Gold Core Is A Star, You Call This Cultivating Immortality?

Chapter 54: Sacrificial Altar, Forbidden Army of the Ministry of Rites (Seeking first subscription!!)

As Kong Qi chanted, Jin Li slowly ascended the sacrificial altar.

Originally, this should have been a national sacrifice, with only the Minister of Rites performing the ritual. How tragic.

Qin Yi and Yu Guogong stood below the platform, their eyes filled with a strong sense of powerlessness as they looked at Jin Li on the platform.

Jin Li ascended the sacrificial altar, praying for the arrival of the divine army, but it was nothing more than a Mirror Flower Water Moon, an illusion.

They were completely powerless to change their fate.

Meanwhile, some civil and military officials by Sima Ting's side watched Jin Li with an attitude of watching a play.

Especially those officials who knew the origin of the sacrificial altar, some mocked, while others secretly felt bitter. The Empress was truly desperate.

It's a pity, a beauty with a short life. Jin Li, the Empress, would ultimately be buried with this empire.

Under the gaze of the crowd, Empress Jin Li slowly ascended the sacrificial altar.

This time, she walked steadily.

Her heart was filled with various emotions.

Among them, the most prominent was her worry for Qi Yuan.

It had been four days since Qi Yuan last messaged her.

But at this moment, the important matter took precedence, and being anxious was useless. She cast aside her other emotions and followed the steps Qi Yuan had instructed for the ritual.

She held a long jade scepter in her hand, her expression devout.

When Empress Jin Li reached two-thirds of the steps, Kong Qi prostrated himself on the ground, his body curled up, tears streaming down his face.

This was the most frustrating ritual he had presided over.

Even more frustrating than when the Empress ascended the throne.

And this time, it was probably his last ritual, the last ritual of the Southern Qian Empire.

He would become, just like the Empress, a few insignificant lines in the history books, leaving no trace.

Sima Riyue sat among the officials, his legs spread apart, without any proper posture. He pointed at the sacrificial altar with his finger, "You say, if Her Majesty the Empress leaps from this sacrificial altar, will it become a resounding finale?"

The last Empress of the empire, leaping from the sacrificial altar, would perhaps become an eternal masterpiece.

The officials remained silent, no one answered him.

It was the Monster Race Emperor who opened his mouth, revealing a mouthful of sharp, white teeth, "I hope she doesn't land headfirst, otherwise my exquisite wine vessel will shatter."

As he spoke, he drank his wine without a care.

However, his way of drinking was peculiar, biting the cup and swallowing it into his stomach.

This strange behavior also caught the attention of many people.

Sima Riyue looked at the Monster Race Emperor swallowing the wine cup and then glanced at Jin Li, the Empress, with her beautiful hair and elegant appearance. A sense of fear inexplicably surged in his heart.

He knew that the man before him was not an ordinary person, seemingly someone from the Heavenly Destiny Holy Sect. He couldn't help but say, "Your taste in wine is unique, truly refined."

The Monster Race Emperor picked up the wine and poured a cup for Sima Riyue. The two of them drank without a care.

As for the Empress on the sacrificial altar?

Who would pay attention to her?

Jin Li, the Empress, ascended the sacrificial altar.

On the two-zhang-high sacrificial altar, she raised the jade scepter in her left hand and threw a jade ring into the stone incense burner with her right hand, causing the jade ring to shatter into pieces.

Empress Jinli's voice was clear and crisp, as refreshing as a mountain spring, and as majestic as a resounding cauldron.

"The arrival of the divine, oh how it pities my thoughts, how it pities my thoughts, as I hold the jade scepter!"

As her voice rose, flames flickered.

"My heart is filled with anxiety, comforting the heavens."

"The resplendent heavens, shining upon the earthly realm!"

...

The summoning ritual had few invocations, some of which were provided by Kong Qi.

Among them, the most important part of the ritual was bestowed by Qi Yuan.

It was also very short, only two sentences in total.

Jinli earnestly recited the first sentence.

The last sentence did not need to be recited aloud, it could be thought in one's heart.

"By the decree of Qi Yuan, the commander of the Clothing Department, the Imperial Guards of the Clothing Department shall obey!"

As these words were spoken, the sun in the sky remained the same sun.

The civil and military officials below still appeared bored, no one truly took this sacrifice seriously!

It seemed that Duke Yu, the Duke of Yu, had already anticipated this scene, and the last trace of hope in his eyes had vanished.

Qin Yi looked at Jinli and recalled various things in the Forbidden City. In her heart, there was still a faint thought.

The divine altar could not summon the legendary Imperial Guards of the Clothing Department, but what if the mysterious and powerful Qi Yuan, who was comparable to the realm of the Supreme Emperor, came?

With his strength, he would probably not be able to contend with the combined forces of the Monster Race emperors, and the formation outside was not something that a Supreme Emperor could break, but he could take Empress Jinli away.

This was already the best outcome.

Originally, Jinli becoming the empress was a result of coercion, and she was not suitable to be the empress.

So, let the Southern Qian Kingdom continue to exist.

Kong Qi prostrated on the ground, his eyes sore, his face devoid of sorrow or joy.

At this moment, Jinli felt as if she had a deeper connection with something in the depths of her mind.

She felt that as long as she thought about it, the Imperial Guards of the Clothing Department that Qi Yuan mentioned would immediately appear.

She almost unconditionally believed in Qi Yuan.

She did not immediately recite the last sentence, but looked down at the civil and military officials in the divine altar.

Jinli's voice was cold, with a hint of anger: "Sima Ting, I ask you, is there a Soul-Burying Banner Formation outside the imperial city?"

"Are you colluding with the Monster Race and setting up this formation outside the city to trap all the people of Southern Qian in an inescapable situation of Myriad Tribulations?"

Jinli's cultivation was not high, but her voice was like thunder in the spring, resounding through the scene.

Many of the civil and military officials present were moved, while others felt that this was the last struggle of Empress Jinli before her death!

Some secretly looked at Sima Ting, waiting for his answer.

Sima Ting stood up, his already tall figure standing out even more. Faced with Empress Jinli's questioning, he remained calm and composed: "Your Majesty, why do you stir up trouble? Do you think these petty tricks can influence the overall situation?"

"As an emperor, one must act openly and righteously, triumphing over evil with righteousness."

"Sleight of hand is not the way of an emperor!"

"Your Majesty, you are skilled in the hands of women, indecisive, lacking in intelligence and strategy, unworthy of being a ruler."

"I only ask you, is there a formation outside the city that can bury souls and raise banners?" Jinli asked again.

Upon hearing Prime Minister Sima Ting's response, the civil and military officials on the field felt reassured.

Nanqian is the territory of the Prime Minister, how could he conspire with the Monster Race and bury his own foundation?

Sima Riyue, who was standing aside, couldn't bear it any longer. He stood up and arrogantly shouted, "Empress Jinli, you are so boring. I was hoping to see you use the sacrificial altar to summon the so-called Divine Army and kill us one by one!"

Sima Riyue's words caused a burst of laughter.

Almost everyone did not take the Empress seriously.

The surname of Nanqian has been Sima for twenty years.

Jinli remained composed, her face stern. "Is there a formation outside the city?"

Her repeated questioning made many officials think that Empress Jinli was at her wit's end.

Many people secretly laughed, while others felt sorry for Empress Jinli's unfortunate fate.

At this moment, the Monster Race Sovereign, who had been drinking by himself, unexpectedly spoke up, "Beautiful Jinli, you are right. There is indeed a formation called the 'Burial of Souls and Raising of Banners' set up outside the imperial city by my Monster Race!"

His words shocked the entire hall.

"Prime Minister?"

"Who is this person? The 'Burial of Souls and Raising of Banners' formation is actually real!"

The civil and military officials were initially stunned, then became fearful.

The Monster Race Sovereign had a cruel smile on his face. "Sima Ting, am I telling the truth?"

Sima Ting remained expressionless. "Yes."

At this moment, the civil and military officials were all shocked and the scene became chaotic.

However, at this moment, the Monster Race Sovereign suddenly shouted, "A bunch of useless people!"

With the power of a Sovereign Level expert, he made a move and dozens of officials died at his hands in an instant.

The Monster Race Sovereign's eyes were filled with a cruel smile.

More chaos, more chaos.

He made another move, killing hundreds of officials from Sima Ting's camp.

At this moment, most of these officials fell into a pool of blood, extremely miserable.

Watching the chaos, the Monster Race Sovereign revealed a satisfied smile.

The more chaotic the imperial city, the bloodier it became, the stronger the Blood Emperor's Staff became.

After killing the officials, his gaze fell on Qin Yi, who was guarding the sacrificial altar, with a contemptuous look in his eyes.

Even in her prime, Qin Yi was no match for him, let alone now that she was injured.

"Jiuqi, here I come!"

The Monster Race Sovereign said, and at that moment, his figure suddenly grew to a height of thirty feet, taller than the sacrificial altar.

In the face of a Sovereign Level expert, he still showed respect.

The ferocious beast sneered at the world.

Seeing this, Qin Yi flew up and stood in front of the sacrificial altar with her slender body.

And at this moment, Qin Yi heard Empress Jinli solemnly reciting a chant.

"All troops, listen to my command, kill!"

And with this chant, something unexpected happened that almost no one had anticipated.

On the sacrificial altar, the originally clear sky suddenly became covered in a large cluster of dark clouds.

Thick, heavy clouds gathered together.

The entire imperial city, in that moment, turned pitch black.

A solemn, mysterious, and profound aura filled the air.

Everyone present was filled with fear, as if they could hear the thundering sound of thousands of troops and horses, as if they could hear the awakening of the gods.

"What's happening?" The face of the Monster Race Emperor showed a hint of astonishment for the first time.

The Monster Race Emperors outside the capital city also revealed a shocked expression.

Just then, a cold voice resounded from the sky.

"Obey the command of the leader of the Yi Department, Qi Yuan!"

"Summoned by the Southern Qian Empress, Jin Li!"

"The Four Departments of the Divine Court, the Forbidden Army of the Yi Department, eliminate the traitors!"

As the voice fell, a bright sunlight pierced through the thick dark clouds.

The sky brightened.

And in an instant, it turned dark again.

Looking up at the sky, one could see a thousand troops and horses near the sacrificial altar.

Clad in black armor and black clothes, holding golden spears, they stood in the air.

They gathered around the Southern Qian Empress, and at the forefront were ten powerful individuals emitting a terrifying aura, all wearing black armor.

No one spoke, but they exerted an endless pressure.

They seemed to have crossed the river of history, an army of demons crawling out from hell.

They didn't look down at the people below, as if they couldn't be bothered to, but everyone felt the unbearable pressure.

At this moment, the Forbidden Army of the Yi Department formed their military formation, holding long spears and golden spears, announcing their arrival to the world.

Duke Yu saw this scene and widened his eyes.

"The Four Departments of the Divine Court... the Forbidden Army of the Yi Department, they actually came!"

Kong Qi, the great sage who was prostrating on the ground, was also completely stunned, crying tears of joy, "Blessed be the Southern Qian, blessed be our Emperor!"

Qin Yi's heart was also shaken, "They're actually real, the leader of the Yi Department, Qi Yuan?"

After countless millennia, does the Divine Court still exist in this world? Does the Yi Department still exist?

Yes!

And at this moment, the stern and silent Forbidden Army of the Yi Department finally moved. A female soldier in a red armor silently flew in front of the Southern Qian Empress, her voice mechanical.

"My lord has brought two messages."

"The master says, he wants to say a cheesy love phrase, with him here, no one in the world can harm you."

"The master also said..."

Upon hearing these two messages, two lines of clear tears fell from Jin Li's eyes.

(End of this chapter)