Chapter 146: Shepherding: Shadow Essence
When the Art of Shepherding was used through the Dedication Path, it manifested as prayer and sacrifice.
But when the power of the Path of Transcendence was used to perform this mystical art, it became a ritual—
The Ritual Array was once again drawn on the ground by Iver and Lily. But unlike before, the Eight-Pointed Star Array this time bore none of the names of the Nine Pillar Gods. Instead, it was covered in Iver's name and its various forms, written in different languages.
During the first half of the night, they prepared a cup of fine wine and soaked cinnamon in it. After half an hour, they brought it to a boil over low heat, then removed the cinnamon.
After that, Lily added the most important element.
It was an amethyst Iver had carved into the shape of an octahedral die.
Amethyst was the Guardian Gem of the Path of Transcendence. It could balance the discordant parts of various rituals, and the core art of the Path of Transcendence was ritual.
A ritual that had been on the verge of completion but failed because of a subtle imbalance could function normally after being harmonized by amethyst... In other words, it increased the ritual's margin for error.
The Shepherding Method was itself forbidden, like making water flow backward or forcing flames to burn forever without going out. Without using amethyst to maintain balance, the ritual portion would inevitably fail.
Once the Amethyst Octahedral Dice was placed inside, Lily let the wine cool naturally. When it had cooled to room temperature, the ritual could begin.
Lily knelt on one knee before Iver, while Iver sat in a backed chair. The chair had been placed inside the Ritual Array.
He planted both feet on the ground,