Haha, free to choose!

Hearing those words, An Jing found himself chuckling inwardly. He had no reason to doubt their claims. The 108 children were the cream of the crop. Even if they never awoke their lifearcs, they would eventually reach the Tide Aura Stage, just like Instructor Li, and that was enough to secure their places as mid-to-low-tier members.

Even if they failed, the cult promised no harm would come to them. It was a high-sounding sentiment that masterfully glossed over the truth. They downplayed the threat of death and dangled the glory of success while offering a "generous" fallback for those who fell short.

As for the rhetoric surrounding their "freedom to choose"...

An Jing caught a whiff of a strange fragrance as the manor lord spoke. The scent was incredibly subtle. If he wasn't feigning deep concentration while remaining aware of his surroundings, he would have missed it completely.

Moments after inhaling the peculiar scent, An Jing felt his pulse quicken. A sudden, reckless courage surged through his veins like pure alcohol. A bold and absurd thought took root in his mind: to spring to his feet, denounce the manor lord, and expose the demonic cult’s treachery right then and there.

Rationally, he knew that no one would believe him, that he was powerless to change anything and would only be dismissed as a lunatic, yet this reckless impulse surged within him. If even An Jing struggled to resist the urge, then the others stood no chance.

Immediately after the manor lord offered them the freedom to choose, the children shouted their willingness. An Jing joined them without a second thought, noting that Bai Qinghan had done the same. She was uneducated, perhaps, but certainly not stupid.

"Excellent." Seeing the children act as one, the manor lord smiled in satisfaction.

"Then let the ritual begin. Bow before the Olden Heavenly Father. Disciples, light the incense."

Amid the chorus of adoration, the 108 disciples across twelve groups offered incense at their altars to honor the Olden Heavenly Father, alternatively known as the "Azure Heaven," the "Lord of Heaven," and the "Old Master of the Heavens."

Worship of heaven and earth was common across many sects and was even a staple among Grand Chen’s sacrificial rites, so the ritual drew no suspicion. It wasn't just mere tradition; the ritual served to unify them, fostering a shared sense of accomplishment and collective pride.

Though the Olden Heavenly Father possessed no true form, the mortal world often carved His likeness into that of a benevolent old man. However, both the cult and the imperial clan refrained from using such imagery, choosing instead to worship heaven in the abstract.

This form of worship signified a ceremony of the highest order. But without the specific convergence of place and person, invoking the "true" heaven over the idol-bound Olden Heavenly Father was as futile as a lone cry attempting to awaken a world in deep slumber.

Upon the offering of incense, ancient patterns began to glow across the jade altar.

"Disciples, take your positions! Begin the ritual, and open the canyon!"

The chanting led by the lecturers echoed with a profound, otherworldly resonance. An Jing and his companions sat cross legged upon the jade altars. He felt an immediate resonance form between him and the other eight members of his group.

Their rigorous training had already enabled them to act as one without speaking. Yet, as the incense offering commenced and the jade altar beneath them began to glow, he could now sense their very emotions with startling clarity.

Yearning, curiosity, fear, and tranquility—there was the burning desire to excel and be noticed, the fantasy of becoming a formal disciple and mastering peerless martial arts before returning home in glory to see their parents.

Caught in a tapestry of emotions and desires, An Jing found his own heart stirring in response. He wanted to live, not alone, but alongside every soul that shared that same will to live.

Unlike his companions, he knew the true purpose behind every move the demonic cult made, the sinister intentions hidden beneath their gentle masks. Though he had faith in his own skill and character, he didn't know if this path would eventually take his life. He wanted to reunite with his mother, see his father again, survive alongside his friends, and face whatever future awaited them, together.

An Jing craved the power to master his destiny, the autonomy to decide his own future. He wanted to live freely.

At this moment, all 108 children across the twelve groups were united as one, their inner yearnings surging together in a restless tide. With the twelve jade altars as the nexus, streaks of azure light began snaking across the floor and pulsing upward into the air. They wove together to form an enormous ancient formation that revolved slowly above the altars.

The manor lord stepped forward, slashing his palm with a jade dagger. Blood spilled forth as he shouted, "Let blood be the ink, and soul be the offering! Exalted One, manifest thy law!"

Surrounding the altars, the instructors and lecturers formed an even larger array. They raised a jade dagger to their palm and shouted as the blood began to flow.

"Exalted One, manifest thy law!"

"Exalted One, manifest thy law!"

"Exalted One, manifest thy law!"

In an instant, a roar like a crashing tsunami collided with a sudden, surging gale, scouring the white mists from the canyon. As heavy clouds amassed overhead, the brilliance of daytime was swallowed by an unnatural, chilling darkness. Amidst that chaotic haze, where day and night bled into one, a colossal hand of pitch-black fog emerged from the canyon's depths and gently settled over the twelve jade altars. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

In response, all twelve altars erupted in a brilliant, blinding light. Unlike the fiendish hand within the canyon, these jade altars were consecrated offerings imbued with ultimate power. Stirred by the heavenly fiend's aura, they unleashed a piercing sword intent. Instantly, streams of jade-green sword qi erupted from the depths of the white sands, clashing head-on with the shadowy hand emerging from the canyon as bursts or starlight and lethal qi illuminated the entire canyon.

"It's done. By the Fiendslayer Swordgod's might, the will of heaven bends!"

While a sense of weariness settled over them all, the old man’s eyes sparkled with irrepressible excitement. "We'll just have to see if luck is on their side. Life or death, it's all in the hands of fate."

Before the manor lord could finish speaking, a bright star rose from the Zuozi group from the northern section of the formation. The source of this star was a girl seated on the jade altar. She looked delicate, like she might blow away in the wind, yet her eyes remained shut, her mind turned inward, and her expression resolute.

The star above Bai Qinghan rivaled the moon's brilliance. In a state of constant flux, it radiated a white glow as it hovered between the sword qi and fiendish hand. Moon-white starlight spiraled from behind her, forming a halo at her crown.

"This is..." Though the manor lord was slow to react, his expression suddenly morphed into a look of pure delight.

"Incredible! Absolutely incredible! Of the seven arcs, it's a starruin miracle arc!"