Chapter 995: Chapter 988: Prayer
Of course, Chen Yu did not understand the hieroglyphics of Ancient Egypt, but that did not an he could not preside over the rites and rituals of Osiris.
The rites and rituals to worship the deities should naturally be presided over by a priest, but if it were a noble or royal bloodline, they could also take on the role.
In fact, in Ancient Egypt, the priests of the deities were themselves drawn from the nobility or royalty, and the Pharaoh himself claid to be a Child of the Sun God, making him the best candidate to preside over the rituals.
Moreover, a Demigod can certainly be considered of noble bloodline, even if Chen Yu was not an Egyptian.
Besides, even if they wanted to find a true Egyptian to preside over the ritual now, it would be impossible, for the Ancient Egyptians had already perished along with Ancient Egypt due to the Arab conquest. The Egyptians living today are mostly descendants of Arabs, not the true Ancient Egyptians.
As for Chen Yu’s lack of knowledge in the ancient Egyptian script and language, it actually posed no obstacle.
For others, not understanding the script and language of Ancient Egypt would indeed make it impossible to preside over the ritual, as they would be unable to call upon the nas of the deities correctly and unable to chant the liturgy properly.
But for Chen Yu, communicating with the deities didn’t have to be so complicated; reciting the divine nas with Divine Power could accomplish communication.
In this era when divine miracles have long vanished, trying to communicate with that ancient Underworld King is not an easy task, even if one truly understands the script and language of Ancient Egypt.
Because the other party may no longer be able to respond, even if the ritual does have an effect, the true respondent to the ritual would be the Power of Osiris that shrouds this ancient temple, rather than the ancient Underworld King himself.
Chen Yu certainly would not explain such a complex matter, he rely indicated that he could preside over the ritual as a priest.
Although Major General Claire and Professor Smith felt that this matter was sowhat unreliable, there was no better choice at the mont.
Moreover, Major General Claire knew that Chen Yu was a Demigod well-versed in necromancy and mysticism, so there was nothing inappropriate for him to preside over the ritual with his knowledge, and after so consideration, she agreed to Chen Yu’s proposal to host the ritual.
Professor Smith did not oppose this either, but rely reiterated the specific steps of the ritual to Chen Yu, ensuring the entire ritual’s procedure to avoid mistakes.
When it ca to matters related to Ancient Egyptian civilization, this old professor was indeed very serious and rigorous.
Although for Chen Yu it was not difficult to forcibly communicate with the Power of Osiris, he still listened seriously to Professor Smith’s explanation of the ritual steps to prevent unnecessary mistakes.
This ritual was found by Major General Claire through clues in her Sun God Amulet, according to which, performing the ritual within this Temple of Osiris would communicate with the Underworld King and reveal the path to the Garden of Osiris.
In truth, the path to the Garden of Osiris was not a secret worth hiding, because in ancient Egypt, Abydos, as the burial place of Osiris’s body, was considered a sacred site in the hearts of Ancient Egyptians, the final resting place for the soul.
For Ancient Egyptians, being buried in Abydos after death was a very sacred matter; even if the body could not be buried here, they would establish a cenotaph here, or ensure their body was mummified here before being sent back to the grave for burial.
Nobles or Pharaohs who could not physically co to Abydos would have a boat buried in their tombs, symbolizing that their soul would travel along the Nile River on this boat to rest in this sacred place.
Given these customs, it is not difficult to deduce that in the flourishing Ancient Egypt of Abydos, the journey to the Garden of Osiris was not sothing particularly secretive.
On the contrary, it should be a very sacred affair, and not too difficult to achieve; at least, it should be a privilege enjoyed by the Pharaohs and great nobles of the pre-dynastic era.
Indeed, according to the information found by Major General Claire, the journey to Osiris’s garden was not a difficult matter.
After death, the body of the Pharaohs or nobles of the pre-dynastic era would be transported to Abydos, where Osiris’s priests would mummify them. Once the mummification was complete, the priests would perform a ritual, where the deceased’s descendants would offer sacrifices to please the Underworld King.
If the ritual was successful and the Underworld King was pleased with the sacrificial offerings, the path to the Garden of Osiris would open, allowing the mummy of the Pharaoh or noble to be buried in the Garden of Osiris, under the protection of the Underworld King, granting eternal rest.
Therefore, this ritual is not too complex and does not have very high demands.
However, ti has passed for thousands of years, and the original ritual has long since been lost. Professor Smith can only translate and reconstruct the ritual process based on existing docunts. As for whether the reconstructed ritual process is correct, he cannot guarantee it with absolute certainty, he can only do his best to restore the original appearance of the ritual.
Nonetheless, under Professor Smith’s supervision, the preparation for the ritual was carried out strictly according to the translated docunts and was completed.
The ti for the ritual was set at dusk, the twilight hour when the Sun God enters the Netherworld and the world falls into darkness, which was also the ti for the dead to journey to the Netherworld. Holding the ritual at this ti would correctly open the path to the Garden of Osiris.
By this ti, Chen Yu had already changed into Ancient Egyptian priest attire, although his Oriental face made the costu seem sowhat incongruous.
However, there was no alternative, not only Chen Yu, the priest presiding over the ritual, but even the other ritual participants around him were played by Professor Smith’s students and assistants. Everything was done to replicate the original appearance of the ritual as closely as possible, though it was impossible to achieve perfection.
However, Chen Yu didn’t care; the ritual was just for appearances, to reduce unnecessary trouble. In fact, if he wanted to, Chen Yu could directly communicate with the Power of Osiris that shrouded the shrine and forcibly open the path to the Garden of Osiris just by standing in the temple.
Yet, compared to opening the door by force, following the ritual’s procedure to unlock the way was undoubtedly easier and would not invite unnecessary trouble and danger.
With these thoughts in mind, Chen Yu stood in the designated position of the ritual, reciting the invocation to the Underworld King, wearing the robes of the ancient Egyptian priest.
“Ah, Osiris my father, may you bless as your father, the God Ra, did for you. May I endure upon the earth, may I establish my throne, may my heirs be healthy, may my tomb be secure, for they are my vassals upon the earth…”
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