### Chapter 7: Twist (8)
As dusk fell with the sun setting in the west, the Asking Dao Continent’s Imperial Capital looked far from ordinary. A thin layer of bl**d mist hung ominously in the air, giving everything a sinister and eerie vibe, as if, in the next moment, it would come crashing down and devour everyone’s life.
Under the control of the Messenger of the Goddess of Destiny, the beast army that had surrounded the Imperial Capital not only ceased their attack but also withdrew from the walls. However, they didn’t scatter immediately like a bunch of lost puppies; no, they stood there like a well-organized military unit, patiently waiting for their leader to give the order.
At least the Imperial Capital was free from the immediate threat of annihilation. People’s attention inevitably drifted toward the Imperial Palace. After all, it was after the Messenger made her grand entrance that this bl**d mist had begun to appear. Coincidence? I think not!
Unfortunately, the area surrounding the royal castle had been tightly secured thanks to Janet’s diligent lackeys, ensuring that not even a curious fly could sneak in. Curious onlookers were left in frustration, their hopes of a sneak peek dashed, and they grumpily took their leave.
On the castle, Janet stood with a backdrop of layers upon layers of Light Cultist corpses. The square was drenched in bl**d, making it look like a gruesome sea of red. She gazed silently at the scene before her.
It was clear with just a little poking around that these poor souls had all met their end by willingly tossing themselves into the abyss of self-destruction. But who could make such faithful cultists d*e by their own hand? Probably only the Emperor, who carried both the title of Pope and Son of God like a badge of honor.
And it wasn’t just the palace; as Janet’s people surrounded the royal castle, reports came rushing in. They were saying that other Light Churches had also discovered corpses of their faithful. Though the reason behind this was murky, one thing was clear: the Emperor had been planning this since the Church of Light’s inception several years back.
“d*mn it!” Janet clenched her fists in frustration. It was unfair to see these deluded followers fooled into ending their own lives. She just hoped the Lord Messenger could thwart the Emperor’s plot soon and restore some normality to the Empire.
Meanwhile, Lin Nan and her crew, under the capable guidance of Lady Rong Ji, navigated the underground’s myriad of traps and finally reached a gigantic pit right beneath the royal city.
With nearly twenty thousand cultists having sacrificed their lives in a short span, a red glow began to materialize from the depths of the pit. Under Lin Nan’s orders, the bl**d Moon Team—including Lilith—and the ever-reliable Morris all crouched behind rocks, deciding it was best to not make their presence known just yet.
Having experienced the bl**d of All Spirits Formation before, Lin Nan understood well that once the killing began, there would be no stopping the bl**d formation. So, they could only sit back and see how things unfolded, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
As the crimson glow intensified, groups of players in newbie clothing were being herded toward the pit by a cadre of black-robed mages. Lin Nan’s heart tightened; surely they weren’t planning to offer the players up as sacrifices too!
But wait a minute. The fact that the bl**d of All Spirits Formation had already been activated meant the Emperor had collected enough souls. Tossing in five thousand additional players wouldn’t earn any extra favor from the divine. So what on earth were the players supposed to do in this bl**d array?
Lin Nan focused her gaze, refraining from launching an attack for now. Under the direction of the mages, those pale-faced players lined up around the edge of the pit, spaced out about half a meter from each other. With five thousand of them, it created a perfect ring around the huge pit—a meticulously calculated result.
So that peculiar forum chatter started to make sense. She speculated that this underground pit wasn’t a natural formation but was being magically expanded at the Emperor’s behest to maximize its potential.
Presently, the anxious players were meticulously lined up by the hundred black-robed mages, and to discourage any flighty attempts at escape, a few high-ranking mages tossed fireballs into the air, the blasts and heat waves causing the players to truly grasp the concept of impending doom. Any thoughts of revolt evaporated; the players settled into a sort of subdued acceptance of their predicament, likely thinking, “Well, at least we’re not being directly attacked… yet.”
At that moment, Bel made his grand entrance. He floated down in the middle of the pit, in a rather dramatic kneeling pose, as red light continued to surge from the depths, threatening to engulf him.
Seeing this, Lin Nan knew the bl**d of All Spirits Formation was about to open up a channel for the divine. Those five thousand player lives should be safe, for now… but what role would they play? Why were they considered more valuable than the faithful cultists by Bel?
She’d find out soon enough. Of course, she could stop Bel, but the fanatics had already met their demise. With the formation activated, it meant the divine had accepted their offerings from the Asking Dao Continent.
At this point, Lin Nan just wanted to see what Bel’s true intentions were. She had zero faith that this guy was selfless like the Great Palace Master, willing to bear the wrath of the gods to delay divine punishment. So what was he aiming to gain from this?
As the red glow threatened to spill from the edges of the pit and the bl**d mist above the Imperial Capital thickened, a beam of pure light suddenly shot down from the heavens. It seemed to know exactly where the center of the pit was, blasting through the structures above with unstoppable force, landing squarely on the ever-devout Emperor.
In that instant, the blinding white light appeared to dissolve the Emperor into thin air. No one had a clue what was happening, but Lin Nan understood; a deal with the divine needed no words. All Bel had to do was think it, and the divine would know.
As the dazzling white light gradually faded, the remaining onlookers squinted their eyes open only to witness Bel, encased in a white aura, contorting in agony, his whole body shaking.
“AHHHH!” he suddenly threw his hands up, yelling toward the sky.
With his cry, countless beams of light radiated outward from him, forming a network that connected to the five thousand players like spider silk, making escape impossible.
Simultaneously, two hundred or so mages floated protectively around the Emperor, assuming a defensive stance. Meanwhile, the players fell to their knees, some weak ones even fainting from the pressure.
Upon witnessing this, Lin Nan shouted, “Quick, follow me!”
Without a second thought, the bl**d Moon Team and Lady Rong Ji sprang into action, but Morris hesitated, uncertain if he was rushing toward salvation or doom.
In the next moment, he watched as the Lord Messenger and the steadfast Emperor suddenly vanished into thin air right in the heart of the mage army.
The players surrounding the pit appeared drained of all strength, collapsing onto the ground, in a state of unknowing between life and d*ath.
