Chapter 1476: Chapter 1476

The knight of the Power of the Five Mountains walked with caution, scanning his surroundings. Fortunately, the road was peaceful, and he arrived at the Holy Fire Temple smoothly. Checking the time, it was already 9:35 PM, five minutes later than planned, causing the knight to frown.

Having walked this path many times and being a high-level believer, he could control his speed perfectly. So, how did he end up five minutes late?

Despite his careful recall of the journey, he found nothing unusual. Still feeling uneasy, he discreetly opened the wooden box slightly to check the contents. The offerings inside were intact. The knight finally stopped doubting himself and relaxed.

As an eight-tier magician, Santa’s illusion was definitely too advanced to be seen through by someone with the power of the Five Mountains. The extra five minutes were naturally the time it took for Santa and Predecessor Sun to hide in the box.

The reason it was difficult was that storage spaces cannot accommodate living creatures, so the two had to enter in a "non-living" state. First, they had to use the secret technique of feigned death provided by Santa, and then they could enter.

But after feigning death, they couldn’t move... they had to rely on Princess Amelia for help.

Actually, the whole process could be completed in less than a minute, but when the Little Princess suddenly found her still brother interesting, she held him in her claws and "played" with him for a few more minutes... It’s hard to say if the Little Princess was getting back at her brother, trying to make him reveal his true form.

At exactly ten o’clock in the evening, the southwest gate of the Holy Fire Temple opened. The priests in the Confession Room had actually been waiting inside long ago. They had already seen the knight standing outside, but they didn’t come out. As clergy, they needed to maintain dignity and make everything ceremonial. If someone arrived early, they would just have to wait, otherwise, the believers would lose respect for the Divine Temple.

The entire process was witnessed by a little bird perched on a branch outside the temple.

The box was taken for inspection first to ensure that the offerings inside were fine. This procedure was very strict, with the presence of a Seven Mountains Power to ensure compliance.

Once the inspection was complete, it was time for the most important part of the ceremony! All sacrificial items would be sent into a special space created from Divine Artifacts! Even the most brilliant architect would be unable to find this space within the Holy Fire Temple.

There were also six Divine Artifacts with supervisory functions, closely monitoring the staff to prevent embezzlement.

These experienced staff members accurately cut 10% from the offerings and skillfully disguised the items as intact, so that even during the sacrificial process, the believers would never notice that their offerings had been reduced.

This skill was a well-guarded secret within the Holy See! Every staff member present had to undergo at least a ten-year apprenticeship before they could officially participate in this task!

Although they were all merely ordinary priests within the Holy See, each of them was highly respected, as they looked out for everyone’s welfare!

Neither Predecessor Sun nor Santa had expected the Holy See to have such a trick up its sleeve. They hid separately in two six-tier Demon Beasts’ bodies, preserved with a special technique to ensure that their power wouldn’t dissipate. Predecessor Sun hid in the spine of the beast, and once the secret art of playing dead was cast, he could no longer move, as if truly dead. Even the thoughts in his mind were slowed down by a third.

Predecessor Sun watched as the priests cut open the Demon Beasts’ bodies and discussed which part to take in order to achieve the perfect 10%.

The priests debated rigorously during the discussion, much like an academic debate. They were extremely professional, insisting that they take only 10% and not a single percentage more, adhering to strict standards and only making reasonable profits.

One priest suggested cutting out a quarter of the beast’s spine, which almost made Predecessor Sun call off the feigned death technique and attack, but in the end, the priests chose another plan: to remove the beast’s heart and liver, equaling 10%, easier to remove, and more easily disguised afterward.

Predecessor Sun secretly let out a sigh of relief as the priests carried out the surgery just half a foot away from his hiding place. He then began to worry about Santa, but fortunately, there were no accidents on that end either.

Once the priests took their "fair" share of 10%, they sewed up the beasts’ bodies, made them look intact, and finished their work.

Next was a period of boring waiting. Three days later, under the presiding of Bishop, the Viscount’s eldest son began the sacrificial ceremony.

In Hamilton City, Viscount Hamlet didn’t have much status, and the Holy See didn’t bother to send a cardinal bishop. The sacrificial ceremony went smoothly; the offerings were "received" by My God, who then bestowed divine blessings, raising the Viscount’s eldest son to Five Mountain Power.

As Predecessor Sun and Santa hid in the corpses of the Demon Beasts, they felt time freeze and sensed vast void energies constantly sweeping through the beasts’ bodies. Santa’s feigning death technique was indeed excellent, as the void powers didn’t detect them, successfully deceiving the ritual.

It felt like an eternity, and yet only a moment, as the offerings fell out of the Void Channel with a series of splashes, into a great black lake.

Seen from the sacrificial perspective in Predecessor Sun’s world, the offerings were placed on a majestic pyramid-like platform. In reality, there was no such platform here.

Glowing tendrils emerged from the black lake, grabbing the offerings and pulling them ashore.

On the shore, there were hundreds of bizarre-looking "subordinates" over five meters tall, resembling trees with dried, cracking surfaces. Their branches stretched out, turning into seemingly endless tendrils over the lake.

They had the lowest status in the Divine Kingdom, equal to menial laborers. Having pulled the offerings ashore, they dragged them towards a dilapidated palace in the distance.

Predecessor Sun and Santa slipped out quietly, meeting in the lake’s waters.

Above the lake’s sky, six huge triangular eyes floated, scanning the entire lake with the help of numerous tiny cilia, monitoring the laboring "workers".

On a mountain peak near the lake, there stood a faceless Subordinate God, fifty meters tall. The lower half of its body resembled a horse, with eagle-like claws firmly gripping the mountain peak.

The upper half boasted thirty-six whip-like arms, each holding a strangely-shaped weapon. If any worker slacked off or dared to embezzle offerings, this overseer would mercilessly strike them down.

Santa quietly communicated with Predecessor Sun: "Follow me."

When they were beside the lake, Santa waved his hand, and an invisible barrier enveloped them. They went ashore undetected by any being.

"The [Flame of Stars]is currently fighting the fellows you sent in earlier. Otherwise, the moment we enter, we would be discovered by it."

Predecessor Sun looked at the dilapidated palace: "Go there?"

"The Divine Fire is not necessarily in its palace." Santa had another plan, pointing at the overseer: "Our first target is it."