Chapter 744: Chapter 744 – Reversal
Aili did not leave in the end, but instead, he stayed in the camp where he was stationed. The sacrificial ceremony had already begun and was about to enter a critical juncture.
If he chose to leave at this time, he was afraid there would be another accident in the future, which might cause the whole ceremony to fail. In that case, he would lose the greater good for the lesser good.
He had secretly prepared and sacrificed a lot for this ceremony for a very long time.The reason why this ceremony was sealed was not simply because it was being boycotted. It was very difficult to gather many of the materials.
As a result, some of them could be said to have been extinct by now. Only Aili, as a prince, could obtain them directly from the Violet Empire’s inventory. Otherwise, most people would not know what to do.
Even so, there weren’t many materials available, and many could only be used once. Therefore, if Aili failed this time, he wouldn’t be able to do it again even if he wanted to and would have to think of other ways. Hence, he had no choice but was forced to remain calm and wait for the ceremony to be completed.
However, even so, he would probably remember Chen Heng this time. By the time the ceremony ended, he had already decided to give Chen Heng an unforgettable lesson. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to vent the anger in his heart.
As a prince, directly killing his siblings was not possible. However, there were many ways to torture people in this world. Aili could not kill Chen Heng but could torture him. Those close to Chen Heng would also have to pay the price, and none of them could escape this time. Aili had made up his mind as many thoughts flashed through his mind.
Time was still pa.s.sing. Continuous wails could be heard in this area in just a few days. Many corpses were lying there, piled up so high that they looked like a mountain of corpses. These were all sacrificial offerings that had been collected.
There was still a huge gap in the bloodline ritual due to Chen Heng’s rejection of Aili’s request. Therefore, naturally, these gaps could only be filled from the surroundings.
The nearby residents were unlucky and directly captured by Aili’s subordinates within a short time. Among those captured, besides civilians, many n.o.bles with bloodlines were also dragged here.
“No, Your Highness Aili, you can’t do this!”
“No! No!”
“Are you crazy!”
Waves of crazy shouts sounded. These n.o.ble almost went crazy looking at Aili standing before them, did not dare to imagine the scene. This was a h.e.l.l-like scene before their eyes. There was no need to explain too much. Any normal person would immediately understand that this scene was probably not good.
Therefore, they shouted crazily, praying that Prince Aili would let them go. They prayed, cursed, scolded… However, all of these were useless. Aili stood at the side, his face looking as cold as stone.
These people were not from the Violet Empire. They belonged to a small princ.i.p.ality but had always been close to the Violet Empire. Not to mention not being a n.o.ble of the Violet Empire, even if they were, what could they do? With Prince Aili’s status, nothing would happen so long as he did not stir up resentment.
This world was cruel. The prince’s power was as strong as a small kingdom. Therefore, killing a few small n.o.bles was just a small matter.
“Let’s do it.” Aili felt bored seeing those people praying and shouting, then waved his hand, ordering his subordinates to start.
The shouting gradually stopped. Corpses piled up to the side, forming a huge mountain of corpses, which was then replaced by the array center, where the mark became clearer.
A crimson glow shrouded the area, covering the sky.
“It’s done.” Aili finally smiled as he looked at this scene.
Though Chen Heng’s refusal made him spend more time capturing the sacrifice, the ritual array was still completed without much delay. Now, it was time to reap the rewards.
Aili strode forward and walked into the ritual array before him without hesitation. The crimson light flickered, ripples formed, and gradually converged into Aili’s body with his movement. A unique feeling emerged in his heart.
His power seemed to have received some kind of blessing from the ritual and was almost doubled. The sudden power fascinated him. He felt better than ever. The power in his body was so tempting that even the bloodline awakened in his body had never felt better.
‘The bloodline ritual has such a good effect?’ However, Aili also had doubts in his heart while indulging in its wonder. The effect of the ritual array seemed a little too good. The bloodline ritual could indeed enhance a person’s strength. Theoretically, one could enhance his strength when the sacrifice was made. However, this also depended on the sacrifice. In the absence of a good sacrifice, could the effect of the bloodline ritual reach such a level?
He didn’t use any top-tier bloodlines for the sacrifice this time, not even the bloodlines of some big n.o.ble families. Instead, most of them were commoners, plus some small n.o.ble families whose strengths were not the same level as Aili’s Fifth Rank.
Nonetheless, the offerings were not proportional to the harvest. Should such a ritual continue? For some reason, Aili felt that something was wrong. However, the ritual had already begun. Therefore, there was no reason to stop.
Moreover, the ritual’s effect was much stronger than he had expected. This was also a good thing.
‘Perhaps in ancient times, this ritual was banned by the ancient n.o.bles due to its outstanding effect?’ Various thoughts flashed through Aili’s mind, comforting himself at this moment.
However, he did not notice the abnormalities around him. In the distance, a woman appeared out of nowhere. She was wearing a long black robe. She looked beautiful, with an inexplicable charm.
Despite the mountains of corpses everywhere, she didn’t look unusual. Instead, she looked at the scene around her with appreciation and smiled.
“What a beautiful scene.” Aisha looked at the mountains of corpses and smiled even brighter.
Then, she looked forward. Aili was standing in the center of the ritual array with his eyes closed and his body slightly trembling as he seemed to be receiving the power feedback from the ritual.
However, in Aisha’s eyes, wounds appeared on Aili’s body, with crimson blood left in his eyes. His powerful strength was being eroded, replaced and infected by another unique power.
“What a greedy mortal.” Aisha sighed as she looked at this scene.
Then, she looked elsewhere. As the ceremony was carried on, wails sounded from the surrounding. Meanwhile, many people were waiting around the ceremony. Those were Aili’s guards.
This time, Aili came here along with the most core members of his guards, including two Monarchs. However, unfortunately, the guards were showing signs of abnormality now. Their bodies rotted as the ritual progressed, and their faces paler. Their strength gradually weakened as if they had become mummies.
The ritual array absorbed, extracted, and injected their strength into the ritual array before them. The sacrifices of this ritual array were not limited to the innocent people around them but also to Aili’s loyal guards. Looking at this scene, the smile on Aisha’s face became even brighter.
The ground was covered in crimson blood. However, even if those people’s power was being extracted and their life force drained, they did not notice it. Instead, their faces were filled with excitement and happiness, as if they had seen a scene from their dreams.
‘For these people, dying in joy was probably a pleasant way to die?’ This thought flashed through Aisha’s mind.
Nonetheless, she looked forward to the scene when Aili woke up. She wondered what Prince Aili’s expression would be when he woke up and saw that all his guards were dead. It must be very interesting. Aisha was antic.i.p.ating it as she silently thought about this.
In the distance, a sound of a fierce collision was heard. It was a battle between Monarch-level existences. Perhaps the weaker ones wouldn’t be able to notice the tricks of this ritual. However, for a Monarch-level existence, it was very easy for them to notice the abnormality and immediately erupt.
However, what was the use of this? Aisha and the King’s Council were not afraid of these two Monarchs since they dared to make a move. In their plan, these two Monarchs would naturally be dealt with by someone as they were destined to become the sacrificial offerings of the ritual.
“Not bad.” A soft murmur sounded.
As Aisha silently closed her eyes, a complicated mark appeared, with a crimson glow, on her forehead. It was the ritual’s mark, the same as Aili standing in the center of the magic array.
To be precise, what Aisha had was the real ritual. The power that Aili had obtained was just an illusion. Not only would it not increase the power in his body, but it would also draw the power from it and feed it back into the ritual. It was equivalent to becoming the sacrifice of the ritual. Therefore, the one who truly received the ritual’s feedback had always been Aisha.
Aisha felt the increase in power in her body as she closed her eyes silently and opened her arms intoxicatedly.
The Third Rank, Fourth Rank, Fifth Rank...
The power in her body grew rapidly, almost instantly, and she had already crossed the long gap and reached the Sixth Rank. The Sixth Rank was only one step away from the Seventh Rank that the Monarch represented. Furthermore, that was not the end.
Aisha believed that after the two Monarchs were defeated and died in the ceremony as sacrifices, the strength in her body would increase even further. As for whether the two Monarchs would be defeated, Aisha smiled without the slightest worry. However, the following result would soon reveal the answer.
As the different forces in the air collided with each other, the result was gradually revealed. The winner had appeared. Jameson walked a long distance and quietly came to Aisha’s side, watching the scene with her.
In the ritual array, Aili was no longer able to hold on. The flesh on his body gradually withered, and his face seemed as pale as paper. He didn’t seem to have the slightest bit of blood, unlike a normal person at a glance.
The situation was serious. However, the expression on his face was especially crazy. Instead, he looked overjoyed, and people could not help but shake their heads when they saw him.
“Another crazy person.” Aisha and Jameson stood together and enjoyed the scene with interest.
There were very few occasions where one could see such an expression on the face of a prince. There were still blood stains on Jameson’s body, with a disgusting blood smell. He looked like a spoilsport standing beside Aisha.
Aisha didn’t mind and just smiled, “It seems you’ve used a lot of strength to take care of those two.”
“That’s none of your business.”
Jameson looked at Aisha, a dangerous light flas.h.i.+ng in his turbid eyes. He was considering whether to make a move or not.
Aisha had suddenly come to him some time ago. Jameson thought that Aisha’s existence was very strange. Her bloodline was not strong, and her surface strength was only at the Second Rank.
However, her methods were very special, and even Jameson feared that kind of power. In the end, Aisha took the initiative to propose cooperation, wanting to conspire with Prince Aili. Thus, this scene happened today.
Jameson wanted Prince Aili’s people, while Aisha wanted something else. So the two sides naturally hit it off and reached an agreement.
Aili probably wouldn’t have thought that the ritual array he found wasn’t discovered by himself but was taken out by Aisha, making him believe it was true. Ultimately, Aili and his guards became sacrifices, becoming Aisha’s resources to recover her power.
“It feels so good to have my power back.” Aisha moved her limbs, felt the power surging from her body, and could not help but sigh.
Ever since she entered this world through simulation, she had been restricted and could not fully utilize it due to the limitations of her power. Now, she had finally seized this opportunity to recover most of her power in one go.
In the World of G.o.ds, she was a hybrid of an abyssal lifeform and a human. She was very clear about the various sacrificial arrays in the abyss, which was why she was able to set up this trap.
The power in her body was constantly surging, which made Aisha feel better than ever. Following the death of the two Monarchs, their corpses disappeared and became sacrifices, making Aisha almost break through the barrier and advance to the Seventh Rank.
However, even so, it was still very impressive. After all, before the ceremony began, she was only a Second Rank character, considered a weakling compared to a Seventh Rank Monarch. So to advance at such a speed was shocking.
Beside her, Jameson’s eyelids twitched as he watched, almost feeling that he was hallucinating.