Chapter 8: Shengling Laozu

After these thoughts flashed through his mind, Gu Zhangqing did not keep the gods waiting for long.

Looking at them, he said earnestly: "Just now, I handed over the authority of the master to my brother, Shengling Laozu!"

"Shengling Laozu? Where is he?"

"Indeed, why did he not come for such a major matter?"

"Alas, I wonder what the cultivation of this Shengling Laozu is like, and whether he can suppress the other Great Daos of Honghuang!"

"Yes, and I wonder where the future of us Innate Divine Saints lies?"

……

"Alright, I shall take my leave now. Shengling Laozu will descend in a moment; you may wait if you wish." Facing the chaotic gods, Gu Zhangqing shouted loudly.

After the gods quieted down, he said to his three newly sworn brothers: "I am leaving now. If you have any matters later, speak to Shengling Laozu; he knows where I am."

Regarding Gu Zhangqing's ease in handing over such heavy authority to another, the three of them could not help but marvel at his detachment.

However, since he had already made his decision, there was little they could say.

Saying this, Gu Zhangqing disappeared from the Gods' Hall in full view of everyone.

Moreover, before leaving, he severed the connection between his own Divine Rice Qi Luck and the Gods' Hall.

Thus, after he left.

What Cangtian Laozu, Yewenhua, and the others saw was this.

The divine throne belonging to Gu Zhangqing simply shattered before their eyes and then vanished.

Meanwhile, the divine throne of Cangtian Laozu rose directly to the first position, replacing Gu Zhangqing's former seat.

"He truly has abandoned everything of the Divine Rice!?"

Watching this scene, everyone was astonished.

At this moment, Cangtian Laozu and the others suddenly understood.

Could it be that Yuan Yi wants to walk the same path as Hongjun of the Immortal Rice?

……

Returning to Yuanyi World, Gu Zhangqing felt that his aura as an Innate Divine Saint and his Divine Rice Qi Luck had disappeared—or rather, they had not vanished, but had returned to the Gods' Hall and the Tablet of Fate in his hands.

At this moment, Gu Zhangqing no longer possessed the strength of a Great Luo Divine Peak.

At this time, he called the path of Proof of Rice he was taking: the Rice of Worlds.

Under his heaven-defying comprehension, the realms it contained were deduced.

From low to high, they are:

Plane Lord (Golden Immortal), World Lord (Taiyi), Universe Lord (Great Luo), Multiverse Lord (Hunyuan Golden Immortal), Infinite Universe Lord (Hunyuan Great Luo), Chaos Lord (Great Rice), and Transcendence!

Because this path is destined to have no successors, he, Gu Zhangqing, is the first and also the last person to walk this path of Proof of Rice.

Therefore, this path of Proof of Rice has no mortal realm.

The starting point is the Golden Immortal level.

Having abandoned his Innate Great Luo Divine Saint cultivation of the Divine Rice, Gu Zhangqing, now practicing the Rice of Worlds, reached the peak of World Lord.

And this world is precisely Yuanyi World.

Although his cultivation appeared to have decreased, his comprehension of the Law Great Rice remained, and his strength would not necessarily be lower than an ordinary Great Luo Divine Saint.

Moreover, after years of seclusion tending to Yuanyi World, Yuanyi World had long since reached the verge of advancement.

Once Yuanyi World advances to a Small Thousand World of universe level, his cultivation will naturally be able to return to its peak.

……

Swish! Swish!

At the same time.

Shengling Huang Gu Zhangqing appeared in the Gods' Hall.

Holding the authority of the gods.

He looked coldly at the gods present who questioned him, and said indifferently:

"I am Shengling Huang, and I have already mastered the control of the Gods' Hall and the Will of the Gods!"

Having said this, Shengling Huang Gu Zhangqing released the Will of the Gods from the Tablet of Fate at the appropriate moment.

To show that he had already obtained the recognition of the Will of the Gods.

Faced with this powerful, oppressive will, everyone finally yielded.

They stood up one after another to pay their respects to Gu Zhangqing.

"We pay our respects to Your Majesty, Shengling Huang!"

Shengling Huang nodded, then signaled for the gods to take their seats.

"I know that there are surely many among you who are unconvinced, but it matters not."

"I can establish the first iron rule of the Gods' Hall before the Will of the Gods: as long as any of you present are stronger than me, or have a divine throne higher than mine, then what harm is there in me abdicating and yielding the position?"

"Is this true!"

Yewenhua's eyes lit up upon hearing this.

The other gods also had expectations in their eyes upon hearing this.

Even the Innate Divine Saints belonging to the Eastern ranks were the same.

With this iron rule in existence, their path on the Divine Rice might not be impossible to walk.

"Of course!"

While Shengling Huang Gu Zhangqing found it amusing, he could not help but feel sorrow for them.

Even if they fought to the end, they would never discover that the peak of the Divine Rice they pursued was merely working for the spokesperson of the Divine Rice.

Anyone who walks the path of Proof of Rice based on the Divine Rice is merely adding new Concept Great Daos to the Divine Rice.

As for Shengling Huang, he completely used the Divine Rice as his own concept to achieve his Proof of Rice.

The Divine Rice is him, and he is the Divine Rice.

As for the height of the positions of the divine thrones.

With Shengling Huang Gu Zhangqing mastering the main body of the Gods' Hall, the Supreme Treasure of the Divine Rice, who would dare to rank higher than him in the seating of the divine thrones within the Gods' Hall?

"The first iron rule has been stated, so now I will speak about the current situation in Honghuang; most of you may not be very clear about it yet."

As he spoke, Shengling Huang cast his gaze toward the group of people at the very bottom of the divine thrones.

He even saw that among the Innate Daluo Divine Saints, some were making expressions of confusion and bewilderment.

This left Gu Zhangqing feeling speechless.

It turns out that a significant portion of them still do not know the situation in Honghuang.

That is no wonder.

No wonder in the Honghuang he understood in his past life, the Divine Rice could not even stir up a single ripple.

Not only were they a loose sand, but they also did not care at all about the general trend of Honghuang.

By the time the Immortal Rice completely rose in the hands of Hongjun, and there were no longer many figures of Divine Rice cultivators in Honghuang, they suddenly realized that the general trend of the Divine Rice was gone for good.

Before Hongjun became a saint, most of the Innate Divine Saints in Honghuang had either sacrificed themselves or switched to cultivating the Immortal Rice.

Even those born as the fourth batch of Innate Godly Beings were ultimately born in the era most unfriendly to the Divine Rice—the era of the Immortal Rice.

Even the top batch of Innate Daluo Godly Beings went to Zixiao Palace of the Immortal Rice to listen to the Rice, so what other choice did the lower-level Innate Godly Beings have?

In the end, they could only follow the general trend and switch to cultivating the Immortal Rice.

This is why it is no wonder that after the Heavenly Court was established, the Divine Rice was reduced to an appendage of the Immortal Rice.

Thinking of this, Shengling Huang Gu Zhangqing could not help but sigh inwardly.

The path of the Divine Rice is truly... a long and arduous journey!

Gu Zhangqing continued to speak.

"The current situation in Honghuang is already very clear to the peak Great Supernatural Beings."

There are we Innate Divine Saints born in response to the Law Great Rice, the Immortal Rice pioneered by the Daoist Hongjun who was previously a top Innate Great Supernatural Being, the Demon Rice pioneered by Luo Hou, the Bloodline Qi Luck Rice pioneered by the Three Clans, and the Chaos Demon God Rice of Yangmei Laozu returning to his own nature, etc.

Although our Innate Divine Rice is still the strongest in Honghuang at present, do not forget.

As the number of Acquired Living Beings and new tribes born from various groups in Honghuang increases, can the Innate Divine Rice still withstand the counterattacks of the Immortal Rice and the Demon Rice?"

Speaking of this, Shengling Huang Gu Zhangqing had a serious expression.

"As more and more Innate Divine Saints sacrifice themselves, when the heaven and earth of Honghuang no longer give birth to new Innate Divine Saints, that time will surely be the demise of our Innate Divine Rice."

"Your Majesty Shengling Huang, this situation shouldn't happen, right? After all, isn't it a very normal thing for the heaven and earth of Honghuang to give birth to new Innate Divine Saints? How could they stop being born?" Kaluo asked with confusion.

"No! In a few more Great Calamities, Honghuang will no longer allow the birth of new Innate Divine Saints."

"Why?" Yewenhua asked.

"Because the Heavenly Rice will not allow it, and the Immortal and Demon Daos will not allow it either," Shengling Huang Gu Zhangqing said very calmly.

"How is that possible? Why would the Heavenly Rice not allow it?" Samuyi asked suspiciously.

"Because... this cannot be spoken of."

"..."

(End of this chapter)