Chapter 29
For the villagers of Li Family Village and the players who had entered this dungeon, the day of the sacrificial ceremony was extremely important.
Whether they could earn a title was one thing, but if they didn’t participate fully in the ceremony, they wouldn’t even be able to complete this dungeon—forget about claiming the Lord title.
Naturally, this day was never going to be peaceful.
Many players had used various methods to get to the sacrificial site.
Shen Li and Starry Shasha, as honored guests, were able to sit at prime spots on the altar.
“Captain, where’s Brother Lu? Why hasn’t he arrived yet?” Starry Shasha asked, worried. Previously, Lu Chuan had been left behind while they followed the village chief to prepare for the ceremony. Now they realized he still hadn’t shown up.
“He’s smart; there shouldn’t be any problems. Let’s wait a little longer.” Shen Li, though a bit anxious, kept calm. He knew there were probably countless players secretly watching them, and showing worry would be giving them an opening.
Since he and Starry Shasha were sitting safely, there was no reason the chief’s family would target Lu Chuan.
Seeing Shen Li so calm, Starry Shasha relaxed as well.
Meanwhile, [Shadow Fiend] Wang Feng and his team were hidden among the crowd, scanning for Lu Chuan.
Strange… why haven’t we seen him yet? Could Shen Li and his group be up to something again, and we haven’t noticed?
As everyone was lost in thought, the sacrificial procession led by the village chief and several elder priests finally appeared.
The altar was at the foot of Li Family Village’s sacred mountain, a large square-and-round platform.
Beneath the platform sat villagers and spectators; above, various pigs, cows, and sheep were securely bound as offerings.
The entire site was decorated with prayer flags, while villagers played different instruments, creating an atmosphere both mysterious and solemn.
The village chief shook the bell in his hand, pausing every three steps, murmuring prayers to guide the procession.
Whenever the chief stopped, Lu Chuan’s group would stop as well.
The chief’s children glanced at Lu Chuan with concern.
Boss Jin’s hands, carrying the statue, were lowering under the weight, and sweat was streaming from his forehead. Was he feeling unwell? Or perhaps this year’s deity didn’t want someone from outside the village to hold the statue, making him uncomfortable? But similar things had happened before, and nothing had gone wrong…
“Boss Jin, hang in there. We’ll soon place the statue at the center of the altar,” the chief’s daughter whispered quickly.
Although the preparations for the ceremony were extensive, the actual ritual went quickly.
Once the statue was placed at the altar’s center, the chief and other priests would invite the deity to descend. The red cloth covering the statue would then lift, revealing the true form of the deity.
The form of this year’s statue would indicate what deity Li Family Village would worship for the year.
Li Family Village also had a “Servant of the Gods Record,” detailing the appearance of different statues and the associated rules. The village chief had these memorized. Upon seeing the deity’s true form, he could immediately identify the deity’s name and instruct the villagers on how to conduct themselves for the coming year.
Disruptions often occurred the moment the deity descended.
If players only wanted to clear the dungeon without chasing the Lord title, they could quietly follow the rules and finish the ceremony. By the next morning, they’d receive the dungeon completion prompt and could leave.
But if players wanted the Lord title, they had to take the statue after the deity appeared, using any means—requesting, defeating, or deceiving the deity—to claim the title. Villagers wouldn’t allow this lightly. The chief and priests would awaken their powers in an instant, sparking fierce combat.
This was the most critical and hardest part of the dungeon.
Over fifty percent of players died battling the priests. The particularly skilled ones could exploit the priests’ weaknesses to escape. The rest failed against the deity. Even a mere fragment of a deity’s consciousness was enough—it was entirely a different dimension of being from humans. This phase tested players’ courage and intelligence.
Of course, if a player was strong enough to destroy the deity’s statue, they would earn the Lord title as an achievement—but would also be marked by the deity. If later caught in another dungeon, survival would be nearly impossible.
Lu Chuan knew roughly how the dungeon worked. Shen Li had repeatedly explained it to him.
What annoyed him now was that he felt targeted.
The statue was getting heavier.
He felt like Zhu Bajie carrying a bride—the heavier it got, the more effort required. If he dropped it now, no matter how kind the village chief had been, future cooperation would be impossible.
“System, this statue is getting heavier… is this some fat god? It gets fatter and heavier with each step!” Lu Chuan complained to #888. “Is there any way to make it lighter?”
[Host, there’s no such thing as a fat god.] #888 replied anxiously. [The deity is punishing your prior disrespect. Other than the added weight, the statue hasn’t done anything else. I’ve been monitoring your body; you haven’t been marked or controlled.]
So this deity had a good temper.
If Lu Chuan had tried to melt the statue, tie it up, smash it on someone, or hang it on his waist, a short-tempered deity would have made him pay dearly.
#888 wisely didn’t mention this, knowing Lu Chuan wouldn’t approve.
“What kind of petty god is this?” Lu Chuan muttered. “In our old world, if a deity didn’t bless us, people smashed temples—no consequences.”
[…Perhaps your previous world’s gods didn’t intervene, but the gods in this world do.] #888 cautiously advised.
Lu Chuan considered it possible.
“Fine, I’ll endure it for now. Once I become the God of Wealth, I’ll set things right. Revenge waits ten years,” Lu Chuan decided. For now, he would just hold his tongue.
Meanwhile, as Lu Chuan and #888 grumbled, their procession finally reached the altar’s center.
The village chief recited prayers while his children helped Lu Chuan place the statue at the altar’s center.
Even the chief’s children were shocked by the statue’s weight.
This year’s deity seemed to value the village highly—arriving early.
Once Lu Chuan released the statue, he felt his hands nearly useless, but the statue was finally in place.
Through his mask, he glanced at Shen Li and Starry Shasha, subtly signaling them.
Shen Li’s eyes narrowed. He hadn’t expected that Lu Chuan, whom they couldn’t find earlier, had infiltrated the ceremony’s center—and seemed to be in the prime spot.
Had the village chief treated him like a son?
The village chief muttered blessings to the deity, which Lu Chuan could roughly understand.
Prayers throughout history were similar: asking for family and villagers’ health, protection from disease, and divine favor. Nothing extraordinary.
If not for the statue growing heavier in his hands, Lu Chuan might have doubted the gods even existed.
As the chief’s prayers grew longer and faster, the surrounding prayer flags whipped violently, like countless hands shaking wildly.
The sky darkened.
The red cloth covering the statue began to flutter, about to be lifted completely.
Now!
Wang Feng signaled the Abyss Guild players to rush forward.
If the red cloth fully lifted, it meant a direct confrontation with the deity. Acting just before the lift trapped the partially descended deity within the statue, giving them a huge advantage in defeating it.
Timing was critical, but Wang Feng, having witnessed countless ceremonies, had no problem.
In an instant, hidden players surged forward, unleashing abilities and items.
The village chief and priests, seemingly accustomed, countered methodically against those trying to seize the statue.
“Boss Jin, don’t worry. Dad and the others can handle this,” the chief’s son reassured, holding Lu Chuan’s hand. “The deity is about to appear. We just need to kneel and pay respects.”
“Alright, I’ll go find my brother and sister…” Lu Chuan started, only to see Shen Li and Starry Shasha already surrounded by players.
“These two are Shen Li and Starry Shasha of the Star Guild! They’re trying to disrupt the ceremony!”
“Block Shen Li and the others! Abyss Guild rewards an A-grade item for this!”
Since players’ appearances shift within the dungeon, only teammates could see each other’s true forms. But veteran players could often guess someone’s identity from their actions and abilities. Wang Feng and Shen Li had been rivals for years, so he immediately recognized Shen Li and Starry Shasha. By revealing their identities to the crowd now, Wang Feng ensured they would be swarmed and slowed down.
Catching Shen Li outright would be difficult, but merely blocking him was not.
Whether the other players were loyal to the Abyss Guild or just opportunists, Shen Li and Starry Shasha were indeed stopped and could not immediately move toward Lu Chuan.
The red cloth covering the statue was almost lifted, revealing the base.
At this critical moment, a black figure surged across the ground, racing to the altar’s center. It solidified into a humanoid shape, reaching out to forcibly cover the red cloth and seize the statue.
It was [Shadow Fiend] Wang Feng of the Abyss Guild!
“Don’t even think about taking the god!” The village chief, nearest the statue, suddenly gained tremendous strength and grabbed Wang Feng, holding the semi-corporeal figure in place. Other elder priests displayed terrifying power; prayer flags shot up from the ground, spinning wildly, as if ready to impale the sacrilegious intruder.
Shen Li gritted his teeth and unleashed his [Creation] ability to the max. A massive earth dragon rose from the ground, carrying him out of other players’ confinement, and he surged toward Wang Feng.
They absolutely could not let Wang Feng take the deity’s statue!
The village chief’s children, momentarily forgetting Lu Chuan, were shocked by the scene.
“Dad said things could get intense at the ceremony, but nothing like this.”
Were the enemies really that strong this year?
It felt like the legendary divine battle recorded in village history—outsiders fighting gods, burning their prosperous sacred mountain to bare rock. Most villagers had died or been injured, and every household mourned.
Lu Chuan stood still, watching the battle unfold with fascination.
“System, imagine if this were made into a movie. The CGI budget alone would be insane! They’re fighting like superheroes,” Lu Chuan remarked.
[Host, this is only your third dungeon. You’ll get there soon.] #888 said cautiously. He didn’t point out that as a God of Wealth, Lu Chuan wouldn’t have flashy combat skills.
Skills aside, items could make up for it. Buying powerful items later could compensate.
Wang Feng didn’t expect mediocre players to hold back Shen Li for long. Still, he was in awe of Shen Li’s [Creation] ability.
Early on, it could only make simple things, but in the late game, it was extremely useful. With a teammate specialized in supernatural dungeons, it was unstoppable. Unfortunately, Shen Li’s old teammates had died in the dungeon; now he was carrying two rookies alone, strong but limited.
“Shen Li, why rush? Let my people go through this dungeon first and claim the title. You can try the next dungeon,” Wang Feng said casually, holding the statue.
“You’re only here to scout for your guild. You never intended to clear this dungeon, did you?” Shen Li glared. He knew Wang Feng’s intentions: to destroy the statue and ruin it for everyone.
“Ah, you’re too sharp,” Wang Feng sighed. “I have no choice. Resurrection Guild already has strong rookies; I can’t let Star Guild have two powerful newcomers. It’s better for everyone to be in this lull. Breaking the balance would be bad.”
He pulled out a strange cross.
“No one clears this dungeon this time!”
Shen Li immediately recognized the cross and tried to seize it.
[Detected: player [Shadow Fiend] activated S-grade item ‘God-Slaying Cross.’ This item has destroyed countless divine vessels and true gods; it may trigger side effects. Players, beware.]
Lu Chuan started sprinting.
He yanked off his mask and shouted toward Starry Shasha, surrounded by flags and players: “Shasha, act!”
If things were already chaotic, might as well make them even more so.
Starry Shasha, seeing the confusion, instinctively activated her ability.
[Lucky Demon] triggered.
The players, already in chaos, suddenly lost control.
“Damn, why did my ability fail?”
“Who threw a rock at me?”
“Idiot, you hit me!”
“WTF, what’s stuck to me?”
…
Not only players, even villagers suffered unexpected accidents. Those fleeing or trying to help the chief were thrown off, colliding, tripping, or even hit by whipping prayer flags.
Everything was turning toward the worst luck.
Lu Chuan was hit by several rocks, nearly bleeding.
The altar, under the stress of this chaos, began to crack. Stone tables and platforms that had lasted decades were now fracturing—the final straw.
Crack… crack…
It was unclear whether the altar or the statue in Wang Feng’s hands would break first.
[God-Slaying Cross Side Effect 1: Using this item may invoke other gods’ curses.]
As the system alert sounded, the black sky flared with fire. Countless blazing red stones rained down like meteors.
Boom. Boom boom boom.
The ground exploded into craters; villagers and players panicked and scattered.
The chief and priests had to assign people to protect the villagers.
Starry Shasha stood frozen in the center, not daring to move.
Yet all meteors and chaos seemed to instinctively avoid her—she was untouched.
She dared not move; if she did, her fully activated ability would drag her into extreme [Bad Luck], stripping even her minimal fortune.
Wang Feng’s eyes blazed. He glared at Starry Shasha, furious.
Players who reached the rookie leaderboard were never easy opponents.
This confirmed his determination: completely destroy the dungeon, preventing Starry Shasha and Lu Chuan from progressing.
If they truly grew stronger, Abyss Guild would be threatened.
Wang Feng drove the cross deeper.
An invisible liquid seemed to seep from the statue.
[Side Effect 2: Evil god invasion.]
The system alert sounded again.
Strange patterns appeared on Wang Feng’s arm as something tried to invade his body and seize control.
Simultaneously, Shen Li, standing on the earth dragon, was affected by [Lucky Demon]; the dragon shook violently, throwing him off.
“How am I hit with two side effects at once?” Wang Feng gritted his teeth, enraged. Starry Shasha’s ability really didn’t distinguish friend from foe.
He plunged the cross’s tip into the statue.
With a bit more force, the statue would be destroyed—causing all players in this dungeon to fail.
For those who already had titles, it didn’t matter. But a total failure would force rookies Starry Shasha and Lu Chuan to wait at least three dungeons before attempting the Lord title again—buying Abyss Guild’s rookies valuable time.
Focused on his task, Wang Feng was suddenly slammed from behind.
Lu Chuan had silently navigated the crowd, in his priestly robe, and approached Wang Feng.
Wang Feng turned, realizing that the flags had created a gap, allowing Lu Chuan entry.
The village chief, busy aiding villagers, shouted: “Boss Jin, make sure you seize the statue!”
Clearly, the chief had secretly cleared a path for Lu Chuan.
Wang Feng gritted his teeth, the item card in his hand transforming into a gun, aiming at Lu Chuan.
Lu Chuan ducked, swiftly yanking the red cloth off the statue.
No way—this statue had caused him enough trouble before; it wouldn’t be toyed with by another player now.
“Shit.” Wang Feng realized something was wrong and looked down at the statue.
Once the red cloth was removed and the god officially completed the descent ritual, it would be extremely difficult to deal with.
But Wang Feng’s cross was already lodged in the statue’s center. Unless a high-level god appeared, a low-level one wouldn’t stand a chance against him.
The moment Wang Feng’s eyes met the statue, his mind went completely blank.
Beneath the red cloth, the statue had transformed into a man in military uniform, his hair flowing as if alive.
It looked astonishingly real—like an actual human.
Every inch of skin, every facial feature, could be seen clearly.
The previously noisy and chaotic scene instantly went silent.
The prayer flags and meteors froze mid-air.
Even the evil spirit invading Wang Feng’s body paused.
Time seemed to stop.
Lu Chuan’s gaze, uncontrollably, drifted toward the statue.
