Shepherd Tantra

Chapter 1331 I'll Take Care of Your Ceremony
Aiwas's promotion ceremony was completely different from his previous promotion experiences.

It lacks the serene feeling of being embraced by a mother, like the full moon ceremony, but also the bloody darkness and heaviness of the new moon ceremony.

It wasn't even the kind of experience one would have during a lunar eclipse ritual—Aivas remembered that his last lunar eclipse ritual involved entering a dungeon immediately after regaining consciousness. He was even dazed for a few seconds when he woke up before gradually remembering that he was dreaming.

This time, however, Aiwass's consciousness was exceptionally clear.

He was not asleep at all; instead, he felt his spirit rushing through a black tunnel at an almost out-of-control speed.

It was like a roller coaster traveling at extremely high speed in the dark. An extreme cold seeped into Aiwas's chest, like riding an electric bike at night wearing only a sweater that let in the wind. The cold wind poured into his body through the gaps in his clothes, gradually freezing his thoughts and blurring his consciousness.

Aiwas kept feeling like he bumped into something, but he was in a drowsy, half-awake state, unable to clearly figure out what it was. These things were covered by a soft membrane, and they didn't hurt Aiwas, only slowed him down.

The feeling was like driving over a speed bump. I only felt a sudden jolt, but I wasn't hurt. There was just a brief burst of pure white moonlight at the moment of impact.

After passing through a tunnel, the collisions suddenly intensified. As Aiwas's speed gradually decreased, his consciousness returned, and he rationally realized what those things were—

—Those are all sleeping spirits.

To be precise, these are the other spirits who are preparing to go to the dream world after passing the ascension ceremony.

A certain power from the Constant Self protected them, so that even if these spirits collided with each other in the tunnel leading to the dream world, they would not be injured; and they fell into a deep sleep, so that they were completely unaware of what happened along the way.

"……I see."

Aiwas finally understood why the experiences of the full moon ceremony and the new moon ceremony were so different—one was like soaking in a hot spring, while the other was like being drenched in the rain…it was because the strength of the protective forces was different.

At the time of the new moon, the power of the self is at its weakest, so the power protecting these spirits is also diluted, resulting in a feeling of icy coldness and occasional discomfort due to the lingering sensation of collision.

Realizing this, Aiwas imitated the posture of those "cocoons" and released his own Dao power.

As warm light slowly illuminated the dark tunnel, the feeling of being frozen by the cold wind gradually subsided, like putting on a thicker coat while riding a bicycle.

There were no lights or signs in the passageway. The only thing was that the road narrowed abruptly every so often.

The area, which was originally as spacious as a plaza, has been narrowed several times and can now only accommodate one person at a time.

But then, the speed began to gradually increase. Accompanied by a growing feeling of suffocation, Aiwas felt the speed increasing, faster and faster—

Finally, with a whoosh, he instantly passed through the black passageway and through the only window shining with white light in the darkness.

Aiwass opened his eyes.

He regained his physical form, and his eyes and sense of touch.

However, this place is not a dream, but more like a waiting hall for a promotion ceremony.

Aiwas was sitting on a huge stone chair.

but……

Compared to all the waiting halls Aiwass had entered before, this hall seemed to have been abandoned.

Apart from the chair Aiwas was sitting in, which was intact, all the other chairs were shockingly dilapidated. It was like a castle with a history of hundreds of years or more, but which had been neglected and turned into ruins.

...Including the chairs I was sitting on, there were eight chairs in total.

Eight? Aiwas quickly pointed out the number of chairs, his heart skipping a beat.

A missing ceremony?

But this doesn't actually make much sense... because the ascension ceremony is a performance for the nine pillar gods to enjoy, and also a ritual for them to increase their "possibilities." Therefore, theoretically, it shouldn't involve eight chairs—meaning one pillar god would be excluded and unable to see the ceremony.

This is why if everyone rejects a certain path and triggers the rule of the absence ritual, they will face the most difficult and rigorous promotion ritual... and may even be deliberately made difficult by the host.

I didn't enter the dream directly. Could this be a PvP ritual?

If that's the case, Aiwass should actually breathe a sigh of relief.

The current Aiwas is no longer as timid and submissive as he was in the past—fighting against others is definitely much simpler than exploring, collecting, and deciphering uncertainties.

He's advancing to two different paths at the same time. According to the rules, does that mean he's going to fight seven people at once? Well, that's not impossible... "You don't mean you're planning to fight seven people at once, do you?"

Just then, a somewhat familiar, deep voice suddenly came: "You wish."

Aiwas's pupils contracted slightly.

Although the voice was different from his own... Aiwas guessed the identity of the person the moment he heard it.

It's like walking slowly on a wooden floor late at night, all alone, wearing leather shoes.

The incredibly clear footsteps carried a chilling sense of oppression.

Not far away, in the zigzag of darkness and light, a figure that was both familiar and unfamiliar emerged as if "refreshed".

Unlike the handsome and elegant, perfect posture of Aiwass at this moment, which was like the embodiment of beauty, this was a completely pure and extremely masculine aura.

His hair color was different from Aiwas's; it was pure black. However, its length was less than a third of Aiwas's, and it didn't even reach his ears.

His features were noticeably more rugged and defined compared to Aiwass. He wore a gray suit over a burgundy plaid shirt, looking every bit the CEO.

Just by looking at the suit that was stretched taut across his shoulders, you could tell how muscular he was—his skin was a tanned, almost coffee-colored wheat color, and the veins on his long, slender hands beneath the cuffs were clearly visible.

Unlike the halo above Aiwas's head and the wings on his back, his skin was covered with clearly visible scales. Earlobes, collarbone, chin, forehead, back of hands... and behind him was a long, slender dragon tail like a snake, swaying as he moved forward.

His pupils were indifferent as ice, his back was straight, and his aura was imposing. A deathly yellow tinge covered his pupils, giving him an inexplicable air of old age.

Despite looking almost exactly like Aiwass, even being the same height... he inexplicably gives the impression of being at least ten years older than Aiwass.

He stopped at the outer edge of the ritual circle, standing outside the eight opposing stone seats, facing Aiwass, who was sitting in the seat furthest from him.

"...Nice to meet you, Ah Huan."

After a long silence, Aiwass opened his mouth and then closed it again, finally speaking slowly and gently: "This should be our first meeting, right?"

"This is the first time you've met me."

Huan Tiansi tightened his tie and said calmly and distantly, "But this isn't the first time I've seen you."

"Yeah……"

Upon hearing this, Aiwass remained calm.

It seems that Huan Tiansi is not in a good mood—at least he doesn't really want to chat.

Are you not going to give us any information at all?
"If I remember correctly, the ceremony should be presided over by the apostles of the Nine Pillar Gods, right? It doesn't seem to be your place as a celestial official..."

He leaned back slightly, looking at Huan Tiansi like a judge, and tilted his head slightly: "So what's your purpose in coming here? To kill me?"

The Celestial Division, however, showed no mercy.

There was no reminiscing, no empty talk. He simply walked forward, raising his right hand and making a loose fist towards Aiwas, as if he were choking him from a distance.

Just then, Aiwass suddenly felt a darkness before his eyes.

The intense feeling of suffocation made Aiwas instinctively clutch his throat.

He felt his body being slowly lifted up, even leaving the stone chair.

A strong sense of detachment made Aiwass's consciousness gradually blur, as if he were dreaming.

"Unfortunately, your host has died outside the door."

In the darkness, the calm voice of the Celestial Observer grew closer, slowly saying, "Next, I will conduct your ritual."

Finally, the thought that surfaced in Aiwas's mind was:
—They didn't even introduce themselves...that's so rude.

(End of this chapter)