Every time an indigenous person was flayed for a Blood Sacrifice, a new small island would emerge at the edge of Tenochtitlan Royal City—which exists as a vast island in the Spiritual World—and merge with the larger one. As the island underfoot continued to grow, its appearance gradually began to transform into the crescent shape of the Yucatan Peninsula. Meanwhile, the collective consciousness of the Tenor People of the Bantaan Archipelago was also continuously strengthened, eventually forced into a cohesive whole.
Byron reflected, "In the Old Continent's Spiritual World, the collective consciousness of humanity is a vast continent that exists under the [Silver Code], in the exact shape of the Old Continent. This is because nations on both the East and West Coasts share the same origin of faith. No matter which aspect of God the nations believe in, the source always traced back to the same Bound Creator. Countless coincidences and religious wars unified the continent's faith. Thus, the collective subconscious sea of all species on the Old Continent became closely connected. The Lancaster Family, who had converted to the Church, was one of the links between the Church and the Bayfolk. Of course, there were also a few independent islands like Valhalla Hall of Valor that were attached above the continent. The Bantaan Archipelago remained scattered and fragmented in the real world, but in the Spiritual World, it was continuously converging, just like what the Old Continent had once experienced thousands of years ago."
[Hidden: The Mystery of the Aztec Empire's Blood Sacrifice, Historical Influence 27] The original 72% Decryption Rate continued to rise.
Not just the Decryption Rate, even my own superhuman knowledge is rapidly increasing. There is no better place than here to learn.
"Some of these sacrifices come from the 'Crown War' that the Aztec Empire recently waged against the southern Taya Empire. Others are offerings of Gong from the hundreds of small city-states within the Empire, and some originate from the thousands of large and small islands to the east. Their identities almost encompass the entire Taya and Aztec Empires on Yucatan Island and in the Bantaan Archipelago, including all the city-states and tribes. This Blood Sacrifice is clearly intended to use these sacrifices as a medium to open up the collective subconscious of all ethnic groups. Once successful, it will become the foundation for creating the Tenor People's [Golden Code] and unifying the royal Authority. But there are also negative consequences. Without this acute, empathetic pain, the internally conflicted Anti-Aztec Alliance would not possibly have been able to unite so smoothly. This ceremony's success won't come that easily."
In Byron's Spirit Vision, as the number of Blood Sacrifices grew, so did the land in the Spiritual World. However, because of the copious totems, Nature Spirits, and guardians, each protecting their respective groups, these islands' foundations remained distinctly separate, unable to fully merge into a complete "continental shelf." The aim was to break through the barriers between consciousness, the individual subconscious, and the collective subconscious.
Seeing this, Beatrice, the chief ritualist standing before Byron, immediately ordered the other shaman priests to initiate the next phase of the ceremony.
"Initiate... the God Killing Banquet!"
BRAAAAWM—! A long, sustained blast from the buffalo horn echoed.
A group of shaman priests simultaneously lifted the palm leaves covering the layers of the Pyramid, revealing a large group of stone Divine Statues worn with the patina of ages. Dozens of them, large and small: Tonatiuh, the Sun God; Mayahuel, the Moon Goddess; Mixcoatl, the Milky Way Goddess; Huitzilopochtli, the War God; Tlaloc, the Water God; Chalchiuhtlicue, the Goddess of Storms and Baptism; Chantico, the Goddess of Hearth and Volcanoes...
Not just the [Flayed Lord], but also the major Divine Statues of all the other deities in the Aztec Pantheon, had all been moved here. They were merely symbols of certain concepts and lacked self-awareness, no longer displaying the dignified composure they once had upon their divine thrones. Instead, they seemed to anticipate their own fate, each one shedding blood and tears.
"Kill the gods!"
"Kill the gods!"
The Aztec Empire had conquered 371 city-states with a population of tens of millions, which naturally led to a highly diverse pantheon within its territory. But unlike the gods of most civilizations, which remained unchanging unless forcibly converted, the deities here were continuously adjusted and changed according to a certain time sequence and the will of the people. As long as a deity no longer conformed to the people's desires, the city-states' inhabitants would cease their offerings and tributes to it, and might even kill the relevant god. Thus, as the Tenor People's mythological world matured, new deities constantly replaced the old. The old was replaced by the new through the "Kill the Gods" ceremony. At the sacrificial ceremony for new gods, the names of outdated deities or those of conquered tribes were marked on food. Their Divine Statues were smashed, and they (the deities) were slaughtered and consumed!
The world of humans was steeped in bloody carnage, and the realm of gods (Nature Spirits) was no different.
"Kill the gods! Begin the feast!"
Aside from a few defense forces, all 250,000 people in the city knelt on the ground, encircling the Pyramid. With each shout, blood-red light surged into the sky from the Temple atop the Pyramid, slowly coalescing into the figure of a deity. He wore a skin dripping with human blood, his body shone like gold, his mouth was a gaping red, his eyes closed, and his ears were pierced. His face bore black streaks running from the forehead, over the eyes, down to the chin, resembling a large ear of corn. He held a yellow shield in his hand and wore a ceramic container filled with corn seed at his waist.
At first sight of Him, concepts such as Rebirth, Agriculture, plants, Disease, springtime, gold and silver smithing, liberation, the East, and many others automatically flooded the onlookers' minds. It was as though He was the personification of these concepts. Clearly, this was none other than Aztec's patron deity, the [Flayed Lord] Xipe Totec!
Under Beatrice's prayers, He reached towards Huitzilopochtli, the War God, in the midst of the other gods, and the latter's skin immediately peeled off, falling onto Him. To the deities, this was not just a piece of skin, but also represented the god's image, Rank, Authority... even existence itself. Yet now, it was all seized.
Next were the Sun God, the Moon Goddess...
Dozens of the most representative Aztec deities successively vanished, and their Divine Statues, worshipped for untold years, also thunderously collapsed. The vast island that represented the entire Aztec Empire, and even a part of the Taino Group, finally basked in the Divine Light of the [Flayed Lord].
Afterwards, the [Flayed Lord], his Divine Light now at its peak, descended beside the chief priestess Beatrice. He placed his hand, crafted as if from gold, on the shimmering [Golden Code].
On the other end, the Aztec Emperor Montezuma II also ascended to the top of the Pyramid, placing his right hand on the [Golden Code] as well.
A majestic voice then boomed throughout the Imperial City:
"Divine Mandate of Authority! The Emperor is the Divine Son, and I will make you Monarchs and Kings over every place in the world!"