155: The consciousness of the evil god

The headquarters of the Evil God Cult.

The core sanctuary in the deepest depths.

Unlike the world outside, where the heavens and earth shook and flesh and blood flew everywhere...

The atmosphere here was as oppressive as the dead silence before a storm, yet it carried a morbid, fanatical concentration.

A massive altar occupied the core of the entire sanctuary.

Upon the altar were inscribed evil runes so intricate they would make one's head spin.

At this moment, they were emitting a faint, ominous glow.

The air was thick with the heavy scent of blood and a strange, foul odor that smelled like rotting flesh.

The leader of the Evil God Cult, along with over ten high-ranking core members and hundreds of elite cultists, were currently sitting in a circle around the altar.

However, their faces no longer held their usual sinister gloom and majesty.

Only an unmaskable anxiety remained, along with a madness born of being driven into a corner.

"Boom—!!!"

Another dull, thunderous roar came from outside, accompanied by a faint, shrill scream that was abruptly cut short.

The entire underground space vibrated violently, and dust and gravel fell from the ceiling in a rustling cascade.

The flickering dim flames on the altar wavered unsteadily.

"They're... they're one step closer!" An Elder in black robes spoke with a trembling voice, his face as pale as paper.

"They're about to break in! That Chen Nian, those dogs from the Spiritual Energy Bureau, how can they be so fast?!"

"Our layers of defense, those armies of Demonic Evils, those Restrictions—are they all made of paper?!"

Everyone's gaze instinctively turned toward the leader sitting at the head of the altar.

The leader's hood had long been removed, revealing a pale and distorted face.

His eyes were bloodshot, but deep within them burned a hysterical, desperate flame.

He knew that fear had consumed most of them.

What they needed now was a shot in the arm, a hope for everyone to grasp, even if it was just an illusion!

"All of you, shut up!" the leader barked, forcibly suppressing the noise and panic.

"What are you panicking for?! If we lose our composure, we'll die even faster!"

His cold gaze swept across every terrified face.

"Don't forget who we are. We are the most loyal servants of the Holy God; we possess the greatest power in this world!"

He suddenly pointed at the altar beneath his feet, his voice becoming shrill with excitement:

"The ritual! As long as we complete the final Sacrificial Summoning Ritual to welcome the Holy God's true body into this realm!"

"At that time, whether it's Chen Nian or the Spiritual Energy Bureau, before a true deity, they will all be insignificant dust that can be extinguished with a flick of a finger!"

"This is our only way to survive, and our only chance to take revenge on those blasphemers!"

The leader's words were like a stimulant, causing the eyes of the despairing crowd to refocus.

Yes, they still had one last card!

They still had the Holy God!

Although the ritual wasn't fully prepared and a forced summoning carried immense risk—perhaps even consuming the summoners first—

They were dead either way, so they might as well bet everything on summoning the Evil God!

As long as the Evil God successfully descended, even if it was only a portion of its power, it would be enough to crush all enemies!

The desire for survival overrode everything else.

"The leader is right, let's fight them!"

"For the Holy God, give everything!"

"Summon the Holy God, kill them all!"

Despair quickly transformed into a fanatical spirit of sacrifice, a determination to burn their bridges.

In the eyes of all the Evil Cultivators, the flames of madness burned once more.

"Good!" Seeing this, the leader immediately ordered: "Everyone, to your positions! Put all your effort into activating the altar."

"Offer all your power, all your Souls, and all your loyalty to the Holy God!"

"Yes!!"

Everyone responded in unison.

At the same time, their hands formed complex and eerie hand seals, and their mouths began to chant ancient and solemn prayers.

The next second.

"Vroom—!!!"

The entire altar shook violently.

The runes that had been faintly flickering instantly erupted with a blinding blood-red light!

Countless distorted phantom images emerged from the runes, only to be crushed and absorbed by an even greater power.

At the center of the altar, a pitch-black vortex that seemed capable of swallowing everything slowly rose, growing larger and larger.

"Rumble..."

The vibrations of the entire space became more intense, as if some gargantuan entity were being forcibly released from the void.

The evil aura permeating the air surged exponentially, becoming so thick it was almost impossible to breathe.

Cold, chaotic, and malicious whispers rang out directly in everyone's minds, battering their sanity.

Anomalies appeared one after another!

The energy fluctuations had reached a point of extreme violent frenzy!

Finally—

"Vroom!!!!!"

A terrifyingly powerful energy wave suddenly erupted from the black hole at the center of the altar!

All the anomalies, all the whispers, and all the vibrations came to an abrupt halt at this moment.

Time seemed to freeze.

The next second.

An indescribable, vast, ancient, and cold will, filled with endless chaos and greed...

Slowly reached out from within that black hole, instantly enveloping the entire altar.

That will didn't even have a concrete form, yet it caused all the Evil Cultivators present to instantly stiffen.

Their Souls were trembling; it was the instinctive fear of a lower life form facing a supreme existence!

However, this fear was quickly replaced by wild joy!

"Ho... Holy God! It's the Holy God's will!" The leader was the first to react, so excited he nearly fainted.

He threw himself onto the ground in a full prostration, using the most humble and pious posture to press his forehead firmly against the cold floor.

His voice was distorted by extreme awe:

"Welcome, Holy God! Your most humble and loyal servant begs for your gaze!"

The other Evil Cultivators also snapped out of it, kneeling and prostrating themselves in the most respectful manner, incoherently repeating words of praise and welcome.

A voice full of majesty boomed throughout the sanctuary:

[Is it you who calls upon Us? For what purpose?]

The voice contained no emotion, yet it carried a pressure that could cause one's mind to collapse.

The leader was scared out of his wits, his Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering as he quickly looked up and reported respectfully:

"Great Holy God! Your humble servants are currently facing a powerful enemy! A monster named Chen Nian, he... he's about to break in!"

"He is incredibly powerful; he has slaughtered countless of your servants and destroyed our defenses! We... we have no way to retreat!"

"We beg for the Holy God's mercy! Save your most loyal servants! As long as you bestow your Divine Power, we will surely sacrifice all those blasphemers to you!"

[Chen Nian?]

[Blasphemers... shall be annihilated...]

That grand voice seemed to ripple with a nearly imperceptible wave, but it quickly returned to indifference.

[Our true body is still blocked by the barriers of this realm... Our descent will still take a moment...]

Hearing that the Evil God's true body could not descend immediately...

The sliver of hope that had just risen in everyone's hearts was instantly overshadowed, and despair resurfaced on their faces.

However, the voice continued:

[But, to grant you power is not impossible...]

In the next moment, an indescribable, pure, yet extremely sinister and cold torrent of energy...

Suddenly surged out from that black hole like a bursting flood, instantly pouring into the body of every Evil Cultivator on the altar!

"Arghhhhh—!!"

Everyone let out a roar that was a mix of pain and wild joy at the same time!

Their bodies twitched and swelled violently, and pitch-black, wriggling runes appeared on the surface of their skin.

Their power surged at an unprecedented speed, climbing higher and higher!

The sensation of boundless power filled their limbs and bones, bringing with it an illusion of near-invincibility!

"Power! Infinite power!"

"Thank you for the Holy God's gift! Thank you, Holy God!"

"Hahahahaha! Chen Nian! You're dead! With the blessing of the Holy God's great power, let's see how arrogant you can still be!"

The Evil Cultivators who had just been kneeling and crying for help now stood up one after another.

They felt the terrifying power coursing through their bodies, as if it could destroy everything.

The fear and humility on their faces vanished, replaced by extreme arrogance and ferocity!

They felt like they were capable again!

Possessing such Divine Power, even if that Chen Nian was stronger, they had the strength to fight!

They might even be able to twist his head off and offer it to the great Holy God!