Heavenly God's Wrath Descends!

The sky began to darken, accompanied by the rumble of muffled thunder.

"This..." King Ji Yonghao's expression shifted slightly, a bad feeling rising in his heart.

The civil and military officials below the altar also changed their expressions, some even unable to resist whispering amongst themselves.

A sudden change in weather during the welcoming of a deity was never a good omen.

An Bulang sensed it carefully and discovered it was a pre-buried formation that had just been activated.

The formation was arranged in advance using special techniques to guide and gather spiritual energy from heaven and earth, producing various phenomena of immense power.

The formation before them was extremely rudimentary, likely set up by a cultivator in the Spirit Attunement Realm, activated by Ji Shouqian as the formation's core. It didn't even use many Spirit Stones. But even with such simplicity, the other cultivators in the royal palace could not detect the operation of the great formation at all.

"Ah... this is the manifestation of a heavenly god!"

Ji Shouqian, the representative observing the celestial phenomena in the royal palace, trembled all over, looking up at the sky with reverence, and said loudly.

An Bulang nodded slightly, inwardly marveling at the man's excellent acting skills, his emotions flowing smoothly, and his micro-expressions perfectly executed.

The group of officials was bewildered, but since Ji Shouqian was an authority on the matter, they largely believed him.

"This... this is a sign of a heavenly god's manifestation?"

"Then what omen do these overcast skies and rolling thunder signify?"

The scene began to stir, and many officials felt uneasy.

At this moment, Ji Shouqian suddenly knelt on the ground, repeatedly kowtowing towards the sky, and begged loudly, "Heavenly God, please quell your wrath, Heavenly God, please quell your wrath... Even if the King has done something wrong, he can still atone for his mistakes..."

The faces of all the officials changed.

Anyone could tell what Ji Shouqian meant by his words; it was King Ji Yonghao's fault?

Ji Yonghao, seeing Ji Shouqian's behavior, trembled with rage. He pointed at the old man kneeling on the ground and angrily rebuked, "Ji Shouqian! What nonsense are you spouting? I treated you kindly and trusted you for so many years, and you could do something like this!!"

"Your Majesty! I am loyal to you, as clear as the sun and moon!" Ji Shouqian pointed at the sky and said with grief and indignation, "But the heavenly god has already manifested. If you do not kneel and admit your mistake, the heavenly god will descend with punishment!!"

As soon as these words were spoken, there was another uproar among the officials below the altar.

Asking the King to kneel and admit his mistake to the heavenly god?

This was a big deal. Wasn't this forcing Ji Yonghao to admit he was guilty?

Chen Hao, the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Punishment, was furious. He stepped forward, pointed at Ji Shouqian, and cursed loudly, "Ji Shouqian, stop spreading heresy and misleading people here! Under the King's leadership, the Azure Kingdom is prosperous and peaceful, with calm seas and clear skies. What crime has it committed? This celestial phenomenon is definitely sorcery you've cast!"

As soon as his voice fell, the dark clouds in the sky churned.

BOOM!

A bolt of lightning flashed down.

Accompanied by a deafening sound!

Assistant Minister Chen Hao, his face still showing an expression of anger, stood frozen in place, his body completely charred. He stiffly fell backward.

"Thump."

Chen Hao fell to the ground, his vital energy completely extinguished.

"Assistant Minister Chen!"

"Lord Chen!!"

The other officials turned pale with fright upon seeing this scene.

At this moment, Ji Shouqian repeatedly kowtowed towards the sky, "Heavenly God, please quell your wrath, Heavenly God, please quell your wrath! Chen Hao offended you, and his fault does not extend to the others. I beg you to spare their lives..."

"Your Majesty, why are you still standing there blankly? Hurry and kneel with this old Daoist to admit your mistakes to the Heavenly God! Otherwise, once the Heavenly God's wrath descends, it will cleanse your sins with heavenly lightning!!"

An Bulang watched, dumbfounded.

He hadn't expected Ji Shouqian to actually dare to kill someone. Although the power of this lightning was small, it was enough to kill ordinary people.

Some officials were clearly terrified. Some looked panicked, and some even knelt down, fearing they would become the next Chen Hao.

At this time, a few more officials stepped forward, earnestly requesting the King to kneel and admit his mistake, begging the heavenly god for forgiveness.

Jia Yuxuan also stepped forward, joining the ranks of officials urging King Ji Yonghao to kneel and admit his mistake.

He sided with the Crown Prince and was not afraid of offending Ji Yonghao.

This was all a scheme by Crown Prince Ji Wuye. If Ji Yonghao chose not to kneel, he would be struck dead by lightning. It would be said that he was guilty and disrespectful to the heavenly god, and no one would dare to say otherwise. Those who did would continue to be struck dead by lightning.

If Ji Yonghao knelt and admitted his mistake, it would be even easier to handle. This would precisely confirm Ji Yonghao's incompetence, tyranny, and immorality, and only Ji Wuye could ascend to the position of ruler of the nation... In any case, no matter which choice he made, Ji Yonghao was doomed!

"Good... you are all very good..." Ji Yonghao pointed at the officials below, his entire demeanor aging significantly. His aura had become extremely weak, and his breathing grew rapid, as if a slight misstep would send him to his grave.

Seeing this, quite a few more officials stepped forward, joining the Crown Prince's faction.

Ji Yonghao trembled all over, glaring at the officials who stepped forward, as if he wanted to engrave their faces in his memory.

But the officials were not intimidated at all. In a few days, the Azure Kingdom would belong to His Highness the Crown Prince. Did Ji Yonghao's thoughts matter?

The timing, the location, and the support of the people were all on the Crown Prince's side. How could they lose?

"Your Majesty, if you don't kneel and admit your mistake soon, the Heavenly God's wrath will descend!" Ji Shouqian urged, pointing at the surging black clouds in the sky.

At this moment, Ji Wuye also stepped forward, and all eyes on the scene immediately turned to him.

"Father King." Ji Wuye respectfully saluted King Ji Yonghao, then said in a deep voice, "You have been inexplicably ill recently, perhaps it is also a punishment from the heavens. Now that the heavens have manifested again, if you, as the ruler of a nation, cannot sincerely admit your mistakes, what if the heavens' wrath falls upon the common people of the Azure Kingdom?"

"Good! You unfilial son, you can even say such treasonous words?" King Ji Yonghao pointed at Ji Wuye, his face filled with grief and anger.

"This minister believes that His Highness the Crown Prince is correct. The might of heaven cannot be faked. Why must Your Majesty be like this?"

The Left Prime Minister, Jia Gucheng, stood at the forefront of all the officials and suddenly spoke.

The declaration from the head of the officials caused a huge stir. Not only were the officials shocked, but even King Ji Yonghao looked astonished.

"Good... very good!" King Ji Yonghao laughed. "Whether you sincerely or falsely believe Ji Shouqian's heretical words, this King does not blame you."

"But you want this King to kneel and admit my mistakes? Absolutely impossible! I, Ji Yonghao, have governed and ruled with a clear conscience. I am worthy of the past kings and the common people. What mistake have I made? If the heavens are displeased, then come and strike this King dead if you dare!!"

As King Ji Yonghao spoke, his voice was full of vigor, as if a dragon's roar had erupted, causing the hearts of all the officials to tremble.

At this moment, King Ji Yonghao showed no trace of his previously frail appearance.

However, a flicker of light flashed in Ji Shouqian's eyes. His face was full of anxiety and fear, and he kowtowed to the sky again: "May the heavens forgive my wrath. His Majesty did not intend to put the myriad people in dire straits. All the sins will be borne by this old minister. May the heavens strike me dead!!"

He subtly formed a hand seal.

According to the unfolding plot, the grand formation would be activated by him, and the lightning would descend as the heavens' judgment, striking down this foolish and tyrannical monarch.

Ji Wuye, Qin Shiyue, and the three elders behind her all had a hint of anticipation on their faces.

The real show was about to begin!

As expected, a terrifying bolt of lightning tore through the clouds, like the wrath of the heavens descending upon the earth.

The light illuminated King Ji Yonghao's calm face and Ji Shouqian's somewhat smug face.

Many officials could not bear to watch, as if they would see their King tragically killed on the spot in the next moment.

Boom!!

The lightning struck the ground.

"Ah...!!" A piercing scream was heard.

Ji Shouqian, kneeling on the ground, was instantly charred into a crisp!!

The entire scene fell silent.

Everyone's eyes widened, staring blankly at the scene before them.

What was going on? Ji Shouqian, the foremost expert in the palace, had been struck dead?!

Ji Shouqian said he would bear all the sins, and the heavens actually struck him dead? Was this a heavenly deity that listened so well?