https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-363-A-Temporary-Farewell-to-Yangzhi/12979736/
Chapter 362: Fire Theft
Chapter 362: Fire Theft
Chen Chuan glanced at the Snow Lady Sword and took two steps closer. Although the red stone beneath him was being invaded from the outside, its surface seemed to show no changes.
Ignoring this, he bent down and picked up the stone, glancing at the ground as he moved to the critical ritual node. He then used his foot to smudge the patterns on the ground, destroying them.
Just as he finished this action, several deep breaths could be heard nearby, followed by a few coughs. The three people who had been wrapped in the esoteric ritual cloth slowly woke up.
Upon seeing Chen Chuan standing in the middle and having taken away the Sun Orb Stone, they were first surprised, then filled with extraordinary rage. A string of words burst from their mouths.
Chen Chuan couldn't understand; it seemed to be some foreign language. At that moment, two of them tore off the cloth covering their bodies and stood up.
Both of them were over two meters tall, and their body movements clearly indicated that they were fighters. After getting up, they each drew two axes from their waists and said something to Chen Chuan. Although he still couldn't understand, he could clearly sense the anger in their words.
Chen Chuan stood calmly, examining the two axes with some disappointment. They weren't the weapons of a Tier Three Combatant, so they held little collection value.
Just as the two men roared and tried to charge at him, Chen Chuan took out some pre-prepared pebbles from his pocket and flicked them with his fingers. Before the two men had even reached halfway, they seemed to have been shot, their heads tilting back before they fell to the ground one after the other.
The entire process happened very quickly.
Only one person remained, and he had just regained consciousness. Sensing that the situation was not right, he quickly spoke in broken Dashi language, "Sir, please don't take action. I mean no harm."
Chen Chuan looked at him and asked, "Did you set up this Sun Origin Ritual?"
Hearing Chen Chuan directly reveal the ritual's name, the man was startled. He put aside his hope and, after a moment of hesitation, said, "Yes, we did... Sir..." He raised his head and cautiously asked, "What year is it now?"
Chen Chuan replied, "The Da Shun Republic, year ninety-four."
The man was stunned for a moment. After converting the time, he fell silent, clearly understanding that he had just entered the ritual slumber and hadn't been asleep for long before Chen Chuan came in and disrupted the ritual. Moreover, Chen Chuan's accurate finding of the ritual site suggested that he wasn't an ordinary person. With some difficulty, the man asked, "Are you from the Da Shun government?"
"You can think so," Chen Chuan answered.
The man actually felt relieved. He was more afraid of competitors within his own group and other esoteric enemies, but he believed the Da Shun government could be easier to communicate with, and at worst, he would just have to pay a fine.
Cautiously, the man said, "Sir, all the offerings I used were brought from abroad, and I didn't use any of your country's people. Even the Sun Orb Stone wouldn't be exposed during the ritual..."
Chen Chuan looked at the crystal in his hand and asked, "If it were exposed, what consequences would it have?"
"Sir, don't you know?" the man asked.
Although the man was a bit surprised, after some hesitation, he explained, "If it's not handled properly, within a certain range, it could cause the death of humans and animals and the withering of plants..."
He quickly added, "For our sect, the Sun Crystal is the key to initiating the ritual and also essential for maintaining it. We don't want to trigger such a situation, let alone be discovered by your government. So, please believe me, that outcome won't happen."
"First of all, this is Da Shun's land, not a place for you to set up rituals as you please," Chen Chuan said. "And it seems you haven't considered the consequences of a failed ritual?"
"Failure is impossible!" the man immediately refuted.
However, Chen Chuan remained calm, observing him.
The man realized something was wrong. If Chen Chuan had come to handle this, it was either because he had followed them or had discovered some anomaly.
Had something happened to those who had left? Just as he thought of this, the man's breathing suddenly became rapid, and he grabbed his throat as if struggling to breathe.
Chen Chuan raised an eyebrow, clearly sensing that the man's condition was rapidly deteriorating, his life force waning at an unstoppable pace.
The man suddenly pointed at the Sun Crystal, "Quick, quick, save..."
Chen Chuan understood his intention: to return the Sun Crystal to its original position and prolong his life. However, the ritual had already been disrupted by Chen Chuan, and even if the crystal were put back, it would be of no use. So, Chen Chuan just stood there quietly.
Seeing that Chen Chuan wasn't moving, the man's face showed despair. As his breath gradually faded, his flesh quickly shrank, and within just ten seconds, he turned into a mummified corpse.
Chen Chuan walked over and searched the man, finding a package containing some essential medications and a notebook. As for the two security guards, he only found some necessary outdoor survival items.
Seeing that there was nothing else of value here, Chen Chuan prepared to return to the ground. But as he looked up, the light hit the top of the cave, where there were several bumps.
Chen Chuan thought the cave ceiling was naturally formed, but upon closer inspection, he noticed something unusual. He peered inside and was startled to see what appeared to be curled-up human figures within.
He averted his gaze and continued walking out without giving it much thought. Behind him, the uneven cave walls remained unchanged, with no signs of any human presence.
Chen Chuan retraced his steps, and since the external field had completely subsided, he had rarely encountered such anomalies recently.
He speculated that the situation might be related to the Sun Crystal in his hand, but as long as he trusted his judgment and didn't pay it any mind, it wouldn't hinder him.
Recently, he had discovered that by using his second self to suppress his body's expression, he seemed to effectively avoid these anomalies. However, this wasn't a good solution, as avoiding the problem didn't mean it didn't exist.
Cao Guiqi had once told him that these anomalies could also be a source of motivation for self-improvement. Each time he encountered and overcame them, it benefited his divine spirit. Therefore, he didn't need to avoid them and could face them head-on.
As Chen Chuan had recorded the situation along the way, he returned to the surface even faster than when he entered. In less than ten minutes, he was back above ground, with only some cave moisture on his clothes and not even a drop of sweat on his body.
Stepping out of the cave into the sunlight, Chen Chuan closed his eyes briefly before opening them again, quickly adjusting to the outside environment.
Lei Jingli had been waiting outside and approached Chen Chuan as he emerged. "Chen Chuan, are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Lei Jingli," Chen Chuan replied, patting the bag he carried. "I brought some things up with me."
"Let's talk in the car."
Lei Jingli led Chen Chuan to his armored vehicle and handed him a bottle of water. After Chen Chuan thanked him, he took out the items from his bag and handed them to Lei Jingli, explaining what he had encountered.
Lei Jingli first took the Sun Orb Stone and examined it closely. His expression grew solemn, and he carefully placed it in a heavy metal box, sealing it before taking out the documents and notebook Chen Chuan had brought.
Chen Chuan was impressed by Lei Jingli's rapid reading speed; he flipped through the pages with a single glance.
After about ten minutes, Lei Jingli closed the notebook and said, "I've more or less figured things out. The leader of this expedition is the wealthy merchant mentioned in the documents, Orliko."
"Is this person famous?" Chen Chuan asked.
"Orliko is a Norlandian with a criminal record of conducting cult rituals in various countries," Lei Jingli explained. "The Da Shun Secret Teaching Examination Bureau has his file."
"Is it true that the person from the expedition twelve years ago was his father?" Chen Chuan inquired.
"They are indeed father and son, but it's not that simple," Lei Jingli replied.
Holding up the notebook, Lei Jingli said, "I thought they were performing a simple Sun Origin Ritual, but they went further. On top of that, they also conducted a 'Fire Theft'."
"Fire Theft?" Chen Chuan was intrigued.
"It's a term used in the Sun Origin Ritual," Lei Jingli explained. "During the ritual, the life force of one participant can be transferred to another.
However, to achieve the maximum effect, the sacrificer must be willing and fully aware of every detail and truth. Using an ignorant sacrifice will result in minimal life force gained, as no one would willingly sacrifice themselves for nothing.
In this case, the Orliko father and son played a trick.
Orliko had his son transfer twelve years of his life force to himself.
For the next twelve years, due to the ritual's effects, Orliko could prevent aging, while his son entered ritual slumber using the life force obtained from other sacrifices.
According to the teachings of the Sun Worship Cult, twelve years is a cycle, a fresh start. During this cycle, a gap appears, and the cultists steal power from it.
So, during the next ritual, just before it was completed, Orliko awakened his son and allowed him to take twelve years of life force from himself. However, Orliko didn't actually lose any life force. Instead, he used the life force from other sacrifices to enter ritual slumber.
This way, his son could enjoy the twelve-year cycle outside, and when the next ritual was held, they would repeat this process. This is what they call 'Fire Theft'.
In a sense, they 'borrowed' twelve years of life force from the ritual that they could repeatedly use. Their plan was good, but it seems there was a flaw this time, causing the ritual to be incomplete."
"Can they keep exchanging like this indefinitely?" Chen Chuan asked.
"Sun Worship Cultists value the number twelve," Lei Jingli explained. "According to their beliefs, 'Fire Theft' can be performed twelve times consecutively. Even if it's just twelve times, the increase in lifespan is considerable."
Chen Chuan pondered Lei Jingli's words and asked, "I wonder which cycle they were on this time?"
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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