The Path to Another World

The meeting room was very close to the high priest's hall, only a short two-mile distance. With Old Karl's strength, he arrived at the hall's entrance in just a few breaths. From afar, he saw an old man with white hair and a beard long enough to be used as a mop, pacing back and forth, constantly scratching his beard and white hair, which had turned from neatly combed hair into a bird's nest. Upon seeing Karl rushing towards them, the high priest greeted him with a joyful expression, exclaiming ecstatically, "Chieftain, you've finally arrived! We've waited a thousand years, prayed for a thousand years. It seems the Ancestral God truly hasn't abandoned us. The thousand-year holy war is about to begin, and returning the goddess at this time is truly the best news for our clan!"

Old Karl's face was equally burning with excitement, his eyes red: "Are you sure this time it's the right one?"

"You still doubt my strength? I dare to guarantee with my life and honor that this fluctuation is absolutely true. Although the sensation is somewhat vague, it may be because it is too far away from us. Back then, the protection of the Goddess of Fate entered the spatial rift, possibly traversing countless spatial planes. But the aura cannot be faked." The High Priest glared angrily, while Old Karl was still doubting his judgment and getting furious. You should know that more than anyone else, he wanted the Goddess to return.

"How could I dare doubt your strength? This matter is too sudden and significant. I was just too excited. Alright, you can try again and see if you can sense her exact location." Old Karl calmed down and chuckled dryly. He knew this old man's prowess well. Don't underestimate him because of his age. He was an ancient being who participated in the last Holy War and lived for over a thousand years. His strength was beyond doubt. He was the martial arts teacher of several generations of elven patriarchs. Although his magic was not enough to reach godhood, it was comparable to the top human masters.

The high priest hesitated for a moment before speaking, “Although I can barely sense her location on my own without much error, I still suggest that all the priests be summoned to hold a grand ceremony. With our sincerity and the unique spiritual connection between the sacred tree and the goddess, we can not only accurately predict her direction, but also reflect her current image.”

“Alright, I will quickly gather all the priests for a grand priestly ceremony. At the same time, all the elves must gather in the square three days from now to welcome the goddess’s return with our utmost sincerity.” Old Karl clapped his hands and made his decision after hearing the high priest’s suggestion. “High Priest, you go and gather all the priests. I will issue the notice. We will split up and act separately.”

Three days later, the square was packed with countless elves. The already spacious square was overflowing with tens of thousands of people, all eagerly awaiting the arrival of their ancestor. Everyone had put aside their work, having received the chieftain's notification. They had only heard tales from legends or elders of the elf race's guardian goddess, the Nature Goddess, leading the continental coalition against the dark invaders, and of her eventual self-destruction in defeat. This had become an immortal legend and source of pride for the elves. Now, hearing of the return of this national goddess, how could anyone not be excited?

Seeing that almost all the elves except those on regular patrols had arrived, Old Karl cleared his throat, leaped to the top of a tall tree, and pressed his hands down, exuding the unmistakable authority of a chieftain. Immediately, all the elves fell silent, waiting for their chieftain to speak. "My dearest people," Old Karl began, "I have summoned you here today because the High Priestess sensed the presence of our guardian deity, Lady Geqiusha, three days ago. We are gathered here today because she needs our most sincere faith to guide her home. Let us offer our most heartfelt emotions so that our goddess may sense them, and let us pray together!" Old Karl grew increasingly agitated, finally waving his right hand and passionately shouting.

"Hurrah!" All the elves were filled with fervor, waving their weapons and shouting wildly. Tiny specks of white light slowly rose from their individual consciousnesses, forming a white rain of light that gradually swirled into a tornado, pouring towards the enormous statue in the center of the plaza, growing increasingly intense. Dozens of white-robed elder elves solemnly waved their staffs, sending streams of white light into the statue. In an instant, the entire statue was covered in white light, its lower half completely transformed into pure white, yet it continued its ascent towards the upper half... All the elves sat there silently, their faces filled with fervor as they gazed at the statue of the Goddess of Nature... The white specks rose higher and higher, finally stopping at the neck, but no matter how hard they tried, they could not rise any further.

"No, Chieftain! At this rate, we probably won't be able to meet the conditions. It seems we underestimated the distance between us and the Goddess. Perhaps she's in another parallel universe, a distance that's far too great." The High Priest, looking at the motionless white line, was drenched in sweat. The spirits and priests praying on the ground were also exhausted, their foreheads covered in sweat, having already exerted their utmost effort.

"How could this happen? Another parallel universe? Is there any way to resolve this?" Old Karl looked at the suddenly stopped priestly ritual and asked helplessly after hearing the priest's explanation.

"Yes! But there will be some sacrifices! But for the return of the goddess, I'm willing to go all out!" Seeing the old Karl's eager eyes and the pale ground beneath him, yet still his face burning with fervor and madness, the old priest said through gritted teeth.

After speaking, he gathered several elderly priests of similar age together and whispered for a long time. Looking back at the descending white line and the frenzied ordinary elves, they finally reached a consensus. The four of them stood at the four corners and simultaneously raised their staffs. With their left hands, they drew blood from their right wrists, creating four lines of blood that connected to form mysterious arrays that enveloped the entire statue. Seeing this sudden scene, Old Karl suddenly remembered some forbidden technique recorded in his book, and his face turned pale. He rushed towards the four of them as fast as he could, screaming desperately, "No, priests, there's another way!"

The High Priest waved his hand to stop Karl's actions, smiling at all the elves. He shook his head and said, "Karl, you are the most outstanding chieftain I have ever seen. You must lead our elven race to welcome the goddess's return and restore our former glory! With you here, I am at ease. This is the fastest way. Our sacrifice is not in vain. For the goddess's return, all sacrifices are worthwhile." He looked at the other three and shouted, "Attack! Sacrifice!" The four exchanged glances, then slapped their chests hard. Four white crystals flew towards the statue with immense power. The white lines covered the entire statue at an unstoppable speed, and a blue light, like a sharp sword, cleaved the vast universe. All the creatures on the continent were shocked. The four who were sacrificing then closed their eyes quietly with a slight smile. Old Karl and the elves beside him rushed forward to catch the priests who were about to fall to the ground. "Grand Elder!" All the elves watched this scene with red eyes, their cries echoing through the sky.

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