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Chapter 580: Tenochtitlan
🕑 Added 2025-04-07 00:00:04 +0000 UTCBlood continuously dripped out from the ripped openings, staining the priest’s arm and chest, but he didn’t care. He held the still beating heart in the air, as if offering it to the sky. Shadowy strands appeared in the sky, entering the heart. The strands were invisible to the naked eye, but their effects weren’t.
The heart darkened at a visible rate until it was completely pitch black. So dark was its shade that appeared like a hole in reality. When the color reached its peak, dust drifted off as it disintegrated into nothingness. At this point, the sacrifice on the altar lost all signs of life, but his expression was still resolute.
Two priests of lower ranking came forward and removed the corpse before cleaning the altar until it was pristine once more. Although all the blood had been wiped, it still reeked. The smell of blood had long accumulated from the years of sacrifice.
However, neither the priest nor the sacrifice showed any aversion to the smell. Rather, it made their determination stronger. An old woman nearing her twilight years was the next sacrifice. If she was not sacrificed, she would have at least another decade of life, but there was no hesitation in her eyes as she laid atop the altar.
Once again, the priest raised a dagger into the air while offering prayers. The dagger in his hand was brand new. The previous one had shattered along with the disintegration of the black heart. He brought it down and impaled the elderly woman’s chest, ripping her heart out like the previous sacrifice.
The blackening heart phenomenon occurred once more.
The sacrifice continued. Next was a young man, who appeared in his twenties. Fear filled his eyes, but he still resolutely lay atop the altar. His muscles clenched when the knife descended. Not to resist, but to prevent himself from ruining the priest’s action.
A total of twenty humans were sacrificed. Some were old, some young. The only exceptions were those near death and those who had not reached adulthood. But without exception, all of them voluntarily lay atop of the altar to be sacrificed.
Tianyi didn’t consider himself empathetic. He might have cared in the beginning, but after becoming immortal and the passage of time, he could care less about the deaths of mortals far away. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t take action if he sensed a massacre, and he had lost so much empathy as to coldly watch humans be sacrificed.
“What’s going on? Is it some sort of ritual?” Of course, that didn’t mean he would take everything at face value. He wasn’t blind. He could sense the devilish encroachment stall and even lessen with each blackened heart.
Tenochtitlan also showed a helpless expression. “They are Tenochtitlan’s greatest heroes. Originally, Mother could squash the devil, but she is only one goddess. Alone, she could not stop the devil’s encroached. She may be able to squash devils like bugs, but mortals are helpless against devils. So, they corroded more land in spite of Mother’s efforts. Mother’s strength is tied to the land, with so much loss, it’s only a matter of time before the devils destroy Nahui Ollin.”
Tianyi looked at Tenochtitlan, as if to say, “Is it really alright to tell me all this?” Tenochtitlan didn’t care. It wasn’t a big secret. More importantly, it was impossible to hide, so why not just come clean?
“To combat this, we will hold a periodical sacrifice. The number fluctuates depending on the time. As you can see, each time they are sacrificed, the bravery in their hearts pulls in the devilish influence and halts their corrosion. It’s only thanks to their brave sacrifice that the devils have not conquered more.”
As a divinity born from the people’s prayer, Tenochtitlan and Tlaloc prioritized the lives of her believers. If possible, they would not have wanted anyone to be sacrificed, but reality was harsh.
“Of course, there are requirements. The biggest is their determination. The sacrificed are all volunteers, so their hearts are filled with duty and bravery. However, they must not be too old, or their heart will be too weak. Most people who volunteer are children, but it’s impossible for us to sacrifice the future, so only adults are chosen,” Tenochtitlan explained.
“I see,” Tianyi said and looked away. Human sacrifice was abominable in his opinion, but he didn’t think he had the right to stop them if he could stop the source behind the sacrifices. If he brainlessly stopped them, he did not have the power to expel the devils and would only cause more deaths.
He glanced at the servants on the rainbow serpent vessel. Each one had various bone piercings all over their body. The piercings looked old and brittle, but they hid a terrifying power. It wasn’t enough to threaten Tianyi, but it could allow these mortals to reach the immortal level at the cost of their lifespan. Those bones were the fragments of a divinity’s skeleton.
Since the Nahui Ollin System could find and repurpose Quetzalcoatl’s skeleton, there was no reason they could not do the same to the other divinities. But it was ultimately an external power and nonrenewable resource. Not to mention that it was impossible for an ordinary mortal to withstand the essence stored in the divine bones. Only exceptional individuals could contain their power, further limiting the Nahui Ollin System’s combat potential.
‘No wonder they wanted to rely on outside help,’ Tianyi thought.
The rainbow serpent vessel did not hinder the sacrifice. It stayed in the sky and waited for the ritual to end before flying into the temple at the center of the city. Once there, a grand reception awaited the delegation and Tianyi.
Tianyi blinked when he saw the large number of women at the forefront. ‘Was he waiting for me here?’
Along the way, he found it weird that Tenochtitlan didn’t try to force any woman onto him. Not that he would have accepted it. Ignoring whether he would accept multiple wives or concubines, he didn’t like the large and noticeable piercings on their bodies. Because larger and more piercings equaled status, most of the people on the rainbow serpent vessel had a large amount of piercings all over their body.
Tenochtitlan must have noticed his preference because all the women receiving them all had the bare minimum of piercings, while the men had the average amount. Furthermore, their piercings were concentrated on their ears with none on their face.
Tianyi clicked his tongue. He should have known better. Aside from this, he had also had to guard against the Herakles System’s attempt to seduce him away from the Immortal Court.
“Huh?” Tianyi noticed a woman standing at the very end of reception. She wasn’t the tallest, but had a set of priest’s robes hanging onto her every movement. Coupled with her divine presence, Tianyi already knew who she was. The God King of the Nahui Ollin System and Goddess of the storm and fertility, Tlaloc.
“Welcome, honored guests. Tenochtitlan extends its warmest welcomes,” Tlaloc said.
Tianyi stared. He didn’t expect to be received personally by the ruler of the Nahui Ollin System, or for her to be so humble. He swiftly bowed. Next to him, Tenochtitlan greeted his mother while the true immortals and delegation kneeled in front of the goddess.
“No, the honor is mine,” Tianyi said.
“You must be tired, you should rest first,” Tlaloc said, motioning the priest to guide Tianyi and the immortals to their new abode. “After resting, I’ve prepared a banquet to welcome you.”
“Thank you for your thoughts, but a banquet is not suitable now, considering the sacrifice.”
“You don’t have to mind. It’s normal and happens every month,” Tlaloc said impassively. Without waiting for a chance for Tianyi to refuse, she disappeared.
Helpless, Tianyi turned toward Tenochtitlan, who was not a help. He gave Tianyi a bright smile. “Just rest well and enjoy yourself. Your presence here is the greatest aid.”
Tianyi’s lips twitched. Facing these divinities, he felt quite helpless. Although they respected him, they ignored his will. They had this inexplicable confidence in their choices, as if he would eventually conform to their will.
So, after resting a few days, Tianyi attended the banquet. There, he sat on Tlaloc’s left, while Tenochtitlan sat to her right. He was given the highest honors and treatment, with countless women rushing to fill his cup and place food in front of him. Because of this, Tianyi received envious glares from many true immortals, but he only felt uncomfortable.
Their skin color varied, but each one had a certain beauty, be it physical or their inner charm. Tianyi valiantly resisted them all. Even when the banquet ended and Tenochtitlan took Tianyi to tour the Nahui Ollin System, there would always be a group of women behind him, waiting for his every order. However, Tianyi did not touch them. Had Tenochtitlan not been sure that Tianyi was straight, he would have prepared men as well.
Although Tenochtitlan was in a constant state of erosion by the devils, it did not mean there weren’t pockets of peace. Similarly, a mortal could be corroded by a devil at any time. Because of this, with the exception of the capital, cities were the location with the highest chances of devils appearing. Not only did the Nahui Ollin System have to guard against new devils, they also had to eliminate the old devils.
Tianyi even encountered a few while touring the Nahui Ollin System. Naturally, he took action. Those newly emerged devils only had the power of a false immortal. The priests would have to sacrifice their lifespan to activate the divine bones while ordinary mortals could only be reaped, but Tianyi was different. He didn’t mind taking care of the devils to show goodwill toward Tlaloc and Tenochtitlan.
Of course, he only took action if the devils appeared and didn’t actively seek them out. Compared to Tlaloc or Tenochtitlan, he was the person most capable of eradicating the devils in the Nahui Ollin System with his countless clones, except for those devils that reached the sovereign or divine level. But why would he? The Immortal Court was a member of the Pantheon Alliance, not a direct ally. If he took action, it might be construed by other pantheons as an unfair tactic before the official competition began.
Soon, Tianyi no longer went out. There were plenty of sights to see, but he no longer had any interest and stayed in his designated abode. It was not that he was fully dedicated to secluded cultivation, but that his other clones were active. Because of his actions, the mortals of the Nahui Ollin System mistaken him for a divinity.
To the mortals, only divinities could stay in their temples for decades to centuries at a time. When they exited, time would leave no mark on them. To them, Tianyi was no different from a divinity. Not just him, many true immortals received the same treatment. Because they had no demigods, the mortals could only use their limited knowledge to categorize immortals like Tianyi.
Tianyi’s actions made Tlaloc and Tenochtitlan disappointed, but they knew they couldn’t force him and could only do their best to change his view. They had time and were willing to take the long route. After waiting thousands of years, the Nahui Ollin System welcomed other guests.
The other pantheons had arrived.
Naturally, the Immortal Court also appeared, but not by ship. Thanks to Tianyi’s presence, they directly appeared in the Nahui Ollin System without the need of the Jade Void Palace. With all the actors present, Tlaloc treated them all to a banquet, like Herakles had done before the All Patheon Conference.
During the banquet, he saw much fewer divinities. Outside of special circumstances, no system would be willing to house so many foreign divinities. The number of divinities present was also a compromise between the many systems.
In contrast, more focus was placed on the demigod-level participants. The divinities were only present as a safeguard and would not usually take action. The protagonists of the competition were the demigod-level combatants.
One thing puzzled Tianyi. He didn’t find any trace of the Numinous Sword Sect or of Buddhism.
Comments
Captdeth
The text is in bold. Just letting you know.
