Swallowing the Stars: Reboot, The Eternal Serpent!

Chapter 105 Holy Sacrifice? Blood Sacrifice? (Combined)

"Your Majesty, this is very easy for you."

Hayden, whose will was twisted, worshipped Jiang Zhe as the supreme master and revealed everything he knew without reservation.

"If you defeat 100 heroes in a row in the Royal City Arena, you will get a 'Hero Badge'. After that, travel to thirty Royal Cities and obtain thirty Hero Badges. Then go to the Holy City Arena and survive for 20 minutes under the hunting of Holy Domain (Domain Lord) level powerhouses to obtain 'Thirty Royal City Badges'."

Jiang Zhe frowned. It wasn't that it was impossible, but rather that it was too troublesome.

I only have 565 days left, and now I have nearly 530 days left.

If 30 days are allowed for the final assessment of the Holy City, it means that you need to travel to 30 royal cities within 500 days, which means that each royal city will take an average of 16 days.

These 16 days are for traveling and 100 cosmic-level battles arranged by the arena. If there is any mishap along the way, we will definitely miss the "Holy City Grand Festival".

Each royal city occupies a continental plate spanning tens to hundreds of millions of kilometers, and the distance between them is not short.

Jiang Zhe asked, "Isn't there any other way?"

"My lord, I don't know. I've never been to the royal city... But I can go back to the city and ask my brother-in-law. He's been to the royal city before, so he must know something about the royal city arena."

"Take it back with you. You should know what to do." Jiang Zhe handed it over after putting the cloth bag over the Hunyuan Umbrella.

Hayden's eyes were filled with fervor. He kowtowed three times to Jiang Zhe, then respectfully accepted the Hunyuan Umbrella with both hands and turned to leave.

As Jiang Zhe watched the simulated exterior of the spaceship, Hayden disappeared in his small aircraft. He tossed the jade he had been playing with to Oriana.

"Anna, go and make the arrangements."

"Yes, Master." Orianna also left the spaceship.

The jade she took away had a silver eye mark on its surface, which was the "Silver Key Mark" left by the [Silver Key Gate] talent.

Now, having partially left the comfort zone built by the Virtual Universe Company, the Candlelight Avatar is beginning to show its true potential.

First talent: Teleport!

Second talent: Domination of will, enslavement of servants!

The third talent, +Space-Time Affinity, grants control over space-time!

Even the strongest World Tree would be bewildered upon seeing this, and could only utter a single "6".

……

Tianwu City.

Hayden used his brother-in-law's connections to smuggle himself into the city.

After waiting for half a day in a controlled tavern, I was finally led by a private person to a low-key private club late at night.

As Hayden pushed open the door to the dimly lit underground chamber, he was met with a barrage of scolding.

"Stray dog! What did I tell you?"

"Didn't I tell you to try not to come back? Do you still want to continue working here?"

"You brainless idiot, don't you know? If people find out about our relationship, we're all finished!"

Hayden lowered his head. He was used to interacting with his brother-in-law like this, but today he found these words particularly grating, and a hint of anger appeared in his eyes.

You're not even willing to give me any respect, to call me by my name?

The nickname "Wild Dog" wasn't given to him by himself, but rather came from his brother-in-law's derogatory term.

Thinking about how I always gave my brother-in-law 70% of the spoils from my plundering, yet he was unwilling to show me any respect, he was worlds apart from the great Lord.

Haydn was constantly engaging in self-pity.

The effect of [Enlightener] is equivalent to "soul enslavement", and it will not be detected like the latter unless the victim shows obvious abnormalities.

Remembering the Lord's instructions, Hayden temporarily suppressed his anger, raised his head, and put on a smiling face.

"Brother-in-law, I've brought you a great opportunity this time. Take a look at what I've gained."

scoff!

Electricity is generated in an empty room.

Suddenly enveloped by the lightning field, Drake was so frightened that his fat body trembled violently, and his mental power surged subconsciously, about to fly out the mental weapon hidden on his body.

Seeing that Hayden stood still without making any further moves, he stopped his strange movements.

"Domain? Yours? You actually comprehended a domain?" Drake stared incredulously, his small eyes wide.

He knew all too well the value of this domain; it meant his brother-in-law had already stepped halfway into the Saint Realm, only lacking energy accumulation.

"Wait, you're water-attribute, how did you master the lightning domain?"

Drake also possessed Hero-level (Cosmic-level) Tier 4 strength and quickly discovered the blind spot.

"Brother-in-law, it all started with this treasure I brought back. It was because of it that my entire 'Wild Dog Gang' was wiped out."

A glint flashed in Drake's eyes as he struggled to steady his breathing. "Baby, where's the baby?"

"Brother-in-law, please look."

Haydn took the Hunyuan Umbrella off his back.

Remove the cloth bag.

The shimmering light emanating from the umbrella illuminated the dim basement, leaving the two dazzled.

Inside the umbrella, the Candlelight clone radiated boundless light outwards like a star.

[The Enlightener], activate!

...Three days later.

"Haydon, come back to the manor with me immediately to welcome the Lord."

Tianwu City, the residence of the Minister of Commerce and Taxation.

As soon as Drake arrived home, he strictly ordered the servants not to approach any area within a kilometer radius of the council chamber in the backyard. He only took Hayden into the council chamber and closed the doors and windows tightly.

"Hayden, you are the Lord's most valued subordinate, you open the door." Drake, contrary to his usual self, was all smiles and flattery towards his brother-in-law. "Later, later remember to say a few good words for your brother-in-law to the Lord."

Haydn held the Hunyuan Umbrella, looking smug and very pleased.

The fact that her brother-in-law, who once looked down on her, could adopt such a humble posture is all thanks to the Lord's grace.

With heartfelt praise to the Lord, Hayden held the Hunyuan Umbrella and stabbed it against the door, leaving a silver eye mark in a flash of silver light.

The light radiating from the mark caused a vertical line to appear in mid-air, which slowly expanded into an illusory door.

The Gate of the Silver Key opens for the first time.

Meanwhile, Orianna had already embedded the jade into the interior of an asteroid, and the mistress and servant, having estimated the time, were standing in front of the jade waiting.

The silver eye mark lit up faintly, and a phantom light gate opened in mid-air in front of them. The master and servant stepped into the gate.

Spatial transformation can shorten a distance of billions of kilometers to a single step.

In the blink of an eye, the master and servant appeared in a luxuriously decorated room. Sensing the depletion of the Candlelight clone, Jiang Zhe nodded in satisfaction.

"Hayden (Drake), welcome to the arrival of Your Majesty!"

"Hmm, well done, you deserve a reward!" Jiang Zhe sat down in the main seat of the council hall with an air of authority.

With a flick of his wrist, the light from the Hunyuan Umbrella intensified, and some knowledge about the realm of lightning flowed into their minds, causing them to beam with joy.

Little did they know that the more they received from Jiang Zhe, the closer they were to completely losing themselves and becoming "containers of the mortal world."

Jiang Zhe cut to the chase: "Drake, I heard from Hayden that you've traveled around the Royal City? Tell me about the Royal City Arena and the 'Thirty Royal City Hero Badges'."

Drake was immediately filled with excitement. He finally had the opportunity to show himself before the Lord. He wished he could give his heart to the great Lord and put himself in the Lord's shoes.

"My lord, if I may be so bold as to ask, are you preparing to participate in the 'Holy City Grand Ceremony'?"

Jiang Zhe raised an eyebrow. "Hmm, what's your opinion?"

"My Lord, even if you obtain the badge, you will not be able to participate in the ceremony. In fact, you will be exposed right at the very first stage."

"...Why?" Jiang Zhe frowned, his gaze, full of pressure, fixed on Drake.

"Do you know how the 'Thirty Royal Cities Emblem' is forged? The secret lies within."

Drake wiped his sweat and stammered on, "The badge... the badge was forged using an ancient method, and one of the main materials is your blood. Therefore, each badge is unique, and there's no possibility of someone stealing a badge and then claiming it as their own."

"Before the Holy City Grand Ceremony begins, all participants' badges must resonate with them. Those who fail to do so will be directly eliminated by the Holy City's deities."

"Your blood is different from ours; your emblem cannot resonate with you."

Jiang Zhe's pupils contracted sharply as he recalled the warning from his cultivation mission: "Due to the unusual aura of the outsider, intrusion will result in..."

So the problem was with the blood?

"Sigh, if the silver-clad primordial spirit were here, with the [Life Sovereign] protecting it, there definitely wouldn't be any problems."

Jiang Zhe shook his head and had to think of another way.

"Master, why don't you let me try? Maybe I can find some clues." Orianna saw Jiang Zhe's predicament and volunteered.

"You? Hmm, that seems feasible." Jiang Zhe's eyes lit up.

Yes, if there is no "Master of Life," there is still the "Master of Matter"!

Blood, too, falls within the realm of matter.

"Drake, do you know anyone in Tianwu City who has the 'Thirty Royal City Hero Badge'?"

"My lord, there's no need to look outside, I have it."

"You?" Jiang Zhe looked Drake up and down with a suspicious gaze.

When will a fourth-tier cosmic-level player be able to achieve 30 wins in a cosmic-level arena battle?

"I wouldn't dare deceive you, Lord. I acquired the badges at a high price; they're quite valuable collectibles in the royal city and satellite city circles," Drake explained. He continued, "I have three badges in my collection, and their original owners are all dead."

"Okay, take a look first. If it's useful, I'll give you credit."

Drake hurriedly left the council chamber and returned about four or five minutes later, presenting Jiang Zhe with a sandalwood box in his hands.

Jiang Zhe used his mental power to open the box, taking out the contents and displaying the three badges in a row in front of him.

The badge's specifications are similar to those of medals from the previous era.

It is copper-colored and has intermittent engravings in several places.

The front features a relief of a puppet figure.

The back has thirty stamps, which correspond exactly to the thirty royal cities.

With a thought, he gave one to Orianna, who stored it in her primordial core in her chest and activated the [Lord of Matter] secret technique to begin analysis.

"What does the 'puppet doll' on the front of the badge represent?" Jiang Zhe asked curiously.

I'm currently reading the error-free version! This is the first time I've published this novel.

Drake and Hayden exchanged bewildered glances, realizing this touched on a blind spot in their knowledge. They sheepishly informed Jiang Zhe that the badges seemed to have always been this design, and they were also unaware of the symbolism of the puppet dolls.

Jiang Zhe didn't ask any more questions and waited patiently for the results from Oriana's side.

Midway through, Orianna looked at Drake and the other man and ordered, "You two, bleed me some blood."

"Okay, right away."

"As the divine messenger commands."

After incorporating the blood of the two ancient god descendants into her primordial core, Orianna continued her in-depth analysis using her [Matter Lord] talent.

About two hours later.

Orianna opened her eyes, and the look in her eyes as she looked at Drake and Hayden was so strange that it sent chills down their spines.

Jiang Zhe watched this scene with great interest.

He knew perfectly well that Oriana was looking at things as "consumables".

"Anna, don't scare them. Tell me what happened."

"Master, the bodies of the ancient gods contain a mysterious substance, which is the source of their exceptional talent as spiritual cultivators. If I were a World Lord now, I could use my innate secret technique to replicate that mysterious substance."

The effects of the innate secret technique [Lord of Matter] can be summarized into three categories: devouring, analyzing, and replicating.

The first two effects can target substances at a higher level of life than oneself.

The last effect can only be achieved by using energy to replicate matter at the same level as oneself.

The mysterious substance that Orianna needs to be at the World Lord level to replicate must be of Rank E.

"So, using the blood of the ancient gods, you can create an E-grade treasure?" Jiang Zhe found things were getting interesting.

A long-lost genre appeared in Jiang Zhe's mind—"Eating * Style"!

The conversation between the master and servant filled Drake and Hayden with fear, and they knelt down one after another, but they did not cry or beg for mercy, and quietly awaited the Lord's judgment.

Suddenly, Drake reported: "Your Excellency, I recall an important rumor that may be of interest to you."

Tell me about it.

"My Lord, after each 'Holy City Grand Sacrifice,' a batch of 'Ancient God's Blood' is distributed to important figures in the Holy City and the Royal City. There have been rumors that this treasure was made from the blood of our compatriots who died in the Holy City Grand Sacrifice. Perhaps... perhaps the mysterious substance the divine messenger spoke of is the 'Ancient God's Blood,' or the raw material used to make it."

Jiang Zhe's face immediately darkened.

Those four familiar words—weren't they his mission objective?

If the rumors are true... ugh~

Virtual Universe Company is ruthless!

If my suspicions are confirmed, I'm not going to do this second training task.

"Anna, have you been able to determine the effects of that mysterious substance?"

"If the quantity is sufficient, drinking it can increase the amplitude of a mentalist's mental power, but the specific upper limit of the increase is currently unknown."

Jiang Zhe pressed further, "Do you think it can break the 100-fold limit?"

Orianna shook her head helplessly, "Master, it's only an E-grade treasure, so its effects are definitely limited."

Class E?

Does that mean it deserves to be a dangerous mission with the same 10 points level as "Blood Warrior"?

Jiang Zhe looked at the two people kneeling on the ground and asked, "I ask you, what are the effects of the [Blood of the Ancient God]?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, we do not know; such treasures are beyond our reach."

"Who can get in touch with them?"

"Lord of the City!" Drake hurriedly said, "Your Excellency, Lord Tianwu has a powerful background in the royal city. He is a direct descendant of a demigod family and must have come into contact with the [Blood of the Ancient God], and may even have drunk it."

"Demigod" is an alternative term used by the indigenous people to refer to the lord of a realm.

Jiang Zhe narrowed his eyes. "What is the strength of the City Lord of Tianwu? Which faction does he belong to?"

"Your Excellency, the City Lord of Tianwu, Koren Kyle, is a sixth-level Saint Realm expert with an Earth-type domain."

"Earth attribute? Just what I need." Jiang Zhe's lips curled up. "Drek, spread the news that you've obtained a treasure, attract the attention of the City Lord of Tianwu, and then negotiate with him to exchange my Chaos Umbrella for a piece of [Ancient God's Blood]."

Drake cautiously inquired, "My lord, what if he doesn't have the blood of an ancient god?"

"stupid!"

"Given the background you described, he must have had prior contact with them. Even if he hasn't now, let him buy on credit first, and you can pay him in advance."

Drake was taken aback. Wasn't this a losing proposition?

Because he had become a fanatical follower of the Candlelight Doppelganger, Drake subconsciously ignored how he had been infected.

Moreover, that's not called being infected, but rather being blessed by the Lord.

"Your goal is to find a plausible reason to give away my Hunyuan Umbrella."

"Go do it."

"If you can't even do this little thing right, you shouldn't exist."

Hayden and Drake left in a hurry.

……

Starting that afternoon, news of the Merchant Tax Minister Drake's acquisition of treasures spread throughout Tianwu City.

Some say they saw Drake meet a mysterious man in a black robe at a private club;

It is rumored that Drake dismissed his servants at home, forbidding them from approaching any area within a kilometer of the council chamber;

Some say that Drake, with the help of precious treasures, mastered the domain, making his path to the Holy Land (the Domain Lord) smooth sailing...

The rumors were quite detailed and seemingly plausible.

Drake even survived a street assassination attempt, demonstrating his lightning-based counterattack against the assassin, further confirming the rumors.

Many of the city's celebrities came to his door, eager to catch a glimpse of him, but Drake, with a worried expression, refused them all.

Drake's expression undoubtedly confirmed the rumors.

Ultimately, this matter piqued the interest of the Lord of Tianwu City, and on the third night after the rumors began to circulate, Yodrek visited the Lord's mansion for a chat.

Late at night, Drake escaped unscathed from the city lord's mansion. A sharp-eyed scout noticed that the stick-like object he always carried was missing. When the news reached the forces behind him, countless people sighed with regret.

Inside a secret underground room in the residence of the Minister of Commerce and Taxation.

"My Lord, this is the blood of the ancient gods."

"Furthermore, when I proposed the terms of the deal, the Lord of Tianwu City reacted strangely, as if it were not a precious treasure at all."

Drake reported on what he had seen that evening and presented a vial of bright red blood with both hands.

"Anna, look at what it is."

Orianna received the Old God's Blood from Drake and stored it in her chest core, giving her answer in less than ten minutes.

"Master, we have confirmed that the mysterious substance in the blood of the ancient god race and the essence in the blood of the ancient god are the same substance."

"The so-called Holy City Grand Sacrifice should be a blood sacrifice, a harvest season for the nobles of the ancient god world."

"As for the effects of the blood of the ancient gods, it increases the amplitude of the user's mental power by 10 times, with a maximum of 100 times the amplitude of mental power."

Jiang Zhe frowned; this opportunity was useless to him, and he felt somewhat disheartened.

"Anna, how long until you break through to the World Lord level?"

"About 320 days."

……

It's the tenth day since I arrived in Tianwu City.

The Silver Key Gate opened again, this time leading directly from the Minister of Commerce's residence to the Lord of Tianwu City's residence.

Koren Kyle, the city lord of Tianwu City and a sixth-level domain lord, also fell under the initiation of the [Enlightener].

This proud young man, born into a noble family in the royal city, knelt before Jiang Zhe, paying homage to the supreme master.

"What did you say? Drake didn't take the blood of the ancient gods from you, but just some byproduct he made from recycled materials?"

(End of this chapter)