Chapter 963: Autumn Mountain, Yuanxin
Bieyang Hong noticed that Xuan Yuan Po hadn't picked up his own chopsticks and asked with concern, "Aren't you eating?"
He knew Xuan Yuan Po had gone to the Heaven's Selection Ceremony today but didn't ask a single question about it, because he could guess the outcome from Xuan Yuan Po's expression. What concerned him more was that Xuan Yuan Po would have to go to the Heaven Tree tomorrow to undergo the Wildfire Ritual—how could he manage without a full meal tonight?
"I have something to eat."
Xuan Yuan Po pulled a paper bag from his chest and took out a leftover beef bun, dipping it into the half-bowl of vegetable soup in front of him as he began to eat.
Watching this scene, Wujiong Bi paused for a moment, then ignored him and lowered her head to eat. A moment later, she looked up and noticed that Bieyang Hong was still staring at the bun in Xuan Yuan Po's hand. She couldn't help but frown.
The bun was cold and hard, the meat juice congealed into white fat—how unpleasant it must taste. Why was her husband staring at it so intently?
...
...
Before dawn, the pine town was shrouded in the darkest night. Xuan Yuan Po had already risen.
He walked out of the alley, signaling to the alert priests that everything was fine, and went to the neighboring street to buy a paper bag of beef buns, half a pot of white porridge, two bowls of corn paste, a bowl of dry-mixed noodles, two fried glutinous rice cakes, a steamer basket of steamed buns, and three kinds of pickled vegetables. He carried them all back to the small courtyard.
He himself still ate the beef buns, while the rest was prepared as a full day's meals for Bieyang Hong and Wujiong Bi.
Under Bieyang Hong's meaningful gaze and Wujiong Bi's irritated glare, Xuan Yuan Po silently ate six beef buns, washed up, straightened his clothes, bowed solemnly to Bieyang Hong, pulled the Mountain and Sea Sword from the woodpile, and walked out of the small courtyard again.
Unlike yesterday, his appearance today immediately drew countless gazes.
Dozens of priests from the Western Wilderness Dao Hall and over a hundred warriors from the Bear Tribe surrounded him as they headed toward the Jade Capital Ferry.
Xuan Yuan Po noticed that the steward of the Tang family and several Southern Heaven cultivators were following at a distance, neither too close nor too far.
He had met those Southern Heaven cultivators the night before. According to the Tang family steward, one of them was from the Cijian Temple and was said to be Ye Xiaolian's uncle-master from her time as an outer disciple.
Morning mist shrouded White Emperor City, just like every ordinary winter day over the past tens of thousands of years. The Jade Capital Ferry was as bustling as ever, but the best spots on the dock were no longer occupied by hardworking vegetable farmers—instead, they were taken by officials of the Demon Royal Court and great figures like the Bear Tribe chieftain.
The morning sun was tightly blocked by the mountains on the opposite shore, and with the thick fog, the daylight was dim, making it seem as if it were still night.
As they boarded the ferry, a sudden wave rose in the Red River, causing the boat to sway slightly. Then, from somewhere unknown, a low, terrifying roar echoed.
If it were an outsider, hearing these roars and feeling the raging waves of the Red River, they might have been filled with fear. But everyone present had lived in White Emperor City for a long time and knew that the noise was from Yu Jing waking up and feeding. They paid it no mind. As several baskets of the fattest, scaleless shuttlefish were poured into the river, the roars quickly subsided.
The morning mist gradually dissipated, revealing the nearby river water, its surface calm and smooth.
The mountains on the opposite shore were still hidden in the depths of the fog. Even as the morning sun was about to leap over a certain mountain pass, only the faint silhouettes of the nine colossal Heaven Trees could be seen.
The bow of the ship cut through the water, waves lapping against the hull. Morning light gradually arrived. By the time they reached the opposite shore, the warm red rays of the rising sun had already dispelled all the mist.
The endless green mountains, stretching for thousands of miles, appeared before people's eyes like countless overlapping barriers.
The nine Heaven Trees among the mountains, bathed in the morning light, looked like giant torches, radiating an invisible wildfire that inspired both awe and joy in the demons.
The Heaven Trees were enormous, so massive that only the most towering peaks could support them. They were also far apart from each other, the nearest being dozens of miles away.
Nine stone paths led to the Heaven Trees, all starting from the same place: the high platform on the opposite shore of the Jade Capital Ferry.
Madam Mu stood on the high platform.
The morning light fell upon her, illuminating her figure clearly, making her appear especially towering.
The morning breeze gently stirred her extremely ornate long skirt, giving her an air of great majesty.
The Heavenly Sea Saintess and Pope Yin had already returned to the Star Sea. The Southern Saintess and Su Li had journeyed far to the Holy Light Continent. White Emperor was in seclusion, recovering from his injuries.
Of the five saints of that era, only she still appeared before the world.
The demon elders and the ministers and generals of the Demon Royal Court stood in two rows below.
Only truly great figures and their attendants were qualified to be present today. The atmosphere was solemn, so quiet that not a sound could be heard.
The music of ritual began, and everyone knelt in worship.
A royal court official stepped forward and began to recite the sacrificial text.
After the recitation, offerings were brought forth in an unending stream, and the entire process proceeded smoothly.
Xuan Yuan Po and the other five ascended the stone steps toward the high platform.
Countless gazes fell upon their backs, and countless thoughts arose.
Who would pass today's Heaven Tree Wildfire Refinement and the ancestral spirits' test?
And who would achieve final victory in tomorrow's ultimate ceremony and win the hand of Princess Luoluo?
Xiao De had the strongest cultivation and purest bloodline; in theory, no one could surpass him. But it was clear that the Empress favored the Second Prince of the Great Western Continent, and perhaps White Emperor himself thought the same—otherwise, why had the Great Elder become so silent after that night?
And then there was Xuan Yuan Po, who had suddenly emerged. He was clearly a member of the Bear Tribe but represented the National Teaching Academy. If one only considered his background, it was quite formidable. But the humans likely hadn't had time to respond yet; he was probably acting on his own. So what could he really accomplish?
The other two demon experts were also widely renowned. Passing the ancestral spirits' test shouldn't be difficult for them. If Xiao De was careless, he might actually lose to them tomorrow. But why didn't that young man in the conical hat spare them even a glance, appearing so aloof and proud?
If there was anything surprising about this Heaven's Selection Ceremony, aside from Xuan Yuan Po's sudden rise, it was this young man in the conical hat.
The identities and origins of Xiao De, the Second Prince of the Great Western Continent, and the two demon experts were all clear. Even Xuan Yuan Po could no longer hide anything. Yet, up to this moment, no one knew who the young man in the conical hat really was, where he came from, or what he wanted.
In theory, this was absolutely impossible.
The royal court's secret agents and the various tribes had long begun their covert investigations. The problem was that there seemed to be a force within White Emperor City isolating this young man in the conical hat—extremely secretive yet fiercely cutting off all hidden gazes directed at him.
For a force to prevent the royal court and the great figures of the tribes from uncovering this person's identity and origins, all without revealing itself, was truly terrifying.
Soon, many tribes, driven by hidden fear, stopped their investigations. Even the royal court's secret agents only managed to learn the residence of the young man in the conical hat before withdrawing.
The young man in the conical hat lived in a courtyard very close to the Xiang Tribe's estate.
This easily led to certain associations.
It wasn't that no one had considered the possibility that the young man in the conical hat might not be a demon, or might even be an enemy of the demons. But even if that were true, it didn't matter.
Because today, this young man in the conical hat would enter the Heaven Tree, undergo the Wildfire Refinement, and face the ancestral spirits' test.
If this person truly harbored hostility toward the demons and was a spy sent by humans or even demons, then the wildfire would directly burn his soul to nothingness.
This was the core of the Heaven's Selection Ceremony.
Only those who swore loyalty to the White Emperor lineage could endure the Heaven Tree's Wildfire Refinement and the ancestral spirits' test.
Those who passed this trial would automatically leave their original tribes and become members of the White Emperor clan.
It was precisely for this reason that the demon elders and the ministers and generals ultimately agreed to Madam Mu's arrangements.
Countless gazes fell upon the Second Prince of the Great Western Continent—some heavy, some cold, some questioning, some hostile.
The events at the Nanxi Convent had reached White Emperor City the night before.
The royal family of the Great Western Continent indeed harbored grand ambitions.
Could this Second Prince truly be willing to transform his body and soul and become a member of the demon race?
Even if doing so might make him the next White Emperor.
Under the weight of countless gazes, the Second Prince of the Great Western Continent turned around and looked at the demon elders, ministers, and generals.
The morning light fell upon his handsome face but could not illuminate his true emotions.
There seemed to be a hint of regret, a touch of relief, before everything settled into calm.
He said, "I withdraw."