Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao-Chapter 301 - 79: Terrifying
They were the offerings for this sacrifice, to be hung above the fire, their throats slit so that their fresh blood would stream into the raging flames. This was the Fire Dance Sacrifice, both cruel and spectacular.
In the midst of the crowd’s cheering, those with terror on their faces were hoisted into the air; blood started flowing into the flames below. When the vivid red blood touched the fire, a red silhouette flashed, revealing the figure of a traitor. This was the Divine Spirit using special means to trace the past, seeking out the one who could thwart the Divine Spirit’s designs.
Witnessing this miraculous scene, everyone knelt down, singing praises of the Divine Spirit’s greatness. It was a display of supreme power only a mighty and sacred deity could possess.
Some, upon seeing this scene, instantly broke out in sweat the size of soybeans on their foreheads. They dared not wipe it away, allowing the beads to roll down to their mouths. The salty taste stimulated their taste buds, causing their throats to move slightly, yet they dared not make a sound. Instead, they bowed their heads in fear. The might of the Divine Spirit was beyond their imagination; they always felt their clandestine actions were under the Divine Spirit’s scrutiny.
The High Priest looked down, pleased with the reaction of the people below. At times like this, the unrivaled authority of the Divine Spirit was needed to boost morale and deter the petty. And, by all appearances, the effect was indeed excellent. Those who were secretly plotting to seize control of the Temple were clearly frightened.
However, the High Priest had no intention of exposing them, letting them harbor the most beautiful of hopes; for it is only from the most splendid hopes that the deepest despair can be wrought, a scene that is undoubtedly the most beautiful chapter in the world. Each time it made the High Priest forget his age, as if he were young once more.
The red silhouette flickered incessantly and eventually revealed an unfamiliar figure in a green robe, yet the face remained unclear.
"There he is, the one who helped the sinners!" The High Priest held his breath, preparing to delve into the mystery and see who was so audacious to help those two sinners, thus blaspheming against the mighty Divine Spirit.
Suddenly, above the silhouette, there appeared an immense seascape; it seemed as if the audience could hear the roaring waves. Nanzhao was a landlocked mountainous kingdom, nestled among rugged ranges, so no one had ever seen the ocean. However, there were those who had traveled far and wide who recognized the scene before them.
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"This is the ocean!" someone murmured.
Without warning, the tranquil sea before their eyes began to surge with massive waves, as if the great swells were about to engulf them all. An enormous force, seemingly transcending time and space, descended upon the Kingdom of Nanzhao, and the people felt a tremendous pressure from above, their bodies uncontrollably driven to the ground.
The mountain-like force pressed on everyone’s back, making even lifting their heads extremely difficult. The High Priest, straining, attempted to stand, but the heavy force pinned him down firmly, rendering him immobile. He struggled to lift his head, looking towards the nearby Temple, hoping for assistance from the Divine Spirit—however, there was no response from the Divine Spirit within the grand hall, a being of infinite might.
For the others, the situation sparked limitless fear in the depths of their hearts. This powerful force and presence rivalled that of a deity—no, it was even more potent than any deity could be. And this was not within the confines of a Temple, but across thousands of miles, an effortless show of strength.
Who exactly was this figure in the green robe, with an indistinct face? The believers felt as if their very heavens had collapsed. The Divine Spirit, once thought to be the strongest entity in the world, seemed not to be as invincible as they had been led to believe.
There were still powerful beings in the world like the man in the green robe, entities that transcended the Divine Spirit. Suddenly, many began to entertain different thoughts, wondering if beyond the mountains of the Kingdom of Nanzhao, there existed a vast and splendid world; that the universe they had seen was but the tip of an iceberg in an expansive cosmos.
Thus, for the first time, some young people felt a desire from the bottom of their hearts to venture outside, to witness the true expanse of the world. This desire flickered and smoldered within them like a flame, filling their eyes with a yearning fire, the only thing missing was the reverence for the Divine Spirit.
When reverence for the Divine Spirit vanished, then the Priests who served as the hands of the great Divine Spirit and supervised all creatures, lost their purpose; and at that time, all the past transgressions would assail them from all directions.
The High Priest seemed to have already foreseen that desperate image, as he vehemently shook his head, his aged face flushing slightly, emitting a raspy sound from his mouth, and even blood slowly spilled from his lips. He wanted to loudly denounce the desire in those people’s eyes.
To make them reclaim their fear of the Divine Spirit, to extinguish the wild ambitions in their hearts, only then would he remain the supreme High Priest of the Kingdom of Nanzhao, able to enjoy the riches offered by countless believers, respected and feared by all, even the King of Nanzhao had to bow his proud head before him.
"It cannot be, absolutely not," the High Priest uttered with difficulty, a hoarse voice emerging from his throat as blood stained the corner of his mouth; his eyes already filled with bloodshot veins, veins bulging in his hands, and on the Green Stone Slab below were the bloody scratches he had desperately made.
The flames still burned quietly; the person offered as a sacrifice had long since died from excessive blood loss, no more blood dripping onto the flames, and the giant shadow also slowly disappeared.
The pressure that was like a mountain vanished in an instant, but this scene caused even greater despair among the Priests.
Because it meant the man in the green robe hadn’t even made a deliberate move. These people were only suppressed because they had attempted to pry; it also meant that this mysterious man in the green robe was far stronger than the Divine Spirit they worshipped.
For a devout believer who had always firmly believed that their worshipped Divine Spirit was the strongest existence in the world, this was akin to the sky collapsing, the consequences of shaking faith were extremely terrifying, something personnel like the High Priest could never accept.
As the aged High Priest slowly rose from the ground, he was met with bewildered and fearful looks from the crowd.
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The old man, covered in blood and standing unsteadily, cast his bloodshot eyes around the room, prompting everyone to involuntarily lower their heads; this was the man who had held the highest power in Nanzhao for so many years.
The scene restored confidence in the elder. He gave a slight cough, clearing the damage to his throat caused by his previous forceful speech.
He solemnly said, "My believers, do not panic, the Evil Demon may be powerful, but the great Divine Spirit has always sheltered us from the demon’s invasion."
