After that invigorating speech from Han Shuo, the shrine remained in a hubbub for a period of time. It was when the crowd’s emotion gradually dampened that the big fat Pope announced the beginning of the worshipping ceremony.
Some living magical beasts were placed on the altar and then sacrificed. Their fresh red blood flowed to the pool of blood at the center of the altar. All the cardinals and followers of the Calamity Church started to respectfully kowtow as they softly chanted in an ancient language.
Even the Pope prostrated himself. Han Shuo swept his eyes across the hall. He bent his legs slightly to crouch but did not actually kneel down.
During this solemn and sacred moment, everyone was focused on muttering their prayers. No one noticed Han Shuo’s disrespectful manner towards their god. Han Shuo attentively watched the center of the altar with his cold eyes and carefully observed the patterns on the magical matrix. As a lowgod himself, Han Shuo recognized that this altar for summoning the evil god was similar to one that he had previously deployed.
With all those offerings they sacrificed and their devout prayers passing through the abstruse patterns on the altar, the evil god that the Calamity Church worshipped, located on another material plane unknown lightyears away, could indeed hear the call from Profound Continent. It was now up to the evil god to decide if it was willing to answer the call, manifesting itself to communicate with them.
The ceremony was held in a solemn and grave atmosphere. Everything went along as planned.
Midway into the ceremony, the pool of blood on the altar suddenly started whirling. A most bizarre atmosphere started to slowly spread throughout the shine.
Han Shuo looked around with furrowed brows. As he closely watched the changes happening to the blood pool with his eyes, he sensed that a god from a great distance away was slowly injecting his energy into the blood pool by some bizarre miracle.
The pool that was filled with the blood of magical beasts gradually whirled faster and faster. A kind of dignified and imposing atmosphere started emanating from the blood pool to fill the entire shrine. After some time had passed, the blood began to gather and took the shape of a humanoid with an indistinct face.
A pair of eyes abruptly popped open. It turned immediately to Han Shuo who was attentively gazing at it from below. When that pair of eyes landed on Han Shuo, a feeling of powerlessness and inability to resist rose from his heart, taking him by surprise. It was as though that blood figure could take his life at any time if it wanted to.
“I am Terokk. Highgod of destruction. Affairs of the Calamity Church within the Profound Continent are under my jurisdiction. I have come here to discuss with you the issues facing Profound Continent,” a voice sounded in Han Shuo’s mind as the man made of blood looked at him.
Han Shuo didn’t find that surprising at all. He already knew what to expect before coming to this place. When the voice sounded in his mind, not the slightest ripple undulated across his heart. Han Shuo remained silent.
“You’re quite extraordinary to have cultivated to be a lowgod on this low-level material plane. You cultivate in the energy of death and destruction. You were destined to be on our side from the very beginning,” Terokk continued.
“You have offended the Shrine of Ice and the Church of Light, and have even alarmed those in the high levels. They will not allow a god like you to exist on this low-level material plane called Profound Continent. But we can protect and guide you on a new path!”
“What do I need to do?” Han Shuo who had kept his silence all along finally asked.
“Join us, and do some things for us on Profound Continent. We need you, and you need us too!” Terokk, in the form of a bloody man, said apathetically.
“I get it. You want me to expand the Calamity Church’s influence on Profound Continent and make all living thing here worship you.”.
“Hm, I thought a man as powerful as you would be wiser!” Terokk’s response defied Han Shuo’s expectations. He continued, “If it’s just for getting all the power of faith from this continent, do you really think I would take the trouble to appear here personally? A mere low-level material plane is not worthy of my time and effort. On another note, if you join us and become one of us, all the power of faith of this Profound Continent will be yours to have,”
Han Shuo was startled by those words. He asked, “If it’s not for the power of faith of Profound Continent, then what is this about? What can I help you with?”
“The population on Profound Continent is sparse. The power of faith of your people simply isn’t worthy of our time! I have come here to discuss something else; it’s about the bottommost layer of the Profound underground world!”
The bottommost layer of the underground world! Han Shuo was jolted yet again. Back when Han Shuo explored the deepest layer of the Cemetery of Death, Han Shuo learned from the original owner of the skeletal staff that there were some mysteries that still lay in the last layer of the underground world. He did not expect that this high-level member of Calamity Church who possessed highgod strength would suddenly mention this twilight zone.
What was actually hidden at the end of this tunnel? Why would the Shrine of Ice want to enter it? Why did the original owner of the skeletal staff bring it up? Why was this expert of highgod strength located from such a distant material plane be so concerned about it?
“What’s in there?” Han Shuo asked.
“Some very strange things. As to what exactly they are, save that question for later. I have summoned you here because I need your help with certain matters. So, you are in possession of the Cemetery of Death. There is a magical transportation matrix that could conduct interplanar transmission. I need you to bring the interplanar transportation matrix online and fill it with sufficient energy. In a fortnight, a few of our own will travel there and make the journey to the deepest layer of the underground world with you. From now till then, we are tasking you with finding the path to the third layer of the underground world, and ensure that nothing happens to the Cemetery of Death. If the interplanar transportation matrix is destroyed, we will have real trouble entering and you will face certain death!”
Interplanar transmission requires both the transmitting and receiving matrices to be online. If Han Shuo failed to either activate the interplanar transportation matrix on his end or fill it with sufficient energy stones, even with the planar coordinates, those gods from the other material plane would not be able to teleport to Profound Continent – Terokk made that very clear.
“You must be very careful from now on. There could be other gods who will enter your continent using another interplanar transportation matrix. Some of them could be your enemies from the Shrine of Ice and the Church of Light.”
“How many interplanar transportation matrixes are there on Profound Continent?” Han Shuo asked with creased brows.
“Besides the Cemetery of Death that you possess, there is still one more, and it can only be activated by the planar guardian of your continent. As we had lost in that last great battle, we did not manage to occupy the other transportation matrix. Luckily we have left a Cemetery of Death there as backup. Otherwise, we possibly would not even be able to participate in this coming battle!”
Upon hearing those words, Han Shuo suddenly recalled that in the battle five thousand years back, fighting on the side of the Calamity Church were the evil gods, the original owner of the skeletal staff, and the ancestors of the Soul Race. But in the end, they suffered a crushing defeat and had to flee from Profound Continent.
The planar guardian of Profound Continent was none other than the Primordius Dragon – Han Shuo’s mortal enemy. He ought to have been one of those in the opposing faction to the Calamity Church back then, and he certainly would allow experts from the Church of Light or the Shrine of Ice to use his interplanar transportation matrix. By then, Han Shuo would be confronted with truly might gods. This was unavoidable!
“What if I could kill that planar guardian and destroy the other interplanar transportation matrix before that happens? Then it would be very hard for them to enter, wouldn’t it?” Han Shuo asked suggestively.
“The enemy might be thinking of doing the exact same thing to you. However, you should know that the interplanar transportation matrix isn’t set rigidly in one place, and it can move just like the Cemetery of Death. Not only that, it would have unique barriers to prevent others from discovering it. It wouldn’t be easy for them to locate yours, and it would be just as difficult for you to locate theirs! Under the unique circumstances now, I believe that the planar guardian will conceal himself and his transportation matrix until their allies arrive. I really doubt that you’ll find it!”
Han Shuo was alarmed – this was news to him. After learning the secrets of the Cemetery of Death, Han Shuo knew that he indeed could move the Cemetery of Death anywhere that he wanted to. In addition to that, that mysterious boundary around the structure was indeed marvelous. Before, he had managed to escape from the soul tracking of the Soul Race’s six-horned tribal king by hiding in the Cemetery of Death. That was proof that the Cemetery of Death really could block detection by other.
When Han Shuo first returned to Profound Continent, he bathed the Dragon Valley with dragon blood. However, when he conducted even more massacre on Profound Continent, the Primordius Dragon did not come looking for him. It appeared that he was keeping himself veiled until his allies arrived.
“Alright. As the offering is limited, so is the length of our conversation. This is as much as I can tell you. Remember, at this point in time, to help us is to help yourself. You have no choice. But as long as you can handle the matter on Profound Continent well, I will make sure that you are rewarded well!” Terokk’s voice in Han Shuo’s mind gradually grew weaker and weaker as the pool of blood that was rapidly whirling turned slower and slower.
The conversation between Han Shuo and highgod Terokk, that started halfway into the ceremony, ended just as the ceremony came to an end.
Inside the shrine, all those followers of the Calamity Church were still maintaining their pious kowtowing posture while silently reciting words of prayer.
Meanwhile, great waves surged through Han Shuo’s heart. After conversing with Terokk, Han Shuo knew that there had to be some great secrets in the last layer of the underground world. Otherwise, all those gods and powerhouses from distant high-level material planes would never come to a material plane as insignificant as Profound Continent.
Upon learning this fact, Han Shuo’s mood was incomparably heavy. By that point, the only well-matched adversary Han Shuo had on Profound Continent was the Primordius Dragon. However, once those experts from alien material planes inevitably descended, Han Shuo feared he would not have sufficient strength to even survive.
Profound Continent may have seemed beautiful and pleasant. However, if what was about to happen next was not properly handled, not just Han Shuo, but all those close to him, and perhaps even everyone in Lancelot Empire would have to pay an unimaginable price.
Han Shuo took a deep breath. He knew that even if not for himself, for all those that he cared about, he had to pull himself together and give those experts from the distant material planes hell!
This was a crisis, but wasn’t this also a turning point? Demonic arts cultivators rose above the others through constant, cruel bloodshed. Why would this crisis be an exception? Han Shuo mind grew more and more resolute as he thought to himself.
