Chapter 1363: Chapter 1352: The Sacrificial Ceremony
The twelve priests present felt the refinement of True Qi, and their gaze towards Ning Fan changed, becoming a bit more cordial.
Now that Ning Fan’s identity as an ascetic and his Half-step Aerial Mastery cultivation had been confirmed, these twelve priests completely accepted him.
These twelve priests had long been aligned with the Muto Family, and now with an additional comrade, an extra force, how could they not be delighted?
Priests are truly rare indeed; a vast Ancient Sky City hasn’t seen a new priest emerge in more than a hundred years.
Ning Fan’s sudden rise, it’s no exaggeration to say, has already disrupted the balance between the City Hall and the Temple.
Forcing down the excitement within his heart, Tielei calmly said, “Master Ning, let me introduce you.”
“This is Master Rasu.”
“Master Ning, hello.”
“Hello.”
“This is Master Mu Hai.”
…
Despite Ning Fan still being just a step away from entering the Aerial Mastery Stage and becoming a true priest,
the twelve masters still accorded him equal respect.
Once the introductions were done, Tielei laughed and said, “Master Ning, welcome to officially join the Temple.”
“It’s my honor.”
“Master Ning, once the ceremonial ritual begins later…”
“Isn’t this the ceremony now?”
Upon hearing Ning Fan’s question, the twelve priests let out good-natured laughter.
“How could the ceremony be so simple?”
Rasu, at the Intermediate Aerial Mastery stage, gently laughed, “Master Ning, you are to receive the veneration of all people, the celebration of the whole city; just us twelve, wouldn’t that make the Temple seem too shabby.”
“Then what is this now?”
“Just everyone getting to know each other first, and introducing you to the procedures of the ceremony.”
Noticing the embarrassment in Tielei’s eyes, Ning Fan understood somewhat, “No wonder they had us come to the Temple so early. The old fellow is a bit uneasy, so he wants to test in advance.”
Though he was slightly annoyed at being underestimated, Ning Fan showed no dissatisfaction; what he must do now is to be showy without being flashy, modest without being humble.
In short, he must be flamboyant with restraint, or he could directly reveal his Aerial Mastery Stage cultivation.
Keeping his cultivation at the Peak of True Origin and Half-step Aerial Mastery not only would attract attention but also lower the other party’s guard, giving them an illusion of control.
Otherwise, the old fox Tielei would never trust Ning Fan so easily.
“Master Ning, during the veneration of the masses later, you don’t need to do anything; I’ll arrange everything.”
Ning Fan nodded; this was precisely in line with his intentions, sparing him from exposing any weaknesses.
At this moment, Tielei spoke again, “There will be a small ceremony afterward. Please cooperate, Master.”
Ning Fan cautiously asked, “What ceremony?”
“Just a qualification test ceremony.”
Upon finishing, Tielei quickly explained, “Of course! We don’t doubt your identity as an ascetic; after all, everyone saw the scene earlier.
This is just to strengthen the public’s faith in you, so we go through the process.”
Ning Fan curiously asked, “How is the test conducted?”
“It’s very simple; Master just needs to stand still and accept the Divine Light test from the Thousand-Year Eye, the whole process will be quick.”
“Thousand-Year Eye Totem!”
Ning Fan’s face changed, he looked at Tielei with a complex expression and spoke in a deep voice, “High Priest, as far as I know, the Thousand-Year Eye Totem seems to be used for sacrifices, in this…”
As he spoke, Ning Fan’s gaze involuntarily grew cold.
Just one sacrifice would alter his cultivated True Qi.
No matter how refined in the future, it could never return to its former state.
Ning Fan strongly suspected that the old scoundrel Tielei was scheming against him on this pretext.
“Master Ning, calm down.”
The worldly-wise Tielei could easily guess Ning Fan’s thoughts.
“If I wished to harm you, why would I have revealed the secret of the Thousand-Year Eye beforehand?”
Ning Fan’s gaze shifted slightly; indeed, the fact was that Tielei himself had disclosed this secret.
“I invited you to the Temple because I valued your potential. With your talents, you’ll surely become a leading figure in the Temple.”
Tielei further said, “Master Ning is our Temple’s hope; how could I undermine my own foundations?”
“All of us accepted the Divine Light test when we entered the Temple.”
“Yes. Master Ning, rest assured. The test Divine Light is entirely different from the sacrificial Divine Light.”
“Master Ning, please be at ease. Countless residents of the Ancient Sky City have undergone the Divine Light test without fault.”
“We all swear by our honor; the High Priest would never harm you.”
…
Listening to the earnest persuasion of everyone, Ning Fan realized that he was indeed being overly sensitive; Tielei indeed had no reason to harm him, at least not for the time being.
“No matter what happens. If any anomaly is detected during the test, don’t blame me for not showing courtesy.”
Despite this, Ning Fan still kept his guard slightly raised.
As time went by, daylight gradually broke, and the sun just appeared on the horizon.
Standing on the highest platform, Tielei gazed at the Ancient Sky City below and gently laughed, “Master Ning, do you see them? They have all come for you.”
Beneath the Temple’s pyramid, countless tiny black dots resembling ants swarmed this way.
These are all residents of the Ancient Sky City who received the news and came.
The only religious faith in the Ancient Sky City is the Sun God, which everyone worships.
Now, a new divine servant will enter the Temple to serve the gods; how can these devout believers not come to witness the ritual ceremony?
“Time has come. Initiate the Golden Stairway.”
With Tielei’s words falling.
Not far behind him, the Temple guards, standing uniformly like blocks, started moving.
Each Temple guard is clad in golden armor, golden boots, holding a golden spear, leaving the podium with a grand march.
Passing each stair level, two guards are left; they stand one on the left and one on the right side.
Throughout, there is no pause in their movements.
The troop of over two hundred moves with the fluidity akin to flowing clouds and water, showcasing high discipline and coordination.
Soon, the hundred-plus flights of stairs are lined with rows of temple guards as straight as spears, each with an unyielding gaze and a solemn demeanor.
Ning Fan glanced down, whether the troop to the left or the troop to the right, they all stood in a perfectly straight line, not deviating in the slightest.
These guards, identical in physique, stand steadfast, forming a unique path.
This level of discipline was enough to astonish Ning Fan, but a greater surprise awaited.
In the sunlight, these temple guards basking in the morning light appeared dazzling like golden War Gods.
On each level, the golden armor of the two temple guards facing each other flashed simultaneously.
Under the mutual gleam of the battle armor, the lowest tier of stairs suddenly turned golden yellow.
As the sun rose, the second tier also turned gold.
Gradually the third tier…
A golden pathway manifested before their eyes.