98: The three great priests overwhelm Yun Zhilan! Li Changan Temple of Heaven

Chapter 98: Three Great Priests Overpower Yun Zhilan! Li Chang'an Performs a Shamanic Ritual at the Altar of Heaven! (13)

Late at night, at the inn.

The Northern Qi Delegation and the Eastern Yi Delegation both slept poorly.

"Lord Zhang, do you still remember how you harmed the lives of her husband's family just to forcibly marry your eleventh concubine?"

"Lord Zhong, twenty years ago during the Spring Examination, you bought exam questions from the wife of the steward's cousin from Grand Academician Zhang's residence. I haven't misspoken, have I?"

"Lord Li, you secretly took one of the Little Emperor's favorite copies of dream of the red chamber, which isn't a major issue... We also want to ask you for a small favor."

...The incriminating information used by the Supervisory Council's experts to threaten the delegation members was mostly prepared in advance.

Some of it was also sold by Net members to Supervisory Council personnel stationed in various regions.

Among the forty-odd members of the Northern Qi Delegation, three to five had serious charges like murder or examination fraud, while the others had minor issues.

The Eastern Yi Delegation fared slightly better, but they also had many cases of property encroachment and rule violations.

In a valley ten miles away, Ye Zhong and Yun Zhilan had already exchanged over a hundred moves.

Emperor Qing had asked Ye Zhong to lure Yun Zhilan out under the guise of sparring, fearing that Yun Zhilan would hear the commotion from the Supervisory Council.

By the time Ye Zhong conceded, and Yun Zhilan returned to the inn, the Supervisory Council had already finished their work.

The next day.

Sanli Di.

The Qing Temple on the outskirts of the Southern Qing capital.

Sanli Di was not three miles from the imperial palace, but rather the name of this place.

The main hall of the Qing Temple was called the Altar of Heaven, a black wooden structure with two circular eaves extending outwards, somewhat similar to the Altar of Heaven in Beijing from Li Chang'an's previous life.

Nearly two hundred people stood in the main hall. The Northern Qi Delegation and the Eastern Yi Delegation attended in formal attire, and many nobles and high-ranking officials from Southern Qing were also present.

Among the Northern Qi Delegation, Zhuang Mo Han noticed that the chief envoy, Wei Bi, beside him, had an extremely complex expression.

Regarding the threats he received last night, Wei Bi knew it must have been done by agents of the Southern Qing Supervisory Council.

However, with his own dirty past, he was helpless.

He worried that if the Supervisory Council asked him for a small favor today, they would demand other things from him endlessly in the future.

When Fan Xian entered the Altar of Heaven hall, he noticed that the Southern Qing attendees were extremely grand.

The Eldest Princess, Prince Yong, the Crown Prince, the Second Prince, and almost all officials above the fourth rank from the Ministry of Rites and the Court of State Ceremonial were present.

Fan Xian found many of the foreign delegates and domestic officials present familiar.

Those he found unfamiliar were a dozen or so Cultivators in black robes and cloaks.

Cultivators were the "monks" who practiced asceticism in the Qing Temple. There was no Buddhism in this world, so "monks" was merely a figurative term.

The Cultivators of the Qing Temple usually spread the Dao across the country, yet so many had gathered this time.

The three priests sitting steadily in the front, with their backs to everyone, were the three Great Priests of the Qing Temple.

Fan Xian had heard from Fan Jian last night that these three were at least ninth-rank Cultivators. They were skilled in combined attack techniques, and when the three of them joined forces, they were invincible below the Great Grandmaster level.

"Brother Fan, come here and stand with me!"

Not long after Fan Xian entered the hall, Guo Baokun pulled him over to stand together. The relationship between Fan Xian and Young Master Guo had always been very harmonious.

The Crown Prince had been trying to win over Fan Xian, and even Fan Xian's role in the negotiations was recommended by the Crown Prince. With the successful conclusion of the talks, Fan Xian had once again gained significant experience.

At the front of the procession, the Second Prince and the Crown Prince, who had dark circles under his eyes, stood shoulder to shoulder, whispering.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, why are you not the chief officiant for this sacrifice to heaven?"

If it were the most formal sacrifice to heaven, the Emperor would naturally have to attend.

However, for sacrifices like these, held after a war to finalize a treaty or annually to pray for a good harvest, a prince usually stood in.

Because such sacrifices required too many bows, how could the Emperor always be kneeling?

The chief officiant this time, of course, was Li Chang'an, who was colluding with Emperor Qing to perform a shamanic ritual.

Given Emperor Qing's style, he wouldn't explain it to the Crown Prince; he would just let the Crown Prince be anxious.

The Crown Prince was indeed anxious. Ever since the imperial decree announced yesterday that Prince Yong would be the chief officiant, the Crown Prince hadn't slept well, which was why his dark circles were particularly noticeable.

In the previous few minor sacrifices, the Crown Prince had officiated on behalf of Emperor Qing. What did it mean to change the person this time?

"Second Brother, don't be so sarcastic. Who here can suppress Zhuang Mo Han?"

"Do you think... my aunt can? Can I?"

This was the reason the Crown Prince had come up with after thinking all night for Emperor Qing's decision not to let him be the chief officiant.

The Second Prince suddenly understood, saying, "So that's it. Only Uncle Prince Yong's reputation can contend with Zhuang Mo Han."

"My aunt is a woman after all, and Your Highness the Crown Prince isn't quite up to it yet. You still need to work hard!"

Zhan Pianpian, behind Zhuang Mo Han, occasionally glanced at Li Chang'an, with both yearning and a hint of regret.

She was leaving Southern Qing tomorrow, and she regretted not having the chance to meet Li Chang'an alone.

Li Yunrui also frowned. She understood Emperor Qing and always felt that Li Chang'an being the chief officiant was not simple.

However, no matter how much she racked her brain, she couldn't figure out why.

Not long after, the sacrifice officially began.

The court musicians in the back row of the main hall began to play the magnificent sacrificial music, and everyone's expressions were solemn.

Fan Xian observed that everyone was very devout when participating in this kind of sacrifice.

As a liberal arts student, he was very clear about the meaning of such sacrifices.

In the history before his Transmigration, although the religious atmosphere in feudal dynasties was not strong, sacrifices to heaven were always grand events.

The so-called Mandate of Heaven meant that your attitude during the sacrifice to heaven was not an attitude towards heaven, but towards the Emperor.

In this era, with such a great religious influence, people truly held reverence for the gods.

The three mysterious Great Priests finally turned their heads, and one of them began the sacrificial process.

"The sacrifice begins, welcome the gods!"

The sacrificial process was very complicated, first welcoming the gods, then offering gifts.

Each step required kneeling several times, and Fan Xian was completely numb from kneeling.

After kneeling forty or fifty times, the sacrificial process finally neared its end, and everyone moved from the main hall to the area around the Circular Mound Altar.

The Circular Mound Altar was a three-tiered open-air circular platform, square on the outside and circular on the inside, symbolizing the ancient Chinese belief that heaven is round and earth is square.

All participants in the sacrifice stood on the three tiers of the Circular Mound Altar according to their official rank.

The outermost layer consisted of hundreds of Imperial Guards on alert, and eunuchs and palace maids serving the sacrificial ceremony.

Li Chang'an and the three Great Priests stood on the topmost tier of the Circular Mound Altar.

Standing at the highest point, Li Chang'an could see the majestic imperial palace in the distance, and looking down, he saw the solemn officials of the three countries.

No wonder the imperial seal, inscribed with "Received the Mandate from Heaven, may he live long and prosper," was so coveted. Standing in this position, with everyone at his feet, this temptation was something ordinary people simply couldn't resist.

"The sacrificial ceremony is complete, send off the gods!"

As the Great Priest finished chanting, the sacrificial ritual finally reached its last step, and everyone knelt again.

The Crown Prince looked at Li Chang'an's back with a complex expression, always feeling that something important had been snatched away.

However, just as everyone had knelt, a sudden change occurred!

Under everyone's gaze, Li Chang'an suddenly fell backward!

Only a few people who looked up saw this scene clearly.

Among them were Crown Prince Li Chengqian and the unruly Fan Xian.

"What happened to His Highness Prince Yong?"

"What's going on? Did His Highness faint?"

"No way, His Highness is an eighth-rank Martial Artist, how could he not be able to hold on?"

The participants from the three countries all stood up, one by one looking towards the top tier of the Circular Mound Altar.

Those who had been threatened last night knew that they would soon need to perform.

The people who threatened them said that the Great Priest had divined last night and discovered an auspicious sign of a god descending to the mortal world!

They hoped that they would respect the gods, be reverent, and not cause trouble on Southern Qing's territory!

Fan Xian gasped, suddenly having a bad premonition!

The Crown Prince's lips curled into a smile, then he shouted loudly.

"Uncle Prince Yong, what's wrong? Uncle Prince Yong! Are you alright!"

Li Chengze rolled his eyes dramatically and was about to rush up to check the situation.

But just as he was about to step forward, he felt a huge force push him back.

He looked up and saw that the Second Priest, Great Master Sanshi, had stopped him.

"Calm down, the Great Priest is checking the situation."

At this moment, Li Yunrui looked at Great Master Sanshi with a puzzled expression.

Great Master Sanshi, a member of the Junshan Society, nodded slightly, indicating that everything was under control.

The three Great Priests of the Qing Temple had only received explicit instructions from Emperor Qing last night: if a god descended, they were to cooperate fully.

The three Great Priests could roughly guess what would happen, but they could only obey orders.

The Cultivators of Southern Qing did not have a Great Grandmaster like Ku He.

Just as everyone was in a commotion, Li Chang'an suddenly stood up!

His body was stiff, and he stood up straight like a zombie!

At this moment, Li Chang'an had his hands behind his back, his eyes closed, and an imposing aura of looking down on all sides.

Then, he slowly began to speak. Due to the structure of the Circular Mound Altar, speaking from the center of the topmost tier would amplify the voice several times.

Therefore, Li Chang'an's voice was not loud, but everyone heard it.

"Two hundred thousand years... Finally, a Celestial Vein Holder performs a sacrifice, and I can borrow his body to glimpse this world again."

"Two hundred thousand years ago, heaven and earth collapsed, and living beings perished... Now, it has surprisingly revived."

Two hundred thousand years!

Hearing these two sentences, everyone was stunned!

The Creator God, borrowing the body of a Celestial Vein Holder, had reappeared in the human world!

After a brief silence, various low whispers spread out.

"His Highness Prince Yong is a Celestial Vein Holder!"

"Then what is the Holy Maiden of Northern Qi? Are there two Celestial Vein Holders in the world?"

"Northern Qi reveres the gods the most, yet who would have thought a god would descend in Southern Qing!"

Fan Xian, kneeling on the second tier, slapped his forehead, suddenly understanding everything.

He didn't believe the nonsense about a god descending; wasn't this just what the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom had done?

Wait, there was no Taiping Heavenly Kingdom in this era, so Li Chang'an was the originator!

He was too shameless! Copying poems was one thing, but even copying shamanic rituals!

Suddenly, someone next to Fan Xian plopped down on his knees, shouting with an exaggerated expression!

"A god has descended! What a blessing for Great Qing, what a blessing for the world!"

This person was none other than Lord Xin Qiwu, a fourth-rank official of the court and the Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial!

Immediately after, Guo Baokun on the other side also knelt down tremblingly.

"A god has descended upon Great Qing, and I, Guo, have actually witnessed it..."

Subsequently, the Imperial Guards and eunuchs on the outermost layer knelt down in a dense mass.

Then, the officials of Southern Qing also knelt one after another, shouting about the god's descent and the great fortune for the world!

The Second Prince raised an eyebrow, secretly gave a thumbs-up, and then obediently knelt down.

The Crown Prince's eyes were burning. Uncle Prince Yong's acting was so brilliant, he could be a kindred spirit!

And he had guessed the reason Emperor Qing let Li Chang'an be the chief officiant; it had nothing to do with the throne.

Finally relieved, the Crown Prince also obediently knelt down.

After that, among the Northern Qi and Eastern Yi Delegations, a large number of people knelt down with a rustle!

Besides those who were threatened, many were genuine believers who truly believed in the trick of divine possession.

The only three people left standing were Li Yunrui, Zhuang Mo Han, and Yun Zhilan.

Li Yunrui gritted her teeth. Although very unwilling, she still knelt down to her brother.

By now, she had guessed most of the matter; this must be a trick orchestrated by Emperor Qing and Prince Yong!

To use the voice of a descending god to declare Li Chang'an as the Celestial Vein Holder was far more authoritative than the Celestial Vein Holder conferred by Ku He in Northern Qi.

The members of the Northern Qi Delegation were all sweating. If Li Chang'an was the Celestial Vein Holder, what was their Saintess?

Haitang was conferred by Northern Qi itself, but Li Chang'an was explicitly revealed by a descending god!

Zhuang Mo Han felt bitter. Li Chang'an was a heaven-sent genius, but why was he born into the imperial family, engaging in such supernatural theatrics?

However, to facilitate his plans against Fan Xian later, he also obediently knelt down.

By now, only Yun Zhilan stood below. "I never thought the Qing Kingdom would resort to such tricks."

Emperor Qing, who was out of the palace in disguise with Hong Sixiang, was secretly listening in from a corner.

"Si Gu Jian's Disciple truly has some arrogance!"

Emperor Qing always traveled in disguise when leaving the palace because he feared Wu Zhu and barrett.

As soon as Yun Zhilan finished speaking, the three Great Priests leaped up simultaneously, and three palms instantly attacked Yun Zhilan.

"Bang!"

Yun Zhilan's True Qi surged. He had intended to fight the three of them.

However, he found that after the three joined forces, their True Qi completely merged, as if they were one person!

This strange combined martial art greatly surprised Yun Zhilan!

"Bold madman, kneel down at once!"

The three ninth-rank Great Priests shouted in unison, and Yun Zhilan was forcibly pushed down to his knees!

The three Great Priests subdued Yun Zhilan, then returned to the Circular Mound Altar, where they knelt around Li Chang'an.

Li Chang'an remained with his eyes closed, continuing to recite his lines.

"Your sacrificial words, I have heard them all. To cease hostilities, to bring peace to the world, I am greatly comforted."

"However, the general trend of the world is that after a long division, there must be unity. Only when the world is unified and the land is one will there be true peace."

Hearing these two sentences, all the Southern Qing officials understood completely.

This descent of a god was to build momentum for unifying the world in the future.

From today onwards, Southern Qing's goal to eliminate Northern Qi and Eastern Yi and unify the world would be considered accepting a divine oracle!

The Crown Prince and the Second Prince secretly admired, "Your Majesty's move is truly brilliant!"

Speaking through the mouth of a god, Northern Qi and Eastern Yi could not refute it!

The members of the Northern Qi Delegation were all inwardly wailing, and the devout ones were even more shaken.

Unification of the world? That meant Southern Qing would still attack in the future!

Li Chang'an's "divine oracle" continued.

"My Divine Sense and spiritual perception have just surveyed the entire world. Two hundred thousand years since, human life has reappeared, filled with benevolent and righteous individuals."

"The great trend of unifying the world has emerged. You all should unite sincerely, create a prosperous era together, and I can return to heaven with peace of mind."

"From now on, the sole Celestial Vein Holder upon whom I have possessed will transmit my Dao. All of us gods will no longer descend to the mortal world!"

After saying this, Li Chang'an's stiff body fell backward again.

Immediately after, Li Chang'an suddenly woke up, his face full of astonishment.

"Three Great Priests, just now my mind suddenly went blank!"

"What exactly happened?"