Chapter 673: The Ritual of the Guardian Grand Formation

Boom! Boom!

Low, rhythmic drumbeats rang out across the plaza. Golden banners waved on all sides, and countless soldiers slammed their heavy halberds against the ground, making the earth tremble. A grand, majestic momentum rose from it all.

Some elderly court officials of the Wang Ting, dressed in solemn finery, stepped forward and launched into a long-winded speech that left many people's heads spinning.

After the old officials had finished all the elaborate rituals, the young king on the dragon carriage rose to his feet. His frail body stepped down from the carriage one step at a time, then began climbing the white jade stone stairs, one step at a time.

Every gaze in the entire venue converged on him.

The young king's fair, delicate face was now solemn. He climbed the stairs step by step. This was the Heaven-Worshipping Platform; he needed to complete the ritual up there. It was said this ritual was tied to the Great Xia's Guardian Grand Formation, the strongest formation in Great Xia. Once the ritual was successfully completed, the young king would become its sole controller.

With that Guardian Grand Formation in hand, even a king-level expert would be unable to do anything to him within the Great Xia City.

And with that Guardian Grand Formation, the young king would become the strongest person in Great Xia City. In the face of such absolute power, no faction would dare show him the slightest disrespect. By then, his seat would be considered thoroughly secured.

The so-called coronation ceremony was, in fact, nothing more than a ritual to take control of the Guardian Grand Formation.

All the powerful experts present stared at this scene without blinking. Even they, these marquis-level experts, were filled with wariness toward the power of that Guardian Grand Formation. One could say it was the Great Xia Dynasty's ultimate deterrent weapon.

As long as the Guardian Grand Formation was in hand, Great Xia would not fall.

Under the gaze of countless eyes, the young king finally reached the top of the white jade platform.

At the top of the stone platform stood a white jade statue—the founding ancestor of Great Xia. The young king knelt piously before the statue. The next moment, streaks of light patterns spread across the stone platform, and countless streams of light shot skyward from the white jade platform. Immediately, wind and clouds surged between heaven and earth, and an invisible force radiated outward, as if the entire Great Xia City itself was trembling.

Everyone looked up toward the sky above the royal palace.

There, an incomparably massive, profound light formation was slowly taking shape. With the appearance of this grand formation, the energy throughout heaven and earth seemed to boil, and as the light formation inhaled and exhaled, all of it was drawn inside.

A vast, heavy pressure descended.

Many marquis-level experts' faces turned solemn. This was Great Xia's Guardian Grand Formation.

This formation was connected to over a hundred commanderies within Great Xia's territory. One could say that the more prosperous Great Xia's national power, the stronger this Guardian Grand Formation became. In principle, it was somewhat similar to House Luolan Mansion's guardian formation, but whether in scale or power, this Guardian Grand Formation was far stronger. Of course, that was only natural—after all, this Guardian Grand Formation had been built by Great Xia's ancestors over a hundred years, and the accumulated resources it consumed were far beyond what House Luolan Mansion's formation could compare to.

Li Luo was also staring at the terrifying grand formation in the sky, then his gaze swept toward the direction of the Regent. That fellow was also looking at the grand formation, his expression calm, revealing no ripples, appearing not the least bit worried.

"What exactly is this old thing trying to do?" Li Luo frowned. Right now, the young king had already drawn out the Guardian Grand Formation. Once the ritual was complete, he would be able to take control of it. So why did the Regent look not the least bit anxious?

Everyone knew that once the Guardian Grand Formation was controlled by the young king, the Regent would never be able to stir up any more trouble.

In fact, it wasn't only Li Luo who was puzzled. The leaders of the other factions present were also sneaking glances at the Regent's side, their hearts equally filled with suspicion.

Could it be that the Regent had given up? That didn't match his character.

The Eldest Princess's phoenix eyes fixed on the young king's slender figure, her long jade fingers slowly tightening. At such a critical moment, even with her composure, she couldn't help but feel her heart pound faster. Years of anticipation—all on this very moment.

Yet the silence from the Regent's side stirred a vague unease in her heart.

Because she understood the Regent too well. Given his years of dominance and the ambition he had revealed, if anyone said he would peacefully hand over power, the Eldest Princess would be the first to call it a fantasy.

And if the Regent wasn't planning to give up, then his current silence was nothing more than the prelude to an approaching storm.

That was all the more reason to be on guard.

One of the Eldest Princess's hands was hidden in her sleeve, a jade slip clutched in her palm. The moment anything went wrong, she would crush the jade slip, and her troops stationed in Great Xia City would immediately surround and attack the Regent's Wang Fu.

At this moment, the Eldest Princess's face was cold, her phoenix eyes piercing, brimming with killing intent. Years ago, before their father king passed, he had entrusted her with supporting her younger brother. But back then he was still a child, so facing the dominant Regent, she had yielded again and again. Now the young king had come of age, and it was time for Great Xia's authority to be returned. If the Regent still refused, then there was nothing for it but a true Wang Ting civil war.

As the various factions harbored their own thoughts, the pressure radiating from the Guardian Grand Formation overhead grew increasingly terrifying. The entire world seemed to dim at this moment, leaving only that massive formation turning slowly.

The young king knelt before the ancestor statue atop the white jade platform. Under the gaze of all, he drew out a small golden knife and cut his palm. Yet the blood did not drip down; instead, it swiftly rose into the air and finally merged into the vast Guardian Grand Formation.

Buzz, buzz!

As the blood flowed in, the Guardian Grand Formation immediately erupted with rings of massive energy ripples, as if it were conducting some kind of verification—discerning whether the young king's blood was the pure bloodline of the royal family.

Everyone watched this scene in tense anticipation.

Because this was already the final step. Once the verification was complete, the Guardian Grand Formation would bestow the right of control. Then, at a single thought from the young king, he could unleash a terrifying force capable of contending with a king-level expert.

Boom, boom!

Terrifying energy fluctuations continuously radiated from the Guardian Grand Formation overhead, like hurricanes and thunder, the great sounds echoing across all of Great Xia City. At this moment, countless gazes within Great Xia City turned toward it.

The Guardian Grand Formation churned like a colossal beast. The next instant, a pillar of light descended from the sky, directly enveloping the young king's figure.

Within the pillar of light surged vast, boundless energy. The young king's hair and robes billowed, and a tremendous force poured into his body. Under the empowerment of this force, he felt his entire body growing ever stronger.

This force seemed capable of tempering his body as well, making him even more powerful.

This filled the young king with immense joy. The Black Lotus poison on his back over the years had left him quite frail; this was the first time he had ever felt so brimming with power.

Even at this moment, he clearly sensed that the Black Lotus poison on his back was loosening under the tempering of the Guardian Grand Formation's power, and being purified.

So it turned out that controlling the Guardian Grand Formation actually had such a benefit!

The young king extended his palm. In the center of his palm, a mysterious rune seemed to be gradually taking shape. He had seen this rune in the Wang family's secret archives—it was the key to controlling the Guardian Grand Formation. So the moment the rune fully condensed, he would be able to take control of this Guardian Grand Formation.

Everything was moving in a favorable direction.

Everyone present also sensed at this moment that the young king within the pillar of light seemed to be forming a special connection with the Guardian Grand Formation in the sky. As a result, even the young king, whose original Xiangli level was not high, began to radiate a strange pressure.

This was a sign of success.

Li Luo stared fixedly at this scene, then his peripheral vision swept toward the Regent's direction, and his heart suddenly clenched. Because at this moment, he seemed to see the corner of the Regent's expressionless mouth slowly curl upward.

Vaguely, Li Luo felt a sense of unease.

Boom!

Within the pillar of light, energy churned. Suddenly, the clothing on the young king's back seemed to be eroded by some kind of aura, becoming somewhat torn.

Li Luo's gaze swept over, and his pupils suddenly contracted slightly.

Because he saw that the Black Lotus mark on the young king's back was fading at an astonishing speed.

The Black Lotus, at this moment, turned into a Green Lotus.

The Black Lotus poison that had caused the young king years of suffering seemed to have been completely purged at this moment?

A trace of astonishment rose in Li Luo's heart. And at this very moment, whether it was an illusion or not, he noticed that the young king's hair seemed to be gradually growing longer, while also becoming increasingly dark, soft, and lustrous.

The young king's originally delicate features, at this moment, gradually revealed a soft, gentle beauty.

Looking at the young king now, a sudden absurd feeling welled up in Li Luo's heart.

Because he felt that the current young king seemed... like a girl?!