Chapter 753: Counter-Invasion
Chapter 753: Counter-Invasion
Chen Chuan entered the tent and, upon his return, handed the relic to Xu Chan.
"Old Xu, while I'm away, you'll be in charge of this relic. If anything unexpected happens, it's up to you to decide what to do without considering my side."
Xu Chan took it and replied solemnly, "Manager, I understand."
After Chen Chuan's instructions, he went back to prepare. After all, he didn't know the situation at the other camp, and Skinner had mentioned that an unknown ritual was being prepared there, so he had to be cautious.
He gathered some weapons and items, packed them into a backpack, and then picked it up. With his other hand holding the Snow Lady Sword, he walked to the edge of the Worm Moth. He called out to Chao Ming, who took flight. Chen Chuan then leaped down in several jumps from above and began running swiftly through the bug tide.
The bug tide now appeared sparse on the surface, but it still covered the ground densely. The bugs varied in size, some as small as grains of rice and others as large as water barrels. As soon as he stepped into it, it was as if he had triggered something, and the bugs swarmed towards him, flapping their tiny wings, trying to jump and pounce on him.
The most terrifying aspect of these bugs was their sheer number. Once they enveloped a person, they would keep coming in waves, relentlessly, until they were swallowed up.
After taking a firm stance, a loud bang suddenly reverberated, and a torrent of energy burst through the air wall, knocking away all the bugs that had gathered around him. It then rushed out at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye, carving a path through the bug swarm that remained unhealed for a long time.
Relying on this explosive speed, Chen Chuan rushed towards the camp's location as instructed by Skinner.
The location provided was only an approximate area because Skinner had been with the main force and lacked the ability to navigate in the convergence zone. He only knew the general terrain features.
However, this wasn't a problem for Chen Chuan. As long as he knew that the camp was facing the wide side of the mountain, he could find it quickly. Even if he couldn't find it immediately, it wouldn't take long to circle around.
Fortunately, it wasn't as complicated as that. Soon, he noticed some unburned campfire traces ahead, and although a large number of bugs were clogging the surroundings, they deliberately avoided that area, providing him with a clear direction.
In less than two minutes, he reached the outskirts of the camp and stopped near the campfire ahead. Behind him, a rumbling sound echoed, and the nearby bugs were all blown away by the blast.
He glanced inside, but the bugs remained outside the perimeter, giving him no sense of security. Instead, it heightened his alertness.
Even the bugs seemed unwilling to enter this place, indicating that something was inside.
After a few glances, he stepped inside before the bug swarm could surround him again. Chao Ming followed from behind, hovering in the air to scout the surroundings.
After taking about ten steps inside, he found the entire camp eerily quiet and deserted, as if it had been abandoned long ago. The surroundings were unusually calm, and at that moment, a sense of danger arose within him.
He paused, pondered for a moment, and then focused on the spirit mark in his hand. As if by chance, Xue Shou walked past him, taking half a step forward to observe the camp's surroundings. After a few glances, he said, "Hmm, in this situation..." He looked in one direction and said, "Let's go and take a look over there first."
As he spoke, he took the lead.
Chen Chuan followed his footsteps in that direction, bypassing a cluster of scattered, uninhabited tents. They reached a section separated by barbed wire, where the ground was filled with wooden stakes arranged in a pattern following a specific rule. In the center was a slightly elevated, flat area, and something was covered with a cloth, but it seemed to be damaged.
Chen Chuan took a few glances and immediately made a judgment: "This is a secret sect ritual."
Xue Shou said, "I recall you're familiar with secret sect rituals, and you're right. But this isn't the style of the old era in our region." He walked over to the covered object and said, "Let's uncover it and take a look."
Chen Chuan stepped forward and used the Snow Lady Sword to lift the cloth, revealing a wooden statue that had been crushed and mangled. Its original form was still discernible.
Xue Shou crouched down and examined it for a moment. "Hmm, this is indeed the style of the Primordial Folk. From the arrangement here and this statue, it's clear that this is one of their rituals.
The Primordial Folk had numerous rituals for communication, worship, and sacrificial offerings to the existence on the other side. After the Linax Federation occupied Yinglu, they obtained many ancient scriptures from the Primordial Folk, including martial secrets and secret sect rituals.
You should know that they suffered greatly from the Primordial Folk's secret sect rituals in the past, so they later acquired everything wholesale."
Chen Chuan asked, "If that's the case, the way you see it, the Primordial Folk's strength wasn't weak back then. How did they end up in their current state?"
Xue Shou explained, "The Primordial Folk weren't a unified group. They were divided into dozens or even hundreds of nations and thousands of tribes, and they had been killing each other for thousands of years. When the immigrants from the Western Continent arrived, some even actively helped slaughter their fellow countrymen. In their eyes, it wasn't like that; they were generations of enemies."
It was not so much that they perished at the hands of the Linax Federation, but rather that they fell to the combined efforts of internal strife and external enemies."
He commented, "In this world, any nation of substantial size is difficult to conquer from the outside. It is only when internal issues arise that they become vulnerable to manipulation and defeat by others."
"Hmm, I'm getting sidetracked. Let's first take a look at this..." He glanced outside again, "This ritual seems to be a process of transferring stored power. The people from the Linax Federation seem to have a plan. They probably intend to obtain power from a certain entity."
The ritual setup largely followed the original design, but with some modifications. They used metal sheets and iron wires instead of corn husks and Varo tree branches. If suitable ritual objects cannot be found, using these alternatives is acceptable and will ensure the ritual can proceed.
However, the ritual itself is a reenactment of the original contract. Since the entity on the other side will try to withhold the power you seek, the ceremony must be conducted with precision and attention to detail to prevent any loopholes.
Thorough and meticulous preparation is essential for executing the contract. Insufficient preparation not only leads to failure but also provides opportunities for the other party to exploit. Every ritual requirement is the result of countless lives and sacrifices; not a single one is unnecessary.
In this case, the ritual was clearly carried out hastily, possibly due to the threat of the Sandworm Swarm. However, such a rushed execution will only lead to more problems. I wonder if the person in charge of the ritual is unaware, indifferent, or has other plans."
Chen Chuan was impressed by Xue Shou's expertise and said, "I didn't know you were so knowledgeable about secret sect rituals, Xue Teacher."
Xue Shou smiled and said, "Well, my ancestors held high positions within the old imperial court, and my family has studied these matters. Although I didn't follow in their footsteps, I still picked up some knowledge along the way."
Chen Chuan nodded and looked around. "You mentioned that this ritual is for communicating with the entity on the other side to transfer power?"
Xue Teacher gazed at the claw marks on the shattered divine statue on the ground and said, "This ritual doesn't seem to have succeeded, and from the looks of it, something else has come through the ritual's loophole."
As he spoke, a faint ripple appeared on Xue Teacher's body, and a slight distortion occurred on his Second Self.
Chen Chuan looked up and suddenly realized that the surrounding scenery had undergone a transformation. He was no longer standing in the camp but was now in a vast wilderness.
In front of him was a massive cowhide tent with distinct Primordial Folk characteristics. Nearby, a campfire burned, and from within the tent, strange sounds could be heard—sounds of flesh being torn and bones being gnawed.
At the entrance of the tent was a small pile of gnawed bones, all human, mixed with torn clothing, twisted and smashed implants, and firearms.
Chen Chuan took a step to get a better view inside the tent, but this movement seemed to startle the creature within. The sounds abruptly stopped.
After a while, the tent was lifted, and a woman, nearly two meters tall, with painted eyeshadow, emerged.
She had twin ponytails, skinny limbs, and sharp fingernails. Her exposed skin was covered in dark green scales, and her face had bone plating that seemed to serve a protective function. Her body had numerous forced openings, as if something had been forcibly squeezed and torn out.
Chen Chuan's gaze intensified as he noticed a faint glow emanating from these openings. This was psychic power, and he could sense that these powers were not being used to heal her wounds. Instead, the excess psychic energy overflowed and spread throughout her body, causing her body to be unable to bear the strain.
When the woman looked at him, her eyes held a crazed and ravenous glint, as if she saw him as food. However, she seemed hesitant, lowering her body and reaching out to pick up a thick, long stick from the ground.
Xue Teacher observed her for a moment and said, "There are signs of high-level psychic power infusion in her body. Some of this power was used to modify her body; otherwise, she wouldn't be able to withstand the accumulation of power. But that's all there is; the entity behind her is stingy, merely maintaining her existence without providing more. However..."
He warned Chen Chuan, "Even so, the power she possesses now has surpassed the typical definition of a fighter's limit. You must be cautious."
...
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(End of Chapter)
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