Chapter 1125: Inviting Ceremony

Chapter 1125: The Summoning RitualAuthor: Sanjiu YinyuWord Count: 1217

Swish—A stinging sensation from being dragged on his back brought Jian Changsheng hazily awake.

The first thing he saw was a dim, grey sky. A long hand with yellowish fingernails was dragging him by the collar, slowly moving him in a certain direction. On both sides were low, simple houses, giving the initial impression of having traveled back in time to ancient eras.

Jian Changsheng froze for several seconds before coming to his senses. He sharply turned his head to look behind him, only to see several red-robed figures dragging them, like dead pigs, towards a bonfire not far away.

"Crimson Heaven Cult?!" Jian Changsheng's heart skipped a beat. Instinctively, he pushed his feet against the ground for leverage, and with a reverse motion, broke free from the cultist's grip, landing steadily on the ground.

His gaze swept over Sun Bumian, Jiang Xiaohua, and Jack of Spades, who were also unconscious. His heart immediately sank...

Jian Changsheng remembered: they had been attacked by the Crimson Heaven Cult, and he himself hadn't even lasted two rounds against that cardinal. Now, with red-robed figures everywhere, they were likely in the Crimson Heaven Cult's stronghold!

"...Damn it." Even so, Jian Changsheng couldn't leave Sun Bumian and the others to die. Without a word, he charged forward, attacking the two Crimson Heaven Cultists who were dragging his companions!

Jian Changsheng's sudden awakening startled the cultists. Seeing him charge straight towards them, their expressions became a bit subtle.

Not far from them, the burning bonfire flickered slightly. Jian Changsheng's recently gathered Asura killing intent was instantly shaken and dispersed. His Divine Path seemed to be veiled by some force, rendering him unable to use any abilities.

Two cultists nearby moved simultaneously. One grabbed Jian Changsheng's arm while the other tripped him by the leg. Under their terrifying strength, Jian Changsheng instantly lost his balance and crashed heavily to the ground!

At the same time, another cardinal slowly stepped forward. He placed a foot on Jian Changsheng's chest, pressing down on his body like a rock. He then took a thick stone chain from a nearby cultist and securely bound Jian Changsheng's hands and feet. From a distance, he looked like a pig trussed up for slaughter.

Jian Changsheng's chest heaved violently, feeling both humiliated and enraged. He couldn't help but curse:

"Damn it, if you're so capable, unseal my Divine Path! Let's fight fair and square!!"

The cardinal glanced at him but said nothing. Instead, he casually kicked him, sending him flying dozens of meters like a soccer ball to crash heavily against the stone wall surrounding the bonfire. The impact made Jian Changsheng violently cough up a mouthful of blood.

After doing all this, the cardinal dusted off his hands and turned to leave.

"Unseal your Divine Path? Where do you think you are?" A Crimson Heaven Cultist walked forward and sneered, "This is the sacred ground of the Supreme Crimson Heaven, the Savior of the World... You, and the sliver of civilization you control, are worthless here."

As he spoke, Sun Bumian and the others were also securely bound with stone chains, imprisoned around the bonfire with Jian Changsheng, still unconscious.

Jian Changsheng glared fiercely at the cultists, wishing he could devour them alive.

After securing Jian Changsheng and the others, the cultists dispersed, going into the surrounding houses to attend to their own affairs. Since the village was not large and the bonfire was in the center, there was no need for a dedicated guard; a glance out any window would give them a full view of everything.

Jian Changsheng tried to break free from the heavy stone chains binding him, but with his Divine Path suppressed, no matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't escape, only emitting dull clanking sounds.

"Don't bother, you can't break them," Sun Bumian's voice came from beside him.

Jian Changsheng was startled, only then realizing that Sun Bumian had opened his eyes and was looking around.

"When did you wake up?"

"Just now, when you were getting beaten."

"...And you just watched??"

"What else could I do? Jump up and get beaten with you?" Sun Bumian replied self-righteously. "This is the Crimson Heaven Cult's territory; even our Divine Paths are being interfered with. You're thick-skinned, a few hits won't hurt you, but I can't take it."

Jian Changsheng: ...

With a clatter of stone chains, Jiang Xiaohua, on Jian Changsheng's other side, silently curled up into a ball, her eyes fixed on the ground beneath her, her hollow gaze filled with a longing to be buried.

"You're awake too??"

"...I never fainted."

"I saw you all fall, so I didn't bother fighting," Jiang Xiaohua mumbled.

Jian Changsheng was speechless for a moment. So, all of them had been awake the whole time, just watching him get beaten... The crucial thing was that the beating he took was useless, making him look quite foolish.

"Where's Jack of Spades?"

"Don't know, he hasn't stirred."

The three of them looked to their side, only to see a mass of some unknown plant, twisted and limp, lying at the edge of the stone wall. No matter how Jian Changsheng called out, there was no reaction; it seemed dead.

"...That's not right. He's a senior, he shouldn't die so easily, right?" Jian Changsheng found it inconceivable.

"I'm not dead." A voice simultaneously echoed in all three of their ears.

Jian Changsheng was startled and instinctively turned his head to find the source of the voice, but saw no one... Even Jack of Spades' body remained motionless on the ground.

It wasn't until Jiang Xiaohua let out a soft sound of surprise that they all noticed a tender green sprout had somehow grown from a crack in the ground behind them.

"How did you turn into grass?!" Jian Changsheng's eyes widened in shock.

"...This is just a part of my body; my main body isn't here," Jack of Spades' voice sounded a bit helpless. "Don't look here; it'll be trouble if those Crimson Heaven Cultists find out."

Jian Changsheng and the other two immediately averted their gaze, pretending to admire the primitive village scenery as if nothing was amiss.

"Listen carefully, the situation is a bit problematic now..." Jack of Spades' voice continued, "If I'm not mistaken, we've been caught up in the Crimson Heaven Cult's ritual."

"A ritual?"

"The Crimson Heaven Cult believes in the Red Star. While drawing power from it, they offer sacrifices to the Red Star. These sacrifices are usually not fixed; they can be people, beasts, or even plants or rocks from Earth... The offerings aren't for traditional sacrifice, but to transmit coordinates to the Red Star."

"What coordinates?"

"Earth's coordinates." Jack of Spades paused briefly. "That's why the sacrifices aren't limited to specific items. Anything native to Earth is fine... In the Crimson Heaven Cult's ideology, this is an important ritual to summon the Red Star, so it's regularly performed in multiple locations, with at least one cardinal-level figure overseeing it.

"However, I don't know why, but this time they've deployed an archbishop and two cardinals... to such a remote village."