Purple Gold Mountain is located to the east of the Divine Capital City.

It's not too far, but not exactly close either, about ten or so li.

This place was originally a military camp garrisoned by at least a hundred thousand Imperial Guards. Its area was naturally quite vast, and the ground was very level.

Because it was a military camp, few people dared to loiter around here on normal days, but today was different. If you stood at a high place and looked around, it was basically a dense, dark mass.

Tens of thousands of people, blotting out the sky and the sun.

That was on flat ground. If the vastness was still apparent from a high vantage point, then the number of people was definitely more than just tens of thousands.

Three hundred thousand elite Imperial Guards, divided into four directions, formed military formations.

In addition, there were even more common people from the capital and nearby, as well as martial artists from the Jianghu.

The Heavenly Sacrifice Ceremony was undoubtedly a grand event for many ordinary people. In fact, apart from those discerning individuals and Jianghu martial artists who verbally criticized Jingtai,

many common people didn't think so.

Because such a grand event usually came with a general amnesty from the emperor. Not for the whole world, but at least the people of the capital and Zhong Prefecture would be able to get some benefits.

Otherwise, why would outsiders be vying for a capital city household registration?

Someone once jokingly said that the dogs in the capital lived better than the people in other prefectures.

This statement was somewhat biased, but it also proved some things.

So, the people of the capital city really had it good.

Despite the Sima family not having a great reputation in the Jianghu or in other prefectures, they were still quite popular in their base of Zhong Prefecture.

Therefore, many people's faces were filled with smiles.

They felt that they were witnessing a momentous occasion.

Purple Gold Mountain was formerly known as Hundred Zhang Mountain. Its name was very ordinary, and the mountain itself was also unremarkable, only a few hundred meters high, certainly not very majestic.

But that was before, and now...

After the imperial court's renovations, Hundred Zhang Mountain had undergone a dramatic transformation.

The once barren mountain peak was now covered in greenery. For those almost god-like beings, such feats were easy.

Yes, even in this chilly autumn season, nearing winter, they could still make the mountain lush and verdant.

In addition to the landscaping, there was also a staircase extending to the top of the mountain, newly built and covered with various mysterious patterns.

As if symbolizing something.

As for the actual summit of Hundred Zhang Mountain, it had been flattened, creating a platform more than ten Zhang wide. And upon this platform stood a giant cauldron.

The cauldron was several Zhang tall, black as ink, with divine patterns and depictions of the Azure Dragon, Black Tortoise, Vermillion Bird, and Qilin carved into its sides.

The origin of this cauldron was also extraordinary. Some legends claimed it was one of the nine cauldrons left by the Martial Emperor to suppress the Nine Provinces of the Central Plains. Others said it was a divine cauldron modeled after the one from the Chu Dynasty by the Chu Founder.

Specifically for offering sacrifices and prayers to Heaven.

But these legends remained just that—legends. There was no definitive answer. The only certainty was that Jingtai wanted to completely emulate the legendary Chu Founder's ancestor worship.

Whether it was the various heaven and earth divine patterns passed down from ancient books or the giant cauldron itself, they were all alike.

Many commoners and Jianghu martial artists looked at the giant cauldron with a mixture of reverence, longing, and anger, a very complex emotion.

Many Jianghu individuals, before arriving in the capital, had proclaimed that they would smash the giant cauldron and disrupt Jingtai's Heavenly Sacrifice Ceremony.

But after arriving near Purple Gold Mountain and seeing the endless rows of black-armored soldiers, they instantly retreated and tempered their thoughts.

They decided to observe the ceremony instead...

What did three hundred thousand elite Imperial Guards represent?

Even if they couldn't compare to the Northern Liang Army, the strongest army in the world, once they formed a battle formation, who below the level of Immortals would dare to test their might, trying to withstand hundreds of thousands of troops with their own power?

At least, ninety-nine percent of the people present wouldn't dare.

In addition to being wary of these elite soldiers, they were also wary of the Sky Patrol Guards, clad in black cloud uniforms and with Wild Goose Plume Sabers at their waists, standing like stakes, as well as the powerhouses of the imperial court.

Today, just on the surface, there were four True Monarchs and more than ten Transformation Yang True Persons present.

Even a single Immortal Sect would absolutely not be qualified to shake such imperial court power.

The imperial court was weak, but that was in comparison to the entire Jianghu. Not to mention the imperial court, could even the Northern Barbarian Court and the Southern Border Demon Clans really suppress the Central Plains Jianghu?

So, the imperial court's strength was actually not weak at all. If the two Kings of the North and South sincerely submitted, then it would actually be stronger.

Faced with such a powerful imperial court watching them like hawks, many people's initial enthusiasm had dissipated. They felt that their own strength was insufficient, and that watching the spectacle was about all they could do.

Going up there would definitely result in a gruesome death.

The number of people gathered near Purple Gold Mountain had actually exceeded a million. Listening quietly, one would only feel a bothersome buzzing in their ears.

But no one dared to shout for silence.

Neither the Jianghu martial artists nor the imperial court.

It seemed everyone was quietly waiting for a certain moment to arrive.

The three hundred thousand Imperial Guards were on the outermost layer, as if guarding the entrance, or as if they were trapping the people inside, basically locking down the vicinity.

The second layer was where most of the common people were located. Actually, looking at Purple Gold Mountain from here was already somewhat distant, but they could still make out some details.

Even though the ceremony hadn't started yet, there were still people constantly standing on tiptoes to get a better view.

The third layer was the relatively sparse group of Jianghu martial artists.

Sparse was only relative.

Only those who entered the martial path dared to call themselves Jianghu people.

And they were far behind the hundreds of millions of commoners.

Therefore, even if the martial artists from all sides gathered here, they actually only numbered close to a hundred thousand. And that was with many people coming from afar to watch the spectacle.

Otherwise, there would be even fewer.

As for how many harboring ulterior motives of ‘righteousness’ were among them, that was unknown.

At least, Chen Yuan, Jiang He, and Ling Xu were among them.

They didn't release their divine senses to probe, because that would reveal their identities. Correspondingly, the other powerhouses from various sides were not foolish enough to use their divine senses to scan either.

The fourth layer was the Martial Guards of the Sky Patrol Division, basically standing in a line, separating the third layer from the nobles of the fifth layer.

Inside were the civil and military officials of the imperial court and their families, as well as the concubines of the harem, the imperial clan, and mixed in with them, some strongmen from the Ministry of Rites.

Uh, in front of them were huge musical instruments like bull horns.

The sun was rising higher and higher, but because it was autumn, it wasn't actually scorching, and no one was impatient, quietly waiting for the arrival of the emperor.

"The time... is almost here."

Taoist Ling Xu suddenly spoke.

"It seems Mount Shu has many records."

Old Taoist Tian Xu beside him said with a smile.

At their first meeting, he had already recognized Taoist Ling Xu's identity. It wasn't that they had dealt with each other before, but rather, it was Jianghu rumor that Mount Shu had formed an alliance with the Dao God Palace.

Possessing such sword intent, besides Jiang He, it could only be from Mount Shu.

"As if the Tai Xu Palace doesn't have any?"

Being an Immortal Sect, even though the Tai Xu Palace had been hidden for many years, it still had a foundation.

They also understood the current arrangements in their hearts.

The reason Immortal Sects were called Immortal Sects, besides their unparalleled strength, was also their millennium of inheritance. They were Dao lineages that were established during the Former Chu Dynasty or even before its establishment.

Naturally, they had records of the Chu Founder's Heavenly Sacrifice to ascend to the Human Emperor position.

"The Tai Xu Palace... has fallen."

Old Taoist Tian Xu sighed.

If it hadn't fallen, why would he have entered the world, why would he have placed his bet on Chen Yuan?

He just wanted to take advantage of Chen Yuan's momentum to revitalize the sect.

"Even a broken ship has three nails left, Taoist Tian Xu is being too serious," Chen Yuan echoed.

"That's not a compliment."

"I'll help you repair it later."

"You are surprisingly calm."

Taoist Tian Xu looked at Chen Yuan's expression and slowly shook his head.

"The matter has come to this, what's the use of worrying? Jingtai is someone I will definitely kill, and the imperial court is something I will definitely destroy. Even if Jingtai has more arrangements, they will be useless in the face of the heroes of the world."

Chen Yuan really thought so. He was very serious about facing Jingtai, but he had never been flustered. After all, if Jingtai really had the power to sweep away everything,

he wouldn't have allowed the world to become like this.

As long as the heroes of the world swarmed up, what were a few hundred thousand troops? Under the many Yang God True Monarchs, they were just ants, not worth mentioning.

And today, although he didn't sense any aura, he was certain that

the powerhouses who came today were definitely not few!

It was somewhat like the aura of the Eighteen Route Warlords attacking Dong Zhuo.

However, the premise was that they dared to go all out and take action.

If they were all thinking of profiting from the chaos, then it would actually be useless.

So, getting those powerhouses to take action wasn't actually an easy task.

First, they had to show their own strength!

Let people see hope.

"That's true."

Ling Xu smiled.

The imperial court's arrangements were very deep, but they weren't pushovers either.

The Dao God Palace, Tai Xu Palace, and Mount Shu Immortal Sects had joined forces, and the number of True Monarchs they had dispatched had exceeded one palm, almost comparable to the previous great battle.

As long as the other forces took action, there would really be no suspense today.

Jiang He was also beside the three of them, but he didn't say a word, just quietly looked at an area in the deepest part. Li Hongshuang was there.

Beside her was Li Kuangxiu.

Taoist Tian Xu looked up at the sun again and softly said:

"He's here!"

He's here!

He's really here!

From the direction of the capital, a patch of golden light shrouded over without concealment. Many people subconsciously looked up, only to see nine divine beasts pulling a dragon palanquin.

There were True Dragons and Heavenly Phoenixes, as well as White Tigers and Qilins, and Golden Cranes and White Deer...

And such a divine spectacle, for the unknowledgeable common people below, was naturally awe-inspiring, their eyes filled with the reverence of divine beings.

Roar!

Roar!

Roar!

The three hundred thousand Imperial Guards roared simultaneously as if they had rehearsed beforehand, their voices shaking the heavens!

Many of the commoners on the outer layers even knelt down and shouted, "Long live the Emperor!"

But for the martial arts experts on the third layer, they didn't feel anything.

Not to mention the True Persons and True Monarchs of the fifth realm, even the Dan Realm Grandmasters of the fourth realm could create similar methods, although they couldn't do it so exquisitely.

But they could still see through the appearance to the essence.

Those various divine beasts were completely formed by manipulating the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

"Hehe..."

Taoist Tian Xu suddenly laughed.

Chen Yuan cooperated with a supporting line:

"Why is the Taoist laughing?"

"Ancient books record that the divine beasts pulling the dragon palanquin during the Chu Founder's Heavenly Sacrifice were real. This Jingtai is really imitating it in a plausible manner, interesting..."

There were definitely divine beasts in the world.

Although Chen Yuan hadn't seen others, the Fire Qilin under the Great Buddha of Tangshan was proof of one, but such beings were becoming increasingly rare.

Chen Yuan was able to find the Fire Qilin thanks to the Destiny Altar.

Even if Jingtai wanted to find one, he couldn't do it.

Of course, he probably didn't have the strength to subdue a divine beast either.

All divine beasts were powerful. The Chu Founder first became a Martial God, then gathered the position of Human Emperor. His own strength had already reached the realm of Immortals, surpassing others.

What about Jingtai?

At least before he transformed the power of incense into his own, he was ostensibly only a Heavenly Dan cultivator.

"Indeed interesting, let's watch quietly."

Chen Yuan didn't have any thoughts, just casually agreed.

The dragon palanquin streaked across the sky, bringing up a patch of light that blotted out the sky, and gradually landed from the void at the foot of the Purple Gold Mountain steps.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

Those civil and military officials, noble families, harem concubines, and imperial clan closest to it, including Li Kuangxiu, Gu Tianqiong, and Sima Che, all knelt on one knee.

Originally, they didn't have to kneel, but this wasn't an ordinary occasion, it was before the emperor offered sacrifices to heaven, so they had to kneel.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

Those Sky Patrol Division Martial Guards who were separating the third layer also knelt on one knee.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

Most of the commoners on the fourth layer began to kneel. Those who didn't kneel were very few.

As for the Jianghu martial artists on the third layer, no one knelt!

Some people were shocked by Jingtai's aura and wanted to kneel, but seeing that no one around them was kneeling, they ultimately didn't have the face to kneel to Jingtai.

They had called him a dog emperor before, but now they were kneeling and calling themselves subjects, wouldn't they be ridiculed in the future?

Anyway, everyone wasn't kneeling, so I wouldn't kneel either.

That was what many people were thinking.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

While no one on the third layer knelt, the three hundred thousand Imperial Guards on the outermost layer all hammered their chests and shouted loudly.

Wearing armor, it was inconvenient to kneel.

But they still bowed in salute.

And after everyone shouted, there was another unified shout:

"Long live Your Majesty!"

"Long live Your Majesty!"

"Long live Your Majesty!"

Jingtai, wearing a bright yellow dragon robe, looked ahead and said in a deep voice:

"Rise!

!"

His voice was vast and spread throughout the area.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

After thanking the emperor, everyone began to rise.

As for the Jianghu martial artists on the third layer, no one looked at them, no one reprimanded them, even Jingtai himself was the same. He just glanced over them, then waved his dragon robe, and the surrounding divine beasts dissipated into the world.

Then, Jingtai turned around and solemnly stepped onto the steps leading to the top of Purple Gold Mountain.

As soon as he stepped on them, divine sounds resounded and light shone brightly.

It was like a ladder to the heavens.

With each step he took, light lit up, and at the same time, the light behind him didn't dissipate.

Looking from afar, it really looked like he was ascending to immortality.

And the people below understood.

So those array patterns carved on the steps were actually for this purpose!

Simply put, it was... for show...

"Superficial and impractical."

Jiang He, who hadn't spoken for a long time, suddenly said.

Chen Yuan shook his head in disagreement:

"It's precisely this effect that's needed."

If he had a day when he offered sacrifices to heaven and ascended to the position of Human Emperor, he estimated that the scene would be even grander than this. There was no way, which man could resist such a scene?

He wanted to kill Jingtai, wanted to kill him very much.

But after Jingtai revealed himself, he suddenly calmed down, quietly watching the other party's actions.

It could be said that... his killing intent was temporarily suppressed.

"Heh..."

Jiang He's lips curled up, chuckled lightly, seemingly somewhat contemptuous, but didn't say anything else.

Jingtai's gaze was also very calm, stepping onto the high platform step by step. The aura on his body gradually changed, not an improvement, but a natural transformation.

His gaze gradually became serious and also gradually profound.

Is this... the Human Emperor?

Overawing the world, all people submit.

What he wanted, what he had been planning from the beginning, today... was finally about to be realized.

The top of the mountain wasn't high, but it wasn't low either. At least walking up step by step would still take some time, and Jingtai's aura was gradually changing in front of everyone's eyes.

Civil and military officials submitted, harem concubines submitted, Li Kuangxiu exchanged a glance with Gu Tianqiong beside him, and they seemed to understand something.

The path of the Human Emperor... seemed to indeed have some things.

No wonder the Emperor was willing to risk the disapproval of the world to offer sacrifices to heaven at Purple Gold Mountain.

When Jingtai stepped onto the last step, the aura on his body was already as profound as an abyss. Although his cultivation was still Heavenly Dan, his spirit seemed to swallow thousands of miles.

Jingtai stood before the giant cauldron. From the prepared table beside him, he picked up three divine incense sticks, which were specially for offering sacrifices to ancestors and heaven, and were very valuable.

Even smelling it had the effect of refreshing the mind and calming the spirit.

And the ones in his hand were three incense sticks half a person tall.

They were even more valuable.

Jingtai lit the divine incense sticks, bowed to the giant cauldron three times, and inserted them into the cauldron. Then, he turned around, looked down at the millions below, and said loudly:

"The world is chaotic, the people suffer, the demon clans of the Southern Border, the barbarians of the North, the Eastern Sea dwarfs, and the heroes of the Jianghu are now all watching covetously, pushing the chaos for their respective interests.

This is... my fault."

"It is I who have not guarded the world well, causing difficulties in the human world. These days, I have been unable to sleep, feeling terrified in my heart, and desperately seeking a way to save the people of the Central Plains. Now, I have found it.

I will offer sacrifices to heaven, ascend to the position of Human Emperor, and use the authority of the Human Emperor to protect the myriad people of my Great Jin Dynasty. I know that I do not have great achievements or overwhelming martial power. Sitting in the position of Human Emperor, it is difficult to convince the masses.

But the only way to save the people of the Central Plains is this.

For the sake of the hundreds of millions of people in the world, I am willing to bear even if I am reviled and criticized."

As his voice fell, the world was silent.

But Jingtai didn't stop there. He looked at the tens of thousands of Jianghu martial artists below and said in a deep voice:

"I know that some of you are not convinced, and even want to create chaos at this moment, disrupting the Heavenly Sacrifice Ceremony. But for the sake of the people of the world, I still have to do this.

Anyone who is not convinced can come forward. Hundreds of millions of people are behind me. I... will accept it all!"

The nearly one hundred thousand Jianghu martial artists below were somewhat agitated. Some wanted to step forward and scold him, but seeing that no one around them was moving, they didn't dare to be the first to stick their necks out.

Jiang He touched the Immortal Slaughtering Sword in his hand, preparing to reveal his true intentions and directly take action.

But Chen Yuan patted him on the shoulder.

"Hmm?"

Jiang He turned his gaze to Chen Yuan, somewhat questioning.

Chen Yuan smiled faintly and pointed to Jingtai above, saying:

"Don't be in a hurry to act yet, the others haven't moved."

"That's not your style."

Jiang He frowned. He thought Chen Yuan should be more impulsive than him.

Chen Yuan chuckled and said:

"At this time, it would be a pity not to put on an act."

————

Five thousand two, I'll make up a little first.