"Tonight, I will order men to build an altar atop the King's City."
"Rest well for a day, Your Highness. After tomorrow, ten days of torment await you."
Situ Yue shook her head. "There is no need to rest. I will go prepare now."
She rose, then stopped at the doorway and looked back at Ge Hong.
"Elder Ge, will the ritual really work?"
Ge Hong remained silent for a long time before slowly answering, "I do not know."
"But I do know that if you do nothing, Your Highness, you will surely regret it."
"If you try, at least there is still hope."
Situ Yue nodded, turned, and left the rear hall.
Early the next morning, at sunrise.
An altar thirty feet high rose atop the walls of the Pacifying Sea King's City.
Built from greenstone, the altar was circular and divided into three tiers.
Every tier was covered in Source Runes painted with cattle and sheep blood.
At the summit stood a large bronze cauldron, with sandalwood burning inside. Wisps of blue smoke curled upward and dispersed in the rain of blood.
Around the altar, thousands of commoners had gathered of their own accord below the walls. Some knelt, some stood, and some pressed their palms together, all bowing their heads in silent prayer.
Situ Yue wore a plain white dress, her long hair loose over her shoulders, without a single piece of jewelry.
She climbed to the summit of the altar and slowly knelt before the bronze cauldron.
Her knees settled onto the icy greenstone. She kept her back straight, pressed her palms together, and closed her eyes.
Ge Hong stood below the altar, holding an ebony staff and murmuring an incantation.
The Source Runes on his staff lit up in succession.
Streams of golden light flew