Chapter 97: Submission of the Northern Wastes

The first Grand Peachtree Assembly under the leadership of Divine Emperor Nanluo, with the enthusiastic support of all the lords and deities of the Northern Wastes, lasted a full day and concluded in perfect harmony. Yet, the deities did not hastily depart from the City of the Gods; instead, under the arrangements of the divine clan, they remained peacefully housed within its walls.

For on the day following the assembly—that is, tomorrow—Divine Emperor Nanluo would stand atop the Deification Altar to bestow divine titles and sigils upon the myriad gods, and to establish the Divine Court in the Northern Wastes. No being would wish to miss such a historic moment. The founding of the Divine Court signaled the moment the divine clan seized supremacy over the Northern Wastes. This moment was destined to be recorded in the annals of history, its legacy enduring through ten thousand generations.

Naturally, the lords and gods of the Northern Wastes were most concerned about what positions they might hold in this new Divine Court, what divine offices and sigils they might receive—whether they would advance or be forced to retreat. This was also the instant when the powers of the Northern Wastes would be redrawn.

Tonight, the City of the Gods was fated to be restless. Countless races would strive for greater territory and influence; innumerable beings would struggle and contend for their future. In the City of the Gods, night shrouded Xuanwu Palace.

Within Xuanwu Palace, lights blazed as bright as day. Xuantian Wu sat on the chief seat, presiding over the north, with Lord Jade Elephant of the East, Lord Swift Leopard of the South, and Lord Devourer Hound of the West seated around him. The four divine lords faced one another, their brows deeply furrowed, expressions grave, yet none spoke. The atmosphere in Xuanwu Palace was as cold and heavy as stone.

In these times, only the divine clan, with its ambition to unify the Northern Wastes, could render the four clan leaders of the nine great tribes speechless in this manner. Xuantian Wu, head of the four, swept his gaze over the silent lords around him and was the first to break the oppressive silence. He said calmly, "Let us speak—how should we respond to the divine clan’s move?"

"The divine clan is recruiting all gods under heaven with the promise of divine offices and sigils. This move is ingenious beyond words," murmured Lord Devourer Hound, his face grave.

"It is more than ingenious—it is utterly impregnable! This is the very essence of an overt strategy!" Lord Swift Leopard declared, pointing out that the divine clan’s scheme was an open ploy.

In all machinations, there are two kinds: overt and covert. The covert is unexpected, ruthless and venomous, yet can be seen through and countered with wit. The overt, however, is upright and aboveboard, leveraging the power of circumstance. Even if one sees through it, there is no way to counter it—it is truly without flaw.

The divine clan’s recruitment with divine offices and sigils was just such an overt ploy: open, irresistible. Even Xuantian Wu and the other lords, aware of the hidden dangers within the divine clan’s offers, could not stem the tide of desire among the gods for the power and longevity promised by the sigils.

The divine clan was not composed of benevolent souls; they would never act against their own interests. Especially not Divine Emperor Nanluo—a hero of the age, unmatched in wit and foresight, whose every decision was the product of careful deliberation and always to the benefit of the divine clan. In bestowing divine offices and sigils to attract the gods, they would surely embed mechanisms for control, ensuring all recipients remained under their sway.

Though Xuantian Wu and the others had never themselves received such sigils or offices, they were certain the divine clan would do precisely this. For if they themselves held such power, they too would hide such controls within, to dominate the myriad gods.

Sometimes, a shift in perspective—especially between equals—makes it easy to guess an opponent’s intentions. Nanluo and Xuantian Wu: one, the master of the divine clan; the other, the lord of Xuanwu; one, the soon-to-be sovereign of the Northern Wastes; the other, the soon-to-be-deposed former ruler. Both were supreme beings; their thoughts and strategies were surely similar.

Thus, Xuantian Wu easily discerned Nanluo’s purpose. What’s more, Nanluo’s was an overt strategy—obvious, yet unbreakable. Not only Xuantian Wu, but all beings above the level of divine lord could see through the overt ploy and calculation behind the great investiture and granting of sigils. Yet what did it matter? Seeing the ploy was one thing; none had the power to counter it. They could only passively accept it, just as Lord Youhai, having already accepted his divine sigil, had struggled and ultimately resigned himself.

"The true brilliance of this overt ploy lies in stirring the ambitions and desires of those god-kings who have long been oppressed by the divine lords," observed Lord Jade Elephant—known for his keen insight into the hearts of beings—at once perceiving that the real power of the sigils was in awakening those very ambitions and cravings.

Lord Swift Leopard and Lord Devourer Hound, hearing this, both changed expression and asked in low voices, "The ambitions and desires of the god-kings?"

"Exactly. The ambitions and desires of the god-kings," Lord Jade Elephant replied gravely.

With a sweep of his jade-like hand through the air, a ball of white light appeared between the four lords.

"After Nanluo shattered the Gate of Heaven’s Veil, divine lords began to emerge on a large scale throughout the world, breaking the old pattern where only the great tribes possessed such lords," he intoned. As he spoke, the white light transformed into a hazy Gate of Heaven’s Veil.

"The Northern Wastes were no exception, producing many divine lords like the Sky Roc Lord," he continued, evidently deeply impressed by that Sky Roc who had dared to battle outside Nanwei Gate. As his voice flowed, the white light shifted again, showing myriad beams of divine lordly radiance across the Northern Wastes, and portraying the proud, black-feathered Sky Roc Lord.

"Yet, while divine lords have begun to appear en masse, god-kings are emerging at ten times the speed."

"When the Gate of Heaven’s Veil was broken, it not only opened the way for god-kings to ascend to divine lords, but also smoothed the path for true gods to rise to god-kings." The white light transformed once more, with golden rays of divine lords now surrounded by countless red beams of god-kings.

This distribution map showed the god-kings encircling the divine lords, or the divine lords illuminating the god-kings like stars surrounding the moon. Gazing at this vision, Lord Swift Leopard and Lord Devourer Hound grew ever more sombre; they had already guessed what Lord Jade Elephant would say next.

"The god-kings are the true backbone of rule in the Northern Wastes. However mighty, how many god-kings can a common divine lord truly withstand?"

"As long as the divine clan holds the god-kings firmly in hand, they can rule the Northern Wastes entirely."

"And how to control the god-kings? The key lies in the divine offices and sigils the divine clan wields."

"An aged god-king can use a divine office to prolong life; a youthful one can use a sigil to gain strength; a mighty god-king can use the sigil’s power to glimpse the realm of the divine lord." Though Lord Jade Elephant’s voice was gentle, it sent Lord Swift Leopard and Lord Devourer Hound plummeting into despair, chilled to their very souls.

They would not forget that a god-king in full mastery, bearing the right sigil, could wield the power of a divine lord.

"In other words, even if all the divine lords of the Northern Wastes united, we could not undermine the divine clan’s scheme!" Lord Devourer Hound’s eyes reddened as he shouted in disbelief.

"If the divine clan so wished, they could instantly raise countless divine lords! The title of divine lord no longer means what it once did!" Even Lord Jade Elephant, ever serene, could not suppress a bitter smile.

"Our plan to unite all the divine lords of the Northern Wastes and pressure the divine clan—clearly nothing but a futile dream, a wasted effort," Lord Swift Leopard murmured in defeat. "The divine clan cares nothing for whether we unite or not. Their willingness to offer the sigils and titles means they have already prepared for every outcome."

"Moreover, how many among us would dare risk offending the divine clan?" Xuantian Wu abruptly sneered. "For all we know, some divine lords may already have defected to them!"

At these words, both the despairing Lord Devourer Hound and Lord Swift Leopard, and the more composed Lord Jade Elephant, turned to Xuantian Wu in shock and rage. "Who? Who would do such a thing? Weren’t we all committed to uniting as one?"

If a divine lord had indeed defected, then surely the divine clan would already know all about their plan to unite and apply pressure. The very thought of the divine clan settling accounts after the fact sent chills down their spines, and they hurriedly pressed Xuantian Wu for answers.

"Hmph! Of the nine clans of the Northern Wastes, only four are present. Even if the Kui Ox and Heavenly Horse clans remain neutral as always, what of the Tyrant Shark, Steel Monkey, and Mighty Ox clans?" Xuantian Wu replied with deep meaning.

"I knew we couldn’t trust them—cunning and venomous, just like those treacherous Black Serpents," Lord Swift Leopard and Lord Devourer Hound spat, their curses harsh and bitter.

Xuantian Wu looked up at the resplendent Xuanwu Palace, a mocking smile on his face—whether directed at himself or at the divine clan, it was hard to tell. "Xuanwu Palace? Did they already foresee that we would eventually surrender? They’ve even prepared my own temple for me!"

From the first moment he beheld Xuanwu Palace, Xuantian Wu had felt deep displeasure, though he had long kept it hidden in his heart.

"Nanluo!" Xuantian Wu gazed through the palace toward the Hall of the Divine Emperor above, silently growling the name, his hands unconsciously clenched so tightly that blood began to drip unnoticed.

The myriad tribes of the Northern Wastes, all the lords and gods—at this point, all were prepared to submit to the divine clan.