Death… And Me

Chapter 3758: Hands Down

No one expected such an answer.

"Sacrifices? How can sacrifices be linked to Temporal Paths?" Foliana couldn’t help but ask.

Rean pondered a bit. "Well, sacrifices can be used for many different things, especially energy. Cores, Dantians, and such are pretty much pure energy themselves. Blood can also be used to feed certain types of formations and used in some rituals. Let’s not even talk about the other body parts and the shit you can find out there."

Roan nodded. "Rean is right. But for this specific use, the sacrifices are made so the dead souls can be dragged to the reincarnation path in the Underworld."

Kentucky understood. "So that’s how it is. Indeed. When someone dies, their souls go to the underworld so they can enter the reincarnation path. However, they cross the barrier between the realms without the use of spatial gates, teleport formations, or any of that."

"Yes," Roan continued from there. "To be more specific, the souls are dragged to the Underworld without the need for any type of spatial-related apparatus. The laws of life and death are what guide them to the Underworld. The experts of this universe found a way to use this moment when the dead souls try to cross the realms to create Temporal Paths."

"So much for a peaceful Universe, uh?" Kentucky shrugged. "But there is a problem. You can create temporal paths to go from one realm to the other. Still, what about when you need to travel somewhere far away in the same realm? For example, go from one side of the Divine Realm to the other."

Roan expected that question. "It is also done through the use of Temporal Paths. The natural Temporal Paths we know usually only connect the different realms. However, there was one time when we crossed a Temporal Path that did not bring us to another realm. Do you remember that one?"

Rean, Kentucky, and Celis thought for a moment.

"Ah!"

Indeed, there was one temporal path that did not transfer them between realms. Back in the Lisan Universe, when the Universe was still split into two parts, the twins once entered a Temporal Path that led to the other side of the split Universe. That’s when they met Kafan, Roan’s master. That temporal path indeed did not transfer them between realms.

"So you’re saying that not only can they use the moment dead souls try to cross to the other side to create a temporal path, but they can also redirect the path itself so it will connect to other points of the Universe instead?" Rean asked.

"That’s basically it," Roan confirmed.

Celis finally asked the obvious. "First of all, how are the sacrifices even chosen?"

[Found it here,] Sister Orb spoke, changing the image in front of everyone. [Their network has a very detailed explanation, actually. They have the dates, locations, and such in case someone wants to use a Temporal Path.]

[As for how they are chosen, it seems like it is random. The Light of the Provider... Oh, for fuck’s sake! I’m getting annoyed with using this shit name. I’ll just call them the Light Idiots.]

"Light Idiots..." Roan nodded. "That’s a very suitable name. I like it."

Rean’s mouth twitched. For ’some’ reason, he felt like Roan was actually talking to him.

[Anyway, the Light Idiots have tens of millions of specific locations where the Temporal Paths are created. They are all over the Universe, including the Mortal Realm.]

[As for the sacrifices, they are chosen randomly, but there is a cultivation limit. No one at the Transition Realm and above can be used, only those below.]

[Now, look at this shit. It is a voluntary contribution. You can even register yourself here on the official page of the Light Idiots to offer your soul to open the temporal paths.]

"Eh?" Kentucky couldn’t help but look closely. "Who would ever volunteer for such a thing?"

[Seems ridiculous, doesn’t it? Yet...] Sister Orb entered the registration part. [Take a look here now.]

There was a queue for those wishing to become sacrifices. Sister Orb selected the closest Temporal Path opening location, and for that one place alone, you had a queue of over ten million devils waiting to be called to sacrifice themselves.

Sister Orb alternated between various Temporal Path Opening Locations in the four realms, not only the Underworld. Each and every single one of them had queues just a big, if not even bigger. The most ridiculous one had a queue of almost twelve billion waiting to have their lives taken away to open the temporal paths.

"This can’t be right. As religious as you might be, would you truly throw your life away that easily?" Tanxan asked, feeling like there was something wrong. "Do you know why so many want to sacrifice themselves, Sister Orb?"

[Yes, it is also here,] Sister Orb opened a different page. [It is said that those opening a Temporal path are giving their lives to connect all lives of the Universe. It says that their sacrifice is one of the most meaningful, and that it is an honour to be selected for such a thing.]

Roan confirmed Sister Orb’s words. "She is right. As for why everyone believes it, the banishing light is to blame. That banishing light is not just about purging your inner demons. It is also related to mind control, but to a lesser degree. After all, you lose your prejudices once the banishing light hits you, so you tend to believe anything that is said to you as long as the Light Idiots say it is good."

[And we are only talking about the Temporal Paths,] Sister Orb explained. Then, many different pages appeared for everyone to see. Sure enough, Sister Orb was the best when it came to using these networks. [This kind of explanation is given to many, many different things, including some very distasteful research. And, as you can see, there is no end of volunteers for those kinds of things.]

"This is so fucked up..." Rean said, sighing.

"Hmph!" Roan snorted in response. "I told you before we came to this Universe, didn’t I? This kind of place seems great and amazing at first glance. However, by experience, I also know this is exactly the type of place where you will find some of the darkest shit you can and can’t think of, hands down."

Zangeshu pondered a bit. "I might be wrong, but... Doesn’t this Universe look like a gigantic lab?"