Chapter 17

That group of people was dressed very strangely. It seemed like the kind of ceremonial robes worn by religious personnel. However, their clothes were all dark red, with several large eyes embroidered on them, giving off a bone-chilling feeling. The long robes trailed to the ground, and on their heads were pointed hoods that covered most of their faces. From a distance, a gloomy atmosphere enveloped them.

The place where Ji Ran was hiding offered a clear view of Uncle Lai Si. He noticed that after Uncle Lai Si saw the clothes of those people, he suddenly gripped the hilt of his bone-blade sword tightly. The force was so great that the veins on the back of his hand bulged. It was clear that he knew who these strange people were... and they were likely his enemies!

However, Uncle Lai Si seemed to have controlled his emotions. Although his arm holding the sword was trembling slightly, he ultimately restrained himself and did not attack those people.

The hiding places of the group were quite concealed, and those people did not seem to be searching the surroundings very carefully. They walked past the group, chatting as they went.

"This time, our cult can summon another great true god's avatar. Our cult's power is growing stronger and stronger!"

"That's right, the true god will ultimately descend upon this world! Let those insignificant mortals bow down in worship!"

"This world needs a true god! Without a true god, we will ultimately be destroyed! The cult is supreme and will surely bring the entire world under the true god's light!"

True god? What is that? Ji Ran was puzzled. He had heard from Lai Si and others that there were churches in this world, but they did not worship a specific deity, but rather something called "Holy Light." This church was the largest force in the human-controlled areas and had a good reputation. Unlike the corrupt and bloated organizations in the novels he had read, this church was generally well-regarded by the public, though there were a few bad apples. However, the overall impression of the church was positive.

But where did this so-called true god come from? Although he had heard that elves and dwarves also worshipped deities, they had never tried to bring a deity to this world...

As they talked and walked, it seemed they were patrolling, but they were too excited to pay much attention to their surroundings and soon walked away. After they disappeared from sight, the group gathered around Uncle Lai Si.

"That's right, they are the True God Cult!" Uncle Lai Si's face was so gloomy it seemed to be dripping with water. The words "True God Cult" seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth.

"True God Cult? The cult that performed a blood sacrifice on an entire town and killed over ten thousand people over a decade ago?" Beck's eyes widened.

Aileen sniffed. "No wonder the smell here is so foul. The True God Cult claims to summon the true god's avatar, but in reality, they summon evil beings from other planes, which are completely out of place in this world. Such a violation of nature is even more repulsive to us elves than a rotting corpse!"

Lai Si nodded. "That's right, it's that notorious cult. I thought that after the Holy Light Church found out about their blood sacrifice in the town, they were struck by all the forces on the continent and were completely destroyed. I never expected that they were still hiding in the shadows and have now risen from the ashes!" The mention of the True God Cult made Lai Si clench his teeth in anger.

"Then, the avatars they talk about summoning, are they those evil beings?" Ban looked in the direction the group had gone, tightening his grip on his sword and shield.

"In a way, you could say those beings are their true gods. They devote their entire being to worshipping that existence, so naturally, that existence is their god. And that evil being indeed has countless avatars. Although each individual avatar is weak, if they merge, their power can gradually grow to the Gold Tier, and even beyond..." Lai Si seemed to recall something, and his hands trembled more and more.

"Gold Tier?! No way, those guys could easily wipe us out with a single move..." Beck's eyes widened.

"Not immediately at the Gold Tier. When first summoned, the avatars are at the lowest levels, one or two, and the highest are four or five. Merging the avatars is very difficult because each avatar has its own consciousness and wants to devour others rather than be devoured... Each devouring is accompanied by a brutal battle." Lai Si continued to explain.

"Hmm, the cult could control it, right? Summon two avatars, weaken one, and let the other devour it..." Beck was still curious.

"That's not possible. The cult members dare not personally deal with those evil avatars. After devouring, although the consciousness is merged, the subconscious hatred remains. Such a merged avatar would eventually develop a hatred for the cult and might go mad and kill the cult members..." Lai Si shook his head. It was clear he had a deep understanding of the cult.

"Indeed, they are evil beings. Even the merging process involves mutual slaughter... So, Uncle Lai Si, what do we do next? Leave here, or..." Ji Ran was observing the surroundings to avoid being discovered by the cult members. However, they needed a plan for their next move.

"I have an irreconcilable hatred with the cult. No matter what, I have to go and take a look. If they are beyond our ability to handle, I will take you all and leave immediately. But if there's a chance to take them down..." Lai Si looked in the direction the group had gone—toward the white light—and gripped his bone-blade sword tightly.

"This is troublesome. Alright, let's go and take a look to avoid our leader getting restless or abandoning us to do something reckless." Aileen sighed and waved her arm.

"Hu Luo, go and scout ahead!"

So, Hu Luo, who had been circling above the group, flew over the forest and headed straight forward.

The group moved cautiously through the forest. Aileen, an elf ranger, did not have the ability to communicate with animals like a druid, but she had a mental connection with her partner. Although the information she received was not very detailed, the general situation was clear.

"Be careful... there's a valley ahead, and there are people inside, dressed similarly to those we just saw..." Suddenly, Aileen bent down, using the dense grass to hide her and gesturing to the others behind her.

The others immediately understood and hid themselves, then slowly moved forward.

Indeed, there was a small valley ahead, with the grass and trees in the center cleared away. However, the tall trees around it made the valley quite hidden.

The group reached a high point and, using a large rock for cover, peered into the valley.

Inside the valley was a large stone altar with complex patterns forming a large circle. The patterns were clearly dark red, the color of blood.

The patterns were carved into the stone, and the dark red blood filled the grooves. In a corner of the valley, a pile of corpses was haphazardly thrown—both monsters and humans.

The monsters were mostly level three or four. The humans, from their clothing, were clearly adventurers—unlucky souls captured by the True God Cult.

The summoning ritual seemed to be halfway through. Above the altar, a faint white light was shining, and within that light, a roughly human-shaped shadow was gradually becoming more solid.

In front of the altar, about ten people dressed in dark red robes with eyes embroidered on them were kneeling. In front of them, a man with more elaborate and luxurious clothing was holding an open book and chanting something toward the altar. At this distance, Ji Ran couldn't hear the words clearly.

"It seems to be a spell... mostly praising the so-called true god." Others couldn't hear, but Aileen could. Elves have naturally keen hearing, as evident from their pointed ears.

"The ritual isn't complete yet! That white light is probably just the consciousness of the so-called true god's avatar. They are now summoning the physical form. If we interrupt them..." Lai Si's eyes gradually turned red as he stared at the shadow in the white light.

"What's the strength of those people?" Ji Ran was more concerned about other issues. After all, this was the first time he had heard of the True God Cult, and he didn't have a deep-seated hatred for them, so he wasn't as affected. Although the pile of corpses was disgusting, he had worked in a medical school and helped move bodies before...

"Most are below level four, with only the high priest in front at level five. However, he is at a critical point and cannot afford to be distracted. If we act quickly enough, there might be a chance..." Lai Si muttered, seemingly unable to contain his desire to fight.

Ji Ran didn't understand why Lai Si was so agitated, why he would risk his own safety—and even the safety of his teammates—just to see the True God Cult. But from the current situation, there was no way to make Lai Si give up the fight.

To be honest, Ji Ran didn't want to get involved in this trouble. This wasn't a game but reality, where life only had one chance. Engaging in a clearly over-leveled fight—especially a group fight—could easily cost him his life. However, he couldn't back down now.

Over the past month, he had formed deep bonds with the group. Whether it was Uncle Lai Si, the brothers Ban and Beck, the sharp-tongued elf Aileen, or the shy young mage Lydia, they all made him feel a warmth like family.

And he hadn't felt that warmth in a long time—since the day his parents died.

In this situation, how could he leave alone?

But Lai Si's emotions were clearly off, and he needed to be reminded.

"Uncle Lai Si, calm down! Even if you want revenge, consider your own safety! Rushing in recklessly might not only fail to get your revenge but also cost us our lives! If we must fight, we need to be prepared!" Ji Ran whispered loudly in Lai Si's ear.

Lai Si's body trembled as if he had suddenly woken from a strange state. The redness in his eyes gradually faded, and he looked at the True God Cult members in front of him and then at his companions.

"...Let's go. Don't engage them directly... with our strength, it's hard to escape unscathed. We'll return and report their presence to the Holy Light Church. They are the experts in dealing with these people..." Lai Si suddenly waved his hand firmly.

"...A wise decision. At least the anger hasn't clouded your judgment." Aileen was still making sarcastic comments, but Ji Ran could see that the corners of her mouth were slightly curved, clearly showing relief.

"I'm sorry, I was impulsive. Seeing those True God Cult members made me lose my rationality... Now is not the time for us to confront them directly. Let's go!" Lai Si turned and left the large rock, leading the group away.

At that moment, the shadow in the light suddenly raised its head and looked in their direction.