Chapter 677: Insolent Monkey, Retreat at Once

"Clang!!"

A sudden crash of gongs and drums erupted.

"It's starting, it's starting!"

The people on the streets raised their heads, looking toward Lake Mountain Lake.

"The second quarter of the Si hour has arrived!!"

"Open the altar for the heavenly sacrifice!"

These shouts echoed across the entirety of Lake Mountain Lake.

A brief clamor rose as the crowd surged toward the shore, but the noise soon faded, settling into a gradual quiet.

A small boat departed from the bank, heading straight for the dilapidated pavilion in the center.

At the bow stood a figure in sacrificial robes. With Peach Wood slung at his waist and a tall Daoist hat on his head, he stood proudly, holding three sticks of incense.

"Thump, thump, thump-thump..."

The sound of drums rolled from the shore once more, steadily building in momentum.

As the small boat neared the pavilion, the drumbeats grew denser. The overwhelming, majestic aura sweeping over the water made people clench their fists, their hearts pounding in rhythm.

"Who is that on the boat?" Ruyi asked curiously.

"It's the Bureau of Celestial Mandate," Ping'an said.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on the official of the Bureau of Celestial Mandate.

The official of the Bureau of Celestial Mandate stepped onto the pavilion, winding his way up the exterior stairs until he reached the very top.

A large Ritual Cauldron had already been placed there.

He set down his sword, the incense, and the yellow paper one by one.

Letting out a long breath, he listened to the trembling drumbeats.

"Thump!"

The drums suddenly stopped.

The official raised his sword and executed a flourish, sweeping up the yellow paper.

He pointed a finger.

"Ignite!"

As his voice fell, the yellow paper burst into flames, the firelight reflecting in his eyes.

He set the sword down and picked up the incense resting nearby.

Bringing the three large sticks close, he lit them with the burning paper.

Wisps of blue smoke rose from the incense.

Holding the incense, the official bowed his head and chanted the sacrificial prayer. "In gratitude for the profound fortune of heaven and earth, and to comfort the common people of the world, we pray for enduring peace and prosperity. Yet, demons run rampant in this realm, and Righteous Gods are lacking. Recognizing this, the Son of Heaven has convened this Assembly of Immortal Investiture to decree Righteous Gods of the Human Dao."

"Protect our lands! Protect our people!"

"May the intent of the Son of Heaven reach the heavens!"

The official of the Bureau of Celestial Mandate waved the incense. The curling blue smoke swirled and eventually settled into the Ritual Cauldron.

The crowd on the shore watched closely.

They saw the blue smoke rise from the top of the pavilion, ascending straight into the sky.

People clasped their hands in prayer. Some prayed for good weather, others for the health of their loved ones; their low murmurs were filled with absolute sincerity.

Grasping his sword again, the official performed the rites once more.

He danced with the blade, chanting under his breath.

By the time he finished, he was drenched in sweat.

Wiping two fingers along the edge of the blade, he turned back around.

His gaze swept the surroundings as he announced, "The Token serves as proof, and the burning of the heavenly incense is the decree! Whoever ascends to the top of the pavilion and burns three sticks of incense shall become a Righteous God!"

The official leaped lightly, stepping off the pavilion's sweeping roof ridge to land gently on the boat waiting below.

The small boat glided away, leaving the Center of the Lake.

"Thump! Thump! Thump..."

The drumbeats resumed.

At that exact moment, the tranquil surface of the lake seemed to stir with slight ripples.

Mo Yuan glanced sideways, suddenly sensing an aura of cold, murderous intent.

Countless humans and demons on the shore were itching to make a move.

Their eyes were locked onto the three sticks of incense in the Ritual Cauldron. They were either biding their time or watching to see what would happen.

It seemed no one wanted to be the first to stick their neck out.

Mo Yuan lifted his fishing rod. Seeing no fish on the hook, he turned to Mister and said, "Mister, it looks like they're getting a bit impatient."

Chen Changsheng looked over. Just as he raised his head, a sudden dragon's roar rang out.

"Roar!!"

The roar wasn't entirely pure, but it was enough to fool many.

A woman leaped lightly into the air. Mid-flip, she took on the form of a True Dragon and surged toward the pavilion.

The horns of a deer, the head of a snake, the eyes of a rabbit, the neck of a serpent, the belly of a clam, the scales of a fish, the talons of an eagle, the paws of a tiger, and the ears of an ox.

Azure light wreathed its body!

The azure dragon coiled around the pavilion, spiraling through the air.

Cries of shock erupted along the shore.

"A True... a True Dragon!!"

"It's a dragon!!"

"This, this..."

Some were so excited they couldn't speak, their lips trembling.

Others were startled and stumbled backward.

Some dropped to their knees and kowtowed.

In an instant, the shoreline descended into chaos.

Exclamations and the sounds of kowtowing echoed endlessly across the banks.

Then, the so-called 'True Dragon' lowered its massive head and declared, "I, the Dragon Immortal Long Rong, vow to protect the incense cauldron! May my devotion reach the heavens!"

On the shore, the official of the Bureau of Celestial Mandate was shocked to the core.

He hurriedly backed away, clearly terrified by the spectacle.

"To think there really are True Dragons in this world..."

"Heaven protects our Great Xiang!!"

"Heaven protects our Great Xiang! Hahaha..."

The official of the Bureau of Celestial Mandate laughed wildly before dropping to his knees in reverence. Behind him, a crowd of officials didn't dare remain standing and quickly knelt as well.

This kind of Illusory Veil fooled all the mortals.

But those who could actually see through it frowned without exception.

Yan Qun stared at the supposed 'Dragon Immortal' and thought, A snake demon conjuring a dragon illusion?

This snake demon truly had some impressive methods...

Mo Yuan glanced at the 'Dragon Immortal' coiling outside the pavilion. His gaze pierced straight through the illusion, seeing her true form at a glance.

"This snake demon is quite gutsy," Mo Yuan said.

"Snake demon..." Ping'an abruptly realized what he meant. He looked up at Brother Mo and asked, "She isn't a True Dragon?"

Mo Yuan laughed. "Just an Illusory Veil."

Ping'an blanked for a moment before asking, "Why would she do that?"

"Ping'an, you're so silly," Ruyi said. "At the end of the day, His Majesty is the one who has the final say in appointing a Righteous God. Do you understand?"

Ping'an caught on. "She wants to fool everyone?"

He opened his mouth again. "Why not expose her?"

Mo Yuan smiled. "Look at the people around us, and look at what that so-called official of the Bureau of Celestial Mandate is doing. If you went up there and tried to expose her right now, how many would actually believe you?"

Ping'an opened his mouth, but upon seeing the commoners and officials driven to madness, kowtowing to the 'dragon', he realized there was no way to talk sense into them.

Just as he was thinking this, a sharp shout rang out.

"Where did this snake demon come from?! What True Dragon are you pretending to be?!"

"Yah! Eat my staff!"

Suddenly, a figure bolted toward the Center of the Lake.

The Monkey in human form pulled a long staff from his ear and swung it at Long Rong.

Long Rong frowned and whipped her tail out to sweep him away.

"Bang!"

The residual force of the strike sent the Monkey Demon flying several zhang away.

"Argh!!!"

The Monkey Demon winced in pain, his face twisting into a ferocious grimace.

"It hurts, it hurts, it hurts..."

The Monkey Demon rubbed his body, then glared at Long Rong. "You little snake, you hit pretty hard!"

This sudden turn of events was something no one had anticipated.

"This Monkey..."

"...sure has a lot of nerve."

The reason no one else had stepped up was quite simple.

Everyone knew that exposing her was impossible. Opposing the Dragon Immortal right now would inevitably invite public backlash and lead to a major disadvantage. They might even lose their shot at becoming a Righteous God over the words of these mortals.

They all understood this clearly. Only this Monkey insisted on going up to cause a scene.

Mo Yuan couldn't help but laugh at the sight. "Interesting, very interesting."

Long Rong glared at Monkey and snapped, "You insolent monkey, retreat at once!"

Monkey scratched his head. "You lying demon, where do you get the nerve to tell your Grandpa Monkey to retreat?"