Shepherd Tantra

Chapter 1166: The Hall of the Good Lord
The closer Aiwas got to the center of the city-state, the stronger the hysteresis caused by the curse ripples in the air could be felt.

It was like walking on the beach - even if the waves were relatively calm, there would be waves washing over you every few steps. And the closer you got to the deep sea, the more you would feel the weightlessness.

The power of the tides was not actually increased, mainly because the proportion of itself submerged in water was increasing, and the buoyancy was increasing, so the center of gravity was unbalanced.

——The experience they feel at this moment is exactly the same as this feeling.

It's not that the power of the petrification curse has increased...it's that the resistance has begun to weaken.

Aiwass was fine, but he felt a slight gritty sensation on the soles of his boots, and when he lifted his feet he found that his heels were covered with grayish-white debris. Sherlock's spell was still working normally.

However, Ligeia, who had come here purely relying on the winged beings' resistance to petrification, began to feel the strain.

There were no obvious signs of petrification on her body, but any movement she made became several times, or even dozens of times, more difficult.

The steps he took while walking were obviously a bit staggering, like walking in water, mud or snow. Each step required a little effort, so his movements became a bit clumsy.

"I'm afraid that getting closer to the core area will accelerate petrification."

Sherlock glanced at Ligeia and took the initiative to cast a spell to increase her resistance.

As a faint green glow flashed across Ligeia's body, she breathed a sigh of relief and straightened her back a little.

"A little... still a little strenuous."

The proud lady now readily admitted, "It reminds me of how I felt when I was suppressed by a law spell. We may have to make a quick decision."

Aiwass observed her steps and came to an unexpected conclusion: "I think... this petrification may not work on you, Ligeia."

"……Why?"

"Because this is not a proper petrification technique."

Sherlock answered from the side: "Although the power of the Dusk Path is basically mixed together, there is always a difference between home and away."

As a mage, he immediately recognized the strangeness of this power.

If the necromancy of the Dusk Path, or the excavation of treasures, came from the Amber Celestial Master, and the preservation technique came from amber, then petrification spells belonged to the power of the Rock Celestial Master.

"Petrification is the art of transforming everything into fragile, powerless, and silent stone."

Aiwass said slowly: "If all civilizations, all machines, and all flesh and blood are transformed equally into a meaningless stone in the wasteland, it is equivalent to eliminating the meaning of their existence."

Whether a king or a thief, a great man or a sinner, they will lose their value and meaning after becoming the same stone.

Petrification erased their ability to distinguish one from another, and there was no distinction between superior and inferior, or between self and others. Whether it was a fifth-level transcendent or an ordinary person who was not a transcendent, the stone statues they turned into would be the same; whether it was a giant dragon with an almost eternal life or a lizardman with a lifespan of only a dozen years, the stone statues they turned into were all made of the same material.

"After being affected by the petrification spell, the body becomes no different from stone. Once it is broken, it cannot be restored."

Sherlock answered from the perspective of a mage: "This method can defeat any enemy with high physical resistance but low magic resistance - such as heavy knights. Just transform their bodies into fragile stones and they can be easily crushed."

"——However, the petrification curse here is not the case."

Aiwass continued.

It doesn't seem like a transformation, but rather a "freeze that is not cold." The petrified glow it continuously emits gradually turns everything it radiates into stillness.

Even sounds, flames, and splashing water drops can be frozen together——

In other words, the essence of petrification here is actually a kind of "solidification" after being slowed to the extreme. It is essentially a deceleration technique that has been slowed to the extreme, so it is impossible to suspend Ligeia, who has both dragon and winged races, but it will indeed cause obvious constraints on her.

"So... this isn't actually a petrification spell, but a stop spell?"

Ligeia realized something: "Whose domain is stillness then?"

"It's Amber's." Aiwass said seriously, "But Amber has been in a deep sleep and it's impossible for her to respond to the ceremony."

Hearing this, the angel frowned, and a bit of righteous anger appeared on his delicate and beautiful face: "In other words, he is stealing the power of the Pillar God?"

"I think that's it."

Aiwass said softly: "So you must not take it lightly... This is a grand ceremony involving the power of the Pillar God."

As they were talking, they had already arrived at the door of the good master's house.

That is the very center of the city-state, and also the source and center of the petrified ripples that are constantly emanating.

——It’s more like a palace than a mansion.

That was a completely different style from the noble manors of Xingti and even Iris. It was closer to a temple than a "castle" or "manor".

On both sides are curved marble staircases that spiral upward, and at the intersection in the middle is a large fountain - it is more like a lake with a built-in fountain mouth than a fountain.

There are three layers from the top to the bottom, like a big delicious cake.

Originally, this water should have flowed from the lake into the ground, along the groundwater system formed by the underground rock slabs, and flowed into several "wells of abundance" that could be used by free people at any time.

At this moment, it was also solidified by the petrifying force, and the texture of the water could be clearly seen from the petrified fountain.

The huge lake should flow into the inner hall along the two side ditches. Walking through the huge gate that could allow a giant to pass through, you can see the brass aqueduct.

The canals let the water fall like a curtain, and this precious water that is completely wasted will form two water curtains that can block the heat, noise and dust.

They were all petrified at this moment and turned into stone walls.

And in the middle of the hall, on the floor, there is a huge stone decorative painting made up of pebbles of various colors.

It is a work of art like a Persian carpet.

The complex geometric patterns of blue flowers, brown tree trunks and green grass leaves form a beautiful picture that makes people feel relaxed and happy.

Even though it’s just one pattern, it doesn’t feel like it’s been copied – every flower and leaf is subtly different.

This is true.

It is indeed impossible for it to be an exact copy of the painting.

Because this is not a patchwork of pebbles - it is a painting made up of polished, painted and oiled molars.

Human teeth, harpy teeth, troll teeth... these molars of different sizes and shapes are pieced together with incredibly ingenious craftsmanship to form a painting.

——It was a huge ritual painting composed of 8,888 molars.

As a ritualist, Aiwass quickly recognized its ritual composition -

The water falling from the two water curtains will flow into the hall through the gaps in the marble. The water will originally soak the teeth, making them emit a warm, blue-green glow.

And they will be like a real tree, exuding the fragrance of nature, transforming the scorching water into cold and clear streams, and making the ice-blue flowers emit frost...

You have to know that a person only has about a dozen molars.

The significance of this large ritual painting is roughly equivalent to an air conditioner plus an air purifier, and it has a similar effect to the magic painting that Janice gave to the old queen.

——But just to complete the materials for this ritual painting, at least seven or eight hundred lives are needed.

(End of this chapter)