CHAPTER 404: CHAPTER 326: BLOOD SOURCE SECRET REALM, MASSIVE HEROES

Behind them, the Mosquito Mage waved off a group of apprentices but singled out a Priest named Martin Griffiths.

"Mr. Martin, did you feel anything different this time in the Secret Realm using the ’Angel’s Descent’ ritual?"

The young Priest didn’t directly answer his question but first fervently praised a name in a lyrical tone:

"Praise the great Archangel Asiya!"

Then he replied to the question:

"There was nothing particularly different about the ritual this time. The laws from the World Rift and that Old God Lilith are indeed of a very high level, but they are not the right remedy. The source of Life in the Blood Source Secret Realm might heal all physical injuries, but it can’t relieve the side effects I suffer from practicing "Heaven’s Gospel." To offset the cost, it is likely that we will need that Blood of Immortality, that Miracle of eternal life, the Panacea. The only sensation was, as those predecessors had mentioned, that the Power of Lilith and the creator seemed to fit extremely well. The duration of Angel’s Descent was indeed much longer than outside."

The Mosquito Mage showed no surprise that, unlike other Clergy, he praised an unknown Angel instead of the creator; he had clearly grown accustomed to it.

All the symptoms of the previous fifteen test subjects were exactly like his.

Because that is the side effect of "Heaven’s Gospel"! "Having cognition forcibly altered, involuntarily praising Angels, is a truly terrifying price to pay."

The Mosquito Mage thought that the side effect of his own ’Book of Giant Insects,’ which involved a fondness for bugs, was somewhat easier to accept. How powerful was that forbidden knowledge, rumored to have leaked from the creator? Of course, it was insanely powerful! If used well, it was almost equivalent to achieving a very high-level Saint Descent effect in one fell swoop. It allowed a powerful Spiritual Body from Heaven to descend into one’s own body to fight on one’s behalf. It was even on par with the second realm of swordsmanship, ’Divine Sight.’

But the stringent requirements of the Promotion Ceremony, as well as the post-Cultivation side effects, are too much for some dignitaries in the College of Cardinals.

Take, for instance, this obvious side effect: praising Angels.

Only the Transcendents of the Order of Sanctity are allowed to learn this forbidden knowledge.

But every time they speak, they can’t help but first praise the unknown Angel they read about in "Heaven’s Gospel."

One must remember The Bound Creator is the only God worthy of faith.

For a clergyman affiliated with the Church, this is akin to public blasphemy!

If this side effect can’t be lifted, no matter if you’re a Cardinal Archbishop of the College of Cardinals or a Saint of the Council of the Divine Presence, you’re bound to be placed on the pyre by enraged believers.

Moreover, if one cannot balance this instinct for an extended period, one will gradually become ’superstitious’ and wholeheartedly convert to that Angel, becoming a mindless Zealot willing to sacrifice everything for Her.

This side effect alone is an unbearable burden for the Clergy.

Now, some of the older higher-ups urgently need to remove the cost of learning "Heaven’s Gospel" and step by step touch the Divine Domain.

As it stands, Mother of Creation Lilith might be the most likely to help them fulfill this wish.

The Mosquito Mage nodded to the young Priest.

"I understand, Mr. Martin, go rest. We’ll proceed with the next experiment in three days."

That there was no gain was already expected; if it were so easy to achieve results, they wouldn’t have been stuck on the last step for hundreds of years.

Nonetheless, the secrecy of this group was always well maintained.

All participants in the ’Eternal Life Project’ were required to make the strictest of vows, absolutely not to reveal a single word to outsiders.

If one tried to extract information from their souls using transcendent abilities, it would trigger self-destruction on the spot.

Even if Byron considered capturing them to torture for Intelligence, he would not only fail to get what he wanted but would also tip them off.

The Mosquito Mage watched the gray-robed Priest leave and then looked towards the cave that was resealed by a blood-red light barrier.

He pulled out an experiment log from his pocket, made a few scribbles on it, and then solemnly wrote down a line:

"’Eternal Life Project’ test subject... Number 17, Baron Byron Tudor of Torrentfort, codename: Living Affiliated."

「At that time」

Byron had already led people through the mountain tunnel on the surface of the island, entering the underground Blood Source Secret Realm.

CRACKLING...

A flock of black bats vibrated their wings and flew out over their heads.

When the party saw the sights here, except for ’Blood Red Whiskey’ Alfred, who had been here many times before, everyone involuntarily gaped.

’Chameleon’ Jacqueline voiced what most people were thinking:

"It’s hard to imagine that such a vast underground city exists on such a remote little island. And its style is quite different from those indigenous city-states; it’s more like an ancient building complex from the Old Continent."

Before them was a dense, jungle-like throng of black Gothic-style buildings, like thorny arrows shooting straight into the sky.

Tall spires, pointed arches, large windows, and stained-glass windows painted with mythological stories related to the Old God Lilith.

There were also ribbed vaults, flying buttresses, and slender clustered columns, giving the entire city a sense of lightness and elongation, as if soaring into the heavens.

At the tips of all the high towers were embedded pure black iron Crosses.