Fengshen. Ultimate. 2

Author: Longren
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
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 glow. As the flame rose, the eight women holding instruments on the sacrificial platform immediately played their instruments, and solemn, music filled the entire Liogu City. However, to Yixian's ears, it seemed to carry a hint of murder. Just as he listened intently, he noticed the graceful Yunuyan with 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 down in unison. 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 down. However, others knelt with sincerity, while he merely feigned compliance, not feeling the same reverence as them. He casually glanced around. On the platform, Yunuyan led the dance with the group. She moved with flowing skirts, her fair arms exuding a cool elegance, and her every gesture was breathtakingly graceful. Though the dance was performed by women, its soft and alluring movements unexpectedly conveyed an indescribable boldness and unrestrained spirit, stirring one's blood and igniting passion. Coupled with the spirited music and the occasional thunderous drumbeats that shook the heart, it gave the impression of being on a battlefield, with countless troops charging at their enemies, knowing that only victory could bring honor.
Although Yixian had experienced the seemingly real ancient god and demon battle in the "Virtual Spirit Realm" with Yaoyang, he was still greatly surprised by the shock brought by the dance performed during the Jiuli Clan's ritual. He was unaware that the dance Yunuyan performed was called the "Heaven-Questioning Demon Dance," a dance created by the demons to worship ancient demon gods. Its purpose was to seek the protection of the demon gods and live life as one pleased, thus invigorating the spirit and boosting morale. After the second God-Demon War, the demons had weakened, and the various demon tribes had never stopped thinking about how to restore their former glory. Therefore, the Jiuli Clan chose the "Heaven-Questioning Demon Dance" as their ritual dance to inspire their people to rise again after the death of their former chief, Chiyou. However, after the second God-Demon War, the "Heaven-Questioning Demon Dance" had been lost among the demons, yet somehow it had fallen 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, the birth of heaven, earth, and humans is precious. All things of heaven and earth are esteemed. The Jiuli Clan is mighty, and the world respects us." His voice was heavy and resonant, echoing across the sky of Liogu City, filled with an indescribable magic. Wen Zhong placed his magic technique down, 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 loud cheers, rising to their feet and shouting along: "The Jiuli people, the Chi family, pay homage to the heavens. In the vast universe, the birth of heaven, earth, and humans is precious. All things of heaven and earth are esteemed. The Jiuli Clan is mighty, and the world respects us." Instantly, as if the wind had swept across the plains, thunderous roars filled the air, and everyone, following the music, mimicked Yunuyan's dance movements, dancing wildly with expressions of madness on their faces. Yixian jumped in surprise, then remembered 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 focused solely on the ceremony.
This was the perfect moment for Su Rou to make her escape. Yixian quickly stood up, joining the wild dancing crowd, shouting nonsense along with them while slowly moving towards the edge. At this time, the Jiuli people were dancing with fervor, and no one noticed that Yang Ban, the favored disciple of the chief, had slowly moved to the edge of the entire square while dancing.
At this moment, a tall, slender young man with a jade-like face, starry eyes, and white robes that couldn’t hide his wild, powerful physique rose leisurely behind Chong Houhu. He roared, "Bold! Who are you to act so insolently in front of Lord Beibohou?" Su Hu quickly pulled Yaoyang down and said, "This is a subordinate of our lord who doesn’t understand the rules. I hope Lord Beibohou won’t hold it against him. However, what he just said isn’t entirely baseless. If the winner’s demand is unreasonable, what then?" Chong Houhu glanced at the young man in white behind him, exchanged a glance with him, and then looked around at everyone. "Of course, the demand must be reasonable. If it’s too excessive, the loser can simply refuse." Su Hu seeing no objection from the crowd, had no choice but to sit down. Only Yaoyang looked at the young man in white behind Chong Houhu, feeling a sense of familiarity, but unable to recall if he had met him before.
Chong Houhu was overjoyed. Seeing no opposition, he declared, "Since no one objects, then tomorrow morning, each of you will enter the mountain 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 bowl." Chong Houhu wrote a few words on a simple wooden board and dropped it into the bowl. The crowd had no choice but to write down their stakes and drop them into the bowl, then disperse to rest.
Su Hu returned to the camp with Yaoyang, remaining silent the entire way. Yaoyang, unfamiliar with the relationships between the various feudal lords, dared not speak freely and could only follow silently behind. However, an indescribable sense of mysterious, invisible pressure washed over him, affecting his calm mood.
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