Heavenly Rebellion: The Human Race's Rise to Prominence
Chapter 151: Sacrifices

Chapter 151: Sacrifices

Chen Zi’s breath hitched.

Uncle.

It had been so long since she called him that.

The word hit him harder than he expected, sending a wave of emotion crashing into his chest. His eyes stung, but he forced himself to push those feelings aside.

Now wasn’t the time.

With a deep breath, he steadied himself and continued.

"Yes," Chen Zi said, his voice cold with barely restrained fury.

"It was a priest of the Church of Heaven—more specifically, a priest from Brightheaven City’s branch."

His eyes glittered with rage, his fingers clenching so tightly around his sword that his knuckles turned white.

"His name is High Priest Dorian," he continued, his tone sharp as a blade.

"He’s the highest-ranking church official in Brightheaven."

Chen Qing, who had long been eager to discover the identity of the person responsible for Chen Xiao’s death and the rift it caused within the Chen Clan, replied, "High Priest Dorian? You mean the one who routinely harasses ordinary people for not following church doctrine?"

Chen Zi nodded gravely.

"That’s right. Based on the information I gathered from the Church of Heaven’s base camp, while Chen Xiao was traveling to Brightshore City on some errands, she encountered High Priest Dorian. He tried to take her in for ’re-education,’ and when he discovered she was a Broken Soul, his determination only grew."

Chen Zi’s eyes flashed with a more intense killing intent, so powerful that even the Frostvenom Python they were riding on began to shiver.

"And then?" Chen Qing pressed, continuing her line of questioning.

Chen Zi’s voice faltered as his anger grew.

"Naturally, Chen Xiao refused—but she did so respectfully. She understood the power and influence the Church held, and she didn’t want to drag the Chen Clan into her personal troubles.

She tried to handle it alone. She even left a message with her Dao Protectors, asking them to give her a few hours of space because she wanted to buy a gift for me."

Tears he had been holding back slowly began to fall as he spoke.

"When she left her room, one of the Foundation Establishment cultivators secretly followed her, still intent on protecting her.

But it wasn’t enough.

While she was walking down the street, one of the Church’s inquisitors suddenly arrested her on some bogus charge of disturbing public order," Chen Zi said bitterly.

"Obviously, Chen Xiao fought back, doing everything she could to escape.

That was when the Dao Protector who had been following her intervened—he defeated the inquisitors who had tried to arrest her while she was fleeing!" he continued, frustration thick in his voice.

"And then?" Chen Qing pressed.

"Even in a large city like Brightshore, a Foundation Establishment cultivator is no small threat. They managed to evade capture for a while.

But High Priest Dorian was determined to take her. He sent more inquisitors after her—including those at the Foundation Establishment stage!" Chen Zi’s tone grew darker with every word.

"Even though Chen Xiao had some Foundation Establishment Dao Protectors of her own, in a place like Brightshore, our Chen Clan simply can’t compare to the forces rooted in the city.

Her protector was outnumbered, surrounded by inquisitors... and killed!" Chen Zi’s voice cracked with rage.

"And? What happened to Chen Xiao?" Chen Mei asked.

"She was captured by one of the inquisitors and brought into the Church," Chen Zi replied, anguish thick in his voice.

"I don’t know what happened to her once she was forced inside the convent, but I can make a few assumptions—because of the simple fact that she was a Broken Soul!"

Lin Feng, who had been silently listening, suddenly blinked.

Realization struck him like lightning as he quickly pieced together what Chen Zi was trying to say without saying outright.

The Church of Heaven taking in an ordinary person who’s a Broken Soul?

That alone was suspicious.

Considering the kind of prejudice the Church of Heaven holds against people like that, she must have been killed the moment she stepped inside.

But even if that’s true... Broken Souls are numerous.

The Church doesn’t go out of its way to round up and kill all of them unless they want to cause a public outcry.

That means there has to be another reason Chen Xiao was specifically targeted!

"Chen Zi, we both know that’s bullshit," Chen Qing snapped.

"Re-education? Really? There’s obviously another reason why Chen Xiao was taken—and killed. So just tell us the whole truth!"

Chen Zi remained silent for a few seconds, his body trembling as he clenched his fists harder and harder—until blood began to drip from between his fingers.

"The Church of Heaven has started picking people to serve as their ’sacrifices,’" Chen Zi said, his voice heavy with grief.

"Sacrifices? You mean that ritual they perform every few hundred years for their so-called god?" Chen Qing replied, frowning.

"Yes. That’s also the reason why they’ve started kidnapping young girls here in Silverpine City," Chen Zi confirmed.

Chen Mei, who had been listening intently, burst out angrily, "But that was a few years ago already! If they started finding sacrifices back then, shouldn’t they be done by now?"

"That’s exactly what puzzles me," Chen Zi said, his expression twisted in frustration.

"It’s already been years since Chen Xiao was taken. If they began preparations that long ago, then the ritual should have been completed by now.

And yet... not only are they not done, they’ve become even more brazen—openly kidnapping young girls in Silverpine, not even bothering to hide it anymore!"

Chen Qing’s eyes narrowed, his voice low and dangerous.

"Either something went wrong with their ritual... or they need more sacrifices than before."

Chen Zi, Chen Mei and Chen Qing who was all listening in trying to figure out the motives of the church remained shackled by their own thoughts about the matter, it was clear that none of them actually knew the reason for the Church’s actions and it made the situation even harder to figure out.