Chapter 587: Rituals of the Black Box Codex

Ritual… The ritual is the method of pleasing the gods as passed down in the Black Box Codex of the True Church.

The Black Box Codex is said to be a gift bestowed on humanity by the gods, containing countless secrets…

And among those, the rituals are the most important.

Legend has it that through these rituals, one may enter the sacred halls of the gods and receive their blessings…

At first, when I saw you carrying so many parasitic items, I assumed you too were chasing after the sacred halls—after all, only those desperate enough to enter those halls would go to such lengths to collect all manner of parasitic items…

…

The Dragon Team Leader eventually began acting unusually compliant—so much so that even Lu Xin thought his change was sudden.

I remained cautious, knowing that this guy was full of tricks.

But after he explained some things, I couldn’t help but furrow my brow slightly.

I had encountered the True Church before.

Back in Satellite City Three, the branch of the True Church linked to the mysterious organization of our True Hometown—eradicated when the drunkard was taken out—was once active.

However, it seemed most members of that church were just too brainy and never made much of an impact, so I stopped paying attention, knowing very little about it.

Only now have I heard the legends surrounding this church.

A mysterious ritual to please the gods?

Such a thing exists?

According to the Dragon Team Leader, he is a supervisor in the Execution Department of Flame Company. This time, under orders from his superior, he was sent to meet an envoy from the North, collect a batch of cargo from him, and then transport it to another location as instructed.

A thought occurred to Lu Xin—could the cargo they mentioned be that batch of ‘traded souls’?

I didn’t press for details, as it was Xia Chong’s team’s task.

My mission was simply to help them catch that Hell’s Messenger involved in soul trading.

What truly piqued my interest were the rituals, the sacred halls, and the likes of the Cangzhang Sect that the Dragon Team Leader mentioned.

…

“In the Chaos Zone, there is a bewildering diversity of beliefs and sects…”

“Even Flame Company, aside from a few notorious evil deities, does not forbid its employees from having their own faith…”

“And within the Chaos Zone, the most massive following belongs to True Hometown.”

“However, unlike the rigid hierarchy and powerful forces of the Southern Technology Church, True Hometown is more of a loosely connected collective bound by shared beliefs, with little else linking its members.”

“Except for the Black Box…”

“The Black Box Organization is a group of fanatical believers from True Hometown, formed to spread the church’s ideology and to pursue ever more mysterious rituals. Their main task is to preach the doctrines of the Black Box Codex and to set rules for the chaotic congregation, such as prohibiting actions that might harm other believers in the quest for the codex’s rituals…”

The Dragon Team Leader explained all this frankly.

It seemed that what he was saying was no secret in the Chaos Zone, so he had no qualms in detailing it.

“The mysterious rituals are what True Hometown treasures above all else…”

“Members of the Black Box can, through these rituals, accomplish many feats…”

“They can pray for blessings, alter their fortunes, heal their ailments, or even curse their enemies…”

“Some can even become formidable Ability Users through the rituals of the Black Box…”

“But the ultimate ritual within the Black Box…”

At this point, the Dragon Team Leader fell silent for a moment before trembling as he continued, “It is none other than entering the Sacred Halls…”

“To confront the gods and receive their blessings…”

…

“Confront the gods?”

Lu Xin couldn’t help but furrow his brow—this sounded a bit absurd.

In fact, everything that this guy surnamed Long was saying had an almost pyramid-scheme vibe to it.

Where in this world do gods even exist?

Moreover, from his account, it appeared these assorted rituals had already become popular in the Chaos Zone. Some people honed the art of human sacrifice to gain immense power; others sacrificed themselves, transforming into another form of life…

Could it be that this very transformation into a Hell’s Messenger was connected to that?

The concepts were all over the place, and Lu Xin couldn’t shake the feeling that these believers were being deceived.

By the time he finished listening, Lu Xin had already pieced together the truth behind several of the rituals.

Sacrificing a living person to gain great power—could it be that they’re using living flesh and blood to attract Mental Monsters?

Sacrificing oneself to be reborn as another form of life—almost like turning oneself into a monster, much like that Hell’s Messenger?

As for acquiring seven types of parasitic items of distinct natures, that was a new twist.

Lu Xin wasn’t sure if they’d ever truly seen the ‘god’ they spoke of.

And I don’t know why, but despite normally being a very polite person, the mere mention of that word made me want to laugh.

…

…

Ring, ring, ring…

Just as Lu Xin was about to inquire further, a phone rang unexpectedly.

The ringtone came from a black modified car parked beside us, its shrill tone piercing the quiet night.

The Dragon Team Leader panicked and lunged to answer it, but after a brief movement, he turned back in despair and glanced at Lu Xin. To his surprise, Lu Xin didn’t stop him. Instead, he smiled and nodded, signaling him to take the call.

With a resigned air, the team leader dashed off, grabbed the phone and said, “Disregard our distress message…”

“Tell the Company not to…”

…

Before he could finish his shout, he suddenly froze, turning blankly to look at Lu Xin.

His eyes looked vacant as he muttered, “Go… get yours.”

“Oh?”

Curious, Lu Xin answered the call and heard Mom’s voice: “Don’t bother with that Cangzhang guy for now.”

Surprised, Lu Xin asked instinctively, “Why not?”

Mom replied calmly, “Even when dealing with those guys, there must be a proper order.”

Her voice was steady and patient as she continued, “I’ve devised a pretty solid plan that will give us a significant advantage. So, I suggest we steer clear of that sneaky bastard for now. After all, so many people are already scrambling out like ripe stalks waiting to be reaped—why stir up more trouble?”

“Alright…”

Lu Xin fell silent for a moment after hearing her words, then nodded lightly.

After a pause, he smiled and said, “But will you at least tell me what this Cangzhang guy is?”

Mom paused before replying, “Among the thirteen ultimate types, one facet of spiritual power is control…”

Lu Xin was taken aback, “So he represents that aspect of control?”

“At the very least, he holds the scepter of control in his hand, even if it doesn’t truly belong to him.”

Mom replied softly, “But that’s not really important, is it?”

After a moment, Lu Xin nodded and then smiled into the phone, “I just did a favor for a friend—took on a side job—and I’m about to head home. When will you be back?”

“You’ve really grown up, finally caring about your family.”

Mom chuckled over the phone, “I’ll wrap things up soon and be there before you know it.”

“This time, I’ve even got a wonderful gift prepared for you…”

“Alright, alright. Stay safe out there…”

“Got it. Now, just hang up…”

…

After hanging up, Lu Xin returned to the increasingly frantic Dragon Team Leader, whose bizarre yet oddly normal behavior was nearly driving him mad, lost in thought.

Even though Mom’s call had reminded him, his curiosity still got the best of him. He leaned toward the team leader and said, “You haven’t yet told me exactly what the ritual for entering the Sacred Halls entails.”

The Dragon Team Leader closed his eyes in pain and, after a long while, reopened them. “I can’t reveal anything too core—I’d invite divine retribution.”

Lu Xin looked at him and smiled, “Do you really think that makes you immune from punishment?”

Swish!

In an instant, the Dragon Team Leader snapped his head up and stared blankly at the smiling Lu Xin.

In that moment, as Lu Xin inadvertently mentioned it, the team leader suddenly felt as if Lu Xin resembled one of those gods mentioned in the doctrine…

…

No one can say what kind of psychological torment the team leader endured in those few minutes.

Yet he eventually disclosed the details of the ritual truthfully…

He had already mentioned earlier that the essence of the ritual to enter the Sacred Halls was centered on finding seven different parasitic items.

But he deliberately withheld some details.

The true sacrifice wasn’t merely about gathering seven types of parasitic items—it required addressing a person’s seven wounds: perception, emotion, desire, cognition, instinct, memory, and self.

Only when one has secured a parasitic item corresponding to each of these layers can the sacrifice be complete.

The tricky part is that some layers have almost no known parasitic items.

Even so, many people are desperately scouring for these seven types in hopes of confronting the gods head-on.

The promise of divine blessings is simply too irresistible for many.

…

“Only seven are needed?”

After asking, Lu Xin sat quietly, pulled out a cigarette, and took his gun.

But he couldn’t bring himself to fire this time, as a desperate armed man quietly retrieved a lighter and, holding it with both hands, handed it over. Lu Xin, always the reasonable one, accepted the lighter, lit a flame, and casually tucked it into his pocket.

“The parasitic items I have seem to belong to different layers…”

“I already have four.”

“Which means, if I gather three more, I can…”

He slightly looked up, his eyes alive with anticipation, “finally come face-to-face with that guy?”