Chapter 94: The Divine Court of the Northern Wastes (Part Two)

The Hall of the Gods.

Nan Luo sat upon the Throne of All Deities, surrounded by billions of stars, appearing as the sovereign among constellations. Beneath his feet stretched the boundless, primordial earth, as if he were the master of the land itself.

In this scene, illuminated by sacred golden light, Nan Luo was the supreme and solitary ruler between heaven and earth.

Above the hall, the endless stars of the celestial dome spun ceaselessly, each gathering into clusters of golden light radiating the energy of the cosmos. Upon the ancient stone floor, similar golden clusters floated, emanating a mighty aura of heaven and earth.

"Condense!" A voice, majestic and commanding, rang from Nan Luo's lips, echoing throughout the Hall of the Gods.

Boom!

The golden clusters on the celestial bodies and those upon the primordial stones, receiving Nan Luo's command, burst forth with dazzling, unparalleled brilliance.

Within that radiant light, countless golden clusters rose with powerful wills, as if they had gained life, exuding an aura of joy.

Nan Luo slowly opened his majestic, golden eyes, gazing at the multitude of golden clusters before him. On his handsome, resolute face appeared a sincere and heartfelt smile.

"At last, it is done—the Divine Seal of Heaven and Earth," Nan Luo said with a soft laugh, his eyes resting on the golden divine seals within those glowing clusters.

He reached out, summoning a Star God Seal to his side, turning the glittering seal in his hand with a mysterious smile. "Receive my divine office, bear my divine seal, and enjoy the honor reserved for the gods of heaven and earth," he intoned.

The Hall of the Gods—its name made clear—was the supreme sanctum belonging to the deities.

Yet Nan Luo had not expected that even the legendary divine offices and divine seals could be forged within this hallowed hall.

The Hall of the Gods was truly worthy of being the supreme treasure of the divine race.

With such a treasure, it was only fitting that the divine race should rule over the primordial world for an era.

All was ordained by destiny.

With divine offices and divine seals, the divine race became the true people of destiny, cherished by heaven and earth.

To rule over all beings, the divine race could not rely solely on overwhelming strength. Besides, the divine race had yet to attain true invincibility.

In the eyes of the supreme beings, the divine race was but a slightly stronger ant.

While lacking absolute power, the divine offices and divine seals were the ultimate instruments with which the divine race could control the Northern Wilderness and all beings within the primordial lands.

Those who received a divine office would enjoy longevity equal to heaven and earth.

To any being longing for life—especially those on the brink of death—this was a supreme temptation, both irresistible and irresistible to resist.

Those who bore a divine seal would act as heaven’s enforcers, wielding the power of the world itself.

For any creature yearning for strength, this was the ultimate lure, impossible to refuse.

Life and power—these are all that living beings seek.

With the eternal life of the divine offices and the supreme power of the divine seals, the divine race could reign over the primordial world and all its myriad races.

Yet, the divine offices and seals of the divine race were not so easily obtained.

What Nan Luo had just proclaimed—"Receive my divine office, bear my divine seal"—was only half the statement.

The other half was, "Be under my command, be ruled by the gods!"

Together: "Receive my divine office, bear my divine seal, be under my command, be ruled by the gods."

This was Nan Luo’s true confidence in uniting the Northern Wilderness! This was the divine race’s true confidence in ruling it!

City of the Gods, the Divine Realm of Jade Pool.

The Peach Blossom Banquet was being held in the Divine Realm of Jade Pool. In days to come, once the divine race claimed the Celestial Court, the Jade Pool there would become its venue.

The seats in the Divine Realm of Jade Pool were arranged in a stepped formation, divided into three levels.

At the highest level, the God Emperor’s throne stood lofty and alone, gazing down upon all living beings.

But Nan Luo was still in the Hall of the Gods, forging the divine seals, and had yet to arrive at the Jade Pool. Besides, as the leader of the divine race and the central figure of the Peach Blossom Banquet, how could he possibly appear before the festivities began?

Naturally, Nan Luo would only appear atop the God Emperor’s throne once the banquet had officially begun.

For now, that throne hung empty, radiating endless sacred brilliance.

On the second level sat the gods of the divine race and the Nine Lords of the Northern Wilderness, arrayed in two distinct rows.

At this moment, the Nine Lords were already seated, and the twelve gods of the divine race had each taken their places.

Through deliberate conversation, the gods had set the Nine Lords at ease, and they conversed amicably.

The third tier was reserved for the various god-kings of the Northern Wilderness attending this Peach Blossom Banquet.

Now, these god-kings had passed through the Southern Might Gate and entered the Divine Realm of Jade Pool, finding their seats and mingling with one another.

At the Peach Blossom Banquet, all the deities of the Northern Wilderness had gathered—even those rarely seen in ordinary days appeared, eager to socialize and form alliances.

Before long, nearly all the invited deities had arrived, and the seats were nearly filled.

Only the Sea God King and the Roc God King, who had been embroiled in battle outside the Southern Might Gate and captured by the hand of violet lightning, had yet to reappear.

In the eyes of the assembled god-kings, the Sea God King and the Roc God King were unlikely to survive.

After all, battling openly outside the gate was tantamount to disregarding the divine race and its honor. The master of that violet thunderous hand, the cold and ruthless Lord of Thunder, would hardly tolerate such insolence.

In his hands, the lives of the Sea God King and the Roc God King hung by a thread.

Thus, few now cared about their fate—only those with close ties to them harbored any concern.

Among them was the Lord of the Nether Sea, who, being a friend of the Sea God King, cared deeply for his fate.

Yet the Lord of the Nether Sea was weak and wielded little influence—how could he dare question the powerful and merciless Lord of Thunder about the Sea God King’s survival?

He could only wait for an opportunity—a chance to save his friend.

And that chance was drawing near.

Dong! Dong! Dong! Nine thunderous chimes rang out across the Divine Realm of Jade Pool once the gods of the Northern Wilderness had taken their seats, announcing the commencement of the first Peach Blossom Banquet ever held by the divine race.

As the echoes faded, the sacred golden light from the God Emperor’s throne suddenly blazed forth, so brilliant that none dared to gaze upon it directly.

“All hail His Majesty, the God Emperor!”

The Lord of Wondrous Words bowed deeply, paying homage to the throne radiating infinite golden light.

“All hail His Majesty, the God Emperor!”

From the highest god-kings to the youngest true gods, all present raised their voices in praise, bowing in reverence to the God Emperor’s throne.

The chorus of praise swelled, echoing beyond the Divine Realm of Jade Pool, resounding throughout the City of the Gods.

For a time, the entire city was filled with hymns in honor of Nan Luo.

Amidst this ocean of adulation, Nan Luo appeared atop the God Emperor’s throne—crowned with stars, robed in gold embroidered with all things, boots of ocean blue upon his feet, an aura vast as the heavens and earth emanating from him. Gazing down upon the assembly, he spoke in a calm voice: “Gods, you may rise. Be at ease.”