Chapter Eighty-Seven: City of the Gods (Part One)

The creation of the Celestial City by the Divine Clan can be traced back to the Council of the Gods held three days prior.

Three days ago, in the Hall of the Gods, Nanluo and the other deities sat upon their respective thrones.

“Your Majesty, the invitations have already been sent, but where will we host the Grand Peach Banquet?” Lord Miaoyan inquired of Nanluo, his tone filled with uncertainty.

Upon hearing this, the gods all turned their gaze toward Nanluo. It was a question that lingered in everyone’s heart.

The Divine Clan was preparing to hold a grand banquet, inviting all the major races of the Northern Wilderness and the mighty deities from every path. Through this gentle gesture, they hoped to unify the Northern Wilderness in one stroke.

The banquet, meant to unite the Northern Wilderness, required careful attention. If handled carelessly, the invited beings would surely look down upon the Divine Clan, undermining their authority.

In this moment of crisis, Lord Buxu of the Earth, admired by all, stepped forward and offered one of his treasures to Nanluo to resolve the concern.

Indeed, Buxu presented none other than the Peach Tree, one of the four primordial divine roots.

By forsaking his personal interests for the sake of the Divine Clan, Buxu won the admiration of Nanluo and the other gods.

In the early days of the Divine Clan, though Nanluo and the gods harbored their own ambitions, they still willingly contributed to the greater cause.

Nanluo, upon seeing the Peach Tree, his golden eyes shining brilliantly, broke into a joyful smile. Laughing, he declared, “Today, with Lord Buxu’s selfless offering of the Peach Tree, this banquet shall be named the Peach Banquet! What say you all?”

The gods, wise as they were, instantly understood Nanluo’s intent in naming the banquet thus—to honor Buxu’s contribution.

Smiles lit their faces as they responded in unison, “Excellent!”

Thus the Peach Banquet was born, growing alongside the Divine Clan’s might to become the greatest event in all the world.

After the Divine Clan seized the Heavenly Court, the Peach Banquet became its foremost celebration, passed down through the ages, never altered.

Yet as time flowed onward, all was swallowed by the river of ages—who now remembers the selfless Buxu, who once offered the Peach Tree?

With the Peach Banquet settled, Nanluo instructed Lord Fangyan to send invitations far and wide, summoning the major races and deities of the Northern Wilderness.

But though the Peach Banquet was decided, its venue was yet unknown.

The Divine Clan, newly founded and with shallow roots, had no grand palace complexes like the Dragon Palace of the Eastern Sea or the Black Tortoise City of the Northern Sea to host the banquet.

Nanluo and the gods’ private palaces could accommodate a few dozen or hundred beings, and might suffice for a smaller feast.

However, the Peach Banquet was meant to unite the Northern Wilderness. The guests numbered in the millions—far beyond the capacity of the gods’ private palaces.

Moreover, hosting the Peach Banquet in such humble settings would only make the Divine Clan seem weak.

The Hall of the Gods appeared suitable, yet Nanluo and the gods dismissed it without a second thought.

The Hall of the Gods, being a primordial treasure and the seat of the Divine Clan’s fortune, could not be opened to outsiders for casual sightseeing or entry.

The gods pondered endlessly, but found no solution, and could only turn to Nanluo for guidance.

Faced with Lord Miaoyan’s question and the gods’ expectant gazes, Nanluo smiled mysteriously and said, “Since we lack grand palace complexes to host the Peach Banquet, we shall create a City of the Gods!”

“What?” The gods were stunned. Even the steadfast Lord Miaoyan widened his golden eyes in shock and exclaimed, “Create a City of the Gods?!”

“Your Majesty, perhaps you mean to build a City of the Gods?” Lord Shishi hesitated, speaking softly.

Yet even his quiet words rang out loudly among the gods, clear as thunder.

Confronted by the gods’ hesitant, bewildered, and even disappointed expressions, Nanluo smiled reassuringly and affirmed, “Of course I mean to create the City of the Gods! Building it would take too long!”

The gods fell silent, for indeed, building such a city in three days seemed impossible.

They did not know how grand Nanluo’s envisioned City of the Gods would be, but they could imagine it would rival Black Tortoise City—a world-renowned fortress.

To build a city spanning thousands of miles, the Black Tortoise Clan needed a hundred thousand years to complete it!

For the Divine Clan to build such a city in three days, Nanluo would have to ascend to emperorhood on the spot!

Yet even that seemed less fanciful than creating a City of the Gods in a single stroke.

“Your Majesty, even if we are spared the world’s retribution for creating a City of the Gods, I fear our strength may not suffice,” Lord Fangyan said to Nanluo with a wry smile.

To build a City of the Gods required a hundred thousand years. To create one, it might be done in a single thought, or at most, a day.

Building a City of the Gods demanded endless divine materials, countless spiritual veins, and innumerable arrays—all of which required great effort, resources, and time to gather.

But to create such a city, all that was needed was sufficient mastery of the laws and power.

A mighty Divine Emperor could raise a City of the Gods in a single thought.

For a weaker Divine Lord, at least five high-ranking Divine Lords, with enough divine power, could create such a city within a day.

But now, the Divine Clan had only Nanluo as a high-ranking Divine Lord; the others were mid-ranked.

Even if their numbers made up for the lack of a high-ranking lord, where would the endless divine power needed to create the city come from?

The power of a high-ranking Divine Lord barely suffices; mid-ranking lords would quickly be drained, their strength spent, their lives forfeit.

The gods would not risk their lives just to create a City of the Gods.

In short, sufficient power was essential.

Nanluo laughed, dispelling their doubts. “Do not worry, my friends—I would never act without certainty!”

“Enough divine power? I do not possess it, but there is a source!” Nanluo raised his crystalline right hand and pointed to the starry dome above the Hall of the Gods.

The Starry Dome, the foremost component of the Hall, held countless stars in motion, arranged by the three hundred and sixty-five ancient stars, forming the Celestial Array, its power boundless.

“The Starry Dome?” The gods looked up at the gentle starlight above, their faces puzzled.

“Could it be…” Lord Miaoyan’s face suddenly changed, “The power of the stars!”

At his words, the gods’ eyes lit up in unison, “The power of the stars!”