The Holy Mountain of Estela is only four to five hundred meters high and is not very steep. However, the peaks are thick and majestic, just like the stone seat of the gods.
Shulot stepped on the dim light of the morning sun, held Alyssa's bare hand, and climbed steadily up the winding path. Dozens of warriors carried weapons on their backs and wore leather armor, spreading out on guard front and back.
After walking up the mountain for several quarters of an hour, the scenery along the way is refreshing and refreshing. When you look down, you can see the mountains are vast and the boulders are rugged; when you look down, you can see beautiful trees and flowers in full bloom; when you look up, you can see the clouds steaming up, and you can see an ancient and simple building.
The bluestone temple appeared in the clouds and trees, already a hundred meters away.
"The ancient Sun Temple, the inherited sacred fire..."
Shulot hummed softly, and Alyssa responded with a smile.
"The mountain where the original sun sets, the stairs where the Supreme God ascends, the turning point of the fifty-two-year cycle..."
The two looked at each other and smiled, then clasped their hands at the same time and sang the last part of the memorial in unison.
"The Holy Mountain of Estella, witness the immortal miracles and make eternal promises!..."
Qingyue's chants floated in the wind and spread far and wide. After a few breaths, a hearty laugh came from the Temple of the Sun.
"Haha! The condor flies from the sky and the egret falls from the clouds. It is such an auspicious day!"
A thin middle-aged priest, wearing simple sacrificial robes and a long crown with eagle feathers, strode out of the temple. The middle-aged priest came out handsome, with a warm smile on his face, and his steps were steady and powerful. It only took a moment.
, he walked through the queue of warriors, came to the front of the two men, and bowed his head respectfully.
"Praise the Sun God! Dear sect chief priest, distinguished eldest princess, chief priest of the Sun Temple, Tonaya, I send my greetings to you!"
"Praise the Sun God! Greetings to you, Priest Tonaya!"
Shulot smiled gently, pulled Alyssa, and together they returned the salute to the thin middle-aged priest. Then, Alyssa blinked and took an exquisite wooden box from the hands of the guards.
"Uncle Tonaya, Uncle Tonatiu knew that I was coming, so he asked me to bring some gifts and some food for you."
"Um?..."
Priest Tonaya took the wooden box, opened it slightly, and saw a precious jade necklace. He was slightly startled, but then he understood in his heart, the smile on his face became more cordial, and his words changed his address.
"Thank you! Your Highness, princess, the incense in the temple has been lit. Please come with me to worship the holy fire together!"
"Thank you, officiant!"
Shulot responded with a smile, and went to the temple side by side with Alyssa. He thought for a moment, and several main priest families in the capital flashed through his mind one by one.
In the Mexica Union, divine power and royal power coexisted at the same time, and the priestly group in the capital city of the lake was very powerful.
The traditional capital priests can be roughly divided into five main priest lines according to the inherited divinity of the gods: the main god of Mexica, the sun god, the war god, the rain god and the fire god. In the high priest group, there are a total of twelve
The priests and elders are in charge of all the educational affairs of the alliance. Six of the alliance elders come from the Holy City and the Lake District, while the remaining six capital elders basically come from the five main priest families.
The main god is the most important clan god. The priests of the main god line have always been noble. Their traditional function is to educate the ethnic group. In fact, they can intervene in all affairs. The former chief priest Kechar came from the main god line. Kechar
After his death, the line of main gods gradually became marginalized. The current successor is the youngest priest elder, Akap.
The God of War is the incarnation of the main god, responsible for killing and punishment. Most of the priests of the God of War series have undergone strict warrior training and can lead the temple guards to fight. The priests and elders of Yazar are representatives of the God of War series. The chief priest
Yao Ke, from another branch of the God of War lineage, has been in charge of prisons for generations.
The Rain God is in charge of rainfall and floods. After the religious reform, the Rain God's priesthood was also merged into the Supreme Lord God, but the inheritance of the Rain God priests still exists. There are many priests in the Rain God line, and they are usually responsible for praying for rain and harvest rituals.
It has a great influence in the village. The fat priest and elder Ugel comes from this lineage.
The God of Vulcan controls mining and casting. The priests of the God of Vulcan line are responsible for temple construction, craftsman management and weapon production. Their sense of existence is not high, and their voice in the high priesthood is not strong. And they are in the high priesthood.
The representative among them is the priest and elder Terquis.
The sun god shines everywhere and has a respected status. The priests of the sun god line are in charge of the holy land, pass on the sacred fire, and participate in sacrifices. They have a transcendent and noble status. Many of them even have the blood of the royal family. The Tonaya priest in front of you is the third member of the sun god line.
The priests and elders of Tonatiu are the representatives of the sun god family in the high priest group. In the Nahua language, "Tona" means the sun.
If Tisok had been captured and not executed by Avit, he would have ended up hiding in the holy mountain and the holy lake and became a royal priest serving the sun god.
In the inheritance of the capital city, in addition to the five priests, there is actually a sixth branch, the Quetzalcoatl line. However, most of the Quetzalcoatl line comes from the culturally profound city of Tlacopan, and the high-ranking priests were all in those days.
were implicated and executed during the great purge. Their representatives in the high priesthood were also replaced by another elder from the royal family, the elder priest of Como. This was also the time during the religious reform when Shulot erased Quetzalcoatl.
The important reason why the suggestion was adopted by the High Priests.
Shulot's expression remained unchanged and his thoughts were busy. He was thinking about the inheritance of the priests and the situation in the capital. The high priest had an outstanding reputation and was stern and decisive. He was the leader of the priests in the holy city, and he had the support of the immortal sun behind him.
He can be said to be the best among the high priests. However, the five main priest lines of the capital have deep roots and control many priests and powers.
Therefore, the concentration of divine power is not easy. Just like the concentration of royal power, there are many resistances. My grandfather wanted to integrate the divine power, which was to use the high priests as the foundation to control the local priest inheritance. Several priests in the capital were chief
All relationships need to focus on win-win and cooperation.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! "Praise the Lord God! Your Highness, Princess, this is the sacred fire taken from the divine city of Quechulco and passed down to this day!"
Hearing this, Shulot came back to his senses and was already in the Temple of the Sun. He looked around and saw that the Temple of the Sun was actually not large in area, with a simple style and traces of vicissitudes of life. Many statues and bricks had gone through wind and rain, and had some
The mottled parts have fallen off, and only the main hall is slightly gorgeous.
In front of the main hall, there is an ancient pottery brazier. Under the brazier, there are large piles of gold, silver and ornaments left by the nobles who came to worship. In the brazier, there is a bunch of holy fire.
It is burning brightly and has not been extinguished for decades!
"Praise be to the Holy Fire!...May the Holy Fire bless this holy union and our marriage!"
Shulot lowered his head and prayed quietly toward the holy fire together with Alyssa.
With a solemn look on his face, Tonaia added some expensive spices to the holy fire and put in an adult mountain eagle skull. After a moment, he carefully took out the skull and inspected it slightly, then he looked happy.
"Your Highness and Princess, the sacred fire brings blessings and protects the sacred wedding, which is a good omen!"
"Praise the Lord God! Thank you, respected Priest Tonaya!"
Although as a high priest, Shulot knew the origins of most good omens. But it was always a joy to receive sacred wedding blessings. He waved his hand gently, and a warrior held a heavy
The cloth bag was presented under the holy fire.
"This is a bag of gems produced in the Lake District, to express my feelings."
"Praise the Lord God! Thank you for your devout devotion!"
Tonaya smiled sincerely, and estimated the weight of the gem just by looking at it. He bowed his head in salute, then extended his hand to give a hint, and turned around to enter the palace.
"Dear sect leader, please join me in praying in the morning!"
Xiuluo nodded and strode into the main hall, while Alyssa stayed outside. In the center of the main hall was a tall sculpture of the Sun God. The Sun God faced the east, very simple and simple, and quite heavy and steady.
The whole body is decorated with gold and silver, and the eyes are inlaid with gems, but the face is extremely blurred and it is difficult to distinguish it carefully.
"Priest Tonaya, this sculpture of the sun god... seems to be very old."
"Yes, Lord Priest of the Sect, this ancient sculpture comes from the ruins of the sacred city of Quechulco, dozens of miles away."
"The sacred city of Quechulco...that means it has a history of at least two thousand years!"
Shulot was surprised and a little unbelievable.
When he heard the exact year, Tonaya also looked surprised. He took a deep look at Shulot and said with a smile.
"It's almost time. Dear sect chief priest, please stand on the throne and lead us in prayer!"
"Well, light the rosin and start the morning prayers."
The rosin burned, and the faint fragrance floated away. Shulot's expression was solemn for a moment. He lowered his head, recited a few words in a low voice, and then praised loudly.
"Praise the Lord God! You must believe in my god Huitzilopochtli! He is supreme and powerful and omnipotent! He gives us sunshine and rain, harvest and food..."
“Praise the Lord God!…”
More than a dozen temple priests bowed their heads together and chanted the standard sacrificial verses in the Ali Sutra. Alyssa led the warriors and also chanted praises and chants in a low voice. Soon, the sound of pious prayers spread, and the sound was loud and clear.
In the holy mountains and temples, he talks about religion and people's hearts with his heartfelt voice.
Two quarters of an hour later, the strict morning prayer was completed. The solemn prayer ceremony was completed, and everyone relaxed. Shulot straightened his clothes, bowed his head and bowed, and then stepped away from the statue of the Sun God.
"Your Highness, is this your first time on vacation in the Holy Mountain?"
Tonaia asked softly with a smile on her face.
"Yeah. I've been busy before and didn't take any time."
Xiulote nodded and asked with a smile.
"There are many hot springs under the holy mountain. The chief priest has been stationed here for many years. Do you have any suggestions for me?"
"Your Highness, do you want to go to Daquan or Xiaoquan?"
"The big spring is too noisy. If you meet other nobles in the capital and invite them to take a bath together, it will be hard to refuse."
"That's Koizumi."
Tonaia nodded. He pondered for a moment and asked softly.
"Your Highness and the princess are here for their honeymoon?"
"Um."
"Then go to the southwest valley. Two or three miles away, there is a small spring for the private use of the priests. The small spring is connected to the geothermal heat, flowing with the vitality of the God of Fire, which can prolong life. The scenery there is beautiful, the flowers are in full bloom, and it is off the main road, and the woods are deep.
Even if the sound is louder, there is no need to worry about being heard... Your Highness, I will instruct the temple priest to move to a different place when taking a bath so as not to disturb you."
"...Thank you to the officiant."
Shulot was speechless for a moment, and could only nod his thanks. The atmosphere of the alliance is such, the folk customs are simple, and they are not far away from ancient times, and they do not shy away from singing joyfully.
"Ha ha!"
Tonaya smiled heartily, blinked his eyes, and spoke in a low voice.
"Your Highness, there are many hot springs in the Holy Mountain, each with its own characteristics. There are also some hidden springs in the mountain, some hot, some slightly spicy. There are also priestesses who go to the mountain to practice asceticism, all with graceful figures, especially good at swimming fish in the water.
.If the princess is not here, I can lead you to enjoy some unique and wonderful tastes!"
"Well..."
Shulot was slightly embarrassed and understood. It was not the legendary hot spring trip...
"Chief Priest Tonaya...this, that's all..."
"Haha! Your Highness, I just mentioned it casually."
Seeing Shulot's embarrassment, Tonaia smiled. He looked solemn and spoke in a low voice again, but it was meaningful.
"Uncle Tonatiu has mentioned to me many times that His Highness Shulot's divine wisdom is destined to shine everywhere... Please stay close to me in the future!"
"Elder Tonatiu..."
Shulot's eyes moved. He nodded with a smile, stretched out his hand, and patted Tonaia on the shoulder.
“Praise the Lord God! Get closer to us in the future and discuss theology and scripture together!”
"Haha, praise the Lord God!"
The hearty laughter spread far away and dispersed into the long wind of the sacred mountain. A majestic mountain eagle circled in the mountains. After looking at it for a moment, it turned and headed west. The early sun rose, the clouds and mist drifted away, and a few eagle feathers
Swinging from the sky, it fell into the temple without being seen by anyone.
This chapter has been completed!