Chapter 700: I'll Support You Fully!
Chapter 700: I'll Support You Fully!
"Where'd he go?"
Yun Xiao was about to speak when Divine Dawn interrupted.
"He ran," Yun Xiao replied.
"Is he hurt?" Divine Dawn asked.
"Somewhat," Yun Xiao said.
At this, Divine Dawn bit her red lip, falling silent.
"You're disappointed, aren't you? I didn't capture him outright, leaving us a potential threat," Yun Xiao said.
The girl in the white dress shook her head. "He set the trap tonight. You surviving is a victory in itself.""Right, that...” Yun Xiao felt it was time to charm the lady after their side-by-side battle.
"What are you spacing out for?" Divine Dawn suddenly glared at him.
"What?"
"Get on with the important stuff," she said.
"Here?" Yun Xiao shook his head quickly, remembering the third time he and Lian Xi were supposed to have had, but it also required the right moment.
"What are you thinking?" The girl in the white dress looked at him with annoyance. "I meant for you to seize the chance to broadcast the matter of the incense offerings, to rally the support of the Great Dao Celestial Army and the other powers of the Celestial Court that he abandoned!"
"Oh..." Yun Xiao glanced around. He recalled how she was ambushed by over 800 top demons, devils, and Immortals the moment he was dragged into the Chaotic Spirit World.
Now, the ground was littered with countless dead.
Those who survived hid in the distance, their eyes filled with deep reverence and fear as they looked at Divine Dawn.
It seemed she had also intimidated Lu Fan's followers.
"Perhaps it's more fitting if you do it," Yun Xiao said with a smile.
In terms of presence, Divine Dawn was indeed more imposing, more imperial, while Yun Xiao carried himself with an ease and grace that lacked the air of an Emperor.
"Alright." She agreed, straightforward and decisive. "You have the charisma; you help me."
"Naturally, I'll support you fully," Yun Xiao replied.
The girl in the white dress bit her lip and stared at him, puzzled by how such an ethereal-looking man could harbor so many schemes.
She didn't care to ponder it further; having Yun Xiao stand by her side was all that mattered.
As the focal point of heaven and earth, a pair of ethereal youths—a young man and woman who had crushed the core of the Lu Fan's group—now stood before the masses.
The Great Dao Celestial Army, Free Immortals, and the demons and devils of the Celestial Court, except for those who had died in the main battle, none had left. They all stood frozen, their minds blank as they gazed upon this celestial pair.
Amidst them, Divine Dawn, with Yun Xiao's support, took a step forward, coming before the assembled troops.
"Ladies and gentlemen." Her youthful yet commanding voice swept across the crowd.
Someone took the lead and shouted, "Seventh Princess!"
The call, starting as a trickle, soon swelled into a roaring tide.
The Great Dao Celestial Army, under Lu Fan's banner, dared to address Divine Dawn with such reverence, a testament to her formidable presence that had already subdued the populace.
Of course, much of it was also because behind her stood another formidable figure.
Such cheers were just the beginning.
As the cries died down, Divine Dawn, before the multitude, removed the white tiger mask from her face.
With the mask removed, her delicate beauty was revealed.
Her visage, both pure and commanding, was stunningly beautiful, dazzling all present.
"It really is the Seventh Princess!"
Her appearance, her methods, her demeanor... were unchanged from before.
Was she truly a fake princess, a high criminal, or was there more to her story?
The cultivators were no fools; they pondered deeply, slowly understanding the situation.
Divine Dawn did not bother to prove her identity; it was meaningless. After removing her mask, she withdrew the Primordial Pagoda, and an intact Sky Soaring City appeared.
Within Sky Soaring City, countless people emerged from their panic, staring blankly up at the sky.
Those two white figures represented everything.
They had departed from Sky Soaring City, and now, they had returned.
"Come up," Divine Dawn called out.
For a moment, the ascenders captured by Lu Fan emerged from Sky Soaring City, and thousands gathered beside Divine Dawn.
"Use what your eyes have witnessed to tell the Great Dao Celestial Realm what the mortal realm, which Immortals are sworn to protect, is undergoing right now!"
Divine Dawn could have said it herself, but there might still be disbelievers.
These ascenders, bearing their own hardships, spoke with trembling voices from which it was hard to hide lies.
And they had proof. Countless pieces of proof! Each piece of evidence declared the cruel reality.
"Liu Mumu was right..."
Sky Soaring City had once been swept by such a storm! And now, it was bigger. Every dirty, unseen truth was revealed on this dark battlefield, exposing the bloody rawness of the mortal realm!
"How can this be..."
Disbelief rippled through the ranks of the Great Dao Celestial Army, Free Immortals, and the demons and devils of the Celestial Court.
For the grassroots, the scattered cultivators, and the demons and devils, most were untouched by this level of reality!
A fierce fire swept through everyone's hearts.
"The mortals of the mortal realm, used as nourishment for Immortals of Rank 6 and above in the Celestial Court?!"
"The Longevity Immortal guarded the Ascension Pool, stewing those who ascended seeking justice for their mortal star!"
"This is why the Celestial Court forbids ordinary Immortals from entering the mortal realm!"
"The secret of the White Emperor and Crown Prince's longevity was here..."
Faces of shock, numbness, and trembling turned towards the girl in the white dress.
They suddenly understood why, just days before, the Seventh Princess had died so abruptly. Who silenced her? Put that and what she did after her rebirth, even without her saying, the truth was crystal clear!
At that moment, everyone's hearts were profoundly shaken.
The truth was often uglier and more brutal than imagined.
"Do the Celestial Court's high officials, who trivialize human lives, deserve to represent the heavenly way?"
"With no virtue in the realm of Immortals, the high-ranking officials solidify their clan's position with incense offerings, while the lower Immortals flee for their lives! Where is the fairness?"
"There are Rank 6 officials even within the Great Dao Celestial Army, aren't there? To know if it's true, just ask them!"
Suddenly, all Heavenly Officers of Rank 6 and above within the Great Dao Celestial Army were pointed out by the masses.
"Step forward," Divine Dawn spoke.
"Seventh Princess..."
The faces of the celestial generals turned ashen, their bodies trembling.
Aware of the gravity of the situation and considering that Divine Dawn and Yun Xiao lacked a base of popular support, they knew that acknowledgment of their mistakes might suffice.
So, some obeyed and quickly stepped forward, kneeling in the void before Divine Dawn.
"The Celestial Court has decreed that from Rank 6 upwards, those not sustained by incense offerings will be expelled from the Great Dao Celestial Army, even facing severe punishment. Please understand, Seventh Princess, I was oppressed by others, left with no choice!" an old general said, his eyes brimming with hot tears, his voice laden with misery.
"I too was forced, please forgive me, Seventh Princess!"
"I was forced as well!"
As one celestial general after another desperately confessed, they inadvertently confirmed the truth of these claims.
Many of the lower-ranked Immortals gasped in shock. They had not realized that such heinous, unwritten rules existed within the unseen upper echelons of their society.
"We beg the Seventh Princess for forgiveness!"
Finally, three Rank 2 Supreme Generals, leading about 300 celestial generals, 50 Great Horned Immortals, and several demons, all knelt before Divine Dawn!
Almost all confessed voluntarily. And all that transpired here would be truthfully spread throughout the Great Dao Celestial Realm.
This time, no one could suppress the truth any longer!
"The Chaos Sovereign... Lu Bufan clearly knew about the incense offerings, but he too did not disrupt these unwritten rules!"
"How will the Seventh Princess handle them?"
Everyone's eyes turned to the girl in the white dress, their minds filled with some concern.
The Seventh Princess was too young. People weren't afraid of her lacking talent, but rather feared her potentially unstable handling of the situation.
At this moment, the ascenders seemed the most anxious. Gathering together, their eyes filled with hot tears, they looked on with anger and hatred at these officials of the Celestial Court.
They dared not speak, fearing they might pressure Divine Dawn, causing her to act impulsively.
"Seventh Princess!"
The Golden Guard Supreme General of the Great Dao Celestial Army bowed his head, his voice filled with sincerity.
"We, oppressed by the Celestial Court, have committed grave errors that are inexcusable. We only hope you will grant us a chance to redeem ourselves by contributing our last bit of strength to help you establish a new Celestial Court!"
"Please give us a chance!"
Thousands of officials bowed sincerely in unison.
Their demeanor undoubtedly drove the ascenders to despair. These cultivators from the mortal realm knew all too well their own power was minuscule compared to these officials.
Indeed, these officials were useful to the Seventh Princess! If she truly wished to accomplish anything, how could she do so without the support of the powerful in the Celestial Court?
There had to be a chance for redemption—only then would they pledge allegiance, strengthening her ranks; otherwise, she would be blocking her own path.
What could the numerous, but lower-ranked, do?
"Sigh..." The crowd felt a mix of emotions, watching those Rank 6 and above officials kneeling, unsure what to say.
Suddenly, Divine Dawn's eyes locked onto the Golden Guard Supreme General, "You wish for my forgiveness?"
"We beg the Seventh Princess to let us redeem ourselves," the Golden Guard Supreme General said.
"I am not the victim, I have no right to forgive you," Divine Dawn responded.
"That..." The Golden Guard Supreme General was taken aback.
Divine Dawn then turned to the ascenders. "Can you forgive them? If you do, they can join me, and in the end, if we settle scores, they'll come out unscathed. So I ask you, and the common folk you represent, can you forgive them?"
The ascenders stood frozen, their eyes red, throats burning, yet unable to utter a word.
Without experiencing another's suffering, one should not persuade them to show compassion.
"Forgive, or not. With me here, you don’t need to worry about the consequences, just tell me truthfully from your hearts, do they deserve to die?" Divine Dawn's voice grew impassioned.
Suddenly, a woman stepped forward, pointing at the Golden Guard Supreme General, "I don’t believe he was forced, I don’t believe any of them! Those who commit atrocities must face the consequences! I cannot forgive them!"
As one spoke up, tears streamed down the faces of the ascenders, and one by one, they stood. At that moment, there was no hint of showing forgiveness. Their stares fixed on the officials, tears flowing freely...
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