Chapter 109: The Divine Emperor Enters Tribulation (Part 2)

The City of All Gods, the Dao Discussion Platform, the central white jade arena, beneath the boundless clear sky, golden light blazed for ten thousand zhang.

Ten sacred snow-white Heavenly Desolate Steeds pulled the Divine Emperor's golden palanquin, which slowly transformed into a supreme Ten-Dragon Imperial Throne.

Entwined around the Ten-Dragon Imperial Throne were ten sacred and majestic violet dragons, symbolizing the absolute supremacy of the Divine Emperor's authority.

The ten sacred snow-white Heavenly Desolate Steeds had their spirit-binding reins automatically severed from the golden palanquin, and they respectfully trotted to one side, prostrating themselves before the Divine Emperor.

The Heavenly Desolate Steed, one of the nine great races of the Northern Wilderness, bore golden light upon its head, with rosy clouds wrapped around its body, treading auspicious clouds beneath its hooves, and running swift as lightning. It was one of the divine beasts no less formidable than mighty races such as dragons and phoenixes.

As a vast race, the most powerful and noblest bloodline among the Heavenly Desolate Steeds was the Sacred Heavenly Horse.

A Sacred Heavenly Horse possessed true divine realm cultivation at birth and could reach the Divine King realm upon reaching adulthood.

The ten sacred snow-white Heavenly Desolate Steeds pulling the Divine Emperor's golden palanquin were precisely Sacred Heavenly Horses at the Great Perfection of the Divine King realm.

Only the Sacred Heavenly Horse was qualified to serve as the mount for the Divine Emperor's golden palanquin.

At the same time, apart from the Heavenly Desolate Steeds, the appearances of the other eight great races of the Northern Wilderness were all ferocious and terrifying, truly unsuitable to serve as mounts for the sacred and majestic golden palanquin of the Divine Emperor.

Therefore, the Divine Emperor Nanluo personally selected the Sacred Heavenly Horse as the mount for his golden palanquin, and also decreed that the Heavenly Desolate Steed race serve as the mounts for the Divine Court's armies.

In this way, the Heavenly Desolate Steed race, originally one of the nine great races of the Northern Wilderness and previously a neutral race, became ever more closely linked with the divine race and the Divine Court due to the Divine Emperor Nanluo's favor, gradually becoming their loyal subordinates.

As the Divine Court gradually dominated the Primordial Wilderness, the Heavenly Horse race followed the Divine Court's armies on campaigns across the land, gradually becoming war divine beasts renowned throughout the world. Their prestige became so great that it once overshadowed divine beasts such as dragons and phoenixes.

Because the Divine Emperor Nanluo had once used a heavenly horse as his mount for a period of time, countless beings of later generations—including gods, immortals, demons, devils, ghosts, and humans—also venerated the heavenly horse as their mount.

The divine race's history, the Heavenly Horse race...

...

Nanluo sat upon the Ten-Dragon Imperial Throne, gazing at the ten mighty figures upon the white jade arena below, as intelligence regarding these ten mighty beings slowly and automatically surfaced in his mind.

"Heh! The top ten mighty beings of this Dao Discussion Grand Ceremony truly each have their own origins, a mix of dragons and serpents. Very well! Let this Emperor see how you all can cause this Emperor to enter the tribulation?!"

Shrouded within sacred golden light, Nanluo's pair of brilliant and majestic golden dragon eyes flashed with a cold gleam as he looked down upon the millions of gods prostrating at his feet, and said with a smile, "All gods, arise!"

Though the Divine Emperor Nanluo's voice was not loud, it could clearly reach the ears of millions of gods, allowing them to feel the boundless majesty within the voice of the Divine Emperor.

"We thank the Divine Emperor for his grace!"

Led by the Martial Soldier Heavenly Lord, the millions of gods in the spectator stands shouted in unison, their voices shaking the heavens and moving the earth.

Before long, the millions of gods in the spectator stands gradually calmed down, one and all turning their gazes toward the Divine Emperor Nanluo within the sacred golden light.

The most heart-stirring moment of the Dao Discussion Grand Ceremony had finally arrived!

The Divine Emperor's personal enfeoffment—receiving official titles and positions, obtaining longevity equal to heaven and earth, and wielding authority over a domain.

Was this not the longing and pursuit in the hearts of all living beings?

Nanluo looked at the fervent gazes of the millions of gods below, and without the slightest hesitation, spoke crisply, "This Emperor has said before that the top ten mighty beings of the Dao Discussion Grand Ceremony may enter Our Divine Court, be granted divine positions, share the longevity of heaven and earth, and vie in brilliance with the sun and moon."

"Now, this Emperor shall bestow upon you divine positions and thrones. Are you willing?!"

The ten mighty beings upon the central white jade arena, as if by prior agreement, prostrated themselves in perfect unison, and shouted respectfully, "We bow in gratitude to the Divine Emperor!"

Nanluo nodded with considerable satisfaction, and shouted majestically, "Where is Zhai Xing?!"

"This minor god is present!"

Zhai Xing, clad in pitch-black armor and wearing a dark jade crown, stepped forward from the ranks, clasped his hands, and bowed.

Nanluo sat upon the throne, looking down at Zhai Xing, quite pleased with the performance of this new disciple of his, and said with a smile, "Zhai Xing, you were originally a divine general of the Divine Court, and now you have honorably seized a place among the top ten mighty beings of the Dao Discussion Grand Ceremony. This Emperor hereby elevates you to the title of Heaven-Stealing Heavenly Lord, ranked at the first grade!"

The moment the Divine Emperor Nanluo's words fell, within the golden sea of fortune above the Divine Court, the divine image of Zhai Xing instantly advanced several hundred positions, arriving among the ranks of first-grade divine officials.

At the same time, a beam of sacred golden light descended from the heavens, enveloping Zhai Xing's entire body.

When the golden light dissipated, the robe of the Heaven-Stealing Heavenly Lord, belonging to a first-grade divine official, had already appeared upon Zhai Xing.

"Your minister bows in gratitude to the Divine Emperor!"

The newly born Heaven-Stealing Heavenly Lord Zhai Xing shouted with excitement written all over his face.

"Heaven-Stealing Heavenly Lord! Heaven-Stealing Heavenly Lord!..."

Gazing at Zhai Xing upon the central arena, who had received the title of first-grade Heavenly Lord, the millions of gods in the spectator stands shouted with boiling enthusiasm.

"Frost Spirit Divine Lord, step forward to receive your title!" the Divine Emperor Nanluo shouted majestically.

Clad in frost-white snow armor, peerlessly cold and beautiful, the Frost Spirit Divine Lord strode swiftly out of the ranks and bowed respectfully, saying, "Frost Spirit awaits the title!"

"You were originally of the royal bloodline of the Frost Giant race, and now you have honorably seized a place among the top ten mighty beings of the Dao Discussion Grand Ceremony. This Emperor hereby decrees your title as Frost Heaven Heavenly Lord, ranked at the first grade."

The Frost Spirit Divine Lord—no, the Frost Heaven Heavenly Lord—bowed respectfully and said, "Many thanks to the Divine Emperor!"

The golden sea of fortune of the Divine Court suddenly coalesced into a divine image of the Frost Heaven Heavenly Lord, positioned within the ranks of the first grade.

A beam of sacred golden light descending from the heavens enveloped the body of the Frost Heaven Heavenly Lord, manifesting the robe of the Frost Heaven Heavenly Lord.

"Frost Heaven Heavenly Lord! Frost Heaven Heavenly Lord!..."

Once again, there were cries like mountains collapsing and seas roaring. However, this time, the shouting far surpassed that which had accompanied the enfeoffment of the Heaven-Stealing Heavenly Lord.

For no other reason than that the Frost Giant race had a great number of their kin seated in the spectator stands, naturally frenziedly acclaiming the Frost Heaven Heavenly Lord.

Next, the Divine Emperor Nanluo proceeded to enfeoff the Dark Sea Divine Lord as the Dark Sea Heavenly Lord, and the Sky Roc Divine Lord as the Sky Roc Heavenly Lord, in turn.

It was worth noting that when the Sky Roc Divine Lord was enfeoffed, it was the first time Nanluo had seen the Sky Roc Divine Lord's true face.

Although both the Sky Roc Divine Lord and the Dark Sea Divine Lord had once been captured together by the Thunder Punishment Heavenly Lord and delivered to the Divine Emperor Nanluo for disposal, Nanluo had never had the slightest interest in meeting them. He had merely issued the punishment order and commanded the divine guards to press them into the heavenly prison.

And there, the Sky Roc Divine Lord and the Dark Sea Divine Lord had cultivated in bitter seclusion for a full hundred thousand years before the Divine Emperor Nanluo released them to participate in the Dao Discussion Grand Ceremony.

If the Sky Roc Divine Lord and the Dark Sea Divine Lord had not achieved a place among the top ten of the Dao Discussion Grand Ceremony, they would likely still be sitting in the heavenly prison at this very moment.

Thus, the first time the Divine Emperor Nanluo saw the Sky Roc Divine Lord and the Dark Sea Divine Lord was at this enfeoffment ceremony.

As for the Dark Sea Divine Lord, the Divine Emperor Nanluo had no interest whatsoever. But as for the Sky Roc Divine Lord, Nanluo was very interested indeed.

Because the Sky Roc Divine Lord bore a striking resemblance to a mighty being in Nanluo's mind—or rather, the Sky Roc Divine Lord was precisely that mighty being, the Demon Master Kunpeng.

It was only that the Demon Master Kunpeng was presently merely a Sky Roc Divine Lord, not the later Demon Master of boundless magic power and formidable strength.

The reason Nanluo was interested in the Sky Roc Divine Lord was twofold: first, because the Sky Roc Divine Lord was the future Demon Master Kunpeng; and second, because Nanluo was very curious as to how the Sky Roc Divine Lord—or rather, the Demon Master Kunpeng—could have appeared in the world as early as the Primordial Age.

As far as Nanluo knew, the Demon Master Kunpeng, along with the Three Pure Ones, the Demon Emperor Dijun, Eastern Sovereign Taiyi, the Twelve Ancestral Sorcerers, and others, were all great beings of the Ancient Age, and all of them had only appeared in the world during the Ancient Age.

Why had the Demon Master Kunpeng appeared in advance during the Primordial Age? And why had the Sky Roc Divine Lord entered the Divine Court, becoming a minister of the Divine Court?

This was truly most interesting!