Chapter 49 Ajiu Saves the Adult
The auspicious time has arrived.
The emperor, leading all the civil and military officials, solemnly ascended the viewing seat under the altar.
Crown Prince Xiao Chen, only seven years old, was dressed in an elaborate, ornate, bright yellow ritual vestment. His face wore a solemnity and composure that belied his age. Guided by the ceremonial officer, he ascended the ninety-nine steps leading to the summit of the altar.
Xiao Yu and the Imperial Master Xuan Yi stood at key positions on either side of the altar, their eyes sharp as torches, watching everything around them vigilantly.
Ah Jiu was "ordered" by Imperial Preceptor Xuan Yi to remain in the Imperial Preceptor's residence, under the "special protection" of the housekeeper and several guards. But how could the little girl sit still? She secretly pulled a few copper coins from her small cloth bag and muttered to herself as she divined.
"Little brother is safe, little brother is not unlucky... The stinking raindrops won't fall, and all the bad guys will be caught..."
Suddenly, a copper coin in her hand broke into two pieces with a "snap"!
Ajiu's face turned pale, and a strong sense of uneasiness surged in his heart.
"Oh no!" She suddenly jumped up from the stool, "The copper coin is broken! My little brother is in danger! That black hole is coming out!"
She ignored the housekeeper's attempts to stop her and ran out like crazy, shouting, "My Lord! My Lord! It's pitch black! The sky is about to break!"
On the altar, Crown Prince Xiao Chen had already walked up to the jade disc, ready to begin reading the sacrificial text.
At this moment, something strange happened!
The originally thick fog suddenly seemed to be stirred by an invisible force and began to spin wildly, forming a huge, expanding black vortex right above the altar!
The vortex was bottomless and emitted a chilling and chilling aura, as if it was connected to another unknown and terrifying world!
"Black hole!"
A clear and frightened child's voice suddenly rang out beneath the silent altar.
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a small figure who had broken through the obstruction of the imperial guards at some point and was pointing at the black vortex in the sky, with fear written all over his face.
It’s Ajiu!
She actually came running!
Almost at the same time when Ajiu shouted, the national teacher Xuan Yi and Xiao Yu also noticed the changes in the sky.
"It's the 'Netherworld Rift'!" Imperial Master Xuan Yi's expression changed drastically. "The 'Tears of the Stars' are indeed beneath the jade disc! They're forcing the rift open!"
Xiao Yu made a quick decision: "Action! Stop them at all costs!"
Before he finished speaking, dozens of black shadows rushed out from every corner of the altar like ghosts, holding sharp blades and rushing straight towards the Crown Prince on the top of the altar!
These dark shadows are none other than the long-lurking assassins of the "Night Owl Alliance"!
At the same time, the black vortex in the sky spun faster and faster, and streams of black liquid droplets with a strong fishy smell began to drip from the center of the vortex!
"Black raindrops! They're black raindrops!" Jiu screamed and covered his nose tightly with his little hands.
Those black droplets fell on the white marble steps, immediately making a "sizzling" sound and emitting bursts of black smoke. The hard jade was corroded at a speed visible to the naked eye, forming small pits!
Panic spread among the crowd like a plague!
"Protect the Emperor! Protect the Crown Prince!" The commander of the imperial guards roared and commanded his men to fight a desperate battle with the assassins of the "Night Owl Alliance".
There were flashes of swords and screams.
The scene instantly fell into extreme chaos!
"There's a bad thing behind the rock! It's smelly! It's black! Hit it quickly!" Ajiu's sharp voice was like piercing the clouds and splitting the rocks, and it was particularly clear in the chaotic altar.
Chu Xuanyi's mind moved, and he immediately concentrated his mind and gathered his energy, channeling all his strength into his palms. He aimed at the direction of the jade disk pointed by Ajiu, where the compass reacted most violently, and suddenly slapped it out!
"boom--!"
With a loud bang, the hard white marble wall shattered, and stone chips flew everywhere!
Behind the shattered jade wall, a fist-sized, pitch-black, strange crystal stone that seemed to be able to swallow all light suddenly appeared!
The surface of the crystal was covered with twisted lines, emitting a strong, disgusting fishy smell, and beating like a heart.
"Tears of the Stars!" Chu Xuanyi and Xiao Yu recognized the true face of this evil creature almost at the same time!
It turns out that it has been embedded in the interior of the jade disk of the altar, and is activated by the formation of the jade disk itself and the "popularity" and "willpower" gathered during the sacrifice.
At the moment when the "Tears of the Stars" was exposed, the offensive of those "Night Owl Alliance" assassins who were originally fearless of death suddenly became more frantic! They rushed towards Chu Xuanyi desperately, trying to stop him from further destroying the "Tears of the Stars".
Seeing this, Xiao Yu let out a long roar, and the long sword in his hand turned into a streak of silver light, sweeping towards the assassins besieging Chu Xuanyi. He shouted sternly, "National Master, destroy it!"
Chu Xuanyi took a deep breath, took out a stack of golden talismans that had been prepared long ago from his arms, and recited the spell rapidly.
Under the stimulation of his magic power, those talismans spontaneously combusted without fire and turned into golden flames, which coiled around the beating "Tear of the Star" like spirit snakes!
“Sizzle—sizzle—”
As soon as the golden flame came into contact with the black crystal, a sharp sound erupted, as if boiling oil was poured into cold water, stirring up a large amount of black and white smoke.
The "Tears of the Stars" trembled violently, emitting low, mournful cries. The black vortex in the sky also twisted and deformed, and the dripping "black raindrops" became violent and irregular. Some even directly hit everyone on the altar, regardless of friend or foe!
"ah--!"
Screams rang out one after another. Whether they were imperial guards, officials, or assassins from the Night Owl Alliance, once touched by the "black raindrops", their skin immediately ulcerated and they suffered unbearable pain.
Despite the desperate protection of his guards, Crown Prince Xiao Chen still received a few drops of "black rain" that splattered onto his ornate ceremonial vestments, corroding the bright yellow fabric and leaving several charred holes. Fortunately, no flesh was injured. But the little fellow was also frightened, his face pale, and he clutched tightly at the sleeve of the ceremonial officer beside him.
The usually taciturn old eunuch beside the Queen Mother suddenly had a glint of madness in his eyes! He suddenly pulled out a poisoned dagger from his sleeve, and while everyone's attention was focused on the sky and the "Tears of the Stars", he pounced on the Crown Prince who was closest to him like a venomous snake!
"Protect His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"
The nearest captain of the imperial guards had bloodshot eyes and desperately used his body to block the Crown Prince!
“Puff!”
The poisoned dagger pierced deeply into the captain's back!
"Captain Li!" the Crown Prince exclaimed.
The old eunuch succeeded in his attack, but did not want to fight anymore. Instead, he let out a sharp and strange laugh, and with a flash of his body, he actually took out a black pottery jar from his arms and threw it at Chu Xuanyi who was casting a spell with all his strength!
"Master, be careful!" Xiao Yu sensed the danger and wanted to rescue him, but he was entangled by several assassins with high martial arts skills and could not escape.
Chu Xuanyi was currently concentrating on using his talisman fire to refine the "Tears of the Stars" and had no time to be distracted. The black pottery jar was about to hit him on the back!
At this critical moment, an unexpected figure suddenly rushed out from the side!
It’s Ajiu!
The little girl was probably frightened by the horrific scene in front of her. When she saw the "bad old man" throwing things and hitting adults, she didn't think twice and threw the small cloth bag she had been holding in her arms at the black pottery jar!
"Bang--!"
Ajiu's small cloth bag, which contained various "treasures" she had accumulated in her daily life - a few shiny stones, some leftover candies, and her precious copper coins and tortoise shells - collided with the black pottery jar in mid-air!
The pottery jar shattered, and what spilled out was a pool of extremely foul-smelling black blood! The blood was highly corrosive and immediately emitted puffs of green smoke as it fell to the ground.
Ajiu's small cloth bag was also stained with the black blood, and the candies and stones inside instantly turned black and smelly.
"My candy! My stone!" Jiu was so distressed that tears were about to fall as he watched his "treasures" being destroyed.
But her unintentional action accidentally saved Chu Xuanyi's life!
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