"My Lord... I have carried out your instructions and completed the transaction with the Nien Commerce..."
After watching the Nien Commerce depart, the Beastkin priest approached a statue of Mara and began to pray.
"Roar roar... howl howl..."
Golden divine light descended, accompanied by a string of bestial roars.
This was Mara's true will, and also its divine oracle. Interpreting the meaning behind these complex, arcane animal cries was the duty of the Hunting God's priests.
Gala was naturally well-practiced at this, nodding gently from time to time...
At the same time, on the Beast Wastes, within Mara's divine realm, several golden-furred orcish divine beings had gathered together.
"The Church of the Great Serpent is far too arrogant..."
One orcish deity sneered. Dark energy and an eerie tranquility coiled around its body. This was Sharges, the orcish god of dark ambush.
"Indeed... a lesser deity dares to seek alliance with our orcish pantheon..."
Another tall orcish deity let out a cold laugh. Its body radiated the iron discipline of a soldier and the savagery of an orc. This was Yinavu, the orcish war god.
"Roar roar..."
At that moment, a string of bestial roars and howls echoed from the heart of the divine realm.
"We know, we know, Mara... the Kill domain will certainly go to you. We've been cooperating for so many years — surely you still trust our reputation?"
The last figure, wreathed in the death screams of vengeful spirits yet suffused with an eerie calm, sneered as well.
This was Yizhuosi, the orcish god of death.
Though all were lesser deities, these orcish gods were among the most formidable fighters in the orcish pantheon. Together with Mara, it was clear they had discovered something. They were preparing to counterstrike.
As for the sole chief god, the mighty Gnushu — he had to guard against the other two powerful deities and could not afford to appear here. The target was merely a lesser god; it was beneath his notice.
"Hunting down a true god's pontiff... heh heh... we're already getting impatient..."
The gazes of several divine avatars pierced through the barriers of the planes, descending upon the Dark Forest.
Deep within the core of the Black Blood Tribe, a grand hunting ritual was underway.
The Blood Essence that had been smuggled through the Nien Commerce had been perfectly utilized, forming a massive pool that rippled with terrifying sanguine energy. Above it, the faint howls and wails of vengeful spirits and wronged souls could be heard.
Powerful captured foreign races were bound to the sides of the altar, their bodies sealed with horrific prohibitions. The wounds they bore made it clear that before their capture, they had fought a savage battle — inflicting heavy casualties on the Beastkin.
Mara's domain was the Hunt. Felling the most formidable enemies brought it the greatest pleasure, and if a Legendary-level foe could be slain, Mara's avatar might even descend in person.
The ceremony the Black Blood Tribe was now conducting was clearly far grander in scale.
Not only had they used several Legendary captives as sacrifices — an extravagantly lavish offering — but they had also deployed a massive quantity of Blood Essence smuggled from human merchant caravans to create the scene before them.
"This ceremony should be enough to greatly please our God, perhaps even draw down divine grace and elevate our class levels..."
The intermediate priests and clerics in attendance had excitement gleaming in their eyes, their gazes upon the captives filled with eager anticipation.
However, High Priest Gala, along with several Legendary priests and the Beastkin chieftain, showed no such excitement. Instead, there seemed to be a few threads of... worry?
For the Beastkin — an extremely bestial humanoid race — worry was virtually impossible. That it appeared now could only mean one thing: the danger they were about to face would be truly terrifying, with not even Legendary-level powerhouses having any certainty of survival!
"Our Lord, God of the Hunt — Mara! You are the star in the heavens! Protector of all Beastkin, your name shall be sacred among all Beastkin, your divine realm shelters every Beastkin soul. You are our sole sovereign..."
Amid the frenzied prayers of the assembled Beastkin, the ceremony gradually reached its crescendo.
"Our Lord Mara — you are the devourer of blood! The fear of your enemies shall grant you strength, their flesh and blood shall become your divine power... the blood of the Legendary is the source of your radiance and might..."
Several priests dressed in white robes gripped black short-blades between their teeth, stepping forward amid the devout chanting.
"Mmm mmm..."
The Legendary captives obtained through the hunt had already realized the fate awaiting them. Even knowing it was futile, they began to struggle violently.
Among these prey was even a Legendary-level draconid. Its horrifying spiritual pressure — only slightly inferior to that of a true dragon — surged outward.
"My Lord... please accept our offering!"
Alas, the chosen executioners showed not the slightest flicker of emotion on their faces. With practiced ease, they brought down their blades.
Crack!
The draconid's hardened scales and thick hide were utterly powerless against the special black-edged blades, which sliced through without the slightest resistance. Great gushes of green blood cascaded down.
Sizzle! Sizzle! The highly corrosive blood ate into the ground, pitting it with small holes. The draconid's eyes dimmed, and at last all light faded from them.
"Wooo wooo..." At the sight, the other Beastkin immediately began to howl, their cries rising higher and higher.
Amid the clamor, the priests worked with practiced skill, swiftly dismantling the massive draconid body and tossing each dissected portion into the blood pool.
Gulp! Gulp!
The flesh was quickly dissolved and melted by the corrupting power within the enormous pool, a dark red glow flickering ceaselessly.
Upon the statue of Mara directly in front of the blood pool, a hazy golden radiance had already coalesced — the manifestation of Mara's descending will, signifying that this ritual in the Material World had successfully caught the Hunting God's attention.
When the other Beastkin saw this, their cheers and prayers grew even louder.
The surging waves of divine energy were so intense that even the clouds overhead were scattered and on the verge of dissipating.
"Hraagh!"
When the last elven captive was sacrificed and pushed into the blood pool, the statue of Mara suddenly blazed with brilliant light.
"Roar roar... awooo awooo..."
Amid a chorus of bestial roars, Mara's avatar descended upon the scene in the form of a massive golden ape-like monstrosity.
"Our God!"
Countless priests, clerics, even Legendary powerhouses and the Beastkin tribal leaders all dropped to their knees, fervor blazing in their eyes.
"Roar roar..."
Mara roared and strode directly to the edge of the blood pool. It was clear that it was extremely pleased with this ritual, and was already preparing to eagerly devour these offerings.
Its massive claws swept over several of the kneeling priests, bathing them in a layer of golden light. Instantly, these clerics were brought to tears.
"It's divine grace! Grace that directly elevates class levels!"
The others could only watch with secret envy and jealousy, their reddened eyes fixed upon those lucky few.
"Roar roar..."
After rewarding these servants, Mara let out several incomprehensible howls and leaped directly into the blood pool.
Boom!
In that very instant, an unexpected transformation erupted!!!
Gulp! Gulp! The once-crimson blood instantly turned pitch black. The multitude of vengeful spirits materialized almost immediately, crawling up Mara's body.
A massive, sinister black net surged up from the blood pool, engulfing Mara's avatar in its folds!
"What's happening?!"
Watching Mara's avatar — struggling and roaring like a trapped beast caught in a snare — most of the remaining priests were stunned, staring blankly at one another.
A few of the sharper ones had already realized: "Those cunning humans — the Blood Essence this time was tampered with!!!"
But by now, catching up with the Nien Commerce and tearing them to pieces was no longer possible.
The black net was hoisted into midair, as though drawn by an invisible cord that slowly drew the massive mesh tighter.
"Great
A colossal spatial gate opened, and amid the swell of sacred hymns, Leilin's figure slowly emerged.
At this moment, he was like a master hunter, using the great net to steadily drain Mara's strength. Once his prey was exhausted, he would unleash the most devastating attack of all!
"He's appeared at last!"
Rumble rumble!
Amid horrifying roars, the entire sky was instantly blanketed with dark clouds, and blinding bolts of lightning writhed like frenzied silver serpents.
Several portals tore open, and the avatars of the orcish deities burst forth.
The terrifying divine pressure rippled outward, leaving the Beastkin on the ground utterly dumbfounded. Deity after deity appearing one after another plunged them into overwhelming shock and terror.
Only a handful of senior leaders had been prepared. They were now scrambling to carry out defensive measures and evacuation, all the while silently praying that their god would succeed — and that this divine war would not engulf them as well.
"The God of Slaughter, Kukulkan? You shall become a collection piece in my temple!"
Just as the other divine avatars appeared, a deity lurking in the shadows had already struck.
A pair of razor-sharp, divine-energy-infused beast claws tore through the void from nowhere, aimed squarely at Leilin's heart!
Even for a divine avatar, losing a vital部位 would cause catastrophic loss of divine power.
"This method of concealment, and a true attack that crosses through shadow space... the Shadow Domain! It's Sharges, the orcish god of dark ambush!"
In a flash, Leilin's divine consciousness identified the attacker.
His expression turned grim as dark water, and golden radiance surged across his body. A terrifying divine war was on the verge of erupting!!!