Virus King - Chapter 312

Chapter 312: The Selection for the First Embrace Ceremony!

TL: YYang

“What?!”

Chen Bai furrowed his brows as he gazed at the creature before him.

The figure standing there was a blood-red demon.

Its skin appeared as if it had been drenched in fresh blood, the liquid flowing across its body, giving it an eerie and terrifying resemblance to a water elemental.

However, the demonic horns atop its head were proof enough of its identity.

This Blood Demon, at the very least, had to be at level 50 or 60. It frowned in displeasure and said,

“Did I not make myself clear just now? The Path of Life and Death in Hell cannot be opened or used during Lady Lilith’s First Embrace Ceremony! At that time, warriors who win the trials and garner praise will all be allowed to enter the Path of Life and Death. Lady Lilith herself will ensure that every hellish creature who enters it receives the best reward they can achieve! Furthermore, the final victor of the First Embrace Ceremony will be selected from among them!”

Chen Bai’s brows furrowed tighter as a red glint flashed in his eyes.

However, the demon glared back, its scarlet killing intent radiating so intensely that Chen Bai didn’t dare act recklessly.

This was, after all, a truly powerful demon.

A Hell Baron, or perhaps even a Viscount-level entity.

Even with Chen Bai’s immense strength and far superior foundations compared to other beings at his current level, it was nearly impossible to cross a gap of thirty or forty levels to kill such a demon.

Chen Bai nodded.

“In that case, where is the nearest major city near Blood Moon City that allows access to the Path of Life and Death in Hell?”

The demon glanced at him with a sneer.

“All regions under the protection of the Blood Moon currently have the Path of Life and Death sealed. If you want to use it, you’ll have to cross the Desert of Death and head to Demon City!”

Those two names alone spoke volumes about how difficult such a journey would be.

“However, judging by your level, you barely meet the requirements for the First Embrace Ceremony. If you participate and pass, not only can you enter the Path of Life and Death, but you might even gain the favor of Lady Lilith herself, becoming a member of the Blood Demon race like me. And this wouldn’t be just any transformation—it would be a First Embrace directly bestowed by Lady Lilith. Opportunities for her to descend with the Blood Moon are rare. If you manage to earn her favor…”

Hearing the demon’s incessant chatter in his ear, Chen Bai couldn’t help but grow suspicious.

What kind of enchantment had this so-called Blood Queen, this Goddess of the Blood Moon, cast over them? How could these demons be so fanatically devoted?

Crossing that so-called Desert of Death to reach Demon City was clearly unrealistic.

And with the cooldown time for entering Hell lasting an entire month, Chen Bai wasn’t willing to simply return empty-handed.

Before long, through some coin-induced persuasion, Chen Bai managed to uncover the specifics and schedule of the First Embrace Ceremony!

The First Embrace Ceremony.

Just as his fellow clansman had previously mentioned, it was a special ritual conducted by Lady Lilith to transform chosen demons, devils, or even fallen angels into members of the Blood Clan.

The First Embrace was the ritual used by the Blood Clan to induct new members. Normally, it wasn’t anything particularly remarkable.

However, a First Embrace directly granted by Lady Lilith, a True God, was a completely different matter. Those who underwent it could even be considered her kin or descendants.

Such an identity was a mark of supreme prestige and honor.

Just look at the ‘Blood Demons’ and ‘Blood Angels’ who had received an ordinary First Embrace. Their superiority and status were unmatched, standing far above others.

The First Embrace Ceremony selected participants between level 10 and level 30. According to Grand Steward Cain, once someone completed their second profession transfer, their bloodline power would become fixed, and the transformation from the First Embrace would no longer be perfect.

Damn it, if that was the level restriction, why had that fellow, who was over level 40, even bothered showing up? Were demons above that level even accepted?

As expected, demons were brainless creatures!

The First Embrace Ceremony sounded grand, but after listening to the explanation, Chen Bai felt like it was essentially a beauty pageant combined with a martial arts tournament.

Indeed, the so-called First Embrace Ceremony had two primary components.

One was based on the contestant’s bloodline and appearance.

The other was based on their strength within the eligible level range.

In the end, the scores from both categories were combined to determine rankings.

This was similar to the ancient imperial examination system on Blue Star.

Participants who passed the regional and provincial exams would finally proceed to the imperial examination.

And the final stage?

It was simple.

All the ‘examinees’ who advanced successfully would enter the Path of Life and Death in Hell together. This special facility, formed from the Authority of Greed belonging to Satan himself, served as the final trial!

At that point, Lady Lilith would personally observe and evaluate the contestants! The significance of this was extraordinary.

Chen Bai had to admit, he had absolutely no interest in becoming part of this so-called Blood Clan.

What was particularly bizarre was that this Blood Clan could not only convert humans but also creatures like demons and devils.

However, the current situation was clear: if he didn’t participate in the First Embrace Ceremony, he wouldn’t be able to enter the Path of Life and Death in Hell.

This was undeniably a frustratingly tricky cycle.

After deliberating for approximately three seconds, Chen Bai decided to re-seal the slightly conspicuous Hell King’s Ring and stash it away in his secret warehouse.

He then proceeded to one of the many registration points for the First Embrace Ceremony.

Chen Bai walked straight inside.

“This is where I sign up for the First Embrace Ceremony, right?”

“That’s correct. The first round of the ceremony involves a bloodline test! Only those whose bloodline purity meets the standards and satisfies certain requirements of Lady Lilith can pass. If you pass, you’ll be eligible to participate in the second round of testing, which will take place three days from now.”

The process was remarkably straightforward. Blood Moon City had set up no fewer than a hundred registration points just for this First Embrace Ceremony!

Chen Bai stepped forward and quietly activated his True Demon Form, although he didn’t fully transform.

Then, a drop of fresh blood was extracted from him.

What happened next were the strange reactions of the demons manning the registration point.

“How strange! A mix of human and pureblood demon bloodline?! Another applicant with human blood? Aside from Lord Rika, this is the first one!”

“What’s even weirder is, why does this half-breed of human and demon blood have horns like us devils?! That doesn’t make any sense!”

“Hurry, hurry, record this down! Such a peculiar guy, showing up at the registration point on Tuluohua Street…”

“Damn, I’ve heard that humans are good-looking, but just look at this human-demon hybrid! He’s nothing like those stupid demons—he perfectly matches Lady Lilith’s standards for the appearance of an embraced offspring!”

The corners of Chen Bai’s mouth twitched rapidly.

He had never expected the selection for the First Embrace Ceremony to unfold in such an absurd and bizarre manner!