Chapter 386 – The Baptism Ceremony, Games and Rules

Lu Yuan had been waiting at the Sacrificial Square for about fifteen minutes when the Eleventh Throne finally returned.

“You’ve been waiting a long time.”

The Eleventh Throne’s face still bore a warm and hearty smile, “Everything is ready, the baptism ceremony will begin shortly.”

With a casual wave of his hand, groups of people began to emerge from around the vast Sacrificial Square.

They were graceful young women, each wearing a goat head mask.

Each young woman cradled a pure black lamb in her arms.

These women wearing goat head masks seemed to have rehearsed countless times before.

After entering the square, they found their designated spots with precision and formed an intricate formation around the center of the square where a huge Goat Head was placed.

They then knelt down and began to chant in unison.

It sounded like an ancient, unknown ballad or perhaps a special kind of prayer.

The girls’ singing echoed across the empty Sacrificial Square, but it seemed constrained by some force and did not spread outward.

A mysterious atmosphere began to permeate the air.

Lu Yuan counted a total of forty-five young women cradling the black lambs.

The Eleventh Throne stood next to Lu Yuan, speaking in a low voice.

“This is the highest standard of baptism ceremony, only members at the Throne Level are entitled to it. All the Thrones are looking forward to and value your joining.”

Listening to the Eleventh Throne’s explanation, Lu Yuan’s expression shifted slightly, unable to resist asking, “There are different standards for baptism ceremonies?”

“Of course,” the Eleventh Throne replied, “Different standards of baptism ceremonies attract different levels of attention from the True Deity.

The more attention from the True Deity, the greater the benefits obtained during the baptism ceremony.

This is a rare opportunity, each person only gets one in their lifetime, you must grasp it well.”

“Baptism ceremonies have benefits?”

Lu Yuan’s eyes flickered as he recalled the time during the Ultimate Blood Battle when he earned the approval of Mosa’s combat prowess and the Deity of Hunting’s will, acquiring the extraordinary level Silver Spear. The Strength attached to the spear had helped him unlock the [Spear Bearer (Extraordinary)] professional panel.

Realizing that this so-called baptism ceremony was likely similar to that experience, the Eleventh Throne, wearing a platinum mask, probably received it during a previous ceremony.

With this in mind, his purpose for coming to Mosa might be easily accomplished.

Just then, Lu Yuan suddenly heard the sound of a blade slicing through flesh, accompanied by the pitiful screams of lambs.

He looked up.

He saw that the chanting of the young girls at the Sacrificial Square continued, but unbeknownst when, each of the kneeling girls now held a ram’s horn dagger in hand.

They placed the black mountain lambs they held in their arms on the ground, and effortlessly plunged the daggers into the tender necks of the lambs, causing bright red blood to flow profusely.

The red blood, black wool, and the snow-white skin of the girls intertwined, creating a bizarre and sinister image that assaulted Lu Yuan’s eyes.

He watched as the blood of the lambs flowed onto the ground, quickly seeping into hidden crevices along the smooth metallic surface.

Following these crevices, a huge mysterious pattern was slowly outlined by the blood.

The chanting suddenly intensified.

The girls who had killed the lambs suddenly tilted their heads back, their long hair naturally falling, and their pale arms raised, each still clutching the sharp ram’s horn dagger.

The tips of the daggers pointed down, directly at the slender, smooth necks of the girls.

From the girls’ gradually frantic emotions and actions, Lu Yuan sensed something amiss.

He suddenly spoke in a cold voice: “Wait!”

The ongoing baptism ceremony was abruptly interrupted, and the chanting across the square came to a sudden stop.

Everyone turned to look at Lu Yuan.

“What’s wrong? Is there something amiss?” asked the Eleventh Throne, puzzled.

Lu Yuan calmly replied, “We don’t need a human sacrifice, do we?”

The Eleventh Throne looked astonished, apparently not expecting Lu Yuan to halt the ceremony for that reason.

“It has always been this way.”

“The ceremony can’t proceed without a human sacrifice?”

“It can, but the Effect would be much lesser… significantly so. The entire standard of the baptism ceremony would be drastically reduced.”

“It’ll be fine as long as it goes smoothly.”

Lu Yuan spoke with unwavering certainty, his calm eyes radiating indisputable resolve.

The Eleventh Throne furrowed his brows, lost in thought for a moment, possibly engaging in a covert conversation with someone.

After a while, he finally nodded.

“Then let’s do as you suggest.”

The Eleventh Throne eventually agreed, but his demeanor toward Lu Yuan suddenly became more polite and distant.

Gone was the familiarity of repeatedly calling him “Cheng Peng” with warmth.

“Ha-“

In the conference hall, where everything happening at the Sacrificial Square was under scrutiny, the Sequential Thrones of Mosa displayed expressions of mixed amusement and disbelief upon hearing the message just relayed by Garilei of the Eleventh Throne.

Faced with Lu Yuan’s inexplicable insistence, they found themselves at a loss for words to critique it.

Instead, they simply shook their heads and chuckled, looking at the large screen that displayed an exceptionally young and handsome figure, their disdain and contempt evident.

“I don’t think he has any business sitting here.”

“This level of baptism ceremony, he might not even qualify to be a Spear Bearer.”

The various Thrones in the conference hall casually joked and laughed among themselves, except for the silver-haired man on the Crystal Throne, who remained serene and silent, just quietly watching.

The ceremony resumed.

The girls were the same as before, and new black mountain lambs were brought forth.

Lu Yuan watched the continuation of the ceremony with an expressionless face.

Young virgins and newborn lambs have always been the most favored sacrificial offerings in the rituals of the evil deity, almost without exception.

Lu Yuan knew that he was likely viewed as an oddity by the upper echelons of Mosa.

But as his strength continued to approach the ceiling of planetary combat power, he couldn’t bear to watch dozens of vibrant lives end here because of him.

Even though these girls might not have to die this time, they might very well die in another similar sacrificial ritual in the future.

And to these girls, perhaps they would have preferred to die as sacrificial offerings in the ceremony.

Lu Yuan’s “mercy” was, in effect, cruelly depriving them of what could have been the ultimate honor bestowed upon them.

The ceremony concluded, leaving the body of the black goat lamb and fresh blood smeared across the center of Metal Square.

A huge mysterious pattern had fully formed.

The girls wearing goat head masks exited the scene.

Lu Yuan accurately captured the looks of resentment and even hatred in the eyes of the departing girls directed at him.

He remained expressionless, pretending not to notice.

At that moment, an ancient and mysterious consciousness rapidly descended within the massive Goat Head floating quietly at the center of the square, reviving.

A dim blood-red glow lit up in the hollow eye sockets of the Goat Head.

The Eleventh Throne had disappeared without a trace.

Two blood-red beams shot from the eye sockets of the Goat Head, directly targeting Lu Yuan.

“Boom!”

In an instant, Lu Yuan’s mind thundered.

His consciousness quickly sank.

The baptism ceremony had begun.

It was also during the envelopment of Lu Yuan by the blood-red light beams, the moment he closed his eyes, that tiny black light spots began to emerge in the void before him.

These black light spots gathered in mid-air, gradually forming the shape of a spear.

“I knew it.”

In the conference room, seeing this scene, the thrones could not help but laugh.

“He only had the qualifications to become a Spear Bearer.”

Within the Mosa Sect, the hierarchy of members is defined by the level of their tokens.

The lowest level is that of ordinary followers.

Above that are the black iron Spear Bearers, Silver Spear Bearers, and golden Spear Bearers.

Then come the black iron wheel, Silver Wheel, and golden wheel.

Above the golden wheel are the sequential thrones.

Each throne ascended step by step to their position.

The baptism ceremony is the first and most crucial step in determining rank.

The grander the baptism ceremony, the higher one typically starts.

Of the current eighteen thrones of the Mosa Sect, one used an immense amount of resources in a baptism ceremony that involved nine hundred and ninety-nine young virgins slaughtering each other to reach the highest level of the “martial hunt banquet.”

Another surpassed a thousand live sacrifices to achieve an unprecedented golden wheel, setting a historical record for the fastest ascension to a throne.

This saved unimaginable amounts of time, effort, and resources compared to the other thrones.

Eleventh Throne informed Lu Yuan that he had prepared the highest standard baptism ceremony for him.

He wasn’t lying.

Forty-five virgins represent the largest “subsidy” that the Mosa Sect can offer to those participating in the baptism ceremony.

Typically, live humans and livestock required for the ceremony must be prepared by the participants themselves.

Lu Yuan, joining on short notice and unaware of this fact, received no special reminder.

However, given the standard of this baptism ceremony and Lu Yuan’s own strength and potential, reaching the three-colored wheel level just below the throne should pose no problem.

It was a decent start.

Unexpectedly, Lu Yuan requested that no live sacrifices be used, reducing the ceremony to its lowest standard.

He hoped to attract the favor of the wills of combat and the Deity of Hunting through his own “charisma,” but this severely limited his potential.

As the black iron spear was about to take shape, the assembly of Thrones in the hall seemed to lose interest in the ceremony, shifting their discussion to the Pantheon.

Meanwhile, Lu Yuan heard the ancient sound of a horn.

The flag flapped wildly in the strong wind.

There were cries, clashing sounds, and the noise of weapons striking each other.

Lu Yuan found himself suddenly on an ancient battlefield.

It appeared to be a conflict between two ancient tribes.

Around him were indistinct figures wielding spears, swords, and bone clubs, fiercely fighting each other.

“Where is this?”

Lu Yuan frowned, looking down to discover that at some point, a rusty black iron spear had appeared in his hand.

Suddenly, a figure wielding a large sword swung it powerfully at him.

Instinctively, Lu Yuan thrust the spear in his hands forward.

The spear instantly penetrated the figure’s chest, and with a slight shake, the attacker was torn apart.

Lu Yuan withdrew the spear, realizing that as he killed the figure who had tried to attack him, a trace of strength seemed to flow into his body.

His black iron spear gleamed briefly, and a patch of rust on its shaft seemed to have decreased.

“Kill the enemy, grow stronger, evolve the spear.”

Lu Yuan once again made his move, stabbing his opponent to death and confirming his own thoughts.

Pondering, he asked, “Is this what they call the baptism ceremony?”

Lu Yuan, ever adaptable, dove into the battlefield before him.

Having practiced with the spear and other cold weapons, coupled with the combat instincts of a martial arts Grandmaster, this kind of primitive and barbaric battle was no trouble for him.

Holding his spear, Lu Yuan killed one opponent after another who stood in his way.

Streams of Strength flowed into his body, causing the rust on his black iron spear to flake off continuously.

After killing countless opponents, he suddenly felt his spear tremble in his hands-the black iron rust flaked away, revealing a brilliant silver underneath.

In an instant, the black iron spear transformed into a Silver Spear.

The gleam of the Silver Spear also caught the attention of more powerful figures on the battlefield.

Several formidable figures charged at Lu Yuan all at once, greatly increasing the pressure!

“Kill!”

Expressionless, Lu Yuan’s eyes reflected the brilliant silver light.

His spear moved like You Long, darting out and drawing spectacular silver arcs around him, mercilessly slaughtering his assailants.

“Oh.”

In the council hall, someone who glanced at the large screen unintentionally noticed the golden light flickering in their field of view, showing a hint of surprise.

“He’s advanced to the golden spear already? Worthy of a contender with the combat power at the peak of the eighth stage.”

The other Thrones turned their heads, drawn by the exclamation.

On the Sacrificial Square, although Lu Yuan was still enveloped in a bloody aura, the black iron spear formed from numerous light spots had somehow transformed into a dazzling golden color, quite eye-catching.

Though the Thrones felt a bit surprised, there wasn’t much emotional fluctuation.

Someone casually remarked, “He must be reaching his limit. At most, he’ll advance one more level and conjure a black iron wheel… This ceremony should be about to conclude.”

The others nodded in agreement, withdrawing their gazes and no longer paying deliberate attention.

On the battlefield of consciousness, Lu Yuan casually picked up a brilliant streak of golden light and skewered seven or eight opponents at once with his spear, much like threading meat on a skewer.

Then, with a slight flick of his wrist, a terrifying force of vibration shattered and flung the bodies of his opponents.

At this moment, the spear in Lu Yuan’s hand had turned completely golden, as if it had been cast from gold.

Of course, his opponents had also “evolved.”

The battlefield began to see figures wielding golden weapons, each putting considerable pressure on Lu Yuan.

“The spear technique has indeed been honed to near perfection, reaching the pinnacle. After getting out, digesting and absorbing it, I expect to swiftly climb to a high level on the [master of arms] professional panel.”

“But…”

Holding the golden spear, Lu Yuan surveyed the entire battlefield.

Seeing the endless, boundless battlefield with no end in sight, he couldn’t help but frown.

“How long will I have to keep killing?”

“What is the purpose of this battle? And where is the ultimate goal?”

Lu Yuan looked up at the sky and saw a figure standing in the murky, dim expanse above.

It seemed as though a pair of eyes in the sky were quietly watching them.

For the mysterious figure behind the sky, this killing below seemed to be just a game designed to please Him.

The evolution of the spear, the escalation of the killing, were the rules He had set for the game.

“Is there a way to break out of these rules and reach Him?”

Lu Yuan’s eyes sparkled, no longer looking at the opponents swarming towards him. He squinted, staring at the figure behind the sky.

“The baptism ceremony took place within my consciousness. Logically speaking, I should also be one of the planners and leaders of this game.”

“There’s no reason I can’t do it. In my own domain, unleash the strength that belongs to me!”

Thinking this, Lu Yuan took a deep breath, his eyes flashing brilliantly.

[Elephant Deity. Ming King Stance], activate!