68: The Second Deal with the Evil God

The wind in the rift blew all night. As dawn broke, Shen Xiaochuan was already standing before the Ancient Altar. Behind him, fifteen monster corpses were neatly arranged; each was three meters long, with broken bones, split skulls, and long-dried blood.

The altar was built from black stone blocks, its surface covered in winding, twisted symbols. Four stone pillars formed a circle, and in the central depression lay a pile of dark red powder that looked like long-congealed blood.

Two guards stood on either side of the entrance, clad in grey robes and wearing masks made of sheep bone, standing perfectly still.

Shen Xiaochuan walked forward.

The guard on the left raised a hand to stop him.

“The number of sacrifices is sufficient, and the Rank meets the standard,” a raspy voice said. “You may enter.”

Shen Xiaochuan did not respond, only giving a light wave of his hand. The warriors behind him immediately lifted the corpses and stepped onto the altar one by one. The heavy bodies landed on the stone platform with dull thuds.

The runes on the ground began to glow, the light flowing slowly from the edges toward the center. The red powder suddenly trembled, swirling into a vortex and gradually rising into the air, condensing into a humanoid silhouette.

It was the Evil Sheep Priest.

He was slightly taller than an average person, with curved horns atop his head and pupil-less, ashen-white eyes. His hem was covered in stains, and he held a scepter wrapped in tattered cloth.

“This sacrifice is complete,” he said, his lips barely moving. “Favor with the Evil God has increased to sixty; current relationship is Friendly. Subsidiary Legion deployment permissions have been unlocked.”

A System notification immediately surfaced:

【Evil God Faction Favor Increased】

【Current Relationship: Friendly】

【Subsidiary Legion Available for Deployment ×1 (Limit: 3,000 men)】

【excellent grade Equipment Blueprints Available for Exchange ×3】

Shen Xiaochuan nodded slightly. He knew this step was of great significance. In the past, they could only accumulate resources by hunting monsters, but now they could finally leverage external forces. The power of Skydome City now truly possessed the possibility of expanding outward.

“Give me the blueprints,” he said.

The priest raised his scepter and lightly tapped the Void Realm. Three translucent scrolls appeared out of thin air, hovering before him.

The first was a Heavy Cavalry Armor blueprint; its defense was extremely strong, but the required Materials were rare, making mass production difficult.

The second was for Explosive Arrows, which required a special gunpowder that currently could not be manufactured.

The third was the Overlord Spear. The shaft was forged from composite metal, and the spearhead was replaceable, combining both charging and defensive capabilities. Most importantly, the Materials used were common and could be mined in the mining areas, making it suitable for rapid mass production.

Shen Xiaochuan reached out and touched the third scroll.

The blueprint turned into a stream of light and entered his palm. In an instant, the complete manufacturing process was clearly presented in his mind.

“Have you chosen?” the priest asked in a low voice.

“Yes,” Shen Xiaochuan nodded. “I also want to discuss a deal.”

The priest remained silent, merely watching him.

“I can use rare-grade monsters as sacrifices in exchange for rare-grade weapons,” he said. “Not a one-time thing, but a long-term cooperation. At least one per month, at most three.”

The air was silent for a few seconds.

“It's not a matter of the deal,” the priest said slowly. “Yang Lie is only alive because he is sustained by the power of the Evil God. His heart, bones, and nerves all rely on the altar's energy to be maintained. If he leaves this place for more than half an hour, he will die.”

Shen Xiaochuan's brow furrowed slightly.

“You mean... if I take him away, he'll die on the spot?”

“Correct.”

He said nothing more.

The image of Yang Lie surfaced in his mind—the man who always stood in the shadows of the North Gate, never participating in victory banquets or accepting rewards, just standing guard there day after day like an unshakeable rock.

He had once thought it was loyalty. Now he understood it was imprisonment.

A person bound by power simply had no room for choice.

“Is there any other way?” he asked.

“No,” the priest replied bluntly. “Unless you can find an alternative energy source and rebuild his life System. But right now, you cannot do that.”

Shen Xiaochuan looked down at his hands.

faith points were steadily increasing, ticking up every second. He could exchange them for technology, weapons, skill books, and even summon Heroic Spirits to fight.

But he couldn't save one person.

At least not now.

He thought back to the victory banquet last night. The children sitting around roasting fish, their laughter crisp and clear. Lilith had handed him a piece of fish, its aroma just right. At that time, he felt everything was getting better—Skydome City was growing stronger every day, allies were increasing, and enemies were retreating.

He clenched his fist and said in a low voice, “I know what needs to be done next. NATO still has remnants, and new threats are emerging. The Azure Dragon Legion must be re-equipped as soon as possible.”

“I'll take the B-Rank mission.” He looked up. “The rare-grade Monster Offering Plan officially begins.”

The priest nodded.

“Mission registered. The first delivery must be completed within thirty days.”

A flash of light occurred as the information was entered into the System.

Shen Xiaochuan calculated in his mind: three thousand men wasn't many, but it was enough to turn the tide of battle at a critical moment, suitable for surprise attacks or holding key passes.

“Army support permissions activated,” the priest added. “Troops can be summoned at any location for a duration of seventy-two hours.”

Shen Xiaochuan noted the details.

“One more thing,” he said.

“Speak.”

“Can Yang Lie still fight?”

“He can. As long as he does not exceed a fifty-mile radius from the altar, he is safe.”

“Good,” he responded softly. “Then that's that.”

He turned to leave but stopped again.

“If one day I can create an alternative energy source, can he be free?”

The priest stared at him for several seconds.

“Theoretically, it is feasible. But you must reach the ‘God King’ level and obtain ‘Fate Reversal and Order Modification’ permissions. Until then, anyone who recklessly moves him dies.”

Shen Xiaochuan asked no more.

He walked to the front of his group, his steps heavier than when he had arrived.

The warriors were already lined up, awaiting orders.

He stood still, the blueprint for the Overlord Spear gripped tightly in his hand, his gaze cast toward the distant mountain ridge.

A person was standing there.

Wrapped in a black cloak, his figure upright; it was Yang Lie.

The two were separated by several hundred meters, and neither moved closer.

The wind swirled with dust.

Shen Xiaochuan raised his right hand and gave a light wave.

The figure moved as well, raising a hand in the same gesture.

Then he turned and vanished into the shadows of the rocks.

Shen Xiaochuan withdrew his gaze.

He knew that next, he had to go to the Southeast District to claim territory, build outposts, and fight for resource points. These things could not stop.

But he knew in his heart that some things were already different.

He was no longer fighting merely to become stronger.

He wanted to save people.

Even if the road ahead was long, fraught with danger, and seemingly endless.

He stood before the altar, not yet giving the order to set out.

On the distant horizon, the sun was slowly rising, suspended in the mid-sky.