The sudden illusion descended like a celestial realm, drawing all eyes. At that moment, a man and a woman stepped to the very front of the main hall, into the dense, dark space. Simultaneously, everyone knelt.
"Winter moon is never lonely, the Wood God bestows blessings, Green Prosperity eternal peace."
The low chanting echoed through the hall, mingling with the ethereal music and wisps of incense smoke, inspiring awe and a sense of otherworldly bliss, eyes gradually glazing over.
"Ximen Hongchun!" Qin Sanxiang snapped her head around, regaining consciousness. She surveyed her surroundings, seeing Ximen Hongchun with his eyes half-open, half-closed, looking utterly lost. She hurried to give him a hard shove.
"Qin Sanxiang?" Ximen Hongchun opened his eyes hazily, his usually stern face etched with a bewildered confusion. "What's wrong?"
He had just had a beautiful dream... wait, a dream? Wasn't he in Green Prosperity? What was he dreaming about?
Ximen Hongchun flinched, his shoulders trembling violently.
"Awake now?" Qin Sanxiang glanced at him from the corner of her eye. Seeing that his face showed no abnormality, she finally relaxed.
Ximen Hongchun looked up and saw that the surrounding divine attendants all had entranced expressions, as if lost in a beautiful dream. Only the Great Divine Master and the Divine Envoy at the very front seemed to retain their clarity.
Just then, the Great Divine Master suddenly looked over.
Ximen Hongchun quickly lowered his head, pretending to be like the divine attendants beside him.
"Great Divine Master, what is it?" the Divine Envoy asked cautiously, noticing the Great Divine Master's movement.
The Great Divine Master gazed at the dreamlike scene before him, a strange light appearing in his eyes, and murmured, "Winter moon is never lonely, the Wood God lives forever..."
Unseen by anyone, translucent, emerald silk threads emerged from withered wild grass, from snow-laden pine branches, from frozen rivers, from small villages crisscrossing the land, from bustling, noisy cities...
"Mmm..." Bai Shengyi flinched, her fingers curling as she touched a piece of wood nearby, the intense heat searing her.
"What is it?" Han Bei's heart tightened, his expression remaining steady, but his mind was already filled with unease. "Did they tamper with the Divine Wood Platform?"
Throughout the entire sacrificial process, he and Bai Shengyi were supposed to sit cross-legged on the Divine Wood Platform, holding onto the divine wood, continuously channeling spiritual energy into it, and devoutly praying for the Wood God's blessings and gifts.
Han Bei's loyalty to the temple and the Wood God had always been limited, and after the incident in the Myriad Wood Forest, he had become even more cautious.
"No."
Bai Shengyi shook her head, placing her hand back on the wood. The next moment, a scorching heat enveloped her fingers, and a faint voice echoed, "Save me... Save... Save me..."
"Ah!"
Amidst the deep, drawn-out chanting, a scream suddenly erupted.
The light of a formation fell, suspending the female slaves at the very front in mid-air. For some reason, Dong Linhuang was among this group of female slaves. Her mouth had not been sealed by the divine attendants' techniques, so after waking up, she let out a scream.
However, Dong Linhuang's mouth was quickly covered.
She watched it all in horror, retreating uncontrollably, only to be blocked by an invisible wall behind her.
"Let me out..." Dong Linhuang cried silently, "I am the daughter of the City Lord of Donglin City! Let me out!"
But no one paid her any mind.
Bai Shengyi, not being a talisman cultivator, could not see the threads connecting the Great Divine Master, the Divine Envoy, and the dense darkness in the main hall, nor the threads on the sacrificial offerings. However, her cultivation path was the Path of Reincarnation, and she could clearly sense a complex and vast cycle of rebirth, entwined between the offerings, the Great Divine Master and them, and the dense darkness.
"Great Divine Master, the Wood God has issued a divine decree."
The clear voice, like the cool breeze of autumn, or the invigorating crispness of mint, instantly awakened everyone.
"Divine decree?"
"What just happened to me?"
"Is the sacrifice over?"
In mid-air, Dong Linhuang looked up sharply at the white-robed woman on the ground. She still appeared as indifferent and casual as ever, yet at this moment, for some unknown reason, Dong Linhuang felt a sense of peace and a glimmer of hope.
The Divine Envoy lowered his voice and reprimanded, "Divine Maiden Bai! Stop this nonsense!"
"Silence!" Bai Shengyi shot him a cold glance, raising her hand and directly sending him flying!
She acted with the arrogance of a messenger of divine decrees, or perhaps as a deity descending herself, unfathomable. Her eyes, like a frigid pool, gazed at everyone with detached coldness.
"I transmit the divine decree, in the name of the Wood God, abolish the system of female slave sacrifices in the temples, and abolish the system of sacrificial offerings for the Winter Moon Festival. The five hearts will shine bright, the Wood God will reveal itself, the winter moon will never be lonely, and Green Prosperity shall be at peace."
As she spoke, her pupils instantly changed color, and she stared directly at the Great Divine Master and the other three Divine Masters.
The West Divine Master's face lit up with joy, and he was the first to exclaim, "We obey the divine decree!"
He had long felt that the sacrificial practices of the Winter Moon Festival were inhumane and illogical, but single-handedly, he was powerless to change the world's perception. He could only do his best to slack off and protect the women under his charge.
In recent years, the female slaves and divine maidens chosen by the West Divine Temple had been almost exclusively the old, the weak, the sick, and the disabled. Some of these individuals had voluntarily stepped forward to protect the younger generation behind them, while others did it for the financial compensation provided by the West Divine Temple. The West Divine Master knew this was not a long-term solution, but given the oppression from the Central Divine Temple and the other three Divine Temples, he had done his utmost.
The South and North Divine Masters were hesitant, both looking towards the Great Divine Master.
"What? You do not wish to obey the Wood God's divine decree?" Bai Shengyi raised her brows coldly.
The Great Divine Master had already risen. "Child, you are not being good."
He looked at her with warm, paternal eyes, as if truly seeing an unruly child making a fuss.
Seeing this, the South and North Divine Masters also rose. The North Divine Master sternly berated, "Divine Maiden Bai, cease your nonsensical ravings and attempts to incite others! Your intentions are impure, and you are acting recklessly during the grand sacrifice. Allow this Divine Master to teach you a lesson on behalf of the Great Divine Master and the Wood God!"
The South Divine Master cursed the North Divine Master for his cunning, having been beaten to it. He quickly added, "This Divine Master will also join!"
The two, one on each side, lunged towards Bai Shengyi.
The cultivation of both Divine Masters was at the early stage of the Mahayana realm. They stirred up a fierce gale that instantly extinguished the celestial illusion in the hall.
The North Divine Master reached out to grab Bai Shengyi by the neck, but before he could get close, he felt an ancient, inclusive, yet vast and immense power pressing down like a tidal wave.
"Wood God?" The North Divine Master sensed the familiar aura within the power, his surprise and fear causing his actions to falter.
It was in that moment of hesitation that Bai Shengyi's gaze deepened. With a flick of her sleeve, two more "bang" sounds echoed as she repelled both the North and South Divine Masters simultaneously.
"Wood God, forgive us!" The North Divine Master, however, ignored his injuries and prostrated himself on the ground, saying in a panic, "Wood God, forgive us! I... I meant no offense to the deity, please forgive me!"
The North Divine Master suddenly felt a profound weakness spread through his body, a great terror engulfing him. He raised his head to look at the white-robed woman not far away, opened his mouth, but found his voice gone.
The life force within him was rapidly draining!
How could this be?
He was a Mahayana cultivator, a step away from ascension! How could anyone do this to him?
The North Divine Master failed to notice that a translucent, emerald silk thread had silently emerged from his body, spiraling and flying into the Great Divine Master's body.
The Great Divine Master's exposed aged skin became visibly younger and more delicate.
"Xiao An, you are not being good either," the Great Divine Master said softly. His figure suddenly vanished, then reappeared before the North Divine Master, patting him on the shoulder.
The North Divine Master's eyeballs froze.
Before losing consciousness, he only managed to catch a glimpse of the South Divine Master's expression of extreme shock and terror.