For example: summon a priestess with a score of over 90 to break the seal.
"Enough. Listen," Ashu said, undaunted despite being held by two cultists. "If you want me to hand over everything related to the witch, then you must support me in joining the Cidi cult!"
The room fell silent.
No one had expected this man, summoned by the ritual, to not only show no fear of the evil god Cidi but to actually embrace Cidi!
"I pray to Cidi! The God of Embodied Embers! Monarch of the Honeyed Eclipse! Hear me! I have never believed in the Divine Mother Goddess, and I have never worshipped any false idols. You, you are the true god I should follow!"
Without waiting for the High Priest or Kidopriest to respond, Ashu's heartfelt prayer echoed through the main hall of the Cidi cult.
"Silence!" The High Priest made a move to have someone cover Ashu's mouth.
But before the cultist's hand could reach him, Ashu quickly shouted, "Lust is the underlying color of the world, passion is the driving force of humanity, and I, the human Ashu, offer a hymn to Cidi, the god of lust and passion! I am here, and my found faith is here…"
By the time the cultist finally covered Ashu's mouth, the High Priest had already broken into a cold sweat.
"Damn it! This guy is a natural Cidi believer. If he continues, my position as High Priest will be at risk!" the High Priest thought to himself.
Kidopriest was also sweating. This was truly bizarre. Ashu was the toughest nut to crack in Gorn Village. The Sacred Cultivator Guild had been preaching in Gorn Village for over a decade, and everyone in the village had come to believe in the Sacred Cultivator Guild, except for this one man.
Yet, this man, who had never believed in any god, was now showing such genuine emotion before the evil god.
Thankfully, the Cidi cult was a small, heretical group. If they were discovered by the Sacred Cultivator Guild, they would be utterly destroyed. But if the Cidi cult were considered a legitimate religion, he was certain that Ashu's eighteenth birthday would not be a coming-of-age ceremony but a coronation as the Cidi Pope.
The two men exchanged complex looks with Ashu, who stared back at the High Priest without flinching.
After a long moment, the High Priest deflated. They had never intended to kill Ashu; the talk of a six-day hell tour was just a scare tactic. With their limited faith in the dark arts, they couldn't actually do it.
On the contrary, Ashu had the demeanor of a chosen one.
The High Priest could only nod in agreement—supporting Ashu's entry into the Cidi cult.
"I allow you to join us, but you must swear to Cidi and immediately hand over everything related to the witch," the High Priest said.
In this world, any true believer who swore to a god would have their oath upheld.
Ashu inwardly smiled, knowing that his strategy might work. He had deliberately shown extreme loyalty to Cidi to make the cultists believe he was genuinely willing to join them.
"I accept," Ashu said firmly. "I swear to Cidi that I will hand over everything related to the witch."
The High Priest and Kidopriest exchanged another look, clearly satisfied with Ashu's oath but still wary.
"Good," the High Priest nodded. "Now, tell us everything you know."
Ashu smiled slightly, already formulating a plan. He decided to temporarily provide some unimportant information to buy more time and gain their trust.
"I need some time and space to organize my thoughts. You know, this is not an easy task."
The High Priest thought for a moment and finally nodded. "Alright, but we will monitor you to ensure you do not betray us."
Ashu nodded, feeling a sense of relief. He knew that if he could buy more time, he would have a chance to find a way to escape or wait for Anna's rescue.
"Thank you," Ashu said, filled with hope and determination.
If the oath is broken, divine retribution will surely follow. Even if one does not die, they will suffer from subsequent curses and will never be protected by any god. Even in hell, they will be attacked by a swarm of evil spirits.
Their soul will be unable to reincarnate, suffering eternal torment!
Upon hearing this, Ashu blinked his eyes, which served as a nod.
Seeing this, the High Priest of Cidi finally ordered his men to release Ashu.
"Swear your oath. Stand at the altar; your oath will surely be heard by Cidi."
Ashu stood straight, showing no fear. He feigned rubbing his face with his hand, but in reality, he subtly used the system-returned "Forbidden Water."
The Forbidden Water is a super potion designed for targeted shielding.
If it is needed to shield a mark within the body, it can do so.
If it is needed to shield a stubborn toxin, it can do so.
Similarly, if it is needed to shield a human's oath, it can do so.
"I swear to Cidi that, upon joining the Cidi cult, I will hand over everything related to the witch. If I break this oath, I will be dealt with according to the cult's rules."
This was an invalid oath.
Because the Forbidden Water had completely shielded it. It would not be heard by the evil god Cidi, only witnessed by those present.
Hearing the oath, the High Priest of Cidi and Kidopriest exchanged glances. Their plan had been easily accomplished.
From this day forward, they would not only possess that knowledge but also gain a colleague who had shared a bed with the witch.
The growth and prosperity of the cult were now within reach!
…
Meanwhile, on the other side.
In Gorn Village, when Anna discovered that Ashu had vanished into thin air, leaving only a trace of evil in the air, she immediately recognized that it must have been a Cidi believer who had used a summoning ritual to take Ashu away from her.
Anna's face darkened instantly.
Even as an exiled member of the Witch's Guild, she could not allow anyone to take Ashu from her.
Moreover, she was gradually recovering.
Although she had only regained the strength of a standard cultivator, the Witch's Guild had many life-burning secret techniques.
By consuming some of her lifespan, burning some of her soul, or sacrificing valuable items, she could gain temporary additional power.
She calculated.
By consuming 50 years of her lifespan, she could temporarily attain the power of a high mage, which would be sufficient to storm the Cidi believers' stronghold and rescue Ashu.
However, the method of consuming lifespan didn't mean taking years off the end of her life; instead, it was paid immediately.
In other words, the moment she used the technique, she would instantly transform from an eighteen-year-old girl in her prime into a sixty-eight-year-old crone.
At sixty-eight, her physical functions would have deteriorated significantly. What if, after the secret art ended, the infiltrators from the Holy Cultivator Guild or the City Hall came back for revenge?
Even if she died in battle, Ashu would still be hunted down.
Just as Anna was weighing her options, suddenly, a surge of vibrant life force appeared within the range of her spiritual perception, which spanned twelve segments.
She followed this sensation. Under the "gaze" of her spiritual perception, she saw a figure glowing faintly in the southwest corner by the river. The figure had long emerald-green hair, with several branches atop her head like a crown. Below her chest, her body was still a brownish wood, not yet fully transformed into a human shape.
"A Forest Elf?"
Anna was stunned. Why would a Forest Elf show up there? That was exactly where the river's upstream floodplain was—and right below it was the Cidi cultists' stronghold!
Could it be… she had also sensed Ashu was in trouble?
Suddenly,
A bold idea popped into Anna's mind.
Elves could easily live for tens of thousands of years, and their bodies would evolve as they aged. In fact, among the upper ranks of the Witch's Guild, there was even a reclusive elder elf!
So, what if she used the Witch's Guild's secret art to help the Forest Elf rapidly mature—evolving her to adolescence?
Right now, half of her body was still wood; she was clearly still in her hatching stage.
With that thought,
Anna immediately let go of everything else and flew straight toward the southwestern riverbank without hesitation.
In no time, she spotted the Forest Elf from above. The elf had her eyes closed, anxiously scratching her head as she stared at the river.
"Forest Elf," Anna greeted her in Elvish.
The Forest Elf looked up. Realizing that Anna was Ashu's companion, she immediately pointed to the water.
"Him. I'm here, but I can't see clearly."
What did that mean?
Did she mean she could usually see clearly? Was she spying on Ashu? What about at night?
"Ashu is trapped. Only we can save him. Will you help?" Anna pushed aside her suspicions for now and continued in Elvish.
The Forest Elf nodded, then shook her head.
Suddenly, the riverbank rustled. Several vines grabbed up piles of stones, but even after churning up the water, they still couldn't unearth Ashu.
"This isn't working. We need to cooperate. I'm going to touch you now. I'll channel a power into your body—use it to save Ashu. But you'll lose a hundred years of your life. Once I'm a saint again, I'll help you make up for it."
A hundred years?
That's just like missing a bit of sleep!
The Forest Elf nodded in agreement without hesitation. Anna immediately stepped forward and placed her hand on the elf's skin.
She used a subtle technique to guide the Forest Elf in activating the witch's secret art.
Instantly, a brilliant green light radiated from the Forest Elf's body. Her long hair began to grow rapidly, cascading down to the ground. As the vibrant green hair swept across the earth, lush grass sprang up along the riverbank.
The wooden part of her body vanished in a heartbeat, transforming into a glowing, feminine form. But almost immediately, a long brown skirt appeared, covering her completely.
Finally—
She opened her eyes, which had been shut for so long. A sharp gleam flashed through her golden pupils.
"Whoosh—BOOM—!"
The Forest Elf didn't hesitate for even a second. With her newfound power, she gave a single command to nature, and the river surged up on both sides, exposing the hidden barrier below to the broad daylight.