Chapter 346 | Sequence: Sacrifice

The dance currently performed by the Flayed Ghost was an indispensable part of the sacrificial ritual.

It served two purposes: to inspire hearts and to sacrifice power.

The reason Qin Ye was feeling a rush of excitement was precisely because he had been 'inspired.'

Such inspiration was often categorized as a positive buff, rendering ordinary mental defense methods completely ineffective against it.

When those people discovered that killing other Demigods resulted in a growth of divinity, and were then further 'inspired' in this manner, it became incredibly difficult for them to stop.

Unfortunately, they did not know that the power boost was only temporary.

After Qin Ye finished off another Demigod, he watched with his own eyes as the body erupted into flames. Soon after, that familiar sensation of divinity surging within him returned.

"Hahaha!"

He could no longer contain himself and burst into loud laughter.

The other Demigods nearby were wary. Although this man had initially tried to flee, two Demigods had already died at his hands.

One of them had been weakened and the other had been a fool, but they were still Demigods.

Qin Ye felt the spirituality within him growing, and his smile became increasingly obsessed.

"Is this what it feels like to have power rise? No wonder you all are fighting so desperately for it."

"Ye'er! Wake up! You're falling into the trap!"

A loud shout echoed in his mind. Qin Ye felt as if he had been struck by a heavy blow, and he snapped back to his senses.

Immediately, he heard that same voice, now sounding somewhat weak.

"Ye'er, someone is influencing your mind. Look around you, look at the eyes of those Demigods!"

"They have become beasts chasing after power, having lost their most crucial sense of danger. Their minds are filled only with profit, like gamblers who have staked their entire lives!"

"Ye'er, the only one who truly walks away with the money is the casino! Do you understand?!"

"I understand!"

Qin Ye suddenly shouted his understanding aloud, leaving the other Demigods bewildered, though they did not stop their mutual slaughter.

Just as Qin Qian had said, their minds were entirely focused on increasing their strength at this moment.

Even if they knew they could leave, they didn't want to!

They were like gamblers on a winning streak; though they could stop at any time, how many people actually manage to walk out of the casino?

Seeing that Qin Ye had regained some of his sanity, the Flayed Ghost's dance became even more frantic.

At the same time, the blade-wielding ghost and the Headless Ghost closed in on him.

They could not let Qin Ye escape before the influence took hold again.

In the distance, Yin Yang observed the situation through the shared vision of the three ghosts.

As Qin Ye killed the two Demigods, ninety percent of the divinity had been sacrificed to Yin Yang, while the remaining ten percent had temporarily merged into their bodies.

Having recovered some divinity, Yin Yang could finally continue the sacrifice.

Today, Qin Ye had to stay here no matter what!

...

Central City.

Wannian Platform.

"Your Majesty! Great Qi is simultaneously attacking Wangnian City, Wangqi City, and Wangsui City. Now, Wangsui City has been breached, and their army is driving deep into our territory."

"Wangqi City is struggling alone and likely won't last until reinforcements arrive."

"The garrison in Wangnian City is weak; the situation there is very grim."

"If things continue at this rate, Great Qi's army will reach Huangyan City by noon tomorrow!"

Silence filled the hall. No one dared to speak first, only occasionally stealing glances at the figure seated at the head of the room.

Qin Qian, the Monarch of Great Wei, sat there with a calm expression, his emotions unreadable.

The officials weren't particularly nervous.

This was because neither Wangnian City nor Wangqi City were part of Great Wei's true defensive line; they were merely border settlements.

Great Wei's true line of defense had always been Huangyan City!

The place where the main army was currently stationed was also Huangyan City!

It wasn't that they didn't want to defend the three cities, but those were new cities built specifically to alleviate pressure on the border. They had no natural defenses to rely on.

In fact, when they were first established, their purpose was to serve as logistical hubs during wartime.

That had been decades ago.

At that time, Great Wei was at the peak of its military power, launching repeated campaigns against Great Qi.

According to the ambitions of the Great Wei monarch at the time, the goal was to fight all the way to Great Qi's border and seize it!

As for these three cities, they were to serve as vital hubs for the army's supplies.

Who would have thought that halfway through the campaign, the Great Wei monarch would suddenly drop dead?

Great Wei was forced to withdraw its troops. Great Qi had been badly beaten and was terrified; they could only watch as the enemy built three cities right on their doorstep.

Subsequently, a new King of Great Wei ascended the throne and began reforms, leaving the entire nation in misery. Great Qi even saw an opportunity for a counterattack!

But then, Wan Tianqing appeared. He reorganized the entire administration of Great Wei, and within a few short years, the nation was revitalized.

The Qi King at the time could only sigh repeatedly upon seeing this.

"Wan Tianqing, the one who saves the fallen heavens."

Not long after, he died of frustration.

From then on, Great Qi kept a low profile. During that period, several individuals with terrifying talent emerged. One of them had talent that was nearly on par with Wan Tianqing's.

Furthermore, he followed the Axeman pathway, acting with decisive lethality!

The Great Qi monarch held him in high regard, pouring the nation's resources into his training. He eventually became Great Qi's youngest general and their youngest Sequence 4!

The monarch even married his own sister to him, making him a member of the imperial family!

However, just as he was about to break through to Sequence 3, Wan Tianqing's schemes caused his promotion ritual to be flawed. Although the flaw was discovered early enough, he still suffered a backlash, leaving him unable to attempt the breakthrough again for a long time.

The contemporary Great Qi monarch fell ill from the stress of this and passed away shortly after.

Counting the one before him, this was already the second Great Qi monarch to be driven to an early grave by Wan Tianqing.

The new monarch of Great Qi then took the throne. This new ruler harbored suspicions toward Great Qi's God of War and constantly hindered him. The God of War, out of gratitude for the previous king's kindness, could only deal with the obstacles as they came.

Based on the situation at the time, as long as Great Wei developed peacefully, they could simply watch the new monarch and the God of War fight internally and wait for the right moment to strike again.

Who would have thought that the new King of Great Wei would also suddenly drop dead!

In truth, the sudden death of Great Wei's monarchs was an old tradition. Since the founding of the country, the number of monarchs who had lived to a ripe old age could be counted on one hand.

But this time was indeed sudden, and more importantly, the monarch had not yet decided on an heir!

While he was alive, he preferred to cultivate his heirs through a 'survival of the fittest' method; the few who survived were all ruthless.

At that time, the entire Central City was in chaos. The wealthy and powerful were already preparing to emigrate, and Great Qi was sharpening its blades, ready to invade at any moment.