Chapter 214: Slipping the Net

Chapter 214: Slipping the Net

Indeed, all of them, without exception, believed themselves to be the righteous ones. While better sacrifices for the Evil God were preferred, the appearance of those Cultists in other Cults… well, let’s not even mention it. Besides being able to move relatively freely in places resembling sewers, were they to reveal themselves anywhere else just a bit, under the radiance of the Sanctuary Church, within seconds a huge crowd would report them, lining up, eager to receive the bounty!

Under these circumstances, finding high-quality sacrifices was incredibly difficult for them. They could only rely on ordinary people, stacking up numbers. The consequence of this was increased risk. As for formidable individuals? Even if they could manage to kill such a person, capturing them alive was another level of trouble and not just a matter of difficulty. Using Magical Beasts? Well, the Cultists who tried that were all dead…

And what about them? They had no need for that method at all! Seek out weaker prey? Cutting them down genuinely consumed more energy than it provided as gain. Besides, wasn’t it shameful to pick on those clearly weaker? Of course, they sought out the strong ones to fight. They didn’t even need to worry about taking them alive; just killing them by cutting them down was sufficient.

Take a look at their condition now. Each one was physically powerful and robust. For instance, the young man still standing at the end in this room, who hadn’t been with them for long. Previously, he lived in the Slums, thin and weak like a straw, easily blown down by the wind. And now? His whole body seemed pumped full of hormones—lean, powerful, and muscular. All this transformation had taken less than a week. This rate of improvement was already top-tier among Demon Sword Cultists.

Besides the regular rituals they performed during this gathering, the leading Demon Sword Cultist had planned to take him back to the headquarters. Such a promising seedling deserved further nurturing.

“Attack!” The leading man roared after glancing at the Sanctuary Church members surrounding them. Their presence meant the entire area was sealed off. Hesitation would only lead to more trouble. Though the Church members outnumbered them many times over and each was an elite, so what? Demon Sword Cultists did not fear challenges. Especially after invoking the power of the Demon Sword Sect’s Evil God, their thinking remained relatively clear, yet their emotions became impulsive, battle-hungry, and their capacity for fear drastically diminished.

Even if there were twice as many Sanctuary Church members here, they would still dare to charge forward. The idea of seeing an overwhelming number of enemies and cowering in fear, or even contemplating surrender? Unthinkable! For Cultists facing doom, they only erupt with even more ferocious power; surrender isn’t an option. Affected by the Evil God’s power, their minds hardly comprehended surrender. Their main thought was how to take down the big boss with them before dying.

Every Demon Sword Cultist inside the house ignited their power. The vast reservoir of Blood Essence accumulated through slaughter and the Evil God’s influence boiled violently, turning their skin a deep, blood-red. Their already formidable bodies grew even stronger. Thin wisps of Blood Essence emanated from their pores, swirling around them. These Blood Essence fumes shouldn’t be underestimated.

Achille had eliminated Demon Sword Cultist groups twice before. This Blood Essence layer was similar to a Mage’s Shield or a Battle Qi Warrior’s Battle Qi defense. Moreover, it represented a novel power… even a new power system. It didn’t belong to Mana, leaning more towards Battle Qi. But this power was definitely unleashed by burning blood, containing elements of the Bloodthirst Curse. Using this power without a source of replenishing blood meant it would forcibly burn the user’s Life Force. If not stopped, it could literally scorch the user dry of all their blood!

This was precisely why Demon Sword Cultists always targeted powerful individuals. To rely on the Demon Sword Sect’s Evil God’s Power to grow stronger, they had to kill while in this state. Preying on the excessively weak yielded less Blood Essence than what they consumed to activate their state. Only opponents sufficiently powerful or close to their own strength could replenish the loss and bring actual improvement.

In Achille’s view… compared to other extremely dark Cults, this Sect seemed somewhat ‘cleaner’. Not every member deserved burning at the stake ten times over. Yet, they remained a Cult… and thus had to be eradicated. While their current development followed this pattern, who could guarantee it wouldn’t change in the future?

An encirclement unfolded. The surrounding residents had long been evacuated, so both sides fought without restraint—a pure, brutal clash. Each Demon Sword Cultist possessed immense Life Force. Even stabbed through the heart, their surging Blood Essence prevented immediate death. If they managed to kill an enemy while holding on, it could actually help heal their own wounds.

They were notoriously difficult to handle. There was a very real risk of becoming the Cultists’ portable blood bank. However, their Cult had only been developing for a short time. The strongest member here was the leader. His strength was indeed impressive, surpassing some Ranked Practitioners. Unfortunately, while this world acknowledged the power of numbers, individual prowess often dictated the outcome of a battle.

The leader was pinned to the ground by several light spears conjured by Achille. Undeterred by the assault, the man grew even more ferocious. Burning massive amounts of Blood Essence, the sursing energy shattered the light spears. Then, the writhing blood-red energy spontaneously coalesced into a Blood Qi Blade in his hand, replacing his weapon destroyed by the spears!

The Blood Qi Blade cleaved into a Sanctuary Church combatant nearby. The victim’s body rapidly desiccated, while the aura of Blood Essence swirling around the leader intensified significantly. Though his personal performance was impressive, without absolute supremacy, it couldn’t change everything. By the time he managed to regain clarity from his battle frenzy, only four other Cultists besides himself remained standing.

Three of the surviving cultists were still fighting wildly, though their withered forms suggested they wouldn’t last much longer. The fifth was the promising young man he favored. Remarkably, while harnessing the Evil God’s Power and burning his own Blood Essence, the young man could suppress the violent impulses and fight with a clear mind. Just this ability made him vastly superior to the leader. The leader had regained clarity purely because he was heavily targeted, sustaining cumulative injuries too severe to survive.

Looking around… it was shameful. After all that fighting, they hadn’t even achieved a single exchange—one kill for their own loss! These Demon Sword Cultists were still too green… Given more time developing, the outcome would absolutely not have been like this.

“Hahaha! Come on! More!!” Feeling his life slipping away, the man let out a crazed laugh. Instead of stopping the burning of his Blood Essence, he forcibly increased its rate. The Blood Qi Blade reformed in his grasp. With a swing, he bisected several Church combatants caught off guard beside him. His dangerously depleted blood reserves from overburning were partially replenished. His strength saw a slight increase, and some of his wounds even eased slightly.

Killing ten or eight more enemies might just pull him back from the brink of death. But with the Church commander (Achille) watching closely, the man knew this was a delusion. He was definitely dying today. Once his body recovered somewhat, he became even more reckless, amplifying the power bestowed by the Evil God’s Magic Sword influence. The blood mist around him thickened, becoming almost tangible. This time, he didn’t fall back into madness, but deliberately maneuvered towards the young man. Grabbing the young man by the collar, he fiercely charged outward.

He even endured attacks meant to block him—from Achille and others—which violently dragged his body, barely escaped from death’s shadow, straight back into mortal danger: “Damn it! Way too well prepared!”

Seeing the Magic Barrier sealing the area before them, the leader turned back to glare at the pursuing Sanctuary Church forces and cursed. He grabbed the wrist of the young man, who still held his own Blood Qi Blade, and forced it deep into his own chest! “I won’t die by your hands, kid! Don’t forget to hack that pretty boy bitch two extra times for me later!”

The irregular Blood Qi Blade in the man’s own grasp shifted from deep crimson to a dark violet. The trace of Magic Sword influence bestowed by the Evil God upon joining the Demon Sword Sect was completely extracted by him. He poured every ounce of it into the Blood Qi Blade, transforming the unstable blade’s form into something eerily resembling… Apophis. Meanwhile, his own body withered rapidly under the effect of the blade embedded in his chest, its lifeblood (Blood Essence) violently siphoned away.

“Shatter for me!!”

The completely sealed Magic Barrier was violently cleaved by the Magic Sword-infused Blood Qi Blade, tearing a massive gash in its surface. The edges of the gap sizzled with burning Blood Essence power imbued by the Magic Sword influence, preventing it from sealing shut. With a powerful shove, the man hurled the young man through the gap. His own Blood Qi Blade dissipated completely. The remnants of Blood Essence and the fading trace of the Magic Sword influence vanished along with the light fading from his eyes.

Stumbling from the shove, the young man stared in shock at the leader’s final sacrifice. Quickly snapping back, he dismissed his own Blood Qi Blade and swiftly vanished into the distance. The blade that pierced the leader’s chest had siphoned almost all of his remaining Blood Essence, replenishing most of the young man’s own combat depletion. Even though the leader was utterly spent, his strength far exceeded the young man’s, granting the young man… a small additional level of power.

The dangers of Cults were widely known. Some willingly joined, embracing their madness. Others joined out of desperation or coercion. He was one of the desperate kind. When he joined, he prepared himself for a descent into darkness, an eternity without light. Only later did he realize the Cult he’d been guided into, almost by accident, differed from other demonized Cult propaganda.

Demon Sword Cultists craved battle, their nature impulsive and aggressive. Even at his most vulnerable moment, the most crucial step—he acquired the Demon Sword Sect’s Evil God’s Power while at his absolute weakest and struggled, fought desperately on his own—was something he had to accomplish entirely by himself. Even the guide, who could be considered his ‘mentor’, remained aloof throughout the entire ordeal. Back then, he understood: even if the Demon Sword Sect was different, some of its rules aligned with what he’d heard about other Cults.

There was callousness, indifference, exploitation… and above all: the weak had no right to choose!

The law of the jungle—the strong prey on the weak! These realities he accepted. After all, he had braced for far worse—brainwashing or outright control. Since that hadn’t happened… why not accept the rest?

It was a Cult, not a charity. He truly believed he was doomed today, overwhelmed with resentment and regret. The person he worried about had only just escaped hardship and hadn’t been properly settled yet. How would she cope if he died now? So he felt immense bitterness, yet more than that, a crushing helplessness against his current plight. Then, as the gathering ended and local Demon Sword Cultists prepared for the Hunting Ritual… that nameless leader, the one who organized the hunt, became his unexpected savior.

Perhaps the man harbored the thought that this young man would someday avenge him. So what? He bought this young man’s life with his own! Even if fueled by self-interest, repaying that debt in the future was only right. Other Demon Sword Cultists maintained that cold indifference. To adapt to the cult’s rules, he too was striving to become like that. Yet, he held onto his own internal conviction… It was precisely this conviction that distinguished him from ordinary Cultists, allowing him to preserve clarity of thought amidst the bloodlust and aggression ignited by burning his own Blood Essence.

“The Hunting Ritual…” The young man thought urgently. He continuously burned his Blood Essence to push his sprinting speed ever higher. Even though he was the sole remaining Cultist from the gathering, he absolutely refused to miss the Hunting Ritual! According to the leader, the ritual opened only at long intervals. Missing this chance meant waiting several months for the next one.

Due to the unique nature of the Demon Sword Sect, the Hunting Ritual wasn’t limited to Humans. Any sufficiently powerful living creature qualified. The reason most Evil Gods preferred Human sacrifices was primarily because Humans possessed higher intelligence, offering significant benefits for the Evil God’s own ‘consciousness’. However, the Demon Sword Sect’s Evil God seemed indifferent to this requirement. The selection criteria for the Hunting Ritual were broad!

Living! Powerful!

Meeting these two conditions was sufficient. Originally, under the leader’s plan, they were going to hunt a formidable Magical Lion. That creature met the ritual’s requirements perfectly. Unfortunately, now there was only him left. Attempting the lion alone was utterly suicidal. Even if he didn’t know exactly what kind of Magical Beast it was… if the leader felt the need to gather a whole group for it, it clearly wasn’t something he could handle solo.

Therefore, the young man had no choice but to lower his sights. He needed a target within his capabilities… People? Forget it. He drew the line there. Magical Beasts or powerful natural beasts would have to suffice. Thanks to the Demon Sword Sect’s peculiar nature, targeting such non-human creatures could yield benefits as good as, or even surpassing, hunting Humans. As long as he completed this ritual, he would receive additional blessings from the Evil God’s Power. He wouldn’t squander this chance!

But first, he had to lose his pursuers. A lifelong resident of the slums, the young man knew the terrain intimately. Concealing his power, he quickly navigated through alleyways, confusing his pursuers and thoroughly shaking them off. His next objective: finding a way out. The place he’d long called home was now completely compromised. While he planned to leave after the Hunting Ritual anyway, that confrontation had forced an immediate departure.

Heaving a sigh, the young man glanced down at the dried stains on his clothes and nodded slightly. This was one benefit of being a Demon Sword Cultist. The blood staining him could be simply burned or absorbed away by the power bestowed through the Evil God’s Magic Sword influence. No stubborn residues remained; no tedious cleaning required. Incredibly convenient…