Chapter 133: The Fated Duel (Part II)

Boom!

A streak of blood-red, malevolent light shot upward, while another descended from above, both flying at full power. Under such speed, the very space they traversed gradually stained a deep crimson and began to melt. Amidst the bombardment of solar true fire filling the sky, the two streaks of light collided and merged into one, revealing the true form of Xiong Shitian.

Xiong Shitian stood above the clouds. The relentless solar flames battered his body, yet they could no longer inflict even the slightest injury, forced instead to dissipate into mere sparks. Having merged with his avatar, he had regained one-tenth of his original strength, and his physical form had recovered to a corresponding degree. Solar fire of this intensity could not even break his skin; it barely qualified as a tickle. Had his true form been present, these celestial flames would have been extinguished by his overwhelming aura of malevolence before they could even draw near.

Standing amidst the blazing fire, Xiong Shitian felt no threat, yet the sight of the relentless flames thoroughly annoyed him. He had never been one to endure a beating; he preferred to strike first.

"Hmph! Begone, all of you!"

With a cold shout, an infinite surge of baleful, murderous energy erupted from his body, surging toward the sun high in the nine heavens. This boundless malice swallowed the solar flames in its path, condensing into a blood-red spear, three zhang in length, which shot violently toward the sun.

Faced with the incoming spear, the sun hung motionless in the sky, refusing to yield. It simply gathered the scattered solar flames into a single, three-zhang-long pillar of fire, descending to suppress all evil in the world.

The blood-red spear thrust upward, swearing to pierce the firmament and bring down the sun; the pillar of fire descended, bearing the mighty power of the sun to crush all wickedness.

Rumble...

The spear and the pillar of fire collided with a violent explosion, shattering the space between them and forming a small, dark void. After this clash, neither Xiong Shitian nor Nan Luo launched further attacks.

Seeing his assault yield no results, Xiong Shitian remained unfazed. He fixed his gaze upon the sun and called out coldly: "Nan Luo, now that you have ascended to the rank of Emperor, why not show yourself?"

As his voice echoed across the heavens, the sun released a beam of pure solar energy. Accompanied by the resonance of grand, divine music, Nan Luo’s figure slowly emerged. Clad in a golden robe of solar light and stepping upon auspicious golden clouds, he was surrounded by the rotation of countless stars. He descended slowly like a divine manifestation, radiating endless golden light.

As he descended, a vast and majestic holy aura washed over the gathered deities. Under this immense pressure, every god felt like a mere ant, looking up in awe at Nan Luo, who appeared as a god among gods.

While the Twelve Heavenly Venerables of the God Clan might have been unfamiliar with this specific holy aura, the three great powerhouses—Zhulong, Fenghuang, and Qilin Huo—knew it all too well. When the Emperors of the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin clans descended, they emanated this same vast, holy majesty. Under such power, all living beings felt their own insignificance, compelled to bow before an Emperor who stood as a celestial deity.

Once one becomes a Saint, all living beings are but ants.

"Nan Luo has truly become a half-saint!" the three powerhouses thought in unison. Under this aura, all doubts vanished.

Feeling the vastness of Nan Luo’s power, the Twelve Heavenly Venerables bowed in excitement, shouting in unison: "Greetings, Your Majesty, the God Emperor!"

Their excitement was palpable. The God Clan finally possessed their own half-saint; they were finally an Imperial clan in name and reality. In the past, without a true Emperor of half-saint cultivation, the God Clan had been like a tower with shaky foundations, liable to collapse at any moment. Now, with Nan Luo’s ascension, the God Clan finally had a true God Emperor. They could finally stand alongside the Dragons, Phoenixes, Qilins, and the Fierce Beasts as one of the Five Great Imperial Clans.

Zhulong, Fenghuang, and Qilin Huo exchanged glances before bowing as well: "Greetings, Your Majesty, the God Emperor!"

Seeing the three great leaders bow, the dozens of experts following them felt compelled to follow suit: "Greetings, Your Majesty, the God Emperor!"

One god appeared, and all bowed. Such was the prestige of Nan Luo. This was the respect and deference due to a Primordial Emperor and a Heaven-Earth half-saint.

However, one figure remained standing. It was, naturally, the Emperor of all Fierce Beasts—Xiong Shitian. Though he was but an avatar, he represented the Emperor of the Fierce, and thus felt no need to bow to Nan Luo. Yet, seeing the grand display of Nan Luo’s arrival, and noting that even powerhouses like Zhulong and Fenghuang had not bowed to him, Xiong Shitian felt a sour imbalance in his heart. Had his avatar’s strength not been inferior to Nan Luo’s, he would have charged forward to strike him down. For now, he could only remain still, careful not to stir up trouble. After all, he was here on a mission and could not afford to burn bridges just yet.

Clearly, Xiong Shitian was suffering from a temporary and selective amnesia; he had completely forgotten how he had disrupted the debate, thrashed the Twelve Heavenly Venerables, and ambushed Nan Luo during his cultivation.

With no further interference from Xiong Shitian, the proceedings continued. Nan Luo stood upon the clouds, a faint smile on his face. With a subtle lift of his hands, he signaled the deities to rise. "You need not stand on ceremony. Rise."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" The gods rose respectfully.

The formalities concluded, and Xiong Shitian seized the moment. He flashed onto the clouds and stood side-by-side with Nan Luo. "Nan Luo, my purpose here today is to deliver an invitation."

"Oh? An invitation?" Nan Luo’s golden eyes showed no surprise. He held out his hand and said calmly, "Let me see it."

Seeing Nan Luo’s composure, Xiong Shitian felt a flicker of appreciation. He tossed the blood-red invitation over. As Nan Luo opened it, Xiong Shitian turned to the gathered gods, his gaze sharp as lightning, and declared the contents: "On the ninth day of the ninth month, I invite you to join me in admiring the scenery of the Western Wasteland atop the Great Snow Mountain."

"What?!" "Admiring the scenery at the Great Snow Mountain?!"

"Is the Great Snow Mountain not the lair of the Fierce Beasts?!"

"Is the Fierce Emperor challenging the God Emperor to a duel?!"

The gods beneath the clouds were thrown into an uproar, unable to believe what they were hearing. The Twelve Heavenly Venerables were the most anxious, terrified that Nan Luo might recklessly accept the challenge. Miaoyan Heavenly Venerable, disregarding decorum, shouted out: "Your Majesty, please reject this insolent challenge!"

"Please reject this insolent challenge!" the Twelve Heavenly Venerables echoed in unison, their voices drowning out the whispers of the crowd. Zhulong, Fenghuang, Qilin Huo, and the others fell silent, watching the unfolding drama with keen interest.