dtnovels Chapter 1: Restarting the Story
Chapter 1: Restarting the Story
The sky was dark, and snowflakes fell heavily on the thick snow, turning the world into a white wonderland.
The altar, surrounded by ten stone pillars, is about 100 meters high, seemingly reaching into the clouds, while the fire pit in the center is a full ten meters wide. The more than seven hundred steps are all packed with people.
This is the first time in the past five hundred years that a person has undergone a tribulation to ascend to the rank of High God. Not to mention ascending to the rank of High God, there has never even been a person who ascended to become an Immortal.
"Shen Yannan, for his own selfish gain, framed His Majesty and released demons, causing chaos throughout the land. Today is the day His Majesty ascends to heaven. We will burn this despicable and shameless scoundrel as a sacrifice, firstly to comfort the souls of the dead, and secondly to protect His Majesty's safe ascension."
The priest was an old man with a rather otherworldly air, long white hair and beard, holding a whisk in his hand, and with a righteous expression.
"That scoundrel deserves to die! How dare he harm His Majesty!"
"Exactly, he's not even as good as one of His Majesty's fingers. This is already too good for him."
Below the altar, people were filled with righteous indignation. No one knew who started it, but this group of Taoist practitioners acted like shrewish women in the streets, throwing the objects in their hands at the people on the altar.
The man's tattered sleeves and trouser legs hung loosely, fluttering freely in the wind. His face was unrecognizable, covered in blood, pus, and swollen flesh, making one want to vomit at first glance.
Shen Yannan was completely powerless, and even breathing became difficult. Despite the constant attacks on his body, he was completely unaware, as if he were a dead man.
He has no regrets about his current predicament. Seizing power is like walking a tightrope; one wrong step and it's all over. He only regrets that he wasn't quick enough, ruthless enough!
I wonder what Ah Li's expression will be when she hears the news of his death.
"Shen Yannan, do you know your crime?"
The priest knew he could no longer speak, but he still asked that question.
The priest kicked Shen Yannan's head and said mercifully, "Don't be afraid, the sacrifice will wash away your sins."
The priest began chanting incantations.
According to ancient records, there was no such procedure in the sacrificial rites for those who were about to ascend to heaven. The reason for adding it was merely to use Shen Yannan's life to curry favor with the emperor who was about to ascend.
The fire in the pit was blazing, and the crackling sound of wood being thrown in reached Shen Yannan's ears. His heart was calm, as if he had already accepted his fate.
The crowd cheered, but one woman wearing a veiled hat looked on with pity.
Wen Li had known this would be her fate, but she was still surprised when she saw Shen Yannan's current appearance.
"The time has come, the sacrifice begins." The priest on the platform spoke in a loud and clear voice, ordering his men to drag Shen Yannan away and throw him into the fire pit.
"Burn him! Burn him! Burn him!"
The atmosphere grew increasingly heated, and seeing that the person on the stage was about to be burned to death, Wen Li gripped the sword in her hand tightly.
We're all going to die sooner or later, so let's make the most of it today!
The two people pressing down on Shen Yannan on the platform were suddenly struck by two ghost talismans and rolled off the altar.
"Let's see who dares to touch him!"
She lifted the veil, drew her red silk sword, and in the blink of an eye, the girl in red stood in front of the battered Shen Yannan.
"The Ghost Talisman belongs to that demoness Wen Li!"
Someone in the crowd recognized her; she was Wen Li, the Jiang family's granddaughter who had disappeared many years ago.
"You've come at the perfect time! His Majesty is kind-hearted and hasn't issued an arrest warrant for you, but you've delivered yourself right to my doorstep. Today, I'll make sure you, you vixen, die without a burial place."
As he spoke, the middle-aged man dressed in a Taoist robe raised his sword and charged forward.
Wen Li, wielding her red silk sword, knocked the man off the stage in just three moves. Seeing this, the crowd grew somewhat intimidated and involuntarily took a step back.
Back in the Xuanling Sect, Wen Li was the number one cultivation genius every year, not to mention that she could use ghost talismans.
"What are you afraid of! If we all attack together, we're not afraid of losing."
Wen Li has a striking appearance, with overly delicate features that make her seem somewhat aloof, but her small face and round eyes also give her a youthful appearance.
She was undeniably a stunningly beautiful woman, captivating at first sight, yet her eyes always held a mocking glint, her expression haughty—a complete wicked woman. And then there was her petal-like mouth…
"You really don't dare to fight me one-on-one?"
"With such limited skills, you think you can take my life? You might as well go home and drink your milk."
Wen Li was knocked back a few steps, but she regained her footing and charged forward again.
"It's one thing for a petty person to be narrow-minded, but how come their cultivation level is so pitifully low?"
Those who dared to step forward were all quite capable, and now, upon hearing these words, they were even more enraged and rushed forward, unleashing spells and techniques one after another.
"Damn witch, even if you have half the blood of the Wen family, you can't change the despicable nature of your Jiang family."
"Everyone, charge! She's the one who blinded His Majesty back then! We must avenge His Majesty!"
"Yes! Avenge His Majesty!"
"Avenge His Majesty!"
……
Damn it, these old geezers! Back when I blinded someone, everyone cheered and called me "Heroine Wen."
Wen Li's physical strength gradually waned, and her spiritual energy was gradually depleted, but she never lost the battle of wits.
"Yes, it was I who gouged out Shen Yingsi's eyes."
"Your revered emperor is kneeling at my feet, begging for mercy."
A sword slashed down from Wen Li's head, which she barely dodged. Several more swords came from the left and right sides at the same time. Wen Li dodged in mid-air, but was then pierced through the back by a spiritual force.
A mouthful of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth, and before he could wipe it away, several more stabs came at him.
"His Majesty did not hold it against you, but you made things difficult for him when you were in trouble. How dare you, you vixen, slander His Majesty?"
A sword pierced through Wen Li's abdomen, causing her body to go limp, and the sword in her hand was instantly knocked away.
“I am a witch, and what good are you? Didn’t you stab Shen Yingsi a few times or curse him a few times when he was down on his luck? At least I have always despised him, unlike you who support him a few seconds ago and then curse him a few seconds later.”
Wen Li's eyes were red, and the blood on her mouth hadn't even dried when she was struck in the chest again. But her eyes remained fixed on the crowd, filled with murderous intent, but even more so with an unyielding stubbornness.
Wen Li unleashed all the demonic curses on her body, chanting the incantation: "Borrowing divine power to relieve my worries."
As soon as the incantation was uttered, everyone was struck backward, and Wen Li also collapsed instantly, only supported by a sword to prevent her from falling completely. Blood and sweat mixed and dripped from her head.
Shen Yannan made muffled noises, his body writhing as he tried to shield Wen Li. But it was clearly futile; he was now a cripple who couldn't even die.
Feeling powerless and desperate, it seemed that only at this moment did Shen Yannan feel regret.
He never imagined that anyone would come to save him, let alone that Ah Li would come to save him.
So he regretted it! He really regretted it! Not because of his own despicable ambition, but because he regretted dragging Ali down.
Wen Li seemed to sense something and turned her head: "Anan, don't be afraid, I won't run away, I will always stand by your side."
Wen Li was already in so much pain that she was barely conscious, and was only holding on by a thread to keep herself from fainting.
In a daze, it seemed that those who hit her had all retreated, and she seemed to see a Bodhisattva, a male Bodhisattva at that.
But why is his left eye covered by an eyepatch? Is he blind in his left eye? It's such a pity that such a handsome person is blind.
"Wen Li, I didn't go to take your life, why did you come back to die?"
The world was so quiet that only Wen Li's breathing could be heard. The people who had been so noisy just moments before were now completely silent, and even their breathing became cautious.
Why did I come back?
"Anan, I need to save Anan."
"But you know you can't save him."
The male bodhisattva's voice was very gentle, with a captivating charm.
"Should we just not save them if we can't save them? I don't seek things to go smoothly; I only follow my heart."
The male Bodhisattva squatted down, his face close enough that Wen Li's gaze met his eyes, noticing the small red mole on his forehead. She felt he looked familiar, like...who did he look like again?
"But he deserves to die, Shen Yi'an. To seize the position of Crown Prince, he harmed his own people. To bring down the Xie family, he unsealed Ghost Valley, releasing demons and plunging the world into chaos. How many innocent people have died at his hands? Wen Li, doesn't he deserve to die? Why are you still on his side today?"
The male bodhisattva's voice was still so gentle, yet it contained a powerful sense of oppression.
Staring at his blindfolded eyes and the small red mole on his forehead, a name suddenly popped into Wen Li's dizzy mind.
Shen Yingsi
The Crown Prince of the Great Jin Dynasty, the one she blinded. Now, it seems, he has become the Emperor of the Great Jin Dynasty.
He finally came to seek revenge on me.
Wen Li replied weakly, “What does it matter to me whether he should die or not? Even if he has wronged the world, he has treated me very well, and that is enough. The world already despises me, and Anan is my only friend in this life. Your Highness, you have everything, so naturally you will not understand the mutual sympathy between people like us who have nothing.”
"They appreciate each other, but Wen Li, he doesn't deserve it—"
A hint of ferocity appeared on Shen Yingsi's jade-like face. With a wave of his hand, he threw the dying man into the sacrificial fire pit.
Shen Yannan was unable to make a sound to begin with, and he was burned to death so silently that it made people wonder if there really was such a person there.
"It is already an honor for him to offer sacrifices for me."
Wen Li watched helplessly as Shen Yannan was pushed into the fire pit, which was too big and too deep; she couldn't even hear his screams.
That must hurt a lot.
The snow suddenly started falling heavily. Wen Li didn't feel the cold at all; she only felt the bleeding spots on her body getting hotter.
She really hates winter, especially snowy days.
"Wen Li, look, he's dead."
Shen Yingsi suddenly laughed. It was a gentle and beautiful laugh that probably no one in the world could resist.
He slowly raised his right hand, only to see the girl in front of him flip and leap into the fire pit that still smelled of roasted meat.
Upon seeing this, the people around couldn't help but cheer.
"Your Majesty did the right thing. It would be too good for her to die like this!"
"That witch should have died long ago. Offering her as a sacrifice to His Majesty would be her honor."
"Her offering sacrifice to His Majesty can be seen as atonement for the sins of her maternal family."
"Your Majesty, wise!"
"Your Majesty, wise!"
The emperor, whom everyone worshipped, still had his right hand outstretched, and the smile on his lips hadn't even faded yet.
But no one noticed his unusual behavior, and everyone was happy.
The sky suddenly darkened, the heavy snow stopped abruptly, and the strong winds and thunder all indicated that Shen Yingsi's tribulation was about to begin.
He will soon ascend to godhood and become the only god in the world.
Cheers erupted all around, and some people even fainted from excitement; everyone was incredibly thrilled.
"Look! His Majesty has flown up!"
Shen Yingsi was enveloped in lightning and suspended in the air, constantly being struck by lightning. The thunder roared louder and louder, as if it would shatter the heavens and the earth.
The world was shrouded in darkness, yet filled with joy. Everyone was happy, even the gods.
All the gods in Heaven gathered together in excitement.
"The Supreme God has successfully completed his tribulation!"
"Great! We're about to see the real God!"
In an instant, the world was in chaos. Three days later, when the thunder and fog subsided, Shen Yingsi, who should have been surrounded by divine aura, was instead enveloped in dense demonic energy.
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Beep beep---
Warning, warning! This world is about to collapse. Please restart the story immediately.