The Golden Elixir is A Star, and You Call This Cultivation?
Chapter 52: The Imperial City Rises with the Wind_1

Chapter 52: Chapter 52: The Imperial City Rises with the Wind_1

The night was pitch black.

In the imperial city, Aunt Qin was covered in fresh blood.

The shock in her eyes hadn’t faded, but at this moment, she was running frantically into the city.

The two presences behind her did not give chase, instead lying low.

However, the terror that clung to Aunt Qin did not dissipate.

She swiftly entered the palace.

"Aunt Qin, what happened to you?" Seeing Aunt Qin covered in blood, Jin Li was horrified.

At the side, State Duke Yu and Kong Qi, who were supervising the construction of the sacrificial altar, hurriedly approached. They clearly noticed Aunt Qin’s dire state.

Seeing Aunt Qin’s severe injuries, both of them showed worry and despair in their eyes.

In the past few days, not only were they building the sacrificial altar, but they were also secretly conspiring with Aunt Qin to see if they could get Queen Jin Li out of the imperial city.

Tonight, Aunt Qin stealthily left the city, a sort of trial.

Unexpectedly, Aunt Qin returned gravely injured.

"Cough, cough..." Aunt Qin coughed, spitting out a mouthful of bloody foam. There even appeared to be fragments of torn organs mixed in.

Seeing this, Jin Li hurriedly fed Aunt Qin the healing medicine given by the Flower Fairy.

After taking the medicine, Aunt Qin’s complexion improved slightly.

"Aunt Qin, are you feeling better?" Jin Li was incredibly worried.

"I’m better, thank you for your concern, Your Majesty." Aunt Qin looked at everyone, solemnly stating, "Just now, when I was preparing to leave the city, I was attacked by two emperors!"

"What, two of them?"

"If it were only two of them, they would not have injured me so badly. There are several others lying in wait in the dark. Most importantly, they are not humans, they are demons!

Outside the imperial city, a large formation has already been set up!" Aunt Qin spoke very quickly.

The faces of everyone present changed drastically upon hearing this.

Kong Qi’s beard quivered, "Demons? A large formation?"

"Beyond this formation, the sky was filled with blood-red light, and there were three thousand white flags, which seemed to be the infamous ’Soul-Entrapping Flag Formation’!" When Aunt Qin said this, the people present could barely stand!

The Soul-Entrapping Flag Formation had a notoriously evil reputation.

Fifty years ago, a small country bordering the beast territory was invaded by a demon clan. The invaders laid out the Soul-Entrapping Flag Formation and refined the hundreds of thousands of people in that small country to death.

Because of that incident, the human clans of the entire Wangyue Continent were enraged. They formed a coalition army and went to war with the demon clan.

As a result, their vitality was greatly damaged.

It was then that the imperial power of Nanqian began to gradually decline.

Great upheavals took place in several human kingdoms.

Now that they heard from Aunt Qin that there was a Soul-Entrapping Flag Formation outside the imperial city, how could they not be terrified?

"Are you sure you didn’t see it wrong?" State Duke Yu looked at Aunt Qin, his voice low.

The others were also looking at Aunt Qin with anxious faces.

Aunt Qin said, "I did not see it wrong. It is the Soul-Entrapping Flag Formation!"

Upon hearing her words, Kong Qi sat down in a state of shock then suddenly sprang up, "I have to ask what exactly Sima Ting wants to do?"

Hearing this news, Jin Li also felt a pang of fear.

She had hoped that Sima Ting merely wanted to usurp the throne and was only after her life and the lives of those behind her.

But now it seemed that Sima Ting had ulterior motives and wanted the entire Nanqian country to be ruined!

However, how did so many demons, including emperors, manage to infiltrate Nanqian!

Did the Heavenly Destiny Holy Gate not know about it?

Jin Li inexplicably felt a chill in her heart. She knew that this matter was deeper than she had imagined.

However, looking at the nearly completed sacrificial altar, her eyes flashed with a cold and sharp light: "Leave this matter aside for now, let’s first complete the sacrificial altar!"

Her voice was firm and resolute, leaving no room for doubt.

Kong Qi, who had been lost in despair, also stood up, "Yes, Your Majesty."

However, he looked completely spiritless.

Jin Li returned to her sleeping quarters and stood alone in her bedroom. Through the window, she gazed at the ancient Qi tree in the firmament and tightly held onto the Linglong Jade Stream.

"Qi Yuan, if it were you, what would you do?"

...

Within the Prime Minister’s mansion.

Sima Ting lowered his head, looking excessively obsequious.

"Distinguished persons, if we do not eliminate that person, I fear they might expose the information about the grand formation, impacting you all’s plans."

The skinny emperor from Tianyun Holy Doors only laughed and remained silent.

The Demon Emperor did not care: "The formation is already set up. If it is exposed, then it is exposed.

The turbulence in the city will be beneficial to the process of the Bloodless Emperor Staff’s formation!"

"But... if they were to publicize this, I fear it may lead to unexpected situations, causing a mutiny among the city’s soldiers!" Sima Ting still seemed worried.

"Can’t you, Sima Ting, even control your own soldiers?" The Demon Emperor mocked.

Sima Ting broke out in a cold sweat: "If the truth leaks out, I will find a reason to appease the soldiers."

At present, the entire royal city is under his control, so appeasing the military was not difficult.

"I heard the next noon, your empress, will ascend to the God Worship Platform to worship the heavens?" The Demon Emperor changed the topic.

"Yes." Sima Ting replied.

"Great, since I have nothing better to do, I will go and watch.

To see if my future wine vessel is beautiful beyond compare." The Demon Emperor laughed heartily.

"I will arrange that immediately." Sima Ting originally did not plan to go, but since the Demon Emperor was to attend, he must bring all the officials of the imperial court with him.

"Good." The Demon Emperor nodded satisfactorily, with a profound look in his eyes.

His attending the ritual at the Worship Platform had more to it than just observing his wine vessel.

That day, when all the civil and military bureaucrats gathered, he would halt the slaughter.

Bloodshed and panic grip the human heart, and the whole Royal city will fall into turmoil.

Blood, slaughter, fear and desire will converge, and The Bloodless Emperor Staff will achieve a terrifying level of accomplishment.

Of course, he would not tell any of this to Sima Ting.

...

The Worship Platform is more than two dozen feet high, with a pavilion on top and a small animal sculpture on each corner.

The entire Worship Platform has a feeling of antiquity and simplicity, giving off a raw and rough aura.

At a distance, it looks vast and profound.

Due to its simplicity, the construction of the Worship Platform did not take much time.

Sima Ting sat in place, with the Demon Emperor sitting next to him, in no particular posture.

Sima Riyue had not tied his hair, and so he seemed even more insolent.

Next to them, a group of civil and military officials were talking in hushed voices.

Some looked at Sima Ting, their eyes full of doubt, while others looked at the Demon Emperor, deep in thought.

Clearly, Aunt Qin had already leaked the news of the grand formation.

But, most people thought it was a strategy by Empress Jin Li to sow discord.

Of course, as none of them had the prowess of an emperor, they could not detect the Burial Soul into the Banner formation.

"The Emperor has arrived!"

With the announcement, Empress Jin Li appeared in everyone’s sight.

In a bright golden crossover collar wide-sleeve robe with golden phoenix patterns on the sleeves, a white jade necklace around her neck with golden flowers, a delicate jade belt around her waist, and a pearl phoenix crown on her head.

At this moment, she embodied the graceful and majestic presence of an empress.

Regrettably, apart from the Minister of Rites and a sparse few, no one bowed upon the arrival of Empress Jin Li.

At that time, when the giant army entered the royal city, Sima Ting and his faction were too tired to put on a facade.

Sima Riyue, seeing all of this, felt very satisfied. He leaned into Sima Ting’s ear, speaking loudly enough for others to hear: "Father, if you had acted this way sooner, I would be the Crown Prince by now, right?"

Many of the civil and military officials heard this and burst into laughter.

Jin Li heard this, but remained silent.

"The auspicious time has come, please begin the worship!" Kong Qi stood straight, his voice thick and heavy. It seemed as if this ceremony would mark the decline of a dynasty.