Chapter 574: One Step In Heaven, One Step In Hell
Translator: Subudai11 Editor: Chrissy
Without delay, they promptly began to prepare for the Ask the Heaven Ritual.
In theory, communicating with Heaven using lay person's body should be the last choice in how the temple handle matters. Performing Ask the Heaven meant that it was impossible to solve the problem solely based on the power of mortals, and it was a manifestation of incompetent performance. At the same time, the ritual was as difficult as ascending to the sky. According to the view of Temple of Heaven, the preparatory work must at least be done for six months or more, and the required rare materials were countless.
However, this was a false proposition. If it was an emergency that the Temple of Heaven couldn't handle it no matter what, how could it take half a year to prepare for the ritual?
"In fact, the entire ritual only needs the self-sacrifice of a Shentian rank nun or higher. The array arrangement has no practical significance besides pushing up the cost of communicating with Heaven to prevent others from communicating with Heaven freely."
In the basement of the manor, Wang Lu read through the teachings of the Temple of Heaven and made his own judgment.
Anyone could see that this was just a perfunctory gesture, but Ping Xiwang actually nodded earnestly. "That's true. When I first joined the Temple of Heaven, I also diligently studied the knowledge in the ancient books. Ask the Heaven ritual has been revised several times for the past hundred years, and in each revision, it became more cumbersome and expensive. I initially thought that the belief of Temple of Heaven was even more devoted and respectful, more solemn in regard to Heaven. Now, it seemed like it really wants to artificially block the contact between Heaven and the mortal world. Hmph, even if I must sacrifice myself this time, I must ask for the genuine will of Heaven."
Wang Lu smiled but said nothing.
The so-called Temple of Heaven deception was purely the result of his on-the-spot performance, believing that with the vision of Ping Xiwang, she would definitely be able to see through it. However, at this time, she seemed to firmly believe it without any doubt, and had displayed the martyr person stance.
Her belief in Heaven was certainly far less than a real martyr, so it was all just a play. However, right now in the basement of the manor, there were only her, her trusted friend, Wang Wu, and Wang Lu, so for who was her show intended to be seen? It was just a hard to die instinct of a politician.
However, regardless of how well her play was, as long as she could play her role...
Late at night, after some hard work, Ping Xiwang said with a sweat on her face.
"The preparation required for the ritual has been completed."
At this point, through her own efforts, Ping Xiwang had done the preparatory work—which, according to the standard recorded teaching of the temple, needed more than a hundred Jindan level cultivators or above to work together for more than half a year—in just half a day. However ironically, the content of her preparation was just to adjust her immortal heart, so it became somewhat truly religious, so that the Heaven could be smoothly moved through her self-sacrifice.
Taking half a day of hard effort to make herself a bit devout was indeed ironic.
After Ping Xiwang's preparation was completed, Wang Wu and Wang Lu stayed at her manor because the grand succession ceremony was to be held tomorrow, and they decided to directly enter the venue dressed up as Ping Xiwang's followers.
The latter part of the night at the manor was long and dull, and no one in the room was willing to speak more nonsense, except for Ping Xiwang giving the two people notes on precautions before entering the venue.
Although the two sides have essentially formed a close relationship, in fact, there was neither trust nor goodwill between them. Therefore, this awkward atmosphere continued until dawn.
"Well then, let's get ready to leave."
With the words of Ping Xiwang, the group officially set off.
There were some twists and turns in the process of getting into Sky City from the manor outside the city—because theoretically, the high ranking nuns should have gathered in Sky City one day before the succession ritual. Ping Xiwang spending the night in the private manor outside the city would easily cause public opinion trouble. And the group also entered the ritual ground, so they also encountered difficulties.
The gatekeeper actually stopped Ping Xiwang from entering the grounds because the admission time had passed.
This was, of course, a joke. Although in theory, the admission time had indeed passed, the protagonists of the succession ritual were the seven Shentian rank nuns. But now, one Shentian was blocked from the scene, was this not a joke? Moreover, everyone knew that the so-called rules of the Temple of Heaven had never been applied to high-rank nuns. Even a Harmonious Heaven rank nun the likes of Moonless could establish a harem in Moon Capital, let alone a late on arrival Shentian?
Therefore, when Ping Xiwang saw this scene, her face immediately sank. Some people really seemed to plan to die at this ritual. They didn't even give her a little bit of leeway, such that even this trick was used on her.
Were they expecting for her reaction? Looking forward for her to get angry and do something dishonorable to open the curtain of the upcoming failure?
Thus, the corner of her mouth arched up into a smile as she inwardly said: A group of idiots who don't know their time of death!
Facing the trouble from the gatekeeper, she had only one way to deal with it.
"Get lost."
And thus, a peak Yuanying Stage gatekeeper was flung backward and rolled along the pale blue carpet at the entrance of the venue. The blood that sprayed from her mouth stained the carpet into a complete mess.
There was no sound in the venue. The thousands of nuns gathered in the venue that originally whispered at each other, grabbing every bit of time before the ritual officially began, at this time, looked at the entrance in silence. They all observed the uninvited guest.
As soon as Ping Xiwang marched forward under everyone gazes, every step of the way appeared vigorous, firmly grasping the attention of everyone.
On the ritual platform, several Shentian rank nuns looked gloomy. In their view, it was as if this opponent who was doomed to bring ruin and shame upon herself had chosen a way in which both sides perish. Every step that she took on that blue carpet smashed the thousands of years of implicit rules of Temple of Heaven.
Since the establishment of Temple of Heaven, there had never been someone so bold as to rush into the venue with such a violent gesture. What Ping Xiwang did was breaking the ground!
At this point, the paramount Chengtian who had planned to remain neutral could not sit still.
This was the last grand ritual in her career, and initially, she planned to use a smooth and even simple ritual as a farewell to the paramount throne. But now, it seemed to be impossible.
As someone with the highest cultivation base present, when she stood up, thousands of people at the venue felt suffocated. The pressure of Supreme perfectly superimposed with the aura of Chengtian throne. For a moment, it seemed as if Heaven itself had arrived, which made these Heaven believers remain quiet out of fear.
However, Ping Xiwang turned a blind eye to this, and her pace became steadier and steadier. Behind her, that loyal bodyguard could not help but raise her head.
Because her master had already walked on the path of death, each step that she took burned herself, like sacrificing to draw the will of Heaven. After a few steps, she had become a devout believer, her immortal heart was clear and nearly transparent, and immense immortal spirit overflowed out of her.
Thousands of people were stunned, including the six Shengtians on the platform!
In history, only a saint closest to Heaven had the capacity to have this kind of majestic and pure immortal spirit aura. And such a saint had never existed for nearly a millennium.
Could it be that Shentian Ping Xiwang who had already been dismissed by many people from the very beginning was actually a secret saint of Heaven?
Such a huge contrast was astounding, until the calmest of them all, the paramount Chengtian, reacted first, "Is she self-sacrificing? She wants to Ask the Heaven! Stop her! Don't let her blaspheme Heaven!"
The paramount nun of the temple roared wildly. In her opinion, this was basically Ping Xiwang's frenzied struggle at death's door. In order to obtain a slim chance of survival, she spared no effort in presenting the lay matters to Heaven, which was a great blasphemy!
Once the Heaven's will truly come, it would be a disaster for the entire Temple of Heaven and even the Heavenly Earth!
However, her reaction was still a tad slower. Because Ping Xiwang had already completed her self-sacrifice and had established a link with Heaven on her first step on the venue. The clear and pure immortal spirit did not belong to her, but rather the blessing from Heaven.
Heaven... had already begun to arrive.
Under the pressure of Heaven, the paramount nun of the temple was unable to withstand. After that roar, she helplessly fell to the ground. At this time, a real Supreme level was unexpectedly as weak as an ordinary woman who had never cultivated.
It was not that the power of Heaven was too strong, but the fact that she was the paramount nun meant that she had already been closely integrated with Heaven, willingly depended on it, and thus she was powerless to resist the will of Heaven.
At the same time, Ping Xiwang consciously climbed to the new peak of life. Having made contact with Heaven earlier, she knew that she had won the gamble. Because that great will did not reject her, nor deny her—in her retrospection, since she was not really a qualified believer, rashly contacting Heaven would only cause her to encounter Heaven's scourge. But now, the tacit consent of Heaven undoubtedly meant that the speculation of that chaotic creature was probably correct.
Because this Ask the Heaven meant that she was shouldering a great mission, therefore a little bit of sin need not be mentioned. Not only that, once Heaven thoroughly arrived, as the guide, she would become the great prophet that the Temple of Heaven needed to worship in the next several thousand years! When the time came, she would genuinely never be forgotten!
With overflowing excitement, Ping Xiwang finally reached the high platform that symbolized the paramount status of the temple. Whether they were Shentians or even the Chengtian, none could obstruct her steps. The only pity was that, when she arrived at this point, she was nearly burnt out.
However, right at this moment.
Boom!
A dull thunderous sound broke the holy atmosphere at the venue, which came in untimely. At the same time, a strong shockwave swept the venue, which caused the ground to quake and the mountain to shake.
In the distance, a purple pillar of fire rushed toward the sky, tearing the ground and passing through the sky.
People's eyes could not help but be attracted to it, but saw that the purple flame column quickly spread like an ink dropped on a white paper. In a flash, half of the sky was covered by it.
"T-This is…"
On the high platform, the Chengtian's whole body trembled as she inconceivable whispered.
"Chaotic world invasion!"