Iver had already performed the Essence Shepherding ritual once, and his power of Transcendence was now far stronger than before. As a result, preparing for this ritual went much more smoothly.
He entered the underground Ritual Room of the Silver and Tin Palace and carefully engraved the ritual array inscribed in the Book of Law.
Upon the eight-pointed star formed by two overlapping squares, no names of the Nine Pillar Gods had been engraved. Instead, "Iver" was written at each corner in eight different languages, while words praising Iver were written above or below each side, also in eight different languages.
The ritual wine was prepared by Iver himself as well.
Unlike the ritual wine used by the Shadow Demon before, the essence being shepherded this time possessed the Fire Attribute and required a greater intensity. Cinnamon was therefore no longer suitable for the ritual. This time, Iver found a barrel of fine sherry and poured it into the cauldron.
He simmered it over low heat for half an hour, adding ginseng, dried Sichuan peppercorns, dried chili peppers, and the phosphor powder of the Paradox Flame Butterfly in succession.
The liquor, originally yellow, had now turned a vivid blood red.
Iver poured the scalding liquor into a crystal wineglass, then dropped in the Amethyst Octahedral Dice he had carved himself.
After he had blessed Lily before, faint dark spots had appeared on the die. They did not seem to be stains, yet they looked as if the die had once been spattered with blood.
The instant it entered, the liquor hissed like metal being quenched.
Golden radiance like sunlight burst from it, while the die itself seemed to become the sun's core.
Iver placed a chair in the very center of the Ritual Array. Once the liquor had cooled and