The capital city was held in front of its chest by the Ancient Sovereign Mystic Nether statue. There was a huge square in its vicinity.
This square was enough to accommodate a million people. It was paved with green stone slabs and an altar with 99 steps. 999 huge dragon pillars were erected in all directions.
At that moment, only hundreds of thousands of people were allowed to gather beneath the altar.
These hundreds of thousands of people stood there silently. Among them, there were Sword Holders, members of the Observance Palace, the Law Palace, and the county office. All of them were neatly dressed but their expressions were filled with mourning.
There was a black flower pinned on their chests.
Xu Qing and Kong Xianglong's arrival attracted some gazes. There was sadness, complexity, and reminiscence in these gazes…
When they reached the Sword Holders' team, the Sword Holders in front of them cleared a path that led to the front. Xu Qing stopped in his tracks.
Kong Xianglong continued to walk forward without any expression. When he reached the front, he lowered his head and remained motionless.
Xu Qing didn't go over. He stood beside the captain.
The captain patted Xu Qing's shoulder. The two of them fell silent and waited in this solemnity.
Silence enveloped the surroundings, with only a sense of mourning gathering among the hundreds of thousands of cultivators. It spread throughout the city, ascended within the three palaces, and extended across the entire county.
The sky churned with clouds and mist, and the dim sky shed tears in response to the sorrow here.
The rain landed on the slabs, producing splashing sounds. It also soaked the people gathered here.
No one blocked the rain, allowing it to drench them.
After fifteen minutes, thunder rumbled and countless bolts of lightning flashed in the clouds. Several figures walked step by step to the square and up the steps.
The appearance of these people caused the hundreds of thousands of cultivators here to lower their heads.
Among these figures were the Deputy Palace Masters of the Sword Holding Palace, the Law Palace, and the Observance Palace. Additionally, there were three middle-aged individuals who had changed into casual clothes but still exuded a lingering aura of killing intent.
These three were the generals who had been arranged by the prince to take over the three palaces.
The Deputy Governor was also among them, walking with a solemn expression.
At the forefront of this group of people stood a young man dressed in a yellow robe.
With long black hair cascading down his shoulders, fair complexion, sharp facial features, and starry eyes beneath his sword-like eyebrows, this person possessed not only a handsome appearance but also an indescribable air of nobility.
The world seemed to dim in front of him.
He walked in front as though it was inevitable for everyone to follow behind him.
He was the seventh son of the Human Emperor who had saved Fenghai County from danger, suppressed the evil forces, and caused all races to support him!
Currently, in Fenghai County, he was the only one qualified to preside over today's funeral.
At that moment, under the bow of the people beside him, the Seventh Prince stepped on the steps and walked to the highest point.
He was the only one there.
Only he had the qualifications to stand there.
Standing alone in the high platform, the Seventh Prince lifted his head and stared at the huge statue of the Ancient Sovereign Mystic Nether in front of him. A hint of reverence appeared in his eyes. After that, he lowered his head and knelt down in front of the statue.
"The 3,915th descendant, Guyue Zhangan, humbly requests the blessings and protection of the Imperial Ancestor!"
As soon as he knelt down, the Deputy Governor, the generals, the commanders, the Deputy Palace Masters, and the others bowed as well.
The hundreds of thousands of cultivators below also bowed respectfully.
There was no need for them to kneel because in the place where the Seventh Prince was, after he knelt, no one else had the qualifications to kneel with him.
The Seventh Prince kowtowed nine times, then stood up and turned around, looking down at the people below.
His figure was a little blurry in the rain. Only the statue of the Ancient Sovereign Mystic Nether behind him became clearer and looked more solemn.
A long time later, a sorrowful voice reverberated through the world.
"The mighty wind roars, the great tide surges. The flood symbolizes the dragon, the fierce fire rebirths the phoenix."
"We present our homage to the venerable Imperial Ancestor Mystic Nether and the current reigning emperor Mystic War. Our human race has ensured the prosperity of Fenghai for eight centuries, bringing peace for over ten generations."
"Countless heroes have been birthed by the three palaces."
"The Palace Master of the Observance Palace, showing respect to the virtuous and humble to the lower ranks; the Palace Master of the Law Palace, displaying humility and courage; the Palace Master of the Sword Holding Palace, demonstrating unwavering loyalty and dedication."
"Sun and moon dim in the presence of the majestic aura of the heroic souls of Fenghai. Our ancestors have endured countless glories and humiliations for the prosperity of the county, witnessing the ebb and flow of triumphs and tribulations."
"Sorrow befalls us and the stars mourn. Lives are lost, but the memories remain, and tears fall as a testament to our grief. The overwhelming sadness engulfs us, and we cannot help but succumb to its embrace."
The Seventh Prince paused. His eyes were filled with sorrow and his expression was grim.
Everyone on the ground was filled with sorrow. There were weeping sounds that echoed throughout the square.
"Yet the flame of the human race shall never be extinguished, and the spirit of humanity will remain indomitable. I shall beseech the Emperor to enshrine the heroic souls of the Fenghai in the Temple of Spirits, erect the Monuments of Eternal Peace, and offer everlasting incense!"
"The ancient laid out a bright path from which heroes emerged and will continue to emerge. Heaven continues to move, and we embody it by ceaselessly striving for improvement; we shall embody the earth's tolerance by our great virtue."
"The predecessors are revered by countless people and their legacy remains eternal."
"The descendants will never forget them."
The Seventh Prince's mournful voice spread through the world. At this moment, the tolling of the bells from the various provinces and sects in Fenghai County reached here as well as the entire Fenghai County.
The entire county mourned.
Under the city of the county capital, the highest Sword Pavilions on the ground, which represented the Palace Masters, collapsed and turned into dust.
The cries couldn't be contained anymore as the hundreds of thousands of cultivators wept. Their tears had long fused with the rain.
Xu Qing's vision was a little blurry. He couldn't tell if it was the sorrow in his heart or the blurry rain. He vaguely seemed to see the figure of the Palace Master standing there again.
This figure was infinitely tall and majestic. After the County Governor died, that figure supported the sky of Fenghai County.
Sadness churned in his heart. Xu Qing suddenly recalled something Fairy Zi Xuan had said in the past.
"Xu Qing, when you start having respect for this organization and the people in it, you might have an answer."
At that time, Xu Qing was confused. He actually didn't agree with the style of the Sword Holders that much. Now, in the rain, the sorrow in his heart contained deep respect.
Unfortunately, the figure in the rain could only stay in his memories. The physical item left on him was the Palace Master's token.
With the death of the Palace Master and the taking over of the Sword Holding Palace by the Seventh Prince's general, all rights were withdrawn. Only the right to use the county's Taboo magic treasure once that the Palace Master had left behind when he was alive remained.
After a long time, in this world enveloped by sorrow, the voice of the Seventh Prince spread again.
This time, there was no sadness. Instead, it was filled with incomparable determination and shocking killing intent, causing lightning to flash and thunder to rumble. The four-clawed golden dragon also emitted endless ferocity.
"I hereby announce to the entire Fenghai that the identity of the person behind the death of the County Governor, the calamity of war, the downfall of the Three Palaces, and the bloodshed of the heroes has been found out!"
Xu Qing abruptly lifted his head.
"The descendant of the human race's Heavenly Marquis, Yao Tianyan, has shown utmost treachery. He has consistently defended nonhuman races, colluded with the Holy Wave to murder the County Governor, and plunged Fenghai into the flames of war. He has betrayed the human race and caused the loss of countless lives!"
"Upon thorough investigation, it has been revealed that he is responsible for the collapse of the northern front line. His crimes are heinous and severe. I hereby declare Yao as a wanted criminal. Furthermore, I will submit a report to the Emperor, calling for his nationwide pursuit within the territories of the human race!"
As soon as these words were spoken, a monstrous anger erupted from the hundreds of thousands of cultivators below. Even the commoners in the city who heard these words erupted with anger.
What Marquis Yao had done all these years had long caused the dissatisfaction of too many humans, and he was always scolded and cursed by many.
Showing favoritism towards nonhuman races, marrying his people to the nonhumans, colluding with them. His actions betrayed the human race and abandoned all sense of righteousness. Groveling before the nonhumans.
All these curses had continued for 800 years.
In the eyes of the world, it was as though the interests of the nonhuman races were the most important in Marquis Yao's eyes. The honor of the nonhuman races were the most important.
Compared to this, the human race was nothing to him.
This point, which had been accumulated in the hearts of the cultivators in the county capital for the past 800 years, had long transformed into intense indignation. When Xu Qing first arrived at the county capital, he had heard the people around him cursing Marquis Yao more than once in private.
When viewed in this context, his betrayal was logical!
In fact, many voices had already spread when the County Governor died, suspecting the culprit to be Marquis Yao.
At that moment, the eyes of the cultivators from the three great palaces were incomparably red.
The killing intent surged unprecedentedly.
The death of the Palace Master was a profound pain in the hearts of all the Sword Holders in Fenghai County, and seeking revenge for the Palace Master was their collective mission.
"Kill Marquis Yao!"
"Vengeance for the Palace Masters!"
"Vengeance for the County Governor!"
"Vengeance for the heroes who sacrificed themselves in my Fenghai County!!"
"The entire Yao family deserves to die!!!"
Intense killing intent also emitted from the military camp on the ground. Countless soldiers emitted a murderous aura in unison which rose to the sky and stopped the rain!
Yao Yunhui, who was in the crowd, trembled and sorrow appeared in her eyes. The people around her all glared at her angrily and retreated some distance away. It was as though they felt that being near her would make them dirty.
She opened her mouth to speak but couldn't find the strength to make a sound.
It was the same for Zhang Siyun. Very soon, the mother and son were taken away by a group of Imperial City soldiers.
The Seventh Prince, who was on the high platform, clearly saw the abnormal movements in the crowd. His gaze casually swept past Zhang Siyun, and it flashed imperceptibly.
At that moment, in the Yao Residence, the younger sister of Marquis Yao, Yao Feihe, was crying silently. Drops of tears landed on her neat clothes.
"Brother… Is it worth it?"
Yao Feihe closed her eyes. Shortly after, the residence shook as the people arranged by the Seventh Prince barged in and all the women, children, old and young who stayed in the family were restrained.
She didn't resist at all and allowed the group of soldiers to capture her.
The moment these women and children of the Yao family were brought out of the Yao residence, many commoners standing outside the gate cursed them non-stop. The hatred in their eyes seemed to want to devour their flesh and blood.
Li Shitao arrived a step slower. She stood there with a look of grief and indignation, but she was helpless.
The anger of countless people from the county could drown all voices.
