Chapter 00216: In the Darkness
# In the Darkness
Chapter 216
Novel: Above Destiny
Chapter 216: In the Darkness
In Quan City, it seemed as though the night was forever dark and the wind forever howling.
Strange streams of light continuously surged across the night sky, like auroras and neon lights thrown into a blender, mixed into a slurry, and then meticulously layered across the heavens.
It was nauseating, yet over time, the senses began to grow accustomed to it, even finding the scene somewhat ordinary.
Upon realizing this, Ji Jue couldn't help but feel a sense of vigilance.
The corruption of evil beings often crept in subtly.
It wasn't always something visible to the naked eye.
It could be a shared story at a sobriety meeting, a bizarre dream forgotten upon waking, an inconspicuous trinket at home, a strange tale in a book, or even a bowl of wonton noodles...
This was why it was called a "poisonous influence."
Before one even realized it, they would already be drifting toward the clutches of evil.
In the end, all it took was a single spark to ignite the tinder, and there would be no turning back.
Forty years ago, a change beneath the vortex caused a purple star to streak across the sky, shining brightly.
In the decade that followed, spontaneous corruption spread across the world...
All it took was a single glance.
The moment one's eyes were illuminated by that light, an unnatural longing and desire were planted deep within their soul, impossible to resist.
Lu Changsheng was thus crowned the Saint of Sacrifice, unifying the scattered and chaotic cults of evil.
Before that, he had been just an ordinary member among the middle and upper ranks, showing none of the impatience or ambition of his peers.
He was a master of patience, of slow and steady erosion.
Like water dripping on stone or a rope sawing through wood, his influence was subtle and relentless.
By the time you realized the ice had frozen three feet thick, it was already too late.
This was why, when he finally stepped into the spotlight and united such a massive force, openly confronting the Security Bureau, it sent shivers down everyone's spines.
What was he up to? What kind of drug was he on to play such a dangerous game?
Ji Jue had no idea how big Lu Changsheng's game was, but even the crumbs falling from his fingers were enough to crush them.
As a cold, eerie wind blew toward him, Ji Jue lay atop the ruins of a crumbling high-rise, raising his binoculars.
From this vantage point, the true horror of Quan City was laid bare.
Countless streams of light cascaded from the heavens like curtains, layer upon layer, shrouding the dark city.
Through that dreamlike veil of light, the world became twisted and grotesque.
In the realm of spiritual perception, vast ripples of energy continuously radiated from every corner of Quan City.
The entire city had long since become a playground for the cults of evil.
Now, as an invisible hand descended from the clouds, toying with the city, the dark streets revealed a suppressed frenzy and hunger lurking in the shadows.
Amid the distant rumbling, massive silhouettes loomed in the thick fog, gliding over the ruins.
Tentacles extended from the mist, greedily feeding on the surrounding mutated creatures, indulging in a gluttonous feast.
Meanwhile, a strange shadow that had once appeared unexpectedly now slithered across the ground, accompanied by faint cracking sounds as it moved.
In the empty streets and squares, enormous, broken statues would sometimes appear out of nowhere, their severed necks gushing with blood.
Without any visible action, one mutated head after another would inexplicably appear at their bases...
Everything in sight had become a pasture for evil creatures.
Those monstrous beings moved like cattle, docilely wandering through the darkness, lowering their heads to graze on the ever-sprouting grass, growing stronger by the minute.
Ji Jue deliberately avoided looking directly at those things, not daring to meet their gaze.
Who knew how sensitive their perception was? If just a glance was enough to lock onto him, he'd be delivering himself straight to their dinner table.
"Repairman in position," he whispered, lying at the edge of the building.
Through the reflection in his binoculars, he focused on an unremarkable structure below—Quan City Bank.
The desolate and dilapidated bank occupied the entire four-story building.
On the surrounding streets, shadowy figures occasionally flickered past.
Whenever a mutated moth flew by, a strange glow would emanate from the bank, effortlessly crushing the moth into pulp.
The entire bank was enveloped in a secret ritual, leaving no room for error.
Behind the tattered curtains, faint glimmers of light could be seen, but it was impossible to discern what was happening inside.
This was the weakest and most distant outpost that Tong Shan had identified during his reconnaissance.
Tong Shan and Xu Guan had burned four candles and spent hours observing the area, finally managing to piece together the situation inside through various methods.
Now, the cultists had gathered at the bank, not to apply for loans, but to transform the entire building into a sanctuary of evil, all in an effort to draw closer to the vortex and summon the blessings of higher evil beings.
Just like what Lian Cheng had done in the Time Ruins.
Under the rejection of the mortal world, Quan City, forcibly "floating" above, consumed an enormous amount of resources every day.
To avoid the astronomical costs that would make even celestial beings wince, they needed something to prop up the empty city—to serve as its pillars.
There were many methods to achieve this, and as a craftsman, Ji Jue could think of at least a dozen.
The simplest, of course, was the most heinous: the "living pillar" method, where thousands of lives were sacrificed to solve the problem.
The cults of evil weren't known for their moral high ground, but even they couldn't pull off such a massive and complex ritual.
Sacrifices couldn't be replaced with frozen chickens or ducks—they had to be fresh, and they had to meet specific criteria.
If they could quietly abduct over ten thousand living people from the Federation, why not use them for something else? Even if they were all sacrificed to forge weapons, they could produce six or seven mutated divine artifacts!
Since brute force wasn't an option, they had to rely on finesse.
Through rituals, they temporarily opened a gap in the vortex, like ice fishing, luring the ravenous higher evils to come up for a breath of fresh air.
The cults of evil had been doing this for years and had plenty of "connections" below.
They were so familiar with the process that a simple ring of a bell might be enough to signal the start of the feast.
In just a few hours, strange beams of light had shot up from various parts of Quan City, signifying the successful summoning of higher evils...
Like massive pillars, they rose from the ground, connecting with each other to form a stable structure, lifting Quan City firmly into place.
This bank was one of the few places that hadn't yet shown any activity... and it didn't have any high-ranking powerhouses stationed inside.
If they could successfully cleanse this place and sever this pillar, not only would the resonance and connection between the higher evils be disrupted, but the cults of evil would also face even greater pressure in keeping Quan City afloat.
Never mind the massive resources required for such a project—just like a building with more than one load-bearing wall, losing even one could turn the entire structure into a death trap.
Cutting off one of their legs would make the rest easier—just kick the other one and they'd be done for.
In his earpiece, voices crackled through with heavy interference.
"Big Brother, in position."
"Garlic Peeler, in position."
"Iron Man, in position."
"Melon Eater, in position."
Then, Lou Feng's voice, barely suppressing his embarrassment: "Big... Water Pipe, in position."
Finally, after a long silence, a reluctant voice dragged out: "... Plant, in position."
A snort of laughter escaped someone who forgot to mute their mic.
After all, codenames were chosen by others, and the person in question had no say in the matter.
It was like a little game to lighten the mood before a big battle.
No matter how serious Tong Plant was, he couldn't stop everyone from finding a bit of humor in their dire situation.
Despite his vehement objections, the team had unanimously voted for the name, leaving him no choice but to accept it.
"A vehicle's approaching. Everyone, stay alert," Xu Guan, aka Melon Eater, whispered over the comms.
"Repairman, ready?"
"Ready."
Ji Jue grinned, pulling back the bolt of his rifle.
Lying on a soft mercury dust cover, he adjusted his aim toward a beat-up truck rumbling down the distant street.
He couldn't help but frown.
What a piece of junk...
Couldn't the cults of evil find even one person who knew how to fix a car? From the tires to the suspension to the chassis, there wasn't a single part that looked decent.
It was probably cobbled together from scraps found in Quan City's garbage dumps.
If it managed to keep moving for another second, it would be a miracle.
As the truck came to a stop, a group of disheveled people climbed out of the back.
They were emaciated, some already mutated and on the verge of death from the corruption.
Despite their ragged appearance and desperate conditions, their faces were filled with an almost fanatical joy as they rushed toward the bank.
Ji Jue sighed silently.
"Don't feel sorry for them. These are the cult's fanatics. There's no saving them," Tong Shan's voice came through the comms.
"Even if you pulled them out of the fire, they'd just curse you for interfering with their path to paradise."
"I know."
Without hesitation, Ji Jue pressed the detonator.
In the distance, a crumbling ruin suddenly exploded, collapsing in a cloud of dust.
The loud noise caused chaos among the crowd on the street, with screams erupting everywhere.
The sudden disturbance drew attention from all directions.
Even the streams of light in the sky seemed to ripple as they scanned the area.
But soon, the attention faded.
It was just another collapsing building—a common sight in Quan City.
Ji Jue had spent hours calculating the precise amount of explosives needed, leaving no trace behind.
As the building fell, the loud noise masked the suppressed gunshot from Ji Jue's rifle.
The makeshift mercury suppressor and reduced gunpowder load made the shot almost silent—like a muffled fart.
The bullet flew through the air, rapidly disintegrating into a trail of dust.
When it hit, a skinny man in the crowd stumbled and fell to the ground, unharmed.
He thought someone had pushed him in the chaos.
After getting up and dusting himself off, he glared around, muttering something under his breath but not daring to make a scene.
This was the holy ground, after all.
Who would dare cause trouble here? A minor punishment was nothing compared to losing the chance to serve their master.
And so, with dreams of paradise and endless desires in their hearts, the crowd eagerly lined up behind their guide, happily marching into the darkness of the bank.
Like livestock heading to the slaughterhouse.
As the man entered the bank, he absentmindedly scratched his back, feeling a slight itch.
No one noticed the handprint that had appeared on his tattered, stinking clothes.
...
"Damn it! It's been so long, and still nothing!" In the bank's basement, an enraged priest roared.
"Does no one care anymore? Stop playing dead and speak up!"
Around the blood-soaked altar, the ritualists were drenched in sweat, keeping their heads down and staying silent.
Only the priest's most trusted subordinate dared to speak up.
"Please, Your Eminence, we've followed all the usual procedures. By now, the Lord should have descended, but... but..."
But no matter how many offerings they sent up, no matter how much incense they burned or how many times they kowtowed, the higher evil that had always been so responsive remained silent.
Could it be that, at this critical moment, they were being extorted for a higher price?
"It must be the Wheel-Turning Sacred King testing us!" the subordinate stammered.
"Once we send up this new batch of offerings, the Sacred King will surely be pleased and grant us even greater favor."
The priest glared at him, his eyes bloodshot.
At this point, that was the only explanation.
No matter how fervently they called out or how many offerings they presented, the Sacred King, who had always been so responsive, remained utterly silent.
The priest suddenly demanded, "Did any of you break the rules? Did you offend the Lord?!"
"It must be that bastard Lian Cheng's fault!"
In a panic, the subordinate immediately shifted the blame to the dead.
"Ever since that incident a while ago, the Sacred King's responses have been fewer and fewer, until now, when there's nothing at all. That dog must have somehow angered the Sacred King!"
"What's the point of saying that now?" the priest snapped.
"Increase the scale. Offer more sacrifices. Gather all the believers—if the Sacred King won't come willingly, we'll have to force Him!"
"But... but..." the subordinate stammered.
"What if the Sacred King gets angry?"
"What are sacrifices for, then?" the priest coldly retorted.
"What are you worried about? Your precious believers? If this fails, do you know what will happen to you? High-quality lambs like you aren't easy to find!"
Under the priest's menacing words, the subordinate trembled and quickly bowed his head, no longer hesitating.
One by one, the believers were driven onto the altar.
Some cried and struggled, others eagerly rushed forward, while a few hesitated in fear...
But no matter their initial reaction, once they were placed on the massive altar, they fell into a state of delirium and illusion, ecstatically disintegrating into nothingness.
Their essence was devoured by unseen forces, leaving only sticky blood dripping from the "plates"...
In the midst of this, one of the ritualists suddenly shivered, as if hearing... laughter?
On the previously empty wall, a dilapidated door suddenly appeared, swinging open.
Behind the tattered curtain, darkness swirled.
A pale, smiling face slowly emerged, staring directly at him.
(End of Chapter)