At first, when Chen Mo obtained the first wisp of Dragon Qi from the Blood Dragon Shapeshifter, he received a title called [Heavenly Decree].
This title had no additional effects, only a poem with obscure aning:
[Gazing up at the cosmos during the long night, the Emperor Star hangs distant in the Frozen Sky. The rise and fall, lanted but unanswered, only seeing the high sky with a moon like a bow.]
He never understood the purpose of this title.
Until last ti at the Frozen Sky Palace, when he accidentally entered the "Chaos Dao Domain," he obtained a wisp of the Origin of "Returning Ruins" and fused it with the Seven Dragon Constellations on the Spirit Platform, and the title changed as well.
The na changed to [Xuantian’s Mandate], and the description was modified to:
[Ziwei casts its light upon the Nine Heavens, Tribulation Fire burns the old palace to ashes. The winding history conceals dry bones, the solitary moon hangs high in the eternal void.]
"Xuantian’s Mandate... Heavenly Gift Day..."
"The starry illumination at the Observatory, the burning palace of today... So the true function of this title is prophecy?!"
"The first two lines have already been fulfilled, but what do the last two lines an?"
Chen Mo flew towards the temporary palace, his thoughts in turmoil.
Until the deafening explosion brought him back to his senses—
Boom boom boom—
The entire square seed like a torn sheet of paper, as raging flas erupted from the cracks in the ground.
Officials’ caps scattered as they scrambled for cover, so were hit by rubble and started bleeding, while others got stuck halfway in the cracks, helplessly watching the flas closing in.
Screams and shouts of shock, mingled with the ear-splitting wailing of the Earth Veins...
The scene was utterly chaotic!
"Formation!"
A commander of the Imperial Army shouted loudly, "Stand guard!"
"Yes!"
The soldiers responded thunderously, stepping forward with large strides, raising their shields, a dazzling light blossoming, forming a spherical protective barrier that blocked the flying stones and flas outside.
"Quick, quick, get inside to take cover!"
"Don’t push!"
The civil and military officials, realizing this, rushed to squeeze inside the barrier.
However, the quake was too intense, wave after wave, relentless like a raging sea.
Soldiers were occasionally thrown into the air by the blast, and the shield flickered uncertainly as others had to fill in the gaps, gritting their teeth to hold on.
Whoosh—
Several figures soared into the sky, flying towards the Jiulong Platform, shouting:
"Protect His Highness! Save the Crown Prince first!"
Chen Mo’s gaze swept through the crowd, spotting Chen Zhuo and Shen Xiong standing together, their clothes covered with talismans glowing with a protective light, indicating that the amulet from his mother was effective.
Seeing that the old man was safe, his heart settled slightly, and he sped up a bit more.
Boom—
The huge and luxurious palace collapsed in the middle, flas climbed up along the eaves and columns.
In an instant, the blaze shot to the sky!
"Her Majesty the Empress!"
Chen Mo was anxious and was about to rush in when a flash of golden light appeared through the billowing smoke.
Imdiately afterward, the Empress, in a bright yellow palace gown, rose into the air from the ruins, with the shadow of a Seal Platform appearing behind her. Eunuch Jin stood beside her, waving his sleeves, forming an invisible large hand that scooped the Palace Attendants one by one from the wreckage.
"Your Highness, are you all right?"
Chen Mo ca closer and carefully examined her.
He only relaxed when he confird she was unhard.
"I’m fine." The Empress looked at the chaotic scene before her, her expression grave, "What on earth is happening?"
Eunuch Jin spoke up: "This is clearly not a natural disaster but a preditated attack. Strangely, there was no sign of any Primordial Qi fluctuation beforehand that could have caused such destruction..."
As he spoke, his nostrils twitched, "There’s also a pungent sll, it seems like..."
"Red Sand." Chen Mo took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Soone prepared the Intense Burning Powder in advance and placed it in the temple here. The fuse must be under the copper furnace, igniting it caused the explosion along with the kindling."
"But before the grand ceremony, I personally ca to inspect, and found no anomalies."
Eunuch Jin was perplexed: "To create such an effect, a large amount of Intense Burning Powder would be needed. This place is heavily guarded, so how did they manage to transport it in?"
"Because the explosives were buried underground long ago."
All the fragnted clues in Chen Mo’s mind ca together.
Zhou Jing’an, under Chu Heng’s command, had secretly opened a mine and signed a contract with the Demon Clan to destroy the great formation and let the Demon Clan into the city.
But is that really the case?
The Zhou Family and the Prince Yu Mansion were thoroughly searched, yet the extracted Red Sand was never found.
There were two blocked tunnels under the Prince Yu Mansion, and under the hypnosis effect of "Floating Life Dream," he asked Chu Heng where the tunnels led.
Chu Heng only ntioned the number "nine" before his words ended abruptly.
It seems now that this "nine" likely referred to the Jiulong Platform!
"Do you an Chu Heng had the tunnels dug from beneath the Prince Mansion to the southern suburbs and placed the explosives in advance?"
After listening to Chen Mo’s concise explanation, the Empress furrowed her brow, "But what is his purpose? What benefit does he gain from this?"
"I have so conjectures, but it’s still uncertain."
"After all, it’s too coincidental for such an event to happen the first ti the Crown Prince attends the ceremony..."
"Could it be..."
Chen Mo turned to look at the Jiulong Platform.
The tremors had not ended yet, and amid the billowing smoke and raging flas, the three-tiered Jade Platform wobbled precariously.
But the nine pitch-black stone pillars stood firm like stabilizing needles, the eyes of the Dragon reliefs coiled around them lit up with red light, their gaping mouths roaring skyward like living creatures.
"Roar—"
The roar reverberated powerfully in the air.
The Imperial Army was ntally shaken, their mouths and noses bled, and the protective barrier above them began to disintegrate.
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