Chapter 955 – Like a Rock (1/2)
Chapter 955 – Like a Rock
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
The Heavenly Selection ceremony truly was a very simple process, and also a fast one. As the matches proceeded, each round would halve the number of participants, causing the ceremony to progress even faster. While still early in the day, over half of the selection process had been completed.
The victors had already been decided in many fighting platforms, and were now engaging in fierce competitions according to the districts they were assigned to. On the other hand, the fighting platforms in the vicinity of the Imperial Palace and Heavensguard Pavilion had long since finished the selections for their final candidates, with no one daring to issue any challenges to them.
Xiaode, the Great Western Continent's Second Prince, and the mysterious young man in the bamboo hat stood on their respective platforms.
The demi-human populace gazed with respect and worship at those figures on the platform that, though seemingly lonely, were actually proud.
The most attention was still focused on Xiaode. As the number one expert of the Demi-human race's middle generation, the strength he had exhibited in his matches had been far too frightening. Not even the Vice Commander of the Red River Beast Guard or several demi-human generals had been able to last more than a few exchanges against him.
His victory was completely within expectations.
With Wang Po's entry to the Divine Domain and Xiao Zhang's being wanted by the Great Zhou Imperial Court, Xiaode was now ranked second on the Proclamation of Liberation.
The continent's experts of the Divine Domain naturally would not participate in the Heavenly Selection. The secluded elders of the sects of humanity's south would also not so shamefully request to marry Princess Luoluo, so unless Liang Wangsun himself came or the several high-ranking Divine Generals of the Great Zhou took part, who could defeat Xiaode?
The vast majority of the ordinary people in White Emperor City thought the same.
The one that would be able to marry the princess, endure the baptism of the Wildfire, and become the next White Emperor naturally had to be Xiaode.
Xiaode knew more secrets than the common herd, but he still thought the same.
An expert of the continent required exactly this sort of self-confidence. More importantly, no matter what the Empress thought, no matter what sort of political battle was taking place behind the Heavenly Selection ceremony, since the ceremony was being conducted according to the traditional rules, he could not lose, because no one could defeat him.
He calmly stood on the fighting platform, feeling the gazes surrounding him. He did not lose himself in them, nor was he annoyed.
The other figures on the fighting platforms were just as calm, whether it was the young man in the bamboo hat, the Second Prince of the Great Western Continent, or the other demi-human experts. They were all truly important individuals, so they were used to being the focus of the crowds.
At this moment, they only needed to quietly wait, wait for the last few candidates to appear.
As for whether those candidates would affect them, they didn't care. Those who could fight their way out of so many battles were assuredly not simple people. What sort of people could those distant and impoverished districts produce that could threaten them?
At this moment, a few commoners looked down with curious gazes.
The Imperial Palace and Heavensguard Pavilion were located at the highest point of the city. If one wanted to walk to them, they would need to take the winding roads up the slopes or walk up the Stairway to Heaven that ran down the center of the city.
A thumping sound came from the bottom of the Stairway to Heaven, like the sound of war drums.
The crowd knew that it probably wasn't war drums, because there was still quite some time until dusk, when the Heavenly Selection ceremony would conclude. So what was the sound? Why was it so heavy, but also so exciting that even the Qi of the Wildfire seemed to grow more powerful?
The water around Heavensguard Pavilion suddenly began to ripple. The young man in the bamboo hat quietly watched, seemingly seeing something in the ripples.
The Second Prince of the Great Western Continent watched the dust rise from the bricks in front of the Imperial City and slightly raised his eyebrows in thought.
Xiaode looked in the direction of the Stairway to Heaven, his expression slightly stern as if he had sensed something.
Experts like them had naturally realized long ago that the sound coming from below was not that of war drums, but footsteps.
The problem was, just how many people needed to be walking that the vibrations they made could make the water around Heavensguard Pavilion ripple, make the dust of the bricks in front of the Imperial City stir?
Just how orderly were these people marching that there was no extraneous noise, that it sounded like the beating of war drums?
More and more people were looking down below.
Gradually, those gazes that had been full of respect or adoration towards Xiaode and the Great Western Continent's Second Prince turned into shock.
……
……
Many commoners appeared on the Stairway to Heaven. They wore plain and simple clothes, with some of them wearing rather tattered clothes, and all of them exuded a rather foul stench.