https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-52-Stirrings-in-the-Imperial-Capital/13024419/
Chapter 53: Divine Altar, Garment Division Forbidden Army
Chapter 53: Divine Altar, Garment Division Forbidden Army
As Kong Qi chanted, Jin Li slowly ascended the Divine Altar.
This should have been a national ceremony, with only the Minister of Rites presiding. How lamentable.
Qin Yi and Duke of Guo stood below the altar, gazing at Jin Li on the platform, their eyes filled with a deep sense of helplessness.
Jin Li's ascent to the Divine Altar, seeking the Divine Court's army, was but a mirage, a dream-like illusion.
They were utterly powerless to change the situation.
Meanwhile, among the civil and military officials beside Sima Ting, some watched Jin Li with a theatrical mindset.
Especially those officials who knew the origins of the Divine Altar, they mocked, some feeling a hidden bitterness, thinking that the Empress had reached a dead end.
What a pity, a beautiful woman with a tragic fate. Jin Li, the Empress, would eventually be buried with this empire.
Under the gaze of thousands, Jin Li, the Empress, slowly ascended the Divine Altar.
This time, she walked with steady steps.
Her heart was filled with various emotions.
Among them, the most prominent was her concern for Zhi Yuan.
Zhi Yuan had been out of contact for four days.
But at this moment, with such an urgent matter at hand, worrying was useless. She cast aside her other emotions and proceeded with the ritual according to Zhi Yuan's instructions.
Holding a slender jade scepter in her hand, she looked devout.
When Jin Li, the Empress, reached the two-thirds mark of the altar steps, Kong Qi prostrated on the ground, his body curled up, tears streaming down his face.
This was the most humiliating ceremony he had ever presided over.
Even more humiliating than the Empress's coronation.
And this time, it might also be his last ceremony, as well as the last one for Nan Qian Kingdom.
He, like the Empress, would become a mere footnote in history, leaving no trace.
Sima Riyue sat among the officials, his legs spread wide, with no regard for posture. He pointed at the Divine Altar and said, "Tell me, Your Majesty, if you were to leap from this altar, would it not become a legendary feat?"
The empire's last Empress, leaping from the Divine Altar, might become an immortal legend.
The officials remained silent, and no one answered him.
Instead, the Demonic Clan Emperor opened his mouth, revealing sharp, white teeth, "I hope she doesn't land headfirst, or my exquisite wine vessel will shatter."
He spoke while drinking on his own.
However, his way of drinking was peculiar; he bit the cup and swallowed it.
This strange action also caught the attention of many others.
Sima Riyue watched as the Demonic Clan Emperor swallowed the wine cup, then glanced at Jin Li, the Empress's cloud-like hair and delicate forehead, and a trace of fear emerged in his heart.
He knew that the man before him was no ordinary person, seemingly from Tian Yun Sheng Men. He couldn't help but say, "Your Excellency has a peculiar taste, indeed a refined gentleman."
The Demonic Clan Emperor picked up the wine and poured a cup for Sima Riyue, and the two drank on their own.
As for the Empress on the Divine Altar?
Who would pay attention to her?
Jin Li, the Empress, had ascended the Divine Altar.
On the two-zhang-high altar, she held the jade scepter in her left hand and threw a jade ring into the stone basin with her right hand. The jade ring instantly shattered into four pieces.
Jin Li's voice was clear and cold as she spoke, "The divine presence hovers, my thoughts are with you, my thoughts are with you, I hold the jade scepter."
As she spoke, flames danced.
"My heart trembles, I offer solace to the heavens, the heavens shine down upon the mortal realm."
...
The invocation ceremony's incantation was not long, and some parts were provided by Kong Qi.
Among them, the most crucial part was given by Zhi Yuan.
It was also brief, just two sentences.
Jin Li recited the first sentence with care.
The last sentence didn't need to be recited; she just had to think of it.
"By the decree of Zhi Yuan, the master of the Garment Division, the Garment Division Forbidden Army shall heed his command!"
With these words, the sun above remained the same.
Below, the civil and military officials still looked indifferent, and no one truly took this ceremony seriously!
Duke of Guo seemed to have anticipated this, and the last trace of hope in his eyes had vanished.
Qin Yi looked at Jin Li, recalling various events from the Forbidden Palace of Xuan Yuan. At this moment, a thought still lingered in her mind.
The Divine Altar couldn't summon the legendary Garment Division Forbidden Army, but if Zhi Yuan, that mysterious and powerful figure comparable to a Supreme Overlord, were to arrive, with his combat strength, he might not be able to counter the combined might of the Demonic Clan Emperors. But he could take Jin Li, the Empress, away from here.
This would already be the best outcome.
Originally, Jin Li's ascension to the throne was coerced, and she wasn't suited to be an Empress.
So, in the end, Nan Qian Kingdom would survive.
Kong Qi prostrated on the ground, his eyes stinging with pain, but his face showed neither joy nor sorrow.
At this moment, Jin Li felt that in the depths of her soul, she had somehow formed a deeper connection.
She felt that as long as she thought of it, the Garment Division Forbidden Army that Zhi Yuan spoke of would immediately appear.
She almost unconditionally believed in Zhi Yuan.
She didn't recite the last sentence right away but instead looked at the gathered civil and military officials.
Jin Li's voice was cold, with a hint of anger, "Sima Ting, I ask you, outside the Imperial City, is there a Soul Entering Banner Array?
You collude with the Demonic Clan, setting up this array to trap all the citizens of Nan Qian, do you wish to doom them all?"
Jin Li's cultivation wasn't high, but her voice, like spring thunder, reverberated through the venue.
The civil and military officials in the venue were stunned, and many felt that this was Jin Li's last desperate struggle!
Some secretly watched Sima Ting, waiting for his answer.
Sima Ting stood up, his tall figure making him stand out even more. Facing Jin Li's questioning, he remained calm, "Your Majesty, why do you stir up trouble?
Do you think that such actions can influence the grand scheme? As a ruler, one must act with dignity and righteousness, suppressing evil."
The schemes of a demonic spirit are not the ways of a sovereign!
Your Majesty, you are weak-willed, indecisive, and lacking in intelligence and strategy. You are unworthy of ruling."
"I only ask you, is there a Soul Entering Banner Array outside the city?" Jin Li asked again.
The civil and military officials present heard Sima Ting's response, and their hearts were reassured.
The Sima family had long dominated Nan Qian, and it was unimaginable that they would dig their own graves by colluding with the demonic clan, destroying their own foundation.
Sima Riyue, standing nearby, had been watching with growing impatience. He stood up and shouted with a smirk, "Your Majesty, this is getting boring. I was hoping to see you use the Divine Altar to summon the so-called Divine Hall army and slaughter us all!"
Sima Riyue's words elicited a burst of laughter.
Almost everyone present held little regard for the female emperor.
The surname of Nan Qian had already been Sima for twenty years.
Jin Li remained unmoved, her face stern. "Is there an array outside the city?"
After asking three times, many officials felt that the female emperor had exhausted her tricks.
Some officials secretly laughed, while others pitied her, thinking that her beauty was destined for a tragic fate.
Just then, the demonic emperor, who had been drinking on his own, unexpectedly spoke up, "You're right, Beautiful Jin Li. At this very moment, outside the imperial city, my demonic clan has set up the Soul Entering Banner Array!"
These words shocked everyone in the hall.
"Chancellor?"
"Who is this person? The Soul Entering Banner Array is actually real!"
6◇9◇Book◇Bar
The officials were stunned for a moment, then fear crept into their hearts.
The demonic emperor's face wore a cruel smile. "Sima Ting, am I telling the truth?"
Sima Ting's expression remained unchanged. "Yes."
The officials were now terrified, and the hall erupted into chaos.
But at that moment, the demonic emperor roared, "Useless fools!"
With his move, the power of a Royal Powerhouse surged, and in an instant, dozens of officials fell to his attack.
Cruel laughter filled the demonic emperor's eyes.
More chaos, more chaos.
He struck again, slaying hundreds of officials from Sima Ting's camp.
Now, most of the officials lay sprawled in pools of blood, a tragic sight.
The demonic emperor reveled in the chaos, his smile widening.
The more chaotic the imperial city became, the more bloodshed there was, the stronger the Bloodless Imperial Staff would become.
After slaughtering the officials, he turned his gaze to Qin Yi, who stood guard beside the Divine Altar." A look of disdain flashed in his eyes.
Even in her prime, Qin Yi would not have been his match, let alone now when she was injured.
"Wine vessel, here I come!"
As the demonic emperor spoke, his body suddenly expanded, reaching a height of three zhang in an instant, taller than the Divine Altar.
Despite facing a Royal Powerhouse, he still showed respect.
The ferocious beast smirked at the mortals.
Qin Yi flew into the air, her slender body blocking the Divine Altar.
Just then, she heard the solemn recitation of the female emperor, Jin Li.
"All armies, listen to my command, kill!"
With this recitation, something happened that almost no one expected.
On the Divine Altar, the once clear sky suddenly darkened with a large cluster of thick black clouds.
The heavy clouds gathered, forming a dense mass.
In that moment, the entire imperial city plunged into darkness.
An oppressive, deep, and solemn aura permeated the air.
Everyone present was terrified, as if they heard the thunderous gallop of a thousand horses, and the gods themselves seemed to be awakening.
"What's happening?" For the first time, the demonic emperor's face showed emotion.
Several demonic emperors outside the capital also looked astonished.
Just then, a cold voice echoed from the heavens.
"Obey the command of Qi Yuan, Master of the Garment Division!"
"Responding to the summons of Her Majesty Jin Li of Nan Qian!"
"Divine Hall Four Divisions, Garment Division Forbidden Army, purge the evil!"
As the words fell, a bright ray of sunlight pierced through the thick clouds.
The sky brightened.
Then, darkness fell again.
Looking up, everyone saw a thousand-strong army appear near the Divine Altar.
Clad in black armor and cloaks, they held golden spears and stood in the air.
They surrounded Jin Li, the female emperor, and at the forefront were ten formidable figures, exuding a terrifying aura, all clad in black armor.
Without a word, they conveyed an endless sense of intimidation.
They seemed to have traversed the river of history, demons rising from the depths of hell.
They did not look down at the people below, as if they were not worth their attention, but everyone felt the unbearable pressure they exuded.
At that moment, the Garment Division Forbidden Army formed a battle formation, holding long spears and golden spears, announcing their arrival to the world.
Duke of Guo, upon witnessing this scene, widened his eyes in disbelief.
"Divine Hall Four Divisions... Garment Division Forbidden Army, they're actually here!"
Kong Qi, prostrating on the ground, was completely dumbfounded, overwhelmed with joy. "Heaven blesses Nan Qian, Heaven bless our Emperor!"
Qin Yi's heart trembled. "It's all true... Master of the Garment Division? Qi Yuan?"
After countless ages, did the Divine Hall and the Garment Division still exist in this world?
They did!
And at that moment, the solemn and silent Garment Division finally moved. A crimson-armored soldier from the Forbidden Army silently flew to Jin Li's side, her voice emotionless.
"My master has two messages."
"My master wants to say a cheesy line. With him here, no one in the four seas and eight wastelands can harm you."
"My master also says..."
Hearing these words, determination flashed in Jin Li's eyes. She lifted her gaze to the Ancient Ji Chun Tree in the center of the world, her eyes sparkling like stars.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
