This Human Immortal Is Too Serious-Chapter 346 - 344: Standing at the Pinnacle of All Beings!

The Head Manager arrived, and then came the Young Master. After the Young Master left, the Earth God arrived.

What is this all about? Wu Wang wondered. Am I trying to achieve some collection feat like the "Four Great Aides of the Heaven Palace"?

However, the Earth God's purpose in coming here was entirely different from that of the Head Manager and the Young Master.

This Strong God neither targeted Wu Wang nor showed him any particular favor. He certainly didn't consider Wu Wang an upright and courageous "good creature of heaven and earth." The look he gave Wu Wang also contained a hint of wariness.

Within the Heaven Palace, the Young Master was a unique existence.

After the Earth God entered the hall, he first scrutinized Wu Wang carefully, then took in the surroundings with a few glances, a polite and appropriate smile appearing on his lips.

Wu Wang rose unhurriedly, calmly adjusted his loose Daoist robe, and then looked up at the Earth God, who stood just inside the hall doors.

Despite being imprisoned, and without any immortal power or Divine Power at his disposal here, Wu Wang faced the Earth God with unwavering composure, completely indifferent to the inherent majesty that naturally emanated from him.

At that moment, lightning bolts crashed down from the thunderclouds outside the hall, and the faces of the Divine Guards inside turned fierce.

It was just like when he had returned to the Southeastern Region: Wu Wang and the Earth God, standing behind the armies of the Human Domain and the Heaven Palace respectively, confronting each other across the void, each exerting immense pressure.

A strategic game that could decide the fate of millions, a single word determining victory over ten thousand miles.

Wu Wang smiled and said, "Has the Earth God come because the Heavenly Emperor wishes to see me?"

"Indeed, His Majesty has summoned you," the Earth God replied, nodding slowly. He was in no hurry to lead Wu Wang out of the hall. Instead, he fixed his gaze on Wu Wang for a moment, then said in a slow voice, "God of Spring, your courage and insight are truly extraordinary. I genuinely admire them."

The Earth God's statement is laden with multiple implications, Wu Wang mused. It seems to be both a warning and a probe.

Without waiting for Wu Wang to speak, the Earth God turned to the side and gestured towards the doorway, inviting him out.

Wu Wang glanced down at his long robe and boots, the divine rings on his hands hanging by his sides. He then walked with easy grace past the menacing Divine Guards, approaching the Earth God.

"I am unfamiliar with this place. I must ask the Earth God to lead the way."

"Please, God of Spring," the Earth God said in a soothing tone, then walked out of the great hall first.

Wu Wang followed closely. He had taken only a few steps when the divine rings on his wrists transformed into two streaks of flowing light. They shot to the left and right, becoming the two rings on the 'iron' door panels.

The eighty-one layers of restraints on his Primordial Spirit were still present, but Wu Wang could now sense the state of his Immortal Platform God's Mansion.

His Primordial Spirit was bound by a seven-colored rope, constricted into a cocoon-like shape.

Only then did he realize that what truly trapped him were the Divine Skills the Young Master had used that day.

She does have some principles, Wu Wang thought with a private chuckle. We talked for over half a year, and she never secretly undid the seals.

He then looked left and right. All he saw were dark, abyssal clouds.

"Does the Earth God have a mount for us to ride?"

"Please be patient, God of Spring."

The Earth God's voice had just faded when a Divine Turtle, dozens of zhang in length, swam through the dark clouds, descending at the edge of the open space outside the hall.

On the Divine Turtle's smooth shell, two simple chairs were placed. The left chair shimmered with Divine Light, which gently pulled Wu Wang onto the turtle's back.

The Earth God strode through the air and took a seat beside Wu Wang.

Divine Guards flew in from left and right, surrounding the Divine Turtle. They then headed upwards, towards the countless, unending majestic temple complexes that covered a thousand-li area above.

Wu Wang curiously surveyed the temples above, also casting a few glances below, his eyes filled with deep emotion.

This was the first time Wu Wang had observed the Heaven Palace from such close range. He could not help but be awed by its resplendence and its grand, imposing nature.

The Heaven Palace as a whole was suspended tens of thousands of zhang in the air, containing hundreds of great halls and over a thousand floating islands.

Each great hall was not an isolated structure; they were surrounded by open ground on all sides.

Most of the halls were connected by corridors and jade bridges, with pathways winding before them, linking the upper and lower parts of the Heaven Palace.

There were dozens of Divine Guard camps scattered on the floating 'lands' around the periphery. Within these, there were even cities of various sizes, each forming its own distinct order.

Wu Wang roughly estimated the number of Divine Guards in this area. This is dire, he thought. Seven to eight times the total number of the Human Emperor's forbidden army.

"God of Spring, do you know how many living beings reside in the city below?" the Earth God asked in a gentle voice from beside him.

Wu Wang looked down accordingly. Upon doing so, he couldn't help but exclaim, "Such an intense concentration of living beings' faith!"

If the hundreds of divine temples, dozens of floating lands, and over a thousand floating islands in the Heaven Palace astounded Wu Wang's Dao heart, then looking down at the earth from within the Heaven Palace truly shocked it.

How many living beings were there?

Magnificent divine statues stood upon the earth.

The largest statue, taller than the mountain ranges, was naturally in the image of Emperor Shun, standing directly below the Heaven Palace.

The smaller statues, though still hundreds of zhang high, stood within cities inside the greater city, receiving the power of faith generated when the inhabitants prayed.

In Wu Wang's eyes, the area below was like a sea of faith. The faith of living beings converged on the various divine statues as if it were substantial, then slowly ascended towards the Heaven Palace, returning to its depths.

Countless living beings resided here; traces of all the Hundred Races of the Great Wilderness could be found.

Corresponding to the number of divine statues, this great city was divided into hundreds of areas. Each area was densely populated with living beings, and there were clear demarcations between them.

After careful observation, Wu Wang also discovered an interesting detail.

The size of the divine statues seemed to correspond to the rank of the Innate Gods' positions within the Heaven Palace.

The central statue of Emperor Shun towered more than five thousand zhang. The earth beneath it was wrapped in layers of Divine Runes, and hundreds of thousands of living beings resided on the statue's base.

Next were two Goddess statues, each three thousand zhang tall—the Sun Goddess holding a spear, and the Moon Goddess Chang Xi with her fluttering immortal skirts.

Below them, the tallest were the statues of the Head Manager, the Young Master, and the Five Elements Gods of Metal, Wood, and Earth. These stood at the four corners and were two thousand zhang tall.

The statues of Main Gods of the Heaven Palace, such as those for Wind, Rain, and Thunder, were probably about a thousand zhang high.

The statues of minor gods were somewhat more 'economical', varying from three hundred to eight hundred zhang tall, not even as tall as the base of Emperor Shun's statue.

Beneath the statues of Strong Gods, buildings were densely packed, and everything was orderly; their prosperity was comparable to the large cities of the Human Domain.

In contrast, the areas beneath some minor gods' statues were starkly different, with simple wooden or stone houses scattered about. Some corners had even become deserted ghost towns.

The Earth God, perhaps feeling he should say something, spoke softly, "The living beings residing around each divine statue are the followers of those gods. Their daily prayers generate faith that returns to the Heaven Palace and is transformed into Divine Power, which is then distributed among the gods."

Wu Wang nodded in understanding, then said, "I see that the followers of the Strong Gods' statues outnumber those of the minor gods by more than a hundredfold."

"Living beings are drawn to strength; that is one reason." The Earth God seemed quite willing to discuss these matters with Wu Wang, instructing the Divine Turtle to fly a bit slower. He said gravely, "The Emperor's City has its own rules. If one can obtain the protection of Strong Gods, they can acquire more treasures, a longer Lifespan, and it becomes easier to possess a beautiful appearance and find more companions. Therefore, most living beings will converge at the feet of Strong Gods. But each area can only accommodate a limited number of living beings, which leads to stratified competition. Thus, what the God of Spring sees is precisely this situation."

The Earth God sighed. "The Strong Gods grow stronger, and the weak gods grow weaker."

Wu Wang raised an eyebrow and said with a smile, "The Earth God seems dissatisfied with the state of the Emperor's City?"

"Not in the slightest," the Earth God said indifferently. "I am a beneficiary of such advantages. To express dissatisfaction would seem overly fastidious. If the God of Spring is willing later on, he too can erect a divine statue in the Emperor's City to gather followers."

Wu Wang shook his head slightly before asking, "What benefits can followers bring to an Innate God?"

"There are two main advantages: one can gain more Divine Power through their prayers, and one can select Divine Guards from among them who will obey only you." The Earth God explained patiently, "This is the rule of the Heaven Palace, passed down from the previous divine age. Every Innate God may have their own statue in the Emperor's City and establish their own Divine Kingdom within the Nine Wildernesses of the Great Wilderness. However, nowadays, very few Innate Gods are willing to travel and manage a Divine Kingdom. Of course, gods like the God of Spring, who originated as living beings and were enfeoffed by the Heaven Palace, cannot possess a Divine Kingdom. They can only erect statues in the Emperor's City."

"Thank you, Earth God."

"It is nothing," the Earth God said. "Don't keep His Majesty waiting too long. Over half the Heavenly Gods in the Heaven Palace have awakened; they are all awaiting the appearance of a great god like yourself."

Wu Wang chuckled, clearly detecting the teasing in the Earth God's words.

In a low voice, the Earth God said, "The last time the Human Domain attacked with such force, although they killed over a dozen Main Gods, forcing the Heaven Palace to expend Divine Power to reshape their divine bodies, they did not actually touch the Heaven Palace's true foundation. If the Human Domain had insisted on marching forward and approaching the Emperor's City last time, the Heaven Palace would have certainly used the power of this place. In that case, perhaps there would have been fewer wars in the world."

"Does the Earth God mean that the Human Domain would therefore retreat?"

"Wouldn't it? After all, the Human Domain only occupies the South Wilderness. Even if it exhausts its entire foundation, it can, at best, inflict serious damage on the Heaven Palace, nothing more."

"Is the Earth God suggesting that the Human Domain should just hold its ground and not campaign northward?"

"Precisely."

"And then wait for the Human Emperor to be replaced, only to face the Heaven Palace's slaughter again?"

"This matter is not unnegotiable," the Earth God said. "There are ways to resolve this issue other than resorting to a great war. If another war that shakes the very foundations of order erupts in this world, it would only give the Candle Dragon an opportunity. The outcome would by no means be as favorable as the Human Domain imagines."

Wu Wang smiled and did not argue with the Earth God.

Unexpectedly, although they were adversaries and considered each other formidable enemies, there wasn't a trace of deep-seated hatred in their interaction at this moment. On the contrary, there was a certain sense of mutual, albeit grudging, respect.

Nevertheless, Wu Wang harbored no undue expectations for the Earth God. In his list of potential targets for poaching from the Heaven Palace, the Earth God ranked lowest in priority. As for the Five Elements Gods, Wu Wang currently had no designs on them.

The Divine Turtle stretched out its green head and began to ascend slowly into the high skies.

Wu Wang couldn't afford to appreciate the scenery of the Heaven Palace, nor did he have time to look at the beautiful maidens and goddesses that were everywhere.

He closed his eyes and focused, quieting his Dao heart, waiting for the upcoming storm.

He just didn't know whether the Head Manager's brilliant speculations had already spread among the Innate Gods.

「...」

WHOOO—

The desolate sound of a horn cut through the clouds, and the Heavenly Emperor's great hall, suspended in the center of the firmament, came into Wu Wang's view.

It stood erect upon the clouds; the entire sky served as its backdrop.

The Heavenly Emperor's Hall.

White clouds served as its curtains, rosy dawns its adornments. The sun high above seemed to shine solely to illuminate its dazzling roof, yet the pale golden power of faith ascending from the earth could never completely fill it.

As divine light flickered within the hall, the giant stone pillars, engraved with ancient mythical beasts, seemed to breathe and pulsate with rhythm.

It was the Great Dao trembling.

Outside the hall doors was a white jade staircase of more than nine hundred steps, connecting to several halls below. Each flight of stairs was a hundred zhang wide.

Spiritual Energy rose from beneath the staircase, condensing into droplets that then scattered at will, sketching faint rainbows.

Wu Wang was placed on the third to last step by the Divine Turtle; the Earth God had already returned to the hall ahead of him.

The Divine Guards knelt behind him. Wu Wang stood alone before these beings.

Inside the hall!

The many figures standing on both sides began to emit intense pressure.

The Divine Guards standing quietly around the hall's exterior were imbued with a sacred and majestic aura by the atmosphere of the place.

Wu Wang looked straight ahead, lifting his gaze to the magnificent hall before him. Without hesitation, his expression calm, he stepped forward.

Several armor-clad Deities, their expressions fierce, glared angrily at Wu Wang as an overwhelming divine might pressed down on him!

Wu Wang's footing wavered. With his Primordial Spirit bound at this moment, he was nearly forced to his knees by the divine might, yet he forcibly steadied himself.

Taking a step, his form swiftly recovered from a slight tremble.

The surging divine might seemed insubstantial. His steps quickly regained their stability, and he covered the first hundred zhang in a flash.

He ascended another flight of steps.

The three thousand Divine Guards before the hall opened their eyes in unison. Each raised their spear and slammed its butt heavily onto the ground!

THUD!

A vast heavenly might surged toward Wu Wang, like a tidal wave crashing against his bound Primordial Spirit.

Wu Wang's form was jolted back half a step, his heel already at the edge of the white jade step. But a slight, contemptuous smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. Withstanding the heavenly might, withstanding the pressure, he continued to walk forward at an even pace.

What is divine might? Merely a threat from the spirits of the Great Dao. What is heavenly might? Just the afterglow of the fifth divine era. If I were afraid, why would I be here? Why would I have come to the Heaven Palace!

Wu Wang's gaze remained calm as he walked the next hundred zhang, ascending the final flight of steps. He could now look directly at the gods within the hall.

The Heavenly Emperor, seated high in the center, picked up a cup of tea and sipped delicately, his peripheral vision sweeping towards Wu Wang.

The Mother of Sun and Moon, Xihe and Changxi, sat quietly on either side, displaying myriad graces and noble elegance. Xihe's face was tranquil, while Changxi wore her usual light smile.

The stunningly beautiful Goddesses within the hall gathered in twos and threes, whispering about the Queen Mother of the West and the Medicine of Immortality.

The Innate Gods who had once been humbled by Wu Wang were now starting to walk toward the hall doors, each exuding his own pressure.

Wu Wang's figure wobbled again and again.

But his forward steps only became steadier.

Fifty zhang, then thirty.

The collective pressure of the gods began to falter, and the eyes of the Goddesses sparkled with an unusual divine light.

Before Emperor Shun, most of the Power Gods had their backs to Wu Wang. Only the Young Master had turned to look at this being from the Northern Wilderness.

Ten zhang, then five. Wu Wang was about to reach the hall doors. Dozens of Innate Gods stood there, their expressions fierce, weapons of slaughter in hand.

Wu Wang's hands were empty, his gaze distant. His sleeves fluttered in a gentle breeze, and his long hair was blown back by the collective breath of the Divine Spirits. Yet, even now, he could stand with his hands clasped behind his back, silently facing the dozens of gods before him.

Upon the throne within the hall, Emperor Shun's eyelids were slightly lowered.

Xihe's crimson lips parted slightly, her voice seeming to come from the ninth heaven, distant and clear, "Gods, return to your positions."

The dozens of gods bowed their heads and retreated. Wu Wang's view suddenly cleared, and lifting his head, he saw that figure standing above all beings.

"Announce the God Feng Chun."