Chapter 105: The Grand Dao Convention (Part Two)

The Grand Dao Convention, founded by the Divine Court, rose with the Court’s power until it became one of the three most magnificent gatherings between heaven and earth.

Although the first Grand Dao Convention drew only tens of millions of living beings, far fewer than the countless billions that had once assembled in the Divine Court’s prime, later generations universally acknowledged that the strong ones who made their names there were the most formidable and the most promising of all the convention’s editions.

First, every powerhouse who could travel to the City of the Gods at that inaugural convention would go on to win great renown in the years to come.

In all, exactly one hundred thousand such powerhouses made the journey.

These one hundred thousand were later remembered in history as the Hundred Thousand Heavenly Masters.

Second, among the strongest at that first convention were figures such as the Five-Elements Dao Venerable, who would later stride across the world, and the Water Official, Water-Kun Heavenly Venerable, who would later govern the waters of heaven and earth; each was a hero of his age, a giant for the ages.

Finally, the most promising powerhouses of that first convention were naturally the four disciples beneath the Divine Emperor.

Star-Plucker, Mystic Origin, Heavenly Fire, and Wind Maiden, the four disciples of the Divine Emperor, first rose to fame in the primordial lands through the Grand Dao Convention.

From that day on, the four disciples beneath the Divine Emperor formally emerged upon the stage of the primordial world, rendered illustrious service to the divine race, and forged a peerless reputation.

Since the divine race announced the holding of the Grand Dao Convention, ten thousand years had quietly passed.

Five thousand years earlier, all the regional Dao conventions across the northern wastelands within the Divine Court’s domain had already concluded one after another.

In the five thousand years that followed, out of the Divine Court’s benevolent mercy, the strongest selected from the northern wastelands were specially granted time to heal, recover, and prepare for the Grand Dao Convention in the City of the Gods.

After all, once a battle broke out between powerhouses at the level of divine kings and above, it would not only drag on for ages, but also be fraught with unimaginable peril. A single misstep could easily lead to grievous injury, and death was by no means impossible.

After ten thousand years, the divine officers dispatched by the Divine Court to all regions would lead the victors from the top ten ranks to the City of the Gods for the final Grand Dao Convention.

To become famous across the world, or to remain obscure and unknown.

For the Grand Dao Convention in the City of the Gods, everything would be decided in this one battle.

Above the second sun in the sky, around the City of the Gods, golden sacred palaces kept appearing one after another, transforming into streams of light and flying toward the city.

Those golden palaces, imposing and holy in appearance, were the traveling mansions from which the divine officers of each region led the various strong ones to the City of the Gods.

Among the myriad streaks of light, the mansion of the Cold-North Dao Region raced like a divine beam toward the City of the Gods.

Inside the Cold-North mansion, aside from the divine palace where the divine officer resided, there were ten divine halls of extraordinary sanctity and grandeur.

The most magnificent of those ten divine halls, the palace of the strongest in Cold-North, bore on the plaque outside two enormous divine characters in golden light: Water-Kun.

Within the Water-Kun Divine Hall, Divine Lord Water-Kun still sat quietly upon the Divine Court’s traveling throne, clad in a white robe and a cascade of silver-white hair.

Looking at the City of the Gods drawing ever closer, Water-Kun Divine Lord could increasingly feel its splendor and might. The calm pool of his heart suddenly stirred with a faint ripple.

“Truly a second blazing sun!” Water-Kun Divine Lord exclaimed in spite of himself as he gazed at the city that shone like the sun.

One day later, the Cold-North mansion finally arrived outside the Southmight Divine Gate.

Looking at the ten-zhang-high Southmight Divine Gate, Water-Kun Divine Lord’s expression remained as calm as ever. Yet when he saw the sky-reaching city walls forged from star essence, his gaze gradually deepened.

“So immense a quantity of star essence—I had always believed only the Star God Lord of the Eastern Sea could obtain such a thing. I never expected the divine race could also acquire it. It seems the divine race still holds many secrets.”

As he spoke, Water-Kun Divine Lord stared into the towering divine wall with a profound look, and a mysterious smile slowly appeared on his face.

...

Nether Sea Divine Palace.

Nether Sea Divine Lord sat in the seat of honor, looking at the figure opposite him. Raising the wine cup on the table, he laughed. “Brother, I toast you. This time, I trust you will surely seize a place among the top ten, recover your freedom, and become a divine lord in your own right.”

The figure seated across from Nether Sea Divine Lord slowly revealed his true appearance. It was none other than Azure Sea Divine Lord, who had once been captured by the Nine Heavens Thunder Venerable.

Azure Sea Divine Lord lifted his cup with visible excitement and said solemnly, “Thanks to Second Brother’s plea before His Majesty the Divine Emperor, this elder brother was given a sliver of hope. Rest assured, younger brother—I will not let you down.”

“In the top ten of the Dao Convention, there will certainly be one place belonging to me, Azure Sea Divine Lord.” With one great swallow, Azure Sea Divine Lord drained his cup and declared with boundless spirit.

Watching the lofty, unrestrained Azure Sea Divine Lord, Nether Sea Divine Lord seemed to see once more the elder brother of old, the one who had never feared heaven or earth. His face flushed with excitement as he cried out, “Good! As expected of my elder brother! Such heroic spirit indeed!”

After drinking deeply for a while, Nether Sea Divine Lord suddenly seemed to recall something. He looked at Azure Sea Divine Lord and frowned. “Brother, if you encounter Heavenly Roc Divine Lord in the Dao Convention, what will you do?”

“Kill, kill, and kill!” Azure Sea Divine Lord’s eyes erupted with blood-red light at the words, and he spoke with a face full of murderous fury.

Yet Nether Sea Divine Lord remained calm and said, “If you meet Heavenly Roc Divine Lord, I hope you will not engage him in a fight to the death.”

“Why is that? Have you forgotten the bloody feud of our third brother, Profound Cold Divine Lord, and the ten-thousand-year misery of my imprisonment?”

If another living being had said such a thing, Azure Sea Divine Lord would have slain him at once.

But in the face of Nether Sea Divine Lord, who had sacrificed his own freedom for him, Azure Sea Divine Lord still forced down his anger and said bitterly, “Brother, between you and Heavenly Roc Divine Lord, who is stronger? And if you were to kill Heavenly Roc Divine Lord, what price would you have to pay?”

Azure Sea Divine Lord’s anger melted away at once like snow under spring sunlight. Hearing the implication in Nether Sea Divine Lord’s words, he fell silent.

Nether Sea Divine Lord continued, “The Divine Emperor’s decree states that if Azure Sea Divine Lord and Heavenly Roc Divine Lord both secure places in the top ten of the Dao Convention, their crimes may be pardoned. Otherwise, punishment will be severe and without leniency.”

“Brother, you surely have not forgotten the Divine Emperor’s decree. But if you and Heavenly Roc Divine Lord were to battle to the death, you would both be badly wounded, and you might not even be able to secure a place in the top ten. Would that not be tantamount to disregarding the Divine Emperor’s command?”

“Brother, I beg you to think twice.” Nether Sea Divine Lord looked at Azure Sea Divine Lord with utmost sincerity.

Seeing the earnestness in Nether Sea Divine Lord’s eyes, Azure Sea Divine Lord felt as if his divine heart had been pricked. He lowered his proud head and muttered, “I know what to do.”

...

The upheaval stirred by the Grand Dao Convention involved countless races and billions upon billions of living beings, and it was destined to engulf the entire primordial world.

Within the vortex created by the convention, the divine race would not be spared either.

City of the Gods. Divine Court. Divine Emperor’s Palace. Hall of Serving Heaven.

Nan Luo sat high upon the Divine Emperor’s throne, while the twelve Heavenly Venerables stood in ranks to either side, and all divine officers of the first rank and above had gathered there.

“Summon the envoys of the Dragon Clan, the Phoenix Clan, and the Qilin Clan to the throne!”

Along with a sonorous and resonant announcement, the envoys of the three clans stepped slowly into the Hall of Serving Heaven.

In the present world, there were not many who could put the divine race on full alert.

Yet with the Dragon Clan, Phoenix Clan, and Qilin Clan joining forces, even the divine race dared not take them lightly.

The patriarchs of the three great clans—the Dragon Emperor, Phoenix Emperor, and Qilin Emperor—were of exceedingly noble status, and naturally could not appear casually in the City of the Gods.

The three clan envoys who had come this time were all Nan Luo’s old acquaintances: Dragon Clan’s Candle Dragon, Phoenix Clan’s Phoenix Blaze, and Qilin Clan’s Qilin Fire.

Candle Dragon, Phoenix Blaze, and Qilin Fire each brought ten subordinates and came to the divine steps of the Hall of Serving Heaven, facing Nan Luo as they respectfully cupped their hands and bowed.

“Greetings to Your Majesty, the Divine Emperor!”