Chapter Sixty-Seven: The Beginning of Heaven’s Collapse (Part One)

Within the boundless, divine golden radiance, a majestic and ancient Hall of the Gods hovered, resplendent at the zenith of its glory, so awe-inspiring that none dared lift their gaze toward it. Surrounding this sacred and solemn hall, dragons and phoenixes sang in unison, myriad beasts paid homage, and all the gods bowed in reverence. At the appearance of the Hall of the Gods, every living creature upon Mount Buzhou felt their very souls crushed by an unparalleled pressure.

“Even my elder brother could never possess such overwhelming might! Could it truly be…?”

The Candle Dragon struggled to raise its head and glance at the Hall of the Gods, only to find its golden dragon eyes seared by the hall’s sacred light. In agony, two streams of golden dragon tears slid down its face. The very essence of the Candle Dragon’s soul was stunned by the hall’s invincible pressure, as if a divine mountain of immeasurable height bore down upon it, leaving it utterly immobile and wretched.

“A primordial supreme treasure!” gasped the grand elders of each great power, their expressions twisted by terror. Already cowed by the hall’s oppressive force, their faces now contorted further upon realizing the enormity of this catastrophe.

Despite their immense strength, the grand elders of the great powers forced themselves to look upon the Hall of the Gods. Their eyes, too, were scorched by the sacred light, and pain-filled tears streamed down their cheeks.

Yet, in contrast to those who could not even glance at the hall, these grand elders, relying on their formidable might, not only managed a brief look, but, drawing upon boundless knowledge amassed over millions of years, faintly discerned that this “Hall of the Gods” was a primordial supreme treasure.

As a primordial artifact whose very presence could subdue all living things, the Hall of the Gods was assuredly a supreme treasure of legend. Such treasures, also known as Imperial Artifacts, could only be fully wielded by a Golden Immortal of the Hunyuan realm or a Divine Emperor.

Not only was the Hall of the Gods a primordial supreme treasure, it was also the only one acknowledged openly in all the primeval world. According to the knowledge of the Candle Dragon and the others, no such treasure had ever appeared in the primeval world before; the highest grade artifacts were merely the finest innate spiritual treasures held by the patriarchs of the great clans.

But after today, any doubts about the existence of a primordial supreme treasure in the primeval world would be utterly dispelled. Now, with the birth of the gods, a suspected supreme treasure—the Hall of the Gods—had emerged, its might subduing all beings.

The advent of the Hall of the Gods was earth-shattering news that would shake the primeval world to its core. For the gods, it was a blessing; for all other races, a calamity. For the great powers in particular, the emergence of the Hall of the Gods was an unparalleled disaster. In a world without the appearance of a Divine Emperor, a primordial supreme treasure represented an invincible force.

The gods, as a race, were destined to pursue dominion over the primeval world. How, then, could the other ambitious forces hope to contend with the gods, now that they possessed the Hall of the Gods?

Since the birth of the twelve new Primeval Divine Sovereigns among the gods, those at the peak of the God King realm—such as the Candle Dragon, Phoenix Radiance, and Fire of the Qilin—had already sensed the loosening of the Gate of Celestial Dimensions. The peak God Kings of every great power felt it as well. It was only a matter of time before the gate shattered completely. Once it did, the great powers, with their abundance of peak God Kings, would surely see a multitude of new divine sovereigns rise from their ranks. Though each Primeval Divine Sovereign was formidable, surely ten or a hundred ordinary sovereigns could stand against one such being! This was the source of confidence that allowed the great powers to dare challenge the gods and their thirteen sovereigns. Otherwise, the Candle Dragon and the rest would long since have begun currying favor with the gods, preparing to surrender.

Yet none of them could have anticipated that the gods would possess a primordial supreme treasure—one that was born alongside their race itself. Facing such a “race of destiny,” even the grand elders of the great powers could not help but feel a profound sense of helplessness. With only thirteen Primeval Divine Sovereigns, the great powers still believed they had a fighting chance. But a race of gods, possessing a supreme treasure and poised for explosive ascendance, left even the likes of Candle Dragon unable to see any hope for their own victory.

While the great powers were gripped by anxiety, fear, and powerlessness, the gods themselves were jubilant, their faces alight with joy and excitement. Even the usually solemn Sovereign of Fate, Miaoyan, could not suppress a genuine smile, her radiant expression eclipsing heaven and earth. If she was so moved, the other divine sovereigns could not help but burst into hearty laughter. “Joining the gods was truly a brilliant decision,” they exclaimed.

“That brilliant decision must owe a bit to me!” replied the plump Sovereign of Devouring Origins, his round face beaming with delight.

Hearing this, the Sovereign of White Radiance laughed heartily. “My thanks to the fat one for guiding and recommending me to join the gods!”

“My thanks as well for your advice and recommendation!” echoed the others, all laughing and teasing the Sovereign of Devouring Origins.

Miaoyan, swept up in excitement, produced twelve cups of divine wine and passed them among the gods. “My friends, may heaven bless the gods!” she declared, her bright eyes shining as she raised her cup in exultation.

“Heaven bless the gods! Heaven bless the gods! Heaven bless the gods!” The gods made no attempt to conceal their excitement, nor did they stifle their triumphant cries.

Off to the side, the grand elders of the great powers could only watch as the gods raised their cups in praise, their own hearts turbulent, some nearly sick with frustration. The beings of the great powers wore ashen faces, helpless and at a loss, while the gods celebrated and drank in their honor.

Yet none of this had anything to do with Nanluo. As the chieftain of the gods, Nanluo, at the very instant the Hall of the Gods appeared, was summoned by its call. Transformed into a beam of golden light, he flew straight into the hall, a sanctuary forbidden to all others.

The Candle Dragon, the grand elders, and all the others could only watch as Nanluo entered the Hall of the Gods, powerless to react. After all, even a single glance at the hall left their eyes streaming with tears and injury; how could they dare focus on Nanluo himself?

The gods, while spared the pain of the hall’s sacred light, dared not intrude upon the supreme treasure themselves. Only Nanluo, as the chieftain of the gods, was utterly unaffected by the hall’s sanctity, and moved effortlessly to its threshold.

Gazing at the resplendent gates, inscribed with boundless laws and mysteries, Nanluo felt no hesitation, not even the desire to linger for a moment longer. After all, once he mastered the Hall of the Gods, everything within would be his. Why waste time at the door?

What mattered now was seizing control of the Hall of the Gods without delay. Decisively, Nanluo pushed open the gates and strode into the heart of the hall.

Hall of the Gods, I am here!