The heavy rain pounded on Impala's windshield, as dense as a water net that couldn't be pulled apart.
The wipers were turned to the maximum setting, and the strips scraped across the glass with a harsh "squeaking" sound, but they could only barely clear a few areas of vision.
Highway 90 The road has already been filled with water. When the tire ran over it, it splashed up two half-human-high walls of water. The dull roar of the engine was wrapped in the sound of rain, like a tired beast, walking forward in the vast white sky and earth.
The silence in the car was more frightening than the heavy rain outside.
Dean's hands with white joints were holding the steering wheel, his eyes fixed on the blurred white line on the road ahead, but at the end of his sight, he couldn't help but pass the scene in Van Nuys's factory - Adam's heart-rending cry before the Holy Light Gate closed. These scenes were like dry buns that had been left out for five or six days, heavy on his chest, and even his breathing was astringent.
He raised his eyes calmly, glanced at the back seat in the rearview mirror, and his Adam's apple rolled slightly.
Bai Haorui leaned on the back of the back seat with his eyes closed, his face pale.
His shoulders and back were straight, and his fingertips were resting on his knees. He seemed to be concentrating with his eyes closed. Only the light pink Lotus Seal between his eyebrows flickered on and off very slightly, indicating that he was running the exercises and regulating his breath.
During the factory battle, Michael's holy light severely damaged his Dantian. At this moment, True Gang in his meridians was stumbling. Every time it circulated for a small period of time, there was a stabbing pain like a needle in the depths of his Dantian.
His Divine Sense has already been laid out for a hundred meters in radius, and every movement in the rain curtain cannot escape his perception.
I just tried running the basic technique of "Three Altars Body-Refining True Fire Art" for a circle, and the feeling of sluggishness was heavier than expected.
At this rate, without ten days and a half of rest, it would be impossible to return to his prime.
Bai Haorui's fingertips imperceptibly twirled Five Emperor Coins in his sleeve, and the warm touch of the copper coin came.
Apocalypse is approaching, Lucifer and Michael are pressing forward step by step. In their current state, if they encounter an archangel-level opponent, it will be difficult for them to escape unscathed.
We must find ways to improve our cultivation as soon as possible.
He closed his eyes and his thoughts were racing rapidly.
Sam was sitting next to him, with an open laptop spread out on his knees. The cold light from the screen reflected on his frowning brow.
The information just sent by Bobby covers the entire page. It is full of scattered rumors about pagan gods from North America states in the past half month. There is a hammer here and a stick here and there, but there are no useful clues.
His fingertips crossed the screen, but his eyes couldn't help but drift to the side.
He picked up the mineral water bottle at hand, unscrewed the cap, and stopped midway with his hand, fearing to disturb the other person's breathing. He hesitated for two seconds, and then quietly took it back.
Castiel in the passenger seat was leaning against the seat, his profile was cold and hard, and his face was darker than the rainy night outside the window.
The traces burned by Angel Banishing Sigil on his chest were still aching faintly. His holy power was severely lacking, and his heart was even more empty.
The hole where his faith collapsed has not yet been filled. He watched Adam being kidnapped by Michael but could do nothing. At this moment, the former Heavenly Soldier felt that all his strength was useless and he was in a panic.
"The message just sent by Bobby." Sam was the first to break the silence, his voice was very low, fearing to disturb Bai Haorui who was adjusting his breathing in the back seat, "There is a fork five miles ahead, turn into a motel. There is no place to stay for dozens of miles further, the rain is too heavy, and it is easy to cause an accident if you drive hard."
Dean said "Yeah" and turned the steering wheel hard. Impala turned down the main road. The tires ran over the water on the roadside and splashed Lao Gao: "Okay, let's rest for the night. Haorui In this state, I have to find a place to adjust my breath."
As soon as he finished speaking, Castiel suddenly spoke, his voice hoarse after the loss of holy power. "There is a light in front. Something is wrong."
Dean squinted his eyes and looked forward.
Sure enough, a warm yellow light shone through the heavy rain curtain. It was not the scattered light bulbs like in a motel. The whole building was lit. The four-story building stood out like a mirage in the wilderness.
As the car drove closer, I could clearly see the signboard at the door - "Elysian Fields Hotel". The cursive letters were plated with gold and were so exquisite that they were incompatible with the surrounding dilapidated wilderness.
"Star hotel?" Dean scoffed, stepped on the brakes, and the tires slid for half a meter in the water before coming to a stop, "This damn place has a star rating? You are lying to a stupid boy."
Sam grabbed the EMF detector from the passenger storage compartment, and the moment he pushed the door open, the instrument beeped like crazy, the pointer suddenly hit his head, and the value jumped ridiculously. His face instantly darkened. "The magnetic field is ridiculously strong, it's definitely not an ordinary place."
Bai Haorui also opened his eyes at this time, opened the car door and walked out. The cold rain hit his face, and Lotus Seal between his eyebrows flashed a purple-gold light imperceptibly. Divine Sense swept across the entire four-story building in an instant. In the rain and mist, he frowned slightly. "There are many divine powers inside, mixed with strong and weak, and mixed with the smell of human blood. It is the territory of the old gods."
Castiel also nodded, and his sense of holy power was completely consistent with Bai Haorui's judgment. "There are more than one divine system, Rome, Northern Europe, India, all coming for us."
"Coming to the door?" Dean loaded the gun with a click, put his hand on the back of his waist, and said with a cold smile, "Okay. Let's go in and take a look. I want to see what these old antiques want to do."
"Wait." Sam pulled him, frowning even more tightly, "Haorui's injuries are not healed yet. The four of us will go in, in case there is an ambush..."
"It's nothing unexpected." Bai Haorui said calmly, already holding a Five Emperor Coins between his fingertips, and said in a calm tone, "Soldiers will come to stop us, and water will come to cover us. And even if we want to leave now, I'm afraid we won't be able to leave."
The moment he finished speaking, the lights in the hotel lobby seemed to turn on for a moment, and a few vague spiritual thoughts swept through the rain curtain and locked onto the four of them.
Bai Haorui knew in his heart that it was no coincidence that so many old gods gathered together. In all likelihood, they came for these two angel skins of Winchester Brothers.
As soon as Apocalypse was opened, the demons and demons could not sit still.
The four of them stepped through the stagnant water towards the hotel's main entrance. The warm light from the porch made their bodies feel damp, and the puddles on the ground reflected the light of the crystal chandelier, which made them dizzy.
The moment you push open the revolving door, a sweet and warm fragrance hits your face, mixed with a very faint smell of blood. The crystal chandelier reflects tiny pieces of light, and the thick wool carpet makes no sound when you step on it. It is so luxurious that it is weird everywhere.
There was a man standing behind the front desk. He was in his thirties, with dark brown curly hair that was meticulously groomed. He was wearing a well-pressed burgundy uniform. He had a standard to almost stereotyped smile on his face, and the curvature of the corners of his mouth seemed to be measured with a ruler.
Seeing them come in, he immediately handed over the registration form and said in a gentle voice, "There are several people tonight, please fill in the check-in information."
This man is Mercury. Rome, the messenger of the gods in mythology, the son of Jupiter and Maia. He is in charge of commerce, travelers, thieves and eloquence, and is famous among the gods for his speed and cunning.
Dean took the pen and lowered his head to write a false name on the registration form. As soon as the pen tip landed on the paper, Mercury suddenly spoke with the right tone of concern, "Sir, there is a small wound on your chin."
He handed over a tissue as he spoke, and his fingers brushed Dean's fingertips seemingly inadvertently. Dean only felt a slight numbness on his fingertips, as if he had been pricked by a fine needle. When he reacted, Mercury had already retracted his hand, and his smile did not change at all.
Dean's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained calm. He picked up a tissue and wiped his chin. "Oh, thank you. By the way, is there coffee here?"
"We have a cafeteria with unlimited supply. The best pies in the three-state area are here." Mercury pushed two copper room keys over and tapped his fingertips lightly on the cold metal. "There are two suites on the fourth floor. You will be upgraded for free."
"Is there such a good thing?" Dean raised his eyebrows, picked up the key and turned it around on his fingertips, feeling a chill spread on his fingertips.
A resident passing by smiled and said, "It's like Heaven, right?"
"Believe me, buddy, this one is just as good as Heaven." Dean winked at him, turned to give Sam a wink, then looked at Bai Haorui and Castiel, "Let's go, eat something to cushion your stomach first."
Sam followed behind, frowning so much that it could kill mosquitoes. The residents in the lobby were too quiet. More than a dozen people were standing or walking, but there was no sound of conversation or footsteps. The smiles on their faces were all the same, like masks engraved on them.
He felt furious and wanted to turn around and say a few words to Bai Haorui, but when he turned around, there was nothing behind him.
The person who was half a step behind him disappeared in the blink of an eye.
"Haorui?" Sam's heart tightened, and he shouted immediately, his voice was not high, but he was filled with uncontrollable panic.
Dean turned around suddenly. People were coming and going in the lobby, but there was no trace of Bai Haorui anywhere. His face instantly darkened, and he walked to Sam in a few steps and lowered his voice. "When did you disappear?"
"Just now, I just turned around." Sam's palms were a little sweaty.
Bai Haorui's Dantian was injured and his cultivation was greatly reduced. When he faced a group of old gods alone, the consequences would be disastrous.
Castiel frowned and closed his eyes, and the holy power spread out. When he opened it again, his face was even worse. "The space has been manipulated, and he was pulled into a different space. The divine power is too complex, I can't penetrate that barrier, I can only feel that he is still alive, and there is no danger to his life for the time being."
"Fuck." Dean cursed lowly, clenching his fists loudly, and immediately wanted to rush to settle the score with the guy at the front desk.
Sam grabbed his arm and shook his head. "No, the enemy is in the dark and we are in the clear. Now that we have turned against each other, we will suffer even more losses. First check the situation, find the entrance to the different space, and then rescue Haorui."
Dean's chest rose and fell violently twice, but he finally suppressed his anger. He knew that Sam was right. Not only could his impulsiveness not save Bai Haorui, but the three of them would also have to get involved.
"Okay, let's check separately." Dean suppressed his voice, his eyes as sharp as knives, "I'll go to the restaurant to check the situation. You keep an eye on the guy at the front desk. Cass You go to the kitchen and have a look. Haorui said there is a smell of blood, and maybe there are hostages hidden. We will meet at the elevator entrance in half an hour."
The three nodded and immediately dispersed, blending into the crowd in the lobby. No one noticed that as soon as they turned around, Mercury raised his head and looked at their backs, with a smile on his lips.
Bai Haorui felt that the thick carpet under his feet suddenly sank like water, and a strong suction pulled his ankles down.
His heart trembled, and he ran "Three Altars Body-Refining True Fire Art" almost instinctively. A wisp of purple-gold True Fire instantly condensed on his fingertips. The peach wood sword slid into the palm of his hand along the sleeve, and the protective body Gang Qi opened with a "buzz", forming a pale golden barrier around his body.
The world spins but only for a moment.
By the time he stood upright, he was no longer in the hotel lobby.
In front of him was a huge circular space, like an abandoned ancient Rome arena. The ground was made of mottled bluestone, and the surrounding stands were hidden in the gray mist, making it difficult to see clearly. Dozens of spiritual thoughts of varying strengths swept over from the direction of the stands and locked on him, with condescending contempt and amusement, as if they were watching an ant breaking into the Colosseum.
The air was filled with the scents of all kinds of divine power, including vegetation, thunder, fire, and ice, all mixed together in a choking way.
The powerful ones have much more pressure than ordinary archangels; the weak ones are only a little stronger than ordinary ghosts.
"Human boy, congratulations on your honor to enter the gambling game of the gods."
A rough and hoarse voice exploded in the space,
With a strong Northern Europe accent, he rolled through the audience like thunder.
The speaker is the supreme god Odin, Northern Europe Aesir, who is in charge of wisdom, war, death and magic. He sacrificed one eye for Well of Wisdom and held Gungnir, the Eternal Spear.
"A bet?" Bai Haorui stood with a sword in his hand, the purple-gold True Fire beating slightly on the mahogany blade. His tone was flat and there was no emotion, "What bet?"
"It's very simple." Another gentler voice sounded, with the warmth of the sun, but it could not hide the arrogance in the bones. It was the consciousness projection of Balder, God of Light, "Whoever can knock you down will win an artifact token in the hands of others. If you can win, everything of the loser will be yours - it depends on whether you take the life."
Bai Haorui sneered inwardly.
They have all reached the point where their faith has withered and they have been forced by the times to hide in the wilderness and huddle together. These old gods still put on high airs and use mortals as playthings for gladiatorial fun.
With such arrogance, it is no wonder that the monotheistic religion forces him to retreat.
He didn't show anything on his face, he just raised his chin and said, "If you want to be beaten, come and beat me. Stop talking nonsense."
As soon as he finished speaking, a green light shot out from across the arena, hit the ground with a bang, and transformed into a man in dark green robes.
There was a dark green thorn totem painted on his face, and he was holding a wooden stick wrapped with vines in his hand. His whole body was filled with vigorous vegetation energy, and his eyes were full of disdain for mortals.
This is the guardian god of the forest in Celtic mythology. He is in charge of forests and wild beasts. He was once a small god thousands of years ago. Now his followers have withered and his power is less than 30%. He can only be counted as a small follower in the gathering of gods.
"A mere mortal dares to be so presumptuous in front of the gods!"