https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1182-Boarding-the-Boat-to-Enjoy-the-Scenery/13474314/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1185-Riding-the-Wave-for-Personal-Gain/13474330/
Chapter 1184: Purify Spirit, Banish Malevolent Spirits
Chapter 1184: Purify Spirit, Banish Malevolent Spirits
Seeing this, the members of the Dashaun Delegation all furrowed their brows, but none of them moved.
They could tell that although the people being bitten were screaming in agony, they weren't struggling or fighting back, as if they were willing participants.
Someone asked, "Mr. Ash, is this the banquet?"
Ash whispered, "Yes, this is the banquet. To be precise, it's a ritual."
Su Wei frowned and asked, "Do all your rituals involve human sacrifices?"
Ash replied, "Yes, but you don't need to worry too much about those people. Most of them are death row prisoners, bought from the government. Of course, some are willing participants..."
"Willing participants?"
"Yes, they are fanatics who believe they can merge with primal desires. And some of them..."
Ash's voice grew softer, "They are willing to use their bodies to earn money for their families to survive."
The Primal Cult is quite popular among the slums. They can enjoy all sorts of pleasures, drugs, and entertainment implants while they are alive. When they become terminally ill or beyond help, they can sell themselves to the cult in exchange for a good sum of money, which is often a substantial amount."
Someone couldn't help but ask, "A good sum of money? Is this something to be praised?"
Ash sighed, "This is the Federation. You have to get used to it. The Primal Cult is relatively fair, ensuring the relatives receive the full amount. Because of this, the capital sees fewer public disturbances each year."
Chen Chuan didn't pay much attention to the people below. He could feel the waves of a field emanating around him, confirming that this was indeed a cult ritual.
If one were to look from above, they would see a massive face emerging from the lake's depths, with all the boats floating above it.
A ritual, huh?
This wasn't just a simple ritual. It didn't seem to be about extracting anything from the flesh, but rather about eliciting emotions such as fear, disgust, fanaticism, and pain.
Through his third eye, Chen Chuan saw that the people on the yacht were surrounded by threads of light, which flowed down into the lake.
These lights weren't coming from the people themselves but were the result of the ceremonial field interacting with their emotions and intense feelings.
He also noticed that the people on his yacht were emitting more light, especially those with greater strength or higher status. Even he, despite his calm emotions, was emitting the brightest light, likely because he was the highest-ranking person present.
With a calm gaze, he asked Ash, "Mr. Ash, do rituals like this happen often?"
Ash thought for a moment and said, "Rituals aren't frequent, but they occur at least once a month. There's no fixed schedule. A situation like today's... might happen only once every few years."
Chen Chuan nodded, which only confirmed his suspicions. It was too coincidental that they encountered a ritual that happens only once every few years. He was fairly certain that the ritual was likely performed because of his and his guards' arrival. The reason was clear: to extract some benefit from them or him.
However, he didn't want to be so easily manipulated. If the other party succeeded today, they would likely push further.
It seemed they weren't afraid of him finding out, perhaps because they were confident he wouldn't dare do anything drastic in the Federation's capital.
He glanced down again, and the face in the water became even clearer. It wasn't a simple human face but a combination of human and monster features.
There was no doubt that the ritual materials were arranged beneath the lake, and possibly throughout the entire river. The silver coin Ash threw in was likely used to transmit information through the ritual.
Although he didn't recognize this ritual, he knew that any ritual required materials to be completed. Without these materials, nothing could be accomplished.
So...
He stood still, but his field of influence spread outward. Beneath the water, deep in the mud, there were strong, sinew-like biological materials laid out in a network, forming a giant face with clearly visible nerves and blood vessels.
Despite the special materials used to create the network, which seemed to block external fields, the contact and collision allowed him to pinpoint their location. His mental power then enveloped the area.
Ordinary mental power could hardly penetrate these defenses, but his spirit slipped through effortlessly. The materials began to wear away at an astonishing rate.
The massive face at the bottom of the lake now seemed to be rotting, gradually collapsing and fragmenting, riddled with holes. The light that had been flashing around it also flickered and vanished.
Suddenly, there was a commotion on the bridge, as if something unusual had been detected.
Chen Chuan looked up and saw someone staring back at him. This person must have had innate mental power, evident from the intricate patterns on their clothing and mask. They were the kind who communicated with rituals. The moment their eyes met, the person fell backward, unconscious.
Chaos erupted on the bridge, but these people couldn't escape. It was as if a switch had been flipped, and they all lost their strength, collapsing one after another.
The monsters in the lake also began to float to the surface, motionless and lifeless.
The team members were already used to such occurrences, but the passengers on the nearby yachts, unaware of what had just happened, felt a sense of fear and quickly started their boats to leave.
Ash glanced at Chen Chuan and then at Gui Zihan, who was leaning against a wall with his sword, silent the whole time. He wisely didn't ask any questions.
He looked at the blood and remnants floating on the lake's surface, then at the ruins of the old church in the distance, and made a spiral cross on his chest, muttering a few words.
Chen Chuan glanced over, then looked away. "Mr. Ash, our journey ends here. Let's head back."
"Yes, Mr. Chen", Ash replied, tipping his hat and bowing. This time, his gesture seemed more sincere.
Chen Chuan thought for a moment. He had a conflict with the Primal Cult, and their approach this time might be due to the events from last time.
Regardless of whether it was intentional or not, since they had provoked him first, he couldn't just sit idly by. He needed to find a way to counterattack. Once back, he could have the covert department investigate the cult's activities in the capital and then decide on a course of action.
Around midnight, he returned to the Crimson Rock Outpost.
After arriving, he had the radio operator send a message to the covert department and then went to his room. As soon as he entered, he saw Zhaoming lift his head from the nest and chirp at him.
He was pleasantly surprised and then smiled.
Since eating the Kaqi Fruit, Zhaoming had been in a semi-dormant state. Now, it seemed he had finally fully awakened, his body grown even larger, with a head-to-tail length of nearly two meters. His feathers were lustrous and beautiful.
He walked over and stroked Zhaoming's soft feathers. Although he could manage without Zhaoming's help, he always felt something was missing. Now that Zhaoming was awake, his mood improved significantly.
He noticed that the boundary token on Zhaoming's head seemed tight, probably because Zhaoming had grown so quickly. After some thought, he took it off, planning to have the technicians here modify it or make a new one.
While they could communicate mentally, some of the token's functions, like recording and identification, were still necessary.
After checking Zhaoming and finding no issues, he prepared a hydro meal for him and then headed to the training room.
For the next few days, he stayed at the outpost, focusing on his cultivation.
Meanwhile, the Feishen Martial Hall launched several attacks, challenging other gyms across the region.
Following the retreat of the Migas Gym, the Infantry Gym became their primary opponent.
This gym was established by a group of retired veterans who promoted highly practical military combat techniques.
They had strong connections within the Federation military, and many retired soldiers joined to secure a livelihood. This not only gave the gym a strong combative nature but also gave it a hint of a mercenary group.
Most of the members had been battle-hardened, and many were skilled fighters, making them extremely formidable. Despite this, they often lost to the Feishen Martial Hall, whose combat strength had suddenly increased, significantly boosting the hall's reputation.
However, just a day later, groups of people began gathering in front of the Feishen Martial Hall, protesting and demanding that Da Shun return the gym to the Federation. This incident quickly drew the attention of multiple media outlets and was featured in newspapers, with the situation showing signs of escalating.
The Federation government, however, remained silent, as the situation hadn't escalated enough to warrant a response.
Commander Xie had been closely monitoring the situation. He knew the Federation government wasn't trying to control the matter but simply waiting for it to grow. In this situation, he felt it was necessary to take the initiative.
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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