"As your master, I was merely guessing."
Xuan Er saw his confusion and began to explain.
Then, both of them directed their gaze back towards the altar; such occurrences are extremely rare.
Suddenly, all nine cauldrons emitted a resonant hum simultaneously.
the pillars of light vanished.
At this moment, Zhou Yi suppressed the joy in his heart, for this indicated the heavens were very pleased with the sacrifices. Only he knew that if the quality of the sacrifices was poor, they would be outright rejected.
This was known only to the direct lineage of Great Zhou.
Thunder unexpectedly roared above the altar, one rumble after another, continuously.
"The National Spirit is already being nurtured."
Zhou Yi excitedly exclaimed, "Zheng’Er! As soon as the National Spirit appears, immediately deploy the World-Suppressing Bell to suppress it; make sure nothing goes awry!"
"The National Spirit, huh?" Luo Tian, standing to the side, murmured to himself. Though his Sanqing Sect was the foremost sect in Great Xia, such matters were unknown to him.
His heart also surged with excitement at this moment.
Half an hour! An hour!
Yet, aside from the continuous thunder, nothing else appeared.
However, Zhou Yi showed no signs of anxiety. On the contrary, he was quite thrilled.
The longer the nurturing period, the higher the grade of the National Spirit.
The last Great Zhou ritual took a full four hours!
And Great Xia, as far as he knew, took five hours!
He wondered how long it would take this time!
As it approached five hours, a sharp sound suddenly pierced the sky.
"Is this... a phoenix’s cry?" Zhou Yi’s voice trembled involuntarily.
This is a top-tier National Spirit!
If this is truly the case, then.....
a golden phantom appeared above the altar.
In an instant, the entire void was bathed in golden light from this phantom.
Gradually, a golden phoenix emerged.
"Shimmering Golden Phoenix!"
Zhou Yi called out excitedly, it was indeed a phoenix!
An urgent phoenix cry echoed, and the phoenix in the sky spread its golden wings with a "whoosh"! The phoenix crown atop its head burned like a strand of golden flame!
The king of all birds, the phoenix’s majestic aura instantly emerged.
All those present, those with weaker powers suddenly found their breathing becoming difficult.
Even Chen Xuan felt somewhat stifled.
And the women around him felt extremely uncomfortable.
Just as he was about to intervene,
Xuan Er shouted in a low voice, casting out multiple streams of Spiritual Power, forming a protective barrier around them.
In an instant, the pressure disappeared.
"Are you alright now?"
Chen Xuan looked at the women and inquired.
The women nearly nodded in unison.
And just then, on the altar,
Zhou Yi shouted loudly.
Zhou Yi swiftly directed the World-Suppressing Bell at the Shimmering Golden Phoenix!
In an instant, it reached the top of the Shimmering Golden Phoenix.
Meanwhile, Zhou Zheng’s Spiritual Power poured into the World-Suppressing Bell, and it began to spin rapidly in the air, expanding instantly, enveloping the Shimmering Golden Phoenix below.
The Shimmering Golden Phoenix grew infuriated, continuously flapping its golden wings, as an ocean of Spiritual Qi surged towards it like tides.
A golden flame spewed from the phoenix’s mouth, striking the Bell above.
The golden flame hit the Bell, sending it flying a thousand meters away, accompanied by a terrifying hum that made everyone below dizzy.
The phoenix’s eyes looked disdainfully at the distant World-Suppressing Bell.
With that thing? They thought to suppress it!?
Then it lowered its phoenix head, gazing at Zhou Zheng below.
A series of phoenix cries echoed, seemingly mocking Zhou Zheng.
"Quick, quick, direct your Spiritual Power into the World-Suppressing Bell and assist Zhou Zheng! The Shimmering Golden Phoenix is a top-tier National Spirit, Zhou Zheng’s strength is insufficient!"
Zhou Yi shouted urgently.