["Vast and high, where heavens and earth submit to order; in the boundless Cangmin, creatures have no fixed rules.

The three harmonies of Yin and Yang, the patterns of the Five Elements, the rising and setting of the sun and moon, the formation and dispersal of clouds, winter snow and spring flowers, summer thunder and autumn fruits—all speak to this principle, all to this order.

The Heaven Palace stands amid order; the rise and fall of all things have their determined fates, allowing all spirits and races to thrive in peace.

Now, there is the Human Domain, where the Human race has established itself in the South Wilderness. They do not honor the Divine Decree, do not recognize the numbers of heaven, and do not understand the principle that the Great Dao has no beginning or end. Nevertheless, the Heaven Palace cannot bear to see creatures harmed and will not lose the virtue of the Divine Spirits, so it allows the Human Domain to exist in the South Wilderness.

By the decree of the Lord of Order, the Father of the Sun and the Moon, His Highness of Great Virtue and Wisdom:

The Human King of the Shennong Family is proclaimed a Foreign God of the Heaven Palace, wielding the Dao of Fire, serving as the Fire God of Virtue, and governing all beings in the true South Wilderness.

The Human race's Wu Wangzi is proclaimed a Foreign God of the Heaven Palace, wielding the Dao of Welcoming Spring, serving as the Welcoming Spring God, and governing all beings in the Southeastern Region."]

Utter silence enveloped the entire dome.

Divine Light flickered, and those characters formed the Heavenly Emperor's phantom before transforming into a beam of rainbow light, smashing down on Wu Wang's head.

If Wu Wang's Dao heart wasn't strong enough, he'd be completely bewildered at this moment.

By the time he regained his senses, he had unwittingly been consecrated as an Acquired God outside the official ranks of the Heaven Palace.

In that instant, he had no time to think further. Almost immediately, he conjured boundless starlight and rapidly retreated.

Waves surged around him; tables and chairs turned to dust in an instant, and even Heaven and Earth twisted slightly.

In less time than it takes to tell, the rainbow light suddenly surged forward, accelerating to chase after Wu Wang. Beside him, sword light flashed as Xiao Jian Daoist made a slash, barely striking the rainbow light.

In the blink of an eye!

The Sleep God slightly raised his brows, a sharp light crossing his eyes.

Wu Wang's complexion grew pale as he stared fixedly at the rainbow light; the Yan Emperor's command talisman within his God's Mansion pulsated wildly.

CLANG!

The sword light fell, but the rainbow light remained unharmed. Xiao Jian Daoist's body, however, flew back as if struck by a heavy blow, spewing mouthfuls of blood.

It was then that Wu Wang came to an epiphany.

This rainbow light was not a divine skill, nor was it merely a stamp of approval; it was the Power of Order of Heaven and Earth.

This was a 'benefit' granted by the Heavenly Emperor through the Power of Order. Unless he had the ability to escape order itself, there was no way to avoid it!

As the rainbow light entered his body, Wu Wang was immediately engulfed in a seven-colored luminous glow.

Colorful clouds appeared in the clear sky that stretched for thousands of miles. The tinkling of immortal music echoed from an unknown place. Divine beings beat drums and sang from the southeast, while auspicious beasts roamed from the north.

Inside and outside the dome, the stationed troops, the Immortal Soldiers that had arrived later, and the cultivators who were there to watch, all stared at this scene.

The Heaven Palace was consecrating a Human Domain cultivator as a Divine Spirit?

Is this... reasonable?

This was utter nonsense to the point of letting utter nonsense kick down the door—it couldn't be more preposterous!

It's uncertain who spoke first, but voices around the dome joined in a buzzing chorus. Some were inexplicably excited, others frowned in secret, but many more cultivators shouted out that this was a malicious psychological ploy by the Heaven Palace.

「Meanwhile, in a mountain forest in the Northern Region.」

The old man in a straw cloak calmly watched the sphere of rainbow light in his palm. After a moment's thought, he crushed it casually, picked up the teacup in front of him, and took a sip.

"This new tea isn't bad at all," Shen Nong said with a smile, then lost himself in thought over the teacup for a while.

「Looking back at the bustling military dome.」

The anomaly around Wu Wang had dissipated. Floating in front of him was a wooden staff, surging with vigorous vitality.

How crafty! This Order incarnation of the Heavenly Emperor, how utterly crafty!

No wonder no trace of the Iron Eating Beast has been discovered in the Great Wilderness—Emperor Shun must have taken all the bamboo shoots!

So, who is the ultimate winner of the ancient divine wars? Emperor Shun, reclining triumphantly, that's who.

With a single decree and two God positions, Wu Wang, the Hall Master of the Punishment Hall, was forcibly pulled to the Heaven Palace's side.

Would the Human Domain trust a Divine Spirit of the Heaven Palace?

Even now, the cultivators who had witnessed this spectacle would easily develop a crisis of trust in Wu Wang in the future.

The most brilliant part of Emperor Shun's plan lay in…

"This isn't too bad," Cang Xue's voice resonated from deep within Wu Wang. "As the God of Welcoming Spring, he should be considered a Subordinate God of the Spring God among the Four Seasons."

Indeed, Mother seemed quite pleased.

She had never truly wanted me to engage too deeply with the Human Domain, nor did she wish for me to be at the center of the great power struggles of Heaven and Earth.

In this decree issued by Emperor Shun, Wu Wang was essentially promised a grand future, nominally becoming the 'Lord of the Southeastern Region' as bestowed by the Heaven Palace.

His rank might not be that of a Main God, but his authority was comparable to that of the Star Gods or the Ancient Fire God.

Furthermore, Wu Wang could now legitimately go to the Southeastern Region, establish his own governance, develop his forces, and, due to the unique geographical location of the Southeastern Region, remain outside the jurisdiction of the Heaven Palace.

In Cang Xue's view, this was actually Emperor Shun displaying goodwill towards her and her son, the Ice God's kin, as well as a sign of Emperor Shun's sincerity.

But I never wanted to be the Lord of the Southeastern Region or a god of the Heaven Palace; I just want to be the Yan Emperor's son-in-law.

What should I do?

Several thoughts immediately surfaced in Wu Wang's mind. It was only then that he noticed his Primordial Spirit had been gilded with a layer of gold.

He activated the Yan Emperor's command talisman, and its flames wrapped around his Primordial Spirit, yet the golden edge remained completely unscathed.

His spiritual mind returned to the sliver of Divine Soul lodged in the Star God's divine body, only to find that the God position of the God of Welcoming Spring was an Acquired God title conferred by decree and lacked such a Great Dao.

The Star God could also serve as the God of Welcoming Spring, so there was no conflict between the two.

—Of course, a true Star God would never take on such a God position.

"Heaven Palace!"

Wu Wang suddenly drew his Longsword, pointing it towards the northern Heaven Palace, and bellowed angrily, "I am a subject of the Human Domain's Human Emperor! What are your intentions with such humiliation?"

His stance still needed to be made clear.

Seeing this, the Sleep God bowed his head, attempting to sneak away, but was swiftly encircled by a group of Human Domain experts.

Suddenly, several streaks of Liu Guang dashed towards Wu Wang. These were the Pavilion Masters who had previously hidden themselves; unable to contain themselves any longer, they now surrounded Wu Wang, sizing him up closely.

Liu Baiyi even laughed and said, "Not bad at all, Wu Wang! Playing both sides with the Human Domain and the Heaven Palace, who in the Great Wilderness would dare to provoke you now?"

Feng Zhizi, who had arrived at some unknown time, sighed and said, "For Emperor Shun to actually appoint you as an Acquired God is truly unexpected. He lives up to being the supreme ruler of Heaven and Earth, effortlessly putting us in a difficult position."

"The mighty Heavenly Emperor has gone to such lengths to scheme against our younger generation in the Human Domain."

"The Heaven Palace is nothing more than this."

"Wu Wang, you need not worry. If the Heaven Palace confers it, just accept it. Everyone here trusts you. If we start harboring doubts against you because of this, wouldn't that play right into the Heaven Palace's hands?"

A venerable elder declared loudly, "The Heaven Palace has greatly underestimated us!"

Hearing such words, the surrounding cultivators were unconsciously influenced and began to denounce the Heaven Palace.

The situation was thus temporarily stabilized.

Wu Wang's mood fluctuated for a while, but he quickly calmed down.

TSK.

He chuckled lightly, raised his hand to take hold of the wooden staff in front of him, swung it in his hand, and said, "So this is a God position under the Heaven Palace's Order? Doesn't seem so great to me."

Just then, fragments of rosy light flew in from the east, assembling into half a scroll marked with cracks and scratches.

The experts present realized immediately: the Human Emperor had personally torn apart the Heavenly Emperor's decree.

Wu Wang frowned slightly.

The Old Master should be watching. Why doesn't he just come out and help me get rid of this Celestial Court God position too?

Ah, that's right. Mother's attitude is crucial.

The Human Emperor must also be considering my mother's stance.

It seemed as though Emperor Shun was scheming against Wu Wang and his close relationship with the Human Domain, but in reality, Emperor Shun wanted to woo the Ice God of the Candle Dragon Divine Faction to his own camp.

Wu Wang's situation in the Human Domain was unimportant to Emperor Shun.

In fact, to stabilize Cang Xue, Emperor Shun, who could grant the already uncontrollable Southeastern Region to Wu Wang, could also give him an even higher God position in the future.

The situation had become exceedingly complex.

Wu Wang desperately focused his spiritual mind, untangling one chaotic thread after another, seeking the key to breaking the deadlock.

Suddenly, a Human Domain cultivator called out, "Hall Master Wu Wang, do not be troubled. Since the Heaven Palace forcibly conferred it, then we'll just not serve as this God of Welcoming Spring."

Don't serve?

A glint of understanding flashed through Wu Wang's mind, and he immediately said, "Bring me paper and pen!"

At once, an attendant from the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion responded, but before they could act, Dongfang Mumu was already rushing over to Wu Wang's side, carrying writing materials.

Feng Zhizi flicked his sleeve, gathering swirls of dust that instantly coalesced into a stone table.

Wu Wang spread out the paper and took up the pen. His calligraphy flowed with a power that seemed to pierce the heavens, his hand moving with a pressure as if he could shake the earth, as he swiftly wrote four large characters:

[I Respectfully Decline.]

I really wanted to just write 'I QUIT!' and throw it in the Heaven Palace's face. But, to some extent, I represent the cultivators of the Human Domain, so I suppose I should maintain some decorum.

"Where is the Sleep God?"

Wu Wang tossed down the pen, and an attendant from the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion at his side promptly took the paper.

Wu Wang said, "Have these four characters mounted and given to the Sleep God to be taken to the Heaven Palace."

"Yes!"

Many cultivators inside and outside the dome breathed a sigh of relief, and their opinion of Wu Wang rose significantly.

Complex matters could also have simple solutions.

The Heaven Palace conferred a God position; he outright rejected it. If the Heaven Palace had any shame at all, they surely wouldn't allow such a God position to remain vacant.

Following this, Wu Wang, with hands clasped behind his back, returned to his original position, while the various Pavilion Masters, amidst laughter, once again vanished from sight.

The Human Domain experts who had gathered around the Sleep God backed away, their faces ashen.

Sitting back in his newly moved wooden chair, Wu Wang cleared his throat and said indifferently, "Heaven Palace envoy, could it be that you have come just to confer a title on this junior of the Human race?"

"This," the Sleep God said with an awkward smile, "firstly, let me say, this has nothing to do with me. I'm just running errands."

"And then?"

"Well, actually, these are the conditions set by those strong gods above." The Sleep God carefully chose his words, trying to make them sound more palatable. "As long as the Dao of Fire returns, the Heaven Palace will recognize the Human Domain's control of the South Wilderness, and the Human Emperor will have a nominal position in the Heaven Palace. In the name of the Fire God and King of the Human Race, he will become a subject under His Majesty—below only one god, yet above all other spirits. Now, don't rush, don't rush, these are just the words they told me to convey. I think, actually, this proposal is quite reasonable."

The figures on both sides maintained their silence. Wu Wang and the Sleep God, a hundred paces apart, discussed the great trends of the world.

Wu Wang asked, "Reasonable? The Heaven Palace has long lost its credibility in the Human Domain, and you're saying this is reasonable? The Heaven Palace is currently in crisis, offering many promises to the Human Domain. But once the Heaven Palace overcomes this crisis, the Human Domain will face calamity in an instant! Sleep God, let's not beat around the bush; I'll speak frankly. Our Human Emperor has just shredded that half of the decree, and his intention is quite clear. If it's war you want, we'll oblige. But to think such an inferior strategy will make the Human race submit—that is pure folly."

The Sleep God wore a look of helplessness on his face and murmured low, "Should I take these exact words back?"

"Would you also like me to say 'thank you for your trouble'?" A flash of brilliance passed through Wu Wang's eyes.

The Sleep God averted his gaze, chuckled again, and said, "Although you'd like to refuse this assignment, we are, in a way, colleagues now. There are a few words I would like to convey to the God of Welcoming Spring."

Wu Wang tossed the wooden staff onto the table in front of him, saying dispassionately, "I almost forgot. Take this with you for the Sleep God as well."

An attendant stepped forward to take away the divine wooden staff.

Seeing this, the Sleep God couldn't help but falter, as if hesitant to speak.

Wu Wang said indifferently, "The Heaven Palace and the Human Domain—the great war between them has been prolonged, and the hatred is not something that can be simply explained away in a sentence or two. The dark turmoil the Human Domain has suffered, the myriad disasters it faces today—which one, which incident, has not been caused by the Heaven Palace?"

"Well, one can only say there's fault on both sides," came the Sleep God's forced laugh.

Wu Wang retorted, "What wrong is there in the Human Domain striving for survival?"

"The Human Domain is, in essence, a rising force under the existing order." The Sleep God spoke cheerily, "The present order existed first, and then the Human race developed. This is something you should understand. Doesn't the Human Domain owe at least some reverence to the creators of this order—that is, the victors of the ancient divine wars? Of course, these are just some immature thoughts I'm sharing, and I don't mean to preach to you all!"

This God of Sleep and Dreams… he's certainly not simple.

Wu Wang said with a smile, "If that's the case, should Emperor Shun also revere the Candle Dragon?"

"God of Welcoming Spring…"

"Call me Wu Wangzi."

"Mr. Wang, your comparison is a bit inappropriate."

Wu Wang's mouth twitched uncontrollably; he strongly suspected this God of Sleep and Dreams was deliberately teasing him!

The Sleep God sighed. "In the past, the Candle Dragon was brutal and inhumane, causing resentment to rise among all creatures between Heaven and Earth, which led to the war to change the heavens. In the eyes of the Heaven Palace, the mistake the Human Domain made back then was not actually the slaying of the Ancient Fire God. Everyone has to be reasonable, after all. We decided to follow His Majesty because He Himself is reasonable, whereas the Candle Dragon was utterly unreasonable.

"The one who bullied the Human Domain was the Ancient Fire God. That fellow had a foul temper, was arrogant, consistently disrespected other Divine Spirits, and was particularly rude to the goddesses. After the Human Domain killed the Ancient Fire God, it was only natural for Emperor Suiren to accept the Dao of Fire and become the new Fire God. The Heaven Palace recognized this. But to our utter surprise, in a blink of an eye, the Dao of Fire was siphoned away! You didn't see it, oh dear, the whole world began to shake, and the Candle Dragon nearly broke out of his seal. If the Candle Dragon had returned, the sacrifices made in the past divine war would have been for naught, and the current order of the world would have been lost. It was for this that the Heaven Palace punished the Human Domain.

"Alas, we were too arrogant, and you were too resilient, step by step leading to the current situation in the world. Although I am a minor god and hold no actual power in the Heaven Palace, I have witnessed these events with my own eyes. If you enjoy the convenience brought about by order, then you should respect the foundation that constructed this order. Don't you think this is reasonable?"

Many Human Domain experts nearby pondered with discernible contemplation on their faces.

The Whistling Snake kept its eyes on Wu Wang, eager to see how he would respond, eager to see how he would refute such words.

Even among those present, a good seventy to eighty percent of the elders felt that what the God of Sleep and Dreams had said… indeed made sense.

Unexpectedly, Wu Wang chuckled lightly and said in a calm voice, "Your Excellency truly is not an ordinary minor god."

The smile at the corner of the God of Sleep and Dreams' mouth instantly stiffened.

Wu Wang slipped his hands into his sleeves and leaned back against his chair. He appeared to relax completely, with not a trace of tension in his smile.

He said, "I must say, Your Excellency's skill in rhetoric is truly remarkable, making you one of the most memorable Innate Gods I have ever encountered. Your earlier remarks—about the Heaven Palace being enraged due to the Dao of Fire being drawn away—there's not a single error in them.

"But Your Excellency has deliberately confused the situation of the past with that of the present. From today's viewpoint, the Fire Emperor extracting the Dao of Fire certainly provided the Heaven Palace with a sufficient reason to launch a war of extermination against the Human Domain.

"But let's consider it from the perspective of that time, from the perspective of when Emperor Suiren slaughtered gods! What was the Heaven Palace's reaction then?

"Mortals killed Divine Spirits. Presumably, panic spread among the Divine Spirits, strong gods awakened one after another, and the Heavenly Emperor turned his gaze to the South. This was the first time mortals had challenged the authority of the Divine Spirits. The Divine Spirits suddenly realized that these parasites of the world, these accessories, these cattle, sheep, chickens, and ducks, could actually threaten their existence.

"Tell me, how could the Heaven Palace spare the Human Domain? How could the gods of the Heaven Palace spare the Human race? If, back then, Emperor Suiren had not resisted, what fate would have awaited all the people of the Human race in the Nine Wildernesses of the Great Wilderness? Would the Heaven Palace have welcomed Emperor Suiren with fanfare, escorting him to the Heaven Palace to be appointed as the Fire God? Or would the Heaven Palace have ordered, in the shortest possible time, that this spark of mortal life emerging in the Great Wilderness's Southern Region be extinguished!

"You tell me, the order issued by the Heaven Palace back then, the command given in that Divine Court—was it not to wipe out the Ancient Emperor of the Suiren Clan? Was it not to slaughter the entire Human race?

"Although I still can't understand how the Ancient Emperor of the Suiren Clan managed to extract the Dao of Fire from the order of Heaven and Earth, I understood something long ago. It must have come at a tremendous cost, a cost that might even have been the Ancient Emperor of the Suiren Clan sacrificing himself to bind the Dao of Fire to the Human Domain.

"To leave the divine power with the Human race, rather than consolidating it within himself! The sacrifice made by the Ancient Emperor of the Suiren Clan back then is the true reason why the Human Domain can still exist today.

"You are merely deliberately confusing the past with the present, judging ancient events from today's perspective, thereby mocking the Human Domain and shaking the morale of its forces. It's nothing but sophistry."

As these words settled, Wu Wang let out a light breath. The entire dome once again fell into silence, but within the silence, power accumulated and energy circulated.

And having said these words, a doubt surfaced in Wu Wang's mind.

What exactly was the price?

"Excellent!" The God of Sleep and Dreams exclaimed softly and then quickly said, "As expected of the wise man from the Human Domain who constantly gives the Head Manager trouble. Truly impressive. This, well, don't take it to heart. I was just expressing my personal opinion, not representing the Heaven Palace, ahahaha. That being said, I'm here for these matters. What would you have me take back as your reply?"

Wu Wang said with a smile, "Since you're here, why not stay a while longer? I find Your Excellency and I share some common interests. How about staying for a few light drinks together?"

The corners of the God of Sleep and Dreams' mouth twitched. He hurriedly said, "Don't I need to take your letter of resignation back?"

"I'll send someone with it," Wu Wang smiled and said. "There are so many envoys from the Hundred Races here, and there's this little Princess from the Feather Tribe. When she goes to report to the Young Master, it would be perfectly on her way."

The Sleep God forced a pained smile and said softly, "I feel that the two of us together… it's exceptionally inappropriate."

"Oh? How so?"

The Sleep God replied with a smile, "You are the God of Spring, and I am the God of Sleep and Dreams. If we're combined... well, too many 'spring dreams' can be bad for your health."

Wu Wang's lips twitched slightly. He gestured with his hand, and a group of experts appeared around the God of Sleep and Dreams.

This is definitely a big fish. I can't let him get away so easily.

As for the rule of not slaying emissaries from opposing forces during wartime…

He never played by the rules anyway.

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