New Year Pilgrimage

When Tony found Renoli and the others.

Renoli, Lacey, Kyle, and the Precognitor were sitting inside the large house Kyle had built, warming themselves by the fireplace.

With their physical constitution, it was obviously impossible for them to feel cold from such temperatures. Still, gathering around the fire was part of the season’s atmosphere. Life needed a little sense of ceremony.

After Tony told them that he planned to leave for a while.

"On December 20th, five days from now, everyone is planning to hold a grand banquet together."

"But you haven’t gone back for so long. It’s only natural that you want to see your wife."

"Anyway, everyone has become long-lived now. There’ll be plenty of chances to gather again in the future."

When Renoli heard Tony say that he would be leaving for home tomorrow and might be gone for a long time, he did not mind. He patted Tony on the shoulder and said with a smile.

"December 20th is Xandar’s New Year?"

Tony looked surprised when he heard Renoli’s words.

"Yes. Everyone on the island has organized some activities too. When the New Year comes, we’ll go worship at the temple."

Seeing Tony’s reaction, Lacey said with a smile.

"There’s something this lively going on, and you didn’t tell me earlier?"

Hearing that many people on the island were planning to hold activities, Tony cried out.

"Hahaha~ You’ve been busy in the laboratory for over a month, so we couldn’t notify you."

"Besides, you’ve treated everyone to so many lavish meals. So after discussing it, we decided that when the event is held, all you need to do is show up."

"But if you’re going home, then there’s nothing we can do. We’ll celebrate the New Year together another time."

Kyle laughed when he heard that and explained.

"Who says there’s nothing we can do?"

"I only planned to go back tomorrow because I didn’t know."

"But now that I know, I should naturally follow local customs and leave after celebrating the New Year here."

Tony flicked his hand and immediately declared that he would stay to celebrate the New Year as well.

Whenever he returned to Blue Star, he basically just spent the New Year with Pepper. He also had to wear the Iron Man armor whenever he went out, lest his identity be exposed.

Tony himself was someone who enjoyed lively occasions. Here, he could show himself without any reservations, so naturally he wanted to celebrate the New Year here first.

"Aren’t you going home to spend the New Year with your wife?"

The Precognitor spoke up after hearing that.

"Our New Year is on December 24th, called Christmas. The trip back only takes two days."

"So as long as I leave on the 21st, I’ll make it back in time."

"Enough about that. Since we’re celebrating the New Year, you’ve prepared the alcohol already, right?"

Tony said.

"Of course. There’ll definitely be more than enough alcohol then."

Kyle said with a smile.

"Then that’s settled."

After deciding to stay for a few more days, Tony left.

The following days passed quietly, and Xandar’s New Year arrived on December 20th.

That day, at five in the morning, the sky was still dark. It was bitterly cold, the time when ordinary people would be hiding beneath their blankets, sound asleep and keeping warm.

Yet every member of Void Island was brimming with energy. They lit torches, carried piles of food and wine, gathered into a great stream, and began heading toward the temple along the main road.

After joining the Void Cult, one’s appetite would become enormous. Lord Kassadin was the same.

Therefore, the offerings for worshipping Lord Kassadin naturally consisted of all kinds of food and fine wine.

Everyone chatted along the way, their laughter ringing out in waves.

Wearing the Iron Man armor, Tony directly set off numerous fireworks. Amid the explosions, dazzling bursts of color blossomed in the sky, drawing round after round of cheers.

"These are called fireworks?"

"Yeah. I heard they’re used to celebrate during New Year festivities on Blue Star."

"I have to say, they’re pretty beautiful."

"I heard that when Blue Star celebrates the New Year, different places have different ceremonies."

"Tycoon Tony only found out about the New Year a few days ago, so he probably didn’t have time to prepare many things."

As the crowd cheered, they also chatted happily.

By now, Tony Stark’s name was known by everyone on Void Island.

They all knew that he was a senior who had joined even earlier than Renoli and the others. They also knew that this senior was exceptionally intelligent, created highly advanced technology, and was both wealthy and generous.

Every month, he held a grand feast and treated the members of Void Island to a meal.

At present, Tony Stark’s prestige on Void Island was second only to Miss Sonia’s.

The one with the highest prestige was undoubtedly the great Great God of the Void Kassadin.

The massive crowd made its way toward the temple. The temple was decorated with lanterns and colorful ornaments, brightly lit throughout. Though dawn had yet to arrive, it was like a temple of light in the darkness, looking immensely grand.

In the air before the statue of God of the Void Kassadin inside the temple were several enormous floating platforms, large enough to accommodate many people.

As they walked halfway up the stone stairs, someone shouted a count of one, two, three. They all exerted themselves at once, leaping ten meters into the air while carrying mountains of food and landing steadily on the platforms.

In perfect order, they placed the food they had carried on their shoulders onto a stone table and left behind some money as well.

"Thank you for the blessings of the great God of the Void."

"My strength is still weak, and I have no way to repay you. Please accept this small token of my respect, God of the Void."

"When my strength improves in the future, I will certainly repay the God of the Void for granting me a new life."

After Dam put down five hundred thousand in cash and food specially commissioned from chefs, he clasped his hands together and prayed devoutly.

Before this, he would have had to scrape together the five hundred thousand in cash from all sides. Now, as long as he worked hard for three months, he could save it up.

There was no doubt that joining the Void had drastically changed his way of life.

The others followed suit, offering food and praying devoutly.

Of the more than three hundred people, even the smallest offering was five hundred thousand. Renoli, Kyle, the Precognitor, and Lacey each placed thirty million on the table.

They all knew that the great Lord Kassadin lived on the island, and some had even been fortunate enough to see Lord Kassadin there.

Leaving aside the value of that enormous amount of food, the contribution money alone totaled three hundred million, piled into a small mountain.

Everyone who had made an offering felt perfectly at ease, but Tony felt awkward when he saw this.

Tony only wanted to shout that this was completely different from what they had agreed on.

Renoli and the others had clearly told him earlier that all he needed to do was show up.

Yet now, every one of these guys had brought offerings and spoken words of gratitude for blessings, seeking peace of mind.

Other than hastily making some fireworks to celebrate, he had not prepared much else.

Even if he wanted to prepare something now, it was too late. He could directly transfer tens of millions or even hundreds of millions, but he could not produce that much cash on such short notice.

Although the money he had made by helping Harvey could already be counted in the hundreds of millions, and he would earn even more in the future, it did not really matter whether he gave this contribution money or not.

Still, the feeling of everyone else doing it while he had not left Tony feeling somewhat depressed.

Just as everyone finished worshipping, and Tony was the only one left wondering how to defuse this awkwardness.

"Great God of the Void Kassadin has heard your prayers and will soon descend here."

A pleasant voice pierced the night sky and resounded in everyone’s ears.

The second update.