Chapter 384: Bloodflame Order
Translator: Strivon
Lady Halder was a woman who gave off a deep impression. Luo Nan wasn't the sort to be good at recognizing people -- being a homebody and all -- but he was never able to forget her from when he first saw her.
Yes, Luo Nan was forced to admit that Lady Halder had an excellent figure. She was in her forties, and right now she wore a wool-knitted dress of deep violet. The stockings of the same color was the perfect match for her black suede high heels. She donned an easy-going hair bun atop her head with a few locks of hair falling down the sides of her forehead. She was graceful yet decisive, like a dame who has been of eminent status for a long while.
She possessed facial features that were a bit western, as well as a still and secluded gaze coming from deep eye sockets. A strange and slender blood mark could be seen on her right cheek, giving her a callous and unyielding aura. She appeared to be more like a long practiced and successful career woman upon deeper inspection.
Indeed, she was a business queen in the normal world. The high-grade fitness center where everyone was at was one of her businesses. She inherited the Citadel Financial Group from her late husband, rapidly expanding the business over the past ten years. The Citadel Financial Group owned the shares of several well-known fashion and exercise brands. In the domain of entertainment and fitness, she held a shocking influence that grew larger time and time again.
Luo Nan had looked up her information before. Lady Halder was a legendary person in Xia City. During the dark era of the Bloodflame Order with their internal divide, the First Oblatum at the time retreated during the chaos that stemmed from a clash of doctrines. This lead to the Order's sacrificial vessel to be destroyed, causing irreparable damage to the Order.
During this matter of life or death, it was none other than this lady who cut down the skull of this First Oblatum, her predecessor and her husband. She was able to resist the fierce whiplash from the Bloodflame Will thanks to her absolute conviction. Within the raging blood-flame, she succeeded the throne to become the First Oblatum. She relied on her rapidly expanding financial resources in the normal world to stabilize the Order during its weakest period, forcing this branch of the Bloodflame Order to continue on.
The bizarre mark of blood on her right cheek was the remnant of the Bloodflame Will's ultimate ordeal. It was evidence of her hair-raising achievement from the past.
She was famously known as the Black Widow in the inner world, having decapitated her husband. She was infamous, but her prestige was unparalleled within this branch of the Bloodflame Order. Practically everyone was overawed by her unyielding nature and her iron blood. Mo Lun, an elder, was extremely respectful to her.
Right now only Lady Halder was sitting down in the room; everyone else was standing. Second Oblatum Yin Le, who Luo Nan had once crossed paths with before, was leaning against a treadmill down the corridor in the neighboring room. Her body language expressed that she was at great ease..
She started out as Lady Halder's crucial secretary. Though she no longer held a position in the financial group, she was the person in charge of the Frost River Reality project, as assigned by the financial group. The position was humble yet important in the normal world, and within the Bloodflame Order, she was one of the successors who Lady Halder paid great attention to.
In addition to Yin Le, there was a muscular man standing respectfully by Lady Halder's right side. He too was a critical character in the Order. His name was Meng Chong, and he was a trusted agent who had followed Lady Halder since the beginning of her career. He once served as captain of security.
There was unreliable intelligence that he was Lady Halder's lover, but above all, none could deny that Meng Chong was powerful. He was the only person to survive the ultimate ordeal of the Bloodflame Will in this branch of the Bloodflame Order, aside from Lady Halder and Elder Mo Lun. It was reasonable to say that his body contained monstrous power, but he was extremely low-key. He never participated in any rankings. It was hard to determine an accurate assessment of him.
There were three other people. One was an old man with a rather pedant air. He was another elder of the Order, Elder Jiang Yuanzhen, and he was proficient in the original doctrines. He was around a dozen years older than Mo Lun, but he was more of an expert in theoretical work. His qualifications in the order were slightly worse than that of Mo Lun.
Jiang Yuanzhen used to be play the scholarly-grandpa role, but his status in the Order was later raised by Lady Halder. Though he was useless in terms of combat power, his and Mo Lun's existence made this branch of the Order give off some 'orthodox' ambiance during the present era of destroyed sacrificial vessels and clashes of powerful ideals.
This old gentlemen was currently the most worried out of all them. What he worried wasn't the injured Mo Lun, but the candidate for becoming the sacrificial vessel, the Wraith Sign. Of course, they called it the 'mold' in the Bloodflame Order.
"How is the mold? Mo Lun, do you have any confirmed news? What the hell did you do?"
Jiang Yuanzhen expressed himself in a very impatient yet lost manner. He was a standard theorist, while his innate supernatural power placed him on the level of C- rank.
The Order had performed observational experiments on the Human-Faced Arachnid. Under normal circumstances, a clone of the Human-Faced Arachnid resided on the boundary zone between the abyssal region and the absolute realm of the mental plane. This was a domain that only Extraordinaries or a B-rank ability user specialized in mental sensing was privileged to. It was absolutely impossible for the typical ability user to even perceive it. The Human-Faced Arachnid only approached the material plane when it sought to capture its prey.
Actually, in the strict sense, there wasn't anyone currently in the Bloodflame Order who fulfilled either one of those criterion. Lady Halder had used a special channel to obtain the herding technique. It was this technique that allowed them to capture a Human-Faced Arachnid clone and create the mold for a sacrificial vessel from it.
Within the core characters of the Order, only Lady Halder, Elder Mo Lun, Second Oblatum Yin Le, and Ren Hong were able to utilize this powerful technique. None other than these four people could see the Wraith Sign under normal conditions.
Mo Lun couldn't stand the old fellow. He was unwilling to respond. Lady Halder didn't volunteer to respond either, as she was deep in thought. Yin Le, on the other hand, was just about to respond, but Ren Hong, who stood close to Jiang Yuanzhen, opened his mouth a step earlier.
"Old Jiang, the mold is very normal right now. It is digesting its food, and the structure of the Bloodsoul Temple is becoming more complete. The sound of the Bloodflame is extremely clear."
Ren Hong was very close to Lady Halder in age. He was in his forties, and he had a very ordinary appearance, but his words and actions were mature and proper. Normally he hid the key facts, like not showing the mountain nor revealing the water. But when he preached, he possessed quite an inciting power. He was a backbone of the Order, purely relying on the business of the Order to rise up. He often discussed theories and preaching methods with Jiang Yuanzhen, so they had quite a close relationship.
Jiang Yuanzhen didn't have any apprehension with Ren Hong. At his age, he treated Ren Hong like a little kid. He grabbed Ren Hong, like how one would snatch a toy, and said agitatedly, "Let me hear! Let me hear!"
Ren Hong gave Lady Halder a helpless glance. Lady Halder's eyes were slightly closed, a sign of approval.
"Don't take too long!"
Ren Hong gave him a warning before grabbing Jiang Yuanzhen by the wrist. He adjusted the frequency of the soul strength fluctuations and drew Jiang Yuanzhen's soul strength within. He acted as an amplifier, allowing Jiang Yuanzhen to be able to hear the sound coming from the depths of the mental plane.
"Blood! Blood! Blood!"
"Flame! Flame! Flame!"
The impetus and monotonous sound continued on without end. It was like a gradually rising platform. It pressed from the mental plane, piling layers upon layers with no signs of stopping at all. Yet, because it come from nothingness, there was always the risk of collapse. Hearing this sound for too long would cause the inner organs to spasm and contract.
But Jiang Yuanzhen listened to this sound with great ease, as if he was listening to nature. His eyebrows were raised high from laughing so hard. "Oh man, oh man. It's like the mold ate a large tonic pill. The Bloodsoul Temple's two thousand one hundred and twenty steps, the Bloodflame Dao. Right now there's..."
"One thousand seven hundred and fifty-five steps," Ren Hong confirmed the number instantly. Then he said, "Time's up."
"What, so fast?" Jiang Yuanzhen wanted to act dumb, but Ren Hong gently yet firmly rejected Jiang Yuanzhen's request. Ren Hong even pulled some distance from Jiang Yuanzhen. Jiang Yuanzhen wanted to continue to pester him for a moment, but Ren Hong used his eyes to remind Jiang Yuanzhen that the First Oblatum was present.
Jiang Yuanzhen was hand-picked by Lady Halder. He was scared of her. His cheeks twitched, and in the end, he didn't drag the issue. He turned to give Lady Halder a smile, then he raised a finger as he did some calculations. "Last time Mo Lun notified the number of steps to be one thousand five hundred and sixty-nine. Oh man, one hundred and eighty-six steps in an instant?"
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.