Sacrificing to Heaven

Just as Xiao Lin was pondering the relationship between the Heavenly Serpent Mansion and the Heavenly Serpent Imperial Family, a sudden question from the Heavenly Snake Mansion Master, Golden Snake, interrupted his thoughts.

"Lin Xiao, what are your thoughts on this Founding Ceremony?"

The Heavenly Snake Mansion Master, Golden Snake, asked this inexplicable question, leaving Xiao Lin completely baffled.

What do you mean by "how he sees it"?

Just lie down and watch!

What business is it of an outsider like him of the impending conflict between the Heavenly Serpent Imperial Family and the Heavenly Serpent Mansion?

However, when Xiao Lin noticed that the Heavenly Snake Mansion Master was staring intently at him, waiting for his answer, Xiao Lin suddenly realized that something was wrong.

"Wait, this matter clearly has nothing to do with me, so why is Golden Snake asking me this?"

Xiao Lin couldn't help but think to himself.

However, a glint of light quickly flashed in Xiao Lin's eyes.

He seemed to have guessed why the Heavenly Snake Mansion Master, Golden Snake, cared so much about the answer to this question.

Because for the Heavenly Serpent Mansion, they themselves are a variable!

This was already evident when Xiao Lin first encountered the Water Snake and Fire Snake guarding the Spatial Wormhole.

After all, the Heavenly Serpent Imperial Family had invited Jia Nan Academy to participate in this Founding Ceremony, and the Heavenly Serpent Mansion didn't even know it!

Jia Nan Academy and the Heavenly Serpent Empire are known as the two dominant powers in the Northwest Continent!

In other words, if the conflict between the Heavenly Serpent Imperial Family and the Heavenly Serpent Mansion were to fully erupt, Jia Nan Academy could act as the deciding factor in the outcome of the conflict between the two.

Especially noteworthy is that the person representing Jia Nan Academy is Xiao Lin, an Eight-Star Dou Zong.

Therefore, the Heavenly Snake Mansion Master, Golden Snake, would naturally be concerned about Xiao Lin, or rather, the attitude of the Jia Nan Academy behind Xiao Lin towards this matter.

Although the Heavenly Serpent Mansion knew that Jia Nan Academy's attitude was biased towards the Heavenly Serpent Imperial Family, in their eyes, as long as Jia Nan Academy's Dean Mang Tianchi did not intervene, they were still confident of victory!

However, Jia Nan Academy has a well-established reputation.

If Xiao Lin continues to stand firmly on the side of the Heavenly Serpent Imperial Family, it will be a considerable problem for the Heavenly Serpent Mansion.

Having figured all this out, Xiao Lin naturally guessed what answer the Heavenly Snake Mansion Master, Golden Snake, wanted.

At this moment, Xiao Lin smiled slightly and spoke.

"As a neutral force, Jia Nan Academy is only responsible for teaching students. As for other matters, we might just meddle a little, but as long as no one provokes us, we will naturally not form alliances with anyone!"

Xiao Lin's words were essentially a veiled misunderstanding.

The answer was also quite formulaic.

They are neutral and will not offend either side!

Of course, Xiao Lin's words also revealed a deeper meaning.

That means whoever offends you, you will side with the other party.

As for the promise the Heavenly Serpent Imperial Family had made to the Jia Nan Academy, Xiao Lin had long since stopped caring about it after they had ignored him for so many days.

Are you kidding me? It's your Heavenly Serpent Imperial Family that needs something from my Jia Nan Academy, and you expect us to rush to trade with you?

Besides, First Elder Su Qian had given Xiao Lin instructions before he left.

He can handle everything that happens in the Heavenly Serpent Empire on his own!

In any case, if the deal with the Heavenly Serpent Imperial Family is reached, Jia Nan Academy will profit.

Even if the deal falls through, Jia Nan Academy won't lose out, right?

Although Xiao Lin's answer did not completely satisfy the Heavenly Snake Mansion Master, Golden Snake, it was still a relief.

After all, their Heavenly Serpent Mansion truly had no reason to offend Jia Nan Academy, did it?

In other words, as long as the Heavenly Serpent Mansion doesn't do anything that offends Jia Nan Academy, the other party has no reason to side with the Heavenly Serpent Imperial Family and oppose the Heavenly Serpent Mansion.

With this understanding, the smile on the face of the Heavenly Snake Mansion Master, Golden Snake, became even more genuine.

"Haha, good, Lin Xiao, I've decided to be your friend. If you have time in the future, feel free to visit our Heavenly Serpent Mansion. I'll certainly do my best to be a good host!"

At this moment, the Heavenly Snake Mansion Master, Golden Snake, also extended an invitation to Xiao Lin with a loud laugh.

"Definitely, I just hope the Golden Snake Lord won't blame me for coming to bother you."

Xiao Lin responded politely to the Heavenly Snake Mansion Master, Golden Snake.

After that, the two chatted on and off.

During this time, the Wood Snake and Earth Snake, who were positioned below the Golden Snake, also chatted with Xiao Lin for a few minutes.

The conversation between the two was quite pleasant.

Time passed slowly as the group chatted idly.

Soon it was noon.

As the sun hung high in the sky, the Founding Ceremony of the Heavenly Serpent Empire finally began.

Heavenly Serpent Emperor Heavenly Serpent, dressed in a jet-black Heavenly Serpent Robe, wearing a crown and with a Heavenly Serpent longsword at his waist, slowly walked to a tall altar in front of the Imperial Palace.

At the same time, everyone, including Xiao Lin, stopped talking and stood up, watching as the Heavenly Serpent Emperor walked up the ninety-nine steps and finally stood at the top of the altar.

At the top of the altar stood a lifelike statue of Heavenly Serpent, around which four flickering, unidentified flames burned.

Immediately afterwards, the Heavenly Serpent Emperor, who had already reached the Heavenly Serpent statue, began the sacrificial ceremony.

"By the grace of Heaven, our Heavenly Serpent Empire has been established for 800 years. Today, the descendants of the Heavenly Serpent Imperial Family will hold Founding Ceremony here to seek the blessings of our ancestors—"

In a long and eloquent speech, the Heavenly Serpent Emperor had roughly grasped the essence of the scriptures over half an hour.

Of course, to Xiao Lin, this was no different from chanting scriptures.

Xiao Lin didn't understand why there was a ritual of sacrificing to the heavens in such a fantastical world as Battle Through the Heavens.

However, although the Heavenly Serpent Emperor himself ignored the "chanting" ceremony, the people of the Heavenly Serpent Empire clearly took it very seriously.

At this moment, everyone, including members of the Imperial Family and the Heavenly Serpent Mansion, became extremely solemn.

Even the Heavenly Serpent Mansion, which already had considerable conflicts with the Heavenly Serpent Imperial Family, was no exception in this regard.

After all, from the perspective of the Heavenly Serpent Mansion, they are also part of the Heavenly Serpent Empire!

Regardless of how their conflict with the Heavenly Serpent Imperial Family ultimately ends, they clearly acknowledge their identity as members of the Heavenly Serpent Empire.

Therefore, during the sacrificial ceremony, their attitude was naturally no different from that of the other people in the Heavenly Serpent Empire; they were quite sincere.

Afterwards, the Heavenly Serpent Emperor spent about an hour completing the remaining tasks before the sacrificial ceremony finally came to a close.