I became the tyrant's only belief.

Chapter 513 Phoenix Girl
The eighth day of the fifth lunar month is an auspicious day with fine weather.

The bugle sounds, and the emperor's entourage departs from the palace.

The people knelt on both sides of the road and shouted "Long live the Emperor!" three times.

The Imperial Guards and the Embroidered Uniform Guards surrounded the entire Star-Picking Tower like an iron barrel, with pheasant-feather banners rustling in the morning breeze.

As the chime bells rang out, his black imperial robe swept across the brocade carpet adorned with the image of the Twenty-Eight Mansions, creating ripples of dragon patterns. Xiao Jingfan stepped onto the jade steps and ascended them. Amidst the music and under the watchful eyes of officials and commoners, he reached the top floor of the Star-Picking Tower.

Here, pine and cypress incense burns inside a bronze cauldron three zhang tall, and a column of blue smoke, entwined with a few ashes, meanders into the sky.

A long wind rustled his robes, causing his jade pendants to jingle. Xiao Jingfan raised his hand and pressed it against the gilded railing, looking down at the surging crowd below.

His gaze fell upon a black carriage adorned with a golden dragon-patterned banner.

Chu Liuzheng poked his head out of the carriage and looked up at the top of the Star-Picking Tower.

Wow~ the renovated Star-Picking Tower now has that altar feel to it.

The Ministry of Rites must have gone all out this time, decorating the place with a solemn yet festive atmosphere; anyone who didn't know better would think it was a tyrant proposing marriage.

She squinted, trying to see the emperor's face clearly, but he was standing too high up to see clearly at all.

She then turned to look at the crowd standing outside the guard circle.

The officials and their families led the way, followed by the common people.

Chu Qin, Bai Shi, and Chu Yuxin also arrived and stood beside Lü Fei. When she saw Lü Fei looking over, Chu Yuxin excitedly waved to her.

Chu Liuzheng smiled and was about to get out of the carriage to talk to them when suddenly a deep bell rang out, its sound like a silencer, and everyone quieted down, no longer looking or moving around.

This was the beginning, and Chu Liuzheng didn't want to attract attention by running out at this time, so he stayed obediently in the carriage and looked out the window.

Both Siyue and Chenxing stood guard by the carriage, preventing anyone with ulterior motives from approaching.

"Heaven above—" The sharp voice of the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs cleaved through the clouds above the Zhaixing Pavilion.

Xiao Jingfan lifted his robe and knelt on the prayer mat.

The people below Zhaixing Pavilion all knelt down, listening to the emperor's prayer, and performed the ritual of three bows and nine kowtows.

Chu Liuzheng felt that she was now part of Dasheng, and it was not appropriate for others to kneel while she sat, so she quietly got out of the carriage and knelt down beside the carriage with Chenxing and Siyue, emphasizing participation.

After reciting the prayer and bowing one last time, Xiao Jingfan pressed his palm against the cold floor tiles and heard several cannon shots in the distance.

Sunlight pierced through the clouds, and the Director of Ceremonial Affairs shouted in a shrill voice, "Rise—"

Xiao Jingfan stood up, and a gust of wind came, causing his wide sleeves to flutter like feathers. His tall figure reflected in the sunlight made him look like a god descending to earth.

With drums and music resounding and cannons booming, the crowd shouted in unison, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

"Long live Long live Long live!"

"Long live Long live Long live!"

Layer upon layer of "Long Live" chants tumbled in the air, surging into Xiao Jingfan's ears like waves, except for one that was different.

Wow, this is the grandeur of an emperor! So impressive! If only I had a camera, I could take hundreds of pictures to remember the occasion.

With a slight smile, Xiao Jingfan walked to the gilded railing and looked down again.

Just then, a clear bird song resounded throughout the heavens and earth, drowning out the shouts and music present. "Mother, Mother!" From the crowd, Chu Yuxin tugged hard at Bai Shi's sleeve, pointed in the direction of the black carriage, her voice trembling with excitement, "Phoenix, phoenix, it's a phoenix!! My sister has a phoenix!"

Beside the carriage stood a woman in a silver-red brocade palace dress, her figure slender as a bamboo, her features delicate and beautiful. A golden phoenix burst forth from her back, its wings spread, scattering golden light like shattered stars.

With its neck held high in a sharp arc, the phoenix let out a clear cry as sharp as tearing silk. Its neck feathers were outstretched, and its tail feathers cascaded like a waterfall of molten gold, exuding a majestic and awe-inspiring aura that was impossible to look directly at.

Chenxing and Siyue stared wide-eyed at the scene, speechless with shock.

Chu Liuzheng, suddenly resembling a phoenix spreading its wings: ? ? !
Holy crap! What kind of fantastical development is this? Am I going to start cultivating immortality?!

[System, this 3D projector works pretty well. Make the phoenix projector bigger, yes, bigger, and turn the volume up a bit.]

Yi Zhen, crouching in the crowd, secretly gave instructions to the system.

[Almost there! Quickly, the Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix, add the golden light, flower petals, fragrance, and everything else—make it look like the scene from the last world when the White Phoenix Fairy celebrated her birthday!]

"Look! The sky!" A member of the Imperial Guard pointed to the distant horizon, his voice rising in shock.

Everyone looked up in response, holding their breath for a moment.

Under a clear blue sky, flocks of birds surged in like a tidal wave, blotting out the sun!

Each bird carried a fresh flower in its beak, and the petals fell like rain, instantly filling the air with a rich fragrance, as if turning the entire world into a boundless sea of ​​flowers.

Chu Yuxin subconsciously stretched out her hands, and the tender petals drifted down, touching her fingertips, and suddenly shattered, turning into fireflies that silently converged on the radiant phoenix phantom above Chu Liuzheng's head.

The phoenix suddenly stretched out its neck and let out a clear cry that pierced through the clouds and split rocks. With a sudden flap of its huge golden wings, it soared straight up into the sky, and all the birds made way for it.

It circled the crowd three times above their heads, its enormous wings scattering golden fragments with each flap, its tail feathers trailing long, burning rays of light, as if a deity were looking down upon them.

After circling three times, it let out an even louder cry, suddenly changed direction, and transformed into a golden lightning bolt that tore through the sky. With the force of thunder, it swooped down towards Chu Liuzheng and crashed into the woman's body with perfect accuracy!

"boom--"

A buzzing sound filled everyone's minds as golden light exploded like a blazing sun, its blinding brilliance instantly engulfing everyone's vision, causing them to instinctively close their eyes.

A few breaths later, everyone opened their stinging eyes with trembling hands.

In the sky, the phoenix had vanished without a trace, and all the birds had quietly dispersed, leaving only a rainbow, silently recounting the astonishing scene that had just unfolded.

The crowd stared blankly at the rainbow in the sky, wondering in a daze: Had they just seen a phoenix?
Just then, a sharp cry of surprise shattered the silence: "Look! It's a phoenix feather! On her forehead!"

As if drawn by an invisible thread, everyone's attention instantly focused on them.

The woman standing quietly beside the carriage had her eyes slightly closed, her expression serene. Between her smooth brows, a feather-shaped golden light shone brightly!
The golden feathers were so finely detailed that even tiny sparks seemed to dance along their edges.

Under the gaze of hundreds of eyes, the divine phoenix feathers seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, and the brilliant golden light slowly receded and settled inward, as if it were a living thing, seeping inch by inch and thread by thread into her fair skin.

The golden light became increasingly subtle, eventually merging completely into the depths of the brow, leaving no trace whatsoever.

Almost simultaneously, the intoxicating fragrance of flowers that filled the air was suddenly snatched away by an invisible hand, vanishing without a trace in an instant.

It was as if a miracle had come to an end.

After the ultimate silence comes a towering wave.

"Phoenix Maiden! The real Phoenix Maiden has descended to earth!" Someone shouted hoarsely, their voice trembling and cracking with excitement.

(End of this chapter)