After being reborn, the villain comes with a spoiler tag.

Although the government office was some distance from the Vermilion Bird Gate, Huo Yu was now at the Golden Core stage, and he arrived at the Vermilion Bird Gate in no time.

The place remains bustling with activity, teeming with people, shoulder to shoulder.

All sorts of figures gathered at the Vermilion Bird Gate, creating a lively scene that seemed to ignite the night itself.

In Huo Yu's consciousness, everyone in the square could not suppress their excitement, their eyes looking reverently at the white sacred fire burning on the altar. Apart from that, they all looked the same as usual.

However, apart from the sea of ​​people in the square, Huo Yu could clearly see that the entire Vermilion Bird Gate area was currently under a huge formation.

The core of the formation, the very spot where everyone's attention was focused, was the Temple of Heaven, the venue for the Thousand Candles Ceremony.

The enthronement ceremony has begun at the Temple of Heaven.

Illuminated by the blazing sacred fire of the Vermilion Bird, the future emperor, clad in a magnificent imperial robe and wearing a dazzling crown, ascended the altar, symbolizing the supreme divine authority of the Vermilion Bird, with solemn and steady steps.

The woman in red, whom Huo Yu had met briefly in the palace, stood quietly among the royal family members who stood with their hands at their sides, silently watching the Eighth Prince ascend the sacred altar step by step.

On that towering altar, a woman dressed in a fiery red dress stood before the bronze cauldron where the sacred fire of the Vermilion Bird burned fiercely, holding a long sword.

The scabbard of this longsword is engraved with intricate and mysterious patterns, which shimmer with a faint and sacred light under the white firelight.

For all citizens of the Vermilion Bird Kingdom, it is not only an extremely sharp weapon, but also a dual symbol of royal power and the sacred will of the Vermilion Bird.

The woman holding the sword stood quietly, her posture as upright as a pine tree, her face as cold as ice, like a statue. Her indifferent gaze passed through the Eighth Prince who was climbing the steps and looked into the void behind him.

Huo Yu did not rush to the center of the formation, but instead placed Long Yucheng in a relatively safe position on the outer edge of the crowd.

As soon as Long Yucheng landed, he took advantage of his current size to nimbly weave through the crowd and quickly led Huo Yu to their target.

"Ergou! What took you so long to get here!"

Wang Erniu turned his head and spotted Long Yucheng. He excitedly raised his hand and patted Long Yucheng a few times in the air, his face beaming with smiles.

Long Yucheng had no time to correct his name at this moment. He anxiously circled around Wang Erniu, wagging his tail like a rattle.

After hearing Long Yucheng's series of urgent calls, Wang Erniu's face showed a hint of doubt:

"What's wrong with you? Why are you in such a hurry, and why do you keep talking about danger? Today is a grand ceremony that only happens once every six hundred years. With disciples of the Holy Sect here to guard us, how could there be any danger?"

Upon hearing this, Long Yucheng became even more anxious, pacing back and forth and whimpering softly. Although Huo Yu couldn't understand dog language, he could roughly guess that he was trying to persuade Wang Erniu to leave quickly.

Huo Yu no longer paid much attention to the interaction between the man and the dog; his gaze was completely drawn to the scene on the altar.

On the altar, the person presiding over the ceremony and the woman in red standing among the royal family members both keenly sensed Huo Yu's divine sense, but neither of them made any response, as if everything was normal.

Huo Yu could clearly see the two of them; their faces were exactly the same, like twin sisters.

On the altar, the woman holding the sword was the source of all the spiritual energy projections Huo Yu had ever seen, and also the one who set up this massive array that covered the entire city—the leader of the Fire Worship Cult.

At this moment, Huo Yu finally saw the Heavenly Dao Prism floating above the main character's head. Although its darkness was not as great as his own when he was first reborn, it was no less intense.

And Heaven's commentary on this person was even more concise and to the point:

[The minor villain has no hope of ascension]

Huo Yu's divine sense paused slightly over the words "minor villain" and lingered for a moment.

Now that the villain has appeared, the protagonist, who is the opposing side, is undoubtedly Long Yucheng.

This trip to the Vermilion Bird Kingdom felt like a meticulously planned drama, with every detail arranged perfectly.

The villains had already meticulously planned all the behind-the-scenes conspiracies, and once all the supporting characters had gathered and everything was ready, it was time for the protagonists to make their grand entrance.

Since arriving in Vermilion Bird City, every character who has appeared has been pushing the protagonist step by step to confront the villain, bringing the entire play to its climax tonight.

Huo Yu glanced at Long Yucheng, who was oblivious to everything and was still anxiously circling around Wang Erniu, his gaze lingering on the four words "Heaven's Favorite".

If this is the treatment of a favored child of Heaven, Huo Yu suddenly felt that being rejected by Heaven might not be such a bad thing.

So the remaining question is:

Among those who drive these plots, how many are completely unaware of their own mission? And how many, like him, are clear-headed and intentionally or unintentionally facilitate all of this?

Just then, Guan Fengyue and Su Yixuan, who had been left far behind by Huo Yu's astonishing speed, finally arrived late and entered the scene.

At this point, all the key characters have made their appearance and gathered together.

It's time for this grand and dramatic show to begin tonight.

Since someone wants to watch this good show, Huo Yu will naturally cooperate fully in the performance—until he personally lifts the layers of curtains and faces the audience behind the scenes.

……

Not far from Huo Yu and his group, Lian Hu suddenly caught sight of an unexpected figure, and his face immediately lit up with joy:

"Senior sister, you're here too!"

The newcomer was dressed in black, seemingly blending into the surrounding night. His long hair was neatly tied up, and he gripped a long sword tightly in his hand. It was none other than Murong Yu.

She struggled through the bustling crowd to reach Lian Hu's side, but before she could speak, a sharp gaze made her wary.

She turned her head sharply, looking past the shoulders of one person after another, and finally met the eyes of the woman in red on the altar amidst the sea of ​​people.

In that split second, the entire Vermilion Bird Gate was suddenly enveloped in a bright red light.

The light was as fiery as fire and as deep as blood, staining the starless night sky above Vermilion Bird City with an eerie and bewitching red.

This extraordinary phenomenon was so astonishing that even the mortals within the Vermilion Bird Gate witnessed it. They all looked up, casting surprised and shocked glances, their exclamations rising and falling in waves.

Lian Hu's words were abruptly interrupted by this unprecedented and bizarre sight. He stood there stunned, staring at the strange scene before him, speechless, as if frozen in place.

In the vast sea of ​​people, a cry of surprise rang out like a thunderclap, its origin unknown, yet it spread like wildfire, quickly triggering a chain reaction:

"Lord Suzaku has manifested!"