Xue Zi Ning felt enveloped by an intense heat, so profound that unrealistic images flickered through her mind.
She bit her lower lip, only the slightest pain capable of bringing a sliver of clarity to her thoughts.
She had to persevere; failure was not an option at this crucial moment.
There were so many court officials below the sacrificial altar, and spectators from the populace.
She absolutely had to see this through.
Yet, her steps felt unsteady, as if walking on cotton. Several paces remained to the incense burner, but it felt impossibly far, as if separated by mountains and seas.
Finally reaching the incense burner, she moved to insert the incense stick in her hand.
Suddenly, an arrow whizzed past, striking the incense burner and sending it tumbling to the ground.
"Your Majesty, be careful..."
A voice suddenly echoed.
Xue Zi Ning felt a chilling wind approach from behind. She dodged with a quick movement of her feet, but her body was already unresponsive. She stumbled and fell to the ground.
"Assassin! Protect His Majesty..." Wen Yu Xi, closest to her, shouted while lunging towards Xue Zi Ning.
Xue Zi Ning stood alone on the altar. Wen Yu Xi below felt a terrible premonition.
He leaped to ascend the altar, only to find his limbs strangely weak, unable to muster any strength.
"What is happening to me?" A minister suddenly collapsed, unable to rise no matter how hard he tried.
Soon, more and more people began to exhibit the same symptoms.
Wen Yu Xi scanned his surroundings, then picked up the incense stick he had just used. He sniffed it and indeed detected an unfamiliar scent.
There was something wrong with the incense. Wen Yu Xi froze, a chill descending upon his heart.
"Haha... Xue Zi Ning, how do you like the taste of this?" A mocking laugh rang out.
Xue Zi Ning looked up and saw a figure approaching her.
It was Nangong Yue.
"You... you did this?" Xue Zi Ning asked, biting her lip, each word deliberate.
Nangong Yue walked to the altar, her smile exceptionally radiant yet chillingly cold. "What you said is both right and wrong. After all, I couldn't have done this alone, could I?"
"Nangong Yue... you are truly despicable..." Xue Zi Ning ground out each word through clenched teeth.
"Haha..." Nangong Yue laughed heartily, then her smile vanished, her expression hardening. "Despicable? You forced me to this, Xue Zi Ning..."
Her teeth ground together with an audible clack.
"You hate me..." Xue Zi Ning stated.
"Hate is too mild a word; I've reached the point where I want to flay your skin and pull out your sinews," Nangong Yue said through gritted teeth.
"Nangong Yue, I have done nothing to wrong you," Xue Zi Ning said, shaking her head.
Nangong Yue let out a soft, mocking laugh. "Is that so? But you are the Empress who unified the world, and what am I? I am nothing..."
"What do you truly want?"
"I... I want your identity, your position. Everything that belongs to you, Xue Zi Ning, should be mine, mine..."
At this moment, Nangong Yue's features were hideously contorted, terrifying to behold.
Nangong Yue ascended the altar step by step, bending down to meet the gaze of the slumped Xue Zi Ning. She grasped Xue Zi Ning's collar and sneered coldly, "Xue Zi Ning, your era of rule has ended. Now it is mine, Nangong Yue's..."
"You are delusional..." Xue Zi Ning stated, word by word.
"Haha... It has come to this, and you are still defiant when you are powerless to change it."
Nangong Yue's gaze suddenly turned icy. She picked up the arrow that had struck the incense burner and approached Xue Zi Ning step by step.
"Xue Zi Ning, die!" Nangong Yue's eyes blazed with a chilling light as she thrust the arrow towards Xue Zi Ning.
"Your Majesty..." From below, Wen Yu Xi gathered all his strength and leaped, grabbing Nangong Yue's arm and forcefully yanking her, pulling her entirely off the altar.
Nangong Yue tumbled down from the sacrificial platform.
Nangong Yue rose, looking at Wen Yu Xi, who had dragged her down, and delivered a kick. "Overestimating yourself."
Blood trickled from Wen Yu Xi's lips, yet he still managed to say, "Nangong Yue, don't hurt her..."
Nangong Yue ignored Wen Yu Xi; her sole objective was to kill Xue Zi Ning.
"Nangong Yue, you promised me you would spare His Majesty's life."
An Ling squeezed through the crowd and stood in front of Xue Zi Ning.
Xue Zi Ning's eyes darkened. "An Ling, I never expected it to be you..."
An Ling's body trembled. Biting her lip, she looked at Xue Zi Ning with remorse. "Your Majesty, I am sorry. I had no choice. My mother is in Nangong Yue's hands, and she threatened me with my mother and brother's safety. I..."
"An Ling, His Majesty treated you so well, and you betrayed him. You..." Xue Lian, unable to move below, exclaimed angrily.
An Ling turned her face away. "Your Majesty, I am sorry."
"An Ling, get out of the way..." Nangong Yue said coldly, seeing An Ling blocking her path.
An Ling shook her head. "You promised me you wouldn't harm His Majesty, which is why I..."
Before she could finish, the arrow in Nangong Yue's hand...
pierced her body and was then withdrawn. Nangong Yue then kicked her aside.
An Ling was thrown to the side, blood flowing from her chest. She moved her lips, but no words came out.
Nangong Yue sneered, "Fool, you believed whatever I said?"
Suddenly, her leg was grabbed. She saw An Ling clinging to her leg tightly. "You... you broke your promise..."
"Self-defeating..." Nangong Yue raised the arrow and plunged it towards An Ling's head.
Blood splattered, and An Ling fell to the ground, dead.
Nangong Yue returned to the altar, the arrow in her hand now stained with blood. She looked at the arrow and said, "Xue Zi Ning, see? Your blood will soon be on this."
"Nangong Yue, even if you kill me, you will not gain the throne, for you do not have the people's hearts."
"Don't have their hearts? Then I'll just kill everyone who doesn't obey me?" Nangong Yue said with a smile, appearing cold and bloodthirsty.
"Alright, Xue Zi Ning, go to hell!" Nangong Yue thrust the arrow towards Xue Zi Ning.
Below, Wen Yu Xi's eyes widened in alarm. Just as he was about to act, he saw Xue Zi Ning shake her head at him. He was taken aback.
He watched helplessly as the arrow in Nangong Yue's hand entered Xue Zi Ning's chest.
Wen Yu Xi was shocked; it was too late.
But the arrow in Nangong Yue's hand only pierced Xue Zi Ning's clothing shallowly. Afterward, she found herself unable to pierce any further.
Nangong Yue trembled, looking up at Xue Zi Ning, her face filled with shock.
At that very moment, a long sword pierced Nangong Yue's heart.
Nangong Yue froze, unable to believe it. When she looked down and saw the sword piercing her heart, she uncontrollably coughed up a mouthful of blood. Slowly, very slowly, she turned her head. The person behind her released the sword.
She collapsed onto the sacrificial altar.
Seeing the person walk past her, they knelt on one knee. "This humble subject Shen Yun Xiu arrived late to your rescue. I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness!"
"Shen... Shen Yun Xiu, you..." Nangong Yue had never imagined that Shen Yun Xiu would be the one to betray her at the last moment.