Chapter 361: The Sun Origin Ritual
Chapter 361: The Sun Origin Ritual
By the time Chen Chuan arrived at the scene, Ren Shu and the others had already reached the location, where they met an officer from the Government Hall who was in charge of this matter.
Upon learning that Chen Chuan was from Central City and an executor of the Handling Bureau, the officer was extremely polite. He explained that the site had been sealed off by the local law enforcement team since the incident was reported, and no one had entered since.
After chatting with the officer, Chen Chuan asked Ren Shu and the others to wait outside while he entered the inn where the expedition team was temporarily staying.
The expedition team consisted of twelve members, with four rooms for the team members, one room for the wealthy merchant who funded the expedition, and one room for the two security guards. For ease of protection, the rooms were adjacent to each other.
It was unclear if it was a coincidence, but twelve years ago, a wealthy merchant had also come here with two personal security guards and nine expedition members. So when these three individuals initially emerged, no one suspected anything amiss.
After all, they all wore protective goggles, and many people felt that foreigners looked alike.
If it weren't for the subsequent bizarre incident, no one would have paid attention to their situation. Even after learning the truth, it would have been considered a mere oddity.
Chen Chuan first inspected the rooms of all the missing expedition members but found no signs of a second self undergoing virtualization.
Next, he focused on examining the three individuals who had returned as dried-up bones. He found nothing unusual on the two team members, but when he checked the merchant's belongings, he sensed something amiss. At that moment, the second self exhibited faint signs of virtualization, but this faint effect caused almost no harm to the human body.
He searched through the merchant's belongings and discovered that the source of this phenomenon was a talisman with an engraving of a statue of a person squatting with their arms wrapped around their knees and wearing a headdress of feathers, with a sun behind them.
Uncertain of the talisman's origin, Chen Chuan set it aside and examined the other items. However, one thing struck him as odd: the entire expedition team had left behind almost no written records.
This was somewhat abnormal. For an expedition like this, besides recording the cave's location, features, size, and shape, they should have at least documented the route, environmental conditions, and noteworthy places, with the bare minimum being a map and relevant reference materials.
But now, there was nothing. Could these records have been left behind in the cave?
He carefully inspected the items again and eventually found anomalies on the waterproof bag they carried. Turning it over, he discovered a swirling pattern inside, which sparked a thought in his mind. After organizing the items, he exited the room and said to the officer, "I need the information of these individuals, including the expedition team from twelve years ago."
"No problem," the officer readily agreed and promptly delivered the already organized documents to Chen Chuan.
As Chen Chuan flipped through the documents, he discovered that the wealthy merchant funding this expedition was none other than the son of the merchant from twelve years ago.
The father-son relationship between these two individuals suggested that this matter was not a mere coincidence but had some mysterious connection.
Therefore, this abnormal situation was more likely to be related to a secret religious ritual rather than a mere ghost story.
Chen Chuan couldn't make a definitive conclusion, but fortunately, there were professionals available. So, he immediately called Lei Jingli, the bureau chief, using the hotel's phone and explained the situation.
After listening to Chen Chuan's analysis, Lei Jingli said, "Your speculation makes sense. I'll bring people over immediately."
After waiting for over an hour, the secret religious inspection team arrived and took over the case.
Lei Jingli examined the talisman and the waterproof bag that Chen Chuan had passed on and said, "You're right, Chen Chuan. These individuals are indeed followers of a secret religious sect."
"They believe in the Sun Worship Cult, or the Sun Worship Cult in translation. Although it's a legitimate faith in foreign countries, it's strictly prohibited within our country."
"The Sun Worship Cult?" Chen Chuan pondered for a moment. "Is there a connection between this cult and the Fallen Sun Cave?"
Lei Jingli spoke in a low voice, "These individuals likely intended to perform the Sun Origin Ritual in this place."
He explained, "The Sun Origin Ritual is a ceremony believed by the Sun Worship Cult, where they think the sun undergoes a twelve-year cycle. During this cycle, they can steal the power of life and true nature from places where sunlight rarely reaches."
"The followers of this sect highly value the number twelve. This time, the team consists of exactly twelve members. However, the ritual requires life sacrifices, so many of them are likely to be used as sacrificial offerings for the ceremony."
Chen Chuan thought for a moment and said, "Among those who came up, there's only the wealthy merchant, and the two security guards. If that's the case, then the other expedition members are the sacrificial offerings?"
Lei Jingli said, "Based on the number of people and the composition of the ritual, it seems to be the case. This time, they might have made a mistake in the ritual process or were influenced by something else, leading to problems. Not only did they fail to obtain the desired power, but they also encountered unexpected issues."
(End of Chapter)As he spoke, his expression turned solemn, "But if that's all there is to it, it's still manageable. However, there's one issue that requires our utmost attention. For the Sun Origin Ritual to be performed, a special ritual material is needed, and it's of utmost importance. It's the core of the ritual, known as the Sun Orb Stone."
"This item is extremely valuable, and its export is prohibited by all nations. Its specific purpose remains unclear, but it possesses a certain level of danger, causing severe effects on the surrounding people and animals. So, if possible, we must find a way to bring this item out, or if we can't find it, we'll have to seal off this entire area and report it to the higher-ups for handling."
Chen Chuan contemplated for a moment, then looked up and said, "Director Lei, this cave is extremely dangerous and well-known for its perils in Yangzhi. It's not an easy place for ordinary people to enter and exit safely. I think it's best if I take care of this."
Underground cave exploration often involves numerous hazardous situations, and it's not uncommon for people to get injured or even lose their lives. But these challenges were nothing to Chen Chuan.
Director Lei thought for a moment and replied earnestly, "Alright, Chuan, I won't beat around the bush with you. I'm entrusting this task to you."
He knew this was the right decision. His team was highly skilled in secret ritual ceremonies, but when it came to entering caves to retrieve items, they were no different from ordinary people. It was better to rely on Chen Chuan, a Tier Three Combatant, whose survival skills were unmatched by most.
If even Chen Chuan couldn't accomplish this task, then almost no one in Yangzhi City could.
He swiftly produced some papers, outlining the possible ritual components and areas requiring special attention. He handed these notes to Chen Chuan.
Chen Chuan took the papers, carefully noted the details, and prepared himself. He carried water, nutritional gel, a flashlight, and necessary tools. Then, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he ventured into the cave.
The initial section of the path was familiar to him from his previous visit, relatively spacious with a clean floor free of debris, and adequately lit. But as he progressed, the passage narrowed, and the light gradually dimmed, making it less conducive to walking. So, he turned on his headlamp.
Since many people had traversed this path before, their footprints were clearly visible to him, making navigation straightforward.
Although he had mentally prepared for various challenges, he found the task surprisingly easy. He effortlessly scaled areas that required climbing, leaped down from heights, and effortlessly navigated around corners. These obstacles posed no significant hindrance.
The primary challenge remained the lighting.
Not only did he have a flashlight, but his acute senses also aided him. He could perceive the path ahead through temperature, airflow, and sound feedback, even without the human traces left behind. This heightened perception, combined with his speed, allowed him to cover over two li in less than five minutes.
Along the way, he discovered several resting spots created by humans and, in a pit, a discarded package containing documents, which he took with him without examining closely due to time constraints.
After descending another two kilometers, he reached a relatively spacious cave. The floor was relatively flat, with a ceiling height of about seven to eight meters, creating a space of approximately three to four hundred square meters.
Upon sweeping his headlamp around, his gaze focused on the center, where a group of people knelt in a circle, numbering around twenty. The ground was also littered with numerous skeletons.
As he approached, he realized most of the kneeling figures were mummies, except for three who barely breathed, resembling hibernating animals. These three were wrapped in cloth adorned with intricate red ritual symbols.
Ignoring them, he turned his attention to the encircled area on the ground, which, according to Director Lei's temporary sketch, was undoubtedly the site of the Sun Origin Ritual.
In the very center, a pit held a peculiar red stone, more like a crystal, that seemed to glow from within when light hit it. This, he was sure, was the Sun Orb Stone described by Director Lei.
After a quick scan, Chen Chuan confirmed the location and headed towards it.
As he neared the ritual circle, especially when approaching the Sun Orb Stone, his body began to dematerialize. The closer he got, the more pronounced the effect, and by the time he reached the center, the influence was as intense as in a typical ghost story.
Just as he was about to pick up the stone, his Snow Lady Sword trembled slightly, and white mist emanated from his body, encircling the red stone. This phenomenon lasted only momentarily, as the mist quickly receded.
Simultaneously, Chen Chuan noticed the intense dematerialization effect suddenly weaken, almost becoming harmless.
...
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End of Chapter.
Chapter end
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