263: You won't listen to reason, so you'll have to suffer the consequences? Then you might as well just die!

Jiangyuan City's Northern District.

Deep within the abandoned chemical factory.

This was originally Jiangyuan City's heavy industrial zone decades ago, but it has long since been abandoned.

Massive rusted pipes were haphazardly strung up in the air, resembling the ribs of a monster.

The broken factory windows looked like hollow eyes, staring into the dimness.

Thick layers of dust and oil stains covered the ground.

The air was filled with a strange mixed smell of rust and chemical residue.

Deepest inside the factory, a formerly massive reactor workshop had been completely renovated.

Dozens of black-robed Shadow Worship Cult Evil Cultivators were busy working around a massive Magic Formation.

They were chanting obscure Incantations in low voices, pouring jars of viscous Dark Shadow Energy into the rune grooves of the Magic Formation.

Or placing blood-stained artifacts onto specific nodes.

The atmosphere was oppressive and fanatical.

The leading Evil Cultivator was tall and thin, his face hidden in the shadow of his hood.

He held a twisted Bone Staff, the head of which was embedded with a constantly wriggling Shadow Gem.

He was precisely the Shadow Priest of the Shadow Worship Cult in Jiangyuan City—Shadow Priest.

"Hurry! Faster!" Shadow Priest's voice was hoarse and urgent, filled with a morbid excitement. "We must complete the final infusion before the 'Shadow Moon' fully rises!"

"As long as the Ritual succeeds, Lord Shadow Master will be able to project more power! By then, the entire Jiangyuan City will be shrouded in shadow, and everyone will become an inexhaustible source of fear for us!"

"And we will become Lord Shadow Master's most loyal servants, gaining supreme power and favor!"

Hearing this, the surrounding Evil Cultivators' eyes burst forth with greedy and fanatical light, and their movements sped up even more.

However, at this moment—

An Evil Cultivator responsible for the outer perimeter rushed in, stumbling and crawling, his face filled with terror:

"Lord Priest! This is bad! Team Three... Team Three's communication signal has completely vanished!"

"What?!" Shadow Priest suddenly turned his head, his ghastly green pupils contracting sharply.

The workshop instantly fell silent. All the Evil Cultivators stopped what they were doing and looked over with apprehension.

"The signal vanished? When did this happen?" Shadow Priest asked in a deep voice.

"J-just now!" The guarding Evil Cultivator's voice trembled. "According to the plan, Team Three should have been setting up the Auxiliary Magic Formation in the 'Old Street,' but their life signals and communication signals suddenly all cut off at the same time!"

"All cut off?" An Evil Cultivator cried out in surprise. "Team Three's leader is a Fifth Rank! Their strength is considerable, plus there are seven or eight Fourth Rank experts. How could they..."

"Could they have been discovered by the Spiritual Energy Bureau?" another Evil Cultivator asked nervously.

The Evil Cultivators began discussing amongst themselves, and panic started to spread.

Shadow Priest slammed his Bone Staff heavily onto the ground, producing a dull thud, and shouted sternly:

"All of you, shut up!"

A ghastly green spectral light shot out from his eyes, sweeping across the entire area and suppressing all the commotion.

"Why panic?! It's just the loss of one team!"

"Our operation was originally divided into multiple independent groups precisely to prevent the Spiritual Energy Bureau from netting us all at once!"

"As long as the Main Ritual is completed, all losses are worth it! Once Lord Shadow Master's power descends, the mere Spiritual Energy Bureau is nothing but a bunch of chickens and dogs!"

His voice was gloomy, carrying a forced sense of calmness:

"Now, all of you, focus your attention back on the Ritual! Speed up the progress! As soon as the Magic Formation is activated and Lord Shadow Master's power permeates, what do we have to fear?"

"By then, the Spiritual Energy Bureau? Let them send as many as they want; they will all die!"

Under Shadow Priest's stern reprimand and incitement, the Evil Cultivators reluctantly suppressed the unease in their hearts.

That's right, as long as the Ritual is completed.

If Lord Shadow Master descends, or even if only a portion of his power descends, it would be enough to sweep away the Jiangyuan City Spiritual Energy Bureau!

One team losing contact, while unexpected, was not unbearable.

Everyone took a deep breath, refocusing their attention on the large-scale Magic Formation that was about to be completed before them.

The chanting resumed, and the movements of the people became more hurried.

However, barely two minutes after they had stabilized their minds.

"Bang!!!"

The heavy, rusty iron door of the workshop suddenly let out a massive sound!

As if it had been struck fiercely by an invisible giant hammer.

The entire door panel was dented inward, twisted and deformed, its hinges broken, and it collapsed inward with a crash!

Amidst the spreading dust, a dozen fully armed figures wearing Spiritual Energy Bureau uniforms swiftly rushed into the workshop.

They spread out in a tactical formation, their Spiritual Energy Weapons all pointed at the central Magic Formation and the Evil Cultivators!

The Captain of the Spiritual Energy Bureau team, holding a megaphone, spoke in a loud and stern voice:

"Listen up, everyone inside! We are the Jiangyuan City Spiritual Energy Bureau!"

"You are suspected of illegal assembly, endangering public safety, conducting evil Rituals, kidnapping, and harming civilians!"

"We now order you to immediately put down your weapons, cease all Ritual activities, place your hands behind your head, squat where you are, and submit to investigation!"

"Repeat! Immediately cease resistance and surrender! Otherwise, we will employ compulsory measures!"

The people from the Spiritual Energy Bureau really came!

Moreover, they directly found the location of their most important Main Altar!

The Evil Cultivators inside the workshop instantly fell into chaos!

"The Spiritual Energy Bureau?! How did they find this place?!"

"It's over! The Main Altar has been discovered!"

"They don't have many people! Should we fight them off?!"

"Lord Priest! What should we do?!"

Shouts of panic rose again, and the calmness they had just barely managed to establish vanished completely.

Shadow Priest's expression under the shadow of his hood became extremely ugly. But as a leader, he forcefully suppressed his shock and anger, stepped forward, and spoke with a hoarse, mocking voice:

"Spiritual Energy Bureau running dogs! You certainly have sharp noses!"

"But with just this handful of people, you think you can interrupt Lord Shadow Master's Descent Ritual?"

He waved his Bone Staff, and the shadows around the workshop immediately began to writhe, revealing dozens of blurry, distorted human figures composed of pure Shadow Energy!

These black shadows let out silent shrieks, emanating a cold and wicked aura, and stood blocking the Evil Cultivators.

"Do you see? This is the place watched over by our Lord Shadow Master!"

Shadow Priest grinned maliciously: "If you don't want to die, then get out immediately!"

"Otherwise, once the Ritual is complete and Lord Shadow Master's power descends, all of you will become the freshest Blood Sacrifices on the altar!"

The Spiritual Energy Bureau Sub-Captain's expression became serious.

There were many Evil Cultivators before them, along with those bizarre Shadow Puppets.

A forced attack would likely result in considerable casualties.

Furthermore, it might provoke the enemy into desperation, causing them to prematurely activate part of the Ritual.

They were hesitant to act decisively.

However, just as the two sides were in a standoff and the atmosphere was extremely tense—

A voice, calm yet containing extreme disdain.

Like a phantom, it sounded without warning high up in the empty workshop:

"Heh!"

"Refusing the toast and choosing the penalty?"

"If the Spiritual Energy Bureau came, they might still take you back for questioning."

"But now, you should prepare to die."

The instant the voice fell!

"Whoosh—!"

A Blood-colored Silk Threads, condensed to the extreme and almost invisible to the naked eye, descended from above!

With unparalleled precision, it pierced through the body of the clamoring Shadow Priest!

The malicious grin on Shadow Priest's face instantly froze.

He widened his ghastly green eyes, his pupils reflecting endless terror and confusion.

He seemed to want to say something, but couldn't utter a single word.

The next second—

"Pfft!"

His entire body suddenly exploded, blood splattering, and his organs and flesh spilling onto the floor.