Travels and Sacrifice

It was the year 10009 of the Yulan Calendar. Late autumn was drawing to a close, and winter was approaching.

Thin mist shrouded the streets of Chiyan City that morning. In the rear courtyard of Earl Baruch's estate, An was saying goodbye to his family.

Hogg stood on the steps, straight-backed as a pine. Since awakening his Dragonblood Warrior bloodline, he seemed to have grown twenty years younger. He held a cup of wine, a fine aged vintage Wharton had brought specially from the imperial palace.

"An, are you really going alone?" Wharton stood beside Hogg, his newlywed wife Nina holding his arm, her eyes full of reluctance to see An leave.

An nodded.

"I need to travel on my own," An said. "My training has reached a bottleneck over the past few years. Secluding myself to train no longer helps much. I need to understand nature, to understand heaven and earth, and find an opportunity to reach the God-level."

"Since you've made up your mind, I won't stop you." Hogg came down the steps, walked up to An, and offered him the cup. "Here, drink this before you go."

An took the cup and drained it.

Linley came over and patted An's shoulder. "An, be careful out there."

"Big brother," An said quietly, "I'll leave the family in your care while I'm away."

Linley waved a hand. "Wharton and I are here. Go out and explore without worrying about us. Just..." He paused, his voice growing softer. "Take care of yourself out there. No matter how strong you become, you'll always have a home here. If you get tired, come back whenever you like."

An took one last look at the estate, then turned and strode out through the courtyard gate.

He had set out to deepen his understanding of the Laws of Wind, so he chose to travel on foot to bring himself closer to nature.

The early winter wind carried a chill as it stirred his robes. The fields beside the road had already been harvested, leaving only bare wheat stubble. Distant mountains appeared and vanished in the thin mist like an ink-wash painting.

After walking for three months, An crossed the border of the O'Brien Empire and entered the Luo'ao Empire.

The Luo'ao Empire lay in the western Yulan Continent. Together with the O'Brien Empire, the Yulan Empire, and the Rhine Empire, it was one of the four great empires. Its people were fiercer than those of the O'Brien Empire, and its lands were thick with mountains and forests where magical beasts roamed rampant. The Luo'ao Empire was also one of the Dark Church's main strongholds. The Church held a semi-official position there, and the imperial family maintained close ties with it.

On his third day in the Luo'ao Empire, An arrived at a small city called Azure City.

Azure City stood on the banks of the Azure River, named for its clear blue waters. The city had only twenty or thirty thousand residents, but its position along a major transport route brought a steady stream of merchant caravans. An found an unassuming inn and settled in, planning to rest for the night before continuing his journey.

Late that night, while meditating in his room, An suddenly sensed violent fluctuations of energy in the distance.

It was the aura of Saint-level experts fighting.

An opened his eyes, his brows drawing together.

He rose, pushed open the window, and leaped out, slipping soundlessly into the night.

About fifty li north of Azure City lay a stretch of barren hills. Beneath the moonlight, three figures were locked in fierce combat.

An concealed his aura and landed in the crown of a large tree, looking toward the battlefield.

On one side was a middle-aged man in black robes, with a sinister face and a black staff in his hand. A dark purple Magic Crystal Core set into the staff's tip radiated an unsettling aura of darkness. Thick black mist swirled around him, and every sweep of his staff unleashed wide-ranging dark magic. Various debilitating effects intertwined, corroding the ground for hundreds of meters around until it was riddled with holes.

His opponent was an elderly woman in gray robes, with silver hair and a kindly face now filled with fury.

Two corpses lay at their feet. Both had been Saint-level experts, but neither showed any sign of life.

"Cass-tro, you've gone mad!" the old woman rebuked him. "Do you know what sacrificing a million living beings means? That's a million human lives! The Church's teachings are meant to guide people toward the peace of darkness, not slaughter them!"

The black-robed Cass-tro sneered. "Elena, you're too naive. Do you think the Dark Church is still what it once was? His Holiness has already decided. Only by receiving the God of Darkness's divine favor can we gain the upper hand against the Radiant Church. What are a million lives? Even ten million would be worth it if they brought us divine favor!"

Elena's face turned livid. "You're desecrating the God of Darkness's teachings! He gave us power so we could protect others, not slaughter them!"

"Protect?" Cass-tro laughed. "Elena, you've lived for centuries, yet you're still this foolish. The rule of this world is that the strong devour the weak." His voice dropped, turning sinister. "If you disagree, then die."

The moment he finished speaking, Cass-tro swept his staff sharply through the air. A pillar of black light shot skyward, turning into dozens of black tentacles that lashed toward Elena.

Elena snorted coldly and waved her short staff. A ring of black light spread from her body, shattering the tentacles. But Cass-tro's attacks kept coming. He alternated between corrosive dark magic, curses, and summoning spells. Skeletons and zombies kept rising from the ground. Though weak, their sheer numbers were enough to wear down his opponent.

An watched from the treetop, frowning deeply.

Sacrifice a million living beings? The people of the Dark Church were no better after all. But that old woman named Elena seemed to oppose it.

Just as An was considering whether to intervene, Cass-tro suddenly focused all his spiritual energy into the tip of his staff and aimed it at Elena. The dark purple Magic Crystal Core flared, releasing a hair-thin ray of black light. It moved with astonishing speed, instantly piercing Elena's protective dark battle qi and striking her shoulder.

"Ah!" Elena screamed as she was thrown backward and slammed into the ground. A thumb-sized hole appeared in her shoulder, blood pouring from it as the flesh around the wound blackened before their eyes.

"Darkness Thorn," Cass-tro said with a sneer. "Elena, you can't defend against this attack. His Holiness said you're the Church's most stubborn conservative. Today, I'll purge you from its ranks on his behalf."

He raised his staff, ready to deliver the finishing blow.

Elena struggled to rise, her face deathly pale.

"Stop."

Cass-tro whipped his head around. A young figure was slowly descending from the treetop, setting alarm bells ringing in his mind.

"Who are you?" Cass-tro demanded harshly. "This is an internal matter of the Dark Church. Outsiders have no right to interfere!"

An ignored him and walked over to Elena, offering his hand. After a moment's hesitation, she took it and rose to her feet.

"Thank you, young man," Elena said quietly. "But you're no match for him. He's Cass-tro, a Saint-level Peak Dark Magus. Leave now. Don't throw your life away for me."

An did not answer. He turned to face Cass-tro.

"Was sacrificing a million living beings your pope's idea?" An asked.

Cass-tro sneered. "So what if it was? This is the Dark Church's business. It has nothing to do with you. Get lost if you know what's good for you."

An nodded. "It has nothing to do with me, true. But I can't stand by and watch a million lives be sacrificed."

He drew the Azure Divine Sword, Azure Gale, from his waist. Its blade shimmered with a faint azure glow in the moonlight.

Cass-tro's pupils abruptly contracted.

"You're... the Dragonblood Warrior, An Baruch!" Cass-tro blurted out.

As a high-ranking member of the Dark Church, he had naturally heard An's name. An had defeated the prodigy Sword Saint Olivier and gravely wounded Haydson with a single Storm Spear.

Though Cass-tro was also a Saint-level Peak, he was no match for Haydson.

"You... what are you doing here?" Cass-tro's voice trembled.

An took a single step and vanished.

Cass-tro's expression changed drastically. He immediately raised a Darkness Shield, only to feel a sharp sword intent descending from above.

He jerked his head up.

An appeared overhead. The Azure Divine Sword swept down as though it had flown in from beyond the heavens, its blade blazing with azure light that formed a sword beam several meters long and cleaved toward Cass-tro's head.

Gritting his teeth, Cass-tro held his staff horizontally above his head to block.

Boom!

The azure sword beam struck the staff with a deafening crash. Cass-tro was driven into the ground, his legs buried below the knees. A deep crack appeared in his staff, and the webbing between his thumbs and forefingers split open, streaming blood.

What terrifying strength! Cass-tro was horrified.

He was a Saint-level Peak Dark Magus, but his physical strength was only that of an Eighth-level Warrior. Trading blows head-on with a Dragonblood Warrior was sheer suicide.

"Darkness Thorn!"

Throwing caution aside, Cass-tro gathered his spiritual energy again. The dark purple Magic Crystal Core at his staff's tip lit up, shooting a black ray toward An.

An swept his left hand forward. An azure Wind Blade flew from his palm and collided head-on with the black ray.

Hiss-

The Wind Blade and the black ray annihilated each other, leaving a distorted ripple in the air.

An frowned slightly.

Cass-tro realized it as well. Gritting his teeth, he pulled a black scroll from inside his robes and tore it open.

A curtain of black light spread from his body, enveloping him completely.

Dark Forbidden Magic, Death Curtain.

It was a defensive forbidden spell that granted its caster formidable protection within the curtain while continuously corroding any enemy who approached.

"An Baruch, you can't kill me!" Cass-tro laughed wildly within the curtain. "This Death Curtain can hold off even a Saint-level Peak expert's attacks for a while. Once I return and report to His Holiness, the Dark Church won't let you get away with this!"

An said nothing. He raised the Azure Divine Sword and closed his eyes.

Wind essence gathered wildly around him, forming an azure vortex with him at its center.

Cass-tro's smile froze.

He could feel the threat within that sword intent. His mere Death Curtain could never withstand it.

"No!" he howled in despair.

An opened his eyes and slashed.

The azure sword beam became a hair-thin ray of light, slicing soundlessly through the air.

The Death Curtain split in two like paper. The ray passed through the center of Cass-tro's body, then vanished into the distant night sky.

Cass-tro stood frozen, his eyes bulging. A thin red line appeared down the center of his body, running from his forehead to his crotch. A few breaths later, his body split into two halves. Blood gushed out, and his entrails spilled across the ground.

The Saint-level Peak Dark Magus had fallen.

An sheathed his sword, his expression calm.

Standing some distance away, Elena looked at An with eyes full of shock and awe.

"Lord An Baruch." Elena approached and bowed deeply. "Thank you for saving my life. If not for you, these old bones would have met their end here today."

An shook his head. "I simply couldn't stomach the sacrifice of living beings. Elder Elena, does the Dark Church truly intend to sacrifice a million lives?"

Elena sighed, grief filling her eyes. "Yes. His Holiness obtained an ancient Sacrificial Magic Array from somewhere. He claims it can reach the God of Darkness and bring us divine favor. The array requires a million living souls as offerings. Several elders and I vehemently opposed it, but His Holiness insisted on proceeding. Cass-tro was his trusted confidant. He pursued me to silence me."

An fell silent for a moment. A million living beings. A million human lives. The Radiant Church sacrificed pure souls, while the Dark Church sacrificed a million lives. These so-called churches would do anything for power.

"Elder, what do you intend to do now?" An asked.

Elena smiled bitterly. "I don't know. His Holiness has seized full control of the Church. The elders who opposed him have either been killed or imprisoned. I'm alone and powerless. What else can I do?"

An considered for a moment, then said, "Elder, if you trust me, I'm willing to help you."

Elena looked at An, her eyes filled with gratitude. "Lord An, you don't even know me, yet you're willing to help me like this... I have no way to repay you."

"There's no need," An said. "I simply don't want to see a million lives destroyed."

He paused, then added, "Elder, how long will it take to complete that Sacrificial Magic Array?"

Elena thought for a moment. "Setting up the array is extremely complex. It requires vast quantities of magical materials and extensive rune engraving. With the resources His Holiness has at his disposal, it will take at least another six months. Only then will he be able to begin the sacrifice."

"Elder, within those six months, I'll find a way to stop him," An said. "I'll need your help."

Elena nodded, then took a black token from inside her robes and handed it to An. "This is an Elder Token of the Dark Church. With it, you can travel freely through most parts of the Luo'ao Empire. Lord An, take it. It may prove useful. Once I discover where the array is being set up, I'll send word to you."

An accepted the token.

Elena took one last look at Cass-tro's corpse and sighed, then rose into the air and flew north.

An stood where he was, watching her figure gradually vanish into the night sky.

Sacrificing a million living beings... what fundamental difference was there between the Dark Church and the Radiant Church? One sacrificed pure souls, the other a million lives. Both would stop at nothing for power.