The Ritual

Beneath the haloed moon, the light on the altar grew ever more sinister.

"Praise you, great Ouroboros! You are the beginning of all things and the end of all things. You hold the power of rebirth and shall surely attain eternity!"

"You are the source of our bloodline, the master of our lives and souls. We are willing to offer you everything!"

"May your Dao Cultivation be done on earth as it is in heaven!"

As the sacrificial maidens watched in terror, Black Snake led the many high-ranking members of the Ouroboros Church in prayer.

Though this being was not a true god and could not bestow Divine Arts, Black Snake had still turned the organization into an Evil Cult, whether due to ingrained habits of thought or simply his own beliefs.

After all, in the eyes of these cultists, the being they served was no different from a true god, save that it could not bestow Divine Arts. Or rather, it was the very image of a False God.

The moon climbed higher, rising to the middle of the night sky.

And as the cultists prayed and chanted their incantations, profound changes unfolded upon the altar.

Hiss!

Hiss!

The sound of snakes flicking their tongues rang out. Wisps of black mist converged, forming a great serpent with a long, slender body, blood-red eyes, and a small black horn atop its head.

Though it was only an apparition made of black mist, the giant serpent looked lifelike, every scale seeming utterly real.

"Our Lord's will has descended!"

Black Snake watched, his face feverish with devotion, and dropped to his knees. "O supreme, omnipotent Lord, please partake of the offerings prepared for you by your bloodline descendants!"

The giant serpent slithered toward the pillars where the eight maidens were bound. Its