"Enter for new line does not need translation, return as it is, all other Chinese should be translated into English: Fengshen Jue 2

Author: Longren
Publisher:
Publishing Time: Not available
Features: "Bang—" With a deafening roar, a green flame suddenly erupted from the giant cauldron, towering several feet high and blazing towards the sky, casting everything around in a lush green hue. As the flame rose, the eight women holding instruments on the sacrificial platform immediately began to play, filling the entire city of Liogu with solemn and reverent music. Yet to Yixian, the music seemed to carry an undertone of murder. Just as he listened intently, he noticed the enchanting Yunuyan, accompanied by eight dancers, descending from the sky and landing on the second level of the platform, dancing gracefully to the music. The Four Elders also simultaneously stepped onto the third level of the platform and knelt down together. Only Yixian and others remained standing in front of the platform.
As soon as the Four Elders knelt, the tens of thousands of Jiuli people below also knelt en masse. Yixian had been instructed by Wen Shen beforehand that this was the ritual of the Jiuli Clan's Heaven Worshiping Ceremony, so he had already knelt. However, others knelt with genuine sincerity, while he merely performed the gesture for show, lacking the same reverence. Thus, he remained outwardly composed while secretly glancing around.
On the platform, Yunuyan led the dancers. Her skirts fluttered, her jade arms exuded a cool elegance, and with every movement, her grace was unparalleled. Though the dance was performed by a group of women, their poses evoked an inexplicable boldness and unrestrained spirit, stirring the blood and igniting passion. Coupled with the spirited music and the occasional thunderous drumbeats that shook the heart, it felt as if one were on the battlefield, with countless troops charging into battle, determined to prove their worth through victory.
Yixian, though he had experienced the seemingly real ancient god-mage war in the "Void Spirit Realm," was still greatly astonished by the of the dance performed by the Jiuli demonic clan. Unbeknownst to him, Yunuyan's dance was called the "Heaven-Questioning Demon Dance," a creation of the demonic clan to worship ancient demons, originally intended to seek their blessings and grant them freedom to act as they wished. Thus, the dance could invigorate the spirit and inspire determination.
After the second god-mage war, the demonic clan had weakened, and each sub-clan of the demonic sect yearned to restore their former glory. Therefore, the Jiuli Clan chose the "Heaven-Questioning Demon Dance" as their sacrificial dance, aiming to rekindle the resolve of their people to rise again after the death of their former chief, Chiyou. However, since the second god-mage war, the "Heaven-Questioning Demon Dance" had been lost to the demonic clan, yet somehow fell into the hands of the "Demon Master" Yuan Zhongxie. Thus, the Jiuli Clan had no choice but to invite the "Demon Master" Yuan Zhongxie to assist in the dance.
Yixian was so captivated by the dance that he suddenly heard Wen Zhong roar loudly: "The Jiuli people, the Chi family, pay homage to the heavens! In the vast universe, life exists in heaven, earth, and humanity. All things in heaven and earth are precious. The Jiuli Clan is mighty, revered by all under the heavens!" His voice was heavy and resonant, echoing across the sky of Liogu, filled with an indescribable magic. Wen Zhong released the magic formula in his hand, and the green flame in the cauldron shot straight into the sky, dispersing into a dazzling array of sparks.
Below, the crowd suddenly erupted into even louder cheers, rising to their feet and shouting along: "The Jiuli people, the Chi family, pay homage to the heavens! In the vast universe, life exists in heaven, earth, and humanity. All things in heaven and earth are precious. The Jiuli Clan is mighty, revered by all under the heavens!" Instantly, as if a storm had broken out in the calm, everyone imitated the dance of Yunuyan on the platform, dancing wildly and frenziedly, their faces filled with madness. Yixian jumped in alarm, only then remembering what Wen Shen had said: this was the climax of the entire heaven-worshiping ceremony. At this moment, Wen Zhong was performing the most crucial part of the ritual with a strange gait, his mind entirely focused.
This was the perfect moment for Su Rou to slip away, and Yixian quickly stood up, joining the wild dancing crowd while muttering nonsense along with the others, slowly edging his way outward.
At this point, the Jiuli people danced with, none of them noticing that Yang Ban, the disciple of the chief, had slowly moved to the edge of the entire square while joining in the dance.
At this moment, a tall, slender young man with a jade-like face, starry eyes, and white robes that couldn’t hide his wild, untamed strength rose leisurely behind Chong Houhu. He roared, "Bold! Who are you to act so insolently in front of the Northern Marquis?" Su Hu immediately pulled Yao Yang down and said, "This is one of my subordinates who doesn’t understand the rules. I hope the Northern Marquis won’t hold it against you. However, what he just said isn’t entirely unfounded. If the winner’s demand is unreasonable, what then?" Chong Houhu glanced at the white-robed young man behind him, exchanged a glance with him, and then surveyed the crowd. "Of course, the demand must be reasonable. If it’s too excessive, the loser can simply refuse."
Seeing no objection from the others, Su Hu had no choice but to sit down. Only Yao Yang glanced at the white-robed young man behind Chong Houhu, feeling vaguely familiar, but unable to recall whether he had met him before.
Chong Houhu was overjoyed. With no opposition, he declared, "Since no one objects, then tomorrow morning, each of you will enter the mountains from a different entrance to hunt. The one who catches the male Tianwu will be the winner. Now, write down your stakes and place them in the basin." After saying this, Chong Houhu first wrote a few words on a simple wooden board and dropped it into the basin. The others had no choice but to write down their own stakes and drop them in as well, then disperse to rest.
Su Hu took Yao Yang back to the camp, and the two remained silent the entire way. Yao Yang, unfamiliar with the relationships between the various marquisates, dared not speak out of turn and could only follow silently behind. Yet, an indescribable sense of mysterious, invisible pressure welled up in his heart, affecting his calm.
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