Chapter 2204 - 1587: The Most Eternal Divine King
"The sacred mountain has awakened, standing in light. The stone is named, the soul on the stone. Divine light is in the clouds, the Thunder Lord is in the mist. Rain falls, ancestral spirits approach, songs are sung."
"Monte Albán, yaa lani, yaa naa. Alban Mountain, holy mountain, the peak of the divine mountain."
"You are the people of Oaxaca, the first mountain, the first light. Should the enemy come to the foot of the mountain, may the ancestral spirits drink their blood. The sacred mountain has awakened, the Rain Divine has heard, they have all awakened! But we shall turn into twenty-petal flowers, eternally asleep~~"
In an elegy sung by the Zapotec Divine Race at the foot of the holy mountain, it was sung, moving up to the mountainside, until it reached the summit, where it suddenly ceased. Their voices echoed, their bright red flowed, their bodies fell, their vitality burned. Finally, dust returns to dust, earth returns to earth, divine blood returns to the divine spirit, body returns to the Earth Mother.
The grand sacrifice to the Chief Divine cannot lack noble sacrifices. And when the elite of the twenty-thousand Alliance spread across the entire Tlacolula Valley, the tens of thousands of Zapotec Tribe offered almost no resistance, conquered by the military might of the legion. The sacrifices of divine blood were once again abundant, dragged by armored warriors, delivered to the pyramid, rolling down.
"Supreme Chief Divine Huitzilopochtli! I, the Divine King Avit, worship you here! I shall offer to you the ancient Alban Holy Mountain, in the clouds of the south, the Oaxaca Valley, as your sanctuary! And throughout the Oaxaca Valley and the Coastal Zapotec, wide for thousands of miles, your divine light shall shine!"
On the tallest pyramid temple, the Divine King Avit, wearing elaborate royal attire, raised the feather crown divine emblem. In front of him, the face of the Rain God Cocijo gold and silver statue was completely smoothed. This golden and silver mixed statue was two or three meters high, weighing several tons, likely containing 500,000 taels of gold and silver. It constantly gleamed with the luster of precious metals, symbolizing the faith of the Oaxaca Zapotec Tribe and the wealth of the Oaxaca Valley!
Undoubtedly, the Oaxaca Valley is rich in gold and silver, and produces copper. The massive gold bronze associated mineral belt lies in the mountains north of Silver Peak City. And silver mines are even more abundant, existing in the mountains north and south. Many extinct volcanoes are distributed on both sides of the valley, the soil of the valley covered with fertile volcanic ash. It is a land blessed by all gods, and as early as two thousand years ago, when the Maya Tribes were rising in the Divine Capital Tikal, the Oaxaca Tribes were born in City-States beneath the holy mountain.
However, while possessing these precious metals, the Oaxaca Valley lacks obsidian, sharp war clubs, and is without the tin essential for making bronze. Therefore, the warriors of Oaxaca also used many red copper hand axes, red copper long spears. Previously, their common trade with the Alliance was gold, silver, and copper in exchange for obsidian and various gemstones. As for the lake salt produced by the Alliance, it is also produced in the Oaxaca Valley. The main salt production site is located 60 miles east of Silver Peak City, south of Mountain God City in Salt Spring Town (Lambityeco). The lake salt produced there directly supplies the entire valley.
It can be said that the Oaxaca Valley, from its terrain to resource output, naturally possesses the potential for self-sufficiency and regional control, just like a smaller version of the Bashu Basin. Then, after conquering this valley, who shall it be bestowed upon? Or should it be incorporated as a royal domain? The Divine King Avit has not shown a clear intention, even Xiulote cannot guess.
"Supreme Chief Divine! You shall devour the Cocijo False God of the Zapotecs! Your divine emblem shall be forever raised on the Alban Pyramid!"
The Divine King Avit shouted loudly, pressing the Chief Divine’s golden emblem heavily onto the face of the gold and silver statue. Subsequently, Xiulote raised the bronze hammer, forcefully drove bronze nails, piercing through the not-so-hard gold and silver statue. After such a symbolically divine spiritual ritual, Avit finally turned around. He raised the divine staff, looking at the nearly twenty thousand legion warriors gathering at the foot of the mountain, confidently and grandly declaring.
"The Supreme Chief Divine has devoured the Zapotec Rain Divine! The god of the Zapotec is dead! They have lost their ancient god, they must turn to the embrace of the Chief Divine!"
"Go! My royal legion! Under the protection of the Chief Divine, divide into two paths. Solve the City-States of Oaxaca one by one! Sacrifice the divine descendant nobility one after another! The glory of divine war, the spoils of divine war, all belong to you!"
"For the Chief Divine, conquer this Oaxaca Valley! I shall divide it into fifty-two sacred parts, granting it to 52 Honorable Families! And these Honorable Families shall be appointed by military merit! They are you, among your most brave, most meritorious warriors!"
"Ah?! Military merit granting, appointing the Oaxaca Valley! Roar! Willing to die for the Divine King!!"
Upon hearing such astonishing promises, the twenty-thousand royal legion let out the most fanatical and fiercest war cries. In the view of most Alliance warriors, conquering the Oaxaca Valley was indeed the final divine war in unifying the world. Moreover, it is not only the object of attention from the Chief Divine, concerning the divine war after death, but almost the last opportunity for military merit granting that could change family destiny!
"Conquer Oaxaca! Die for the Divine King! Roar!!"
At this moment, the intent to kill beneath the holy mountain was boiling as if tangible, the Alliance warriors roared like fierce wolves and tigers. Then, as the divine staff of the Divine King pointed into the distance, the vanguard of the legion set off! No one could doubt their combat strength, and no one could question their fighting will either!
"Hahaha!"
Seeing these Alliance warriors, like wolves and tigers yet as small as ants, from the peak of the sacred mountain, Avit laughed with satisfaction, the crown of the Green Quetzal lightly fluttering like a peacock. He once again turned, looking at the respectful Xiulote, asked with a smile.
"Xiulote, establishing the honor tenures for Oaxaca Valley, awarding 52 honorable nobility titles, how does it sound?"
"Generous Divine King! With this, the royal legion will surely fight for you fearlessly, tirelessly, until death!"
"No! These Oaxaca appointments are not limited to royal warriors, they will also include all newly recruited City-State warriors, as well as the Lake Warriors under your command!"
In Xiulote’s surprised gaze, Avit smiled, raised the corners of his mouth, and laughed.
"To conquer the Land Amidst the Clouds marks the last grand reward of military achievements, and it will be an unprecedented grand ennoblement! I will double the number of Honorable Nobility within the alliance! I will disregard a warrior’s background and select them all from under the banners of those Great Nobility City-States, family by family!"
"Blessings of the Chief Divine! You mentioned before, with three years of southern expeditions, the nobles and warriors bear heavy burdens. Now, sending envoys to summon the City-State Army again may result in warriors’ dissatisfaction... then I shall grant them the greatest rewards, allowing them to leap upward, gaining the chance to become Honorable Nobility!"
"In this way, once we finish this southern expedition, the entire alliance’s situation will completely change! These newly ennobled Honorable Nobles will stand by my side, like the Kuo Eagle. They will break away from the control of the old Great Nobility, and the military strength that city-states possess will fall entirely into Royal Family hands..."
"Henceforth, this centralization reform of the Royal Family will also be thoroughly completed across the old territories of the alliance. No City-State Noble will reject the Royal Decree even slightly! In the alliance’s traditional fifteen states, there will no longer be any Great Nobility of the city-states! They must either bow, be completely reallocated, or die!..."
"Xiulote, what do you think?..."
Xiulote remained silent for a moment, mourning silently for the remaining Great Nobility of the alliance, also feeling profound admiration for the Divine King’s will. Then, he expressed his sincere respect, bowed, and addressed the Divine King.
"Divine King, Teacher! Your magnanimity and generosity since the Second Era of Teotihuacan surpass no Monarch! And the achievements you are about to realize will stir the restful Ancestor Spirits and shine in the hearts of people worldwide! In my heart, you are the most eternal Divine King!..."
"Ah hahahaha!..."
Upon hearing his student’s words, Divine King Avit laughed heartily, stretching his arms. The sun’s brilliance shone on the Gold and Silver God Statue, also casting a golden hue on his Feather Crown. After a moment of laughter, the Divine King once again raised the Yellow Gemstone Scepter, gazing southward over the verdant fields. His vision gradually rose until it aligned with the distant mountains, then he laughed with killing intent.
"Let’s go! Leave five hundred men to guard the Holy Mountain, a thousand men to defend Silver Peak City, and separate nine thousand of the Eastern Army. The remaining nine thousand men will follow us southward, striking the next Zapotec City-State... Thirty miles south is Sazira Ant Mound City! Do not give the Zapotecs too much time, breach it soon, and move onto the next city-state! Once Zapotecs are fully subdued, we will return to offer sacrifices to the ancestors on Alban Holy Mountain!..."
"Commence, expedition! Now!"
The alliance royal banners adorned with skulls and the alliance royal banners of Sun Hummingbird were raised high simultaneously, streaming southward from the base of the Divine Mountain. Two days later, the nine thousand Royal Legion finally reached Sazira Ant Mound City, surrounding this Zapotec City-State on three sides like pumpkin vines.
"Hmm?... This city-state seems to have made some preparations..."
Avit furrowed his brows, observing through the Divine Eye Glasses the slightly higher walls than Silver Peak City, the wooden boards set up on the walls to defend against arrows, and the thousands of roughly armed strong men from tribes. He estimated for a moment, then looked at Xiulote, asking with a smile.
"Xiulote, how many days do you think it will take for the legion to capture this city-state?"
Xiulote pondered for a moment, thought about it, looked around at the generals, and provided ample time.
"Teacher, I think if we isolate the city’s external contact, continue arrow attacks on the ramparts, and prepare more ladders... it could be taken in thirty days?..."
Upon hearing this, Avit shook his head with a smile. Then, he looked at the surrounding generals, glanced at the Thousand-man Camp Commanders who were expectantly looking at him, and raised two fingers.
"I give you twenty days! Take your time, don’t suffer too many casualties! Take it in twenty days!!"
"Chief Divine bear witness! The first to ascend into the city will still be promoted three levels, and raised to Hereditary Noble! And the one with the most outstanding military achievement will be ennobled as Honorable Nobility, receiving a family fief in Oaxaca!..."
"Go! My warriors! Bring back the Divine Descendant and Priest of Ant Mound City for me! This time, I don’t want them alive; I only want their heads!!"
"Yes! We vow to serve the Divine King to the death!..."
The nine alliance Thousand-man Camp Commanders simultaneously knelt with excitement to salute. Then, donning Cloth copper armor, they ran off like hunting jaguars. And the dark green wolves, under the command of the fierce tiger, began to gather team by team, initiating their first probing, archery assaults.