The Secret Cult Chronicles of the Decaying Lake Manor

Chapter 115 The Elohim Purification Faction, Burnt Sacrifice to Isaac

"Glass Island—" George murmured repeatedly.

He recalled the contents of the book "God-blessed Land: The History of Glass Island".

The mother continued to recount the forgotten origins: "There were nine powerful extraordinary beings, known as the Lake Fairies." When they ascended, they sealed certain evil entities from the Void Source beneath this island.

"

The mother tilted her head, looking somewhat disdainful.

"The Earl of Lincoln and the corrupted one who seduced him? They merely used the power of the Lord of the Flies to obscure the seal left by the fairies, releasing the dormant dark power within—the root of all those calamities has always been there."

George nodded in understanding.

The seven lake fairies — the seal — this explains the content of the strange dream before.

"So, how is the advancement you mentioned, achieved by using the power of the seal?" George pressed.

Edlina's gaze deepened, as if piercing through the space and gazing into the distant past.

"Your father and I realized long ago that not all of the seven lake fairies who ascended had actually achieved the final accomplishments required for ascension."

Her tone reminded George of the days when she would tell him bedtime stories when he was a child.

"Based on our research, the most likely scenario is that the connection between the 'strings' manifests a certain characteristic in their existence, enabling them to achieve joint ascension through collaboration."

At this point, the mother seemed somewhat proud: "The fairies and I ourselves are all ascendants who worship the crescent moon, a symbol of dreams, spirituality, and change."

"Under certain specific conditions, I can act as a catalyst to draw out the high-level power remaining in the seal that belongs to the ascended celestial maidens."

"And your father received a ritual from a highly secret lineage called the Elohim Purification School in his early years. The core of this ritual is to demonstrate the purity of will through symbolic sacrifice, thereby unlocking the door to a higher order."

George was taken aback. A symbolic sacrifice—proof of a pure will—

"Abraham killed his son, or Isaac was burned at the stake," he murmured the story.

Edlina nodded slightly: "Indeed. And after our improvements, this ritual is believed to be useful for your father in taking a crucial step in his ascension."

"His plan was to use my symbolic sacrifice" to draw upon the power of the fairies, then to manipulate the power of the crescent moon to prove the purity of his spirit, thereby forming a supplication to the blazing sun, requesting to ignite himself and complete his crimson transformation."

Her voice softened, yet carried a calm pride.

"According to our original calculations and deductions, once this ritual succeeds, your father will ascend to immortality, and I, as the sacrifice at the core of the ritual," will deeply merge with that power, ascending to a higher realm.

The mother added, "And the positive effects of a successful ceremony will extend to our entire family—that is, you and your siblings."

She looked directly into George's eyes, her gaze gleaming with a strange light.

The blend of rationality and maternal instinct creates a unique kind of compassion and tenderness characteristic of extraordinary scholars.

"If successful, the three children of our Delabor family—you, Frederick, and Sybil—will be swept up by the power of the ritual, tearing through the surface of the world and stepping into the realm of the extraordinary, and—starting at a very high level."

George felt his throat go dry.

It turned out to be the case.

Behind all of this at the beginning was not just the father's love or scheming, but a crazy plan that could change the fate of the entire family.

An ascension ceremony attempting to elevate the entire family to heaven.

Edlina looked at George's astonished face and sighed softly.

"But things didn't go as we expected. According to your description, the ritual—or rather, it failed, or went beyond our initial expectations and control."

"I was unaware of the specific changes in this footage, but George—"

She paused, her voice becoming urgent.

"The key now is the present. Your father's condition is not right. That pure black cube is the symbol of the person in the light and shadow's 'darkening' achievement, and the azure cube comes from the Winged Eyes, but there should be another one—"

"The pure white cube, symbolizing the second of the four stages of alchemy, the whitening," and the crescent moon, represent the form of proof of accomplishment.

George's answer surprised his mother, but then she was relieved.

"That's right, that's exactly what I wanted to say."

She solemnly continued, "If your father is missing one of the three certificates of merit, his path will be incomplete, even causing him to lose the balance of his soul, leading to a decline in power and even madness..."

George interrupted his mother again: "Mother, Father's white cube is still there, though he's turned it into a cane—but his strength has indeed waned."

He then recounted to his mother the series of dizzying disasters that had occurred on the island during this time, the Viscount's strange behavior in the midst of it all, and... the shadowy figure.

Edlina's expression changed several times. She looked surprised when the Viscount fell into the lake and lost consciousness, covered her mouth when talking about Sybil crying at the grave, and had tears in her eyes when she heard that Frederick had been converted.

Upon hearing that the shadowy figure had left behind the words "Withered Golden Branch," the mother was clearly certain of something.

Only after George finished recounting the locust plague did his mother speak, saying, "George, you must have had a tough time after all that has happened, but this is not over yet."

She explained, "That dark figure was indeed me. The recipe for the Golden Bough is a powerful tool passed down in my family. Edward had only heard of it but didn't know the specifics..."

"Entrusting this to you clearly means I sensed that you were about to face some danger."

At this point, a shadow crossed the mother's face.

"I suspect that Edward must have suffered irreversible damage after the ritual failed five years ago, while I myself was affected by the power of the illusory source at the bottom of the lake and could only maintain limited autonomy."

This perfectly matched George's own guess. And what his mother said next also coincided with his: "Edward may now want to use you to perform the ritual from back then again, in order to complete himself, or even directly advance to a higher rank."

George frowned, while his mother continued, "But without my help, and given his poor condition, how will Edward draw upon the power of the fairies, and how will he deal with the raging darkness..."

As she spoke, the mother's voice gradually faded.

George, seeing his mother's stunned expression, couldn't help but ask, "Mother, what...do you mean I should follow Father's ritual?"

Of course, even if the original owner's mother really said that, George would still be cautious and consider the situation carefully.

After all, the story of Abraham killing his son is too ominous, and he doesn't want it to become a reality, let alone...

The mother quickly came to her senses, turned to George, and her expression became more serious than ever before.

"Of course not. Listen to me, George, you must master the [Heavenly Golden Branch] as soon as possible—it could determine your fate and that of your family."

"