Chapter 129: The Conditions for Opening the Gates of Heaven

"Who knows?"

Dracula’s tone was brimming with provocation, tinged with an underlying scent of gunpowder. "Besides, you were once merely a human, yet you managed to become one of the Abyssals. I have always been skeptical about whether you truly possess the corresponding strength."

"Do you want to test it?"

Liu Mocheng rose slowly, his voice turning icy. The temperature in the air seemed to plummet to the extreme as his surging aura reached its peak.

"I’ve been waiting for this day."

Seeing that the other was about to strike, Dracula slowly stood up as well, offering a cold, sinister smile that revealed his sharp fangs.

Just as the two were about to clash, Ulquiorra, sitting at the head of the table, suddenly spoke. His demonic voice was devoid of any emotion: "Do you intend to fight in my presence?"

Seeing that the master of the Valhalla had spoken, Dracula, not wanting to provoke this God of Death, let out a cold snort and sat back down.

He merely held a grudge against Liu Mocheng; since the strongest Abyssal present was displeased, Dracula naturally did not want to escalate things too far.

Liu Mocheng retracted his aura, the black-purple flames dissipating from his body, and sat back down, crossing his arms to await the start of the meeting.

Mastema, the most seemingly harmless of them all, had been enjoying the spectacle. Seeing the two who had nearly come to blows sit back down, he couldn't help but feel a sense of regret.

He had actually hoped they would fight. If these two Abyssal-level monsters were to clash with their full strength, it would likely destroy the entirety of Jerusalem.

If one of them were defeated, it would mean one less rival for Mastema—a win-win situation. If Dracula were to lose to Liu Mocheng and be eliminated, he could even annex the vampire lord’s territory and influence.

Losing interest, Mastema said faintly, "Dracula, you are still prejudiced against Liu Mocheng for joining the Abyssals. You must remember, he is the messenger chosen by the God-Lord."

Dracula ignored him and turned to Ulquiorra at the head of the table. "Ulquiorra, why have you summoned us here? We are very busy."

"Unfortunately, only three of you have arrived. Only the Demon Fox is missing."

Ulquiorra shifted the focus: "Never mind... let it be. The meeting begins."

His emotionless gaze swept across the three present. "You should all remember that two months from now, when the 'Night Parade of a Hundred Demons' determines the sixth Abyssal, the Gate of Heaven will be opened."

Hearing news regarding the descent of the God-Lord, the expressions of the three Abyssals turned solemn as they waited for Ulquiorra to continue.

Deep within Liu Mocheng’s violet eyes, a strange, eerie luster flickered. It was exactly as he had guessed.

Summoning Abyssals from across the world could only be for something of immense importance, and this matter was indeed related to the Gate of Heaven.

Although the monsters of this world were not united and frequently slaughtered one another, they all shared a deeply ingrained, unshakable belief in their subconscious.

They all worshipped an entity that existed only in legend: the Goddess of Apocalypse.

This belief held true even for monsters of the Abyssal level. Although the Goddess of Apocalypse was merely an unsubstantiated legend and did not exist in the world, a thought had been mysteriously etched into the depths of their minds, compelling them to believe that opening the Gate of Heaven would herald her arrival.

It was this deep-seated desire that drove the monsters to want to open the gate.

Dracula’s red eyes narrowed slightly. "The conditions for opening the Gate of Heaven require not only the power of six Abyssals but also an absolutely suitable sacrifice. Are you saying you have found it?"

"Correct. All of this is the guidance of the God-Lord."

A black Bible appeared in Ulquiorra’s hand. His cold voice held a subtle tremor: "With the help of this Gospel, I have found the most suitable candidate for the sacrifice."

The black Bible in his hands was known as the Gospel. Its contents were blank, like white paper, without a single word.

Yet, to Ulquiorra, cryptic golden characters appeared on the blank pages. He understood this to be the guidance initiated by the God-Lord.

Hearing that the sacrifice for the Gate of Heaven had been found, Liu Mocheng appeared calm, but violent waves surged within his heart: "Who is it?"

"I will transmit her appearance into your memories."

Ulquiorra closed the black Bible and snapped his fingers. Suddenly, the image of a person appeared in the depths of the three attendees' minds: "It is this human girl."

"A human is capable of being the vessel for the sacrifice?"

Seeing the image of the young girl in his mind, Mastema’s gaze shifted slightly. "In the human world, isn't this just a rather pretty high school girl? Nothing special."

Seeing the high school girl in his mind, Liu Mocheng’s gaze remained steady, for his ability had already predicted this result.

Taking note of the human in his mind, Dracula said coldly, "Since we know this human girl is the most suitable candidate, shouldn't we act quickly and capture her in advance?"

"No."

Ulquiorra rejected Dracula’s proposal. "If we are to open the Gate of Heaven, we cannot use force. We must make that human girl become the sacrifice willingly; only then will it be effective."

"Then I leave this matter to you." Dracula had no interest in expending so much effort to manipulate a human.

What he wanted more was to win the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons and gain a second Abyssal-level power, making himself strong enough to defeat everyone present.

"Furthermore, the God-Lord has one more piece of guidance."

Ulquiorra snapped his fingers again, transmitting the memory: "Keep a close eye on this human; he is very likely to disrupt the plan."

As his voice fell, another figure appeared in the minds of the three Abyssals.

Dracula frowned slightly, for he recognized this figure—it was the human who had repeatedly killed his kin.

Mastema, who had been active in the Disaster Association, also recognized the figure; this man was the champion of the promotion tournament.

Liu Mocheng felt a slight shock, for that figure was Cheng Feng!

...

Donglin City.

West District, the coastal wharf.

Many ships were docked along the shore, and a crowd of tourists lined the pier, taking turns boarding to head out to sea.

One ship was specifically bound for Red Moon City, arranged by the Chairman to ensure Cheng Feng and Xue Ju could reach their destination.

Blowing in the chilly sea breeze, Xue Ju dragged a large suitcase, heaving and struggling across the ground.

Cheng Feng carried no luggage; he wasn't going on a vacation, and carrying the City Lord’s Token alone was enough.

According to Xue Ju, as long as the token was in hand, the trip to Red Moon City would be perfectly smooth.

The two were about to leave Donglin City for a while, and Liu Shiyu had come along to see them off.

"Brother Shen!"

"Hmm!"

Shen Changqing was walking down the road, and when he encountered acquaintances, they would greet each other or simply nod.

But regardless of who it was, no one wore any unnecessary expression on their faces, as if they were indifferent to everything.

To this, Shen Changqing had grown accustomed.

Because this was the Demon Suppression Division, an organization dedicated to maintaining the stability of the Great Qin. Its primary duty was to slay demons, ghosts, and monsters, though it naturally had other side responsibilities as well.

It could be said that everyone in the Demon Suppression Division had blood on their hands.

Once a person becomes accustomed to life and death, they become indifferent to many things.

When he first arrived in this world, Shen Changqing had struggled to adapt, but over time, he had gotten used to it.

The Demon Suppression Division was vast.

Those who remained in the division were all powerful experts or individuals with the potential to become such.

Shen Changqing belonged to the latter.

The division was divided into two main roles: the Guardian and the Demon Slayer.

Anyone who entered the Demon Suppression Division began as a low-level Demon Slayer, climbing the ranks step by step, with the ultimate hope of becoming a Guardian.

Shen Changqing’s predecessor had been a probationary Demon Slayer, the lowest rank among them.

Possessing his predecessor's memories, he was very familiar with the environment of the Demon Suppression Division.

Before long, Shen Changqing stopped in front of a pavilion.

Unlike the other areas of the Demon Suppression Division, which were filled with a murderous aura, this pavilion stood out, presenting a unique tranquility amidst the blood-stained division.

The pavilion doors were open, and people occasionally entered and exited.

Shen Changqing hesitated for only a moment before stepping inside.

Upon entering, the environment shifted abruptly.

A scent of ink mixed with a faint smell of blood rushed toward him, causing him to instinctively frown, though he quickly relaxed.

The scent of blood on everyone in the Demon Suppression Division was something that, for the most part, could never truly be washed away.