Achieving Demon Godhood from Unlocking Talents

Lu Chao’s keen senses told him that the complete magic crystal contained a rich supply of energy, comparable to that of an energy mineral essence.

This was undoubtedly a significant gain, equivalent to obtaining two portions of the mineral essence.

However.

Lu Chao frowned and looked to the side at the black-covered magic book.

It looked exactly as he remembered, and its contents were unchanged when he opened it.

The only difference was the addition of a few scratches on the cover, making it look even more ancient.

It was a baffling contradiction. The book was clearly impervious to the corpse fire, yet it could still be slightly damaged.

It was as if its material wasn’t truly durable, but rather, some fundamental rule prevented it from being incinerated by the corpse fire.

At this thought, a glint appeared in Lu Chao’s eyes as he instinctively began to review the day’s events.

That Mage had certainly been a tough opponent, with a wide array of Magic techniques at his disposal.

There was the Invisibility Technique and Clone Skill for concealment, the Shadow Sneak and Muscle Softening Skill for escape, and on top of that, the powerful Shadow Bind, Summon Giant Serpent, and Flame Giant...

It was no wonder the Biotechnology Company had been unable to capture him, even after mobilizing so many of its forces.

In fact, even other Martial Artists at the Peak of Limit-Breaking might not have been able to stop him, let alone seriously injure or kill him.

’It’s a good thing I have my Titan state as a trump card. It allowed me to shatter his Magic techniques with brute force in a short amount of time. Otherwise, the outcome would have been uncertain.’

Lu Chao spent several minutes in reflection, replaying the entire situation in his mind.

On the surface, he had made no mistakes. He had successfully avoided surveillance and used the Mage’s own Invisibility Technique and tracking paranoia against him, luring him to a secluded spot to be finished off for good.

But.

’Something is wrong...’

His expression grew serious, and his gaze grew heavy as he stared intently at the magical Holy Scripture before him.

The black cover looked ordinary, but it seemed to absorb the incandescent light in the room. An eerie gleam would flash across it from time to time as, at an excruciatingly slow pace, it gradually repaired the scratches on its surface.

He had noticed this phenomenon when he first held it, so it wasn’t a surprise.

Yet, for some reason, he now found the object unsettlingly strange.

’It’s as if its very existence is the reason I ran into that Mage in the first place.’

’The abrupt coincidence felt like some external force was intervening, determined to return this magic book to my side.’

He wasn’t sure if he was just being paranoid.

But time and again, his intuition had led him to the right judgment. It was the very reason he had made it this far.

Therefore.

’I can’t keep this thing.’

His wavering gaze firmed into resolve. Lu Chao had made his decision.

’In any case, this magical Holy Scripture is of little use to me now. Just tossing it away would only harm innocent people and lead more to believe in the Demon God.’

’It would be better to just destroy it and be done with it once and for all.’

With that thought, he picked up the magic book, intending to destroy it with his Qi Flame and brute force.

Hmm?

The next instant.

’The Divination Skill...’

A thought struck him, and Lu Chao remembered the uncanny nature of Magic techniques.

After a moment’s thought, he quickly left the apartment.

...

「Deep within a boundless wilderness.」

A fire blazed within a cave.

Amidst the crackling of the flames, a glance around revealed a strange valley.

Wooden huts and rock caves dotted the sides of the valley, and in the central clearing, a massive bonfire was piled high.

Billowing gray smoke rose from the flames and melted into the night. Behind the firelight, a giant stone statue was visible.

It was a deep brown color and humanoid in shape. It stood tall on two feet, its hands gripping a scepter that rested on the ground.

Looking up, one could see It had no facial features.

Though it stood only six or seven meters tall, it inexplicably projected a sense of boundless majesty that inspired awe, as if it symbolized some deity.

DONG! DONG!

The sound of drums echoed from below the divine statue, coming from a crowd gathered around the bonfire.

The figures at the forefront were dressed in the ritual garments of an ancient tribe, their faces painted with colorful markings. They leaped and hopped about, continuously beating the leather drums slung across their chests while chanting strange syllables in what sounded like an ancient sacrificial prayer.

Behind them, nearly a hundred people held hands. Some wore suits and trench coats, others wore camouflage combat uniforms. Most of their clothes were stained with blood and covered in dust. With numb, rigid expressions, they moved in time with the drumbeat.

At times they flailed their limbs in a macabre dance; at others, they shuffled in a circle.

Finally, as if controlled by the drumbeats and chanted syllables, they all fell to their knees in unison, prostrating themselves before the stone statue.

VMMMM!!

In that instant.

As a ray of moonlight shone down from above, an eerie sheen appeared on the statue’s surface.

Hazy at first, like a reflection of the firelight, it gradually deepened into a bloody crimson.

This eerie spectacle did not cause the ritual dancers below to pause. Instead, the drumming grew even more frantic, as if in celebration.

It took only a few moments.

PUFF! PUFF! PUFF!

One by one, the numb figures kneeling around the fire suddenly died, collapsing like scythed wheat. Their pupils went slack, and their breathing ceased.

Crimson blood trickled from their mouths, noses, and eyes, staining the dirt and pebbles before soaking into the ground.

As if this triggered the next stage of the ceremony, the already-frantic drumming grew more urgent, and the prayerful chanting became more feverish.

Influenced by this, the crimson glow on the statue grew richer and deeper, as if it were on the verge of giving birth to something.

"High Priest, it seems this blood sacrifice was a great success."

Witnessing this, a figure inside one of the valley’s wooden huts spoke softly. He was wrapped in a black robe, and a faint smile touched his face, which was covered in swirling, tattoo-like markings.

An old man in a long brown robe stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his white hair draped over his shoulders. He stood before the window of the hut and nodded slightly at the words, his gaze also fixed on the distant bonfire and statue. He had watched the entire process as nearly a hundred people died as offerings, becoming nutrients in a blood sacrifice to please their god.

"Not bad."

"However, this is just a medium-sized ritual... If my calculations are correct, in another year, it will be time to prepare for the large-scale one. The Demon God will then descend with a blessing of infused Magic Power, increasing the chances of a breakthrough by twenty percent."

The drums continued to pound, and the prayerful chants echoed without end.

The old man in the brown robe stared at the crimson glow on the statue and said softly, "When the time comes, you shall preside over it."

As his words fell, the figure standing behind him froze for a second before his face lit up with ecstasy. "Thank you, High Priest."

He nodded hastily and bowed low, knowing full well what this honor meant.

Achieving a breakthrough was a near-impossible feat, especially for a Mage.

The brown-robed old man paid his thanks no mind. Instead, he stared at the blood sacrifice in the distance, which was now drawing to a close. "During every large-scale ritual," he said with a hint of regret, "if we possess the Holy Scripture, we have a chance to witness a phantasm of the Demon God, to worship it, and to receive even greater blessings."

"Unfortunately, such a sight has not been seen for thirty years..."

He shook his head. On his neck was a peculiar mark shaped like a blood-red lotus, which looked like both a tattoo and some kind of power source.

The black-robed man behind him bowed slightly upon hearing this, clearly understanding his master’s meaning. "Priest Huo has always been prudent and reliable. He is an expert in the Divination Skill, so he will surely find the Holy Scripture’s whereabouts."

"When he returns, you, High Priest, will be able to wield the Holy Scripture. You will lead our faction back into the fold of the church and become the true master of this planet’s destiny."

"Mmm..."

The brown-robed old man, the High Priest, nodded slightly, a faint smile finally appearing on his face.

"Indeed. If so, then I..."

BOOM!!

The divine statue in the distance suddenly exploded, and all the crimson light was instantly extinguished!

Shards of stone flew in all directions, tearing through everything like bullets.

The blood sacrifice, which had been on the verge of completion, was abruptly interrupted. All the tribespeople presiding over the ceremony suffered a backlash, their bodies exploding into a bloody mist.

The scene took everyone by surprise. Inside the wooden hut, both the High Priest and the man in the black robe shuddered, stumbling unsteadily.

Eyes wide with shocked fury, their faces went pale. They could clearly feel their own Magic Power reverberating violently as a powerful backlash washed over them.

"This..."

The man in the black robe was stunned. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, his expression a mixture of shock and disbelief.

Before he could even begin to process the situation, an intangible feedback flooded his mind, bringing with it a sudden revelation.

"The Holy Scripture... has been destroyed?!"

He stared wide-eyed, unable to believe it.

And the High Priest, who was always so calm and detached, now stood with his hair in disarray, veins bulging on his forehead as he let out a ferocious, guttural roar:

"WHO WAS IT!!!"

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