The Jin Xia Grand Ancestral Temple is extremely large, extending over a hundred feet from north to south and more than seventy feet wide, surrounded by three layers of walls.
The main buildings within the temple face south, with the main structures consisting of the Hall of Offerings (Front Hall), Hall of Rest (Middle Hall), and Hall of Worship (Rear Hall).
The status of the Grand Ancestral Temple is sacred, and without permission from the Emperor or the Ministry of Rites, no one is allowed to enter.
Inner Guards strictly guard the outside of the temple.
Tuoba Hui instructed the others to wait outside and proceeded alone towards the temple.
The temple is primarily constructed with Golden Rattan Wood, the interior adorned with Muddy Gold Revolving Paint and Gold-Engraved Ink Jade Grinding Jade Spinach Painting, with golden bricks paving the floor, exuding magnificence and grandeur.
The temple not only enshrines the spirit tablets of the meritorious Khans of the Tuoba Clan but also honors distinguished civil servants and military generals, known as "honoring with the temple."
Of course, these two are not enshrined in the same hall.
Tuoba Hui entered the Hall of Rest, also called the East Hall, which, compared to the opulence outside, is relatively simple. In front of the spirit tablets of past Khans, three rows of Everlasting Lamps are burning.
Tuoba Hui’s gaze swept over the spirit tablets of the ancestors, then with a thud, he knelt before them and said with sorrowful voice:
"To the Tuoba Clan ancestors above, the Wei Army has launched a massive invasion, violating our lands, harming our subjects. To protect the Tuoba Clan’s state and foundation, the thirteenth Khan of Jin Xia, Tuoba Hui, comes here to obtain the Blood God Seal, using the imperial blood of the Tuoba Clan to unseal it, even if it brings the curse of ending offspring, to drive out foreign invaders, I am resolute and unregretful."
After speaking, Tuoba Hui knocked his head loudly three times.
Then, Tuoba Hui stood up, circled around the three rows of Everlasting Lamps, and arrived at the table where the spirit tablets were placed, his gaze fixed on the highest spirit tablet.
It was the tablet of Tuoba Xing, the first ancestor of the Tuoba Clan, the one who established the Tuoba Tribe and led it to rise.
Tuoba Hui lit three sticks of incense, offering respects to the spirit tablet of Tuoba Xing. Thereafter, the previously mournful Tuoba Hui became extremely serious; after a brief hesitation, determination flashed in his eyes.
He made a grasping motion towards Tuoba Xing’s spirit tablet, accompanied by a crashing sound, the spirit tablet was in his hand, with a baby-arm-thick iron chain connected beneath its base.
Tuoba Hui pulled the iron chain to the end, and instantly, a gust of eerie wind blew in from outside, extinguishing all the Everlasting Lamps, plunging the previously bright Hall of Rest into darkness.
Tuoba Hui turned around, and the table with the Longevity Lamps moved to the sides, slowly raising a stone platform from the middle. On the stone platform rested a lacquered wooden box about a few inches in size, colored dark red.
The box was covered in incomprehensible strange symbols, the color of the symbols resembling blood, appearing especially sinister.
As Tuoba Hui approached the box, he sensed a powerful suction emanating from it, almost as if it was intent on pulling away his soul.
Tuoba Hui slowly opened the box, and a beam of blood light rushed out. As he fully opened the box, the released blood light filled the entire Hall of Rest.
Inside the box was a seal about the size of a fist, of unknown material, the seals of others carved with dragons and phoenixes, usually snow-white and smooth.
But this seal was entirely blood-red, carved with a lifelike skull.
Why say lifelike?
Because at first glance, this skull seemed ready to come to life.
Even as the exalted Tuoba Hui, upon seeing this seal, felt a surge of panic in his heart.
"Is this the Blood God Seal left by the ancestor?"
Looking at the small figure, Tuoba Hui’s heart was filled with unease, recalling the words his father told him before his death.
"Hui’er, you know four hundred years ago, with Song Taizu’s power, he could have easily crushed Jin Xia. Why did he agree to our peace offer and withdraw the troops?"
Tuoba Hui replied: "Because at that time the Song Dynasty was newly established and its foundations were unstable."
"No."
"We bowed and acknowledged Song Taizu as our overlord."
"Also incorrect."
"Was it that our resources were too scarce for Song Taizu to wage a campaign against Jin Xia?"
"No, that wasn’t it either."
"Then what was the reason?"
"Because our Tuoba Clan possesses an Immortal Treasure."
"Immortal Treasure?"
"At that time, Song Taizu, with his unrivaled brilliance, suppressed Jin Xia alone, with no competition for his prowess. The domestic situation within the Great Song was utterly insignificant in influencing Song Taizu’s decision, and even though Jin Xia’s resources were scarce, if Song Taizu had conquered Jin Xia, he would have perfectly solidified his newly established dynasty’s instability. The reason Song Taizu agreed to peace and withdrew was because Emperor Wu, holding the Immortal Treasure, severely wounded Song Taizu."
Upon hearing of Song Taizu’s severe injury, Tuoba Hui immediately asked: "Then why didn’t Emperor Wu directly kill Song Taizu?"
His father had explained then: "Hui’er, you know why Emperor Wu died a year after Song Taizu withdrew the troops. It’s because of the enormous price of using the Immortal Treasure. At that time, Emperor Wu was a Divine Transformation Realm Martial Artist, the most hopeful individual in Jin Xia to reach the First Grade Celestial Human Realm. Yet after using the Immortal Treasure, he was completely drained and exhausted."
...
Outside the palace city and within the inner city’s "passageway," the Wei Army is engaged in a fierce battle with Jin Xia.
Because there are tall walls on both sides, the terrain is not open, so too many people cannot enter at once.
If archers were stationed on the walls on both sides, as long as the entrance to the inner city is guarded, no matter how many people come from this "passageway," they would all perish.
Unfortunately, the Upper Third-Grade Martial Artists of Jin Xia either died or were incapacitated earlier, and Tuoba Hui has yet to appear.
Therefore, despite having such advantageous terrain, the Jin Xia Army could not leverage it effectively.
Upon entering the outer city, Chen Mo led his men to the walls between the outer and inner cities, slaying the ambushing archers stationed there and replacing them with his own men.
In that moment, this place became a death zone for the Jin Xia Army.
A Jin Xia soldier, gripping his sword tightly with both hands, stood firm.
Facing the advancing Wei Army, he constantly retreated; but at this moment, the Jin Xia soldiers behind him suddenly shouted, and he hurriedly slowed his steps.
Yet, the crowd outside immediately pushed him down to the ground, and after falling, he reacted like a startled cat splashing in water, flailing to get up.
He knew clearly in his heart that in this crowded life-and-death battle on the "passageway," people on both sides wouldn’t care about his fall and would trample him into pulp, and surrendering would be of no use.
After a few struggles, he finally started to get up, but then someone jostled against him, and soon the Wei Army’s long spear arrived. After a final stabbing pain, the soldier fell to the ground, and even so, his body was punctured with seven or eight more holes.
It turned out that after Chen Mo finished off the Jin Xia archers on the city walls, he immediately circled to their rear and joined the Wei Army in attacking from both front and back, causing a stampede incident among the Jin Xia Army on the "passageway."
Soon, the "passageway," which was bustling and crowded moments ago, was covered with corpses.
Sun Meng, at the forefront of the team, was already exhausted, but his arms still mechanically swung around.
The bloody and ruthless battlefield served as the best stimulant, unleashing unprecedented power from his body.
Most crucially, they were now fighting their way to the Jin Xia Imperial City.
Their nation was on the brink of destruction.
The rewards for such monumental achievements were beyond imagination.
Before the battle began, Your Majesty had ordered that after this battle concludes, rewards will be bestowed based on merit.
"Follow me...into the palace."
Chen Mo wiped the blood splattered on his face, and under the gaze of his entourage, slowly led the Imperial Guard into the inner city, and soon, these watching Wei soldiers tightly followed, entering the extravagantly opulent Imperial City.
Just then, Chen Mo sensed something, looked up, and his expression changed, seeing a black mass, its full shape unclear, resembling a large square mountain, crashing down towards their location.
"Not good, scatter quickly."
Chen Mo mobilized his innate spiritual qi, executed the Great Sun Qi Slash, and swung his blade, sending an invisible blade light over ten feet long with overwhelming momentum.
The Wei Army quickly noticed the change; just now, they felt the sky had darkened and looked up in panic at the massive dark object pressing down.
Fortunately, their formation remained intact, and they orderly retreated.
However, the "passageway" was somewhat narrow, and many people had entered, so the retreat was slow, and many were trapped under the "Four Directions Mountain," their faces pale.
If it landed on them, they would undoubtedly be reduced to a puddle of flesh.
"What?"
Chen Mo’s expression changed; his blade light hit the "Four Directions Mountain" without causing a dent, and as the mountain descended rapidly, a massive oppressive force bent his knees.
Ordinary Wei soldiers under the "Four Directions Mountain" were crushed to the ground, unable to move, resigned to their fate.
Chen Mo was greatly startled, a hot purple aura encircling his palm, and he struck the blue-stoned ground heavily, unleashing a powerful gust from his palm’s center.
The Wei soldiers caught in the gust were swept away from the "Four Directions Mountain’s" descent zone, and upon landing, except for Entry Grade Martial Artists, all spat blood.
"Quickly, go."
Chen Mo shouted sharply, like an arrow leaving the string, shot out from under the "Four Directions Mountain," and intentionally created gusts on both sides of his body, carrying the Wei soldiers who had not yet reacted upon landing away from the falling zone.
When passing by Yu Zhu, Chen Mo wrapped an arm around her waist.
As for Nalan Yiren, she could manage herself.
"Bang!"
As Chen Mo dashed out, less than a foot away, the "Four Directions Mountain" crashed heavily to the ground behind Chen Mo, pulverizing everything beneath it, whether houses or anything else.
When the "Four Directions Mountain" hit the ground, it stirred up a huge cloud of smoke and gust, rapidly pursuing Chen Mo.