### Chapter 373: The Ceremony Concludes
Of course, this bear was brought here by Yuliya, and as for why it looked a bit like a nervous puppy—well, that’s simple. Just give it a good whack!
One whack won’t do? How about two!
Yuliya had made a special trip to deliver that beatdown the very next night—most people didn’t even get to enjoy such a treat!
“Take these four over to the southern gate. After that, it’s not your problem anymore,” she instructed.
Yuliya remembered there was a minor country in the southern realm, and sending Dazzy and the others there would be just fine.
The Steelback Bear King heard this and looked at the four weaklings, then at the super strong tiny one—Yuliya.
“Take them alive, or else…”
“Awooo!”
With a roar, the Steelback Bear King sprang to his feet, scooped up the four adventurers, and bolted away.
He collided with several soldiers along the way, leaving a trail of chaos in his wake.
Dazzy and the others were shaking in their boots, but when they noticed the bear king wasn’t harming them, they climbed up to look at Yuliya.
“Riya! What about you?”
“I’m not the one you need to worry about.”
Walian, with a face like a thundercloud, stared at everything unfolding.
Finally, he drew his sword, soaring forward toward the Steelback Bear King.
After weighing his options, he decided to leave the four behind. Neither the bear king nor that mysterious girl could be dealt with easily—might as well pick on the low-hanging fruit.
The more powerful you eliminate, the better it is for the Offering Ceremony! A strong person counts for many weak ones!
This Gold Level guy wasn’t too shabby either.
He swung his sword, aiming for the bear king’s wrist.
“Is it too much to ignore me? This is so embarrassing!”
Without warning, Yuliya appeared right in front of Walian, making his eyes go wide like saucers.
He gritted his teeth and made a full-force slash.
Yuliya merely lifted a finger, placing it on the tip of his sword.
The moment her finger met the blade, his attack was effectively stalled, unable to move an inch, as if it were glued in place.
“What… you…”
With a flick of her finger, she shattered Walian’s sword into countless pieces that immediately ricocheted toward him.
Walian staggered back, landing on one knee, spitting out bl**d in disbelief: “It’s… Legendary Level…”
“I told you, I just happened to drop by for a look. But if you messed with me, that’s just your bad luck,” Yuliya retorted.
With a stomp, she froze everyone in place, making them unable to move a muscle.
They looked on in a daze as the Steelback Bear King carried the four adventurers away.
The four who were left on the bear’s back gasped at what they’d just witnessed.
“Riya is so strong…”
“Turns out she’s the real deal…”
“We’re so lucky to have run into her. Wait, no, it’s Dazzy! Dazzy is clearly the soul of our team!”
Dazzy fell silent for a moment before shouting, “Riya! Can you tell me who you really are?!”
Yuliya glanced back, chuckling lightly. “I’ve told you, just a wandering adventurer.”
“Alright… But we’re going to check out your hometown! I remember where you said it was! It’s called Jade Green…”
And with that, the four were completely out of sight.
Yuliya withdrew her power, allowing all the soldiers present to regain their faculties.
Yet everyone, including Walian, instantly slumped to the ground.
When faced with a Legendary Level powerhouse, resistance was the last thing on anyone’s mind—even if they wanted to, it would be completely futile.
Walian looked up at the sky and asked, “Are you going to k*ll us?”
“No.”
“What?”
“You have the right to end it yourself.”
“…”
A moment passed before Walian asked again, “Are you going to save the other adventurers?”
“No. Other people are none of my concern. You have your own way of surviving. I’m just here to check out the Offering Ceremony and learn a bit.”
The only reason Yuliya saved those four was on a whim; she found them pleasing to the eye and easy to chat with.
Along the way, they did their best to be good to Yuliya, whether it was necessary or not, their intentions were clear.
So, why not save them along the way?
“Thanks,” Walian said as he pushed himself up, surveying the other soldiers.
“Everyone, you did an outstanding job completing your mission! The country will be proud of you, and our king will be proud of you!
“Everything else will be handled by others, and even if we step away first, it won’t matter. We’ll get through this!”
“Alright, I’m off to rest.”
Walian gathered his strength and slapped his palm onto his forehead.
He let out a muffled groan, his eyes bulging, bl**d seeping from the corners, and he fell backward.
The once Emerald Level powerhouse had fallen.
Others watched in shock, picking up their swords one by one.
After a series of clanging sounds, they soon followed with thuds as they dropped like flies.
The few tens of them all ended their lives.
From the moment they received this mission, they were destined for this fate.
The only unfortunate part was that most didn’t have the chance to say their final goodbyes to their families.
They were like this, and countless other adventurers were too.
Yuliya looked up towards the sky.
She felt an invisible something gathering above, drifting up from the forest, converging in one spot.
Souls.
She lifted her gaze higher, looking to a place beyond what ordinary people could see—beyond the clouds, where black and red energy sparkled together.
This was a premonition of calamity.
The black and red energy resonated with the invisible souls below as if forming two layers in opposition.
As the soul layer piled higher, the black and red energy began to recede.
“Ah, the Offering Ceremony… Is it meant to use these souls as a cover to block the calamity?”
Yuliya sighed, swiping her hand to turn all the bodies on the ground to dust that melded into the earth.
Seven days later, Yuliya set forth again, continuing on her journey.
In those seven days, she had visited various ceremonial locations.
The sky was filled with layers of souls, spreading a faint covering across this generation’s atmosphere.
They had once been lively humans, dying to repel the calamity.
In the end, the calamity did disperse as hoped.
But it was just a dispersal, not a eradication.
In another four years, just how many sacrifices would be needed again?
Yuliya stopped contemplating these matters of this place.
She had her own path to follow.
