Chapter Seventeen: The Assembly of the Gods (Part Two)

“Today, I have gathered you all here to bestow upon each of you a blessing of unimaginable fortune,” the rotund man declared with a steady resolve, his face adorned with a genial smile as he looked out over the assembled gods.

“A blessing of unimaginable fortune? Greater than the chance to ascend in rank?” Thunder God Lei Xing, seated upon his violet throne of lightning, asked with a half-smile, half-sneer.

The other gods, too, gazed at the stout man—some with faint amusement, others with impassive expressions.

As primeval gods and demons born at the dawn of creation, the assembly had witnessed countless spectacles through the ages. The little tricks of the plump man were transparent to them; they could tell he truly intended to grant them an opportunity, but there was undoubtedly something else at play as well.

Of course, he made no attempt to conceal his motives. Openly and without the slightest embarrassment, he declared, “I have not merely called you here to bestow fortune—there are other matters at hand.”

It was only because the opportunity he promised had not changed that the gods remained seated. Otherwise, they would have dealt with him long ago.

“Of course, this blessing is the one and only supreme fortune since the beginning of time, since creation itself. The mere chance to ascend is nothing in comparison!” the stout man declared with excitement, his voice resonating with boldness.

The gods burst into laughter at his fervor, their ridicule ringing out in unison.

Powerless to argue with their mockery, the plump man could only look on in silence, his face expressionless.

“Watch your mouth, Fatty. Don’t go spouting such grandiose claims so lightly—it’ll only damage your reputation,” Martial God Wu Potian rebuked him bluntly, giving him no quarter.

The phrase “the one and only supreme fortune since the beginning of time” was truly a boast beyond compare.

How could the gods believe such arrogant and reckless words? Not just the gods—any living being would treat such claims as little more than a joke.

Since the beginning of the assembly, Destiny Goddess Miaoyan had remained silent, quietly observing the exchange. Unlike the others, who mocked him, her gift of foresight through the laws of fate had given her an uneasy feeling that the stout man might be telling the truth.

“Silence,” Miaoyan finally spoke, her calm and sagacious voice spreading through the hall.

The gods, who held in high esteem this beautiful, wise, and powerful goddess, immediately fell silent.

Thus, the noisy assembly finally quieted.

“Shishi, present your proof. Let us see what fortune you speak of,” Miaoyan said coldly, her beautiful eyes fixed upon him.

All eyes turned to the plump man, awaiting his performance. None truly believed he possessed such a supreme blessing.

“Hmph.” He snorted, then said, “As I expected, words alone cannot persuade such proud and unruly primeval gods and demons. Very well—behold the proof you seek.”

From his golden pupils, two beams of radiant light shot into the air above the hall. The beams slowly formed a luminous screen, displaying all that he had witnessed with Nanluo.

The assembly was surprised to see Nanluo, the Water God and Demon, but did not pay it much mind. Though primeval gods and demons were rare, a new one would occasionally appear.

Yet for Destiny Goddess Miaoyan, Slaughter God Yuanlu, Time God Nigu, and Earth God Buxu, seeing their old acquaintance Nanluo stirred deeper emotions.

Back when the Alliance of the Gods was first founded, its creators were six: Miaoyan, Yuanlu, Nigu, Shishi, Buxu, and Nanluo. Of those, only these remained.

Unlike the others, Miaoyan felt an odd sense of discord upon seeing Nanluo. With a thought, she secretly called upon the laws of fate to divine Nanluo’s destiny.

When Nanluo declared her intention to found a new divine race, the primordial heavens responded with nine thundering bolts.

At this, the gods’ expressions changed dramatically, shock gripping their hearts. The nine thunderbolts which would alter the fate of the world had been summoned by Nanluo’s words regarding the establishment of the divine race.

Their astonishment only deepened as the vision continued, their excitement mounting as they realized: so this was the opportunity of which the plump man had spoken—it truly was a blessing of the highest order.

On the screen, the rotund man was seen suddenly noticing that Nanluo’s fate, symbolized by a golden canopy, had grown from three fathoms to nine.

At this point, the vision faded, the light dissolving on its own.

The gods fell silent, lost in thought.

The plump man stood quietly, waiting for them to consider, saying nothing more.

For a time, the grand hall was hushed.

“I was wrong! Who could have imagined that he would truly find such abundant fortune to help us ascend to Divine Sovereign?” Fang Yan murmured to himself, both shocked and delighted.

“Fortune is a fine thing, but not easily gained!” The gods, recalling the nine-fathom golden canopy upon Nanluo, could not help but feel a headache coming on.

With their vast experience, they understood that Nanluo’s sudden increase in fortune was due entirely to her vow to establish the divine race.

She was now the leader of this race, bestowed with immeasurable destiny and the mandate of heaven.

Should she fail in her grand design, the will of the world itself would surely strike her down.

If the gods wished to share in this fortune, they would have to join the divine race, binding their fates inextricably with it.

For such proud and exalted primeval beings, how could they willingly submit themselves to another, to obey orders and risk life and death alongside this new race?

What was worse, they could not simply seize the position of leader for themselves, nor could they establish a rival divine race.

After all, Nanluo and the race she had founded had already been acknowledged by the will of the primordial world.

“Well? What say you, friends?” the plump man asked softly, his eyes narrowing to slits.

His words struck the assembly like a stone tossed into a still lake, sending ripples through the silence.

All the gods, save Miaoyan, were roused from their reverie, their gazes complex as they looked at him.

“You have made your choice, then? No turning back? Remember, this is a matter that will shape your entire existence, Shishi,” said Jehovah, the God of Creation, his eyes gentle and inscrutable.

The plump man paused, meeting their eyes with calm resolve and a faint smile. “If I could hear the Way in the morning, I would die content by evening. I have been trapped at the peak of the Divine King realm for fifty thousand years. I will not remain stagnant any longer.”

The gods, seeing the smile on his face, were moved for a moment—unconsciously feeling a rare sense of respect for him, and falling back into deep thought.

“Ahem!” Fang Yan suddenly coughed, drawing the attention of the gods.

“After the nine thunderbolts, a war for supremacy among all races will soon engulf the world. All below Divine Sovereign are but ants,” Fang Yan observed, sharing his view on the coming chaos.

“To stand still is death. I may die, but the heritage of the Way of Literature must endure. Thus, I join the divine race! I will become a Divine Sovereign and pass on the literary tradition,” Fang Yan declared, calm and resolute.

The gods considered his words, each reaching a decision in their hearts.

“Well said, Fang Yan! I did not misjudge you,” Wu Potian praised suddenly.

“Everyone, I, Wu Potian, may fall, but the martial tradition must not perish. I, too, shall join the divine race,” he said, his voice sonorous and unwavering.

One by one, the gods steeled themselves and made their choice.

“I, Yuanlu, the God of Slaughter, hereby join the divine race,” declared Yuanlu, clad in blood-red armor, his voice cold.

“I, Buxu, God of the Earth, choose to join the divine race!” said Buxu, his ocher robe set off by his resolute features.

“I, Nigu, God of Time, join the divine race!” Nigu stated, calm in his gray robe.

“I, Baihua, God of Light, join the divine race!” announced Baihua, resplendent in gold.

“I, Heian, God of Darkness, join the divine race!” Heian intoned coolly, dressed in black.

“I, Jehovah, God of Creation, join the divine race!” said Jehovah, gentle in his white robe.

“I, Lei Xing, God of Thunder, join the divine race!” Lei Xing declared, his purple robe crackling with power.

“I, Tianjun, God of Order, join the divine race!” Tianjun announced gravely, clad in blue.

“I, Huanhun, God of Dreams, join the divine race!” Huanhun stated serenely, in pink.

At last, Destiny Goddess Miaoyan opened her eyes, surveying the assembly before speaking in a tranquil voice, “I, Miaoyan, Goddess of Destiny, choose to join the divine race.”

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