The blood-and-mud runes spinning in reverse across the altar's surface let out an overwhelmed crack. Fine fractures appeared across them.
The channels connecting the runes to the mud were being violently squeezed between two powerful forces from the level of the world's rules, growing extremely unstable.
"Crack... cra-ack..."
The altar's base, made of flesh and profane matter, also began to split and crumble.
The binding force was rapidly weakening.
This sliver of the ancient god's consciousness was about to be forcibly "bounced" out and sent back to its true body. The Mother Goddess intended to expel the ancient god first, so they could face each other in a divine battle on equal terms.
Carlos had the same idea. Rather than let Yu Xing risk summoning [Them], or let Lingren get his hands on the materials, it was better to send the ancient god packing in one fell swoop.
The Harvest Mother Goddess could never have descended under normal circumstances.
First, he had saved the Archbishop and ensured that Yiqing and the Archbishop stayed in contact. Then, using the extra time gained by saving the Archbishop early, he and the Archbishop had managed to complete the ritual for a true god's descent.
The Red Robe Archbishops at every church could communicate directly with the Mother Goddess to spread divine revelations. They could even briefly become vessels for a true god's descent.
Such a vessel still put a strain on the body, but it wouldn't kill its host outright like an ancient god would. Whenever a major event required a deity's descent, the Red Robe Archbishops of each church only had to offer themselves up. Afterward, they could recover from the ordeal in about a month.
Originally, the Archbishop had planned to let the Mother Goddess descend into his body.
But Carlos