Chapter 57: The Sacrifice

In recent days, Shen Lie had gained a modest reputation within this unit; many knew him. Yet now, everyone was tense, preparing for battle. Military officers at every level were organizing and coordinating various groups into their designated positions. Even the Awakened Alliance led by Gu Chengfang had no choice but to obey the military's command.

Shen Lie glanced over the military’s formation. It seemed they had no intention of advancing but planned to hold their ground and defend. He was not entirely in favor of this strategy, but given the circumstances, it was the only viable option. They were caught between enemies on all sides. Both flanks were likely in dire straits as well, and any attempt to break through would result in heavy casualties.

After exchanging greetings with a familiar face, Shen Lie gradually moved toward the edge of the formation. His real purpose for stepping out wasn’t to gather intelligence—since the military had already issued their orders, there was no need for him to pry further. Instead, he intended to attempt the Stellar Sacrifice technique, hoping that by sacrificing this toad pearl, he could replenish the mysterious energy residing in his brow.

Though armed with the skills Savage Charge and World-Ender Hammer, Shen Lie believed his true trump card was the enigmatic energy in his forehead. Combined with the Black Spear, it was an unstoppable force that had saved him countless times from the brink of death. To recall just one incident: when they encountered that sedan chair in Dongfeng Town, without this mysterious energy, he would never have stood his ground.

Thus, at this moment of life and death, it was imperative to elevate his strength to its peak. Before the battle began, he needed to test this seemingly formidable sacrificial technique.

"Well, well, if it isn’t the Great King Shen! Where are you rushing off to in such a panic?" came a sneering voice.

"Haha, I thought our King Shen would run scared at the mention of spider monsters," another jeered.

"Looks like he’s about to wet his pants. King? Hah!"

As Shen Lie was just about to slip away from the left side of the formation, these mocking voices rang out beside him, dripping with scorn and disdain, utterly unfriendly.

Shen Lie furrowed his brow slightly. He recognized these voices—they belonged to members of the Awakened Alliance, Gu Chengfang’s trusted confidants. After several failed attempts to recruit Professor Liu, the bulletproof vehicle squad had effectively severed ties with Gu Chengfang’s faction. But because Professor Liu was a key military protected person, Gu Chengfang had refrained from causing trouble. As a result, the Awakened Alliance and the squad maintained a tense but restrained relationship.

Now, with the crisis unfolding, these men seemed unable to hold back any longer. Shen Lie cast a glance at their leader—a sharp-featured young man with a monkey-like face, covered in short fur, nicknamed the Water Ape. His name was Zhao Jun, a water-element talent.

“Heh, so it’s a monkey after all. Haven’t shaved in days? Planning to gross out the spider monsters with all that fur?” Shen Lie’s words struck a nerve. Zhao Jun was hypersensitive about his body hair. His anger flared instantly, raising his right hand to strike. But upon meeting Shen Lie’s cold gaze and noticing the short hammer at his waist, he suppressed his fury.

Zhao Jun knew Shen Lie’s strength well. He was no match. Yet he also understood Shen Lie wouldn’t dare provoke a fight now. Such a disturbance would leave him vulnerable, and even the military wouldn’t protect him. The Awakened Alliance wasn’t a force to be trifled with.

“Hmph, sharp tongue. Let’s see if you’re still so cocky tomorrow morning,” Zhao Jun sneered, leading his group to maintain order nearby. Only then did Shen Lie realize this sector was under the Awakened Alliance’s jurisdiction.

Shen Lie sneered in return and swiftly slipped into the distant wild grass. He didn’t venture far—too much risk of encountering spider monsters. Instead, he found a concealed spot nearby and began the sacrificial ritual.

The sacrifice was straightforward: arrange a sacrificial array, place the offering at its center, then activate it with an incantation.

Though simple in theory, the process required careful study. Time was tight, so Shen Lie proceeded hastily, thinking as he worked.

First, he cleared a patch of ground. Then, from his pocket, he produced five spider monster crystals—his stockpiled reserves and the minimal energy sources required for the sacrificial array.

Indeed, the array needed power to function. According to the information he had absorbed, this was crucial. The array he planned was the most basic—if not even small, more like micro-scale—requiring only five energy nodes, hence five energy sources.

Energy sources could be objects or awakened beings capable of emitting power. But he couldn’t summon five Awakened to assist, so he had to painfully rely on the crystals.

The size of the sacrificial array correlated directly with the level of the offering. Shen Lie judged the toad pearl’s rank wouldn’t be too high—after all, the toad monster’s strength was clear—so the smallest array would suffice. Besides, his current ability only allowed him to form such an array.

He positioned the crystals according to the array’s layout, then carefully took out the toad monster’s pearl, holding it in his hands, ready for the next step.

But this was not the end. To successfully activate the array, one more item was needed: the “array eye.” The information specified this must be a star artifact of the Starlight Clan, specifically a sacrificial-type star artifact.

Shen Lie wasn’t entirely sure what a star artifact was, but he guessed his Black Spear was one—after all, its original owner, whose black blood flowed within, was from the Starlight Clan. It wouldn’t make sense for him to wield a weapon from another race. However, the Black Spear was not of the sacrificial type.

He had come prepared for this. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have ventured out. The small token he carried to store the Stellar Sacrifice technique was itself a sacrificial star artifact, called the Sacrifice Token—the absolute core of the Stellar Sacrifice technique.

Placing the Sacrifice Token at the center of the five crystals, the preparations were nearly complete. The simplicity almost made Shen Lie doubt it. But this wasn’t the final step. He had to activate the token using the mysterious energy from his brow—the star force—initiating the array.

A residue of energy remained in the Leaf Mark’s storage. Now was no time to be stingy. Without hesitation, Shen Lie summoned the star force. An invisible energy beam shot from his brow, landing squarely on the Sacrifice Token.

The once ordinary token immediately glowed, vibrating with a low hum. As the vibration intensified, five white beams radiated from the token, striking the surrounding crystals.

The crystals lit up simultaneously, each emitting a yellow light pillar. All the beams tilted slightly toward the token, converging above it into a five-pointed circular formation.

From the token, a thicker beam shot straight into the center of these five points. The six beams instantly formed a luminous disc.

Watching this, Shen Lie’s eyes grew sharp. Without hesitation, he hurled the toad pearl onto the glowing disc. The pearl shattered instantly, releasing an energy that resonated mysteriously with the light disc beneath.

Then, to Shen Lie’s astonishment, the combined energy erupted into a dazzling pillar of light, shooting into the void above!