The Cornflower Witch

Book 2: Chapter 146: Feast Ceremony - Purgatory Black Dog

Vol 2 Chapter 146 Feast Ceremony - Purgatory Black Dog

Within the mysterious valley, people hurried about, preparing various things.

Most of those residing here were members of the Hundred-Eyes Sect. Their faces were flushed with excitement, for this was an unprecedented grand ceremony. The sect's accumulated resources, hoarded over centuries, were all being brought out, filling the entire valley. A giant magic array, approximately five kilometers in diameter, was being fine-tuned. Figures in dark crimson robes constantly adjusted it, making final preparations for tonight's ritual.

Outside the valley, the Anty army had also gathered. Their banners fluttered fiercely, and even before their arrival, their overwhelming momentum had already permeated the entire plain.

The 'Castle' Aspect, the cornerstone of order, was also the exclusive 'Aspect' of many national armies. Numerous soldiers possessing the 'Castle' Aspect united together like bricks building a castle, constructing a magnificent Veil and a mobile wall that suppressed the powers of other Aspects.

War horns slowly sounded. The formations of Anty soldiers advanced continuously, rolling forward like massive boulders—slow but unstoppable.

Inside the valley, a high-ranking cultist berated his subordinates.

"How is the incitement in those towns progressing? Why does Carkis still ignore it, unwilling to even split his forces to provide relief?"

"Sir, we have instigated rebellions in 26 towns. Some have even achieved victory. But that Anty general simply refuses to see the messengers delivering the intelligence reports, forcefully controlling the army to advance."

"All these Regas cities and territories, he doesn't want any of them? What a madman!" He gnashed his teeth in a curse."What about those towns now? If they succeeded, have them immediately send people to support us."

"Sir, even if those cities successfully launched independent rebellions, they suffered heavy casualties. I'm afraid it would be difficult for them to spare any more strength..."

"That is not for you to consider. You only need to know that without reinforcements, we will all die here this time."

"Go, go and harass them, obstruct them, delay their advance."

"Yes."

From a concealed slope on one side of the valley, a group of Hundred-Eyes cultists quietly emerged, preparing to set out. But they hadn't gone far when screams erupted from the woods.

A cultist clutched his throat and slowly fell, dark red blood seeping from between his fingers.

Immediately after, more cultists were killed within the woods. Some died without any awareness before death; others, though they noticed, still couldn't evade the attack.

Within a dozen seconds, this team sent out to interfere and harass was annihilated by unseen blades.

After it ended, figures clad in black short capes materialized within the hazy light and shadow. They wore masks and held non-reflective short blades, continuing forward along the hidden path the cultists had used to emerge, heading into the valley's interior.

The Anty army advanced steadily. The trees along the way were filled with dark red banners. Traps set by the Hundred-Eyes Sect along the route were pushed aside and cleared.

On the hillside, eleven Gloom-Gaze Evil Eyes activated their abilities. An invisible force field spread out. The soldiers invading the valley's foothills suddenly found their vision darkening, unable to see clearly beyond ten meters. Even their own hands became blurry.

This visual suppression caused panic to sprout in many soldiers' hearts, and the advancing formation fell into disarray.

Seizing the time granted by the visual suppression, several beams of deep violet light pierced through the atmosphere, shooting straight towards the command camp at the rear of the military formation. There stood Carkis's commander's banner and high-ranking officers observing on horseback.

After the light beams dissipated, about five officers melted away, dying within the rays. The remaining officers hurriedly deployed their Veils, merging with the military formation.

Layer upon layer of white Veils spread and manifested, isolating the core within the military formation. To attack the figures within, one would likely have to penetrate seven layers of gray-white Veils like walls. Weakened layer by layer like this, those deep violet rays couldn't even pierce a sheet of thin paper.

Unable to hinder the army's advance, the cultists within the valley were all mobilized. They picked up crossbows, swords, and attacked the Anty soldiers approaching the foothills.

But these actions, before the tight military formation, appeared exceptionally feeble, utterly incapable of shaking that iron-wall-like army.

The Hundred-Eyes Sect's defensive line was compressed step by step, leaving behind corpses in dark crimson robes along the way.

At the rear, Carkis sat on his warhorse, observing everything through a telescope.

"Indeed, you cultists' methods are hard to guard against. Sowing discord, ambushes, and assaults have all caused us great trouble."

"But so what? Before an invincible army, everything is merely the struggle of insects." After saying this, he felt a long-lost sense of clarity and refreshment.

During this period, because he had failed to exterminate Prince Jabers, he had been continuously held accountable and questioned within the Kingdom of Ante. If he couldn't resolve this issue within three months, the Kingdom of Ante would send someone else to replace him.

Fortunately, his spies had finally discovered the location of these rats. Now, the mobilized army would gradually flatten these annoying fellows. Everything was so perfect.

"Sir, a messenger has arrived from Split-Axe City." A messenger hurried to his side.

"What is it?" Carkis frowned.

"He says Split-Axe City urgently requests reinforcements. A rebellion has also broken out there. The streets are filled with armed Regas personnel."

"I left nearly 1,000 men in Split-Axe City. Can't they handle such a minor problem?" Hearing this news, Carkis felt as if he'd swallowed a fly.

He certainly knew what these cultists were scheming—constantly inciting rebellions and disturbances to force him to split his forces, preventing him from concentrating power against them. If he followed their rhythm, dividing his soldiers to rescue each place, he would be like someone putting out fires everywhere, never having a moment's rest.

Moreover, His Majesty had already lost patience with him. If he split his forces to return now, even if he saved Split-Axe City, what then?

"Tell them to figure it out themselves. Hold on for three days. I will personally lead the army back to clean up those insects." Carkis ordered.

"Yes." Knowing this general's determination, the messenger had no choice but to return and inform the messenger from Split-Axe City.

Within the valley, Jabers watched the countless people bustling around the giant magic array, followed only by his remaining loyal guards.

"Now, with the massive army pressing at our borders, the defensive line could be breached at any moment. Are you certain tonight's ceremony can rewrite the situation?" He inquired of the Hundred-Eyes cultist beside him.

At this point, Prince Jabers was beginning to doubt the ceremony's effectiveness. If it were truly so powerful, why didn't the various countries across the continent adopt it, instead still cultivating and training armies?

"Your Highness, please believe us. At this moment, we have also staked all our assets and everyone's lives. We would not joke about such matters." This cultist's words temporarily dispelled Prince Jabers's doubts.

With a cold snort, Prince Jabers led his men away, heading to a higher point in the valley to continue observing the battle.

The sky gradually darkened. At this time, due to the lighting issue, the woods at the valley's foothills became dim. The complex environment slowed the advance of the Anty troops. Under these circumstances, the Hundred-Eyes Sect side breathed a sigh of relief, thinking they could delay until tomorrow.

However, Carkis had anticipated this. Under his command, numerous supplies were transported to the front lines of the military formation. Torches were lit one after another under the night sky. The burning flames, like a sky full of stars, illuminated the area around the valley brightly.

Not only that, to interfere with the magic array and ceremony within the valley, volleys of flaming arrows were launched, falling into the valley, triggering sweeping flames. Many cultists wailed as they were engulfed and burned within the sea of fire.

At this moment, the situation had deteriorated to an extreme. Prince Jabers's face turned cold as he looked down at the flames below. He turned and ordered the knight beside him to find Princess Mursa.

"Prepare to take my sister and me away from here. We cannot stay any longer."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Within the utterly chaotic valley interior, the sect leader led a group of black-robed figures forward at a brisk pace. They strode directly into the sea of fire. An intangible airflow dispersed, extinguishing the surrounding flames.

At this moment, extremely thin beams of light shot out from the rock walls surrounding the valley, piercing through the crates placed within the array below, revealing the items stored inside.

Among them were a scale with precise gradations, an hourglass determining time cycles, and silver granules representing weight measurements.

Among them were amber encapsulating insect moths, glass bottles sealing flowers and plants, and fossils of ancient fish.

Among them were solidified crimson blood, teeth of ancient giant beasts, and incomplete precious dragon scales.

Among them were a golden burning ember, ice frozen for a thousand years, and powdered remains from the Sixth Epoch.

Among them were silver tranquil lake water, eerie black water lilies, and phantom-like, flickering membranes of alien beasts.

After this, the Eye Tyrants on the rock walls converged their rays onto the very center of the magic array. A strange meteorite, concentrated upon by numerous deep violet rays, slowly rose.

It transformed from a pitch-black appearance, gradually becoming transparent, its overflowing energy flowing within, until finally it fully bloomed. A dazzling radiance spread across the plaza.

An eerie, unfamiliar aura swept through the valley. When it touched the military formation outside the valley, those layered gray-white Veils also deformed and melted, as if being dissolved.

Losing the Veil's protection, the Hundred-Eyes Sect's Eye Tyrants locked onto the high-ranking officers at the center of the military formation. Beams of deep violet light pierced the night, melting them. This threw the advancing formation into great disorder. Many torches were also ignited, spreading through the forest.

At the rear, Carkis watched this scene, his facial expression twisting. His eyes shifted several times. Finally, he pulled out a special black hunting dog statue from his bosom.

"Ancestors above, I shall use this to uphold the family's honor." After saying this, to the astonished gazes of those around him, he threw the statue.

The black statue emitted a black radiance in mid-air, then landed, transforming into intangible black flames that spread across the ground.

"Since the 'Castle's' protection is gone, then let me make you aware of the prestige and glory of my Prison Hound family."

He took out a dagger, cut open his own wrist, and a large amount of blood flowed out, falling into the black flames below. The flames suddenly seemed to gain life, forming the vague outline of hunting dogs.

"Not only do you possess ceremonies. I too have the ceremonial secret arts passed down through my family's generations." Carkis said through gritted teeth.

Then, he had people drag over corpses from the battlefield and threw them into the fire.

The black flames, as if receiving nourishment, immediately surged high.

【Feast Ceremony · Hellhound】(Nightmare · Dead Embers · Bloodline)

'At the end of the Seventh Epoch, the protracted war with the alien star left the earth full of corpses and maggots. Many living beings had nowhere to be buried. Exposed bones were a horrifying sight. To restore vitality to the earth and pacify the world's living beings, the monarch presiding over 'Dead Embers,' under the instruction of a group of Hours, summoned black hounds from the sea of fire. They emitted sulfur-like scorching black flames, raced across the land, devouring the flesh, blood, and corpses upon the earth, preparing for the world's reforging.'

-Conditions: This ceremony requires a large number of corpses (Dead Embers) to create the conditions for the Hellhound's birth, an aura of despair and fear (Nightmare) to shape the hound, and bloodline (Bloodline) bound by an ancient pact with the Hellhound as the catalyst.

-Record: Once successfully activated, Hellhounds will emerge from the flames. Their strength depends on the corpses devoured by the flames and the pervading negative emotions. Once these black hounds appear, they will continuously devour any corpses they see and transform them into new Hellhounds until the scorching black flames within them burn out. Additionally, if the owner of the blood used as the catalyst in the ceremony knows the history of the 'Funeral Feast' from the Seventh Epoch, and the more the arranged environment resembles that of that era, the stronger the ceremony's effect, and they can use their own will to guide these hounds and direct their actions.

-Effect: Summon Hellhounds from the black Dead Embers flames. They will burn and devour the bones they see and eliminate traces left by the 'alien star.' (Possesses strong resistance against the alien star; the hounds' flames counter other 'Dead Embers' creatures.)

The flames made a strange, wheezing sound and continuously twisted their shape. Finally, a ferocious black hound leaped out. It stood about two meters tall, with a slender build and a narrow, elongated head—an appearance that sent chills down one's spine.

When these flame-emitting black hounds emerged, their blood-red eyes searched around, then they swiftly dashed towards the battlefield, gnawing on the corpses there one by one. The soldiers were horrified by these black hounds, scattering and evading. Some were even swept by the hounds' flames, their entire bodies catching fire, wailing as they ran across the ground.

As the ceremony's initiator, Carkis had some influence over these black hounds, but he couldn't achieve precise control. After all, his bloodline was also quite thin. It was now the Ninth Epoch, too distant from the legends of the Seventh Epoch.

Over a dozen Hellhounds raced across the land. Their strength was at the 'Second Tier · Dead Embers' level. But this was merely the beginning.

Numerous corpses became food and nourishment for the black hounds. As if commencing a grand feast, they raced across the battlefield. Whether they were cultists' corpses, Anty soldiers' corpses, or even those figures ignited by their flames who weren't completely dead yet—all became their food.

Within a few short minutes, ten Hellhounds became fifty, and this number was still climbing.

Under Carkis's full urging, these black hounds charged towards the valley interior. As they ran, they nimbly leaped over obstacles and rocks. Even if pierced by an Eye Tyrant's ray, they wouldn't die immediately, only becoming weakened.

Many members of the Hundred-Eyes Sect were pounced upon by these black hounds. Wrapped and melted by flames amidst cries and wails, the aura of despair and fear spread, then transformed into new Hellhounds.

The Eye Tyrants on the rock walls fired continuously, still unable to stop the spread of these Hellhounds. Their numbers had expanded from the initial ten to nearly a hundred now.

Terrifying barks echoed through the valley. Wherever they went, scorching black flames spread. Everything would be annihilated in the sea of fire; everything would become the hounds' feast.