Chapter 517: 517
Ancient Sacrifice
When Kant saw the ancient people again, there were only seven of them left.
Most of the members of the long and mighty dragon that he had seen traveling through the underground world had already died from the pursuit and attacks of the Ethereals along the way. Some of their bodies had been torn apart or transformed into distorted and terrifying monsters. Only seven of the strongest ones remained in Kant’s field of vision.
A long time ago, in their era, there were no dark red crystals scattered everywhere in this underground area, nor were there high-purity mineral crystals. There was no scorching light or gas, only silence and darkness. The light emitted by the ancient people’s lighting tools reflected the ancient darkness.
Kant followed their footsteps.
These ancient people had temporarily escaped the Ethereals, but for some reason, Kant felt that their footsteps and figures were more solemn and tragic. Why did these creatures of the past come to this place?
How did the strange ecosystem and elemental environment of the Underground World appear?
He had a hunch that the space-time flashback might give him an answer.
Kant strode forward and followed the seven survivors.
He watched as they came to a platform.
He watched as they stopped one by one.
The air was still. In the dark void, only the weapons and armors of the seven people were shining. They stood silently, not knowing whether they were mourning or waiting.
After a while, one of the figures walked out.
He was tall and muscular, with heavy armor and a huge war hammer on his back. He must be an amazing warrior.
He took a few steps, turned around, and looked at his remaining six companions.
The six people, including the leader holding the flag, knelt down in front of him.
The tall warrior stood there silently and accepted the situation calmly. Then, he whispered in a low and rough voice, like the cold wind of a snowy mountain and the cold rocks. He spoke in a language that Kant could not understand.
The other six slowly stood up and looked at their companions. They retreated step by step, retreating to a very far distance.
As for the flag bearer, he walked forward and looked at his companion who was close at hand.
The warrior took off his helmet, revealing a face with fangs and green skin, but the area of his right eye was already shining with purple spots. He stroked the helmet in his hand, a reluctant attachment flashing in his eyes. Then, he put the war hammer and helmet far away and returned to his companions.
Then, he revealed a fearless and calm smile and closed his eyes.
They had a brief conversation.
He still couldn’t understand the words, but his emotions and will could transcend language and even pass through the vast river of time to reach the Fire Stealer’s ears.
The flag bearer took out a dagger and stabbed it at the warrior’s chest.
The breastplate that was infused with mysterious elements was like a tattered catkin, breaking with a poke.
An extremely dense, enormous, mysterious energy surged from the flag bearer’s body and poured into the warrior’s body. Purple light curled around, and energy fluctuations shook endlessly, causing a series of light explosions.
The warrior’s expression changed from calm to pain, from pain to contortion. He howled and roared, his face contorted and blood spurted. He waved his swollen arm and grabbed the flag bearer’s arm, trying to break it. He raised his thick fist and hit the flag bearer’s head.
The flag bearer endured all of them. He gripped his dagger tightly and continued to inject mysterious energy into it.
The two figures were wrapped in a thick purple light, and the tall warrior gradually lost his human form.
Distortion.
Distortion.
It expanded.
Transforming into a monster.
Mysterious energy gushed out from the body of the flag bearer and poured into the body of the target. The screams and angry howls of the target were enough to move even the most cold-hearted person, but everyone watched in silence.
Until the dense life force flowed from the warrior’s body back into the flag bearer’s body.
This scene…It was very familiar.
Kant’s mind was shaken. The image of the time rift distorted. This was the result of the divine power of time and space shaking. He tried his best to calm himself down. He wanted to continue searching for answers.
The warrior expanded and twisted into a monster that was more than ten meters tall.
His body expanded like a meatball, and dozens of limbs transformed into the shape of knives and spears. He whipped the ground hard, and the monster roared furiously.
The flag bearer silently retreated and bowed to the mutated monster again with his other companions.
What responded to them was only a furious and distorted roar.
One more member.
The remaining six people took one last look at their former companions and left silently and quickly. In the dark and silent underground world, the huge monster emitted a purple light. It seemed to tilt its body and look at its companions who left. It roared and hit the ground crazily.
Until the black beast’s roar came from afar.
Powerful tentacles rolled up a black beast and stuffed it into the huge mouth that opened from its abdomen. It chewed, swallowed, digested, corroded into a distorted purple substance, and spat out the residue.
This was the final scene Kant saw in the space-time flashback.
In the next moment, time flashed by, and the heat wave hit him head-on. His vision turned red.
Kant looked around in a daze.
“You’re awake…We were hesitating whether we should wake you up.”
” You’re going to fall if you keep walking,” Lily said, sounding relieved.
Kant blinked and slowly recovered from the absurdity of the space-time displacement.
He focused his eyes and saw what was in front of him. He couldn’t help but be stunned.
Following him all the way, turning and advancing, it was already a different world.
In front of him was a huge dark red crystal pillar. It rose from the ground and pointed towards the sky.
The upper part of the crystal pillar had already exploded, and the sharp cracks were everywhere. A large number of red fragments were scattered on the ground, shining without dust.
” Father,” Horus said,” through microscopic observation, it was determined to have exploded recently.”
Kant exhaled slowly.
He observed the bottom of the crystal pillar. It seemed to be rooted to the ground. He pushed it lightly, but it did not move at all. The Flame Stealer’s spiritual power surged into it, and the result surprised him.
The underground part of the crystal pillar was extremely deep, extending down as if there was no end.
At the very least, it was beyond the limits of his spiritual power.
“Did you find anything?”
Lily asked softly.
Kant composed himself and did not answer Lily’s question. Instead, he walked to the side and searched under the rock wall in the distance for a moment before falling silent.
He saw the damaged, almost rotten warhammer and helmet.
“.. Sacrifice.”
“I saw a sacrifice,”Kant said softly.
The flag bearer’s method and the result were almost identical to Tracy’s.
She stabbed the dagger into her comrade’s chest and infused it with mysterious elements to extract life force, causing the other party to transform into a violent and terrifying monster to block the chasing Ethereals.
.. Was it just for this?
Just to stop the enemy?
Kant felt that things were not that simple.
The dark red crystal pillar was most likely the incarnation of the warrior’s mutated monster.
It was devouring the Ethereals.
Tracis ‘actions were also inspired by the space-time flashback. Was what he saw the same as what Kant saw? If it was different, what was his motive?
” Tris performed the same sacrificial ritual as the ancients,” Kant said slowly.” I believe that this so-called sacrifice is directly related to the explosion of the crystal pillar. “Perhaps it can explain where the other party’s power came from. Through sacrifice, he obtained the power of the mutated beast that the ancient people had transformed into.”
This was the only possible explanation.
Lily looked disgusted.
Because she was also a pre-ordered sacrifice, it was the ancient people’s fault.
What are you guys doing?
“Evil and strange.” She spat,” Where did these ancient species come from?”
Kant sighed. I think there’s a difference between the two.”
He slowly got up and sprinkled the dust from the warhammer and helmet on the broken crystal pillar.” Tricia Corroded Luz. It’s cruel, evil, and disgusting. It’s a form of torture and killing. However, the consciousness of the ancient people gives me the feeling that…”
“Sacrifice,” he said in a low voice.
Lily frowned.” Even if it’s such an action, method, and result?”
Kant sighed.” Think about it from a different perspective. They were all brave people. For their comrades and victory, they were willing to sacrifice themselves and turn into monsters. For the proud and powerful warriors to choose such power and such an outcome, how hopeless must the difficulties they faced be? How strong must their will be?”
” I can see that each of them has great helplessness and pain,” he said in a daze.” They also have the same firm belief as the pain. Therefore, I am very curious. What mission do they have to accomplish by sacrificing their companions and the brave ones here in silence at such a high price?”
” This way!” Lily was stunned for a moment. Suddenly, Ah Xing said,” This way!”
Kant turned around and looked in the direction that Ah Xing was pointing. There were a few dark spots of blood on the ground.
Lily narrowed her eyes and walked forward quickly. Kant followed behind her.
The dark gray ground was stained with dark purple, and there were also some purple flocs scattered. Lily frowned and squatted down to observe for a moment. She said,” It’s corroded dragon blood and deformed dragon scales. These patterns belong to the green dragon. Among the delegation, only Tricia is green!”
No, I think they’re all very green.
“And it wasn’t just left behind!”
Kant’s eyes narrowed. He looked at the shattered crystal pillar.” If my guess is correct, and Tricia obtained the power of the ancient people after their mutation through sacrifice, then the large amount of dragon blood and scales falling off can be explained. He must have come here personally and exchanged the life essence of the sacrifice for the power of the ancient people. This process was accompanied by rapid changes in his body…”
“That’s why a large amount of blood, dragon scales, and flesh tissue disintegrated.”
Lily’s eyes lit up.” Does that mean there are six more crystals that correspond to the other six ancient people?” she shouted. And since Tris had taken Lutz’s Life Essence, he was about to extract Vines and me… “Therefore, there are three crystal pillars that are complete. In other words…”
Kant nodded.” That’s right. If we can find a crystal pillar in advance, we’ll have a chance to ambush Tracy. He’ll be there sooner or later.”
This was good news.
The underground map provided by Lutz only stopped there. It was very difficult to find Tricia in the complex and vast terrain, but it was much easier to wait for him.
” But how do we find the location of the other crystal pillars?”
Kant hesitated for a moment before smiling.
“Let me do it.” He said,” The vicinity of the crystal pillar can trigger a space-time flashback. I think it can be done near other crystal pillars as well. Through this method, we should be able to accurately detect…”
“But you…” Lily said worriedly. Is there a problem?”
She could tell that Kant’s mental pressure and uneasiness would increase with every time he went back to the past.
“Is this the time to talk about this?”Kant shook his head. Besides, it’s a panoramic VR. It’s awesome.”
Long Niang was silent. She was about to say something when Ah Xing, who had been standing in front of the crystal pillar after discovering the traces of dragon scales, suddenly turned around and pointed in a direction. Over there.”
” What?” Kant and Lily were both stunned.” What?”
“Next.” Ah Xing said with certainty,” Over there.”
The Fire Stealer and the dragon’s expressions turned strange. They exchanged glances with Lily. Kant then looked at Ah Xing.” How did you know?” he asked uncertainly.
“I don’t know.” Ah Xing tilted his head and revealed a distressed expression.
“.. Do you not know where it is, or do you not know how you know where it is?”
Ah Xing’s expression turned from distress to confusion.
Ah, fortunately, it’s still the Ah Xing I know.
” I know it’s there,” the gorilla repeated Kant’s words with a serious look on its face.” But I don’t know how I know it!”
Kant then looked at Long Niang, and Long Niang looked back at him.
” Let’s give it a try,” Kant said, looking at each other.
Long Niang turned her head to look at Ah Xing, who was still a little silly, and nodded. Anyway, even if she doesn’t say it, we don’t know where to start looking. We can only look around.”
The plan had been decided, and they set off again.
However, Kant had one more thing on his mind. This was the first time the gorilla had expressed its opinion after entering the underground world and falling into a muddled state. Moreover, it was an opinion regarding the main mission.
Kant and Lily exchanged glances as they advanced in silence.
Long Niang’s gaze was very easy to understand. She was talking about Ah Xing. What was going on with this guy?
Kant could only smile bitterly and shake his head.
Ah Xing.
She was the first friendly and intelligent creature he had met in the Saint Seal Islands and even the entire world. They had spent the most difficult year together, and they were very close, like family.
But that was all.
He did not know where Ah Xing came from, why it was sealed in the Saint Seal Archipelago, or her previous identity. The magical animals on the island all had prominent pasts and retained their memories of the past. Only Ah Xing was blank, and the parrot was also very secretive about her origins.
And now, she had come to this dusty underground world, showing a completely different confusion and confusion from before. Even now, she had pointed out the direction of progress.
Could it be…
Kant’s expression changed slightly. He thought of a possibility.
But why…
The mysteries and doubts in his heart increased. He glanced at Ah Xing. This was not the time to talk about this. Earlier, when he had discussed this with Ah Xing several times, she had revealed a painful and conflicted expression. A great battle was imminent, and it was not wise to be entangled in this kind of thing…After dealing with Tracy’s matter, he would slowly dig out more information.
Soon, they found the second crystal pillar.
It was also a huge and unrestrained dark red crystal rooted in the ground.
The upper part had already exploded.
Kant exited from the space-time flashback. It was the same thing. The next comrade to be sacrificed would face it calmly and undergo the same painful distortion. It was just a repeat of the cycle.
What was the purpose of these heroes who had gone through so much hardship and hundreds of battles to reach this place, and who were willing to die and transform into distorted, ugly monsters?
“Over there!”
Ah Xing quickly pointed out the road ahead.
They moved faster and faster. It was essentially a race. Kant wanted to stop Tris, so he had to search seven crystal pillars at most. Tris, on the other hand, had to sacrifice the life essence of the two dragons in his hands first. His goal was very clear. He only needed to go straight to the two complete sacrificial pillars.
” I hope this ritual will take a long time.”
The third one.
The third time flashed back.
With the same quick glance, the scenes seen in the flashbacks were similar but different. The main thing was that the time period was different. The first time he saw was the scene of the warrior undergoing the Blood Sacrifice and transforming. The third time he saw was the detailed process of the mutated monster fighting the black beast.
It was devouring the Ethereals.
It would also defeat, suppress, crush, and devour the doomsday beast that came from behind the curtain.
After the mutation, the ancient people became extremely powerful.
Kant had witnessed the entire process and the result.
The chewed and devoured phantom beasts were turned into nutrients for the monsters. They were corroded and digested by the mysterious elements, and the transformed mysterious elements strengthened the monsters ‘strength and increased their advantage against the ethereals.
An overwhelming advantage.
Doubt arose.
If there was such a good way, why would he escape? If what they were facing was only the black beasts and the Curtain, why didn’t they use this method to resist it?
What was he doing in this dead underground world?
The fourth pillar.
Kant saw through the space-time flashback that the monster that had devoured many Ethereals had begun to crystalize because it had absorbed and converted too many mysterious elements.
Dark red.
And began to take root in the earth.
The mysterious elements produced by the digestion of the Ethereals flowed underground along the huge, expanding, and crystallized body.
The fifth pillar.
A dragon’s roar suddenly sounded. A giant dragon spread its wings, and its body expanded and distorted. Its head was huge, and purple saliva dripped down. It spat out fatal poison gas, and it let out a wail and roar.
But that was not Tricia.
“Vines!”
Lily shouted.
“Lili! Lily! Lily!”
The deformed and degenerated dragon was crying tears of blood as it roared. It still retained its consciousness and recognized Lily. However, the transformation of its body had also caused its soul to go crazy. The dragon used its instincts and evil thoughts to drive its body and attack Kant and the others.
“Become like me! Become like me!”
Its eyes were filled with madness, distortion, jealousy, inferiority, and hatred. Upgrade! Let’s upgrade together!”
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P.S. 1: F * ck…Just you wait. I’ll give you a good one tomorrow.