A white cloud was floating in the sky, with an ancient-styled set of bells standing on it. The largest bell was three-hundred-zhang tall, while the smallest one was around ten-zhang tall. Two Kuafu Family people were wearing luxurious clothes, with pure gold bell hammers held in their hands. They were standing on the cloud, gently ringing the bells. The sound of the bells could be heard tens of thousands of miles away.
Surrounding the cloud that the set of bells were tens of gigantic drums made from boa skins, glowing with a faint light. Every drum had a diameter of three-hundred zhang. Over a hundred Kuafu Family people were standing beside the drums, beating the drums slowly and powerfully. The deep drumbeats resounded through the clouds as well.
An enormous altar stood on the ground, thousands of zhang tall and twenty miles in radius.
A three-hundred-zhang wide trench was dug around the altar. A raging fire was burning in the trench, and countless Magi Palace Magi wearing long black cloaks had been rushing around, pouring dustpans of incense into the trench. Visibly, purple-cyan smoke puffed out of the fire, transforming into a dense cloud that wrapped the entire altar up.
From the east, south, west, and north, a long flight of stairs crossed the burning trench, reaching straight to the top of the altar.
Emperor Shun was standing alone on the edge of the altar. He was wearing a heavy armor and a cloak embroidered with patterns of mountains, rivers, the sun, and stars. He was looking at the rising sun in the east.
Ji Hao and the other Magi Palace Magi were wearing luxurious long robes, and following the guidance of the Master Magi Palace Magi who were responsible for the ceremony, they lined up and walked quickly towards the altar from a distance away. From all directions, countless men and women dressed in luxurious clothes had solemn expressions on their faces. They lined up neatly and surged towards the altar like a black tide. Their deep footsteps shook the ground faintly.
High up in the sky, over a thousand winged golden Winged Dragons flew proudly and proudly. These Winged Dragons let out sonorous dragon roars that shattered the remaining clouds in the sky, leaving only a towering, clear, and blue sky.
Deep and strong shouts came from all directions. The eyes of those Master Magi Palace Magi were as sharp as lightning bolts, accurately pointing out the positions of each Magi Palace Magi Palace Magi. The tide-like crowd quickly quieted down. Everyone returned to their own positions, raising their heads and looking at Emperor Shun, who was standing on the altar.
From such a long distance, Ji Hao's sharp eyesight allowed him to see a trace of indescribable anxiety and tiredness hidden under Emperor Shun's serious and serious face.
It seemed that things were not going well.
The Chi Ban Mountain war had actually ended after Dishi Yanluo announced the retreat of his army. However, Ji Hao had escorted so many captives all the way back to Pu Ban City, and he had spent such a long time in Fine Jade Snow Palace. Emperor Shun had just returned with a batch of human leaders. Clearly, something unknown must have happened in Chi Ban Mountain.
Ji Hao and his companions were arranged to a place closest to the altar. Tens of zhangs away from Ji Hao, Si Wen Ming, Huaxu Lie, Lie Mountain Kang and the others were standing respectively, with the same tense faces.
Slightly further away, Ji Hao saw Si Xi, Hao Tao, and the other senior ministers.
What surprised Ji Hao was that the sense of power released from Si Xi's body seemed to be relaxed, as if he had just recovered from a serious illness. This confused Ji Hao. Si Xi didn't take part in the Chi Ban Mountain war. Who did he fight against that caused him to be injured like this?
Si Xi was definitely a powerful being at the level of Divine Magus, who was able to revive from a single drop of blood. With his current power, the sense of power released from his body had become so unstable. Clearly, he was severely injured, and even as a Divine Magus, he couldn't recover quickly.
Did some unknown conflict happen in Pu Ban City?
Ji Hao narrowed his eyes and glanced at the few senior ministers around Si Xi. Hao Tao seemed to be injured as well. The few middle-aged men around Hao Tao, who Ji Hao didn't know, were wearing similar clothes to Hao Tao. Apparently, they were also senior ministers of the human emperor. The sense of power released from their bodies seemed to be unstable as well.
During these few days, something big had indeed happened.
Ji Hao hid his hands in his sleeves, held his breath, and silently stood there. His spirit power was spread out like a giant net, looking down at the entire scene of the ceremony.
More people were arriving one after another, and all of them were wearing luxurious clothes.
Basically, the group of people closest to the altar, where Ji Hao was standing, were mainly wearing yellow clothes.
On the south side of the altar, nearly one-hundred-thousand people stood there, wearing red clothes.
On the north side of the altar, nearly one-hundred-thousand people stood there, wearing black clothes.
On the east side of the altar, a large group of people wore cyan clothes. On the west side of the altar, a group of people stood there, wearing white clothes.
Five different colors, similar to the ancient traditions of the Midland and the four wastelands. So many people with the same clothes stood together, and suddenly, an indescribable sense of solemnity and holiness was released, transforming into a heavy pressure that could even suffocate people.
Dong! Bells and drums rang from the clouds, and a stream of fiery light rose straight into the sky. From the fiery light, a sphere of flame slowly flew out, gradually condensing into Zhu Rong's silhouette. Zhu Rong, who was wearing a red robe and had a serious look, landed on the altar, holding a dragon-skin scroll with both of his hands. He solemnly kowtowed to the sky, then began a long, ancient and desolate song.
Emperor Shun, who was wearing a heavy armor, pressed his hands on his chest and solemnly kowtowed to the sky.
From all directions, hundreds of thousands of envoys and leaders from all clans in the four wastelands, who were qualified to attend the sky-offering ceremony, all kneeled on the ground and kowtowed to the sky like Emperor Shun did. Many of them were even murmuring something with their mouths bulging.
Ji Hao remained silent, followed these people and kowtowed to the sky without stopping.
The sky-offering ceremony in Pu Ban City was much more complicated than the ceremony that Gold Crow Clan used to offer sacrifices to the world and ancestors' souls. At least, the procedures were ten times more complicated. Ji Hao wasn't interested in these things. All in all, he would do whatever the others did, just like a marionette.
Zhu Rong was the Great Libation, and even Emperor Shun had to follow his instructions during the sky-offering ceremony.
After a series of complicated procedures, Zhu Rong spread the scroll held in his hands and began incanting a sky-offering ceremony.
At first, Zhu Rong thanked the ghosts and gods in the world and the ancestors' souls for their protection. Then, he began singing about the magnificent martial arts he attained in Chi Ban Mountain this time. At last, he mourned for the fallen human warriors in the Chi Ban Mountain war, praying that they could continue to protect the humankind after they became ghosts and gods.
Countless people who attended the sky-offering ceremony prayed together. Their resonant voices reached straight into the sky along with a great power. Faintly, Ji Hao sensed that an indescribable, mysterious being suddenly showed up in the sky, silently absorbing the faith of countless people.
The scroll held in Zhu Rong's hands was set ablaze, and a strand of smoke rose straight into the sky. That mysterious being swallowed the smoke, then a splendid glow emerged from the sky, illuminating the entire Pu Ban City.
"Worship!" Zhu Rong gave a resonant growl. The bloodiest scene of the sky-offering ceremony began.
One by one, the carefully selected big animals were herded up, and they were neatly stabbed to the ground by the black-clothed wizards with stone knives in their hands.
Captured non-humankind warriors were dragged up one after another. Along with their shrill cries and screams, heavily armored human warriors chopped them up, letting their warm blood spurt into the burning trenches.
Cold gusts of wind rolled up, within which, some hazy silhouettes were faintly visible, enjoying the beast souls, human souls, and the strong spirit blood.
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