Vast winds and clouds arose, the Nine Wildernesses echoing with the tide.
Under the arrangents of Wu Wang and a few other Strong Gods, the deities of Heaven Palace began to sense so dangerous ons.
The first signs of trouble ca from within Heaven Palace itself. The Heavenly Emperor's Temple was enveloped in a Barrier that did not dissipate for a long ti, attracting the attention of many deities. On ordinary days, although Emperor Shun's Temple would occasionally be covered by a Barrier, it was rare for it to last this long.
The Head Manager convened a eting with the Main Gods in the Heavenly Administrative Palace and announced an order that caught the deities off guard—the Innate Gods being revived in the Divine Pool were to cease their reconstruction process and resu it three years later. The reason given by the Head Manager was that there were so anomalies in the Heaven Palace's Divine Pool, and it was also the 'active period' of the Candle Dragon. The deities did not dare to object, as the Heaven and Earth Seal was the key to the foundation of Heaven Palace.
After the Head Manager convened the deities, the Earth God also began to gather the deities, briefly discussing the defense issues in various parts of Heaven Palace with them.
anwhile, the Human Domain, Northern Wilderness, Eastern Wilderness, and Southeastern Region all simultaneously experienced turmoil.
The Human Domain once again assembled troops at the Northern Border.
Unusually, this ti the Human Domain seed to be showing off its experts. The precious peak experts of the Human Domain made consecutive appearances, as if they could hardly wait to self-detonate and take a few Divine Spirits of Heaven Palace with them. Stars shone in unusual patterns in the Northern Wilderness sky, and rumors of the Star God's recovery widely spread across heaven and earth. Yang Valley in the Eastern Wilderness was completely covered by a large array, and the nurous Divine Guards stationed inside, along with dozens of Eastern Wilderness Divine Spirits, all displayed a tense readiness for battle.
In the Southeastern Region, the Human Domain's army suddenly changed its previously benign attitude, striking on multiple fronts overnight, sweeping away twelve tribal leaders who had been steadfastly resisting the Human Domain. With this move, Ling Xiaolan took the philosophy of 'you must agree, and if you don't, we'll help you change your leader until you do' to the extre. However, the actions of the Human Domain in the Southeastern Region also suggested a sense of urgency.
It was as if sothing montous was about to happen, and the Human Domain needed to deal swiftly with these peripheral issues to focus their attention on Heaven Palace to the north.
The Candle Dragon outside of Heaven continued to gather strength. The 'collision every three years' ntioned by Emperor Shun was drawing ever closer.
Wu Wang, who was pushed into the spotlight by the image recorded in the Head Manager's robe, sat calmly in his God of Spring's Temple, but he did not stop for a mont. Ti was running short, but the tasks he had to undertake were as great as mountains, which made Wu Wang wish he could split himself in two with a sword.
Luckily, his good friend Yun Zhongjun arrived in ti, allowing Wu Wang to save much effort. While Wu Wang secluded himself for cultivation and Enlightennt, Yun Zhongjun transford into Wu Wang's appearance, entertaining guests within the periter of the God of Spring's Temple and, through this, screening for potential spies or false Innate Gods that might be Emperor Shun's eyes.
Days kept marching forward. Heaven Palace seed to beco a vortex, slowly pulling in all of the Nine Wildernesses of the Great Wilderness, stirring gently.
There was one thing that Yun Zhongjun indeed did not get wrong. The Head Manager had stood up. This Power God in Heaven Palace, leveraging his years of reputation there and his understanding of the Innate Gods, began a series of 'operations'.
He issued decrees one after another, adding pressure on the deities and creating an atmosphere heavy with the sense of an impending storm. At various deities' gatherings held under diverse pretenses, the Head Manager, surrounded by goddesses, spoke eloquently, hinting that the Heavenly Emperor intended to appoint the Star God as the next ruler. The fully mobilized 'Heaven Palace Rumor Team' spread news across Central Mountain that 'Emperor Shun and the Candle Dragon were about to collapse, and the sixth divine era was imminent.'
The Head Manager also threw out the critical weaknesses of the Divine Spirits he controlled, creating so opposition among the deities of Heaven Palace and systematically isolating a small number of malevolent Divine Spirits...
While Emperor Shun was in power, the Head Manager was obsequious and grievously wounded, his eyes full of trust for the Emperor, following Emperor Shun's will in everything he did. But now that Emperor Shun was gone, the Head Manager had abruptly co into action. He danced in his long sleeves, concocting one clever plan after another.
Although the Head Manager continuously hit walls when dealing with the Human Domain, he indeed had a knack for managing the Divine Spirits of Heaven Palace.
In this way, Wu Wang spent two tense months seeking Enlightennt, and the Head Manager appeared once more in the God of Spring's Temple.
"The ti is ripe, prepare to issue the decree," the Head Manager said to Yun Zhongjun, who was disguised as Wu Wang.
Yun Zhongjun smiled and nodded, sealing the God of Spring's Temple with a surge of Divine Power. Under the Head Manager's watchful eye, he then assud the appearance of the Sleep God.
Sleep God Yun Zhongjun bowed. "Please don't take offense, Head Manager. Wu Wang needs to urgently embrace every mont for understanding the Great Dao. Allow to continue wooing the Divine Spirits of Heaven Palace on the outside."
The Head Manager frowned deeply. He suddenly realized that he could not see through this minor god before him. This surprised the Head Manager sowhat; although he had been struck by the backlash of the Great Dao and seriously injured, his insight was still keen. This?
"The right mont?"
A light chuckle ca from the side, as Wu Wang erged from behind a curtain, nodding to the Head Manager with a smile. "Since that's the case, the Head Manager might as well proceed."
The Head Manager glanced at the Sleep God, then at Wu Wang, whispering, "I never expected that Heaven Palace would hide such an ancient god for so many years."
"The Head Manager flatters ," sighed the Sleep God. "I'm just muddling through my days. It's only because I get along with Wu Wang that I've decided to lend a helping hand this ti. I don't care for Emperor Shun, and I certainly wouldn't work for him. I will be in the Head Manager's care in the future."
"Who might you be?"
"It's not yet ti to reveal that," said the Sleep God. "Certainly, I won't disappoint the Head Manager."
The two gods' gazes t, as if sparks were flying.
The Head Manager did not ask further, but said to Wu Wang, "You must start getting used to giving us orders," and then turned and left the grand hall, diving directly into the highest temple in Heaven Palace.
Before long, the Earth God and the Wood God both entered this place with a high profile.
Half a day later, the Dao of Order vibrated throughout the Divine Court, as the Head Manager read out the decree of the Heavenly Emperor, announcing the Star God as the second Heavenly Emperor of Heaven Palace, sharing the power of the Heavenly Emperor with Emperor Shun. Although the gods were initially sowhat taken aback, due to early rumors and the Star God being the one conferred as the second Heavenly Emperor, they quickly accepted this.
The Head Manager announced, "His Majesty has decreed that in one month, a coronation ceremony for the Star God will be held in Heaven Palace. At that ti, all gods must celebrate, all sleeping deities must awaken, the Hundred Races must acknowledge the na of the Star God, and all parts of the Nine Wildernesses must worship the Star God together!"
The gods each perford a salute and accepted their orders.
The gloomy atmosphere that had recently enveloped Heaven Palace was swept away, and the arrival of the Star God at the very heart of its power truly invigorated the gods. After all, the Star God has always been a symbol standing apart from the Heavenly Palace System and was the greatest contributor to driving away the Candle Dragon in the past.
It seed like a response to this event. Rumors sprouted within the Human Domain, and many masters of the Human Domain worried that Heaven Palace would grow exponentially strong due to the Star God's return, and they urged a northern campaign. This successfully drew the attention of most of the gods.
In the God of Spring's Temple, Wu Wang sat atop the Yin and Yang, with nurous Stars floating above his head.
In the Heavenly Administrative Palace, the Head Manager was surrounded by more than a dozen Main Gods discussing the many arrangents for the celebration, all neat and orderly.
At the Earth God's location, leading gods from the Hundred Races stood silently, listening to the rules dictated by the Earth God, feeling a trendous pressure.
In the Wood God's temple, the old god sat under a Great Tree, enjoying so wine and a few dishes, his Divine Thought observing every corner of Heaven Palace, utterly relaxed. It was ti again for one of those great dramas that happen once every divine era. He wondered if this ti it could bring so surprise to this old piece of wood.
"Good luck, new Heavenly Emperor," toasted the Wood God in the direction of the God of Spring's Temple, followed by a few sighs of emotion. "What's the use of fighting for power and nas? Bowing and fawning, it's hard to keep on smiling. A true god should follow my Dao, living leisurely through countless ages. These changes in the divine era might seem to involve fighting and killing, but at the root, it's all about the ways of the world. How marvelous, truly marvelous."
The old god tilted his head back, draining the wine from his cup, tapping his knee lightly, and pouring himself another glass.
Deep in the starry sky, within the Star God's temple.
Cang Xue sat on the throne, watching the green-robed girl sitting quietly not far away, her eyes revealing a trace of a comforting smile. She was quite conscientious, still willing to stay on Big Snow Mountain at such a ti. She had gently hinted that by her son's side at this ti, Jingwei might receive limitless benefits. But Jingwei simply pursed her lips, shook her head slightly, and said, 'I can't help him much, but I can serve as a guard here.'
To be honest, under Shen Nong's nurturing with the Divine Power snatched from the Human Domain, Jingwei's strength was indeed extraordinary, capable of retreating unscathed when facing ordinary Divine Spirits of Heaven Palace. But to be her guard…
Cang Xue smiled gently, thinking the child was indeed good, but a bit too naïve. If she could have a child or two in the future, it would be better for them to be more clever like Ba'er.
Cang Xue slowly withdrew her gaze from Jingwei, closed her eyes, and, using the Star God's Dao, monitored the various places of this world. She had been assigned a small task by Yun Zhongjun—to closely monitor the movents of the Young Master.
At this mont, the Young Master, dressed in a long gown with bare feet and loose, smooth hair, carried a glittering Treasure Bead, secretly traversing between heaven and earth. The soon-to-be-played Song of All Beings that was destined to astonish the whole world.
「So, a month later.」
The grand ceremony of Heaven Palace, the Star God's enthronent, arrived as expected.
...
BANG!
A crystal goblet filled with wine smashed onto the smooth, mirror-like floor, spilling the sparkling liquid all over, as all nearby Maidens and female attendants imdiately knelt down.
Xihe sat on the throne, her face cold, but her eyes filled with intense fatigue. She seed sowhat aged, but the Goddess still showed no signs of the ravages of ti, her skin as fine and soft as ever, though the corners of her eyebrows betrayed her weariness. Still no news.
By now, if she didn't act, Heaven Palace would smoothly enthrone the Second Heavenly Emperor, and the Star God would take direct control of the powers of the world. And still, there was no word from her husband.
Xihe was, of course, disbelieving when she first received the ssage from the Wood God. She always felt that Emperor Shun was playing a great ga, a ga that couldn't be known to others, that couldn't be…
Xihe closed her eyes, a bitter smile appearing at the corners of her lips. Why, in ancient tis, had she fallen for such a Divine Spirit?
A guard rushed to the entrance of the great hall, kneeling to report, "Your Excellency! An Envoy from Heaven Palace awaits outside the Temple, desiring a definitive response from you!"
"I won't be attending the grand ceremony," Xihe said quietly.
The guard was taken aback, hurriedly bowed to accept the order, stepped back a few paces, then hastened towards the distance.
"Wait, co back." Xihe suddenly opened her eyes, standing up from her throne. "Bring my Phoenix Crown, fetch my Divine Weapon, prepare my carriage," she commanded firmly. "I shall go to Heaven Palace to witness this magnificent scene for myself!"
On the Fusang Tree, nine suns shone brilliantly.
「In just a mont.」
News of Xihe's intention to attend the ceremony reached the ears of Heaven Palace's Head Manager.
"Deciding to co only at this ti?" At the entrance of the Heavenly Administrative Palace, the Head Manager looked up at the 'venue' in the clouds, already decked out, his eyes reflecting a bit of contemplation.
Sleep God Yun Zhongjun ca out slowly from behind the Head Manager, smiling as he transmitted, "She decides to co only at this ti, which is just right to confirm that Emperor Shun has not contacted Xihe… In short, Emperor Shun is using the opportunity of this ga against Heaven Palace and Human Domain to break free from Xihe's suppression."
"Suppression?"
Yun Zhongjun chuckled. "For Emperor Shun, Xihe's very existence is a form of suppression. Arrange for her now just as Emperor Shun would have when he was present. The sun and moon are key to the current world order; maintaining their stability on the surface is crucial, though after today, none of this will matter."
"Oh?"
The Head Manager expressed so confusion, but Yun Zhongjun simply smiled faintly, hands behind his back, strolling off into the distance.
The Head Manager pondered a bit; lately, there had been more and more doubts regarding Wu Wang and this Sleep God, leaving him totally mystified, unable to grasp any clues. But both he and the Earth God were aware of today's plan; Wu Wangzi had given them sufficient trust. The Star God's coronation was a ruse; the true event was the changing of the heavens in the Great Wilderness.
Several gods dressed in festive red robes approached hurriedly from afar, most with the faces of old n, and respectfully saluted the Head Manager before saying, "My lord, everything is ready."
"Let the gods enter," ordered the Head Manager calmly, and the old gods bowed and acknowledged the order before dispersing as Divine Light in every direction.
「Shortly after.」
DANG—
Bells tolled from the Heavenly Emperor's Temple, and Divine Spirits erged from their respective temples. Squads of Divine Guards took flight, enveloping Heaven Palace in a spherical formation. The presence of the Divine Guards was vast and endless, seemingly proclaiming the power of all living beings.
In front of the Heavenly Emperor's Temple, atop a Lotus Platform with a diater of ten miles, rows of seats slowly rose. On the north side, a high platform with ninety-nine layers of white cloud stairs was set up, and behind these stairs were four thrones, two in the front and two in the back, designated for the Emperor and the Queen of Heaven. To the left and right of the high platform, there were three tiers of seating for the Strong Gods, Main Gods, and minor gods. The Strong Gods' seats were almost level with the Heavenly Emperor's, allowing them to "drink from the sa table," while the Main Gods and minor gods stayed obediently below.
Unlike in the past, today all God positions were ticulously arranged. As the Divine Spirits flew in from the temples, specially appointed Divine Guards would imdiately co forward to salute and direct them to their designated seats. The entire process was swift and orderly, with the Daoist charm of the Head Manager suppressing this area, instilling an inexplicable sense of calm in the gods' hearts.
After three tolls of the bell, all gods were seated.
The day before, Heaven Palace had roused various gods who had been in slumber, including more than thirty Divine Spirits who had not awoken since the ancient war, and who were still bewildered upon being called to awaken. These Divine Spirits only needed to settle for a few hours in the Divine Court to grasp the magnitude of events that had occurred in the world.
The sound of music began, and dancers gathered. The gods whispered among themselves.
The thirty strongest Divine Spirits of Heaven Palace were now invited into the Heavenly Emperor's Temple, where the Earth God, Wood God, and Yun Zhongjun awaited them.
「Inside the God of Spring's Temple.」
Wu Wang opened his arms and closed his eyes in deep concentration.
Lin Suqing, accompanied by a few Maidens, was busily attending to Wu Wang from front to back, combing his long hair, changing him into a robe, and carefully adjusting the hem of his black robe.
"Young Master, just do your best in whatever you do," Lin Suqing whispered softly.
"Mhm," Wu Wang responded, slowly opening his eyes. The Divine Light within them gradually faded, leaving behind eyes that were clear and bright.
"Has the Young Master returned?"
"On the way."
"She's worked hard," Wu Wang said. "Prepare a bath for her later."
"No worries at all," Lin Suqing chuckled. "We'll take care of these things. When was the last ti you had to trouble yourself, Young Master?"
Wu Wang: … What is it like to be talked back to by the head servant in one's own house right before usurping the Heavenly Emperor's throne?
"Let see."
Lin Suqing stepped back a few paces, appraising Wu Wang from top to bottom, and chortled, "Looks the part."
"Rember not to leave this place," Wu Wang said as he drew a self-made hourglass from his sleeve. "Take this. As soon as I leave, flip it over. If the sand runs out and you don't hear the sounds of a Duel outside, then I've won today."
"Huh?" Lin Suqing, feeling dizzy, grabbed the hourglass and asked, "Why is that?"
"Because within the hour of my departure from here, it's the only chance for Emperor Shun to turn the tide."
Wu Wang's right hand closed around the air, and the Star Sword, still in its sheath, was grasped and hung at his side.
"I'm off."
"Oh, okay," Lin Suqing said, holding the hourglass in her hands. She watched Wu Wang step out of the temple's main entrance and imdiately flipped the hourglass over.
A few curious Maidens gathered around. They suddenly felt the tense atmosphere flowing beneath the calm, and they began to hold their breath.
Outside the temple, Wu Wang took a deep breath. The entire Heaven Palace was under the cover of his Immortal Consciousness; the God of Spring's Temple was enveloped by the thick Yin Yang Qi and for the ti being, it vanished from view in Heaven Palace.
In the God of Spring's Divine Realm, the Grand Elder, Hu Sheng, Kan Tianhou, and Da Yi, were looking up at the sky, watching the Divine Light flash continuously.
By a warm kang bed, Yang Wudi vaguely sensed sothing. He left the muddy ground, donned a coat, opened a window, and gazed toward Heaven Palace from afar.
「anwhile, in the Heavenly Emperor's Temple.」
The Wood God and Earth God stood silently before the high platform where the Heavenly Emperor's throne was located. The Earth God held the Head Manager's robe, and the scene that had occurred at the Divine Pool was now fully witnessed by the twenty or so Divine Spirits standing below.
"This..."
"The Emperor has taken away all of Heaven Palace's accumulated Primordial Divine Power?"
"Does the Emperor want us to die? To exhaust our Divine Power in a battle with the Candle Dragon, after which he would rise again under another identity and beco the Heavenly Emperor once more?"
Resentnt, anger, and even so deities trembling all over.
The Thunderstorm God cursed under his breath and then looked up at the throne with so trepidation. There, only an aged Order incarnation sat, further restrained by several layers of seals.
"All of you are old mbers of Heaven Palace," said the Earth God in a low voice. "What I can tell you today is that the Star God will not co to accept the confernt, but sothing significant will happen in Heaven Palace. As for what it is, you will understand later."
The Wood God said, "Rest assured, everyone, Emperor Shun may have cast us aside, but we still have a savior."
The Sleep God, Yun Zhongjun, raised a hand as a sign and said with a smile, "Everyone..."
"You little god, what's with all the useless chatter?" the Thunderstorm God glared and bellowed without caring a whit. "Do you not see that we are all annoyed here?"
Yun Zhongjun shook his head with a smile, and suddenly a strand of Divine Light burst forth from his eyes.
The Thunderstorm God's legs shook violently, and his face turned pale, almost dropping to his knees.
"You, you are..."
"Sleep God," Yun Zhongjun said with a light laugh. "Don't be scared, I won't eat anyone. You just need to know that I am Wu Wang's chief assistant god. I know that you cannot accept Emperor Shun's sudden abandonnt of Heaven Palace and worry that Heaven Palace will collapse outright. We have also been worried before, which is why we arranged this ceremony today. Today, I think Wu Wang will give you a perfect response. If you feel that Wu Wang cannot convince you to remain loyal after today, you are free to leave at any ti. If you all work together, leaving Heaven Palace would be a piece of cake. We chose to reveal the truth to you in advance, just to ask for this opportunity... don't you want to know what kind of thods the Heavenly Emperor of the Sixth Divine Era, ntioned by Emperor Shun, actually possesses?"
The deities showed hesitation on their faces.
"If Wu Wang cannot convince us later," said the Earth God, "I will help those who wish to leave to depart imdiately."
The deities then slowly nodded.
"The ceremony is about to begin," said the Wood God. "Everyone, please take your seats outside the hall."
"Alas, why is it so sudden?"
"How could His Majesty…"
"I cannot accept this."
"Actually, it's just that His Majesty got scared away by Wu Wangzi? Wu Wangzi, who is destined to rule the Sixth Divine Era, is going to beco the Sixth Heavenly Emperor directly today?"
Yun Zhongjun suddenly said, "After today, the term 'Divine Era' should beco history."
The deities pondered, so confused, others like the Thunderstorm God frowned and muttered, "Should it be called the Spirit Era?"
The Earth God almost kicked him out.
…
DANG—
The bell tolled, and apart from the Head Manager, the thirty strongest Divine Spirits of Heaven Palace flew out of the Heavenly Emperor's Temple with complex expressions and returned to their respective places. Their expressions caused other seated deities to grow more uncertain, but as the Strong Gods returned, the whispers among the deities died down significantly.
Divine Spirits sat upright in their seats. The male deities either looked old and decrepit, or had composed features, or were handso and dashing; among the female deities, only a few maintained elderly appearances, while most were beautiful incarnations, any one of whom could be showered with dozens or hundreds of accolades.
The surrounding music stopped; the dancing Maidens retreated like a tide.
Clouds and mist rose above the Lotus Platform, and in the suddenly quiet atmosphere, a sense of unease began to erge.
A Divine General cried out, "Head Manager has arrived!"
All the deities stood up, looking toward the familiar figure riding on the clouds. Today's Head Manager was clad in resplendent attire and looked solemn, his face as cold as jade, but his eyes sparkled with endless Divine Light. He did not converse, but after taking his seat, he saluted in all directions, and the deities responded in kind before sitting down together.
Then, a Divine General proclaid loudly, "Moon God has arrived!"
The lesser and Main Gods all stood to welco her, a glimr of moonlight fell upon the high platform, and after nodding to the deities, the Moon God sat down in her designated seat without showing any concern. In an instant, the entire Heaven Palace seed bathed in additional specks of pure white moonlight.
The deities were entranced by the beauty of the Moon God, yet a trace of confusion arose within them. Usually, the sun and moon appeared together, so why today was the Sun God...?
"Mother of the Sun has arrived!"
All deities rose in unison and turned their gaze towards the chariot approaching from the sky, where dragons roared at the helm, and atop it the Goddess clad in Battle Armor, wielding a Spear, her expression as cold as frost. But Xihe said nothing, taking her seat on the high platform in silence, her gaze scanning the surroundings. The Emperor's presence was absent. This place was devoid of the Emperor's presence!
"Sister..." A whisper from Chang Xi entered Xihe's ear, sounding so forlorn. "What should we do from now on..."
"Shut up." Xihe spoke, her voice a quiet reprimand, drawing the eyes of the deities upon her.
Chang Xi frowned slightly, her face as frosty as ever, sitting quietly without another stir.
Then, the entire ceremony seed to freeze, plunging into a brief silence. This silence persisted until the Head Manager stood up, causing a slight unrest among the deities.
The Head Manager proclaid loudly, "Deities, pay homage to His Majesty!"
All deities bowed their heads toward the Heavenly Emperor's Temple in unison, while the outer ranks of Divine Generals prostrated themselves, the entire Heaven Palace filled with a solemn air.
A few instants, a few breaths... Monts flickered by in the blink of an eye.
So Divine Spirits couldn't help but sneak a glance at the Heavenly Emperor's great temple, with strears of Divine Thought probing into its interior.
No response.
"What?"
"What's wrong with His Majesty?"
Whispers of the deities sounded from all around.
Again, the Head Manager called out loudly, "Please, Your Majesty, reveal yourself!"
Stillness prevailed, silence everywhere.
All of a sudden, the Head Manager coughed lowly, clutching his chest, the corners of his mouth revealing a hint of a cold smile as he declared, "Emperor Shun! Do you truly not intend to show yourself today?"
Except for those thirty Strong Gods who had previously entered the temple and remained silent, all other deities were shocked and looked toward the Head Manager in a sowhat frantic state.
At that mont, billows of mist began to surge from the periter of the Lotus Cloud Platform, swirling into this place and subtly severing the connection between here and the outside world.
The Dao of Qi. Yun Zhongjun, the God of Cloud Dream, had made a move.
And Wu Wang, who was hidden within the mist, quietly exhaled in relief, his heart free of doubts. Not until this mont could Wu Wang finally say to himself, 'Emperor Shun, you've ssed up.'
Upon the Cloud Platform, a god stood up to question, "Head Manager, why do you directly address His Majesty by na?"
The Head Manager remained silent, casually tossing out an Image Projection Bead that displayed two scenes. In one, Emperor Shun sank into the Divine Pool while the Head Manager pleaded with him not to take away the Divine Power. In the other, Emperor Shun stood upon the Head Manager's neck, eloquently discussing his plans. He stated that Wu Wang should integrate Heaven Palace and the Human Domain to fight a decisive battle against the Candle Dragon, after which he himself would reappear in the future. These sequences craftily avoided the Dao of Ti and also concealed the statent made by Emperor Shun that Wu Wangzi was the creator of the sixth divine generation.
The assembly of deities was thrown into disarray, the Lotus Platform teeming with panicked figures. But at this mont, the two Five Elents Gods remained seated calmly, the Head Manager's Dao aura slowly emanating, and those deities who had entered the temple earlier received a voice transmission, which said: 'If you all wish to demonstrate your rits, why not maintain order in this situation.'
The speaker was Yun Zhongjun. Thus, a majority of the Strong Gods revealed their pressure, forcibly calming the scene.
"What's the panic?"
The Head Manager's figure slowly floated up and he said indifferently, "We've gone to great lengths to conduct this celebration to gather everyone here to discuss how we should proceed in the future. Emperor Shun took away the Primordial Divine Power that belonged to Heaven Palace, to us, and to this order. The Candle Dragon attacked the Heaven Palace seal three tis, and there will no longer be a barrier within or beyond the heavens. We are all betrayers; once betraying the Candle Dragon, we drove the Candle Dragon, the Fourth Divine Era's Divine King, to the Outer Sky. How tyrannical is the Candle Dragon? Not to ntion, the Candle Dragon is now possessed by the Dao of Chaos, seeking to reset the heavens and earth, to evolve anew, just as at the end of the second divine era. Where is our retreat? To hide in the Outer Sky? To sleep in eternal solitude? And then lose our way in the void, becoming a dried corpse after our Divine Power dissipates? Do not forget, even the Third God King, strong as he was, ultimately lost his way in the void, with only the Dao of Ti returning to this realm."
The gods gradually cald down, but beneath this calm, despair was already surfacing. Emperor Shun walked away with the Primordial Divine Power, which was like opening the great doors of the heavens and earth. Their nightmare was about to return. Even more, they now had a new enemy—if the Human Emperor from the Human Domain were to learn of this news... The Great Wilderness is vast, but where could they hide?
"Head Manager, sir!"
"Please, Head Manager, take control of the situation!"
"?" The Head Manager smiled wryry and said indifferently, "I have been tortured to near ruin by Emperor Shun, and the Lifespan Dao must be reconstructed."
A Divine Spirit called out, "Star God!"
"Yes! The Star God can protect us!"
"The Star God is already dead."
A sigh suddenly ca from outside the field, causing the gods to turn around swiftly, their gazes falling on the figure who was slowly walking into the area. Clad in black, with a high crown on his head, his shoulders draped in Black Armor, and a Treasure Sword in hand.
Wu Wang looked up at the gods, and without waiting for them to speak, pointed his right hand towards the sky, and the Star God's body slowly appeared from the starry sky.
"The Star God was tortured by the Candle Dragon's Yin erosion forces until he had only a breath left, and he died before , bestowing upon the Star God's Dao." Wu Wang sighed and said, "I'm sorry, I beca Emperor Shun's pawn, the scapegoat he chose."
So Divine Spirits showed sudden realization, understanding sothing. Most Divine Spirits stared intently at Wu Wang, as if hoping to find a few straws of salvation on his person.
Wu Wang took steady steps forward, moving neither too quickly nor too slowly, but he had already beco the main character in the arena, with the Head Manager having floated back to his own seat, watching Wu Wang expressionlessly.
This was Yun Zhongjun's handiwork.
The first step, to secure the Strong Gods of Heaven Palace, from the Earth God, the Wood God, to the top thirty Strong Gods, to prepare them ntally beforehand. They are the mainstay of Heaven Palace.
The second step, to directly tear open the wound of Heaven Palace, to create panic, to use the prestige of the Head Manager, and to make the gods believe that Emperor Shun truly had abandoned Heaven Palace. When an atmosphere of despair erged, Wu Wang took the opportunity to enter the stage and reveal his own Dao.
Wu Wang said, "But I, this scapegoat, have decided to fight with the Candle Dragon and duel with Emperor Shun."
"Duel?" The Head Manager said indifferently, "How are you going to fight the Candle Dragon?"
The Earth God spoke in a deep voice, "God of Spring, why not first prove that you truly possess the Star God's Dao, to give everyone so hope."
The gods chorused in agreent.
"Agreed."
Wu Wang's figure slowly floated up, his eyes closed, his left hand holding the hilt at his waist, and his right hand brought together in a sword gesture before him, as his hair danced in the air behind him without any wind.
A gentle ballad suddenly emanated from the depths of the starry sky. The Star God's body, stretched across the stars, began to shrink rapidly, plumting as it did so. In an instant, the Star God's body was just over three zhang tall and appeared outside the Barrier of Heaven Palace. Before the Head Manager could open the Barrier, the Star God's body turned into a beam of golden light, ignoring those Barriers and charging straight to Wu Wang.
The gods watched this scene intently, without blinking an eye. Subsequently, the Star God's body transford into specks of golden light and beca a set of armor, wrapping around Wu Wang. In a flash, Wu Wang's presence climbed higher and higher, a pressure that made all the gods present feel a chill in their hearts, lighting up the eyes of those Divine Spirits that had shown hesitation.
With a soft sigh, Wu Wang's Golden Armor turned back into a beam of golden light and shot back into the sky, where it once again took the form of the Star God's body and continued to absorb the endless faith of the beings from the Northern Wilderness.
In the Temple of the Heavenly Emperor, the Order incarnation with various seals on it, suddenly opened a slight gap in its eyes.
「At the sa ti, at the edge of the void.」
The deity with the body of a human and the tail of a snake cradled their arms, eyes closed, savoring this scene with relish. Not bad at all, Wu Wangzi.
"Yes, just like that," Emperor Shun murmured. "I left the Head Manager for you to use in this way. Hurry and integrate Heaven Palace with the Human Domain, as Candle Dragon is about to regain its strength. Tsk tsk, hahaha, hahahaha!"
Hm? This strange yet familiar Dao rhythm... When did such a Dao rhythm appear in Heaven Palace?
「Deep within Heaven Palace, at the celebration.」
Wu Wang gave a bow to the Star God in the high heavens and looked around after standing up.
The third step: establish his new identity as the Star God, offering a first layer of hope to the gods.
The gods began to converse again, and Wu Wang quietly waited. So gods were cursing Emperor Shun, most of them ancient gods, scolding the Heavenly Emperor for his despicable lack of integrity. So gods were anxious and worried, constantly thinking about how to leave with their whole bodies intact. Yet so gods were deliberately speaking about how Candle Dragon committed evils, how it devoured many Innate Gods, and spreading the terror of the Dao of Chaos. The latter were Yun Zhongjun's undercover agents, who were finally willing to make their move.
As the intense, noisy, trembling, and indignant voices around him weakened once again, Wu Wang said loudly: "My fellow deities, Emperor Shun has left, and the Primordial Divine Power of Heaven Palace has been taken by him. Under such circumstances, does anyone have a brilliant plan?"
The gods were silent, with many Divine Spirits really trying to think hard.
Wu Wang quietly waited for a while until the whole place fell quiet again, then he said: "Since that's the case, I would like to invite so guests inside. Today, what we are discussing is the future of this world, and it is right that living beings should be present! Please, Human Emperor of the Human Domain! Summon! Leaders of the twelve major clans of the Southeastern Region, the eight major clan leaders of the Southwestern Region, the leaders of the seven divisions of the Northern Wilderness, the representatives of living beings from the Northeastern and Northwestern Regions, and the leaders of the one hundred and twenty major clans of Central Mountain!"
As his words fell, Heaven Palace shimred with rosy light, and a golden-glowing Lotus Platform of a zhang in diater carried the old man in the straw cape. Following that elder, Lotus Platforms three feet in size, each carrying a different-looking, nervous-faced elder of the Hundred Races, slowly entered the celebration enclosed by the Cloud Dream Path.
「Outside of Heaven Palace.」
Emperor Shun's expression clearly turned sowhat frosty. Although the plan was unexpectedly perfect, and he was sowhat surprised by the abilities of gods like the Head Manager, the presence of the Human Emperor in his Heaven Palace still made him sowhat uncomfortable.
Looking again at the gods of Heaven Palace, they seed to have realized sothing at this point, each and every one standing up and fixing their gaze on the Human Emperor. Half of them were a bit fearful, while the majority beca excited. In the world, there still existed one who could confront Candle Dragon head-on, and that being stood behind the God of Spring.
This is the fourth step of Yun Zhongjun's plan. 'Borrowed authority', using the fa of the Human Emperor to help Wu Wang gain acknowledgnt from the gods.
And this is just the beginning of today's grand ceremony.
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