Chapter 391-The ceremony
Under the blanket of the moonlit night, a mesmerizing scene unfolded.
Thousands of exquisite women, draped in graceful attire, knelt upon the earth, their gazes uplifted to the luminous heavens.
The moon, resplendent that evening, cast its gentle glow upon the gathering, suffusing the surroundings with an aura of tranquility.
At the forefront of the assembly stood the matriarch, an embodiment of authority and poise, flanked by Lucy, her daughter.
The once-tense lines on the matriarch’s visage had eased, a testament to the days that had passed without the attacker’s reappearance.
The burdens of vigilance had momentarily lifted, allowing her a respite, evident in the softening of her expression and the way she held herself with newfound calm.
The ceremony, shrouded in an air of anticipation, held both reverence and hope. The moon’s radiant blessing seemed to envelop all present, infusing the gathering with a sense of unity and shared purpose.
Fueled by determination, the matriarch vowed that after the ceremony’s conclusion, she would relentlessly pursue and eliminate the man responsible for the turmoil he’d wrought upon her clan.
The impending ceremony held paramount importance, prompting her meticulous preparation.
Her formidable subordinates were strategically stationed, ensuring the event’s sanctity remained intact.
With an aura of solemnity encompassing the gathering, all eyes turned toward Ciela.
Her voice resonated with authority as she addressed the assembly, her resolve palpable.
“Now, the ceremony shall commence. Together, we shall offer our prayers to the moon god.”
In harmonious unison, the attendees followed Ciela’s lead, kneeling upon the earth.
Ancient words flowed from her lips, rich with history and reverence.
“Ο συγγραφέας είναι όμορφος.” (You will agree if you translate these Greek words into English)
Every individual heeded her words, engaging in fervent prayer from the depths of their hearts.
“Ο συγγραφέας είναι όμορφος.”
Lucy, too, embraced the ritual, heeding Dave’s advice to seamlessly blend in.
“Ο συγγραφέας είναι όμορφος.”
Meanwhile, Dave observed from the concealment of the shadows, driven by his curiosity to comprehend the nature of this enigmatic ceremony.
For a mesmerizing span of ten minutes, their voices swelled in harmonious chants, their fervent prayers imbuing the night air with an aura of profound devotion.
And then, as if summoned by their collective reverence, a spectacle of breathtaking grandeur unfolded.
Before their awestruck eyes, an immense tree materialized, its majestic form stretching two hundred meters into the sky.
Its towering presence seemed to bridge the earthly realm and the celestial heavens, an embodiment of nature’s grace and the people’s unwavering faith.
Its leaves, a resplendent white, glowed with an otherworldly radiance, casting an ethereal glow upon the gathering.
As the tree shimmered, a cascade of luminescence descended, embracing all those who knelt before it.
The radiant light enveloped them, a testament to the unity of their devotion and the profound connection they shared with the moon above.
In that moment, beneath the moon’s serene gaze, the scene was a symphony of colors and brilliance, an emblem of the sacred bonds between humanity, nature, and the celestial realm.
“In humble servitude, I beseech for the divine power and safeguarding of the gods,”
Ciela’s voice resonated with a commanding fervor.
Abruptly, a resplendent luminescence enveloped her form, illuminating her like a celestial being.
Her latent powers surged, transcending the bounds of a True Saint at peak tier, soaring to the pinnacle of semi-Saint sovereign.
The assembly stood in awe, witnessing their matriarch’s metamorphosis into an entity of immense potency, her newfound strength promising elevated status in the immortal plane.
Everyone was delighted due to their matriarch’s transformation, but Ciela spoke some chilling words.
“As an offering to you, Moon God, I present these sacrifices, beseeching your benevolent presence,”
Her words elicited an immediate transformation of fear on the faces of everyone present.
As her prayer reverberated, the magnificent tree responded with an eruption of energy that rippled through the surroundings. Astonishment gripped the crowd.
Yet, a sinister twist unfolded. The tree’s blossoming vitality gave birth to an ominous force, and an insidious drain commenced.
Ciela’s delight contrasted sharply with the sudden weakness that befell the women kneeling before her, Lucy included.
Their energies were being siphoned away, and the tree showed no signs of relenting its draining grip.
“What?”
Bewilderment echoed through the assembly, except for Ciela.
The realization dawned on them as their life force was absorbed, causing them to age prematurely as their lifespans were drained.
“No!”
The horror intensified as one of them disintegrated, her life force absorbed, leaving many others without a chance to retaliate.
Despite years of ceremonial experience, this unprecedented catastrophe left them shocked.
They now recognized themselves as mere sacrificial pawns in their matriarch’s scheme.
Those lacking strength succumbed more swiftly, while even Lucy struggled against the energy drain.
Unwavering, she held onto her faith in Dave, facing the ordeal without fear.
Yet, the ordeal extended beyond their ranks.
People from allied clans, bound by marital ties and controlled by the Moon Shadow Clan, met a similar fate.
Their deaths reverberated across the plane, sparking turmoil and unrest in the whole Immortal plane.
“Haha, with this power, I need not fear anyone and conceal myself any longer!”
Ciela’s laughter resounded with madness, echoing her revelation that their lives held no significance in her eyes.
Even her once-devoted subordinates stood stupefied, as the relentless energy absorption drew nearly everyone towards the tree, while some were transferred to the matriarch’s control.
“Oh, so this tree is connected to that moon god, huh?”
The sudden appearance of a handsome figure before the matriarch caused a hushed awe to wash over the assembly.
His charisma was such that even the matriarch herself found herself momentarily captivated.
At that moment, Dave’s gaze shifted toward Lucy, and without hesitation, he whisked her into his own domain, channeling his Law of Life to restore some of her lifespan.
With a determined wave of his hand, a potent surge of energy emanated, targeting the tree.
The matriarch was caught off guard, her astonishment freezing her in place.
Then, a resounding boom echoed as the draining energy dispersed, and the tree reverberated with a furious roar.
Dave’s smile remained undaunted.
“Hmm, an evil tree, are you?”
His mastery over the Law of Life came into play as he invoked a powerful technique.
<Law of Life>
<Life Drain>
His declaration was followed by a spectacle.
The energies that the tree had absorbed were drawn forth and returned to the afflicted bodies except for those people outside this place who died from the absorption of the tree.
Aging forms were rejuvenated, and hope was rekindled within those who had faced despair.
A cry of despair escaped the matriarch as she attempted to rush Dave, only to be met by his firm slap that sent her hurtling away in a violent detonation.
Slap!
Boom!
The impact of Dave’s forceful slap sent the matriarch hurtling through the air.
She collided with the ground, the sheer force of the blow propelling her body deep into the earth. Her form disappeared into the depths below, the force of the impact leaving a profound impression of her fall.