Within the Ashes of the Southern Sect, apart from the two gods of Destruction and Greed, the one with the most mysterious and unpredictable whereabouts is the Great Protector whose status is second only to the two gods.
Not every member of Ashes is lucky enough to see the great protector of the Ascension Ceremony, "Diao Hanjiang Alone".
Lin Zhuo's Adam's apple slipped. He stood under the steps for the ascension ceremony that were about to be built at the bottom of the valley. He looked up at the man in black robe standing at the top of a few hundred meters of stairs. He felt indescribable tension and shock in his heart.
!
In his field of vision, the Great Protector, whose status was second only to the Lord of Ashes, was tall and tall, with a gloomy and cold temperament. His whole person was wrapped in a dark brocade robe, and his head and face were also covered by the hood of the black robe. Not only could he not see clearly
Face, this distance also makes it impossible for Lin Zhuo to use his own authority to detect the opponent's power...
He could only tell from the few incantations the other party occasionally chanted that his vocal cords had been severely traumatized, resulting in poor vocalization. Therefore, the stress of each sentence created a frightening tearing feeling, which was disturbing.
Uneasy.
Lin Zhuo was frightened by the singing voice and completely froze in that inconspicuous corner.
An internal guard who discovered his whereabouts winked at him and told him to squint and stay still...
This person is very familiar to Lin Zhuo. He is a colleague of Ashes who was transferred to the stronghold not long ago to supervise the work. He had been taken care of by Lin Zhuo before, and the two of them have a good relationship.
Of course, this is secondary.
Lin Zhuo fully understood the other party's thoughts when trying to protect him: once someone's identity is found to be suspicious at the scene, it will be the joint responsibility of the guards... and it may be a disaster!
In today's East Africa, no one dares to touch the reverse scale of the Great Protector of the Ascension Ceremony, no one!
That's why Lin Zhuo was lucky enough to be held at the scene for an hour. Not only was he not caught and dealt with, but he also witnessed the "small-scale rehearsal" of this ascension ceremony.
Yes, a preview.
Just like humans have to conduct repeated rehearsals and adjustments before holding large-scale ritual activities, the ashes ascension ceremony also requires rehearsal.
No one would want anything to go wrong in such an involved and subversive ceremony, and no one can bear the responsibility.
Anyone who understands the God Ascension Ceremony knows that the Ashes God Ascension Ceremony was born after the Divine War and is held every three years.
To put it simply, it is to deprive the real world of life energy as a means to forcibly promote the highly evolved mutants selected from the organization to the sixth state, conceptual body, and obtain the same status as the four gods of Ashes.
According to this calculation, at least three new Ashes Gods have been born since the God Ascension Ceremony twelve years ago, but why are there never any related rumors in the world?
That's because the ascension ceremony is not always successful.
For example, in the year immediately following the War of the Gods, the Ashes Organization prepared for the first time a God Ascension Ceremony and made a bold attempt - this was also the first practice of the God Ascension Ceremony. At that time, in the southwestern territory, natural phenomena persisted for several days, and a large number of wild species such as
Evaporated like a vacuum, the wonders of the plateau turned into a silent hell...
And these news did not flow to the world.
Lawful Order at that time responded quickly and had a fierce conflict with Ashes on the southwest border. As a result, Ashes was greatly weakened and has kept a low profile since then.
However, despite paying such a high price, this ascension ceremony failed to achieve results.
It is said that the five-state mutant who was pushed to the altar died on the spot on the ladder under the impact of the huge energy flow. His whole body was broken into powder, and not even a whole body was left.
This is why in the following two years, the Ashes Organization did not continue to try such risky operations as the God Ascension Ceremony.
It was not until three years later that Ashes was divided into two factions, the North and the South, and the ascension ceremony was put on the agenda again.
The Ashes Northern Faction is led by the "Nine-Headed Bird" Void God Lord and the "梼杌" Tyrannical God Lord. It is rooted in the north, checks and balances with the Black Alliance and Lawful Officials who are deeply cultivated in the north, and is responsible for maintaining the stability of the Ashes' basic base.
The Ash South faction is led by the "Lamprey" God of Destruction and the "Glutton" God of Greed. They are broken into pieces and sneak around the southwest, responsible for exploring endless high places!
Therefore, the subsequent ashes' ascension ceremonies were all prepared by the southern sect's ashes, and the northern sect provided certain resource support.
In the following six years, the second and third god-ascension ceremonies led by the southern faction were not held in the mainland, effectively avoiding the heavy blows of the lawful officials.
It is said that these two ceremonies, which were held in Northern Europe and South America, were both great successes!
There are rumors within the Ashes that the second god-ascension ceremony in Northern Europe sent a five-state mutant to the "Wuji World", where he "ascended" and became a god outside the world under the watchful eyes of all the Ashes members present.
The third god-ascension ceremony was even more exaggerated. Before the high-ranking mutants were sent to the Wuji World, the previously "ascended" god-lord actually came to the scene, bringing the latter, and even many of the four-states and three-states who were in the center of the formation.
The mutants go to the Wuji world together.
This was a large-scale migration, the scene was spectacular, and it was widely rumored within both the northern and southern Ashes factions.
At this point, Ashes has no doubts about the power of the Ascension Ceremony!
Every Ash Mutant hopes to one day escape from the limitations of this world and find his own perfect realm in the infinite world...
These are also the "internal culture" that Lin Zhuo gradually learned after joining Ashes.
At that time, he almost believed it!
It is not an exaggeration to say that this is the so-called "customized brainwashing".
Unfortunately, Lin Zhuo has an invincible advantage in this regard: he is very pessimistic and suspicious.
Moreover, Lin Zhuo did not join Hushes because he admired Hushes' free and easy lifestyle, but was simply forced by the situation... He chose to join the officialdom not out of justice, but to leave a way out for himself...
So no matter how beautiful the Wuji world is blown by the ashes, Lin Zhuo doesn't have the full motivation to give up everything he has and pursue the ultimate - he is a fake ashes!
He can be so disguised that you can't tell his true appearance.
So when Lin Zhuo's superior spoke impassionedly about the infinite beauty of the Wuji World and thought he had completed the ideological unification of his subordinates, in fact he only helped Lin Zhuo clarify how to win the trust of Ashes.
The forest is big and there are all kinds of birds.
Lin Zhuo is a normal person among this group of idealistic, neurotic and paranoid people...
Therefore, when the rehearsal was held and everyone present was immersed in the shock and excitement of the high-energy performance, Lin Zhuo was almost pissed with fear.
Fortunately, the Great Protector's attention was not on ants like him. When the small-scale rehearsal ended and Lin Zhuo returned to the ground in despair, he had already begun to doubt his life...
The sight before him made him feel like he was falling into the abyss!
The wild African land seems to have been weathered overnight, becoming withered, dead, and desolate as far as the eye can see!
Even if I search with super-species sensitivity, I can't find even a single surviving creature...
Lin Zhuo stared blankly at everything in front of him.
This is just a "small-scale preview".
He could imagine how the entire Rift Zone and the entire East African grasslands would be baptized with blood when the God Ascension Ceremony was truly launched!
Lin Zhuo panted rapidly and fumbled for the notebook pages hidden in his chest, hoping to report the news quickly.
However, the moment he took out the note paper, the other note paper on the other side also faintly emitted the heat of ironing...
Lin Zhuo quickly checked another message from Chen Bodong.
But as he watched, his expression became more solemn: "How is this possible?"
The content recorded on the notebook is very detailed: In the No. 2 stronghold where Chen Bodong was responsible for in-depth investigation, a situation similar to what Lin Zhuo had seen occurred - a rehearsal of the ceremony!
Conclusion: Stronghold No. 2 is the real site of the God Ascension Ceremony!
"Could it be..."
Lin Zhuo opened his eyes wide and stared at the scrawled notebook page for a long time until it burned to ashes...
…
Jiang Qian was having a meal when he received the news from Lin Zhuo.
It had been two days since the last meeting with Lin Zhuo, and we were within the reporting period.
Jiang Qian skillfully opened the note page, quickly browsed the information, and fell into silence.
"How about it?"
Xiao Longnu was sitting opposite Jiang Qian. At this time, she was feeding a piece of banana in her hand to the giraffe that was looking into the house for food.
Jiang Qian was silent for a moment and said: "Lin Zhuo suspects that the eight points located in the rift zone are all part of the ascension ceremony."
Xiao Longnu stopped and looked at Jiang Qian with some surprise: "This range covers most of East Africa... What exactly does Ashes want to do?"
"Indeed, once the ascension ceremony expands, its power and consequences will double. The situation will be much more serious than we expected."
Jiang Qian said, his expression gradually turned cold:
"Looks like I have to take over today. I want to go see Uncle Gou and Ji Ming in person."
…
Democratic Republic of the Congo, North Kivu Province.
In the volcanic area of Virunga National Park, ten kilometers north of Goma city, a special group of tourists were riding off-road vehicles and happily talking about the local political situation.
This group of sixteen people came from different countries and had different skin colors and hair colors.
Except for Uncle Dog, who is wrapped in a coat and sunglasses and nestled in the corner, everyone else has a common and special hobby: climbing and exploring active volcanoes!
Some people are born with an adventurous spirit. Driven by favorable living conditions and strong curiosity, they travel to and from various extremely dangerous areas very willfully. They like to take on various severe challenges that are far beyond the human comfort zone, and learn from them.
Gain happiness and satisfaction.
And some other super-species newcomers will follow their example and stimulate their potential through "adventures" to improve the stability of their own energy structure foundation.
At present, this group of adventurers is about to arrive at the Nyiragongo volcano in the East African Rift Zone, which is one of the most famous active volcanoes in Africa.
These people plan to climb to the crater tonight and, against the backdrop of night, use high-definition cameras to capture the extremely high-temperature lava lake inside this active volcano and the dangerous factors surging within it!
When we arrived at the foot of the volcano, everyone was already chatting, but Uncle Gou was still calm and a little indifferent.
He is not a volcano enthusiast.
Uncle Gou can come here for only one purpose.
…
For adventurers, it is not easy to see the true appearance of an active volcano.
They need to take the huge risk that the volcano may erupt abnormally at any time, climb from the foot of the mountain to the top of the mountain in one go, race against time to appreciate the rare view of the gate to hell, and then ensure their safe return.
Many volcano enthusiasts encounter accidents while exploring volcanoes, bid farewell to this world, and merge their flesh and bones into magma at temperatures as high as 1,200 degrees Celsius, eventually turning into a silent piece of basalt, becoming a stepping stone for those who come after to continue climbing the volcano.
This is a possible outcome planned by the adventurers, but no one wants it to happen.
Same this time.
It takes seven or eight hours to climb from the foot of the mountain to the top of Nyiragongo. Everyone set out in the morning and reached the top of the mountain in the evening.
No one pulled their hips, everyone kept their strong excitement and anticipation until the last moment of reaching the summit.
Unfortunately, God is not kind!
Although volcano enthusiasts have put on smoke filter masks, set up equipment, endured the invasion of high temperatures and high concentrations of carbon dioxide, and are looking forward to seeing the exquisite appearance of Nyiragongo lava lake, when they look down along the crater, they
His sight was blocked by smoke.
Thick smoke and large-scale water vapor caused by the weather blocked the spectacular scene that should have caused everyone to scream.
"How could this happen?" The white guy from Italy frowned, "Is the weather forecast here inaccurate?"
"Okay, okay! The weather forecast is just a probability prediction. Don't worry about it. Wait a little longer, maybe the fog will lift!" The French uncle is an old man. He has experienced many such incidents and is no longer surprised.
.
Another girl from Indonesia said: "No matter what happens, there will be a chance in the morning."
"Wait a minute, the volcano at night is breathtakingly beautiful!"
"Aha, I feel almost suffocated now...ahem!"
These people are really open-minded, even in the worst situations, they still laugh like a bunch of fools.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! It is true that weather forecasts are prone to deviations, but such deviations as today are uncommon.
But no one continues to discuss it - it’s here, is there any use in complaining? Wait!
"Hey, by the way, where is the uncle who always wore sunglasses before?"
"Cough, cough! Are you going to the cabin to rest?"
"Really? But how do I remember that I haven't seen him since getting off the car..."
"Is it possible that he can be eaten by a volcano? Haha, don't be stupid, he will take care of himself!"
Several people chatted a few more words, but were soon choked by the thick smoke and had nothing to say.
After waiting for nearly an hour, seeing that the heavy fog showed no sign of dissipating, people began to return to the cabin for climbers to rest temporarily, preparing to see the Furnace again tomorrow morning.
After another two hours, the remaining three unyielding young men gave up and returned to the cabin to recover their strength.
At this time, a hyena sitting in the darkness stood up...
What's sad is that no one noticed the existence of this guy before, otherwise the mentality of this group of people would not be as relaxed as it is now...
After everyone left, the hyena stepped on the creaking basalt and walked towards the edge of the crater.
Nyiragongo volcano is an active volcano that has erupted 20 times since 1884, and has shown signs of erupting again in recent years. However, because the local area does not have enough budget to support the monitoring of volcanic dynamics, there is no detailed
Data and forecasts are fed back to local residents and tourists.
But if the local government does not save this part of the budget, then they will be surprised to find from the monitoring data over the past few days that this active volcano that may erupt at any time has suddenly "calmed down"...
It is as if the data monitored in the past period are all illusions. The volcano is very stable and will remain stable for a long time.
Nyiragongo in the fog is like a sleeping purgatory, and the thick fog conceals the murderous intent deep in its pupils.
But if you penetrate the fog, you can see two hyenas stepping on the basalt and slowly descending along the crater...
They work in tandem, cooperate with each other, are not afraid of high temperatures, and continue to move downward.
The depth of hundreds of meters did not seem to scare these two tiny ant-like creatures. Through the thick smoke and steam, in their energetic round eyes, the gate of hell gradually opened its red and dangerous prelude——
The dazzling orange-red magma is erupting!
The splashing lava merges into the slowly flowing lava lake, forming brilliant fireworks in the huge lake...
This place is connected to the deepest source of power inside the planet. The high temperature will not be extinguished for tens of thousands of years. If it occasionally surges, it will be destroyed and all life will be reduced to ashes!
Even Uncle Dog, who was standing by the lava lake wearing a powerful-level prop, couldn't help but be fascinated by this natural wonder...
After a long moment of silence, Uncle Dog's nose twitched and he continued to sniff the extra smell in the air.
Even if the smoke filled the air, it could not stop him from tracking his target through the starry night.
He knew that the prey was very close.
It's nearby!
…
underground.
A deep and dangerous passage was excavated in the cracks in the lava ash layer that no one had imagined.
The entrance to this passage has been blocked by the material overflowing from the lava lake, and the heat inside has reached a level that is unimaginable to ordinary people!
Let alone ordinary people, ordinary super species do not have the blessing of powerful props. Let alone passing, it will be very difficult to even get close. The high temperature of hundreds of degrees is enough to destroy all carbon-based life in an instant.
But in this high-temperature environment, which is comparable to purgatory, a living person is being imprisoned!
This person has multiple chains piercing his limbs, hanging like a marionette in a cylindrical area hollowed out in the lava ash layer.
Although his limbs are completely imprisoned and his strength is drained, you can still see his former heroic appearance from his knuckled muscles and healthy wheat complexion.
In particular, his eyes were like a trapped beast, with dense bloodshot eyes condensed in the whites of his eyes, always revealing bloodthirsty ferocity.