The process of the Heavenly Selection ceremony truly was very simple and fast. As the matches progressed, only half of the participants would be left in each round, so the process grew faster and faster. It was still early, but the majority of the process was already over half done.
Many of the fighting platforms had already decided on the final victors and were now engaged in fierce battles according to the zones. The fighting platforms near the Imperial Palace and Heavensguard Pavilion had long since chosen their final candidates, as no one dared to challenge them.
Xiaode, the Great Western Continent's Second Prince, and the mysterious young man in the bamboo hat stood at their respective places.
The demi-human populace looked at those seemingly lonely but actually proud figures on the fighting platforms, their eyes brimming with reverence and worship.
The most eye-catching was still Xiao De. This supreme expert of the senior generation of the Demi-human race had displayed far too frightening a fighting strength. Whether it was the Vice Commander of the Red River Beast Guard or the Demi-human Generals, none of them could last more than a few exchanges against him.
This had always been a matter of course.
With Wang Po entering the Divine Domain and Xiao Zhang being wanted by the Great Zhou Imperial Court, Xiaode was now ranked second on the Proclamation of Liberation.
The experts of the continent of the Divine Domain naturally would not participate in the Heavenly Selection ceremony. The secluded elders of the sects of the south would also not shamelessly ask to marry Princess Luoluo. So unless Liang Wangsun personally came or one of the top-ranked Divine Generals of the Great Zhou came, who could be a match for him?
It was just as the vast majority of the ordinary people of White Emperor City thought.
In the end, the one who could marry Princess Luoluo, endure the baptism of the Wildfire, and become the next White Emperor naturally had to be Xiaode.
Xiaode knew more secrets than the ordinary people, but he also thought the same.
This was a self-confidence that an expert of the continent had to possess. More importantly, no matter what the Empress thought, no matter what sort of political struggles were hidden behind the Heavenly Selection ceremony, since he had to act according to the rules of his ancestors, he could not lose, because no one could defeat him.
He calmly stood on the fighting platform, feeling the gazes from all around him. He was not intoxicated, nor was he impatient.
The figures on the other fighting platforms were similarly calm. Whether it was the young man in the bamboo hat, the Second Prince of the Great Western Continent, or the demi-human experts, they were all truly important figures. They were already used to being the focus of the populace.
They only needed to calmly wait, wait for the final few participants to appear.
As for whether the participants would affect them in any way, they didn't care at all. After experiencing so many battles, those who were able to kill their way out were definitely not simple. What kind of extraordinary people could appear in those remote and poor streets? How could they threaten them?
At this moment, some people shifted their gazes downward, revealing curious expressions.
The Imperial Palace and Heavensguard Pavilion were both high up. If one wanted to get there, they would have to take a detour along the slope or go up the Stairway to Heaven in the center of the city.
A heavy sound came from the bottom of the stairway. It sounded like a war drum.
The crowd knew that these were probably not war drums, as it was still far from dusk, not yet the end of the Heavenly Selection ceremony. Then what was that sound? Why was it so heavy, yet it also made one feel excited? It even seemed like the Wildfire's aura had become stronger?
The surface of the water around Heavensguard Pavilion suddenly began to ripple. The young man in the bamboo hat quietly watched, perhaps seeing something.
The Second Prince of the Great Western Continent looked at the dust rising from the bricks in front of the Imperial City and slightly raised his brows, seemingly thinking of something.
Xiaode looked in the direction of the Stairway to Heaven, his expression chilling as if he had sensed something.
Experts like them had naturally realized long ago that the sound coming from below was not the sound of war drums, but footsteps.
The question was, how many people were walking at the same time for the tremors to cause ripples in the water around Heavensguard Pavilion and dust to rise from the bricks in front of the Imperial City?
And just how orderly were the footsteps of these people, so that they did not appear the slightest bit disorderly, but instead echoed like war drums?
More and more gazes were directed down below.
Gradually, those gazes that had once been filled with respect or adoration for Xiaode and the Great Western Continent's Second Prince turned to shock.
… …
… …
Many people appeared on the Stairway to Heaven, dressed in simple and unadorned clothes. Some of their clothes were even somewhat tattered and exuded a foul stench.
They clearly came from the lower city, perhaps even from the riverside region.
If the luxuriously dressed denizens of the upper city had seen the tattered clothes of these poor people, they would definitely have laughed at them. If those noble ladies with their many fragrant sachets smelled the stench of sweat from these poor people, they would assuredly cover their mouths and noses, a look of disdain on their faces. But they did not do this today, because there were far too many of these poor people.
The Stairway to Heaven was completely dark, and it was impossible to count how many people there were. This made them subconsciously feel fear.
The people walked silently, looking like a tide, quickly drowning the Stairway to Heaven and then flowing towards the front of the Imperial City.
The officials responsible for maintaining order naturally associated this with a popular uprising, and their expressions suddenly changed. But then they realized that this was not the case. Although one could see fervor on the faces of these poor people from the lower city, there was no madness, only reverence and yearning.
Did these people want to take advantage of the Heavenly Selection ceremony to come to the Imperial City that they normally could not set foot in to watch the spectacle?
That was not right, because they were very silent, and there was no cowering or unease on their faces that was commonly seen on the faces of the poor. On the contrary, they seemed particularly proud.
Crucially, these poor people did not even glance at the majestic Imperial City. They only looked forward.
… …
… …
Many important personages of the Demi-human race frowned at this sight, including Madam Mu, who was seated at the highest stone hall.
A minister of the Demi-human Court sternly asked, "Just what is going on here?"
When the crowd left the lower city, officials had already gone to investigate and quickly determined the reason.
An official whispered, "It's said that they're following a candidate."
The minister was surprised. "What sort of person could a place like the lower city have? Even if they did, why would so many people be following them? "
It was very normal for the people to follow the victorious candidate to the Imperial City to watch the spectacle.
But what was unusual today was that there were too many people from the lower city who came with the candidate.
And the mood of these people was somewhat different from usual.
… …
… …
The poor people from the lower city did not look at the Imperial City, did not look at Heavenguard Pavilion, only forward.
There was a person in front of them.
It was a very ordinary-looking bear youth with a calm expression that was almost wooden.
That bear youth wore simple and clean clothes. His appearance was ordinary, and there was nothing special about him.
But many important personages of the Demi-human race had already noticed that the crowd from the lower city had intentionally kept a certain distance from the bear youth.
If the people of the lower city were a tide, the bear youth was a reef, and all the water retreated in fear.
This distance perhaps signified reverence.
The eyes of the people of the lower city gazed at the bear youth were brimming with reverence.
Besides reverence, there was also fanaticism and a tinge of confusion.
It was like they had received too many shocks and had still not completely woken up.
Just what had happened?
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