Douluo Continent: Five Thunders Shake the Drums, I am the Thunder Emperor!

Chapter 139 The Grand Ceremony of Sacrificing to Heaven: Sikong Zhen rushes to the far north!

Observatory

Just as Sikong Zhen was about to leave, he suddenly sensed something and turned to look north.

That was the northernmost, frigid region, but what attracted him at that moment was a faint, almost imperceptible aura of thunder.
"Black Thunder Drum"

Sikong Zhen narrowed his eyes. "It seems the trip to the far north will have to be brought forward."

The northernmost, frigid land, also known as the far north, is still an untouched forbidden zone in this era.

Soul Masters in the Northern Territory mostly hunt soul beasts in the icy forests outside the far north.

This means that Sikong Zhen is about to explore an unknown place!

It's dangerous, but we have no choice but to go.

……

Outside Tiandou City

The nine-zhang-high sacrificial altar stands majestically.

The entire platform is made of white jade, and its surface is carved with patterns of the sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, and even pictures of people worshipping.

On both sides of the ninety-nine steps,

The Heavenly Guards, clad in golden armor, stood holding halberds, their chilling aura soaring to the heavens.

Below the altar, a thousand Storm Army soldiers stood silently, each mechanical figure a killing machine on the battlefield, demonstrating the power of the Heavenly Dou Empire, or rather, the Sikong family.

"The auspicious time has come——"

As the official chanted his long, drawn-out proclamation, Sikong Mingde, dressed in a ceremonial robe with twelve imperial symbols, slowly ascended the stage.

The gold threads on the dragon robe shimmered in the sunlight, and the nine five-clawed golden dragons seemed to burst out of the robe, majestic and imposing.

With each step Sikong Mingde took, a muffled thud echoed on the steps.

On the viewing platform, the kings of the four kingdoms displayed different expressions.

King Severn of Barak smiled, but his eyes flashed with malice.

King Otto of Häagen-Dazs stroked his beard, his gaze constantly sweeping over Sikong Zhen, but he quickly looked away when his eyes met Sikong Zhen's.

Queen Elena of Sylvester, dressed in a red robe, was breathtakingly beautiful.

King Morric was covered in sweat and kept wiping his forehead.

"strangeness."

Dugu Bo narrowed his eyes. "The kings of the four kingdoms are behaving very strangely."

Yu Yuanzhen snorted coldly: "He has the heart of a thief, but not the guts."

Sikong Zhen stood at the head of the right side of the sacrificial altar, his gaze calmly sweeping over the crowd of spectators.

He noticed that the envoys from the Wind Sword Sect and the Fire Leopard Sect had arrived with generous gifts, while the seats for the Spirit Hall and the Star Luo Empire were empty.

"The sacrifice to heaven begins!"

Sikong Mingde ascended to the top of the altar and received three sticks of ambergris from the master of ceremonies.

The incense was lit, and the smoke rose straight up, forming auspicious clouds.

All the civil and military officials watching the ceremony held their breath, and even the four kings changed color slightly—this image of "a single stick of incense reaching the heavens" was an auspicious sign.

"bye--"

Sikong Mingde stood tall and straight, while the officials behind him knelt and kowtowed three times and nine times.

Then, Sikong Mingde raised his hand, and the Imperial Seal of the State floated up from the table, shimmering with a warm luster in the sunlight.

"May the new emperor be blessed!"

The official in charge of ceremonies announced in a trembling voice.

The three thousand officials below the altar shouted in unison, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

Sikong Mingde held up the imperial seal with both hands, his voice as loud as a great bell: "I, the Emperor, today respectfully receive the Mandate of Heaven and change the era name to Tianqi."

May the weather be favorable, and may the country be prosperous and the people at peace!

As soon as he finished speaking, a clear and melodious phoenix cry suddenly came from the direction of the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

As everyone looked back, they saw nine white cranes circling the altar three times before flapping their wings and flying away, a sign of auspiciousness and divine significance.

"A Gift—"

King Sevier of Barak was the first to step forward, holding a jade box in both hands: "Congratulations on the new emperor's ascension to the throne, I hereby present a thousand-year-old snow ginseng!"

The official in charge of ceremonies took the jade box and opened it in front of Sikong Mingde. Inside lay a translucent ginseng root, emitting a rich medicinal fragrance.

The growing conditions for this kind of snow ginseng are extremely harsh. Although it is far inferior to the immortal herb, it can still be called a precious medicine.

"good."

Sikong Mingde nodded slightly.

Immediately afterwards, King Otto of Häagen-Dazs presented a short sword inlaid with seven gems: "This sword was bestowed by the late king; it can cut through iron like mud. May Your Majesty have great military fortune!"

Queen Elena of Sylvester presented an embroidery depicting the territory of the Heavenly Dou Empire: "May Your Majesty's empire be forever secure."

King Morric was very practical.

He presented a statue made entirely of gold, a statue ten feet tall, sculpted in the likeness of Sikong Mingde, with a white tiger standing on its feet.

"Forehead"

Seeing this, Sikong Mingde was speechless for a moment. The flattery was too obvious, but it pleased him greatly!

"Ahem, King Morric is too kind."

King Morric's face was full of fawning smiles. "I'm glad Your Majesty is pleased."

Subsequently, other forces such as the Wind Sword Sect and the Fire Leopard Sect, as well as various dukes and ministers, also sent their congratulatory gifts.

……

After the sacrificial ceremony, Sikong Zhen told his grandfather and then left Tiandou City alone, heading north.

In the northernmost part of the Heavenly Dou Empire, the cold wind is like a knife.

Sikong Zhen stood atop a solitary city gate, gazing at the vast white expanse of sky and earth in the distance.

This is the last border fortress of the Heaven Dou Empire. Further north lies a region that even Soul Masters dare not easily venture into.

"Your Highness, the Ice and Snow Forest is just ahead. The place you mentioned is even further north within the Ice and Snow Forest."

The general guarding the pass said respectfully, "Moreover, the forest is teeming with spirit beasts. Although most of them only have tens of thousands of years of cultivation, their numbers are vast, so you..."

Sikong Zhen waved his hand: "It's alright."

He took a step forward, and his figure transformed into a streak of lightning that swept across the sky, disappearing into the vast snowstorm in the blink of an eye.

Deep in the snowy forest.

"Roar--"

A 50,000-year-old Ice Soul Demon Bear crashed to the ground, its massive body still crackling with lingering lightning, but it was not fatally wounded.

Sikong Zhen didn't even glance at the soul beast and continued heading north.

There are many soul beasts in the Ice and Snow Forest, but not a single one that is 100,000 years old. The Ice Soul Demon Bear that we just saw was already the most powerful soul beast in the Ice and Snow Forest.

quickly,

Sikong Zhen then traversed the icy forest and stepped into the true far north.

The further north you go, the lower the temperature gets.

An ordinary soul master here would probably have their soul power frozen.

But for Sikong Zhen, this chill was nothing; under the influence of the crimson lightning, his body was as hot as a furnace.

"The sensation from the Black Thunder Drum is becoming increasingly clear."

He looked down at his palm, where three lightning patterns appeared—marks of the three refined thunder drums.

At this moment, the three lightning patterns were slightly hot, pointing towards the deeper parts of the far north.

Ten days later.

Before them stretched an endless ice field, with heavy snow falling from the sky, reducing visibility for ordinary Soul Masters to less than a hundred meters.

Even more terrifying is that the cold here has materialized, with tiny ice crystals floating in the air.

but,
Sikong Zhen possessed the ability to perceive thunder, allowing him to sense all movements within a ten-kilometer radius.

Click!

Sikong Zhen shattered a piece of millennia-old ice with his foot, his brows furrowing slightly.

"Rumble--"

A muffled rumbling sound came from afar, clearly indicating that something enormous was approaching.

Sikong Zhen sensed with his Thunderous Eye that a soul beast was rushing towards them through the snowstorm, casting a huge shadow on the icy plain.

(End of this chapter)