Chapter 67: Successful Summoning Ritual

He Chinhua was still shaken, filled with both dread and vexation. Gritting his teeth, he declared, "That old scoundrel Sun deserves to die!"

Even if he was slow-witted, He Chinhua now understood that Sun Fuping's order for him to lead the Blackwater City army into the Coiling Dragon Desert was a sinister scheme. He was meant to be a shield during battle, and ultimately, a sacrificial offering. If not for the half-broken comb in his hand, the Blackwater City army, under the continuous assault of the Great Wind army, would have tried their utmost to maintain the Sky Thunder formation. In that case, they would have been completely wiped out when the Blood Sacrifice Array activated.

The array's light had now vanished, but no one dared to enter. The sand bandit rescued by Situ Han soon stopped his writhing and wailing, instead staring fixedly at his leader, his chest heaving. He Chinhua glanced at him and said, "He can't be saved. Put him out of his misery." Situ Han's face was ashen. He squatted down, patted his comrade's shoulder, and then slit his throat. It turned out that saving him earlier was merely prolonging his suffering; he was ultimately destined to die. The sand bandit chief, who was accustomed to killing, silently pressed his hand to his forehead.

Looking at the remains of the dead, their bones were stark white, their very marrow seemingly drained. The Blood Sacrifice Array was so brutal that it consumed its offerings completely, leaving not a trace of flesh or blood. He Chinhua's expression was grim. Suddenly, he lashed out with his blade! The young attendant left behind by Sun Fuping was quietly slipping away, intending to hide in the ruins, but He Chinhua's strike decapitated him instantly.

At the same time, he roared an order, "Kill! Kill all these fiends!" Sun Fuping and Nian Songyu originally had over a dozen subordinates within the array. Three had died during the blood sacrifice, and He Chinhua killed another, leaving seven. Coming to their senses, they scattered like startled birds, either fleeing outward or leaping into the well-like pool. However, before the enraged Blackwater City army, they didn't get far before being cut down. Two fell by the edge of the well-like pool, hacked to pieces just a step away from the water.

The Blackwater City army then began to count their casualties. A subordinate finally reported, "My lord, we lost eighty brothers." He Chinhua closed his eyes, exhaling a deep breath. Just as he was about to speak, he heard a *clang* as the upright staff toppled to the ground. Before anyone could react, it suddenly flew up again, shooting into the well-like pool and vanishing. A fierce glint flashed across He Chinhua's face. "Let's go, we're entering the well-like pool too!"

***

Just then, a point of light emerged from the ruins. Something flew out, dazzlingly bright. To He Lingchuan, it was like a 5,000-watt lightbulb itself, impossible to look at directly. Yet, even shielding his eyes, he instinctively knew it was the ivory carving. They had expended so much effort, even joining forces with the Black Flood Dragon, only to fail to interrupt Sun Fuping's divine summoning ritual? So, what about his father and the others?

The Black Flood Dragon raised its severed tail and mercilessly slammed it down, intending to shatter it. At the same moment, the tightly closed eyes of the ivory carving suddenly opened! With a crisp *clang*, the ivory carving shattered, but a white light flew out from within, circling briefly in mid-air, as if hovering or hesitating. Mao Tao's voice trembled, "Is that… is that the god he summoned?" The Black Flood Dragon spewed several bursts of flame at the white light, which, despite its ethereal appearance, narrowly evaded them repeatedly.

There was movement again in the crater below. Sun Fuping crawled out, clutching Nian Songyu, and shrieked at the white light, "My god has arrived!" With that, he held the unconscious, closed-eyed Nian Songyu forward. Only then did He Lingchuan finally understand Nian Songyu's reason for accompanying the Imperial Advisor to Blackwater City and the Coiling Dragon Desert—to serve as a vessel for the deity's descent, or rather, as the deity's weapon! The demon apes charging from the side were all repelled by Sun Fuping. Sun Fuping himself was covered in blood, his condition dire, with his right ring and little fingers severed at the root, and an unknown number of other broken bones throughout his body. Yet, his spirit was highly agitated. His divine summoning ritual had succeeded! This was the fourth true divine descent in the recorded history of this continent, outside of ancient times!

Sun Fuping chanted a few words, and an object flew from an unknown direction, landing in his hand. It was the staff! The staff Sun Fuping had left outside, used to summon sky lightning, ward off vengeful spirits, or rather, to activate the sacrificial array! He Lingchuan's pupils contracted sharply. The staff no longer glowed, and the beast head at its top was empty, no longer clutching Governor He's state decree. The Black Flood Dragon had said earlier that Sun Fuping had secretly embedded a sacrificial array to summon a sky god using human lives and vital essence. Now that the sky god had arrived, it meant...

"Old dog Sun, where's my father!" He suddenly roared at Sun Fuping, his voice hoarse with fury. "If you dared to sacrifice him, I'll ensure you die without a complete corpse!" He had no time to think; rage swept through his consciousness, and his eyes instantly became bloodshot and swollen. "Clever boy, you're quick to run," Sun Fuping chuckled, maintaining his eerie smile. "Since you escaped, the calamity will naturally fall upon your father."

He Lingchuan let out a roar and leaped over the battlements. Mao Tao and Zeng Feixiong rushed forward, holding him back and pulling him desperately. "Young Master, don't be rash! He's tricking you!" At that very moment, the white light in the air, having bypassed the Black Flood Dragon's attacks, suddenly surged towards them. Everyone was horrified. Wherever the white light went, the Black Flood Dragon's breath would follow, and they certainly didn't want to die. However, the white light was incredibly fast. Before anyone could react, it shot into He Lingchuan's mouth. He had been cursing vehemently, but this impact made him stop abruptly, his eyes glazing over. Caught off guard, everyone froze.

Below the city wall, Sun Fuping was equally dumbfounded. Why would this ancestor choose to go out of its way for He Lingchuan instead of using Nian Songyu, who was perfectly ready? Seeing the Black Flood Dragon's massive body turn, Mao Tao shuddered and fled to the side, yelling, "Scatter! Run if you don't want to die!" Indeed, without his reminder, everyone scattered. Zeng Feixiong instinctively tried to drag He Lingchuan along, but two subordinates forcibly pulled him several *zhang* away. "Brother Zeng, the white light protects him, not you!" They had no idea what the white light could do, but any other living person staying here would surely become roasted.

Immediately after, the Black Flood Dragon climbed onto the city gate, puffed out its cheeks, clearly about to unleash another blast of flame. At that moment, a monstrous bird flew down and screeched twice into its ear, its voice harsh and grating. It was unclear how the two communicated, but the Black Flood Dragon suddenly changed its mind, its cheeks deflating. It circled He Lingchuan twice, as if scrutinizing him, then opened its massive maw, preparing to swallow him whole!

...

The white light struck He Lingchuan's face too quickly for him to dodge. His mind went blank for a few seconds, and white, snowflake-like spots appeared before his eyes. Then, his vision suddenly returned, and He Lingchuan found himself in freefall, plummeting downwards. Most bizarrely, a black shadow was directly above him, falling even faster. In just two blinks of an eye, it crashed onto him!