Chapter 384: Bloodflame Order (2/2)
Yin Le added, ”Old Jiang, there was another successful hunt last week that wasn't announced. There were already one thousand six hundred and five steps at the time.”
”One hundred and fifty steps is far too much. Especially since the final part of the Bloodflame Dao occurs after the one thousand six hundredth step. Though these steps can't compare to the very last one hundred and twentieth steps, the Blood Altar...it isn't easy to build these steps... What in the world did the mold consume to possess this much energy?”
If Luo Nan hadn't been spying on the high-level communications within the Bloodflame Order through the Wraith Sign recently, then he would have certainly been confused about the whole ordeal going on right now.
Actually, the so-called Bloodflame Dao was the Bloodflame Order's quantitative measure of the Bloodsoul Temple implanted within the body of the Human-Faced Arachnid. It was divided into six levels with every four hundredth step forming a section for the first five stages. The final stage of ascension consisted of the last one hundred and twenty steps.
Though this was a quantization, there were visual associations to these steps.
The hell-like structure of lava that was internalized within the Wraith Sign had its center built upon layer by layer. They looked like mountain peaks formed from the piling of cooled lava. The mountain peaks rolled and turned and consisted of many pores from the mountain rocks. Magma trickled in and out from within; a molten river that constantly changed the terrain of the mountain.
But no matter the changes, there were majestic and marvelous structures separated by the varying heights of the mountain. Some were palaces, some were caves. They were structures of the mountain, combined together into one whole.
This was the embryonic form of the Bloodsoul Temple. There were buildings formed everywhere, representing the completion of the fourth stage. The following fifth stage was the formation of an altar at the summit.
The sixth and final stage was none other than the last hundred and twenty steps -- the Blood Altar. Through the Blood Altar, the Bloodflame Will would be internalized into the entire mountain, forming the complete Bloodsoul Temple.
Luo Nan lacked a deep understanding of secret orders, but just by
looking through his senses, the whole process seem to be quite ordinary with its gradual advancement. Aside from grazing, the endless sacrificial offerings, refinement, and both mysterious and intrinsic magics embodied the Bloodflame Order's accumulation of power.
Jiang Yuanzhen was an internal member of the Bloodflame Order. He didn't look at things as simply as someone like Luo Nan might. Jiang Yuanzhen was constantly worried about the Bloodsoul Temple. ”The first two-thousand steps are fine. It's the last hundred and twenty that are the hardest. Just based on the size of our Order right now, giving sacrificial offerings day in and day out is still somewhat a strain. If only we could have more offerings like this...”
Ren Hong concurred, ”That is so true. The Order of Justice started earlier than us. It is said that they've sent a Human-Faced Arachnid clone to their headquarters even before the incident with An Weng. In other words, it is very hard to gather complete Human-Faced Arachnids no matter how much one herds in Xia City. It is hard to avoid asking others in order to allow the mold to grow. Currently, it appears that the mold's ability to devour has some considerable room to grow, which is good.”
Yin Le was a bit more pessimistic, ”It is still difficult to judge on a case-by-case basis.”
Jiang Yuanzhen's hands clapped together, ”We need to ask Mo Lun. This time was dangerous, but to truly seek a road to aid the blood sacrifice requires endless beneficence.”
As his voice fell, a mass of light and shadow unfurled out from the center of the room. Mo Lun hadn’t been part of the conversation, but he was able to have the core members of the Order understand his current situation through an image. This image was formed by first transforming memory into energy and information that could be read by special equipment. The special equipment then transformed it into an image.
Mo Lun's act of recreating memory appeared to be a simple action. In fact, it was nothing for someone like him: a profound researcher of the mind and soul. Mo Lun's powerful and efficient skills made Luo Nan feel rather inferior.
The changes of light and shadow were the re-creation of Mo Lun's experience at the time. It was hard to avoid the processing distortions caused by the subconscious thanks to human beings' thought characteristics, but this re-creation was still good enough to be used as a reference.
The scene of the incident was very familiar to Luo Nan. He thought carefully for a bit, then he was able to recognize that it was the recycling stratum of the Dual River District. Gangs were rampant here, and negative emotions were aplenty. This was the most optimal place to be for a Human-Faced Arachnid.
Mo Lun briefly introduced the background. He transmitted his voice directly via thought using the mental plane. Due to the mental connection between Mo Lun and the Wraith Sign, Luo Nan was able to hear Mo Lun clearly.
”Back then I was just doing the routine hunting rounds when the mold suddenly became very excited. I thought it had found prey, so I immediately approached. But all I saw was a bird...”
”It can't be a bird, right?” Jiang Yuanzhen wielded his age to speak quite casually to Mo Lun.
Mo Lun didn't bicker with him. He just responded normally, ”Actually, I discovered it wasn't a bird when I got closer. It was a Winghand Bloodbat.”
Winghand Bloodbat!
Actually, Luo Nan was already stupefied when he saw the image. Mo Lun's commentary just confirmed it for him.
It truly was a Winghand Bloodbat. Luo Nan had participated in the Trigate Security meeting last week, and this Mutant was the first thing they introduced. Luo Nan's impression still ran quite deep. He knew that this thing possessed a highly infectious virus of the mutation type. With the virus, it can even control living beings and Mutants. The Winghand Bloodbat was an extremely large threat. The premium for this thing out of Trigate Security's offered rewards was ranked among the best.
This can't be a coincidence, right?
Luo Nan found such an amazing coincidence hard to accept. However, he found it even harder to imagine that this sort of dangerous Mutant still had different channels to enter and leave Xia City so easily. If so, then the world would truly have a crisis on its hands...
If the Wraith Sign had truly devoured one of the targets mentioned by Trigate Security, would there be anything left over of the Winghand Bloodbat? Trigate Security's had said to capture them alive or to see proof of its death. They emphasized this as the utmost importance!
Well, whether it be the Wraith Sign or Mo Lun in his out-of-body state, they both hung about on the mental plane. Even if they killed a Winghand Bloodbat, they wouldn't be able to take the dead body with them.
Luo Nan immediately became excited. He stared at the scene of the light and shadow, trying to find surrounding landmarks to confirm the location.
However, as Luo Nan carefully observed the continuous re-creation of the scene through light and shadow, he felt that something was off. Yet, he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was.
Jiang Yuanzhen was quite astonished, ”Was it really a Winghand Bloodbat? How did it enter the city? The city defense forces must have gone blind... Oh, it seems that there's something different with this one?”
Mo Lun responded, ”Actually, there are some differences between that one and the variety in the Wilderness. I've been suspecting that this thing isn't really a Winghand Bloodbat.”
The image of light and shadow gave them all a close-up view. Immediately, whether it was the core members of the Bloodflame Order or Luo Nan located a couple districts away, everyone was able to see the problem.