Chapter 3015: The Enthronement Ceremony

A state cannot go a single day without a ruler.

The assassination of the Between Between Between Beijia Yaodi left him dead at the hands of the Cangyan enemies, and originally a new emperor needed to ascend immediately to stabilize the people's hearts.

But the Heavenly Palace and the Yaodi factions kept attacking each other, causing the ritual approval for the enthronement ceremony to be blocked layer upon layer, delaying it by seven days before it could proceed—this clearly violates Between Between Between Beijia's regulations. In the past, the succession of the two previous emperors always involved the new ruler ascending and the deceased ruler being buried.

Before the old Yaodi was assassinated, Lingxu City and the Heavenly Palace had deep-seated conflicts but barely maintained surface peace, and the administrative system still functioned normally; however, since the Yaodi met his untimely demise, the two sides have refused to cooperate, even causing several officials in charge of the ceremony to die, and the enthronement ceremony has been repeatedly postponed. Of course, the one who will ascend the throne of Between Between Between Beijia is none other than the Crown Prince Wuhuan, without any doubt. He is himself a pure-blooded royal Jiaolong descendant and also possesses the Dragon God's bloodline, and has received strong support from numerous vassal Yaodi states and the Heavenly Palace, making him the sole candidate acceptable to both sides.

Even the King of Chiyan cannot find a single reason to oppose his ascension.

On this day, the enthronement ceremony was also held before the Dragon God Temple on Ascending Dragon Mountain, with all civil and military officials gathered. Lingxu Shengzun even specially manifested a divine sign to demonstrate his legitimate recognition of the new Between Between Between Beijia emperor.

As the appointed time arrived, flying flowers filled the entire city. Golden small flowers rained down from the sky, carrying a refreshing fragrance that invigorated the heart and spleen.

Even if city residents received only one flower, as long as they brought it to their nose to smell, they instantly felt mentally refreshed and inwardly delighted, with all boredom and melancholy swept away.

If one managed to gather several golden flowers and eat them, they could turn white hair black, make the skin oily and supple, reduce wrinkles, and even allow a woman over sixty to instantly return to the state of someone in her thirties.

These years, the frequent outbreaks of Imperial Flow Elixir have subjected the residents of Lingxu City to repeated trials, raising their horizons. Previously, divine signs displayed by the gods were not necessarily as effective as the arrival of Imperial Flow Elixir, so in recent years, the heavenly gods have rarely displayed large-scale divine signs, lest they labor in vain.

But the divine sign of Lingxu Shengzun can make people return to youth—how could ordinary folk not be overjoyed?

Of course, youth is time-limited, lasting only five days before and after, but this does not hinder the people of Lingxu City from their current joy, nor does it prevent them from praising Shengzun's vast divine powers.

Even fleeting joy is joy, timely dispelling the doubts and tensions in Lingxu City.

Amidst a sea of joy and excitement, the enthronement ceremony of the new Between Between Between Beijia emperor officially began.

Under the witness of countless eyes, Lu Yongyan, the envoy of the Yun Cloud Lord, crowned Wuhuan on behalf of Lingxu Shengzun.

Wuhuan's father and grandfather both ascended to the Yaodi throne through this very ceremony.

Is the kingship of Between Between Between Beijia heaven-granted? No, it is god-granted.

Every official present here, including Wuhuan himself, must firmly remember this point.

After days of companionship and comfort from Yao Xinning, daughter of the Grand Minister of Agriculture, Wuhuan's emotions have stabilized from the grief and anger over his father's assassination, and now he stands silently before Lu Yongyan on the Bai Yu steps below.

Nie Xiaolou and the State Preceptor of Xia Gonguo stand on his left and right.

Hong Chenglüe today led eight thousand elite troops up the mountain, and at this moment they are all stationed in strict readiness around Ascending Dragon.

The Heavenly Palace is no less formidable—Lu Yongyan is accompanied by divine attendants and palace guards, Lin Li.

This formation fundamentally violates ritual propriety; it would have been impossible during the previous Yaodi's succession. But now, no one dares to criticize it.

The immortals of Lingxu City and the gods of the Heavenly Palace are also present.

Both sides are strictly guarding against each other, with not a single point of trust remaining.

At today's ceremony site, it is more accurate to say it resembles a confrontation rather than a coronation—it can be called an unprecedented anomaly in the six-hundred-year history of Between Between Between Beijia's founding.

All who witnessed this scene with their own eyes could not help but feel sorrow and reflection in their hearts.

How did the once mighty and invincible northern Yaodi state, which could make the world tremble three times with a single stomp, come to this state? Although the mountain air has turned cool at this season, the hundreds of officials still feel sweat on their backs and occasionally wipe their foreheads.

So-called coronation means placing the splendid crown symbolizing royal authority onto the head of the new Yaodi emperor.

No matter what, in front of the officials and before the people, the proper ceremonial procedures must still be completed for Wuhuan to rightfully earn his title, and for the Heavenly Palace to properly fulfill its god-granted office.

The former world-ruining tyrant, Crown Prince Wuhuan, now also maintains a calm and peaceful mind, silently lowering his head before the Yun Cloud Lord, waiting for him to place the crown upon his head.

This crown is no ordinary object.

It is the ancestral treasure of the Between Between Between Beijia royal family for hundreds of years, said to be forged from a reverse scale of the Dragon God. This scale, after the ancient war ended, protected human settlements for hundreds of years, shielding them from natural disasters.

Later, the Xian Sect and the Yaodi clan split apart, growing increasingly distant. As descendants of the Dragon God, the Between Between Between Beijia clan became utterly disappointed in humanity and thus reclaimed the Dragon God's reverse scale, refining it into the ceremonial crown of the Between Between Between Beijia Yaodi.

Moreover, it is said that this ceremonial crown differs from ordinary crowns, as it is infused with the knowledge of every generation of Yaodi emperors. When the new emperor dons it, he will immediately come into full contact with the wisdom of his ancestors.

This is also the special inheritance power of the Dragon Clan.

Otherwise, such a vast and complex Yaodi state could not be governed by a new emperor starting from zero.

Of course, the above are merely hearsay. Aside from the royal bloodline, no one has discovered anything special about this crown, including the temple attendants who maintain it daily. Precisely because of its extraordinary significance and immense value, the Dragon God Crown is used only as a ritual vessel during coronations and is normally kept stored in the Dragon God Temple.

Basically, each emperor uses it only once in his lifetime. Including today, over the past six hundred years, the Dragon God Crown has been taken out a total of four times, all used in such public occasions as now.

Standing around observing the ceremony, Xia Gonguo State Preceptor and General Qingwu, among others, silently lowered their heads, their hearts filled with mixed emotions. Even today, the new emperor's ascension still involves the Heavenly Palace crowning him—nothing has changed.

The sacrifices of so many people have come to nothing; the heavenly gods' rule over Between Between Between Beijia remains unshakable.

What should they do from now on? Should they abandon resistance, or continue the struggle?

After all, the new emperor is truly young in years, his mental capacity equivalent to that of a human child under ten. The Jiaolong clan does experience a period of rapid mental maturation, but that usually only occurs after over a hundred years—too distant to solve the present urgent need.

How can such an emperor lead the entire Between Between Between Beijia? How can he contend with the Heavenly Palace?

Even, how can he protect himself and avoid following in his father's footsteps?

Nie Xiaolou and the close ministers all feel a heavy weight in their hearts.

The road ahead is dark—where, then, is the light?

Nie Xiaolou specially sent a sound transmission to Hong Chenglüe:

"Has that matter been arranged?"

Hong Chenglüe did not look askance, but replied: "Arranged. In case of any unforeseen event, you can leave immediately."

Receiving the affirmative reply, Nie Xiaolou felt somewhat relieved.

He faintly sensed that today's ceremony might bring great changes.

But no matter what changes occur, he must also preserve the bloodline of the late emperor.