Alan procured a vehicle from somewhere else, letting Li Rui hide in the trunk, and then drove it towards the checkpoint.
He was surprised that the young man trusted him so much, knowing full well he could quietly signal the checkpoint guards.
Yet he still didn't do so. In fact, he wasn't sure what he was doing.
Alan Nathan exchanged a few words with the checkpoint guards and then passed through smoothly; no one asked to check the trunk, and no one even glanced at the back seat.
This area used to belong to the Holy Judgment High Court, and no one believed any lone enemy would dare sneak past this post.
After passing through, Alan drove forward for about twenty kilometers and then stopped the car on a small road to open the trunk.
"I must be crazy, bringing you to such a place. If we're discovered, we both might end up fed to that tree."
Li Rui jumped off the car and patted the dust off himself: "What, you don't want to go to the Divine Country?"
"I don't know, but the Divine Country shouldn't be built with blood."
"You've got a real sense."
Li Rui looked at the huge tree that was taller than the Holy Mountain in the distance; it had become even gloomier than before and seemed even more robust. "Well, now we have to go save the world."
"We?"
Alan pointed at himself and blinked, "Weren't you going alone?"
"I just remembered, I need someone to guide me and tell me where those captured for sacrifice are." Li Rui said.
Alan said speechlessly, "I don't think some of the current situations are right, but it doesn't mean I'm willing to die for them, does it?"
He thought merely passing Li Rui through the checkpoint would be the end of his involvement. After all, at over level 50, he would be a burden in front of world NPCs like Zuo Qiutian.
Li Rui said, "You don't seriously think I care about whether you're willing or not, do you?"
Alan sighed in agony, "I need to go find someone to ask; honestly, I don't know the details myself."
Li Rui shrugged, signaling him to get started.
So the priest took out his phone, beginning to contact acquaintances, casually inquiring.
Li Rui waited nearby, looking at the World Tree; he was tempted to rush over directly, but the priority now was rescuing people. If he went to the wrong place and got discovered, Song Yao and others captured might face danger.
Alan made several calls and finally gathered some information.
The captured, along with brought-in believers, are all in Bright City. Prisoners are in jail, while believers gather at the central square, and when needed, will be sent under the tree, then.....
"I understand."
Li Rui said, "You deserve half the credit, and now you can leave."
Finished speaking, he flew towards Bright City with "Instant Wind Nine Curves".
...
The eastern outskirts prison in Bright City used to be the highest security prison under the Holy Judgment High Court.
The prisoners held here in the past were mostly desperadoes, but now those criminals have vanished, reportedly being the first batch sacrificed to the World Tree.
However, at this time, the prison was not idle, as others caught by the Hidden Sect, mainly the Extraordinary, were all detained here.
Of course, the prison walls could not confine the Extraordinary; the Hidden Sect's constraints included two measures: the prohibition set outside the prison and the anti-magic poison all prisoners were made to drink.
Song Yao ultimately failed to escape from Xue Can and Gu Suixun's clutches, but he didn't die midway, instead being brought to the prison.
Here he met many familiar faces, including those once active in the Western Kingdom, and even Polar Alliance members, as well as people like the president of the Blood Blade Alliance, assassins of the Bamboo Gang, and people from the Redfield family.
"Your sacrifices must occur in sequence at specific times, right?"
Song Yao sat against the wall, his back leaning on it.
His actions weren't restricted, and he could even freely move around the playground outside.
Xue Can answered truthfully, "Yes."
After returning, he became the manager of this prison.
Song Yao looked up at the gray sky: "But if you keep us all here, aren't you afraid someone might stage a prison break?"
Xue Can said, "No option, the sacrifices require living souls, the best method is onsite rituals. Besides, no one will come."
"Why are you so certain?" Song Yao was probing.
Xue Can knew his intent but still answered, "You sent over twenty people here two days ago intending to assassinate the Prophet, all were captured, and today they shall be sacrificed, so who else could come?"
Song Yao asked, "Everyone caught?"
Xue Can shook his head, "A few died on the spot."
"...."
Song Yao was somewhat worried, knowing about this plan when he met Li Rui in Fengdu.
After exiting the Secret Realm, he found himself already in the Holy Judgment High Court's prison, so he didn't know what had transpired outside.
Originally planning to exploit the assassination plan to escape with everyone, now he heard bad news instead.
His greatest concern was that Li Rui had also been caught, but feared asking would reveal he'd seen Li Rui in the Secret Realm, possibly causing other problems.
The two fell into silence, and soon the prison's electronic gate suddenly opened.
Someone ran over to Xue Can, saying, "Mr. Xue, it's time, they need to be taken away."
Xue Can, holding his sword, said, "When will the others arrive? Surely I'm not meant to escort alone."
"Gondor and the others are on their way."
"Then go bring everyone out and be careful."
Xue Can turned to Song Yao, saying, "It's time, I hope you can cooperate."
He was very respectful to Song Yao, thus affording him special treatment, having personally fought him and knowing how strong he was.
"If I had the ability to resist, I would certainly do something."
Song Yao said in return.
Xue Can smiled, "Then, at least when you're unable to resist, cooperate as best as you can. Let's go."
Song Yao followed Xue Can to the gathering point for the prisoners, making the clinking sound of chains as he walked, as his wrists and ankles were bound with shackles made from some metal brought from the Western Regions of the Secret Realm.
If not for the anti-Extraordinary poison suppressing his powers within, he could break them by sheer muscle strength, but it wouldn't be easy, it'd cause a delay at least.
Before long, most of the prisoners in the prison were brought out, to be put on transport convoys of the Polar Alliance army, then delivered under the World Tree.
Simon scanned the crowd with glaring eyes.
He was the only assassination mission member caught and brought to the prison, being caught even before Song Yao.
Seeing none of the other task members among the prisoners, he felt somewhat relieved.
But Song Yao moved beside him, whispering the situation Xue Can had mentioned.
"Impossible, how could that be." Simon's first reaction was disbelief, unaware the whole mission was a trap designed by the Hidden Sect to lure them in.
"What about Li Rui?"
Song Yao shook his head, indicating he didn't know.
"Stand straight, stop the small actions! No talking!"
A jailer glared ferociously at the two of them.
This guy was only a minor character in the Holy Judgment High Court, previously had no opportunity to speak to dozens-level strong people like this, but now having "turned over," he couldn't help but be arrogant.
Xue Can was guarding the crowd, waiting for other escorts to arrive at this location.
Even though all prisoners were restricted in their Extraordinary powers by Zuo Qiutian's poison, they still needed caution; their blood strength and souls were much greater than ordinary people's, crucial for nourishing the Divine Tree.
Time slowly passed, and the mood among prisoners grew heavier, as even powerful Extraordinaries didn't want to die when given a choice.
They waited alongside Xue Can, but instead of other escorts, what arrived first was a sudden dense fog.
In mere seconds, the entire perimeter of the prison was shrouded in thick mist.
Xue Can steadied his grip on the sword hilt.
"Be on guard, enemy attack."