"Please take a seat, Heavenly Maiden!" Ling Qi pointed to the front of the main hall.
In front of the main hall was a high platform with only a chair on it. Strange runes were drawn around the platform, and above it was a courtyard. Sunlight streamed down and encircled the entire platform, as if to emphasize its esteemed status.
Without much thought, You You walked directly up to the platform. Lin Feng and the others were about to follow, but were stopped by the people who were there to greet them.
"Wait, who are you? You can't go up there!" A man in blue robes below the stage stopped the group, somewhat displeased.
"Why?" Lin Feng frowned, not wanting to stray too far from You You.
"Don't you even know what kind of place Fuze Terrace is?" The man gave the three of them a critical look, his tone becoming even more impolite. "Even if you're followers of the Heavenly Maiden, it won't do, let alone whether you are or not. Who knows what she..."
"Shen Xi, don't be rude!" Ling Qi suddenly warned in a deep voice, interrupting him and giving him a sharp look.
The man was startled, immediately lowered his head, and took a step back. "Yes, Priest Ling."
"I apologize for my rudeness!" Ling Qi looked at Lin Feng and the others, still speaking politely. "The Blessing Platform in this main hall has a special significance. It is indeed only for celestial maidens. Please sit here!" He pointed to the chairs on both sides of the platform.
The group's expressions darkened, but they didn't want to clash with the people from Chengtian Pavilion, so they simply walked to the side.
"Celestial Maiden, please!" Ling Qi looked at You You in the middle again, gesturing for her to continue up, but he himself stopped below, showing no intention of following.
Youyou glanced at the others in the hall, only to find that everyone was looking at her, as if waiting for something. Especially the man who had just been reprimanded by Ling Qi, who had a mocking expression on his face, looking like he was waiting to see a good show.
She felt something was off, but sensed no hostility. So she took a few steps up the platform and walked to the chair in the middle, about to sit down. Suddenly, the entire platform shone brightly. The strange runes inscribed on it seemed to be drawn by something, coming to life. A blinding white light shot into the sky, forming a pillar of light that shot straight up into the clouds.
What's going on? This table even has a floor lamp?!
(⊙o⊙)
Youyou was startled. She turned around and saw that the people below the stage were even more shocked than she was.
The man who had just reprimanded Lin Feng and the others was now wide-eyed, his jaw dropping in astonishment. "Fukuzawa Tai is... she's lit up! She... she really is... a celestial maiden!"
Lin Feng and his two companions, who had just sat down, naturally noticed the problem as well. Their expressions changed, and they immediately rushed forward to pull You You down from the strange platform. But even so, the pillar of light on the platform did not disappear at all; instead, it grew brighter and brighter.
"What do you mean by this? What are you trying to do?" The three men shielded You You behind them, looking warily at the people in the hall, their hands already on their swords.
No one answered; they seemed still in shock.
In the end, it was Ling Qi, who was in the lead, who was the first to come to his senses. He stopped bowing slightly and instead knelt down respectfully before You You, performing a grand salute.
"Chengtian Pavilion respectfully welcomes the Heavenly Maiden's descent into the mortal realm, bestowing blessings upon us!"
As if reminded, the others in the hall also knelt down in an instant, their probing expressions gone, replaced by the most respectful attitudes imaginable.
"Greetings, Your Majesty the Heavenly Maiden!"
When they first entered, their eyes were filled with suspicion and contempt, but now they were filled with fear. Some of them were even trembling with fear at having slighted the Heavenly Maiden.
"Your Excellency, please calm down!" It was Ling Qi, the priest, who remained composed and explained in a deep voice, "Chengtian Pavilion received news of the Heavenly Maiden's arrival at the last minute. This matter is of great importance, so we had no choice but to act cautiously. That is why we conducted this test to verify the Heavenly Maiden's identity."
Youyou looked back at the pillar of light behind her. "Is the light on this platform used to verify the identity of the celestial maiden?" Does this mean... the verification was successful?
"Yes!" Ling Qi continued to kneel and replied, "This is the Blessing Platform, set up by the first Heavenly Maiden in the world. Only those who are also Heavenly Maidens can awaken the formation on the platform."
That's why they only let her go up alone.
"The Heavenly Maiden's status is noble, and this matter is of utmost importance. Please forgive our excessive caution, Your Majesty." Ling Qi bowed again, then quickly turned to a disciple beside him and said, "Quickly inform the priests of all the halls to come and pay their respects to the Heavenly Maiden immediately!"
The disciple beside him was stunned for a moment before replying, "Yes...yes!" He then hurriedly got up and ran towards the door, his steps unsteady.
Actually, it's not entirely their fault for being overly cautious. Every so often, someone would indeed approach Chengtian Pavilion claiming to be a celestial maiden, hoping to ascend to heaven in one fell swoop. However, celestial maidens have always only appeared among immortal clans, and their fame in the cultivation world usually precedes their arrival at Chengtian Pavilion. Therefore, everyone already knew in their hearts how many new celestial maidens had appeared in the world.
Of course, there are exceptions, but the probability is so low as to be negligible. Upon suddenly receiving a message that a new celestial maiden had appeared, and that she had been found in a mortal city, their first reaction was naturally suspicion. Therefore, Chengtian Pavilion did not take their arrival seriously at all.
This celestial maiden, in particular, was so unlike a celestial maiden. From the moment she stepped off the flying boat, her tone and attitude were incredibly kind, showing none of the unapproachable demeanor one would expect from a celestial maiden.
She was even more polite and easier to get along with than ordinary female cultivators or noble ladies in the mortal world.
Therefore, almost immediately, everyone assumed that she was feeling guilty and regarded her as one of those opportunists who used her name to try their luck.
But who knew... it would actually be true!!!
(?Д?≡?Д?)
Not only were the people in the hall surprised, but even the composed Ling Qi was taken aback. He bowed down with even greater sincerity, saying, "This time, it is my Chengtian Pavilion that has been negligent. Please forgive me, Heavenly Maiden!"
Not only Lin Feng, but even You You's expression was somewhat unpleasant. Anyone would be in a bad mood if they were inexplicably suspected and tested. But since the other person was fulfilling their duty, had a reasonable explanation, and apologized so sincerely, she couldn't get angry.
"Alright, get up!" You You had no choice but to wave her hand. It wasn't good to keep making people kneel. Besides, she came here with a purpose in the first place, and it wouldn't look good for anyone if things got out of hand.
Ling Qi paused for a moment, then looked up at her with some surprise, seemingly unable to believe that she had let it go so easily. He slowly stood up, saying, "Thank you, Your Excellency." Then, as if remembering something, he looked at the increasingly bright pillar of light ahead and said, "This place is quite inconvenient. Would Your Excellency please come with me to the side hall to rest?"
You You nodded, about to leave the main hall, when she saw a large group of people rushing towards her in the distance, numbering several hundred. Among them, the dozen or so were wearing uniforms similar to Ling Qi's, apparently also priests of Chengtian Pavilion. Upon seeing her emerge, they instantly knelt down in unison, shouting, "Welcome, Heavenly Maiden!" Their voices echoed throughout the entire floating peak.
She finally understood why Ling Qi emphasized the neglect. Compared to the number of people in front of her, the mere dozen or so people who had greeted them earlier really could be considered a neglect.
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