Chapter 105: Holy Sacrifice? Blood Sacrifice?
"Master, this will be easy for you."
Hayden, whose will had been twisted, now revered Jiang Zhe as his supreme lord and revealed everything he knew without reservation.
"You only need to defeat 100 heroes consecutively in the Royal Arena to earn one 'Hero Badge.' Once you've collected 30 of these badges from 30 different royal cities, you can enter the Holy City Arena. If you survive for 20 minutes against Domain Lord-level hunters, you'll receive the 'Thirty Royal Cities Badge.'"
Jiang Zhe frowned—not because it was impossible, but because it was incredibly troublesome.
He had only 565 days, with nearly 530 left now.
If he set aside 30 days for the final trial in the Holy City, that meant he had to travel to 30 cities in 500 days—averaging 16 days per city. That included travel and fighting 100 universe-level battles in each arena. Any unexpected delay could ruin his timing for the "Holy City Grand Sacrifice."
Each royal city spans a landmass from tens of millions to over a hundred million kilometers. The distances between them are far from convenient.
Jiang Zhe asked, "There's no other way?"
"I don't know, my Lord. I've never been to a royal city… but I can return and ask my brother-in-law. He's spent time in the royal cities and should know about the arenas."
"Take this with you—you know what to do." Jiang Zhe placed a cloth bag over the Primordial Umbrella and handed it to Hayden.
Eyes full of zeal, Hayden bowed three times in worship and carefully received the umbrella before departing.
Jiang Zhe watched the simulated exterior view of the spaceship as Hayden piloted a small vessel and vanished from sight. He then tossed a jade stone he had been playing with to Oriana.
"Anna, go make the arrangements."
"Yes, Master." Oriana left the ship as well.
The jade stone she carried bore a silver eye-shaped mark—an imprint from the Silver Key Gate talent.
Now partially detached from the virtual universe company's protected zones, the Candlelight Clone had begun to show its power:
First talent: Teleportation!
Second talent: Will Domination – Enslaving Followers!
Third talent: Enhanced Time-Space Affinity – Master of Time and Space!
Even the most powerful World Trees would be stunned, exclaiming only, "Wow!"
Tianwu City
Using his brother-in-law's connections, Hayden smuggled himself back into the city.
He waited for hours in a shady tavern under their control until late at night, when he was escorted to a discreet private club.
Inside a dimly lit underground chamber, Hayden had barely stepped inside when a storm of curses greeted him.
"You stray dog! What did I tell you?"
"I told you not to come back unless absolutely necessary. Do you still want this job?"
"You brainless idiot! If our connection is exposed, we're finished!"
Hayden kept his head down. He had gotten used to being treated this way by his brother-in-law, but today the words stung more than usual. His eyes flickered with resentment.
Couldn't you at least call me by my name?
"Stray dog" wasn't his chosen alias—it was a degrading nickname from his brother-in-law.
Considering that he had always handed over 70% of his loot, only to be treated with such disdain, the comparison to his noble master filled him with disgust.
Hayden constantly rationalized the abuse to himself.
The Enlightener ability was essentially "soul enslavement," though unlike direct control, it was subtle and hard to detect unless the victim showed unusual behavior.
Remembering his master's orders, Hayden suppressed his anger and put on a flattering smile.
"Brother-in-law, I've brought you a great opportunity this time. Just look at what I found."
Crackle!
Electric energy filled the air.
Suddenly enveloped by a lightning field, Drake's fat body trembled in shock. Instinctively, his mental force surged, almost drawing out his weapon.
Seeing Hayden remain motionless, he calmed himself.
"Wait—what? A lightning field? You?! You've grasped a domain?"
Drake was stunned. His beady eyes widened.
He knew exactly what that meant—his worthless brother-in-law was halfway to the Domain Lord level, lacking only energy accumulation.
"Hold on—you're water-attribute. How did you master lightning domain?"
Drake, a Universe-level (Hero-level) Stage 4 fighter, quickly noticed the contradiction.
"Brother-in-law, that's all thanks to this treasure I brought back. My entire 'Stray Dog Squad' died for it."
Drake's eyes sparkled. He struggled to control his breathing. "Treasure? Where?"
"Take a look, brother-in-law."
Hayden removed the cloth from the Primordial Umbrella.
Its shimmering glow lit up the dim room, stunning them with its brilliance.
Inside, the Candlelight Clone radiated light like a miniature sun.
Enlightener—Activate!
Three Days Later
"Hayden, come quickly—we must welcome the Master!"
In the estate of Tianwu City's Tax Minister...
Drake ordered the servants to stay clear of the back courtyard and personally escorted Hayden to the council chamber, sealing it tightly.
"Hayden, you're the Master's most trusted servant. You should open the gate." Drake was now all smiles, completely reversing his earlier arrogance. "Please put in a good word for me."
Feeling smug, Hayden relished his brother-in-law's groveling—it was all thanks to the Master's grace.
He reverently placed the Primordial Umbrella against the chamber door. A silver-eyed imprint shone, radiating light that opened a vertical tear in mid-air, expanding into an illusory gateway.
The Silver Key Gate—activated for the first time.
Elsewhere, Oriana had embedded the jade into a small asteroid. She and Jiang Zhe stood ready in front of it, perfectly timing their move.
As the silver imprint glowed, another light gate formed in front of them. The two stepped through.
Instant teleportation across billions of kilometers.
In the blink of an eye, they emerged in a luxuriously decorated room. Sensing the energy loss from the Candlelight Clone, Jiang Zhe nodded in satisfaction.
"Hayden (Drake), welcome the Master's descent!"
"You've done well. You'll be rewarded," Jiang Zhe said as he sat on the main seat like royalty.
With a flick of his finger, the umbrella shone brighter. Knowledge of the lightning domain flowed into the two men's minds, causing them to tremble with joy.
Little did they know—the more they received from Jiang Zhe, the closer they came to losing their identities, becoming mere Vessels of the Mundane.
Jiang Zhe got to the point. "Drake, Hayden says you've spent time in the royal cities. Tell me about the Royal Arena and these 'Thirty Royal Cities Hero Badges.'"
Overwhelmed with excitement at the chance to impress his Master, Drake gushed with enthusiasm.
"Master, pardon my boldness, but… are you planning to join the Holy City Grand Sacrifice?"
Jiang Zhe raised an eyebrow. "Yes. What are your thoughts?"
"Master, even if you get the badges, you won't be allowed to participate. You'd be exposed in the first round."
"…Why?" Jiang Zhe's gaze became intense.
"Master, do you know how those Hero Badges are forged? That's the key."
Drake wiped his sweat and explained nervously, "Each badge is made using an ancient forging method—one of the main materials is your blood. That's why each badge is unique and can't be stolen and reused."
"Before the Grand Sacrifice begins, all participants must have badges that resonate with their blood. If not, the temple guardians will eliminate them instantly."
Jiang Zhe's pupils shrank. He remembered the mission prompt: "Due to foreign energy, intruders will be…"
So the issue was with the blood?
Sigh… If only my Silver Soul clone were here with the 'Life Domination' ability, this wouldn't be a problem.
He shook his head and considered alternatives.
"Master, shall I try?" Oriana offered. "Maybe I can figure it out."
"You?" Jiang Zhe brightened.
Right—if not Life Domination, then Matter Mastery!
Blood was still a material, after all.
"Drake, do you know anyone in Tianwu City who has a full set of the Hero Badges?"
"Master, you don't need to look far—I have three of them."
"You?" Jiang Zhe looked doubtful.
A Universe Stage 4 warrior, winning 100 matches in 30 cities?
"No deception, Master. I bought them at a high price. They're popular collectibles among elites."
"Very well. Bring them. If they're useful, you'll be rewarded."
Drake hurried off and returned in five minutes with a sandalwood box.
Jiang Zhe used his spiritual force to lift the lid and drew out three Hero Badges.
They resembled antique medals—red copper color, etched with faint ancient markings.
The front bore a puppet-like figure; the back, 30 stamps for the 30 cities.
He gave one to Oriana, who absorbed it into her core to analyze using her Matter Mastery skill.
"What does the puppet figure represent?" Jiang Zhe asked.
Drake and Hayden looked at each other, baffled. They'd never questioned it—it had always been that way.
Jiang Zhe let it go and waited for Oriana.
Midway, she turned to Drake and Hayden. "You two—give me some of your blood."
"At once."
"Yes, Oracle."
She collected the blood into her core for analysis.
Two Hours Later
Oriana opened her eyes. Her gaze toward Drake and Hayden was now strange and cold—enough to make their skin crawl.
Jiang Zhe smirked.
He recognized it: the look one gives to "disposable resources."
"Anna, don't scare them. What did you find?"
"Master, the ancient god-blooded races have a mysterious substance in their blood. It's the root of their powerful psychic talents. If I were at Domain Lord level, I could replicate it."
Her Matter Mastery talent allowed three things:
Absorb, Analyze, Recreate.
She could analyze substances one tier higher than herself. But to recreate, the material had to match her own level.
If it required Domain Lord level to replicate, the substance was likely Grade E.
"So you're saying… their blood can produce a Grade E treasure?" Jiang Zhe found it fascinating.
He remembered a long-lost cultivation path: the "Cannibal Cultivator."
Their conversation terrified Drake and Hayden, who fell to their knees without a word, awaiting judgment.
Suddenly, Drake spoke up, "Master, I just remembered something important that may be of use to you."
"Speak."
"Master, after every Holy City Grand Sacrifice, a batch of Ancient God's Blood is distributed to high-ranking figures in the Holy and Royal Cities. There are rumors that it's made from the blood of participants who died in the Sacrifice. Perhaps… perhaps the mysterious substance Oracle mentioned is the raw material for that blood."
Jiang Zhe's face darkened.
That name—Ancient God's Blood—wasn't that the item from his mission?
If the rumors were true… ugh.
The Virtual Universe Company was ruthless.
If confirmed, he might abandon the second mission entirely.
"Anna, did you find out what this substance does?"
"If enough is consumed, it boosts mental force output. But the upper limit is unclear."
"Can it break the 100x amplification limit?"
Oriana shook her head. "Master, it's only Grade E. Its effects are limited."
Grade E? Then how was it considered as dangerous as a Blood Warrior, worth 100,000 points?
Jiang Zhe looked down at the kneeling pair. "Tell me—what is the effect of Ancient God's Blood?"
"We… we don't know, Master. It's too rare for us to have seen."
"Who has access to it?"
"The City Lord!" Drake replied quickly. "Tianwu City Lord has royal backing—he's from a high-ranking family and has definitely seen or used Ancient God's Blood."
"'Half-God,' huh?"—the locals' term for Domain Lords.
Jiang Zhe narrowed his eyes. "What's his strength? What domain?"
"Master, Tianwu City Lord Kolun Kael is Domain Lord Stage 6, Earth element."
"Earth-type? Perfect." Jiang Zhe grinned. "Drake, leak a rumor that you've acquired a powerful treasure. Get his attention. Later, offer to trade my Primordial Umbrella for some Ancient God's Blood."
Drake hesitated, "Master, what if he doesn't have any?"
"Fool."
"With his status, he definitely has access. Even if not, make him owe you a favor. Give him the umbrella first."
Drake froze—wasn't that a loss?
But as a devoted follower of the Candlelight Clone, he instinctively dismissed the thought.
And after all… that wasn't "being tricked"—that was receiving the Master's blessing.
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