Chapter 578: The Heavenly Emperor's Grand Wedding

Beneath the great hall, Fuxi, Kunpeng, and the others also wore grave expressions, not uttering a word.

They all saw the ruthlessness of the Wu Clan's move.

The Heavenly Court's foundation lies in commanding the myriad Yao and ordering the Celestial Stars.

But the myriad Yao ultimately live upon the Great Earth.

Now the Wu Clan, styling themselves the "Great Earth Orthodoxy," have offered terms more down-to-earth than the Heavenly Court's; inevitably countless wavering Yao, even some Star Gods already granted sinecures, will grow second thoughts.

This is shaking the Heavenly Court's very root!

"Your Majesty, quell your anger."

Just as the atmosphere in the hall reached the peak of oppression, a voice tinged with a cough rang out.

Gu Yuan rose from his own soft couch and spoke unhurriedly.

"Elder Brother, in my view, this matter is a good thing."

Di Jun froze, turning to look at him; the fury in his eyes gradually gave way to doubt.

"A good thing? Younger Brother, the fire is burning at our eyebrows — how can this be a good thing?"

The remaining Yao Gods in the hall also revealed puzzled expressions.

Gu Yuan did not answer directly, but countered: "Elder Brother, previously, in the Great Wasteland, how many living beings were outwardly compliant but inwardly disobedient, hedging their bets toward our Heavenly Court?"

Di Jun pondered a moment, said nothing, but the answer was self-evident.

Too many.

Too many to count.

"And now?" Gu Yuan smiled. "Now the Wu Clan has given them a second choice. This forces all living beings to pick a side."

"Those who want to ascend to Heaven will naturally become more loyal to our Heavenly Court, because they have no way back."

"Those who want to enter the Earth will also completely turn to the Wu Clan, drawing a clear line between us."

"Thus friend and foe become distinct. We can seize this chance to thoroughly purge those of two minds from within the Heavenly Court and consolidate all forces loyal to us."

"Is this not a good thing?"

Gu Yuan's words enlightened Di Jun.

Yes!

He had only seen the Wu Clan poaching their corner, yet failed to see this was also a superb opportunity to purify the ranks and solidify the interior!

"Younger Brother speaks the truth!" The gloom in Di Jun's eyes vanished, replaced by icy killing intent. "Proclaim my decree: thoroughly investigate all Heavenly Court divine officials and Yao Generals; any who collude with the Wu Clan — kill without pardon!"

"Elder Brother is wise."

Gu Yuan nodded with satisfaction, then proposed a method that might overshadow the Wu Clan's limelight.

Exceedingly rare.

A trace of embarrassment flashed across Di Jun's face.

After a long while he said: "This, is it proper?"

Gu Yuan rolled his eyes; the meaning in the depths of his gaze was clear.

Feigning, keep on feigning.

…

Time, like sand through fingers, swiftly slipped away.

The waves stirred beneath Mount Buzhou have yet to subside.

Di Jun, with the supreme might of a Two-Corpse Quasi-Sage, crushed Zhu Rong and awed the Ten Thousand Immortals.

The emergence of the Heavenly Star God Name Register thoroughly upended the Great Wasteland's landscape.

Countless Scattered Cultivator great powers and regional Yao Kings, like sharks scenting blood, surged toward the Heavenly Court, hoping to secure a title on that golden list and seek a future blessed by Qi fortune.

The Wu Clan, however, did not sit idle awaiting death.

The founding of Pangu Hall raised the banner of "Di Shen" in direct opposition.

In the name of Primordial Orthodoxy, with the entire Great Wasteland earth as foundation, they promised all beings rooted in mountains, rivers, and marshes an equally tempting, even more "down-to-earth" pledge.

For a time, the entire Great Wasteland seemed cleaved in two by an invisible knife.

Heaven and Earth.

Star Gods and Di Shen.

Yao Clan and Wu Clan.

All living beings, willing or not, were forced in this world-engulfing tide to make their choice.

A war without smoke, yet more cruel than any war, a struggle over Qi fortune, Dao orthodoxy, and future dominance, thus opened its curtain.

Yet just as everyone's gazes focused on the Heavenly Court and Pangu Hall — how they would recruit troops and buy horses, how they would demarcate spheres of influence.

An even more explosive, even more inconceivable piece of news, without any warning, spread from the Heavenly Court.

"Heard? In three days His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor will personally go to the Taiyin Star to propose marriage to the Taiyin Goddess!"

"What?! Propose marriage?!"

"Absolutely true! It's said the betrothal gifts are already prepared, piled into Three Hundred and Sixty-Five Divine Mountains, to form the Zhou Tian Star Dou Great Array's ceremonial procession, all the way to Guanghan Palace!"

"My heavens… the Heavenly Emperor is getting married? This means he will establish a Heavenly Queen!"

This news instantly swept the entire Great Wasteland.

The shock it brought even eclipsed the previous conferring of gods and founding of the hall.

Kunlun Mountain, Yuxu Palace.

Yuanshi Tianzun had just seen off a batch of great powers who came to pay respects, wanting to probe the Saints' connections; hearing this news, his brows furrowed.

"Hmph, a monkey in a crown, virtue unworthy of position. Just established a little prestige and already only thinking of carnal pleasure — what propriety." He said to Laozi meditating beside him.

Laozi did not even lift an eyelid, merely uttering two words: "Yin Yang."

Yuanshi Tianzun was stunned for a moment, then immediately understood his elder brother's meaning.

Di Jun's move was not merely a simple lust for beauty, but to draw the Yin Origin to preside over the Heavenly Court, completing the last weak point of the Zhou Tian Star Dou Great Array.

Yin and Yang united, sun and moon shining together.

Behind this lay a greater scheme.

Yuanshi Tianzun's expression grew even uglier.

On the other side, within Biyou Palace, Tongtian Jiaozhu heard of this and merely clapped his hands in laughter.

"Hahaha, good, good! This bald bird has finally done something proper! What's the point of fighting and killing all day? He should have taken a wife and raised some bird chicks to play with long ago!"

He thought this was far more interesting than sealing gods and establishing palaces.

West, Mount Sumeru.

Jieyin and Zhunti, the two brother disciples, were worrying over a pile of broken magical treasures that had come from the East seeking alms.

Upon hearing this news, Zhunti's eyes lit up instantly.

"Senior brother! An opportunity!" he exclaimed, excitedly rubbing his hands together.

Jieyin wore a bitter expression: "Senior brother, the Heavenly Emperor's grand wedding—what does it have to do with us in the West? We can't even scrape together a proper gift."

"Senior brother, you're muddle-headed!"

Zhunti lowered his voice, a sly grin spreading across his face,

"The Heavenly Emperor's grand wedding means the Heavenly Court will surely grant a general pardon and open the gates of grace. Then, we only need to go outside the Southern Heavenly Gate and tell each of those seeking divine positions or official posts, one by one, that they have a fated connection with our Western Teaching..."

Jieyin's eyes also lit up in response.

Exactly.

This is a rare, once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity to expand the population of the Western Teaching!

……

In the depths of the Blood Sea, Minghe Laozu was in his own palace, using the Ashura Sword Qi to slowly scrape the stellar power from his bones.

This was the wound left by Di Jun upon him, still unhealed to this day.

Upon hearing the Asura Clan's report, he let out a strange laugh.

"Ye ye ye... Di Jun, you little rascal, quite the refined taste. Still want to marry? You're not afraid that on your wedding night, someone will stab you in the kidney?"

Though his words were venomous, his heart sank.

He knows better than anyone that once Di Jun successfully marries the Taiyin Goddess, the Zhou Tian Star Dou Great Array will be fully perfected, and the Heavenly Court's strength will reach an unprecedented terrifying level.

By then, his little Blood Sea, in their eyes, might truly not even be able to stir a wave.

"No, I must think of a way..." Minghe Laozu's eyes flashed with a cruel light.

……