Unsealing the Ward at the Ritual Gate

Upon receiving the order, Wen Mingzhong immediately began directing six elite esoteric ritual teams via his boundary credential. These team members wore identical esoteric cult vestments, with ritual patterns painted across their clothing and skin. Maintaining a precise distance from one another, they formed a stable resonance field. At the same time, according to shifting circumstances, they would adjust their operational methods and add or remove ritual adornments to merge, divide, and connect with the expanding fields of the other teams, thereby fulfilling their various ritual tasks. Once they went into action, auxiliary personnel stationed on the perimeter brought various ritual implements into the area. Following the esoteric ritual teams' requirements, they buried some deep, suspended others high, or set them down at fixed positions. This formed an orderly, three-dimensional ritual framework with staggered heights. The personnel standing on the high ground around the perimeter ignited the surrounding ritual materials. Guided by an unseen force, the rising flames and drifting smoke converged toward the exact center of the ritual field aloft. Because most of the ritual implements were metallic, they caught the light of the fire and lamps, casting a unique, ceaselessly flickering gleam. After a short while, these objects began to vibrate gently of their own accord, sending out tingling pulses of a field. At the same time, many ritual implements drifted up from their spots in clusters, flowing and revolving along a distinct, orderly trajectory. Wen Mingzhong watched for a moment, then reported to Chen Chuan, "Commander, thanks to the diagrams you provided, every single placement has locked perfectly into a ritual node. With this step successful, what follows will be relatively easier." The annotations on the esoteric ritual diagram Chen Chuan had provided were remarkably detailed, allowing them to proceed with pinpoint focus and accurately locate every key node. Finding them on their own wouldn't have been impossible, but it would have taken a very long time. Locating every ritual node and confirming its function within five hours would have been entirely out of the question. Chen Chuan said, "Mr. Wen, proceed as you see fit. I am right here keeping watch." Wen Mingzhong agreed. Excusing himself, he stepped away to personally inspect each fire. Only after confirming there were no issues did he return and instruct his subordinates to proceed. His extreme caution was not without reason. Currently, they had two options. One was to reinforce the original sealing ritual, leaving the thing to be dealt with after the former dynasty was destroyed. This method was relatively simple, but it carried hidden dangers. It was hard for them to guarantee that Youdu didn't have special means to provoke or activate the anomaly. Moreover, even with reinforcement, the foundation would still rely on the ancient containment ritual. Yet in their estimation, the passage of time and intentional sabotage had severely eroded the ritual's power across many areas. On the contrary, the continuous deaths of Xuanji martial artists on the battlefield over the past few days had constantly stimulated this anomaly, and it showed faint signs of breaking free. If more casualties accumulated on the field in the coming days, complications would be almost inevitable. The other option was direct capture—to contain this anomaly and bring it back to the General Bureau of Esoteric Cults, where it might be converted into a new weapon. With the help of the ritual diagrams, there was a fair chance of success, but the risks were substantial. If they failed, the anomaly might break loose entirely, which was likely precisely what the Former Imperial House wanted to see. When Chen Chuan had heard these two options earlier, he hadn't hesitated to choose the second. In his view, uncontrollable risks had no place on a battlefield. He would rather trigger it deliberately and deal with it early than allow such a thing to linger behind and impede them later. Yet dealing with it this way was precisely the more difficult path. Wen Mingzhong's expression turned exceedingly grave. Capturing an anomaly of this caliber was extraordinarily difficult, especially one that had matured to such an extent; there was truly no margin for error. Even with the ritual diagrams Chen Chuan had provided, he had no absolute certainty. An esoteric master before him had died of his own overconfidence. That master had believed he thoroughly understood how anomalies shifted, yet he had overlooked the fact that as the Great Impact drew closer by the second, anomalies were changing as well. Wen Mingzhong would not repeat the same mistake; he would factor that variable in. If he successfully dealt with this anomaly, it would be an immense credential within the General Bureau of Esoteric Cults and a precious legacy for future generations. He was deeply grateful to Chen Chuan for giving him this opportunity. His focus was intensely concentrated, his mind simultaneously acute and calm. Methodically, he issued commands to each ritual member through his boundary credential. At this moment, he acted as a commander overseeing the whole board. Not only did he need an exact, flawless grasp of every person's specific operation, but he also had to adjust and calibrate each step based on the dynamic fluctuations of the anomalous matter on site. This required his mind to remain at peak alertness and demanded sufficient stamina to endure the entire night. For an ordinary man like him, it was a tremendous ordeal, so he had taken a special secret medicine in advance, enough to sustain his physical and mental drain through the night. Chen Chuan gazed downward. Wen Mingzhong had already told him there was a chance of failure, in which case the creature might break through the perimeter, and Chen Chuan would have to confront it immediately. Once an anomaly broke out, it was notoriously difficult to eliminate, but higher-order power could suppress it. Even if his Mystic Void Fire could not destroy it outright, it could still suppress the creature briefly, buying the team a second chance. Even if the anomaly targeted him as a result, he could simply use it to temper his external visage. As he watched, the whirr of propeller blades drifted in from outside. The Former Imperial House had launched a night raid. Judging by the noise, far more airships were taking part in this strike than on the previous two nights, likely timed to coordinate with the anomaly. He did not turn to look. Defensive arrangements had been set during the day, with Chaoming providing aerial support. Unless Xuanji martial artists of the Longevity View or Dongxuan View appeared on the enemy side, there was no cause for concern. And if the Former Imperial House truly made such a move, Great Shun would welcome it with open arms, swallowing them whole. As time passed, the din outside grew louder and louder, sending distinct, ceaseless tremors all the way into the fortress, a testament to how fierce the fighting had become. Wen Mingzhong and the esoteric ritual team members turned a deaf ear to the clamor, pouring their full concentration into the containment. By now, they had successfully pinned down every key node and laid a simple temporary containment barrier around the exterior. And what followed was the most critical step of all. They carried over a large, blue-green double-eared urn and placed it in the center of the field. This was the most crucial ritual implement; today's capture of the anomaly hinged entirely upon it. Similar vessels had been used to capture formidable anomalies in the past. In truth, rather than "capturing," it was more accurate to call it a transfer. By fashioning an environment where the anomaly felt comfortable and conducive to growing stronger, they enticed it to remain inside, reluctant to leave. Fierce anomalies possessed an instinctual drive to pursue greater strength and generally would not proactively attack targets within that field. Yet the benefits were not granted without strings attached. This in itself was a form of restraint: once you accepted the benefits offered, you were bound to obey certain rules, thereby achieving control. Before any of that could happen, however, they had to disrupt the anomaly's field. The anomaly had to be made to understand that resistance brought losses—or that it had already suffered them—making it far more willing to accept the benefits presented. Once the double-eared urn was set in place, the six esoteric ritual teams took up their respective positions, linking their own fields with the one generated by the ritual implements. As they settled into place, a transparent field resembling condensed mist gradually became visible to the naked eye within the space enclosed by the ritual implements at the center. Dense esoteric talismans could be seen drifting across its surface, churning endlessly through several inner and outer layers. Through their series of arrangements, the containment ritual—originally laid out across a flat plane—had been manifested as a sphere. This operation made observing and manipulating the ritual far simpler—a brand-new technique developed by the General Bureau of Esoteric Cults in the modern era by combining ancient esoteric rituals with new methods. At this moment, each member raised a long ritual rod, aiming at several crucial points. The onlookers could not comprehend the intricacies of the ritual, but they could see that the team's movements were smooth as flowing water and rhythmically coordinated. Their mental resonance was in perfect harmony, imparting a sense of effortless ease. Just from this, one could tell that the process was going remarkably smoothly. Wen Mingzhong stepped up before the double-eared urn. He took several deep breaths. With all preparatory arrangements complete, what lay before him now was to actively unravel the sealing ritual and draw the anomaly out ahead of schedule. This was the true test. If this step went awry, no amount of meticulous preparation beforehand would matter. He glanced at his wristwatch, observed the shifts in the field, and then called out, "Break the seal!" Six team members simultaneously thrust the long ritual rods in their hands into the spherical ritual field ahead. At that instant, the rods seemed to sink into solid matter, flickering with wisps of golden light upon contact with the ritual, while the forward tips vanished entirely, as if penetrating into another space. Chen Chuan and everyone present could feel the ground beneath their feet and the surrounding air vibrating violently, causing the fields and spiritual power of many in the audience to leak outward. Yet with unspoken coordination, they pulled their power tight around themselves so as not to disturb the field at the center. After a minute or two, the ritual team's movements halted. A sharp click rang out, as if the rods had been pushed all the way to the end. The area fell quiet for a moment, and even the vibrations ceased. Right then, something seemed to shatter, as if the ritual space formed from condensed mist had dissolved in a passing breeze. Then, with a wet hiss, a vast torrent of steaming blood sprayed out. The blood rapidly dispersed into a hazy crimson mist, within which knelt an armored, headless figure. Its form was colossal, looming like a small mountain as it radiated an eerie, bizarre field. The expressions of most people present shifted. In that very instant, they felt as though the heads upon their own shoulders could barely stay upright—as if a single gentle push of a hand would send them tumbling to the ground. …… ……