old Evil
After a day, Lei Bureau Director and Lan Shengu completed all the preliminary work for dismantling the secret ritual node, and the process went much smoother than they had anticipated.
However, dismantling the secret ritual required intense mental focus, and they couldn't afford to make even the slightest mistake, especially with such ancient rituals that were vastly different from modern ones. They had to proceed with utmost caution, testing every step carefully, which took a significant toll on their mental and physical energy by the end of the day.
After a brief rest and taking some medication to rejuvenate themselves, they felt refreshed and ready to continue. They went to see Chen Chuan together.
Lei Bureau Director spoke up, "Chief Chen, we have completed the preliminary work, and we request to proceed with dismantling the secret ritual now."
Chen Chuan glanced at the two of them and asked, "Lei Bureau Director, Lan Advisor, are you sure you're up for this?"
Lei Bureau Director replied in a solemn tone, "We're ready. We initially estimated a maximum of two days for this task, so we prepared for two consecutive days of non-stop work. Since we finished in just one day, we can proceed to the next step. The old evil within should have noticed our actions by now, and we can't give it too much time to prepare."
Lan Shengu agreed, "Yes, Chief Chen, we're in good shape now, and we can finish this in one go."
Chen Chuan examined the two of them again and, seeing no signs of coercion, said, "Alright, I approve your request. Lei Bureau Director, you and Lan Advisor, feel free to proceed. I'll handle any situations that arise."
Lei Bureau Director nodded firmly.
After a brief discussion with Lan Shengu, they each led their teams to different positions. At several other positions, members of the Esoteric Sect Handling Bureau stood tensely, wearing boundary talismans and occasionally checking their synchronized pocket watches.
The dismantling and destruction of the secret ritual nodes in the hidden repository had to be done simultaneously, and the sealing ritual outside would be activated right after. There needed to be a coordinated interval between these actions.
This period was the most prone to complications. After dismantling the secret ritual, the rift would lose its isolation, and while it couldn't exist independently, the constraints on the old evil would also be significantly weakened.
This would cause its power to return at an accelerated rate.
During this time, sufficient force was required to suppress it and prevent the old evil from breaking free.
As they began their preparations, Chen Chuan gestured, and Zalnik and his partner immediately took up their pre-assigned positions, forming a triangular encirclement around the statue from above.
Chen Chuan didn't need them to do anything specific; their bio-domains would block any potential leakage of ultra-limit power.
He was prepared to handle any major issues that might arise.
After a brief wait, a loud crack signaled the firing of signal guns from various directions. After a pause, another shot rang out, signaling the final round of synchronization to ensure no one was mentally influenced and made a mistake.
However, Chen Chuan believed this was unlikely, as regardless of their intentions, the primary focus was on dismantling the binding ritual, and the old evil wouldn't interfere at this stage.
Lei Bureau Director kept a close eye on the sky. After a while, they entered the final minute countdown. Every ten seconds, a shot was fired.
As time ticked by, they reached the agreed-upon moment. With the firing of the signal gun, Lei Bureau Director quickly inserted the jade ruler he held into a crack in the mountain wall.
Simultaneously, in a total of twenty-eight directions, Lan Shengu and all the members of the Esoteric Sect Handling Bureau inserted their jade rulers into the prepared gaps.
The hidden repository's ritual had borrowed the power of Jiao Mountain itself, and now, with this obstruction, the original order was disrupted. The internal ritual lost its supporting pivot points, and the first to be affected was the rift that had been opened later.
This rift, which had expanded to over forty meters in length, now began to flicker and became highly unstable, as if it might disappear at any moment.
At the same instant the ritual nodes were destroyed, another signal gun fired, and a signal flare soared into the sky. The Esoteric Sect Handling Bureau members below the mountain were supposed to activate the alternative blocking ritual upon seeing this signal.
However, although the signal gun had been fired, none of the bureau members below the mountain saw it. From their perspective, the mountain was eerily quiet, and the predetermined signal to commence the action hadn't been given, leaving them unsure of what to do.
On Chen Chuan's side, as the hidden repository's ritual was dismantled, it was as if a layer of illusion had been removed, revealing the entire temple.
A relatively strong force, straddling the boundary between illusion and reality, surged out from within and collided with his bio-domain.
This caused ripples in his domain, but he remained unmoved. He took a step forward, and in the next instant, he appeared on the edge of the hidden repository's platform, which extended outward. He looked ahead.
The headless colossus, as expected, began to stir. Accompanying the sound of golden bells, phantom figures danced within the chains binding it, circling around the statue. Simultaneously, incantations echoed, seemingly coming from a distant place yet crystal clear.
Even with such a powerful restraining force, it seemed unable to stop the statue's movement. One of its hands slowly rose, then clenched with a bang, grabbing the root of the chain across from it, as if it wanted to pull down a part of the connection.
Just at that moment, its wrist was grasped by another hand that appeared from the air, rendering it immobile.
As its other hand attempted to rise, it was also caught by another hand, immobilizing it. At this moment, its headless body turned to "look" at Chen Chuan.
Chen Chuan stood above, holding the statue. He calmly stared at his opponent, and with a forceful grip, the statue shattered with a crack. He opened his hand, allowing the crushed stone debris to fall from his grasp.
The headless statue seemed to erupt with anger, and a force more powerful than before surged outward.
However, by the time this force reached Chen Chuan, it had lost its potency, merely brushing past like a gentle breeze.
Chen Chuan understood that the entity across from him had likely exploited the not-yet-fully-collapsed rift, drawing upon a force exceeding a certain limit from within.
In the past, this might have been possible, but with the Ring of the World's constraint, it was almost impossible.
Instead, the old evil had wasted a chance to turn the tables, and such an action would not come without a cost.
Indeed, after this force was released, the once flickering rift quickly closed, and without this channel for power transmission, the headless statue, constrained by the spiritual aspect, seemed to suddenly become powerless.
At this moment, the Esoteric Sect Handling Bureau members guarding the ritual at the foot of the mountain saw several figures rushing down from above. As they ran, they pulled a long rope connected to the mountain, with bells attached to its length. These bells now jingled loudly, creating a crisp and bright sound.
Erratum Note!
This was the team arranged by Lei Bureau Director early on. He had anticipated that if the signal flares were ineffective, the fighters in the team would rush down the mountain at full speed to deliver the message manually.
This method proved useful. Each of them wore jade pendants to protect against mental attacks. Even if the old evil could cause some cognitive illusions in ordinary people, it couldn't interfere with them, let alone with Chen Chuan and others suppressing the old evil.
Upon receiving the clear signal, the Esoteric Sect members at the foot of the mountain wasted no time. They immediately activated the secret ritual they had prepared.
As the ritual was launched, an invisible force gathered towards the temple.
Over thousands of years, the people of this world had greatly improved their understanding and application of secret rituals. Many intricate and ingenious aspects were far beyond what could be achieved in ancient times. Not only did they quickly fill the ritual void that had been peeled away, but they also made more detailed and reasonable adjustments based on the current situation.
The effect was excellent. Chen Chuan immediately saw that the headless statue's body seemed to be under immense pressure. Its once-shaking body suddenly stooped, and the two arms reaching upwards snapped and shattered. If its torso had been standing before, it now seemed to be pressed down into a seated position, curling into a ball.
The chains responded in unison, contracting and coiling inward layer by layer, tighter than before. The headless statue fell completely silent and motionless.
After witnessing this scene, Chen Chuan knew the ritual was complete. He took a couple of glances, confirmed there were no issues, and then withdrew the spiritual aspect, stepping out from within. He then found Zalnik and the others.
The two of them remained steadfastly in their positions, appearing unaffected by any impact.
When asked, they explained that in their time, they had encountered and dealt with many such "gods," gaining considerable experience. Although this one seemed more powerful, they could withstand it.
Chen Chuan understood that in ancient times, gods and humans coexisted. This was true not only in the new era but also during the late period of the old era.
However, in the Eastern Continent, the truly powerful gods were all under the constraint of the two religions. According to the scriptures, as the new era approached, such entities became fewer and fewer, and there were many reasons for this.
After a while, Lei Bureau Director and Lan Shengu arrived and reported to Chen Chuan that the ritual had succeeded. Aside from an unexpected change during the process, the other steps had been carried out according to the predetermined plan. Normally, such a ritual would ensure that there would be no issues for over a hundred years.
But in reality, it wouldn't take that long, as the Great Impact could change anything.
Chen Chuan trusted their professionalism, but as the Chief of Defense, he followed the procedure and checked everything. After confirming there were no issues, he arranged for the temple to be completely sealed and announced that everyone except the Esoteric Sect Handling Bureau members on guard duty would evacuate in batches.
...
...
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
