Chapter 22

Translator: 549690339

“It is said that the barbarians on the ancient grasslands would kill their captured women’s firstborns, as they couldn’t be sure if the child was of their own seed…”

Aaron Sotos walked through Black Sun Town: “But are we, the Green Forest People, at least a bit better than the barbarians on the grasslands?”

Thinking of the bloody sacrifices of the Green Banyan Tree Grandmother, Aaron couldn’t help but feel a little guilty.

However, he quickly put this thought behind him.

Before him, Xiu was kneeling at the High Priest’s feet, wearing a black robe.

“Congratulations, new Unburned!”

With a joyful smile on his face, the High Priest seemed to be on the verge of emitting black flames through his eyes and mouth at any moment.

“I pledge to honor the Black Sun as my Lord and follow His path!”

Xiu’s cheeks were slightly emaciated, but her eyes were full of vigor.

Aaron could tell that this woman must have tried the church’s breathing and meditation method and had reached a certain level.

“The Black Flame Meditation can be divided into four temperatures: Red Flame, Yellow Flame, Blue Flame, and Purple Flame. You have already passed the test of the Red Flame…”

The High Priest said joyfully, “You can now start the Unburning Ceremony and become a true ‘Unburned’.”

He gestured for the black-robed believers nearby to bring forward a brazier burning with intense flames.

“As long as the ‘Darkness’ spirituality is awakened, ordinary flames would not be able to hurt you.”

The High Priest reached out his hand into the flames.

“I…”

Xiu gritted her teeth and plunged her hand into the flames.

Hiss!

Intense pain immediately spread, and the smell of charred flesh quickly filled the air.

Not far away, Ike and Lin, who were watching, closed their eyes, unable to bear watching any longer.

However, even with her face contorted in pain, Xiu managed to hold the High Priest’s palm in the midst of the flames.

“Good, it’s normal to suffer a little injury on your first try.”

The High Priest withdrew the brazier and saw Xiu’s severely burned right hand, a faint smile on his face: “Just keep trying, let your body fully feel the heat of the flames, it will help awaken your spirituality.”

“I will heed your teachings.”

Xiu’s sweat-soaked face revealed a slight smile.

“Aunt Xiu!”

As soon as the High Priest left, Lin threw herself into Xiu’s arms, tears rolling down her cheeks: “Your hand…”

“Don’t worry. I’ve already started to partially awaken, and even though it looks severe, it’s just a flesh wound”

Xiu reassured her, “To pursue my Lord and power, this small price is nothing.”

Aaron couldn’t help but nod in agreement.

If Xiu hadn’t partially awakened the ‘Darkness’ spirituality, her hand would have been almost cooked by now, instead of just looking severely burned.

When they returned to the room and Lin was put to sleep, Xiu looked at Ike with a serious expression: “How are you?”

“Every day I follow them and praise the Black Sun, they don’t suspect me…”

Ike replied in a low voice.

“Keep it up. Once I become a true Unburned, I’ll have access to their curses and can take you away from here.”

Xiu said firmly.

She didn’t like this cult, but she wasn’t averse to gaining power either.

Aaron watched all this without saying a word.

He knew that the influence of the Black Sun on its followers was subtle yet violent. Although Xiu’s plan seemed sound, the chances of success were slim.

“But… why haven’t I been affected?”

Aaron mused.

According to his investigations, even those who hadn’t practiced the secrets of the ‘Darkness’ could still hear the Black Sun’s whispers.

If they were followers of the Black Sun, the influence would increase dramatically!

However, after the beginning, Aaron couldn’t hear any whispers whatsoever.

Not only the Black Sun but also the being born on the Moon and other terrifying entities. He was totally unaffected by them after the initial influence.

Additionally, he had secretly tested several times and found that even the Obsidian altar dedicated to the Black Sun could not sense or alert of his approach, which made him bolder in his explorations.

“The first possibility is that my status is too high? No, that’s not likely…”

Aaron thought with a smile, “So… are these godlike beings simply ignoring me?”

“At the beginning, when they were first born, their signals were strong, so I could hear…”

“But now, they just naturally emit the influence, the signals have weakened, and I can’t hear it anymore…”

“Is this a reasonable explanation?”

With a sense of inquiry, Aaron returned his consciousness to his physical body.

“Daisy, bring me a brazier!”

He shouted at the door, and before long, Daisy brought a brazier with a pair of iron tongs: “Sir, although the weather is a bit cold, please remember to open the window if you’re going to use a fire.”

“Yes, you can go out now!”

After dismissing the maid, Aaron stared at the flames, starting his meditation.

The Black Flame Meditation required the practitioner to visualize flames of different colors burning in the mental space, scorching the body, and then passing through them step by step.

During the High Priest’s teaching, before each meditation, they had to pray to the Black Sun, hoping to get closer to that being during the meditation.

Aaron felt that he probably couldn’t master this meditation method, but he still really wanted to give it a try.

One hour, two hours…

Three hours…

After several braziers had run their course, Aaron opened his eyes and reached out to grab the flames in the brazier.

“Hiss…”

His hand recoiled like it had been shocked, with a burning sensation at his fingertips.

“I can’t do it at all…”

“If I continue, my hand will get cooked…”

“If outsiders saw me, they might think I’ve gone mad!”

Aaron shook his head, let Daisy take the brazier away with a puzzled expression, and closed the door.

As the door closed, he felt like he saw a look of pity in the maid’s eyes, as if she were looking at a fool or showing concern for a mentally challenged person.

“Did she see it?”

“Oh well, it doesn’t matter…”

Aaron returned to his desk, opened the locked drawer, and took out his notebook:

[Attempted Black Flame Meditation, failed!]

[Conclusion: Maybe I am not suited for the path of ‘Darkness’, or… is this really a Magicless World?]

[Spirituality exists in every element of that world but does not exist in this one… so where does spirituality come from?]

Aaron suddenly thought of the crimson sun in the Dream World.

And the information Xiu had told him about how after the great catastrophe, everyone went mad, and the maddest among them turned into monsters.

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[So… did humans in that world originally have no spirituality, but received it from the crimson sun? So, the craziest ones, who also have the most abundant spirituality, could mutate into monsters even if they haven’t set foot on the right path?]

He suddenly felt that this explanation was quite reasonable.

[So… am I the source of it all?!]

Aaron suddenly remembered the information he had received initially.

[I am… the Dream Creator!]