Chapter 1459: The Feast of the Earth Mother

Mortals could neither gaze upon them nor welcome them; they could only bow their heads, feeling the Great Ones pass through the dense forest and arrive at the edge of the clearing.

The old man with the lantern walked at the very front, followed by the youth draped in silver robes, and finally, the lady in black robes. The Guardian wanted to rise from the end of the long table, but his body would not obey him.

"It has been several millennia since I last attended such a feast."

The three deities took their seats at the table. The kindly old man placed his oil lamp upon the long table, and instantly, fireflies appeared like scattered stars across the tabletop and throughout the forest. Those faint yellow lights were not particularly bright, yet they were enough to illuminate this place.

The black mud receded silently under the radiance of the sun; green grass and fresh flowers unfurled with the long table as their center. The earth temporarily returned to normal due to the power of the deities.

Xia De, who was burning with divinity, had little of that divine power left after his struggle with the 【Stone Heart Demon】. Thus, he did not use his divinity. Instead, to obtain the finest banquet, he took out a ruby while simultaneously flicking away his last 【Emperor's Banquet Copper Coin】.

"Next, there shall be an unparalleled feast."

Coins and gems clattered onto the tabletop as gold and silver utensils and sumptuous delicacies quickly spread to cover the dining table. Fireflies then gathered above the table, transforming into golden candlesticks in the gaps between the plates. As this night was about to end, the dazzling candlelight provided everyone with warm radiance; this night had truly been far too long.

The lady in the black robe did not speak; her fingers trembled slightly, and the simple stone stools transformed into ornate high-backed chairs with hollow patterns on the backrests and intricate carvings on the armrests.

The simple long table rose slightly, and lines almost invisible to the naked eye appeared on the previously flat surface, until they formed a pattern of the sun rising from behind the mountains on this massive table.

The snow had stopped, the black mud and accumulated snow melted, and beneath their feet was land covered in green grass and fresh flowers. Red butterflies danced like tides in the clearing alongside the fireflies, and flowers grew on the ground where the black mud had flowed.

Helen Grace, appearing eighteen years old, walked out from the forest, bowed to the gods at the table with a smile, and sat down beside Xia De.

After waiting a moment, Yin Yi Yi Lu Na, wearing a flower crown and holding scales, and Sister Sister Daifulin, holding a black scythe, also walked out from the forest. After bowing respectfully, they chose their seats at the table.

Immediately following, Luweiya and Xilisi said goodbye to the witches and walked out from the forest together. From another direction, a middle-aged man from the Sun Church and an old woman from the Natural Church also arrived at the clearing.

The four of them bowed to the gods at the table together, then sat down at the table.

At this point, of the twelve seats at the long table, only the single chair at the far end, opposite the Guardian, remained unoccupied.

The silver-robed god took out four fresh flowers: the flower representing spring, a gift from friends of the Fifth Era; the flower representing summer, the flower of the flower girl watered by Yin Yi Yi Lu Na's blood; the flower from autumn, representing reproduction and desire; and the flower from winter, given by the woman who died in winter and possessed a heart of stone.

"Flying Flower Spell."

With the last of the divinity's power, the four flowers flew from the god's hand, instantly transforming into thousands of petals that flew around the clearing. Thus, the petrified forest returned to its original appearance, vines wrapped around sturdy trunks, and flowers bloomed across the earth and forest.

The old man with the lantern looked around with a smile, letting starlight-like radiance fly from the oil lamp. Thus, the animals that had died in the nearby area tonight were restored to life by the miracle, then they crossed the forest together, arriving under the night sky at the riverside clearing illuminated by fireflies and red butterflies, and then lay quietly on the grass, watching the night's feast.

The dark clouds had dispersed, leaving only the starry river hanging upside down overhead. The three moons, although not as bright as when the silver-robed god first appeared, were still so beautiful in the night sky.

Thus, surrounded by starlight, set off by green grass and fresh flowers, at the long table of the feast, under everyone's gaze, the Guardian sitting at the end of the long table pressed his left hand on the fragment of the Heart of the Earth, and his right hand

lifted the wooden wine cup in front of him.

The people and gods at the table also raised their cups together, and the Guardian said loudly:

"The Guardian of the Earth chosen by fate declares here—"

His gaze looked toward the gods and people at the table; at the same time, the stone in his hand flashed with light, and a massive, golden phantom of the Holy Grail appeared above his head. And in the thick steam mist behind him, a thirteen-ring life ring slowly appeared.

Pale golden light radiated from his body, and the sound of prayers with thousands of voices overlapping came from nowhere. The wind rose in the forest, and the treetops in the wind rustled, as if ancient souls were listening to the oath.

"I will use all that I am to guard the land beneath my feet, until the very end."

The soul, which had become solid due to the black mud, now became completely transparent. And within that soul, four small flowers, identical in shape but different in color, floated out from his chest.

The light of the golden Holy Grail phantom overhead enveloped him, and the four small flowers slowly floated into the mouth of the Grail. In an instant, golden light rushed toward the night sky, but it also illuminated the flowers of the four seasons that Xia De had offered, which were scattered around, as well as the flower crown on Yin Yi Yi Lu Na's head.

In the Holy Grail phantom, the four fresh flowers disappeared, replaced by ancient runes vaguely taking shape. Xia De, still possessing the last bit of divinity's burning power, interpreted the runes as "Earth."

"May the earth be with you and me!"

The Guardian loudly expressed the wish in his heart at this moment, and the stone in his left hand instantly resonated with the huge Holy Grail phantom overhead. The life ring belonging to the thirteen-ring sorcerer gradually rose into the air until it overlapped with the Grail.

White celestial light shot down from the starry sky, enveloping the peculiar soul at the end of the long table. A ritual halo composed of thirteen different-colored light spots appeared among the flowers and green grass on the ground.

The massive ritual base array encompassed everyone at the long table, but then the circle continuously contracted until it reached the Guardian's feet. Thirteen light spots rose from the ground toward the top, the pure white pillar of light transformed into a golden hue, the thirteen-spot ritual base array merged with the Holy Grail behind him, and then a golden shockwave spread toward the surroundings.

This power, which seemed to have traveled from the beginning of time, gradually spread to the entire Landaier River Valley; from the sky to the depths of the earth, the black mud faded away bit by bit. Even the Heart of the Earth deep underground resonated with it at this moment.

Thus, as the life ring above the Guardian's head completely overlapped with the Holy Grail phantom, and the brass wheel ring melted to become the dark golden Holy Grail, the gods and people at the table raising their cups drank the fine wine in their hands simultaneously:

"To the ancient god, 【Mother Earth】!"

The power of the earth was triggered by the ancient ritual. The gathered power strengthened the body and soul of every mortal present. But in addition to the arrival of the earth's primal power, the madness of the earth also materialized.

When all eleven wine cups were set down, the mortals saw that in the empty seat opposite the Chosen of the Earth, a pitch-black figure made of black mud was now sitting.

The madness and distortion of the earth are essentially natural phenomena; there is no materialized substance. But due to the ancient ritual, while the feast gathered the earth's power to treat the guests, it also summoned the distorted origin.

The concept of "Mad Earth" was now materialized into this pitch-black humanoid figure. Sealing it would allow the earth to return to a brief peace.

Therefore, the Chosen of the Earth wanted to ask the gods at the table for help, but Xia De reached out to stop him. He felt dizzy at this moment, but he endured it, reaching out to touch the last "Holy Grail of Flowers."

Without needing him to say more, the black mud figure in the twelfth seat turned into pitch-black liquid, flew into the Holy Grail, and turned into bubbling pitch-black mud.

Xia De, maintaining the last shred of power in his god form, looked around at the people and gods at the table.

The female-looking "Stone Heart Demon" was expressionless, and the old man with the lantern watched him with an indescribable expression. Mortals could not see through the faces of the gods, but they all understood what great thing He was about to do. And the purple-eyed girl suddenly remembered the last of the three divination cards Xia De had drawn yesterday evening: "Sacrifice."

She wanted to speak to stop him, but Xia De had already lifted

that cup and then drank all the mud.

At this point, the madness originating from the earth's own distortion completely disappeared. Although distortion would still be generated again, and although the scars remaining in the earth still existed, at least the events of tonight had ended. "Cough, cough!"

Dropping the earthen Holy Grail, which had shattered because it contained substances that should not have been contained, Xia De clutched his throat and coughed desperately as if poisoned.

The female-looking evil god shook her head and turned into pitch-black light spots, flying toward the high sky. The dilapidated stone statue on the chair slowly scattered into sand and dust.

The kind old man also shook his head, but seemed to have some approval. Holy white light spots also dissipated from his body, revealing the original appearance of the hemp-clothed ascetic. He looked around with a smile, then opened his

arms facing the starry sky, dissipated into light spots, and flew toward the cold night sky.

"Walk bravely forward."

Only the god's voice remained, echoing in Xia De's head.

The feast ended, and the most important guests left one by one. That silver-robed figure, after coughing a few more times, also turned into silver light spots.

That cluster of light, accompanied by red butterflies, flew toward the night sky, toward that moon.

The night had reached its final moment, and on the silver-robed god's original seat, amidst the desperate expression of Xilisi Grand Lasers, there was no one left.

"This is mythology, isn't it."

At the table, someone sighed softly. But no one knew the sound of tears dripping onto green grass blades and shattering dew drops.