An invasion from the Abyss? I, a demonic cultivator, laughed.

Chapter 416 The Gathering of Civilizational Power

The tall, thin man's question plunged the room into a long silence.

Finally, it was the burly man who said, "Young lady, I know you feel bad, but there's nothing we can do about it. There are countless tragedies in the world, and we can only do what we're supposed to do."

Shea said calmly, "Killing one's own kind is hardly a duty."

The burly man said, “The trial is arranged this way. Even if it weren’t for us, others would have been hunting. This is their destiny. They should have been prepared when they started their rebellion. This is the consequence of failing to challenge the superior beings.”

Shea said, "Now that I've run into this, I can't just sit idly by."

The burly man frowned and said, "Putting aside the difficulty of fighting a heroic spirit envoy, even if you succeed, what's next? Do you intend to compete with an extraterrestrial demon for territory?"

Shia said, "Our human race does not have a powerful bloodline. The reason we can thrive in the universe is because our ancestors fought bravely and relentlessly, risking their lives to break through the encirclement of other races. That is why our human race is now as powerful as dragons. Our Blood Crystal Civilization was also ruled by other races in the past. If it weren't for our martyrs who sacrificed their lives, how could we have achieved our current prosperity?"

"We have the resources at our disposal, so we should do our best."

After he finished speaking, everyone fell silent again. The burly man stared at Shia and suddenly sneered, "Judging from your equipment, you must be from some powerful family, right? You should also have escape items, right? That gives you the confidence to say such things."

Xia was slightly taken aback and was speechless for a moment.

It wasn't that she was truly guilty, but rather that she realized she couldn't persuade the other party.

The tall, thin man also whispered, "Sia, the [Team Token] is hard to come by. If you miss this one, I might not be able to accompany you in the trial next time."

"."

After a long while, Shia silently turned her head away: "No matter what, I cannot bring myself to kill my own kind. My mind is made up. As for how you all act, it is none of my business."

The tall, thin man sighed: "Of course I will help you."

The burly man said, "Then let's each do our own thing and not interfere with each other."

Shea said, "If you hunt down your own kind, I cannot stand idly by."

The burly man roared in fury: "Do you think the Trial of Heroes is a game? Even with our combined efforts, there are still many variables. If you keep blocking our way, how can we possibly pass? Aren't you forcing us to do this?"

Shea didn't reply, but turned her back to the burly man, leaving him both angry and anxious, yet helpless.

Chu Xiu, who was observing from the void, also frowned deeply.

Although he didn't know the other party's specific mission, he could guess the general idea from the conversation.

Now that this girl is determined to fight that divine messenger to the death, the outcome of this trial will be decided within the first hour of the hunting ceremony, regardless of who wins or loses.

At that time, he hadn't even made it halfway! This was something Chu Xiu simply couldn't accept.

But even if he was in a hurry, what could he do at that moment?

Right now, he is merely using the power of the [Xi Huang Search Lamp] to explore this place with his consciousness.

These consciousnesses contain almost no energy; let alone changing reality, they would struggle to even transmit a message!
"No, there must be a way. Those extraterrestrial demons can not only descend with their consciousness, but they can also unleash divine power and even break through space! It's just that I know very little about the rules of space."

Thousands of consciousnesses kept emerging nearby. Chu Xiu tried to find the connection between higher-dimensional space and reality, attempting to find a way to influence things from a distance.

Unfortunately, although his guess was correct, the rules of space are so vast and complex. How could he possibly comprehend them in a short time by creating something out of nothing?

Furthermore, even if he were truly exceptionally gifted to an unprecedented degree, he still wouldn't be able to achieve that.

Even the most powerful rules are ultimately just theoretical knowledge.

Just like a scientist, even if he knows all the mysteries of the world, if he doesn't have materials and tools, he is no different from an ordinary person.

This is why it takes at least the Nascent Soul stage to comprehend the Dao of Heaven. The primordial spirit is like an instrument for scientific exploration. Only by possessing the instrument can one explore those "rules" that are incomprehensible to ordinary people.

After mastering the rules, one must also possess the appropriate scientific tools, namely, [authority], in order to borrow power from the source of the rules and thus unleash all sorts of incredible supernatural abilities.

Therefore, Chu Xiu's aimless speculation was destined to be futile.

Soon, while the four were arguing and unable to convince each other, an hour passed in the blink of an eye, and they had already entered the fifth level of prisoners.

"There are about two hours left before the hunt officially begins. I definitely won't make it in time."

However, just as Chu Xiu was becoming increasingly anxious, a voice suddenly rang out in his consciousness without warning!
"Who?!"

The sound completely baffled Chu Xiu, but he was surprised when he identified the source of the sound.

It turned out that when Chu Xiu was trying to manipulate the rules of space, he sent down over a hundred thoughts to observe the area. One of these thoughts accidentally entered the core of the altar during its movement.

And that voice came from the core of the altar!

Chu Xiu immediately shifted his attention to that thought, and plunged deeper into it. He immediately felt an energy surrounding his consciousness. This energy was very pure and easy to control, as if it were specially prepared for a consciousness like his.

The core of this entire altar is filled with this power, and in the very center of this space, a blurry phantom floats silently, with most of the energy in the space gathered around it, like a storm about to break out.

A thought flashed through Chu Xiu's mind, making him look enlightened.

Yes, this was originally a performance for the god of hunting. Now that the performance has started, how could the audience not have entered yet?
Furthermore, he discovered that, with the help of the energy in the altar, he was no longer limited to being just an "observer," but could mobilize these special energies to transmit information.

"I apologize for disturbing you, and I hope you will not take offense." Chu Xiu gathered his energy and transmitted a message.

The distant phantom rippled, and a powerful aura pressed down on Chu Xiu from all directions.

"Who are you, and what brings you here?"

Chu Xiu's divine sense became even more respectful: "Your Excellency need not worry. I have come here simply to ask some questions."

"If you find this troublesome, you may also allow me to chat with the Awakened Ones who are participating in the trial for a few minutes."

"Once I have obtained the necessary information, I will leave immediately and will not disturb you in the slightest."

He had no intention of saving the human race here. What did it matter to him whether these people lived or died? The law of the jungle was the truth of this universe, and he couldn't care less about such things.

In comparison, offending an unknown and powerful being would be extremely unwise.

However, after receiving Chu Xiu's message, the extraterrestrial demon remained silent for a moment before sneering, "A demigod dares to bargain with me?"

As the message was sent, the surroundings suddenly contracted, instantly annihilating Chu Xiu's consciousness.

"Tsk."

Chu Xiu felt a slight pain in his head and frowned.

His primordial spirit was actually quite strong, but after traveling such a long distance, it had become extremely fragile. Therefore, after the extraterrestrial demon realized his true strength, it did not hesitate to extinguish his consciousness.

Normally, he would never provoke such a powerful person.

This is a powerful extraterrestrial demon!
The terrifying power of the extraterrestrial demons he encountered in Pengcheng still haunted him. Moreover, this place was the territory of the God of Hunting, and he might just anger the other party and have his true form come.

But his only hope of returning now lies here, so how could he give up?
"Furthermore, the oppressive feeling this extraterrestrial demon gives me doesn't seem as strong as the one in Pengcheng back then. I wonder if it's because I've become stronger now, or because its rank is lower."

"Once the ceremony officially begins, the distance between me and the Trial Grounds will be significantly reduced. I'll negotiate with it then."

Chu Xiu sighed softly, stopped thinking about it, and focused more intently on studying movement techniques in higher dimensions, rushing towards his destination with all his might.

Meanwhile, on the altar, the argument among the four awakened individuals ultimately ended with the burly man and the masked man giving in first.

“Madam, please tell me your plan first,” the burly Ormond sighed. “If you can provide a feasible and satisfactory method, I’m willing to take the plunge with you.”

The masked man, Zaka, said, "But if your idea of ​​fighting against the possession of a heroic spirit is just wishful thinking, then don't blame us for turning against each other. After all, we don't have the noble virtue of risking our lives for strangers."

His tone was quite sarcastic, but Shia didn't seem to care. Instead, she said, "Don't worry, both of you. Although I want to save these people, I'm not foolish enough to try to stop a chariot with my bare hands or to shake a tree with my mayfly's strength. I'm quite confident in my abilities."

After saying that, Xia pointed in the air and transmitted several messages.

After looking at it, Ormond's eyes lit up slightly: "Floating gunship, super magic crystal, aerial guards, you are a member of the royal family?"

She paused, then looked at the tall, thin man behind Shia: "Is this your shadow?" Shia nodded and said, "His name is Zoltan, and his combat strength is even above mine."

These words made the two men's expressions soften considerably. Each member of the royal family has a specially trained shadow who lives and studies with the royal family members from a young age and grows up to become the royal family members' most loyal guards and advisors.

There are no weak members of the royal family, and the Shadows are even more carefully selected, with outstanding talents and temperaments, far surpassing other awakened individuals of the same level.

“Tell me your plans,” Ormond said.

Shia nodded and said, "My plan is to gather and recruit as many rebels as possible into the floating gunship after the hunt begins. The energy array in the gunship can gather their power. The more people we gather, the stronger the gunship will be."

"When the time is right, we will use the [Super Magic Crystal] to further enhance the power of the giant cannon and destroy the ritual altar in one fell swoop! In this way, the hunting ritual will naturally stop, and we can be considered to have survived the hunting ritual."

Shea's words left Ormond and Zaka speechless.

They never expected that Shia would go so far as to destroy the hunting altar!

After a long pause, Zaka finally said, "Will the Abyss accept this kind of wordplay? Besides, even if the floating gunship is incredibly powerful, it might not be able to destroy the altar. After all, don't forget that there is a divine messenger and a guard composed of dozens of high-ranking kings."

Shea said, "The Abyss is not a judge with preferences, but merely a set procedure. As long as we survive when the ritual ends, it is considered a successful judgment, and we will naturally pass the test."

As for the latter.

Shea pointed to Zoltan: "His profession is [Duel Master (S)], his talent is [Sword Resonance (S)], he is very good at one-on-one combat, and he also has a set of equipment specially provided by the royal family and a sword of the [Demigod Legend] level."

"With him as the main force and the four of us assisting from the side, even if we are no match for that divine messenger, we should be able to delay him for a while."

Now, Ormond and his companion were speechless; it seemed there really was a chance of success.

After much deliberation, Zaka spoke first: "I can proceed according to your plan for now."

"But if I find that the divine messenger is too strong to fight, I will immediately change my strategy."

Ormond nodded and said, "Me too."

Shea breathed a sigh of relief: "Then it's settled."

She looked down at her body, feeling as if she were bound by invisible chains, then looked up and said, "The ceremony is still in the preparation stage, and we cannot move freely. Once it officially begins, we will act immediately."

The others nodded in unison.

Then they began to discuss the specific details.

Meanwhile, under the king's carrot-and-stick approach, most of the prisoners were obediently driven into the jungle, while the remaining few with strong wills were tortured to death and then hung high in the air.

This brutal scene, broadcast by drones that covered the entire hunting ceremony, shocked all those who attempted to resist.

When will these ignorant people finally realize that participating in the ceremony is not a disaster, but an honor?

The lizard messenger gently picked up a grape, put it in his mouth, and said leisurely.

“Your Excellency is right,” the king said with a forced smile. “This is why we need to rule the ignorant masses with punishments. They are just animals that follow their instincts and cannot comprehend the glory of the gods.”

The lizard envoy's yellow-green vertical pupils shifted slightly as he looked at the king, a half-smile playing on his lips. "So you mean to say that you so-called 'upper class' are different from them?"

“That’s natural,” the king said, puffing out his chest. “We were prepared for this. Being able to demonstrate our bravery and loyalty to the gods in the hunting ceremony is itself a blessing.”

"My Lordship, if you require me to participate in the ceremony now, I will have no objection!"

The lizardman gave a noncommittal hum: "That won't be necessary. The ceremony has already been arranged, and I don't want any unexpected complications."

After saying this, the king quietly breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the altar.

Now, only the last floor remains.

There are only four participants on this level, but each of them is a King-level expert!

Cang Kai was bound by magic-suppressing chains and knelt on the ground, while the other three, dressed in magnificent armor, stood triumphantly to the side like victorious generals.

Among the rebel army, only Cang Kai was a King-rank. In order to meet the rule of the hunting ceremony that killing three people of the same rank would allow one to get rid of the prey status, the royal city had no choice but to send three King-ranks to participate in the ceremony as well.

Before they set off, the royal city mobilized all its resources to equip the three with the best gear, enough to give them the chance to win the ceremony.

But the king remained uneasy.

It's all because of that man, the hero prophesied to lead people to break free of their shackles and truly gain freedom.

The cultivation resources of the entire kingdom are controlled by nobles and temples, and in the past, no commoner has ever risen to the king rank.

Cang Kai, however, rose from the lowest-ranking gladiator, wielding the most basic cultivation techniques, to become the most dazzling gladiator champion in the capital in just twenty years.

He then lay in the shadows, weaving a web like a spider, searching for an opportunity to strike the ruling class deadly, driven by hatred and rage like a venomous snake.

He was a very patient hunter, and he waited for twenty-eight years. By the time the nobles became aware of the danger, the rebel army was already burning like wildfire everywhere.

However, the nobles still didn't care at this point. Cang Kai had been hiding his strength, and even though the nobles knew that he had become a King, they still had absolute confidence because there were a total of nineteen Kings on their side.

They felt that this was just another easy crackdown, another turmoil that began with bloodshed and ended in death.

It wasn't until eleven kings were publicly beheaded in succession and the rebel army swept all the way to the capital that the nobles realized what kind of opponent they were facing.

He is a martial arts genius unparalleled in a millennium, and a top hunter with profound foresight and exceptional patience.

Such hunters are not to act unless they are certain of a fatal blow!
"If there were no gods, the capital might have really fallen on that day."

Whenever he thinks of the raging inferno that day that engulfed the city, the mass riots that spread from the commercial street to the hunting grounds, and the king-level experts being scattered, disintegrated, and killed one by one, the king breaks out in a cold sweat and relives that nightmarish day in his dreams.

Fortunately, all the schemes were thwarted by the divine messenger's absolute power. Now, even the most brilliant genius is nothing more than a beast kneeling on the ground waiting to die.

But for some reason, looking at that disheveled, burly figure with long hair covering his face, the king's unease grew stronger.

He thought of the prophecy.

He had already sent people to investigate and found out that the so-called prophecy was nothing more than a means for Cang Kai to spread the word and win people's hearts.

But then he recalled a story he had heard from his great-uncle, who was also the greatest astrologer in the kingdom's history.

That was an absolute powerhouse who once served by the side of a god and reached the level of a Heroic Spirit.

Do you know about the power of civilization?

"It is a kind of ethereal yet real power, and it is said that every civilization gathers this power."

"But it is extremely difficult to make this power manifest, because fundamentally, the power of civilization is actually the result of digitizing non-material things such as faith, emotions, and inspiration."

“Datafication, that’s a power exclusive to the Abyss. So usually, only those worlds chosen by the Abyss that can give birth to ‘Awakeners’ will have the power of civilization manifest as concrete objects, and even give birth to primordial rules. But such worlds are too few. It’s no exaggeration to say that only one in billions of worlds can be born.”

"But this does not mean that the power of our world civilization does not exist; it is just that it is difficult to gather and manifest."

"But if one day, all the people in the kingdom place their faith in one person and generate a sufficiently strong emotional response, then perhaps the power of civilization that is scattered throughout the world may be gathered together and produce incredible effects."

"Haha, what's with that expression? This is just my guess. I've never heard of a case of the power of civilizations converging. Don't worry about it."

The familiar voice echoed in his mind, and the aged king stared at Cang Kai, lost in thought for a moment.

He didn't know what the people watching the ceremony via livestream would think—anger? Resentment? Sadness? Despair? Or perhaps all of the above?

In any case, Cang Kai has now truly captured the attention of the entire kingdom.

In this situation, what would he do? Would his great-uncle's conjecture come true?
He didn't see anything special about Cang Kai at this moment, but...
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The dull drumbeats interrupted the king's thoughts.

The prey on the last layer is about to be released.

(End of this chapter)